$1 Million Anonymous Donation For Montauk Playhouse

The Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation has received a $1 million gift, from an anonymous donor, to support its mission in continuing the renovations to the historic Playhouse building, and adding an aquatic and cultural arts center.

It is the largest private contribution the non-profit Playhouse Foundation has received to date.

“This is a significant moment for the Playhouse Foundation and for Montauk,” said foundation chair Perry B. Duryea III. “A gift of this size is a clear sign that our community believes in this project and in the future of Montauk. We want to thank the donor for supporting our mission to complete this project.”

Julia McCormack, the director of development for the foundation, added,“We are grateful to the donor for their commitment toward completing this project for the Montauk community. This unrestricted gift will provide the foundation with great flexibility and will encourage others to participate in this vital community endeavor.”

There’s still about $2 million needed to supply programming for the updated center. The anonymous donation was received in December 2019, marking three years of successful fundraising for the Playhouse Foundation.

In 2017 the Town of East Hampton pledged $3 million toward the project, and in 2018 the Foundation raised nearly $1 million in private donations. Construction costs are estimated at around $11 million.

The building was originally part of Carl Fisher’s larger plans for Montauk in the 1920s — it was the hamlet’s tennis center.