Stage Door Canteen

The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II.[1] Founded by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) in 1942, the entertainers were largely unpaid; volunteering their talents as a way of supporting the morale of American troops during the war.[1] Several women in leadership with the ATW played a critical role in establishing the Stage Door Canteen, including actress Nedda Harrigan[2] and ATW co-founders Louise Heims Beck and Antoinette Perry.[3] The canteen opened March 2, 1942 and operated seven nights a week in the previously unoccupied Little Club under the 44th Street Theatre[4] at 216 West 44th Street in Manhattan.

The official estimate of attendance on the canteen's opening night was 1,250, with 200 "actresses of varying importance" as hostesses and 75 "'name' actors" as busboys.[5]

The canteen's popularity led to the establishment of other canteens throughout the United States as well as London and Paris.[6][7][8]