The French Institute's handsome showcase for francophone artists, musicians and a film series.

by Contributor

The Subterranean
Buried deep in the earth (below the basement even), the Florence Gould Hall serves as the French Institute's primary performance venue. A sharply raked theater with about 400 seats, this proscenium space is used first and foremost to screen new and classic French films. But that's not all that takes place at the Gould. Concerts, plays and dance performances also grace the boards. And given the depth of the stage, live productions often fit more comfortably here than filmed ones.

Another Country
France isn't the only nation represented at the Florence Gould. Local institutions like the New York Theater Ballet and the Little Orchestra Society perform here regularly. But be forewarned: Whatever you see, the seats are high-backed, surprisingly stiff and slightly uncomfortable.