James Earl Jones Theatre, West 48th Street, New York City

The James Earl Jones Theatre, former Cort Theatre, is located at 138 West 48th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District in New York City. The Jones was built in 1912. It has 1,092 seats across three levels and is operated by the Shubert Organization. Both the façade and interior of the theater were designated New York City landmarks in 1987.

The Cort Theatre was designed in neoclassical style by Scottish-born architect Thomas W. Lamb (1870-1942) for impresario and producer John Cort (ca. 1861-1929), general manager of the Northwestern Theatrical Association, a theatre circuit centered in Seattle with playhouses scattered throughout the western US and British Columbia.

The 48th Street façade has a glass-and-metal marquee shielding the entrances, as well as a colonnade with an additional story above. The lobby was constructed of Pavanozza marble with panels of Marie Antoinette plasterwork. The auditorium contains a ground-level orchestra and two overhanging balconies with boxes. The auditorium's proscenium arch is designed with "art glass" that can illuminate during performances, and its ceiling is coved. Its annex to the west of the theater, built between 2021 and 2022, was designed by Kostow Greenwood Architects. It contains lounges, restrooms and backstage areas.

The Cort opened on December 20, 1912, with J. Hartley Manners' Peg o' My Heart, starring his wife Laurette Taylor and Hassard Short. The play had over 600 performances.

The Shubert Organization purchased the theater in 1927. Though the theater was used as a television studio for The Merv Griffin Show from 1969 to 1972, it has mostly remained in theatrical use through the years.

The Cort closed temporarily in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was renovated during that time. In 2022, the theater was renamed after Black actor James Earl Jones (1931-2024).