The Ontological-Hysteric Theater was founded in 1968 by Richard Foreman. It is a non-profit theater company that has been funded by the NEA, NYSCA and many other foundations and private individuals since the early 1970s.

Richard Foreman's Ontological-Hysteric Theater began its history in 80 Wooster Street, at the Jonas Mekas's Filmaker's Cinematheque. In the early 1980s a branch of the theater was established in Paris and funded by the French government. In the mid '70's, it established it's first full time home in a loft at 491 Broadway. Then in the late 1980s it worked out of a variety of venues such as The NY Shakespeare Festival, La Mama, Theater for they New City and the Performing Garage.

Since 1992 the theater has been located in the historic St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery in New York City's East Village neighborhood, and serves as a home to Foreman's annual productions as well as to other local and international artists.