In the Shadow of Manhattan
"Suddenly, Last Summer" by Tennessee Williams at Sea View Playwrights Theatre, set by Ken Tirado, (Photo by Sean Sweeney)
Theatre artists on Staten Island often find themselves at a disadvantage that colleagues in other parts of the world don’t seem to suffer; their proximity to Manhattan. The skyline looms over us. For many, it’s a constant reminder of a “professional” world across the bay. So close, yet so far.
One way this presents itself is in issuing theatrical rights to various plays. Many of the most acclaimed plays of recent years are restricted from us for multiple reasons. Most of these reasons have to do with money. Hit Broadway Musicals, for example, are cash cows for both the licensing companies and (potentially) the theatre companies producing them. Staten Island will not get the rights for an “amateur” community theatre production until the last drop of potential income has been milked out of it. Even a 75-year-old drama by Tennessee Williams or Arthur Miller might be restricted for Staten Island because often movie stars will seek (or reclaim) their “Broadway cred” by appearing in revivals of American classics such as “A View From the Bridge” or “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
The play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." (Photo courtesy of Ken Tirado)
It's absurd to think that anyone would pass on seeing Dustin Hoffman in “Death of a Salesman” and see the community theatre production instead, but that is what the rules of these licensing companies seem to imply. They won’t take any chances, because Staten Island is New York City, and New York City is heavily restricted.
Money is not the only factor, however. Artistic control often becomes a major issue. Playwrights want a say on how their work is presented, especially if it is close to “the City.”
I used to joke that Edward Albee had to die before local theatre companies got a shot at presenting his work. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” was unavailable for decades, even when it wasn’t being currently revived on Broadway. Interestingly, now that Albee has passed, his estate seems much more interested in the rental revenue, and subsequently, we get to present his great plays.
Not all local productions are revivals of recent Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. What about classics? International works of literature; such as works by Shakespeare, and Moliere? The Greek tragedies? These plays are mostly in the public domain. Unless you are doing a popular new translation (translators get royalties, too), the rights are often not an issue. The new problem is the audience. To put it bluntly, 21st-century audiences are not well-versed in classics. You can set Hamlet out in space or place Lysistrata amongst the gangs of modern Chicago, but how do you sell it to the audience? Every company knows that a big comedy or musical will often be the box office fuel needed to balance their books (and fund their more “artistic” endeavors). It is where their bread is buttered. This is not a uniquely Staten Island phenomenon. Broadway has known this for decades. A quick glance at all the jukebox musicals being done will attest to this box office pandering.
But when doing popular theatre so many seem to seek only to replicate a scaled-down version of what they saw on Broadway. There is no reinterpretation; nothing original is added to the mix.
“Cabaret” is a good example. Here is a work that premiered in 1966, less than 60 years ago, and yet has been reinterpreted successfully at least three times with major revivals. But, I have often seen this show done locally in the past 40 years and every production has sought to copy either one version or the other. They think that is what you’re supposed to do! I have heard local directors dismiss the Bob Fosse film (which brilliantly deconstructed the original musical) as if they were talking about a cheesy old Technicolor Vincent Minnelli musical with Judy Garland in it. They feel that the Sam Mendez-Rob Marshall Studio 54 version, with Alan Cummings as the MC, is the definitive template. So, I was thrilled that the current Broadway production (imported from London) has reportedly reinvented to show once again with a new take.
Why does this lack of vision exist? Some of the players in local theatre are well-trained and educated, some are members of the unions and have worked professionally. Others have not. While many have natural talents (and quite a few local actors can sing, dance, and act–genuine “triple threats,”) many lack formal training and fly by instinct.
The set for the play The Glass Menagerie. (Photo courtesy of Ken Tirado)
I’ve had many conversations over the years with friends who’ve asked my advice about local theatre. Some of these people have children just discovering theatre. They want to know if they should bother with community theatre or pay for their kids to take classes in Manhattan. I often advise them to take the classes in Manhattan if they have serious aspirations. Community theatre can be a trap. It’s very easy to become a “big fish” in this pond. Then they won’t want to leave this comfort zone, but others with serious aspirations quickly learn to go elsewhere. Here, you might get the big roles but you won’t necessarily grow. You’ll make easy choices, but not be challenged. Should you continue to have fun doing shows or pursue work in “the City”?
I have been mulling these questions as long as I’ve been doing theatre on Staten Island. Here, often there seems to be little appreciation for the artistic process. Some don’t understand it. The philosophy of aesthetics is not taught even in college theatre programs. I recall arguing with colleagues over their devotion to “the back of the Samuel French book,” which is often an amateur handbook on how to copy the original based presumably on the stage managers’ notes. I would call it “tracing paper theatre,” a paint-by-numbers approach to production.
A solution is in the creation of original work. As far as I recall original plays have been done on Staten Island since around 1981 when Harbor Repertory Theatre was formed at Snug Harbor. From the beginning, Harbor Rep was connected with the Stanley-Timolat Foundation, at Wagner College, and their Stanley Drama Award. Harbor Rep was founded by Dr. Jack Boies, a Wagner College English Professor, who ran this playwrighting competition. With this foundation, we had access to major new playwrights and we did readings and full productions of their plays. One production, “Past Tense” by Jack Zeman, ended up on Broadway and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
The play "Iguana." (Photo courtesy of Ken Tirado)
It is here that I find hope in local theatre. The past few years have seen a local reemergence of original productions being done. This is always a good sign, but it is also risky and bold; unless you are lucky enough to get grants and funding to support these efforts. The problem with doing original plays is simply that the audience pool is quite limited and audiences seem to be family and fellow artists. Without name recognition, few people seem interested in seeing original work. Additionally, the process itself is arduous. For over twenty years Sundog Theatre has been mounting their original one-acts, “Scenes from the Staten Island Ferry.” I spent several years as a reader. We would read about 50 plays and judge them from a prepared criterion. It was difficult. But without developing and encouraging this new work we are not growing.
Recently I had a realization: after forty years of local acting, I finally found a director who not only knows–but uses–the Meisner technique. Forty years. It was like being a theatre student again!
The recent creation of the Staten Island Playhouse serves as home to both Spotlight Theatre and Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre Company. It is located in the Empire Outlets complex in St. George, adjacent to the Ferry Terminal. It is new, well-appointed, and close to the boat. Actors from off the Island can collaborate much more conveniently. They walk off the ferry and are there! Recent productions have injected fresh blood into the theatre community. New faces and an expanded talent pool. These are all good things. There’s even parking!
More companies doing original work and new spaces being developed. There is hope here.
Born in Long Island, Ken became a Staten Islander in 1958 at the age of one when his father, Dr. Moises S. Tirado accepted a faculty position at Wagner College and moved the family to Westerleigh. A resident of Silver Lake, Ken has lived on the North Shore of Staten Island for most of his life. He has been married for over 35 years to Elise Walker and has three children (Zoë, Zachariah, and Samantha). Ken has been a restaurant owner since 1991. He was the co-creator of both Adobe Blues and Bayou restaurants and owned and operated the Charleston restaurant, Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn for around 30 years. He is now retired from the business. After several years studying at Hunter College, Ken received his BFA in Theatre Arts at CSI. In 1985 he was a founding member and Artistic Director of No Empty Space Theatre. He joined the Board of Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre Company in 2009 and was the President from 2013 to 2015. Ken was a member of Community Board #1 for over ten years where he chaired the Silver Lake area committee and sat on the Land Use Committee. Ken also served on the Staten Island Children’s Museum board and is a Past President of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Business Guild #1. He is currently on the Board of the Staten Island Arts Council. He has hosted the radio show “Staten Island Theatre Talk” for MakerParkRadio. Ken directed “Othello” for Staten Island Shakespeare Theatre in May of 2023. He recently designed the set for “Suddenly, Last Summer” at Sea View Playwrights Theatre, where he has directed for 40 years.