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Plays

The JOY of School Theater

May 31, 2019 by Jennifer Sabin Poux

Photo by PhotoWorks of Pleasantville

As the recorded soundtrack kicked in and the curtain opened on the stage at Pocantico Hills School, my eyes welled up. What the hell? I hadn’t had a kid there for four years. Seated in the refurbished auditorium with a friend to watch the middle school production of A Lion King, I surreptitiously dabbed at my eyes. I tended to shed a tear or two whenever my own children took the stage, but I didn’t know 95 percent of the kids in the show. Why was I getting emotional? It took me a few minutes to figure out that I was in the throes of an almost-empty-nester moment, a multi-sensory reminder of where my kids had been, where their love of theater had started, and with one in college and one about to go, it brought up a lot for me.

It was also just weeks since I’d watched my son play Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Briarcliff High School, the final three performances of his high school career. I was filled with pride, but also gratitude. The Briarcliff theater department had given my son, my daughter before him, and my family more than any of us could have predicted over the course of seven years. It was difficult to part.

Having enjoyed performing in the musicals at Pocantico under the direction of the wonderful Sheila DePaola, my children sought out theater in high school. And there they discovered much more than an after-school activity. They found their closest friends, their community. And they found passionate teachers and mentors.

Briarcliff’s program, which involves a fall drama, spring musical and a show of one-acts, is devoted as much to theater education as to the production itself. The outstanding director of the program, Ian Driver, loves the process of creation and development, and as a committed child-centered educator, he takes his students on the ride with him, always a great adventure that culminates in an incredibly enriching and collaborative theater experience.

Whether Shakespeare or musical comedy, theater depends on collaboration. A show is the epitome of team effort, and each member must pull his weight and honor her commitment to the whole for the show to come together successfully. With each production, the students gain a broader understanding of storytelling, the power of music, the tension of drama, the satisfaction of problem solving and the magic of performance. And they gain confidence. There is comfort in numbers. Teenagers who have never taken a dance lesson become tap dancers, in an ensemble. Students who have never swung a hammer become carpenters, part of a crew.

The theater welcomes budding divas and other talented young adults, some with beautiful voices, some with an innate gift for acting, some with excellent comic timing. But it also beckons the shy and the disenfranchised, the student who hasn’t enjoyed social acceptance in other spheres of school but finds belonging in building the set, singing in the chorus or playing in the pit. Theater can also bridge socio-economic and racial divides.

At Pocantico, almost every middle school student, regardless of their background, participates in the show, making those differences less apparent. The theater provides a home for those with artistic impulses but no other place to discover or exercise them. It’s a place to develop skills that may lead to a career or just wonderful memories. Ultimately, school theater programs offer students a unique, close-knit, artistic community that embraces differences, something not always found in the prevailing suburban sports culture.

We raise our kids here because of the excellent schools, the beautiful setting, an escape from the stresses of city living. But for some kids, the suburbs can become stifling and one-dimensional by the time they reach high school. Theater offers kids an escape from the mundane, an outlet that reaches beyond the confines of school. It also instills in them a love and reverence for the performing arts, something they can enjoy the rest of their lives.

The first time I teared up in the theater with one of my children was 14 years ago, when I took my daughter to see Beauty and the Beast; she was just seven or so. It was her first Broadway show, and it moved me to watch her react to the spectacle on stage, to remember the shows I saw as a child.

I have been moved by my own kids over the course of their childhoods as they performed in 25 productions and counting. I was moved by the realization that they worked so hard through the hours of repetition and waiting, the frustrations and obstacles, to reach that sweet moment when the orchestra plays the first notes of the overture, the curtain falls away, and they transform into characters inhabiting another time and place. That’s when I always feel a catch in my throat. The artistry and confidence they and their cast mates will exude over the next two or three hours never fails to blow me away. But mostly, I am grateful that they have known what it is to be part of something big and beautiful.

Photo By PhotoWorks of Pleasantville


 

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Briarcliff High School, car, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, kids, performance, Plays, Pocantico Hills, school, School Theater

The Schoolhouse Theater: An Under the Radar Arts Venue

April 18, 2019 by Ella Ilan

Culture abounds in the northern part of our county, where theater focused on nurturing new plays and presenting live theater and art, unearth hidden talent and have become launching pads for original plays. Emphasizing teamwork, The Schoolhouse Theater successfully catapults new works to the stage due to the vision and resilience of its founders, directors, playwrights, and actors.

A New Life for a Former School

Formerly the Croton Falls elementary school, the beautiful 99-seat Schoolhouse Theater in North Salem is Westchester’s longest continually operating Actor’s Equity professional theater and art gallery. In 1983, founder Lee Pope transformed the building into a visual arts center, turning classrooms into galleries showcasing the artwork of talented local artists. At that time the dining hall, gym, and auditorium space was simply a white walled room with no risers and twelve borrowed lights.

In 1986, kicking off a bright future for this theatre, Brooke Palance, daughter of Hollywood scion Jack Palance, and actor/producer Michael Wilding, son of Elizabeth Taylor, performed “Bedroom Farce” to rave reviews. Modern theatrical amenities were gradually added and the theater came to life. The Schoolhouse has produced more than 120 plays over the past thirty-two years.

Cultivating Theatrical World Premieres

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Bram Lewis, the Schoolhouse presents four original plays each year. “This is a place where things begin,” says Lewis.

The Schoolhouse has successfully launched multiple productions to Off-Broadway: Love Linda about the life of Mrs. Cole Porter, The Enlightenment of Mr. Mole, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Ingmar Bergman’s Nora, S.N. Behrman’s Biography, Elaine Del Valle’s Brownsville Bred, The Dog in the Dressing Room by Deborah Savadge, and L.O.V.E.R. by Lois Robbins.

Additional theatrical pieces birthed here include Axiel Himalo’s Christmas Fish Tale, The Mask of Jaguar King, The Cambodian Lullaby, How to Bury a Saint, and The Gift of the Magi.

Last month, The Schoolhouse presented The Color of Light by renowned journalist, author and screenwriter Jesse Kornbluth. The play explores the love between artist Henri Matisse and a young nursing student and how their relationship inspired his final piece of work, the design and building of the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence, France.

Relying on Instinct

Selecting plays to develop, Lewis relies on experience and instinct. Before coming to the Schoolhouse, he ran The Phoenix Theatre at SUNY Purchase for a decade.

“Somewhere along the line I decided if theatre was going to get made, I wanted to be the one taking the responsibility, picking the plays, hiring the actors. It suited me because I’m bossy and opinionated and if someone was going to fail, I wanted it to be me–and I’ve certainly failed many times. But the great love I’ve had with doing this is I get to stand at the back of this beautiful theatre, and I can listen to my audience who teaches me over and over again why they’re interested and care or why they don’t…and it’s been a great journey,” Lewis reflects.

Trusting his gut when choosing plays, sometimes Lewis is right and sometimes he is wrong. “You try to pare away the dross and shine up the gold and see what you can do to make it work. But it’s also very dependent on teamwork because an artistic director can pick a play, a director can direct it and eventually it must be demonstrated in the hands of the actors and supported,” explains Lewis.

Community Support

For many years, Pope, who recently received ArtsWestchester’s 2018 Lifetime Arts Community Award, was the theatre’s sole source of support. As a nonprofit organization, the Schoolhouse has been fortunate to receive grants from ArtsWestchester in White Plains, and generous donations from the community and board members.

Every August, the Schoolhouse holds a fundraising gala called The Scottish Tattoo, modeled after the annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, called the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The celebration features Celtic performers, Scottish dancing, comedy, great food and flights of whiskey.

Happening Soon

Their next play, Gladstone Hollow by Dorothy Lyman opens on June 13th. The play explores the takeovers of small family-run farms by corporations and how these families struggle with the decision between preserving or monetizing their heritage. “It’s a bit like King Lear because it’s about selling out the kingdom and whether or not it’s a good deal,” suggests Lewis.

The Schoolhouse regularly hosts stand-up comedy, live music, slam poetry, and artwork in the galleries. To learn more about upcoming events, buy tickets, or get directions, please visit schoolhousetheater.org

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Arts, musicals, Plays, The Schoolhouse Theater, Theatre, under the radar

Theater, Concerts and More…

June 1, 2018 by The Inside Press

If you have followed the Inside Press long enough, you know that we love the arts. For this special arts edition, we also went out of our way to round up some highlights in and around town that have come to our attention. We encourage you to reserve tickets to your favorite theater company–or discover some new ones here, and the stellar productions and/or lectures and readings planned. For a family bonding experience like no other, don’t forget to take in a Summer Concert too on your favorite town green. So, for a fine afternnoon or evening out, here are some exemplary suggestions we gathered for our June ‘arts’ focus:

Don’t see a production here you’d like us to include? Send a note to grace@insidepress.com with your suggestion for adding in!


‘Anything Goes’

Bon voyage! Anything Goes, showing at the Westchester Broadway Theater from July 5- September 9, is the winner of three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and considered one of the greatest Tap Dancing musicals of all time. A brassy nightclub singer, a starry-eyed stowaway and Public Enemy No. 13 are booked on a transatlantic luxury liner bound for romance and laughter. Cole Porter’s delightful, delicious, “De-Lovely” first-class score includes some of the musical theatre’s most memorable standards, including “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” “It’s De-Lovely,” and many more! Visit Westchester’s premier dinner/theater: BroadwayTheatre.com


‘The Dog in the Dressing Room’

The Schoolhouse Theater & Arts Center presents The Dog in the Dressing Room by Deborah Savadge June 14th through July 1st.  Get ready for a romantic comedy where jealousies, games and secrets are uncorked along with the champagne! Starring Estelle Bajou, Gregory Perri and Jack Utrata.  Savadge is the winner of the Playwrights First Award and the Golden Prize for her play, DARK AT THE CENTER.  The play is being directed by Schoolhouse Theater’s Artistic Director Bram Lewis. For more information and tickets, visit:  schoolhousetheater.org


Summer Concerts in Armonk

At beautiful Wampus Pond, the whole family is invited to come to one or all of the four free, Saturday (8 p.m.) concerts planned by The Small Town Theater Company. The line-up is as follows:

  • July 14 Soul: 3D Rhythm of Life
  • July 28 Jazz: Charlie Lagond
  • August 11 Rock: 1 Stop Pony Band
  • August 25 Broadway:  Mew Rochelle Opera

In the event of inclement weather, concerts will move to Whippoorwill Hall, adjacent to the North Castle Public Library. Visit smalltowntheater.com


‘Right to Harm’

At the Clive Davis Arts Center at the New Bedford Playhouse, on June 14, there will be a special screening and Q&A event with legendary New York Times food author, activist and personality, Mark Bittman. Documentary Right to Harm, produced by Hourglass Films, takes a provocative look at the massive and secretive industrial farming business in rural America–and poses the question, “Are the economic rights of agri-businesses more of a priority than the very basic human rights of individual Americans?” Tickets limited; on sale May 21 at Bedfordplayhouse.org

Looking Ahead: Screening and Q&A Event with Glenn Close, July 30.


‘Annie’

Summer Musical Theater and Arts Day Camp will be doing a production of Annie on Friday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at Whippoorwill Hall, Armonk Library. Tickets are available at the door or by advance reservation, 914 238 0388.  Adults are $15, Children 12 and under are $10. The camp runs from June 25-July 13 in Chappaqua from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. The kids will study two instruments, make sets, do fine art, singing, acting, and dancing and have a blast performing the show.

More information:  amadeusconservatory.com 


No Spring Chicken’

Staged Reading of ‘No Spring Chicken’

By Ginna Hoben With Ginna Hoben and Sheffield Chastain

Friday June 15, 2018, 7:30 p.m.

Q&A immediately following. At the Whippoorwill Theatre, North Castle Public Library Kent Place, Armonk  hudsonstage.com

“No Spring Chicken’ is a refreshing and heartfelt comedy about one 40-year-old’s effort to achieve, survive, and (without medication) complete a healthy pregnancy, to fulfill her life’s wish to have a child.” Broadway World


And at ‘ChappPac’…

Friends of Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, a New York non-profit (with federal status pending), is working with the Town and community to help create a live cultural arts center in Chappaqua. Friends of ChappPAC will kick off a number of programs and initiatives later this year. Stay tuned for ways to get involved. Or, email Michele Gregson at michelegregson@me.com for information on how to become involved or learn about opportunities to support it.

Filed Under: Gotta Have Arts Tagged With: Art, gotta have arts, lectures, local productions, music, Plays, showtimes, theater

Greeley Theater Company: Growing a New Generation of Thespians and Fans

April 24, 2017 by Stacey Pfeffer

The Horace Greeley Theater Company under the direction of Mr. Jonathan Gellert has had an incredible 2016-2017 season and shows no signs of slowing down. The musical Into the Woods kicked off the season this fall and this past month the students performed the play, The Laramie Project. The senior musical Grease performed the last week in March had a record breaking 200+ seniors participating in the show. In total, the theater program will put on a total of six productions for the school year!

Gellert admits that it is “an ambitious high school program and I see no reason of changing that.” In the spring of 2018, he hopes to include a second musical–a children’s show geared to a younger audience to bring in the community and also gives students the opportunity to participate more.

“We want kids in the community to be really excited about Greeley theater,” said Gellert. He also hopes to offer some plays by Shakespeare and more mentoring to students who show promise as directors next season.

The Laramie Project, a play which addresses the brutal murder of openly gay teenager Matthew Shepard in the small town of Laramie, Wyoming, sparked national debate in the late 1990s. Gellert chose the show because it could “maximize student potential and growth. It provides many opportunities for student exploration of character and place. It is about the celebration of what makes us all human and what happens when an event causes us to reflect as a community, and personally of who we are and what we are. This is the very nature of all drama.”

The performance was sold-out and extremely well received by the audience. Grace Bennett, Publisher and Editor of the Inside Press, who attended, stated: “Bravo to the entire cast! Through powerful, passionate performances, anyone watching could see that the kids understood so many nuances of human behavior and were deeply empathetic to the heart wrenching subject matter.”

Violet Gautreau, a junior who played several roles in The Laramie Project enjoyed working with a smaller cast because it “allowed us to really forge bonds and make deeper emotional connections with each other, which came through onstage. I’ve never had such an emotional experience onstage before. It was incredibly rewarding to be in such an important show about human rights.”

Gellert’s goal of the theater program is to “offer a variety of productions and classes that serve all kids who want to explore and express themselves in theatre work during their times here at Greeley.

That includes both students who want to get on stage for the first time and feel more comfortable doing so, along with those who strongly desire an additional four years of pre-college or career training so that they can be competitive and continue to grow as they pursue the theater.”

Gellert also takes pride in offering stagecraft classes and opportunities for students who wish to work in set design and building. Jake O’Donovan, a junior who has worked on set design for several shows enjoys the fact that “Mr. Gellert gives myself and the crew a lot of independence on how we organize ourselves and work.”

The senior musical Grease funded by the Chappaqua PTA was directed by a former student of Gellert’s, Lee Kasper, who most recently served as an associate director for the Broadway revival of You Can’t Take it with You.The senior musical has been a yearly tradition at Greeley and proceeds from the show benefit the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund.

Ilene Benjamin, an audience member at Grease, commented on Chappaqua Moms that “we do not have a senior in it, but we do have a strong sense of community spirit to keep the arts going in our schools. These students, all talented in their own right, worked very hard and the audience gave back the love with loud cheering and a standing ovation… Go ahead, the world is really your stage!”

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Chappaqua PTA, Grease, Greeley Theater Company, High School Theater, Horace Greeley High School, Horace Greeley Theater, play, Plays, Senior Musical, The Laramie Project, Theatre, Thespians

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