Memo from the RTC: Pssst! Want to Buy a Bridge?

Memo from the RTC: Pssst! Want to Buy a Bridge?

By Norm Scott

RTC master builder Tony Homsey and his crew, of which I am a proud member, completed one of the more complicated sets weeks ahead of the Sept. 21 opening of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge, directed by the talented Frank Caiati who has been with the RTC since he was 17 and is now in his early 30s. Talk about how the RTC community nurtures talented people. Frank insists on bringing serious dramas to the Rockaway community. Last year he directed and acted in Elephant Man.

The serious dramas at the RTC are overlooked by some of the regular audiences who attend musicals. Anything directed by Frank is not to be missed. Having been around him during construction of the sets at his plays (he is always part of the construction crew) I can see how his creative mind works as he makes decisions about the set (Frank is also a very talented set designer). When he directed Toxic Avengers almost the entire set consisted of 60 oil drums mounted on top of each other. This time Frank wanted the entire stage to tilt forward at a sharp angle, which meant building a new stage on top of the current one. Then Frank wanted a ramp running along side and in the back. Oy, did that present a few complications. Then he wanted a door on top of the ramp so we had to build a platform and steps going down to the tilted stage. Oh, and a sidewalk in front of the stage. And a 10 foot telephone pole. And transoms. And….  Then Frank led the painting crew to make all that wood, which could fill a forest, look natural.

As usual, Tony did it all without blanching. Tony is not a passive construction guy just executing the wishes of the director. He puts his 2 cents in on making things look as perfectly as they can (and he is a perfectionist). Watching Tony and Frank collaborate is part of the pleasure of working with them – actually, I often do more watching than working. Also, as part of this creative team is Cliff Hesse, also a set designer who has a role in the play, in addition to being a renaissance man who can converse on anything related to the theater and just about any other topic.  Another regular on the set construction crew, and chief painter, is Frank Verderame, my political sparring partner. If you stop by and see Tony holding his hands over his ears, you know that Frank and I are not working but arguing politics.

Here’s the announcement:

You are invited to A View From the Bridge

The Rockaway Theatre Company Proudly Presents

A Great American Drama

SHOWTIMES

September 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th, October 5th & 6th at 8pm

Matinees September 23rd, 30th & October 7th at 2pm

Tickets may be purchased on our website

www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org

Ticket Prices:

Adults $20.00

Seniors/Children $15.00

**Please Note: Online ticket purchases close 48 hours prior to the date of each show, but tickets are still available for purchase, at our box office, one hour prior to showtime.

Reserve now!