 The
Manny Fried Playhouse
The Long-Awaited Home of
the Subversive Theatre Collective
Click here to read the feature article in The
Buffalo News' Gusto Magazine about the opening of "The Manny
Fried Playhouse."
After six years of tumbleweed existence, the
Subversive Theatre Collective has at last secured a performance space of its
very own! In August of 2008 we began the process of converting a former
warehouse space on the third floor of North Buffalo's Great Arrow Building
into Western New York's newest performance venue!!!
This Turn-of-the-Century industrial building that was
once the manufacturing center of America's Pierce Arrow Corporation lends a
fittingly proletarian atmosphere to our radical new playhouse. They say
if you look close enough, as you ride to the third floor on the building's huge
cargo elevators that were designed to carry then-state-of-the-art Pierce Arrow
Automobiles, you can still see the blood of the workers staining the walls!
Click
here to read more about the Great Arrow Building.
And so we began the arduous process of converting
this small warehouse room into a blackbox-style theatre. This involved a
lengthy re-painting job enlisting many hardworking volunteers, the
installation of multiple pipes in the ceiling to form a lighting grid, the construction
of an entirely new floor (the old one had had it!), and the addition of a door
-- originally the only entrance to the room was through a huge metal garage
door!!!
Pictures of various steps in the whole process are
provided below.
With that work well in hand, this raw space is
quickly blossoming into an intimate blackbox-style theatre that adapts easily
between the different proscenium, thrust, and theater-in-the-round performance
formats. This venue seats roughly 50 patrons and is fully handicapped
accessible.
We are honored to name our new home "The
Manny Fried Playhouse" after Buffalo's renowned labor activist and
theatre artist Dr. Emanuel Fried. An outspoken Union organizer
throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, "Manny" Fried was the
quintessential "subversive" of his time. Blacklisted in
the 1950s, he never stopped writing and acting for the theatre. His body
of work is a lasting testament to subversives everywhere.
And so we are proud to present to the world our
new performance venue. At last we have a home for our Peoples'
Theatre! But, as you can imagine, launching a brand new space is an
extremely challenging endeavor. Now more than ever we need to ask THE
PEOPLE to step forward and help bring this new venue kicking and screaming
into the world. If you want to help make Peoples' Theatre a reality in
the here and now, we hope you'll make a fully-tax-deductible contribution to The
Manny Fried Playhouse Fund Drive at one of the levels listed
below. Thank you in advance for your invaluable support!!! PINK ($25.00
- $49.00)
ROSE ($50.00 - $99.00)
RED ($100.00 - $249.00)
SCARLET ($250.00 - 499.00)
MAGENTA ($500.00 - $999.00)
CRIMSON ($1,000.00 and up)
SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS!
Make checks payable to "Subversive Theatre" and send them to:
380 Maryland Street, Buffalo, New York 14201
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STARTIN' FROM SCRATCH
Here's the space when we first moved in -- the garage door was the only
way in! Note the walls and ceiling are still white all over and
the eschew floor boards. |
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THEATRE-IN-THE-RAW!
The theatre begins to take shape as we borrow a scaffolding and begin
painting the ceiling black. Notice the walls are also partially painted
gray.
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GREAT EXPECTATIONS
As you can see, the theatre is not the only new arrival expected. A visibly pregnant Jeanette Schneiderman* takes a break from painting to
show off the little one on the way! |
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GETTING THE WORD OUT
Subversive Theatre's tireless Board of Directors assiduously stuffs
envelopes with news of the grand opening of The Manny Fried
Playhouse.
From left to right: Treasurer Brian Barrington*, Vice-Chair David
Granville*, Patricia Armstrong*, Marshall Maxwell*, Secretary Jeanette
Schneiderman*, Executive Director Michael Fanelli*, and Dramaturg Diane
Cammarata*..
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THE GRAND OPENING!
Manny Fried* himself prepares to cut the ribbon as we unveil the new
space to the world as part of our historic "Theatre Warming
Party" on Friday, September 5th, 2008. |
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LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN!
Board Members Jeanette Schneiderman* and Bobbi DeBose* staff the front
table as the thronging crowds of well-wishers spill over into the
hallway.
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THE GANG OF FOUR
From left to right: Subversive Theatre's Chairman of the Board
Keith Elkins*, supporter Roz Cramer, Artistic Director Kurt
Schneiderman*, and Honorary Board Member Manny Fried* gather for this
photo as the celebrations continue. |
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ALMOST THERE!
After the "Theatre Warming Party" wraps up,
Board Members Marshall Maxwell* (left) and Mike Fanelli (right) can't
believe how far the space has come.
Note the walls are now fully gray, the ceiling is fully black, and the
new floor is 70% installed.
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* = indicates members of the Subversive Theatre
Collective
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