For the Love of Theater
by Carla Reuben-Carbone

The beginnings of community theater in the U.S. are not well documented. No one in recent history seems to have been aware that there was a movement and unfortunately there has not been much recorded about it for posterity. We know that there were some amateur theatricals during the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods. The Concord Players in Massachusetts was started by Louisa May Alcott in 1874, and at the turn of the century, several non commercial theaters were founded: the Provincetown Players, (which nurtured Eugene O'Neill's plays), the Theater Guild, and The Neighborhood Playhouse, which spawned such notables as Eli Wallach, John Houseman, Gregory Peck, and others, and in modern times, the Pasadena Playhouse which gave us Dustin Hoffman, and Gene Hackman to name a few.

It has been estimated by AACT, (the American Association of Community Theater), that community theater "engages more people in the theatrical activity than all the rest of American theater put together including college." This is hard to believe considering how difficult it is to mount and maintain a production especially when almost everyone involved: actors, directors, producers, technicians, are engaged in full time jobs and are doing it strictly in their "spare" time and for no pay.

It takes a dream. And then it takes someone to jump into the trenches, shovel in hand, to make that dream a reality. In 1982, Andy Weintraub moved to Rhinebeck from Allentown, Pennsylvania, only to discover that Rhinebeck had no community theater. He found himself travelling to Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park, and Kingston in order to pursue his passion. So in 1986, he and Katharine Aldrich, Stephen Fisher, Madeleine Post, Barbara and Eddie Fisch and others mounted The Man Who Came to Dinner at the Town Hall. It starred Bim Chanler, who was to grace the RTS stage for many performances through the years. According to Barbara Fisch, "Andy hammered and sawed, strung cables, built sets and directed. That was the beginning." At the cast party, the group decided to form RTS, (the Rhinebeck Theater Society) and elected Andy president.

For the next few years, RTS moved from place to place, building stages, erecting scenery in any location that would have them. They did The Hollow at the Church of the Messiah and Nude with Violin at the Morton Library in Rhinecliff. Until someone had the unique idea to do Our Town and use our town — Rhinebeck — as the stage. On opening day, the audience gathered at the town hall where Bim Chanler sat inside a horse drawn carriage. Everyone followed behind him as he clip clopped down Main and South streets, stopping along the way to view scenes enacted on people's lawns and porches. The final scene took place in the old church cemetery, where the audience sat on bleachers borrowed from the high school gym.

Over the next years, RTS continued to perform at various locations until they found a home at the Morton. They became known for the high quality of their productions and garnered critical success for: Cabaret, Assassins, Lie of the Mind, The Lark and Arcadia, to name a few. But they had become weary of performing in spaces that were not their own. The Morton had very limited parking, no backstage to speak of, with neighbors who sometimes did not appreciate the late night rehearsals. It was time to find a home of their own. Andy's brother very generously donated the money that would purchase the land for their present home. And in 1994, Sam Scripps's large donation began the building fund which would eventually lead to the present Center for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck (RPA). While the funds were being sought, a tent was raised on the land three miles east of the village on Rt. 308. Every summer, many performances took place beneath it.

In July of 1998, RPA opened its doors. It was cleverly designed by Warren Temple Smith, with much input from Andy and others, to look like a beautiful old barn set back off the road with a backdrop of trees. It seated 165 people with a spacious lobby, rehearsal studio, costume and makeup rooms as well as a stocked kiosk for refreshments during intermission.

"So many people have put in so much time and work into making the center a reality," Andy Weintraub said. "We couldn't have done it without all those talented people willing to direct and perform, but I give Lou Trapani a great deal of credit for its financial survival." Lou Trapani, president of RTS in 1997 98, worked with RPA for the first two years without pay and then went on salary. "He really is responsible for the Center's direction. He has made it function."

Lou earned his masters in public administration, worked in the New York theater from 1969 to 1983, acting, directing, writing and producing He then went on to work on various Democratic politicians' campaigns: Dinkins, Cuomo, Clinton, and others. Now he is the artistic and managing director of RPA, sits on the RPA board and is chairman of the programming committee. He also directs, produces, and sometimes acts in many of the shows at the Center. It is hard to believe there are enough hours in the day for. Lou to accomplish all of the tasks he is responsible for. As director he supervises five full time employees, three part time and three contracted, oversees all the operations which includes finances, budgeting, scheduling, booking all the acts and is responsible for keeping the building up and running. "I clean bathrooms quite a bit," he said in all seriousness.

Lou and Andy knew they had to create a flexible framework for such a large facility to survive. The answer was to embrace all the local theater groups and house them under one roof. "It needed to fashion itself on the Korean grocery store principle," said Lou, "open 24 hours a day … if you are going to be paying rent and electricity etc., you should be using a place as much as possible. It's the same rent if you use it one day a week or seven."

The first local theater group other than RTS was Gilbert and Sullivan Musical Theater Company. G&S had been around for nearly 30 years. They produced two shows a year, two performances of each, at the Bardavon with full orchestra — what a shame to do all that work for only two shows! Then, in 1995, opportunity came knocking by way of Andy Weintraub and the Tent. They performed a "mini" HMS Pinafore and Mikado, in heat and humidity, thunder and lightning and had a good time doing it. Since their 1998 Amahl and the Night Visitors they have been a fixture at RPA, staging musicals twice a year.

Up in One Productions, started by Diana di Grandi and Stephany Hitchcock, came to RPA in 2000 with their first production, Agnes of God. Ms. Hitchock left, but Ms. di Grandi has gone on to emerge as one of RPAs preeminent individual producers. Her musicals: Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, were enormous artistic and financial successes. Her skill at marketing and assembling the creative pieces have become legend. When questioned about her successful musicals, she said, "We have never lost money on a drama either." Diana di Grandi has a very self effacing and easy management style. "I love the theater. I've studied acting since I was ten. What's wonderful about theater is that you will never stop learning from it. It's all about teamwork, not just performing."

RTS still remains a major producing entity at the Center, mounting two to three shows a year. Known for their high quality and sometimes eclectic choices, they have produced such notables as The Taming of the Shrew, I Hate Hamlet, Honk, and The Rose Tattoo.

RPA, in recent years, has formed its own production company, Center Stage, performing works from Shakespeare to the American classics of Williams and Miller. "Center Stage is great for RPA," Mr. Trapani said. "We don't have to pay for the space or share the revenue. The same goes for our children's programs, which includes theater for kids ages 5 18." The children's program presents a comprehensive study of theater and ends in performances at The Center. RPA also sponsors R.U.S.T., an independent group of teens from local high schools who do their own play with Mr. Trapani as their official mentor. There are extensive classes for adults and children as well, which include scene study, stage make up, fencing, stage combat, magic, and all things involved in mounting a show.

Besides the main companies, independants can put on shows at The Center: music, puppet theater, reptile demonstrations, magic shows, Wild West Jamboree, Dog on Fleas, fairy tales … the list is endless.

Last year at RPA the number of different plays (dramas, musicals, dance, and individual performance recitals) exceeded 150, with an audience attendance of over 30,000. RPA did this without being heavily subsidized or well endowed. Instead, they derive nearly 70% of their operating budget from ticket sales and the rest from local individuals and businesses. It is a truly remarkable success story that this year, RPA will be in the black! At a time when Broadway, with its monolithic love of profit, squeezes the density and vibrancy out of the idea of theater, we have here in our own backyard, RPA, which exists simply for the sheer joy of keeping the theater alive. Whatever their failings, and maybe there have been a few, we are happy RPA is here. It has created a theater that you and I can be part of. So … if you enjoy singing in the shower … who knows, you could be the next Julie Andrews. She started in community theater. Don't let the shower tiles lock your secret away. Join the Rhinebeck Center for the Performing Arts. If you can't sing, then maybe you could help Andy build the next set.