07.02.07

The Off-Off Broadway Experience

First in a series of articles on theatre, especially the birth and growing pains of the Off-Off Broadway theatre movement with links, memorabilia and illustrations, on theatre productions and individuals with which I have been associated or met in theater. The views are strictly my personal experience and do not represent any other individual's life and experience outside of our mutual association.

Your comments in the Comments section provided will be more than welcome. If you find errors or omissions, please make note of same in the Comments section of the post in which they appear -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification, and all Comments will be acknowledged and left as Archive.

CHRISTOPHER REEVE

In the month of May, 1976, Theater for the New City (at that time located in the Jane-West Hotel in the West Village presented a production of a Jacques Levy play entitled “Berchtesgaden” directed by Barbara Loden, with Lane Smith as Hitler -- the play took place at Berchtesgaden at the height of Hitler’s power.

The general plot of the play was punctuated by monologues by individuals affected by Hitler, one of which was a zealous young Nazi officer, played by Christopher Reeve.I was the set and lighting designer, and as such I attended run-throughs and, of course, the first week run-through, dress rehearsal, etc. for purposes of lighting the play. Barbara Loden had elicited an absolutely fantastic performance from Christopher Reeve in his 10-minute monologue, the character did not appear before or after the monologue.

Two, actually three, recollections -- first, the author Jacques Levy appeared for the first at the first dress rehearsal -- he issued copious notes and wanted to change the entire set, upon which I advised him of the cost and time involved, adding that with the amount of time and my unpaid status, that he best find someone to replace me in that function -- needless to say, the set remained.

However, the meddling with direction and performance was interminable -- to the point that at the final dress rehearsal I saw Christopher Reeve sitting dejectedly in the dressing room area -- I asked why so down and he explained he didn’t know what happened to his performance. He was right, the audience prior to Jacques Levy’s redirection was extremely enthusiastic of his ten-minute monologue, applauding forcefully and long at its end -- in short, Christopher Reeve stopped the show!

I always made it a practice not to speak to actors about their performances when I was not the director of a production -- but here was this absolutely fantastic performer giving a brilliant performance, who had been dulled down by a writer who knew nothing of living theater. I told Christopher that I usually don’t make comment and then proceeded to say that whatever he was doing before Jacques Levy appeared on the scene, go back to it -- do it, forget the changes requested -- you were brilliant and the show was better for it -- what can they do, replace you? You’d be better off -- just go for it and to hell with everyone.

Well, he did -- and he brought down the house with thunder every night.

The second recollection I’d like to relate is that there were two German Shepherds in the play, props for Hitler in a particular scene -- Christopher wound up, due to the fact that he had but 10 minutes in the play, caring for the dogs during the remainder of the play -- he also had quite a fine respect and love for the two young and ferocious-looking canines.

To stave their restlessness, Christopher would take them jogging along the West Side Highway for a mile or so down and back.Well, you must know that at that time, the old piers and the elevated highway were still there -- the area was infested with homosexuals covertly and overtly intermingling with the garbage and vandalized pier buildings. When Christopher went jogging in full Nazi uniform, the hat, the gun belt, the medals, the boots, the whole detailed uniform, with two German Shepherds, leashes held left and right, under the elevated West Side Highway -- all heads turned, the swoons were audible, fairies were fainting left and right!

Needless to say, some may have never recovered if they knew that he would soon be cast as “Superman”.

The third recollection is one from the late Arthur Williams who shared the dressing room with Christopher -- when I mentioned to him that Christopher cut quite a figure, Arthur, who reminded one of Emil Jannings in “The Blue Angel” replied, “My dear, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen him in the nude!” -- and then he sighed!

Christopher was one of the finest young actors I have ever known -- and the success of his career was wonderful -- his unfortunate accident and subsequent struggle was a tragedy, but he accepted his fate, committed to a cause as a spokesman, and once again played his role to perfection!