MISSION STATEMENT
The
goal of the Gene Frankel Theatre has remained the same since Gene
Frankel founded the theatre in 1949; finding and cultivating an
audience that can share with us the discovery and excitement of
theatre. Currently, with Theatre Director Gail Thacker at the helm, the
Gene Frankel Theatre is still vibrant with classes and downtown
theatre. In the meantime, the surrounding area is changing rapidly.
This new construction has increased foot traffic and business
opportunities in the area, which has created both opportunities and
challenges. Hence, the importance of carefully balancing the
historical significance of Off-Off Broadway, keeping that legacy alive
by understanding its needs in the community. Because of this we take into
consideration the love and loss now felt in the communal heart of Off and Off
Off Broadway Theatre Most important is our connection with the
success of the playwrights, directors, actors and technicians that have
created plays and festivals at the Gene Frankel Theatre. Our goal is to
keep the legacy of Gene Frankel alive by nurturing new talents, that
voice who we are today.
The Gene Frankel
Theatre has produced and collaborated with a vast array of theatrical
groups such as Tabboo!, Rafael Sanchez, Holly Woodlawn, Mark Borkowski,
and our creation of spontaneous theatre in "The Shotgun Theater Festival".
We have housed such organizations for the arts as Firebrand Theatre,
Groove MaMa Ink, Bedtimes Productions and many others seeking an
affordable place to work and present their creative productions.
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Gene
Frankel, in a unique and distinguished career, has left his mark on all
areas of American theatre: Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Regional
theatre; as well as European theatre, and television during its early
golden days.
His Broadway credits include Indians starring Stacy
Keach, A Cry of Players with Anne Bancroft and Frank Langella, Once
Upon a Russian with Walter Matthau, Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars with
Brock Peters, Engagement Baby with Barry Nelson, The Night That Made
America Famous with Harry Chapin, The Musical Biography of Sophie
Tucker with music and lyrics by Steve Allen, and The Lincoln Mask with
Eva Marie Saint and Fred Gwynne. Off-Broadway: The Prophetic Theatre by Stuart Little best describes Frankel's contribution:
"Gene
Frankel, along with Joseph Papp, are among those rare few who put
theatre above self and made Off-Broadway the advance post of the
American theatre."
Among the award-winning masterwork
productions he directed Off-Broadway are Volpone, To Be Young, Gifted
and Black, Machinal, Brecht on Brecht, Enemy of the People, Nat Turner,
John Brown, Gun Play, They Shall Not Die and, of course, Jean Genet's
The Blacks which introduced James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Roscoe Lee
Browne, Louis Gossett, Jr. and Maya Angelou.
All the major
capital cities of Europe have seen and applauded Mr. Frankel's touring
company of Emperor Tones starring James Earl Jones and designed by
Robin Wagner. Venice, Rome and Berlin have hosted the European tour of
The Blacks starring almost the entire original cast. Yugoslavia invited
Mr. Frankel to direct Oh Dad! Poor Dad! Mama's Hung You In The Closet
And I'm So Sad in Belgrade. It was such a success that it continues to
be part of the National Theatre's repertoire.
Regional theatres
such as Washington's Arena Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and
Stamford's Hartman Theatre have produced Frankel productions of Pueblo,
Waiting for Godot, The Diary of Anne Frank and Pirandello's Enrico IV.
The Actors Studio produced his Othello, and the National Shakespeare
Company toured his Richard II and King Lear.
He was a three-time
Obie award winner for "Best Director", and recipient of the first Lola
D'Annunzio Award for his production of Volpone. He has been presented
the Vernon Rice Award for "Best Production and Direction" of Machinal,
as well as Playboy's Golden Owl for his production of The Blacks. He
was recognized by the Ford Foundation for distinguished service to the
theatre, and participated in the Cultural Exchange Program for the
United States State Department by lecturing in Poland, Yugoslavia, and
Russia. On television, Mr. Frankel has directed a number of plays for
"Play of the Week" as well as his own productions of Volpone, Enemy of
the People, and To Be Young, Gifted and Black.
Mr. Frankel had
served as visiting professor at Columbia University, Boston College,
New York University, and Queens College. He now teaches at his own
workshop where his students have included Loretta Swit, Judd Hirsch,
Marybeth Hurt, JoBeth Williams, Lee Marvin, James Coco, Rod Steiger,
Dennis Weaver, Morgan Freeman, Michael McClone and many other renowned
theatre and film artists.
When asked if, after directing and
producing over two hundred plays, he would like to retire, Mr. Frankel
replied: "How can I retire? Directing is in my blood and teaching is in
my bones!"
Gene Frankel passed away April 20, 2005 of congestive
heart failure. With Gene’s passing, the Gene Frankel Theatre’s managing
director Gail Thacker, who worked closely with Mr. Frankel for many
years, took over the helm. Gene Frankel,was a solid force in American
theatre, film and television for several generations. He is credited
with having helped jumpstart Off Broadway theatre, in which he directed
plays like Enemy of the People, Brecht on Brecht, Gun Play and his
amazing version of Genet’s The Blacks, which introduced James Earl
Jones, Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou, Roscoe Lee Browne and Lou Gossett,
Jr., memorable performers, now all brand names in American theatre and
film. Frankel’s list of credits and credentials for being one of the
most recognized directors in American Theatre is obvious.
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Gene Frankel, died
in 2005. Frankel's tutelage has
touched countless actors, and led many of them to success. His
classrooms had produced a wealth of talent, whose influence is seen in
all aspects of theatre, film, and television. Walter Matthau, Anne
Bancroft, and Raul Julia are a few of the many successes who have been
taught or directed by Frankel.
Frankel's
1961 production of Jean Genet's "The Blacks" at once launched the
careers of James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Louis Gossett, Jr., Maya
Angelou, and Roscoe Lee Browne. Praised by critics and audiences alike,
it is regarded as one of the most important productions in recent U.S.
theatre history--a seminal production in African-American theatre.
Stuart
Little's book "Off-Broadway: The Prophetic Theatre" lists Frankel among
"those rare few who put theatre above self and made Off-Broadway the
advance post of the American theatre." Frankel himself offers a simple
explanation for the creation of Off-Broadway theatre: "We wanted to do
theatre and we did it."
Not the
type of artist to wait for things to happen for him, Frankel had made
his own breaks. Among his first theatrical accomplishments were
street-theatre productions during the Depression. Since that time, he
had founded about a dozen theatres, each one springing from his passion
for and devotion to his art.
The
products of that passion had made Frankel a well-decorated director. He
won the first Obie award for directing, for his 1958 production of
"Volpone," and had won two since. He also received the first Lola
d'Annunzi and Vernon Rice awards for outstanding achievement in theatre.
Various Venues
Frankel's
success had not been without its share of disappointment. Except for
his most recent address, all of his theatres had closed or changed
hands. One collapsed--literally. The Mercer Arts Center, which he
founded in conjunction with Viveca Lindfors, Rip Torn, Steina and Woedy
Vasulka, and others, fell upon itself on Aug. 4, 1973. This was the day
Frankel's production of Peter Swet's "The Interview" was supposed to
open.
The
Mercer Arts Center, heralded as "the Lincoln Center of Off-Broadway,"
housed six theatres, two acting workshops, and a rock club, all of
which were designed to nurture budding talent. The Center's structural
collapse ended the 1,OOO-performance run of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's
Nest." Both that show and "The Interview" found new venues, but the
Mercer Arts Center was never restored, and its like has not been seen
since.
Frankel
had directed in several countries, and in theatres of all sizes. His
direction also extended to a few films and a number of "Plays of the
Week" for New York's public television station, as well as other TV
work. He found that while the bulk of the business had shifted from the
stage to the camera, his heart remained in theatre. "There is an
excitement in the theatre that I can't get anywhere else. People who
have done it always say that they prefer the theatre. There is nothing
like that live audience."
While he
had directed in theatres of all sizes, Frankel was admittedly more
comfortable. with the Off-Broadway venues. "You can do things
Off-Broadway that you can't do on Broadway. I'd much rather work
Off-Broadway. The audience is more discriminating and knowledgeable,"
he said.
Frankel's
theatre encompassed a wide variety of styles and techniques.
However, he would shirk away from realism. "The best of theatre is not
just real. It is a flight into reality. It is the real taken and
stretched to an artistic pinnacle."
Language of Acting
Frankel
loved his time was spent in the classroom. He taught four classes, for
serious actors at all stages in their careers. Many of his accomplished
and well-known students would frequently come to his workshops for
instruction. He felt that all actors can benefit from training, no
matter what their level. There is always more to learn, and he always
had more to teach.
Frankel
believed that acting is much more than entertainment, and should be
treated as such. "Acting is communication and should be taught
universally as a language," he said.. "The ability to see truth and
communicate that truth to an audience is a great achievement."
He
helped actors reach that goal of truth throughout his professional
life, and had no intention of stopping. He also worked with a class of
playwrights and directors at the Gene Frankel Workshop, and had four
other instructors who taught classes in aspects of the industry that
are not Frankel's favorites. The workshop offered classes in musical
theatre, film and television, and comic acting, as well as basic acting
classes. The Gene Frankel Theatre also offered Summerfest, an intensive
seven-week summer-training period that explores all aspects of acting
and offers seminars by celebrity guest artists.
Frankel’s
more advanced students were invited to participate in the showcases
that he directed. He felt this experience is just as important as any
class instruction. "All the great acting schools have worked with
theatres. The experience of an audience is essential."
According
to Frankel, a good teacher is essential for any actor, no matter how
talented the artist. "Before you agree to do a showcase, make sure
you've picked a good director, someone with theatre sensibility," he
advised.
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