Source: The Cornwall Local, Page 8, February 18, 1960
ATTEND MEETING ON BETTER MOVIES
Among the Cornwall persons who attended 20th Century-Fox screening in Newburgh on Feb. 10 were Mr. and Mrs. Jack A. Reilly and, standing, Owen McGorman, manager of Storm King Theatre; Brig. Gen. Nelson R. Dingley III, superintendent of NYMA; Jack A. Reilly and Walter Peck. The group viewed “Dog of Flanders,” 20th Century-Fox’s “family picture” for the month of February, enjoyed a buffet luncheon and participated in a discussion on how to raise the standards of films.
20TH CENTURY-FOX HEAD SAYS PUBLIC WILL DECIDE WHAT PICTURES WILL BE SHOWN
“The American public decides what will be shown on their motion picture screens,” Adrian Awan, special representative of Spyros Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, told a group of theatre managers and community leaders, including 10 from Cornwall, at a gathering in Newburgh on Feb. 10.
Additional “family pictures” that will be released by 20th Century-Fox are: “Masters of the Congo Jungle” in April; a charming family comedy, “Bobbikins” in May; the well-loved Bible tale, “Story of Ruth” in June; “High Time” with Bing Crosby, Fabian, and Tuesday Weld in July; a production of “The Lost World” by Jules Verne in August.
The meeting, which was attended by clergymen, educators, city and town officials, members of the press as well as theatre managers, was sponsored by the movie industry in its current effort to arouse the public’s interest and cooperation in supporting motion pictures of higher general standards.
Awan told the group that his company has scheduled one production each month exclusively geared for the family audience. The January release “Journey to the Center of the Earth” has been most successful; February’s selection “Sink the Bismarck.” The March film, “Dog of Flanders,” the Parent’s Magazine award winner, was shown at last week’s meeting and was received with great praise.
During a discussion period it was deplored that the public did not support good films better. However, it was felt, that the film industry could not shoulder the entire responsibility for leadership in upholding high standards.
Brig. Gen. Nelson R. Dingley, III, of New York Military Academy, urged parents to take the responsibility for the things their children see and read. He suggested it might be a good idea to have compulsory attendance at good movies and emphasized the importance of the film in developing good taste in children.
Cornwall Local April 14, 1960
Chicken Thief Detecting Society Easter Egg Hunt Saturday Morning
The Cornwall Chicken Thief Detecting Society (CCTDS) will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt for the children of the area on the Town Hall grounds this Saturday morning, starting at 10 a.m. In the event of rain, the event will be held in the Storm King Theatre.
Last year, over 200 children attended; even more are expected this year. Over 500 prizes will be given out, and 800 Easter baskets are being prepared for the youngsters.
The CCTDS committee includes Mr. Joseph Kinsler (general chairman), Mr. Howard Moulder, Mr. Matt Westall, Mr. John Blaine, Walter Earl, and Bud Robinson.
The committee plans to hide the eggs over a larger area this year. The management of the B & K Restaurant will treat CCTDS members to a bacon and egg breakfast before the hunt.
There will be three age groups:
2 to 4 years – in charge of Howard Moulder
5 to 8 years – in charge of Matt Westall
9 to 12 years – in charge of John Blaine
Prizes will include a bicycle (grand prize), a radio, large stuffed bunnies, games, hats, and toys of all kinds. Some of the prizes are now on display at the Canterbury Snack Shoppe and the B & K Restaurant.
Joseph Kinsler asks all members of the organization to be on hand Saturday morning to help place the eggs and assist the committee.
Cornwall Local, May 24, 1962
Mazzarelli Buys Storm King Theatre Building Here
It was learned this week that Owen McGorman has sold the Storm King Theatre building in Cornwall-on-Hudson to Samuel Mazzarelli, a Newburgh real estate investor, as of April 26.
According to Mr. Mazzarelli, Mr. McGorman will continue to run the theatre until such time as he [Mazzarelli] takes over its management. He has elaborate plans for redecorating and renovating the interior, and asks the patrons of the theatre to bear with him until the work is completed.
Mr. Mazzarelli said he hopes to install a roll-up screen, which would enable him to present live shows in addition to films. He also noted that Walter Peck, the projection equipment operator, will be retained when he assumes management of the theatre.
The building currently houses:
McLaughlin's Bar and Grill
The Roland Ashcroft Insurance and Real Estate Agency
One vacant store, which is expected to be rented soon.
Mr. McGorman has owned the building since 1953
The Cornwall Local
October 25, 1962
AN APPEAL
An appeal to some of the parents of Cornwall was issued this week by Mrs. Ella Katz, proprietor of the Storm King Theatre, who reports that loud talking and misbehavior by a small group of teenagers have been disturbing the enjoyment of other patrons.
“It’s only a small group of 8 or 10,” Mrs. Katz said on Monday. “The majority of the boys and girls are well-behaved.”
She indicated that, moving forward, those who continue to cause disturbances will not be welcome in the theatre.
Mrs. Katz recently took over management of the Storm King Theatre and has great hopes of making it a fine community theatre and cultural center — something the town can be proud of. She is working to book the best of American films, particularly those written by respected American authors.
She also has plans to clean and renovate the theatre to make it more attractive and comfortable for all.
The Cornwall Local November 1, 1962
TO THE PEOPLE OF GREATER CORNWALL
A Letter to the Editor
The Storm King Theatre appealed to you through our beam of light — The Cornwall Local — and you, good people of Cornwall, gave me your answer by appearing in 200+ at the Theatre on Sunday night. People I know never went to this Theatre before.
As a means of deep appreciation, I will read to you a story from my sketchbook of stories about your children. Here it is:
It was a lovely Sunday afternoon. We were showing “Big Red” at the Theatre, and it was filled with joyous children tense with expectation.
During intermission, the children were running in all directions — upstairs, to the soda machine, to the candy counter — but amidst this avalanche of action, of children’s emotion...
I saw a lovely little blonde girl of 5 or perhaps 6 years old, picking papers from the floor hurriedly.
As I watched her doing it, I suddenly understood how painful it must be for her to be in such an untidy place... and how many more well-behaved and well-tired little folk there are in the Theatre whose feelings are hurt in the same way.
Can you help?
The following thought dawned upon me: if only every child that comes to the Theatre would bring along a paper bag or two to put in the front of the seat and keep the place in — how wonderfully it would work out!
I've tried it out on Saturday night and it worked well. Please, let us try it on Sunday afternoons.
This is what your child taught me. Truly, as the saying goes: “And a child shall lead us.”
P.S. If the young lass of the story will appear at the Theatre to identify herself, there is something waiting for her.
MRS. ELLA M. KATZ
For: Storm King Theatre
Cornwall Local – 11/8/1962
Long Experience in Theatre Aids Mrs. Katz Plans for Storm King
“To make a simple movie house become the heart and soul of a community: a clean, warm, cozy place… something thought-provoking.” In her own words, this is how Mrs. Ella Katz feels toward her work making Storm King Theatre in Cornwall-on-Hudson “a family theatre, not just a place to escape.”
Mrs. Katz assumed the proprietorship duties of the theater in early September and, although this is her first position in this capacity, she brings with her a wealth of experience and quite a few interesting plans for the future that may make the local moviegoers sit up and take notice.
Mrs. Katz, who has acted on stage since age 12, written a play, and put together a few short stories in the time she has been around the theater, is by no means a newcomer to the entertainment field.
Jewish by birth, Ella Katz was born in Lithuania during the time when the mighty Czars ruled everything from castles and palaces to cold, barren peasant farmhouses. The daughter of a lawyer and a mother who had written numerous literary articles, she became acquainted with her career work in the theater when she made a trip with her parents to the Middle East. There she was enrolled in a school of drama. Some years later, she returned to her homeland and attended college in Petrograd (now Leningrad). Although it was against the law for a Jew to live in this city, Ella Katz did, took her chances, and completed her studies. When she finally graduated, Ella Katz was engaged with a theatrical company in the northern part of Russia. Suddenly, the director of the company wanted to know what her stage name was and gave her five minutes to come up with one. Knowing that she would give herself away as a Jew, she assumed the namesake of a prominent French novelist at the time, Marion, and this she adopted as her permanent stage name.
Travel
With this company, she traveled a great deal, performed in many of the capital cities of Russia, and became used to the ways of the stage. “At first I was very, very happy, then they found out I was Jewish and in the middle of the night I fled for my life.”
Shortly thereafter, she was taken on by another company that toured Poland, Lithuania, and White Russia. Things were going well again as she became increasingly adept in her work. But, as before, a crisis arose and this time put a complete stop to her acting. The Germans were on the move and had seized a part of western Russia, cutting off communications and supply lines. Bombs fell and towns crumbled under the might of the iron cross. The First World War had begun.
“It was a terrible time then and life didn’t mean a thing to them (the Germans),” she said. It was only determination—and perhaps her youth, too—that inspired her, she continued, because she went to the head of the military government then and personally requested that she be able to perform in an “artistic theater.” She then recited from the famous Polish writer Mizkevitch, “a Lord Byron in his time,” and eventually was given permission to stage her plays in any language she wished, and in any part of the occupied zone.
The door to a new and bright career opened for Ella Marion then. From this time on, she produced, directed, and acted in every one of her small plays. They were done in Jewish, which for the times was dangerously uncommon. Mrs. Katz is proud that she had something to do with the actual theater reformation in Europe at a time when entertainment on this level was truly neglected.
Mrs. Katz said that her enthusiasm and desire to bring to the Jewish stage a more professional way of producing plays was the drive that she had in making her performances good.
To the U.S.
In 1920, Ella Marion came to the United States. With her came her mother and a trunkload of plays she had taken part in, and news clippings that had been written about her performances.
“I did not want to come to America when I did. I had hoped to remain in Europe and finish the work I was doing. But my mother was coming here to join her family and she would like me to be with them. I thought that someday soon I would return to Europe and continue with my career.” Continue her career she did, but in New York. She made her first stage appearance in America with the Yiddish Art Theater in a play by Osip Dymov, then in a play by Sholem Asch, the author of The Nazarene and God of Vengeance.
She made numerous other appearances in the city after this, but spoke highly of her role in Uriel Acosta, played in Hebrew in the old Madison Square Garden in the 1920s.
In 1927, Ella Marion left the theater to get married. As Mrs. Ella Katz, she settled down in St. Albans, Long Island. For twenty years, she was inactive from any theater work and devoted her time to her husband and two sons. During the Second World War, she worked as a Jewish translator for the United States until the war ended, then as a civilian employee with the U.S. government in Germany.
The Theatre Again
A few years later, her husband was killed in an automobile accident and, when her sons married, she again took up her first love—the theater. She traveled throughout the United States, wrote a book called Here We Are, dealing with the Gold Star Mothers, submitted short stories for publication in various magazines and publishing houses, and wrote a play which just recently was considered for television. While living and working in New York City with various theater groups, Mrs. Katz took up a course of study at the Columbia University School of Drama, then at New York University and at City College.
During the past summer, she was asked by a friend in the motion picture business if she would “consider taking a look at the movie house for sale in Cornwall.” She did—and “fell in love with it.”
Mrs. Katz leased the theater, began to refurbish it, and on September 16 opened the doors with her first showing, The Notorious Landlady.
“For a beginning,” Mrs. Katz said, “I want to bring the public to a full awareness of our great American writers. I hope in the future to be able to illustrate this purpose by the types of films offered.”
To accomplish this end, Mrs. Katz has scheduled for showing the works of Hemingway, London, Hawthorne, Steinbeck, and other great American writers. Her first showing of its kind was an adaptation from Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man.
“It was a total success and I want to thank one and all who made it so,” she said.
The next showing of this type will be William Faulkner’s The Long, Hot Summer, which will be shown during the Thanksgiving period.
Mrs. Katz is no crusader. She comments with some modesty:
“I work close to 17 hours a day sometimes and it doesn’t even bother me. Maybe my desire to make good… to succeed for e.j. what I am doing. To me the stage is like a temple and if one is to be good in any part of it they should dedicate themselves to it almost as religiously.”
Cornwall Local – January 10, 1963
S.K. Theatre Head Plans for Bright New Year
Storm King Theatre is looking forward to a new year filled with fine, interesting movies and some additional unusual activities, according to a release this week from Mrs. Ella Katz, manager.
Mrs. Katz outlines her hopes for 1963 as follows:
The Storm King Theatre is announcing its program for the year 1963. Based upon our immediate experience here, the management is convinced that the people of Cornwall and the vicinity appreciate and respond to a good show.
What is a good show? A show means the united efforts of an outstanding writer, director, artist, and a set of capable, talented actors — together they produce a show of lasting value which the people support and appreciate.
In the past six months, we have enjoyed huge talents such as Hemingway, Kramer, Howard Fast, Capra, and William Faulkner in superbly produced shows.
There is no reason why the year 1963 should lag in effort. On the contrary, the coming year is a very promising one. Young, talented Americans are coming to the forefront with a huge force of creative power for us to enjoy. Already, the gifted Tennessee Williams has burst into the new year with a new comedy, and a new set of young talents are spreading their wings in his Period of Adjustment.
The Storm King Theatre management is presently filled with activities for the coming year. We plan to show at least 12 dramas and comedies by outstanding Americans, five or more musicals, and several historical productions.
We are also ambitious to show a number of biographical films — the lives of great Americans from Tom Paine to Justice Black, from Emma Lazarus to Mrs. Roosevelt. Someday, a mammoth Walt Whitman will look at us from the screen.
We are rich in our national art and culture, and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet. But a whole army of young Americans are at the forefront now, and they are digging diligently.
Last year, a small group of them produced a play about George Washington on 42nd Street — and so captivating was the play, filled to the brim with laughter and thought and true artistic form, that in spite of the old, slipping newspapermen who are allergic to young noise and young minds, the finest art gallery in New York exhibited the scenery and script of that play and sold it at a good price to lovers of true art.
This is a fact.
There are other encouraging facts — in the East and in the West, in the South and in the North — and those who do not recognize the fate staring them in the face will wake up at the boom of “I Hear America Singing.”
The Storm King Theatre does not exclude, however, the accomplishments on the world’s horizon. Whenever something truly good appears, be sure that the Storm King Theatre will have it — regardless of cost.
But the town of Cornwall — where every tree, every bush, every blade of grass is permeated with history — is bound to look toward our nation for the fulfillment of its cultural and artistic needs as a stepping stone to a higher level of understanding.
Whoever ignores the abundance of creative and productive capacities of our youth — whoever looks toward world markets and foreign films as a panacea — is himself in a world of abstraction. The reality is here, in our great land, in our hardworking people who strive for achievement and who have one passionate urge — to grow ever stronger, ever higher, ever better.
Who will stop them?
A declining industry? Men who are out to make a fast buck? Or a foreign industry with men who are not even out to make a fast buck — they want the fast buck to come to them on a silver platter. And they get it, too. In return, they add vile, scandalous stories of cheap affairs and farm scenes on the screen we cleansed.
Those in the movie field who do not see it will have their own “Requiem to a Headlight.” They had better submit, cooperate, and lend a hand to capacities beyond our expectations. The names of the talented individuals mentioned above will come to our screen in their full splendor.
A Children’s Program
No sad fare for the children.
We shall never show the blond-dripping monsters and all the worlds tortured with a rape rod.
No — the movie industry underestimates the cleverly developed little ones. They want a feeling of love, tenderness, and above all, purity and good, healthy humor.
Is that asking too much?
This is a plea to the movie industry from an exhibitor.
Thus, we are girding ourselves to stand on our own, with a number of real fine shows, some musicals, three live shows, one or two filmed operas, perhaps a ballet, and stories of poets and patriots by women poets — in person — and a number of pets, catching jolly socials, and an outstanding children’s program.
We have every reason to hope our distinguished public will be with us through with flying colors, and may the new year advance us all to a richer level of human dignity, happiness, and a deeper understanding of life itself.
— Ella Katz
Cornwall Local – March 26, 1965
To the Editor:
The Cornwall Local
Cornwall, N.Y.
We wish to express our appreciation to Mr. Demoriac, the remarkable English teacher at N.Y.M.A., for his initiative in bringing the motion picture "Henry the Fifth" to our theater for his students.
Our deep appreciation is also due to the untiring efforts—at personal sacrifice—of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert DeFreest, who made it possible for their students to see this important film.
We also extend our thanks to Police Officers Ernest Riley and James Craig for helping to maintain order in the theater.
Because the public response was unusually great and the theater became overcrowded, some people were unable to fully enjoy the show. Therefore, the management of Storm King Theatre has decided to bring Henry the Fifth back once more. Those who purchased tickets but were unable to enjoy the film thoroughly will be admitted free to the new showing. The date will be announced in this newspaper.
In all sincerity,
For the Storm King Theatre
Mrs. Ella M. Katz
Cornwall Local – May 27, 1965
OPEN LETTER TO VILLAGE CHIEF OF POLICE MAHER
Today it was brought to my attention that on Monday evening, May 17, while I was absent from the theatre due to illness, a young boy climbed up to the balcony of the theatre and was engaging in mischief. Fortunately, you noticed it, and by your quick action, you have probably saved that boy from a terrible accident.
The projectionist, not knowing you and not being aware that you are also the inspector of the theatre, was most uncooperative and ill-mannered toward you. I therefore wish to publicly express my regret and my apologies to you, Mr. Maher. I also want to extend my appreciation for the excellent services you and your men have rendered the Storm King Theatre—and, most importantly, for saving a youngster’s life.
Mrs. Ella M. Katz
Storm King Theatre
Cornwal Local 1963 Theter Help Wanted Ad
Help Wanted – Male
HELP WANTED
Part-Time.
Sober, honest, mature male attendant needed.
Cornwall Local – December 2, 1965
Darien Youth Fined for Taking Theatre Posters
Frank M. White, 18, of Darien, Conn., a student, was arrested on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. by Police Chief Harry J. Maher on the charge of malicious destruction of property.
The chief had received a call reporting that someone had broken the lock on the display window at the Storm King Theatre and had taken the large posters advertising coming attractions.
White was picked up near the theatre carrying the rolled-up posters.
He was arraigned that same evening before Justice of the Peace A. John DeMiceli. White was fined $25 and ordered to pay Mrs. Ella Katz, the theatre owner, an additional $25 for the broken lock and ruined posters.
White’s mother drove from Darien to Cornwall and paid both the fine and the cost of the damages caused by her son.
Cornwall Local – April 28, 1966
Police Did Not State Malarkey Cut by Brother
In the April 21 issue of the Cornwall Local, it was erroneously stated that George Malarkey, 18, of 52 Willow Avenue, had been stabbed by his brother during an altercation in a car at the Village Square on April 14.
However, upon double-checking with Patrolman James Craig, from whom the Local secured the information on the incident, he said it was a misunderstanding and that he did not report that the younger brother had stabbed the older brother.
John Malarkey, father of the two boys, made a statement to The Local on Friday night to clarify what had happened.
According to Mr. Malarkey, his son Larry had been given permission to attend the Storm King Theatre on the understanding that he would be home by 11 p.m. His brother George had gone to pick him up.
Young Larry, according to his father, exited the theater around 8:45 p.m. and was sitting in the passenger seat of another boy’s car when George arrived and approached the vehicle to persuade his brother to come home with him.
Larry told George he had permission to stay until 11 and would walk home. An argument ensued, and George attempted to force his brother to leave, but Larry resisted, putting his hands behind his back and lying down on the seat, Mr. Malarkey reported.
While George was attempting to pull his brother from the car, Patrolman Craig, noticing a disturbance, arrived on the scene and attempted to pull George away from his brother. In some unknown way, the 18-year-old boy (George) was stabbed in the back — through a heavy Army jacket — causing injuries that required hospitalization for three days. One wound required nine stitches, according to Mr. Malarkey.
He further told The Local that there were only seven boys in the Square at the time and that they were not fighting.
Mr. Malarkey also stated that, at the arraignment of his older son (George) on a disorderly conduct charge for having caused a disturbance, held before Justice of the Peace John DeMiceli, he asked to have the part about the boys “fighting or struggling in the Square” stricken from the police information. Judge DeMiceli confirmed this on Monday.
Mr. Malarkey declared that there was no animosity between his sons and that they were very fond of each other.
"A stabbing by either of them is beyond a question of doubt," he said.
“I want to get to the bottom of this and have the assailant apprehended,” he told The Local
Cornwall Local – November 24, 1966
Following Complaint, Mayor Orders Inspection of Storm King Theatre
Following a complaint regarding an alleged disturbance at the Storm King Theatre on October 21, Mayor Peter C. Faurot has ordered a full inspection of the theatre premises.
The complaint referred to a fracas allegedly involving 50 teenagers, during which firecrackers were discharged, a smoke bomb was set off, and a near-riot ensued. Chief of Police Harry J. Maher confirmed that he and Patrolman Robert Cooney were called to the scene that evening and dispersed more than 50 teenagers, escorting the bulk of them to the village line. Chief Maher noted that most of those involved were from outside the village, and since there was no clear evidence of a law being broken, no arrests were made.
The Night Mrs. Katz Left the Theater
(As remembered by Tom Hagood, not from The Cornwall Local)
This incident marked the end of Mrs. Katz’s time at the Storm King Theater. The last movie ad to appear in The Cornwall Local under Mrs. Katz ownership was for Dear John. She closed the theater in December 1966, not long after what became known as the Fantastic Voyage riot — a night that effectively chased her from operating it as a movie theater.
Tom Hagood was there that night — October 21, 1966 — and he remembers it vividly. It was a big deal in town. Despite rumors over the years that the trouble came from “out-of-towners,” Tom clearly recalls seeing kids from Cornwall High School in the audience. He can still picture their silhouettes against the blank movie screen.
The film was Fantastic Voyage, but it was abruptly interrupted when the second reel didn’t thread properly. It was going to take some time to fix — too much time for a restless audience of teenagers.
The crowd started yelling, “Give us our money back!” — then came the popcorn and candy, flying through the air.
That’s when Mrs. Katz entered the auditorium, trying to calm the kids down, explaining what was happening. But by then, the mood had shifted. She wasn’t the most patient or articulate business owner, and the insults and shouting may have been the last straw.
“I think she’d had enough of people screaming obscenities at her,” Tom recalls. “She just said, ‘Movie’s over! Time to go.’”
That did not calm things down. People got up — not to leave, but to head for the lobby demanding their fifty cents back, while others started rocking the seats. That’s when Tom left.
He remembers standing — he thinks it was on the corner of Duncan and Hudson — watching as police arrived and crazed teenagers spilled out onto the street, still yelling, still fired up.
“I’m pretty sure my brother was with me — I’ll ask him what he remembers,” he says. “But I felt bad for Mrs. Katz. I didn’t know her story, but I always suspected she’d had some hard knocks.”
It was a big night in the village — and when the curtain closed for Mrs. Ella M. Katz at the Storm King Theater along with the iconc village cinema house.
12A THE EVENING NEWS
Wed. Nov. 1, 1967
Dinner Theater to Open Nov. 18
By SAM WANG
CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON
More culture is coming to the Greater Newburgh area. In one case it is coming here to stay.
Orange County’s only professional dinner theater will be opened Nov. 18 at the site of what used to be the Storm King Theater at 2 Idlewild Ave., Cornwall-on-Hudson.
According to Neil Love, manager of the new dinner theater “Playhouse on the Hudson,” the establishment “is actually three in one.
“It is a resident professional theater. It is a school of performing arts. And it is a restaurant.”
It is a resident professional theater in that professional actors and actresses from New York City will come up here to render the theatrical performances and some 30 of them will make the village their home.
Mr. Love emphasized that “this is not a community theater, it is professional,” and it was designed to serve theater-goers from throughout the region.
He said he expected to draw people from the entire region.
Mr. Love, who directed the Candlelight Theater in Goshen last summer, said some 9,000 persons came to the summer theater and large numbers of them came from as far as Poughkeepsie, Peekskill, various localities in Rockland County and New York City.
“We expect more to come here (Playhouse on the Hudson) since it is resident and it is more centrally located (as related to the various population centers),” said Mr. Love.
Plays scheduled for the winter season are:
“Any Wednesday” – Nov. 18–Dec. 2
“Where’s Charley?” – Dec. 6–23
“A Funny Thing Happened” – Dec. 27–Jan. 13
“Three Penny Opera” – Jan. 17–Feb. 3
“Knack” – Feb. 7–17
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” – Feb. 21–31
It is not only an adult theater. It is also a children’s theater.
“Hansel and Gretel” will be presented Jan. 13.
It is a school of performing arts in that the Playhouse on the Hudson offers lessons in various fields of the performing arts.
Mr. Love called the school “a training ground for our future performers… offering professional instruction by our directors, actors and musicians.” Pupils of the school “will be used as apprentice performers at the theater next summer” in such plays as “The King and I” and “The Sound of Music,” Mr. Love said.
It is a restaurant. And it is more than a restaurant. Dining tables are set right inside the auditorium.
Therefore diners get to see the performances from exactly where they are.
Mr. Love indicated that he wanted to correct the inconvenience of theater-going in many instances where people have to have their dinner at one place and watch a play at another—“particularly in the winter time.”
Another feature of the restaurant, said Mr. Love, was that the waiters and waitresses would be actors and actresses in the plays people were going to see.
One purpose of such an arrangement is to help bring the diners and the performing artists together.
Mr. Love, a 1962 graduate of Bowdoin College at Brunswick, Me., has supervised three theaters before coming to Orange County—The Brooks Ridgeon House and the Maryland Cabaret Theater in the Baltimore–Washington area.
While a student at the Taft School in Watertown, Conn., Mr. Love became deeply involved in all phases of music including directing, composing, and performing.
During his last two years at Bowdoin, Mr. Love composed and directed two original musicals, “Head and Shoulders,” based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
“Head and Shoulders” was an immediate success and led to an offer by the Kennebunkport, Me., playhouse for Mr. Love to produce it there as the initial production of the summer stock season.
Also Mr. Love holds the honor of being the only known undergraduate ever to conduct the world-famous Boston Pops Orchestra or any other orchestra of comparable standing.
The former Storm King Theater which used to function as a movie house was recently sold by Mrs. Marie LeReau to Mrs. Allegra Love and her son Neil Love and his brother Talbot Love.
Cornwall Local
Thursday, November 9, 1967
Dinner Theatre Opens in Old Storm King Theatre Nov. 18
Neil Love, former director of the Candlelight Dinner Theatre in Goshen, has just announced plans to open a year-round dinner theatre in the Old Storm King Movie House on Hudson and Idlewilde Streets in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson.
Opening night has been set for Nov. 18 starting at 6 p.m. with cocktails, 6:30–7:30 dinner, and show time at 8:30, with dancing and singing in the new Sing-a-long-bar following the evening’s entertainment.
The company of 20 professional entertainers from coast to coast will live in Cornwall while rehearsing, teaching and performing at the Playhouse. The winter season is a combination of musicals, dramas and comedies including Three Penny Opera, Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum, Any Wednesday, Where’s Charley, and Peter Pan.
The children will be entertained by the delightful play Peter Pan during December with matinees on Saturday.
A unique facet of the Playhouse will be its Centre for the Performing Arts, which will include instruction in any and all musical instruments, cotillion classes and drama classes with a stage production at the completion of the course.
Classes will be under the direction of Mr. Neil Love and instructed by the Resident Company. Talented members of the Centre may be employed by the Playhouse for their planned summer season.
For further information and ticket reservations, phone the Playhouse 534-7844.
Cornwall Local
Thursday, November 9, 1967
Sincerely Yours
Dear Editor,
After a twelve week season of trial and error at the Candlelight Dinner Theatre in Goshen, New York, our theatrical staff has found a permanent home in the old Storm King Theatre at 2 Idlewilde Street in Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, N.Y.
At present, we are rapidly transferring this antiquated movie house into a quaint Cocktail Lounge with Piano Bar; a restaurant, which when completed, will provide a full course dinner featuring Beefeater’s cut Prime Ribs of Beef; and last but not least, our theatre, which we hope will help you excellent production of Broadway musicals, dramas and comedies.
Our resident company, similar to that of last summer, will perform Wednesday through Saturday. Their Saturday afternoons will be devoted to our Children’s Theatre featuring as an opener “Peter Pan” running through December.
The year-round setting will provide our patrons with four seasons of entertainment, with the summer months dedicated to musical theatre. However, the newest and most important venture of the Playhouse will be the initiation of our Center of the Performing Arts, which will be used as a training ground for our future performers and summer apprentices.
Our season will open on Saturday, November 18 with Muriel Resnick’s “Any Wednesday.” In order to accommodate everyone, we have made available a few seats, at greatly reduced prices, for those interested in seeing the show only.
I especially thank you for your support this summer and I would welcome a personal visit from you to view our new theatre and discuss the coming season.
Sincerely,
Neil Love, Director
Playhouse on the Hudson, Inc.
THE EVENING NEWS
Page 5B — Tuesday, November 21, 1967
New Dinner Theatre Opens at Cornwall
By MAURICE HERBRUT
CORNWALL — A new kind of theater came to the Mid-Hudson Saturday evening with the opening of the Playhouse on the Hudson at Cornwall-on-Hudson.
Muriel Resnick’s “Any Wednesday,” to an appreciative audience in the old Storm King Theater.
The enterprise, headed by Neil Love of the past summer’s Candlelight Theater at Goshen, offered a sophisticated comedy.
While the former motion picture theater offered some problems, the group’s concept of a showplace in which members of the audience can dine comfortably and then see live stage productions while still seated at table, proved sound.
There were a few “bugs” for the Saturday night opening, such as a delay in delivery of the theater’s liquor license, but arrangements with a nearby tavern made it possible for patrons to go there for pre-prandial refreshment. An upstairs bar and dancing arrangement will be completed, Mr. Love announced in welcoming the first nighters.
He said patrons will be able to mingle with members of the cast there after each performance.
There will be features other than dinner performances, including children’s theater on some afternoons.
The Resnick play moved smoothly and warmly with the cast of four performing under the direction of Mr. Love. They included Robin Douglas, formerly of Rochester, as the mistress whose charms proved tax deductible in a variation of the executive suite.
The corporation chieftain who relied upon her and his wife, played by Beverly Stevens, was presented by Chris Arnold, a veteran of the Hearst Circuit.
Miss Stevens, originally from Maryland, participated in Love productions of “My Fair Lady” and “Oliver.”
John Calvin, also from the Maryland Cabaret Theater by way of Goshen, offered a dual threat to the relationship of Mr. Arnold and Miss Douglas, as well as the serenity of the former’s executive suite.
Allen Monks Jr. was technical director and Debbie DeGraw, prop mistress.
Evening performances will be given each week Wednesday through Saturday.
“Any Wednesday” will be presented, along with dinner, through Dec. 2.
The Playhouse will give matinee performances of the children’s Peter Pan on Dec. 2, 9, 16, 20–24 and 27–31.
A New Year’s Eve celebration will be staged, with a performance of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
Cornwall Local
Thursday, November 23, 1967
THE NEW THEATRE
The opening of a legitimate theatre in the lower village should be a matter of pride to Cornwall. Not only has it brought a new, cultural activity here but it has restored a decaying structure located in the heart of the village square.
Many parts of the country today have small groups of dedicated young actors and directors who are producing excellent theatre. Now that Broadway has become too prohibitively expensive, only a few shows can hit the big-time each season; so, off-Broadway productions both in New York City and in other places are flourishing. It is stimulating to think that our town may be in that category.
The plan to serve dinner before the show is a unique attraction and may serve nicely to launch the Playhouse-on-the-Hudson to a good start. We hope, however, that the play will be the thing and that before long the audience will be there because the entertainment is good rather than because they are hungry.
Our best wishes for success go to the director, the actors, and all those who are connected with the new enterprise.
The Cornwall Local
Monday, November 27, 1967
Playhouse on The Hudson Opens
More than 200 guests attended the opening of Playhouse On The Hudson in the lower village last Saturday evening, Nov. 18, and enjoyed a production of “Any Wednesday” preceded by a champagne supper.
The Playhouse which describes itself as “the first proscenium dinner theatre in the world” is directed by Neil Love who headed Goshen’s Candlelight Theatre last summer. While the Goshen venture was a ten-weeks affair, the Cornwall-on-Hudson Playhouse is planned to operate year-round offering musicals, plays and children’s theatre. Mr. Love also expects to have a Center of Performing Arts for theatre training in all its branches.
The distinctive feature of the Playhouse is the combination of dinner and drama. Every other row of seats has been removed from the old Storm King movie house and replaced with tables on which candlelight flickers while Mr. Love sits at his piano playing dinner music for the guests.
At the opening last week, a large buffet was set up in the lobby but subsequently the theatre plans to offer its own menus. The cast acts as ushers to show the audience to their seats. On Saturday, Mr. Love took the stage with a champagne bottle while individual glasses of champagne were poured for the guests. The theatre’s liquor license, is expected on Nov. 25.
According to a review by Bown Adams the play, “Any Wednesday” by Muriel Resnick might be called “how to put your mistress on your tax deductible table and have your wife louse everything up.” Robin Douglas as the mistress was “quite attractive and physically cute. Her only trouble is that she shouts everything in a high nasal voice so that you get a little tired of her yelling for two long acts. Beverly Stevens as the wife, Dorothy, almost steals the evening except that there isn’t much to steal from. John Calvin is a disarming lad if you can make yourself believe Chris Arnold and his stage posing with hands on hips, you’ll have an enjoyable evening.”
“It’s our bet,” the review continues, “that the first show is just a little glimmer of the good things to come and that perhaps we have something really big, theatrically speaking, in the making at Playhouse On The Hudson.”
In the last two months, Mr. Love has applied his energies to refurbishing every seat in the theatre; risking electrocution by being an electrician; painting walls, lobbies and rest rooms; and moving a two-ton walk-in refrigerator into the rear of the house. He has directed and produced dinner theatres around the country in the last few years and is very hopeful that the Playhouse is going to be one of the most successful.
The Cornwall Local
July 17, 1969
Added Attraction to Village Square
PLAYHOUSE TAKES ON NEW LOOK—Not only has the Playhouse on the Hudson inside been renovated but the exterior as well, as shown by the above picture, which enhances the beauty of the Village Square. The work on the outside includes a shake shingle fronting on the roof, walnut cross beams, making a paneled effect, all designed to create the appearance of the Tudor Period style. The flags are added decorations.
The Playhouse staff includes Michael C. Mace, general manager; Jack Weaver, company manager; Bruce Jackson, owner and producer and Jack Knight, production manager.
Cornwall Local
THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1969
PLAYHOUSE
The “face-lifting” that has been going on at the Village Square has provided the first real encouragement in years to those persons who would like to see the Village center become an attractive and prosperous place.
The major change this summer has been made—almost overnight it seemed—by Playhouse-on-the-Hudson. The newly painted, newly renovated exterior of the theatre is a clue to the change that has been going on inside where new management has taken over.
A pleasing repertoire that began last week with “The Odd Couple,” will continue through the last of August and promises a summer of good entertainment and agreeable diversion. Those who attended the first production are enthusiastic about the talents of the actors and urge the community to support this earnest attempt to bring good theatre to the area. A successful enterprise of this nature is to be welcomed not only for the cultural addition it provides in the life of a small town but also because it can have such good economic side effects on our local businesses.
It was a friendly gesture on the part of the Playhouse actors to take part in our Fourth of July celebration. We hope that the community will reciprocate this goodwill by attending the weekly productions and, if possible, by becoming patrons for the season.
The Cornwall Local, dated Thursday, July 10, 1969:
“Celebration” Opens July 9 At Playhouse
“Celebration,” the new musical in its first production since Broadway, opens the Playhouse-on-the-Hudson’s musical season this Wednesday, July 9th at 8:45 p.m. This exciting musical, written by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, the creators of The Fantasticks, will run for two weeks only, from July 9th through July 20th.
Featured in the large cast are Reuel Olin, John Calvin, Bob Crandell, and Claudia Lynn. The entire production has been directed by Jim Robinson, a newcomer to the Playhouse, with choreography by Mel Johnson and musical direction by Steve Liebman.
This new production promises to bring enormous excitement to the Playhouse and it is certain to become a Playhouse favorite.
The new Playhouse features a delightful Roof Garden for the enjoyment of your favorite beverage before, during and after each performance. In addition, a delicious Buffet dinner is served each evening at 7:30 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the curtain is at 8:45 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday evenings.
The Cornwall Local, dated Thursday, July 24, 1969:
Playhouse To Hold Special Drama Classes
Playhouse on the Hudson, in Cornwall on the Hudson has recently announced the formation of Special Drama Classes to begin August 1. Under the auspices of the National Academy of Drama, Carnegie Hall, the classes will be conducted every Friday at 1 p.m. for a period of 5 weeks. They will include introduction to Theatre, Stagecraft, Acting, Make-up and Movement.
These special classes will be conducted by Mr. Jack Knight, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and the Catholic University Graduate Drama School whose Broadway credits include the recent “Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” with Zoe Caldwell.
Mr. Bruce P. Jackson, President of the National Academy, says that he hopes those young people who become interested in Drama through such classes will be even more actively involved in the Fall and Winter season at the Playhouse, where emphasis will be placed much more heavily on Community involvement in this year-round venture.
For further information on these Special Classes, please call either Mr. Knight or Mr. Weaver at the Playhouse, 534-8823, or write to them c/o Box 283, Cornwall on the Hudson.
The Cornwall Local
Thursday, September 4, 1969:
Non-Profit Storm King Playhouse Volunteers to Pay Property Taxes
On Monday, Sept. 1, the Storm King Playhouse officially came into being. Formerly known as Playhouse on the Hudson the otherwise tax exempt new charitable organization have volunteered to pay local property taxes as though it were a profit making organization, because, in the words of the president Bruce Parkyn Jackson, our objective is to serve our Cornwall neighbors, not to increase their tax burden.
The Storm King Playhouse will operate as a year round community theatre, and will open its fall season September 13 with a black tie gala performance of The Boy Friend, by invitation only. Each show will run for three weeks, The Boy Friend to be followed by Star-Spangled Girl, then Guys and Dolls, then Under the Yum Yum Tree and the Christmas season will be enlivened by a musical performance of A Christmas Carol. Performances will be every Wednesday through Saturday nights.
The playhouse also opens its doors as a community center, offering programs in theatre crafts, sports, classes in art, music, theatre crafts, acting and dance. In addition to the regular nightly performances, the Playhouse will offer a bill of Bible plays in conjunction with area churches every Sunday night beginning in October; the children shows beginning with Winnie the Pooh every Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., and educational plays to be performed in conjunction with high school English.
A final addition to the recently renovated theatre building will be the establishment of a Cornwall branch of the National Academy of Drama (headquartered at Carnegie Hall in New York) to offer college credit courses to local residents in acting, dance and speech. The National Academy of Drama is one of the Countries leading training schools for theatre, having trained more academy award winning actors and actresses than any other school. The Alumni include: Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau, Shelly Winters, Rod Steiger, Harry Belafonte, Tony Curtis, Tennessee Williams, Ed Kookie Byrnes and other known artists.
Though the Playhouse is offering to pay its share of the local taxes to support the Village budget, this does not mean it has all the funds it needs for its 1969 budget—it does not. The cost of operating a theatre and community are greater than the box office receipts could afford even if the Playhouse filled up for every performance. In order to offset the first seasons operating deficit, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have donated their Yellow Rolls Royce to be given in a contest, the proceeds of which will go into the Playhouse budget. Entry blanks for the Rolls Royce will be available at the Playhouse.
The Cornwall Local
Thursday, September 18, 1969:
Playhouse Formal Opening Gala
The guest list at the formal opening of the New Storm King Playhouse in the lower village last Saturday evening read like the social register of the Mid-Hudson. Among the prominent citizens of this area it would be easier to list those who were not there than to name all two hundred and fifty who attended. It was a sell out and a great success.
The evening began at 7 o’clock p.m. with a reception of champagne punch and hors d’oeuvres. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson greeted guests at the door and escorted them to the reception lounge and the roof garden.
At nine-thirty while the guests were finishing their coffee the candles were snuffed by the young waiters and the stage came to life with the first scene of the grand opening performance, “The Boy Friend.”
The story, which is suitable entertainment for all ages, is about British society girls whose families have sent them to finishing school on the French Riviera, and about their encounters with French, British and American suitors, both young and old. The story is woven through gay song and music and sometimes funny dancing to a surprising yet hilarious climax. We join other critics in recommending it highly to everyone.
Equal credit for the performance success must be given to Tom Cloutier, who played opposite Miss Kasserir; to Kathie Cloutier as Mazie; to Jef Farr as Bobby Van Husen; to Dennis Lamour for an hilarious Lord Brockhurst; Annabelle Brooks played Mme DuBonne and designed the beautiful costumes, which Mrs. Brewerton sewed; Alice Cohen, Lady Brockhurst; M. K. Jeeves II, directed; David Gaines and Kandy Cotsh designed the set and lighted the stage; Mel Johnson helped with choreography and Jean Frankbonder musically directed.
The Tom Hagood Files:
“Cast photo, last production as the 'Storm King Playhouse' of "Forever Maggie," closing night, Jan. 1971. I'm back row, 5th from left. A couple of other 'Cornwallians' are in the line-up: Bob and Mary Small, Brenda Leonard, Sue Carrol, and 2 or 3 whose names escape me, 5 or 6 NYC-based performers. Tenth from the left is 'Marsha Waterbury,' who went on to some recognition in productions on and off Broadway. I acted in 8-9 productions, built sets, costumes, ran the dining room and box office (1969-70). I learned a lot, had some big fun, and discovered a career that led to my work as a professor & chair of academic programs in the performing arts in that building. Great memories.”
Review of ‘The Boyfriend’
Publication: The Record
Location: Hackensack, New Jersey
Issue Date: Tuesday, September 16, 1969
Page: 50
One On The Aisle ~ Home Grown Look Flops In Cornwall
I'm not at all certain it was intended that way. Would you believe a spoof can be spoofed? That was the impression in this corner after viewing the opening of "The Boy Friend," the first production at the newly named Storm King Playhouse in Cornwall. The musical this, you'll remember, was the one that brought Julie Andrews from London, premiered over the weekend as the first production under the new setup in Cornwall, just above West Point on the banks of the Hudson. This was the dinner-theater operation which had been known as Playhouse on the Hudson. It is still under the wing of young producer-director Bruce Parkyn Jackson, with William De Seta and John Grissom listed as associate producers. The difference is that, as the Storm King Playhouse, thev hope to arouse the interest of local, dramatic-minded citizenry; in other words, they have turned it into a community theater operation. With the exception of one or two in the cast of "The Boy Friend" this idea was carried through for the initial production. It showed. The acting, singing, and dancing were hardly sufficient to warrant critical praise. However, the enthusiasm, the bounce and the response from the black-tie, evening-gowned opening night audience was infectious. A champagne punch, generous drinks at the cocktail bar, and a passably-good buffet dinner put the opening-night, invitation crowd in a good mood. The lighting needs improvement but the sets were reasonably good, and a bigger stage made it possible to present the musical in full form. Dan Francobandiero did a good job at the piano and directing the rather unusual musical accompaniment of percussion and flute along with his piano. Although it left much to be desired the musical support had much of the audience humming some of the show's long-remembered hit tunes. Poor Direction …M. K. Jeeves ft is credited with direction and staging: it is unimaginative and the choreography credited to Jack Johnson and Melvin Knight is no better; it's more martial than terpsichorean. [Jack Knight directed, he was an Equity and SAG member, so he had to use another name…the choreography was by Jack Knight and Melvin Johnson…my note] The actors are enthusiastic, and a couple are truly impressive. To this reviewer, a young man named Tom Cloutier shows definite promise; he seemed stiff and scared and his acting leaves a lot to be desired but he's got a fine voice and was fitting for the young love interest. In the now-famed role of Polly Browne, Rachel Cassirer made her debut. It showed. She's pretty, though, and her voice's upper register was impressive. Annabelle Brooks as the head of the girls' school, Mme. Dubonnet, is apparently a well-known personality with local theater goers since her entrance brought a hand; Jerry Cannon's makeup was the only excuse for p1aying Polly's father, but you had to like Dennis Lamour who clowned cleverly as the dirty old man, Lord Brockhurst. Tina Humeston as the French maid, Hortense; Kathie Cloutieras Maisie, Robin Douglas as Dulcie, Kitty Boylan as Fay and Brenda Leonard as Nancy giggled appropriately, if not convincingly, as the girls. The male "boy-friends" including Mel Johnson, Mike Falco, Tom Hagood might impress in a school play but not professionally. How well this community is going to work will depend largely on local support, naturally. It was a sell-out opening night but with even such a popular choice as "The Boy Friend," the question remains whether that support can be maintained. Shows for the fall-winter are to be Wednesdays through Saturdays, with no matinees. Dinner at about 7:30 p.m. precedes the show; it wasn't until after 10 p.m. that the show started opening night, with curtain calls coming well after midnight. "The Boy Friend" plays through Nov. 4.