New Brunswick, New Jersey, may not be just off the subway, but George Street Playhouse still manages to celebrate new works with a bevy of New York names. The LORT company operates like many other nonprofit regional houses, while using its proximity to the city to its full advantage.
“We have the benefit of being out of town so we can develop something,” artistic director David Saint explains to Backstage. “But at the same time, we’re not so far out of town that the actors have to leave home.” Saint, who celebrates his 20th season with George Street this fall, saw this benefit early on when it attracted his former instructor Uta Hagen to the venue.
The quick commute was also a draw for Marlo Thomas, who debuted two roles at George Street Playhouse before bringing them to New York. First, she appeared in 2008’s “Roger Is Dead” in a role Elaine May wrote for her. (She later reprised her performance in a new iteration, “George Is Dead,” as part of “Relatively Speaking” on Broadway.) She then headlined Joe DiPietro’s “Clever Little Lies” before bringing the show Off-Broadway. The late Arthur Laurents, a George Street mainstay, also lured Thomas to the venue for his play “New Year’s Eve.”
While Saint can recruit New York–focused artists who may prefer to stay local, he insists the search is still about finding whoever is right for the role. George Street Playhouse also features local actors and those based elsewhere. “I don’t consciously set out to balance it,” Saint says, “but New York is still a mecca of theater. We have such a pool of talent.”
The theater uses McCorkle Casting in New York for its search each season. The process begins with Saint compiling a list of viable names from his files and crosschecking it with Pat McCorkle’s suggestions. Regular open calls, run by resident artistic director Michael Mastro and producing associate Scott Goldman, are also held in accordance with Equity standards.
In addition to its access to performers, George Street Playhouse’s location has helped foster its relationships with playwrights, leading to more new work coming to the theater. Saint directs the season opener, “Mama’s Boy,” this fall; the play, by Rob Urbinati, reached his desk by way of Betsy Aidem, the production’s star. Aidem, who had appeared in “Jolson Sings Again” and “God of Carnage” at George Street, approached him after participating in a workshop of the new play.
Ideally, playwrights become involved in the development of a new show, and that’s easier to do when the production is less than an hour from New York. Urbinati has been present at rehearsals, and the performers are free to express impulses. “Creating a role is a very different experience,” Saint explains. “Actors often have input on the creation of the play and how it will be published forever.”
Saint notes that George Street’s role in presenting new work is important not only to theater artists, but also to its audiences. He likens the season selection process to planning a five-course meal: “I like to give audiences a tasty appetizer, a substantial main course... I like to vary things.” As the theater continues to keep new plays on the menu, audiences tend to order them more often.
“Over the years, audiences have shifted what they’ve come to like and what they want to see from us,” Saint says. “Now, when we do new plays, they have a much stronger appetite.”
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