Sue Kessler and Noel Joseph Allain
The Bushwick Starr
A nytheatre voices cyber-interview
nytheatre voices are cyber interviews with members of the theatrical community as they discuss the interesting and varied work they do within that community. The theatrical community is more than just the people and productions. Without a place to present a production, it would be hard to show a production. And so today our interview is with a new theatre space in the up and coming neighborhood of Bushwick in Brooklyn. Sue Kessler and Noel Joseph Allain tell us all about this new black box theatre.
Why Bushwick? Why a theater? How did you convert? What do you look like?
The Bushwick Starr was originally a rehearsal space for our theater company, Fovea Floods. In 2001, we were preparing to mount a large-scale show at the Ontological-Hysteric Theater in Manhattan with a cast of about 25 — and we were looking for a big space to rehearse and develop the piece. At that time, Sue Kessler and one of the artistic directors (Josh Chambers) of Fovea Floods were living in Bushwick and we knew that the neighborhood was full of commercial loft spaces that were sitting empty. Back in 2001, the neighborhood was a lesser known area than it is now, so it was fairly easy to find and acquire open spaces. We looked around for a while and then found a loft that was perfect for our needs — huge, open, and easily accessible. Once we began working there, we became increasingly aware of what a find it was and how well it served as a rehearsal/developemental space. Once the show was over, we had officially fallen in love with it. It was too good a situation to give up. So Josh and Sue moved in.
For about three years, the space existed as a live/work venue: we used it for our own rehearsals as well as an apartment for various company members. Then, in 2004, we began to notice that there were a lot of other artists moving into the neighborhood and we started to think about trying the space out as a performance venue and seeing if there might be an audience right in our own backyard. That year we did our first public performance in the space — a small, two weekend run of Jean Genet’s The Maids. We built risers and painted the stage area black, put in a booth, hung black masking, and installed full theatrical lighting and sound. We sold out both weekends. That’s when we realized that we could run a theater in Bushwick. There had been a lot of debate as to whether people would make the trip out to a relatively unknown area of Brooklyn or if there were enough people living there already to support a production. The run was short, but it was enough to convince us that it was possible. After The Maids, the space got a lot of interest from people who had seen the show. We immediately had a number of productions lined up from outside artists.
So basically, from 2004 on it became a rehearsal and performance venue for us and for many other artists. Looking back, it was a real time of transition because we (Fovea Floods) were struggling with the idea of letting go of the space as our own private venue and really opening it up for public use. It was our company's space, our stomping ground, and our clubhouse for many years. In a lot of ways, we didn’t want to let it go. But so many things were happening around us — things set in motion with a momentum all their own — which made the transition undeniable. The space was taking on a life of its own and becoming its' own entity. It really became clear in the last couple of years that the neighborhood was rapidly growing and becoming a vital arts scene — hence the growing demand for arts spaces — and that we needed and wanted to extend our space to the community. Thus the Bushwick Starr was born. So basically, we’re a black box theater that seats 50-60. Our stage area is about 25’x 36’, and is very flexible in terms of orientation. We’re fully equipped technically with lights and sound provided by our in-house technical director, Jay Maury. His company, Thunder and Lighting, provides renters with a wide assortment of rental packages. We also offer an in-house design and production staff. In terms of rentals, it's very important to us to offer affordable rates to our fellow artists and we work closely with renters to create rental packages that suit their needs. All of our rates, amenities, info, etc, are on our website at www.thebushwickstarr.org. You can also join our mailing list there to find out about all future projects as well as see pictures of the space and different events.
Besides fully converting / renovating the actual playing space of the theater, we’ve worked very hard to create a comfortable environment in which people can socialize and commune. The welcoming atmosphere we've established seems to be something that people pick up on right away. We believe it's a big part of what attracts our audience and keeps them coming back. We have a large roof area directly attached to the space that’s a great patio spot in the summer (with a great view of the Manhattan skyline!), and is a perfect setting to enjoy our refreshment bar in the warm weather. We also like to open up the entire space during music performances so people can sit on the couches or hang out in the kitchen while they watch the show. A lot of artists who use the space are presenting work that is in progress or in development, so it’s important to us to provide people with a comfortable place to stick around after an event and have a chance to talk to the artists and give feedback about the work. As much as the neighborhood is rapidly developing, there still aren’t a lot of places to go after the show in terms of local bars, etc. (although Northeast Kingdom is a great restaurant to check out right around the corner), so we try to offer an inviting place to stay. Getting to Bushwick is pretty darn easy. Just take the ‘L’ Train to Jefferson Street, which is the 7th stop in Brooklyn (just east of Williamsburg). Exit at the front of the train and when you emerge on Starr St. walk against traffic 3/4 of the way down the block to 207A Starr. We’re on the second floor of the building. It’s about 15 minutes from Union Square. Right now there’s a little sign on the door. Soon there will be a much bigger one.
What other spaces influence you?
Chez Bushwick was a big influence. That space was a real trailblazer in the Bushwick arts community. Jonah Bokaer, who is a dance and media artist and a bit of a founding father in the area, runs it as primarily an experimental dance space. He’s been providing affordable rehearsal space and presenting work for years now while also serving as a strong force in the neighborhood in terms of networking and connecting local spaces and providing ways for us all to work together. He’s a big proponent of the community at large and is always helping to bridge the gaps between different emerging spaces. But just in terms of someone who got organized and made it happen, he’s definitely an inspiration to us.
What are you doing right now and what’s coming up in the future?
This past January, we mounted our official website and became incorporated as an organization. The focus since then has been all about getting the word out and booking the space as much as we possibly can. We have a number of groups that regularly use the space for rehearsals ranging from music to dance to theater. We also have regular performance events such as "First Saturdays - New Music", a monthly experimental music series curated by Dan Blake and Yoni Niv. This past spring, we hosted two theater companies — Mir Productions and Con Lab, who both produced theatrical runs of new work. We were also thrilled to present Chez Bushwick's AMBUSH Series this past April. It's been a busy couple of months. Plus we’ve had some great parties. We have a lot of exciting events coming up this summer. Fovea Floods will be returning to the space to rehearse a project that's being performed in the Saratoga Arts Festival in late June (this piece will most likely perform in the space later this summer). We're also looking forward to working with Connie Convergence (a sort-of burlesque gourmet dinner-theater group) in late August. But we're especially enthusiastic about the upcoming Bushwick Open Studios Arts Festival, which is the weekend of June 1st -3rd ( www.artsinbushwick.org) . Open Studios is a 3-day festival where all local arts spaces literally open their doors to the public and showcase various different artists and art disciplines. And it's all free! We’re kicking off the weekend on Friday, June 1st with a performance extravaganza we're calling "Hot Box". It will feature a selection of short, lively, original, entertaining performances (including a fire-thrower!) followed by a party with 3 local bands: The Dive, Pass Kontrol and Ways. Then, throughout the weekend we’re acting as a Hub for the festival where people can get maps of other open spaces and galleries, artist’s pamphlets, and listings of events. It’s an interesting phenomenon that in a neighborhood where there is a huge amount of artistic activity, almost none of it can be seen from the street. So the maps are almost like treasure maps, which lead to the secret, thriving happenings in Bushwick. As a Hub space, we’ll be open all day and most of the night. We'll be offering refreshments and hosting some day-time performances as well, such as a theatrical reading and a 4 hour site-specific dance piece. We’re also showing work from PS 123’s art program, a local public school which is right around the corner from our space. The show will be called "Mi Bario, Su Bario" and the paintings will be centered on the kid’s relationship to their neighborhood. The work will be for sale and all proceeds will go to the PS 123 art program. On Saturday night, we're hosting Dan and Yoni’s monthly music series featuring Hans Tammen, Andrea Perkins, and David Watson. Clearly, there's a lot happening that weekend. But all the comprehensive info about these events (including a complete list of artists, show times, etc.) can be found on our online calendar (www.thebushwickstarr.org/CALENDAR.html). We’re really very excited. It’s going to be a great weekend!
May 30, 2007
