Theater Director Opens New Venue in Verona
By Rex Rutkoski, The Valley News-Dispatch, Tarentum, Pa.
Jun. 15–The Olde Bank Theatre is receiving an encore performance as the Alle-Kiski Valley’s newest stage.
After a five-year absence, when the curtain went down at its first location in a bank building in Natrona, the theater will re-emerge in Verona on the second floor of a former Knights of Columbus hall as the New Olde Bank Theatre.
Its original founding artistic directors, Freeport natives Sean Michael O’Donnell and Todd Collar, and some former cast members as well as artistic staff, are back, too, for what is hoped to be a very long run.
It will debut with “Return to the Moral Abyss,” a collection of one-act comedies by O’Donnell, who also directs, Friday through June 22, and June 27-29.
Between the fall of 1999 and the fall of 2003, the Olde Bank Theatre (OBT) presented more than 35 shows, ranging from comedy to drama, Shakespeare to Chekhov, musical revues to holiday favorites, and new works to children’s fare.
“Our mission is and was to provide a creative outlet for intelligent and thought-provoking live theatrical pieces, both established works of yesterday and new works of today,” says O’Donnell, who has written more than a dozen plays produced in Pittsburgh and New York City.
His “The Butter Bin” was named best new play at the 1997 Pittsburgh New Works Festival, and his critically acclaimed political satire “MacBush” ran for several weeks off-off-Broadway.
“At the Olde Bank Theatre, I think we gave people the opportunity to see things they might not otherwise have been able to experience. And we created a community of artists, ultimately becoming a family,” he says.
Now the plan is to re-capture that spirit down river.
“I fell in love with the space and its location. The community of Verona has been very welcoming, especially the town council,” O’Donnell says.
Collar sees it as a chance to provide more opportunities for playwrights, actors and others behind the scene in theater. “It’s a welcoming environment for those with an interest in theater arts,” he says. “There’s quite a bit of talent in the region, and it’s not always in the most obvious form.”
Having worked for almost 20 years with junior high and high school students in theater, Freeport playwright Dan O’Donnell, Sean’s father, says he has no doubt the area is blessed with theatrical talent. “There is a wealth of talent looking for a venue,” he says.
A member of the artistic staff at New Olde Bank — as he was at the Olde Bank — he believes the time is right for another theater in Pittsburgh, despite the current challenging economic times. “That’s because of the product we offer, and in hard times, I think people want an outlet that is affordable,” he says.
He is optimistic about the theater’s future. “When you walk in, you will feel like you are family, and upon leaving, you will feel entertained,” he says.
Dan O’Donnell, who has written and directed more than 30 plays at various theaters, is the author of the children’s play “Gold, Leprechauns & Rainbows,” which will be produced at the Verona venue July 18 and 19 and 25 and 26. He currently has six plays in publication with three publishers.
“In live theater, a connection is made between the audience and the cast, especially in a theater (like the New Olde Bank) that is intimate,” he says. “You see the tears, taste the fear, feel the anger, forgive the mistakes, enjoy the laughter — in other words, you become a part of the play.”
That should be easy to do at the New Olde Bank, says Vincent Chelkowski of Kittanning Township, who is the front-of-house manager at the theater and the author of the music for “Soul,” a musical that is tentatively set to premiere there Sept. 12.
The book was penned by Sean O’Donnell, who spent the past few years in New York City as a theater critic for several publications, including Show Business Weekly. He was able to see and review more than 200 shows. “It was like taking a master class in directing and writing, and it taught me how to look at my craft, directing, in particular, from a whole new perspective,” he says.
“Having seen what Sean and Todd were able to do with the Olde Bank in Natrona, I am very optimistic for the New Olde Bank. The track record is proven,” says Chelkowski, a former Natrona resident and a Highlands High School graduate. “My own goal is to see that expanded upon.”
He hopes to see enough demand to do shows three weekends instead of two, or to add additional shows throughout the year.
The staff is in place to do that, he adds. “Sean is a phenomenal director. He can take printed words and, working with his actors, give life to them. He never backs down from a challenge,” he says. “Todd brings a plethora of ideas and knowledge. He will often keep quiet until the oddest moment, when he drops an absolute gem of an idea on us. Dan is bringing his established plays for children as well as a great amount of experience.”
Dan O’Donnell praises Chelkowski as “an understated actor with a huge talent for writing music,” as witnessed by the upcoming “Soul,” in which two Greek myths collide: the love story of Cupid and Psyche and the heart-rending tale of Demeter and Persephone.
The New Olde Bank hopes to offer about seven mainstage shows, with a few minor events, each year.
Sean O’Donnell says the open and well-maintained new space offers many possibilities for expansion. A second stage area in the back might be opened in the fall for more experimental theater.
The Verona location has about the same square footage as did the Olde Bank in Natrona, but the layout is dramatically different. “In Verona, we will be presenting plays in-the-round, which means the audience is seated on all four sides of the stage with the action taking place in the center. It’s very intimate,” he says.
Natrona could accommodate an audience of 75; Verona will seat 52.
O’Donnell wants it to be an inviting place for everyone. “I am very interested in other people’s talents and contributions,” he says. “This is an incredibly huge undertaking. I may be spearheading the effort, but I could not do it alone. I would like people from all over the area to audition or volunteer.”
Live theater remains an important contribution to a community, he adds.
“Live theater is truthful. You can’t fake it. It has a spontaneous uncertainty you don’t find in other mediums that can be thrilling,” he says. “And the response to live theater tends to be much more visceral. It has the power to not just entertain, but educate. Theater speaks to the truth of life. It tells stories we need to hear.”
FIRST PLAY
A new theater looks to its future with a nod to its past in “Return to the Moral Abyss.”
Five comedic plays, ranging in length from 7 to 30 minutes, make up the opening production debuting Friday and Saturday and June 27-29 at the New Olde Bank Theatre in Verona.
“It is a holdover from the Olde Bank Theatre (in Natrona). Every May, we would premiere a series of one-act comedies, a bit racy but always funny,” says playwright Sean O’Donnell.
The first year the series was titled “Lost in the Moral Abyss,” followed in succeeding years by “Exploring the Moral Abyss” and “Conquering the Moral Abyss.”
“Return to the Moral Abyss” just seemed like the logical follow-up, he says. “They are funny, irreverent, silly and, perhaps, a bit racy, but nothing inappropriate,” he says. Three of the plays deal with relationships, and two are spoofs.
On the bill:
–”The Accidental Intentional Death of Miss Connie Jones”: A desperate woman threatens to kill herself, but no one cares, least of all the suicide-hotline operator.
–”Three Sisters in Ten Minutes”: Anton Chekov’s epic three-hour drama is retold in 10 minutes.
–”Three Women in a Restaurant Waiting”: Three strangers form an unlikely friendship while waiting for their dinner dates to arrive.
–”First Date”: A man and woman embark on a disastrous first date.
–”Disaster! (the Play!)”: A send-up of ’70s disaster movies such as “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno.” When a trillionaire builds the world’s tallest underground building, bad things happen.
A cast of 17 from the Alle-Kiski Valley and Pittsburgh area is poised for fun. “They are incredibly enthusiastic and not afraid to make fools of themselves in a good way,” says writer-director O’Donnell. “They are a group of exceptionally gifted comedians.”
Melissa Pallone of Lower Burrell — who is “Diane” in “Disaster!” — is happy to be part of it. “Sean has the ability to make any situation, tragedy or otherwise, humorous. He teaches us that life is a comedy, and absurdity is the golden rule.” she says.
Pallone worked at the original Olde Bank Theater and says she is eager to be part of the new venture. “Just knowing that we have so much local talent is exhilarating,” she says.
There was a special magic about the Olde Bank Theatre, adds Laura Hoffman of Buffalo Township, who is in two of the plays, including portraying Bertie, the phone operator for both a suicide hot line and catalog company.
“I am very optimistic about the New Olde Bank Theatre. It’s in a great location, and once people see the talent that is behind these walls, they will keep coming back,” she says. “We built a following in Natrona. I think we can do it again in Verona.”
Rex Rutkoski can be reached at rrutkoski@tribweb.com or 724-226-4664.
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