Sunday Morning Michael Dale: Hey, Old Friend

Hey, old friend. Are you okay, old friend? What do you say, old friend?

While the pandemic isn't quite done yet, many New Yorkers who follow reasonable safety precautions have been enjoying an increased sense of normalcy by nabbing tix to our beloved Broadway shows, but like Sweeney Todd's right arm, I haven't thought of the Theatre District as being complete again until the reopening of that historic watering hole and bistro on 44th Street, Sardi's.

The site of countless opening night parties, some of which were also closing night parties, with walls lined with decade's worth of comical caricatures of older Broadway stars, and more flattering portraits of the newer breed, this has always been a favorite pre- and post-theatre destination for the Drama Department set.

While I usually settle at the upstairs bar, with its picture window views of excited denizens mobbing the Shubert and Broadhurst Theatres (I tip extra for the table beneath Reed Birney's likeness), I've also been known to bide my time a bit at the cozy street level bar at the entrance. And on those occasions, it wouldn't have been unusual to see the late, great John McMartin quietly sipping from a glass at his usual spot by the window (I'm told his drink of choice was ginger ale) before heading off to the theatre for an evening's work.

A veteran of 24 Broadway productions since his debut in 1961, McMartin survived four quick-closers before being cast as Gwen Verdon's neurotic suitor in the smash hit Sweet Charity. His next assignment in town was to originate the brooding Benjamin Stone in Follies, but with his sharp wit and elegant stride, he was just as likely to appear in a classic piece by Moliere, O'Neill, Feydeau or Congreve as in a rousing musical like Anything Goes.

Shortly after his passing in 2016, I noticed a plaque had been placed at his usual spot; "From here I watch the world go by" - Jack McMartin. At my first visit to Sardi's since March of 2020, I knew I wanted to snap a photo of it to share with you dear readers.

With most of it's neighboring theatres empty, Sardi's is keeping shortened hours at the moment, so call ahead. You just might catch me there, quietly watching my little slice of the world going by.

Broadway is spectacular, Theatre Row is inspiring, but...

...there's no theatre anywhere in New York like the kind you see on E. 4th Street between Bowery and Second Avenue. Trailblazed in 1969 by Ellen Stewart's La MaMa E.T.C., a company whose name is still synonymous with adventurous, experimental and opinionated Off-Off Broadway theatre, it's also where audiences have caught audacious pieces like Rent, Slave Play, Hadestown and What The Constitution Means to Me at New York Theatre Workshop before they moved uptown. Add in Paradise Factory, WOW Café Theater, The Duo Theater and other spaces that have come and gone and I've probably seen more performances in my 45 years of playgoing on this block than on any other.

Contributing highly to that statistic is Horse Trade Theater Company's Kraine Theater, a comfy 99-seater occupying an 1838 building where Emma Goldman used to gather with her anarchist pals plotting for a better future for the working class. No doubt she would have approved of the space's KGB Bar, featuring a lineup of Russian beers with names I fear I'll never be able to pronounce properly.

And I'll bet she'd also get a huge kick out of Paper Kraine, a series of one-night shows presenting a variety of short performance pieces curated by producers Lizzy Ana Lincoln, Brittany Crowell, Dani Turner and Paul Purvine.

Proving the theory that political controversy can inspire wonderful art, Paper Kraine took root during the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election and, as explained by Lincoln, who was very funny and energetic as host of this past week's edition, much of what followed in the next four years was the result of a determination to combat oppression through creativity.

All the elements are there to add up to a terrific night out. Tickets are modestly priced (the suggested donation is $10), proceeds go to a worthy cause (Wednesday night's edition benefitted NYC Health + Hospitals), and artists are encouraged to take risks in front of an audience encouraged to be supportive and open-minded.

This first-timer witnessed a thoughtful mix of comedy and social commentary. Adin Lenahan's monologue Disney Adult (directed by Caroline Kittredge Faustine) deals with an issue I wasn't aware of; grown-ups who find themselves bullied and mocked for fanatically expressing their love of Disney through social media posts. Allison Fradkin's Lesbian Lipstick (performed by Aleigha Spinks and directed by Amanda Xeller) is sort of an infomercial spoof touting a niche line of beauty products.

There were two strip-tease pieces using symbolism to make a point. In Reset, Amelia Bethel makes a grand, nearly nude entrance that is interrupted by a negative reaction from the audience. Momentarily startled, she resets and makes her entrance again, only to be interrupted by another act of humiliation. The pattern repeats and we see her reactions evolve from pride to anguish to confusion. In Untitled Feminist Period Piece (written and directed by Luz Lorenzana Twigg) Rebecca Vineyard strips out of an American flag during an accusatory monologue about a class of liberals she sees as selfishly sabotaging progressive movements.

A last minute sub after a cancellation, Lincoln read an essay she recently penned about how her childhood obsession with vintage radio and TV clown Jerry Colonna led to her habit of expressing herself comically when talking about her experiences being sexually abused; determined to be her therapist's most entertaining patient.

Audience members are encouraged to join the evening's artists at a nearby bar after the show, with the intention of providing feedback and perhaps even networking for future collaborations. I wasn't able to make the post-performance festivities this time, but I certainly intend to the next time I go. And I suspect there'll be many more next times.

Curtain Line...

"When you feel like they're ready to run you out of town, get in front of it and act like it's your parade." -- George C. Wolfe