Production History:
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May 2009 by Mark Medoff Directed by Ric Sehrest The Spoon Theater 38 West 38th Street, 5th Floor, New York City Stage Managed and Sound Designed by Jeanne Travis Set Designed by Jack and Rebecca Cunningham Costumes Designed by Kathryn Squitieri Lighting Designed by Kerrie Lovercheck Properties by Heather Cunningham Property Packaging Designed by Ben Philipp Properties Design Assistance by Kristina Squitieri Featuring: David Blais, Heather E. Cunningham, Dave T. Koenig, Casandera M. J. Lollar, Christopher Patrick Mullen*, Ben Schnickel, Matilda Szydagis*, and Richard Waddingham* *appeared courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. "Mark Medoff’s Red Ryder, at the jewel box Spoon Theater produced by Retro Productions, must be one of the best new productions, and it is done on a shoestring. Hell it might be done on a recycled shoestring. However to regard the painterly set ( by Jack and Rebecca Cunningham) with throw-back signs for ten-cent coffee or longing western movie posters, you would never know it was mounted on a budget...There are eight remarkable actors all operating as an ensemble with not one tone, one voice, one stray movement. And this is a tough, rough, gruff often-difficult play... A cast list must begin with Christopher Mullen as Teddy, a Vietnam vet and drug dealer, who might become a big bright star and you will want to say you smelled his sweat and recoiled from his heavy pistol not a foot from your face...He has a sweet, extra-hippie type girl friend, Casandera Lollar who although she barely has ten lines, she presnts a character so fully realized that every time she sucks on the meticulously braided hair, or puts herself into the back light to show us her breasts illuminated in a peasant blouse, often referenced, she is lighting up the stage. There there is the sweet crippled gas station owner Richard Waddingham, whose physical acting and empathy are pitch perfect... But the tragic star who attempts to be joyful and helpful, but ends the play weeping while consoling herself wiht one of the worst looking donuts ever seen, is Angel the chunky waitress, played by Heather E. Cunningham. We need a sidebar to inform you that Heather Cunningham is the founder and artistic director of Retro Productions, and often this kind of casting can seem like vanity, but not here. Heather's veneer of joy is outsized, but the terrible teasing and abuse she absorbs from nearly every character, and hence from the world at large is palpable... The ensemble is given movement and life by the skillful direction of Ric Sechrest... The company is held together with grit and twine and loads of talent and this play is a perfect recession buster: the tickets are 18 bucks with five dollar student rush at the door and the play and the small company that mounted it stand to remind us that tough times come and it is through looking not hiding that we will move forward. " - Wickham Boyle, theaterscene.net "Utterly engrossing …The costumes tell a silent story, perfectly matched to the plot… I was knocked out by the work [director] Sechrest did… Honestly, the bravest thing he did was to trust us and the space… There are a lot of people being acted upon in this play, and it would be very easy for the piece to become passive, but everyone has a reason for everything they do, all the time. You can watch the ancillary characters and see an entire play unfolding… I probably don't need to say much about the set because it is clearly a standout among theaters of this size. It was incredibly articulate, perfectly functional and honestly, one of the best I've seen in an off-off house… I particularly like that, behind the flats, waaaay upstage, you can see the diner sign, barely illuminated, backwards… I probably don't need to say much about Christopher Patrick Mullen. He is terrifying, nauseating and trippingly crackling, like a blowtorch in the wrong hands. And a blowtorch is actually the perfect description, because he underplays so much of the show, letting the lines be the lines, letting the AUDIENCE do a lot of the work. Mullen knows that we desperately want the character to go away, and so he controls Teddy, he lets him swerve back into line just to give us a breather. It's a master class in how to turn a set-chewing character into something at least a little human... David Blais as Richard, Dave T. Koenig as Clark, and Richard Waddingham as Lyle all do great work... Casandera M. J. Lollar also crafts an active but understated character in Cheryl... Ben Schnickel as Stephen... did fine work and it's an extremely difficult part... Just a word on Heather Cunnigham... She is a gut punch of an actor. Completely without concern for herself when she's in character, utterly subsumed by the demands of the script... her character is humiliated a hundred different ways... the fact is, Cunningham's character Angel becomes the person we identify with. She is who we would be, if we were in the play. It is a marvelous night of theater." - seanrants.com "The brilliant set design by Jack and Rebecca Cunningham...
other fine attention to detail included a fully-functioning kitchen
where hostess Angel heated up coffee and fried up some steak and eggs
that her patrons then consumed, a clock that was set correctly to the
time within the play and a lighted juke box that was turned on and off
at key moments... Christopher Patrick Mullen
steals the show as the ringmaster Teddy. He couldn't gone for
cheap thrills by simply playing to extremes, but he adds in nuance by
allowing for moments of softness and sadness, even shifting out of his
accent when he's ready to break with any pretense that he might still
be a nice guy after all... Other stand-outs include Heather E. Cunningham
as Angel. She works so hard to please everyone else, letting all
others lay into her as she tries to roll with the punches. As the
situation gets more volatile, her defenses gradually crumble as she
loses the ability to cope... Also Dave T. Koenig
did an excellent job as Clark, the diner's owner. It's entertaining to
watch him take charge and walk over all the other characters... "Retro Productions inspired me on a myriad of levels when I sat down in my seat at the Spoon Theatre to see Mark Medoff's When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? To begin with, you are immediately taken in by the gorgeous set - by design team Jack and Rebecca Cunningham, who have taken this small space and turned it into a tired late 60s diner in New Mexico. From the little bar with stools, to the checkered and worn out floor; the painted windows that had the illusion of the world outside (and the diner's name backwards as if reading from outside would have a perfect picture). There were painted shelves with plates and saucers and ketchup bottles - but so well that I couldn't tell the difference except after close scrutiny; they created the perfect illusion. The inspiration went beyond their fabulous set, complete with an old lit Jukebox that plays some of the best country hits from that time; I was inspired to see a theatre company make it its mission to do revivals of plays that are incredibly important pieces of work; it's refreshing to see a company not only revive - but rather successfully do so at that - a play like Mark Medoff's 1973 psychological thrilling piece... Most of the piece is wonderfully written, but it takes actors really dealing with each other and not falling into contrived behaviour to keep a full life going at all times... Waddingham's work was wonderful. From his physicality of paralysis and ability to use the crutch, to his dealing with his fellow actors on stage and moments where I saw him trying to really talk to people - be it Teddy or Angesl or Red, Waddingham's portrayal of Lyle was truly enjoyable. He gave a breath of life to a small-town character that kept me interested. Mullen was exceptional as Teddy. It would have been very easy to just play his character as a one-dimensional sociopath. Mullen's embodiment of Teddy had so many colors and levels to his work that there was never a moment when you knew what he was going to do... I applaud Retro Productions for putting together a performance that had me riveted throughout much of the piece, and for simply breathing life in to a play that should have been done much, much sooner. It runs through the 23rd, and I suggest people attend - for it's not often you get to see revivals like this and have them be entertaining, well-acted, and visually pleasing overall." - Dianna Martin, The Fab Marquee "First evident... is how splendidly set designers Jack and Rebecca Cunningham have created Foster's Diner, the setting of Mark Medoff's play When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? It's a sad, greasy outpost of culinary refuse, a relic of hip 1950s-style eating that was anachronistic by the end of the 1960s, when [Red Ryder] takes place... Still, sepia hues are not the way Red Ryder drives drama... It's a play about the rich core of fear; how the simple folk who symbolize America's goodness are so easily made vulnerable by the guileful and crafty. Ric Sechrest's production puts all of this across wonderfully." - Leonard Jacobs, Back Stage |
  Pictured: Casandera M. J. Lollar, Christopher Patrick Mullen. Photo by Kristen Vaughan.  Pictured: Matilda Szydagis, David Blais. Photo by Kristen Vaughan.  Pictured: Ben Schnickel, Richard Waddingham. Photo by Kristen Vaughan.  Pictured: Christopher Patrick Mullen, Heather E. Cunningham. Photo by Kristen Vaughan.  Pictured: Dave T. Koenig, Ben Schnickel. Photo by Kristen Vaughan.  Pictured: Ben Schnickel, Heather E. Cunningham. Photo by Kristen Vaughan. |
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November 2008 by Max Shulman and Robert Paul Smith Directed by David Storck The Spoon Theater 38 West 38th Street, 5th Floor, New York City Production Stage Managed by Jeanne Travis Stage Managed by Daniel Mirsky Set Designed by Jack and Rebecca Cunningham Costumes Designed by Ben Philipp Lighting Designed by Kerrie Lovercheck Sound Designed by Bobby McGinnis Properties by Heather Cunningham Featuring: C. K. Allen, Heather E. Cunningham, Matilda Downey*, Alex Herrald, Jim Kilkenny, Casandera M. J. Lollar, Elise Rovinsky and Ric Sechrest* *appeared courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. "Retro Productions' The Tender Trap is an act of theatrical time travel...what a fascinating landscape awaits you. True to their mission, this Retro production does not try to interpret the play for the twenty-first century, but imbues the entire evening with the sounds, sights and attitudes of the 1950s. The sounds, designed by Bobby McGinnis, consist of luscious renditions of popular songs with something to say about love and the pursuit of it. The sights include burightly colored clothes by Ben Philipp that ably depict character and era and a truly phenomenal set. Designed by Jack and Rebecca Cunningham, this detailed rendition of a 50s bachelor apartment not only incites farcical stage movement and defines the character of its inhabitant, but it's a harmonious decor doo-wop. C. K. Allen, as a jazz musician friend of Sylvia's, has quite possibly the funniest five minutes on any stage in New York. Ms. Lollar appears to have a Lucille Ball hidden inside her ingenue, while Ms. Rovinsky's wit and timing drive the screwball comedy. The Tender Trap is a hilarious evening, one from 1954." - Peyton Wise, the Fab Marquee "As Charlie, Sechrest doesn't possess Sinatra's playful sex appeal, and instead chooses to play up his boyish lack of self-awareness and consequent relatability - his harmless immaturity, in fact, recalls a modern Judd Apatow hero. Kilkenny, meanwhile, emphasizes Joe's preference for sarcasm and his lived wisdom. The contrast between the characters is effective: banter between Charlie and Joe makes up some of the play's most entertaining moments, as we can easily imagine a shared history between the two best friends. Sechrest and Kilkenny even manage to make dated lines like "holy mackerel" sound effortless and convincing. It's the women, however, who add unexpected depth to the production. Casandera Lollar is charming as Julie Gillis, a woman in her early 20s who is eagerly laying out her future as a housewife. Lollar successfully channels an element of wit into a role that could just as easily have descended into clichè. As Sylvia, Elise Rovinsky displays mature beauty through her controlled gestures and a dancers posture. Charlie helplessly bosses her around like his other conquests, but she appears to be in on the joke. Having some of the productions most memorable lines works in Rovinsky's favor as well: a monologue in which she reveals her fears about being single at 33 is a jarring moment in an otherwise lighthearted work. The quality of its performances is, without a doubt, what makes The Tender Trap memorable. In addition to the strong lead performances, supporting players like Alex Herrald as erratic scientist Earl Lindquist help establish the production as a powerful display of New York's dramatic talent... its convincing performances extract real intelligence from its bubbly dialogue." - Laura Palotie, offoffonline "Retro Production's revival of Max Shulman and Robert Paul Smith's neatly constructed and still surprising 1950s relationship-comedy The Tender Trap is a vivid and highly entertaining blast from the Atomic Age. Retro smartly presents the play straight up with gentle slapstick and rampant sexism in tact. Director David Storck allows the attitudes of the day to resonate and it's a good thing because what seems on the surface a trivial and often hilarious doors-opening-and-closing farce warms into a disarming vehicle for human observation... The Tender Trap introduces us to New York eligible bachelor Charlie Reader (played by likeable and lithe Ric Secrest), an unassuming yet formidable playboy who has got so many attractive ladies filling up his social calendar he practically needs a full time secretary to juggle them. He explains the secret to his Midwestern boyhood pal Joe McCall (played by hilarious and touching Jim Kilkenny), an underappreciated and over-burdened husband and father of three, that life can be idyllic if a guy doesn't fall into the trap of making long term plans with any one girl... Caught in this conundrum is a glamorous and sophisticated violinist, Miss Sylvia Crewes (played by a charming and charismatic Elise Rovinsky), who by accident of years and experience most knowingly puts up with Charlie's crap. She believes she sees the honorable man inside the wolf, but even if it's all wishful thinking, is held hostage to his ethos of fun and romance. Her cometition: Poppy Matson (played by comic sparkplug Matilda Downey), Jessica Collins (a perfect Heather E. Cunningham) and Julie Gillis (disarmingly forthright Casandera M. J. Lollar) round out Charlie's little black book and keep the evening sparkling and laughpacked... Stepping into the Spoon Theater is going back to pre-Mayor Lindsay New York City, thanks to brilliant set design by Jack and Rebecca Cunningham. They make a very small stage feel expansive and luxurious. Retro Productions is more and more becoming a reliable source of first class work as they deepen and improve with each show. A tight ensemble of actors on a gorgeous set in beautiful period costumes (thanks to Ben Philipp) make The Tender Trap of the past live vividly in this Information Age." - Jon Reuning, United Stages Click here for More Photos |
  Pictured: Ric Sechrest and Casandera Lollar. Photo by Kristen Vaughan.  Pictured: Jim Kilkenny and Elise Rovinsky. Photo by Kristen Vaughan.  Pictured: Ric Sechrest and Jim Kilkenny. Photo by Kristen Vaughan.  Pictured: Casandera M. J. Lollar, Jim Kilkenny, and Elise Rovinsky. Photo by Kristen Vaughan. |
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| May 2008
Directed by Angela Astle Stage Managed by Larry Pease Featuring: Mark Armstrong, Lauren Kelston, Mike
Mihm, Kristen Vaughan "Retro Productions does a fine job of bringing small town America to life.... There are many things working in their favor. The entire cast is solid, with standout performances by Mark Armstrong as Bo and Kristen Vaughan as his alcoholic, long suffering wife Sunny. The set design by Jack and Rebecca Cunningham uses the space efficiently with a keen eye for detail, and Kathryn Squitieri's costumes evoke the era perfectly... I felt pulled into the story by the talent of the cast... Kudos to Lauren Kelston for walking such a fine line with a very difficult part." - Peter Schuyler, nytheatre.com "A lyrical chorus of three widows aids the time shifts, as does the sound design by Amy Altadonna, which includes realistic hospital noises. [Kelston] brings affecting emotional power. Armstrong conveys just the right amount of likeability and helplessness as a company man whose loyalties are shifting. Vaughan's Sunny is particularly strong as she alternates between tipsy anger and pleading wifeliness. Jim Kilkenny gives a quiet and compelling portrayal as both a minister and an OSHA investigator. Kathryn Squitieri's costumes and Heather E. Cunningham's props are evocative, down to the black square frames on Kilkenny's eyeglasses. Director Angela Astle keeps the play moving to a point of catharsis." - Gwen Orel, Backstage "Astle has a keen eye for casting, as all the actors were refreshingly powerful and astute in their portrayals. Lauren Kelston as Marlene attacks the play with strength and zest; Mark Armstrong delivered a still virtue to his character and graced all situations with momentum and honesty. High praises to Kristen Vaughan, who handled Sunny’s alcoholism with compassion, and showed us the many layers of loneliness while alongside others. Jack and Rebecca Cunningham did an exquisite job at turning the Spoon Theatre into an appropriate 70’s setting. The costumes by Kathryn Squitieri also gave this world the finished effect of a “retro production.”" - Antonio Miniňo, The Fab Marquee New York Magazine "Off-off Broadway Pick" May 19, 2008 Nominated for 5 2008 New York Innovative Theater Awards. |
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| November 2007
Directed by Ric Sechrest Featuring: Lauren Coppola, Heather E. Cunningham, Lauren
Kelston, "The Retro Company's production WHAT I DID LAST SUMMER, a play of mine last seen in New York twenty-five years ago, turned out to be first-rate: brisk, sweet and occasionally quite moving, if I say so myself." A. R. GURNEY, playwright, What I Did Last Summer Nominated for a 2008 New York Innovative Theater Award for Costume Design. |
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| February/March 2007
Directed by Ric Sechrest Set and Graphics by Jack and Rebecca Cunningham Starring: Heather E. Cunningham, Erik Potempa, and Kristen Vaughan.
"As the deeply dissatisfied estranged wife of a
Vietnam vet in Retro Productions' presentation of Emily Mann's play,
Heather E. Cunningham burst with working-class outrage and
resentment yet made you care for this lost soul without begging for
sympathy. And in an evening of three monologues, she played off the
other two actors, never showily but always eloquently. " - Marc
Miller,
"The pains of readjustment
are sharply rendered in Still Life, which might be described as
an emotional strip-tease in triplicate... Still Life lives
up to its title: three talking heads, two tables, and virtually no
action. Yet the talk is compelling... Potempa's Mark... he has
the working-class accent and the angst right... Cunningham
and Vaughan are marvels, both subtly defying expectations about
their characters' roles in Mark's life. Even in repose, and there's a
lot of it, each stays in character, forcing us to confront Cheryl's
bitterness and Nadine's complicated earth-mother makeup even when
they're not front and center. Director Ric Sechrest smartly
varies the rhythms of the characters' delivery, making them sound
spontaneous as they ponder a bleak, nearly hopeless landscape." -
Marc Miller,
"This is a superb production of the play. I have stopped going to see productions of STILL LIFE because the ones I saw (save for the ones in Europe) rarely captured the devastating power of the original. Your production got it. It was also thrilling to see it in a tiny space. You made magic in the 78th Street Theater Lab. Every aspect of the experience was first rate. Retro is clearly a company dedicated to creating impeccable work that truly matters." - EMILY MANN, playwright, Still Life |
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| March 2006
(as River Heights Productions)
Directed by Megan R. Wills
Sets, Costumes and Properties by Viviane Galloway Starring: Elizabeth Burke, Heather E. Cunningham, David DiLoretto, Matilda Szydagis, Jim Kilkenny, India McDonald, and Kristen Vaughan. "This meticulously presented, charming, emotionally affecting play by Doris Baizley is based on a mid-1950s competition to find the best housewife in California... River Heights Productions, a small, fairly new company whose work I did not previously know, does a very impressive job turning the script into theatre. Director Megan R. Wills allows her actors to create characters with great style and flair but without indulging their excesses... Dave DiLoreto and Jim Kilkenny, as men who happen to be involved in the contest, are just right... Viviane Galloway's set is pretty: a series of ovens and stoves carefully and lovingly prepared, like the production itself. " - Michael Lazan, Backstage "Kristen Vaughan, Matilda Szydagis and India Myone McDonald, are terrific as the other contestants, as they manage to portray both their doll-like exteriors as well as their own private struggles... Mrs. California is a valiant effort with a lot of heart, and River Heights Productions should be praised for being the first company to bring this marvelous play to New York City. The play is remarkably adept at showing how women have been fighting to be treated as individuals for generations, and how “femininity” (and perhaps “feminism”) is an ever-changing concept. It also highlights a very important message—that behind every great woman is another great woman who is her friend." - Josephine Cashman, www.nytheatre.com (NYTheatre gave us a star! Starred shows are considered to be noteworthy or of special interest by NYTE's editor.) "The play is strongest when we catch a glimpse of the complex personalities that lie beneath the judge-charming caricatures these women have created for themselves. Cunningham believably fleshes out Dot's seemingly mindless character through the slow revealing of hidden facets you wouldn't have guessed she possessed. A climactic speech about her "proudest moment" is stirring and strong, especially in the stunned moment when she trembles with the realization that her mother, aunts, and grandmother fought for equality, and here she stands, a competent woman who saved hundreds of soldiers' lives, struggling to earn respect by ironing a shirt. Within her lies a fiery, determined spirit that has been too easily and thoroughly suppressed." - Adrienne Cea, www.offoffonline.com [Pick of the Week, March 24th, 2006] "Retro’s production of Mrs. California was a real treat for me. The high-spirited team of actors, inventive use of the space, and attention to every detail brought the play to life in so many surprising ways, I forgot I’d written it and just sat back and enjoyed it. Retro’s skillful dedication to work by women playwrights makes me proud to be one." - DORIS BAIZLEY, playwright, Mrs. California |
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| March 2005
(as River Heights Productions)
Directed by Felicia Lipchik Starring: Elizabeth Burke, Blaine Cook, Heather E. Cunningham, and Kimberly Greene. "Catholic School Girls invites you to join the growing pains of four girls attending Grade School in the 1960s... The play has great insight into the tumultuous and confusing times that were the 1960s told through the eyes of the young girls... There's Colleen, an outspoken troublemaker, played with a vibrant energy by Elizabeth Burke. Ms. Burke brings a smooth banter and likeability to a character that could easily turn bratty... Heather E. Cunningham was a knock out as the timid misfit Maria Theresa Russo. Maria struggles with being one in a houseful of siblings, picked on by the nuns and her classmates and it all comes to a quiet and touching boiling point in a stirring monologue. Heather's quiet performance is not easily forgotten... [Blaine M. Cook] ... as the feeble minded Sister Mary Agnes that was too sweet to rap on retirement's door. This character had all sorts of delightful tics and physical jokes that showed Ms. Cook's natural talents... Probably the most fascinating and true to life character is Elizabeth McHugh played by Kimberly Greene... Kimberly's performance was tender and heartbreaking. Her poignant monologue as a 12 year old ending her relationship with God is easily the best moment of the play... Watching this play brought alive stories my mother had told me about attending Catholic School, and indeed how these experiences formed the generation that came before me. If this was RHP's goal, they certainly obtained it." - Akia Squitieri, Theatrescene.net "I was ecstatic when I saw the production of Catholic School Girls by Retro Productions. I don't usually attend productions of the play - however I was intrigued from the moment I saw the alluring, sexy poster. This innovative crew knows how to market and produce! In the middle of 42nd street all the angst and grace of 60's Catholic School Girls were on display via this intelligent, talented company of young actors. A play, I thought I knew so well was full of moments of delightful surprise." - CASEY KURTTI, playwright, Catholic School Girls |
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Performances
to Remember, 2007 
