By Claire Walla

Tom Demenkoff would never say he was a therapist. And most people would never assume he was.

Demenkoff kick-started his theater career in the off-Broadway production of Godspell in 1971, and spent the next 40 years acting in television shows and regional theater productions, simultaneously teaching in university theater programs throughout New York State.

But for the residents of Phoenix House, a halfway home for young men 15 to 20-years-old in Wainscott, Demenkoff’s presence certainly may seem therapeutic.

Through the PossibleArts Theatre Project (which he founded a few years ago) and with support from the Artists Writers Softball Game, Demenkoff spent the last eight weeks introducing a group of roughly 15 Phoenix House residents, all adolescents struggling with issues of substance abuse, to the art of playwriting and theater production.

The boys ultimately completed 32 original plays. Some are only a page, and some are up to five pages long; but all of them, Demenkoff said, reflect an honest range of emotions.

“I clearly see how the arts are a vital compliment to education,” Demenkoff explained. “These guys [at Phoenix House] have either been passed over, or have missed something, so a part of their lives is lost.”

Theater give the boys the opportunity to let loose and tap into pent up or oft ignored emotions, Dememkoff said.

“We’re always trying to expose the kids to something that may spark an interest in them,” added Phoenix House Director Dan Boylan. And in the past eight weeks, he added, “Some fo the boys have really come out of theis shells.”

Boylan said he hopes to bring the theater program to Phoenix House regularly, at least on an annual basis.

When the program began, Demenkoff said he pretty much started from scratch—the majority of the boys had never had any theater experience.

Demenkoff started teaching simple acting exercises to get the residents to tap into vocal, physical and emotional abilities. These are skills actors are accustomed to tapping into all the time, he added, though many of the boys at Phoenix House had to learn these techniques. Then, to make the program more relevant for the residents, Demenkoff customized the course.

“I mean, I could go in there and just do theater,” he said. “But, I’ve decided that I need to connect to the whole fabric of the facility, so that when I go in I deliver something that’s a compliment to their work.”

Before the course began, Demenkoff met with Phoenix House staff members to discuss what some of the more pervasive themes were for the boys there, what made them mad or upset.

“A lot of times these guys feel that the challenge is that they don’t have any say, either to carry on a relationship, or within the world at large,” Demenkoff explained. “They feel like stuff has sort of passed them by.”

So, with this in mind, Demenkoff began to focus their work mid-way through the program on a specific theme: “If it was up to me.”

“As simple as that sounds, the minute you start introducing something like that, there’s an explosion of thoughts,” he began. By having a way for the participants to focus their creative energy, he said, “that’s when thing start to click, and that’s when things get written.”

Of course, he added, the process is not the same for everyone involved.

“I definitely understand that these guys are in a recovery program, and they’re dealing with certain issues,” he said. “So, to have this crazy guy come in [with a program] that’s very physical and very vocal — it’s a pretty loose frame-work — it can be mind blowing.”

There are always some people who are reluctant to actively participate, he noted. And while every participant produced written work, Dememkoff said only eight of the boys will be acting in plays this Saturday.

However, he added, the program is still beneficial for all those involved.

“They work out their aggression and their fears through their written work,” he said. “Their plays really reflect their journeys.”

Demenkoff pointed to one of the boy’s plays as an example. Written in the form of a fairytale, the play is about a research scientist who travels to a volcano where he finds a troll. The troll, the research scientist discovers, is terrified of living in the volcano. The heat makes living there very uncomfortable. So, to help, the research scientist invents climate control.

In reaction to the play, Demenkoff said one of the kids exclaimed: “That’s sort of like being here at Phoenix House.”

“It’s true,” he added. “On the outside, recovery looks like a volcano. But, on the inside, it can be climate controlled.”

Eight original works created by the residents of Phoenix House will be performed this Saturday, February 25 at 12 p.m. at the Phoenix House East Hampton Academy.

By Annette Hinkle

There’s been a lot of talk in the news recently about the interests of Main Street versus Wall Street. Specifically, conversations have focused on how the machinations and philosophies of big financial firms don’t always translate to those of small town America.

But what about when they do? What happens when the edges of Main Street and Wall Street blur?

This week, Center Stage at Southampton Cultural Center explores that very issue when the theatrical group opens a production of “Other People’s Money (The Ultimate Seduction)” a play written by Jerry Sterner, who in fact worked on Wall Street for many years.  “Other People’s Money” opened Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater in New York in 1989 and enjoyed a nearly two year run. The script is one that has long intrigued Center Stage director Michael Disher, and though it was written more than 20 years ago, he finds the questions it poses are still relevant today — perhaps even more so given the financial debacles and scandals that have plagued so many Americans who put their faith (and cash) into the system.

But in this script, notes Disher, the bad guy isn’t necessarily who you expect it to be — and in fact, there may not be a bad guy at all.

Much of the action in “Other People’s Money” takes place in a small un-named town in Rhode Island, in the offices of New England Wire and Cable. The firm is run by Andrew “Jorgy” Jorgenson, the ancestor of the company’s founder, and it is a major employer in town.

“It’s an 81 year old company and it’s not doing very well,” explains Disher. “The stock, over the course of years, has plummeted from $60 to $10 a share. With the help of a new manager, they have diversified and other areas are very strong. It’s just the mother company drags it all down.”

Enter corporate raider Lawrence Garfinkle, a.k.a. “Larry the Liquidator,” a Wall Street renegade who sees a great opportunity to buy the stock low, jack it up and then sell it, thereby crushing the company, which would be extremely helpful to the stock holders.

“Then moral and ethical issues arise,” says Disher. “If New England Wire and Cable is crushed, there are 1,200 people who would lose their jobs.” says Disher.

In an attempt to thwart the hostile takeover, Jorgy hires Kate, a young and attractive lawyer who goes head to head with Garfinkle in the battle over the company’s future. While at first glance, most people would be tempted to paint Larry Garfinkle as the bad guy in this play, Disher says he cannot. In fact, everything Garfinkle is doing is perfectly legal and he simply has one group of interests at stake — the stockholders — who stand to profit if he is successful.

“Most are long term stockholders – 30 to 40 years – and now the stock has gone from $10 to $20 in a matter of months,” explains Disher.

At the other end of the continuum is Jorgenson, who owns 25 percent of the stock but stands to lose his company if Garfinkle is successful.

“Jorgenson’s also worried about the more human aspect of it — of local people about to lose their jobs,” says Disher. “But is it less human for stockholders to lose their money?”

And like all thought provoking scripts, in the middle lie very subtle shades of gray that complicate the moral spectrum. Among them is an employee at a local bank who is hedging his bet by buying up more and more of the stock. He’s a stake holder with interests in Wall Street, but very deep roots in the community.

“Everything is generated by people’s need for power. Once you add that piece to the recipe, it gets very interesting,” says Disher. “It’s not a question of who’s right or wrong, but who’s more right or less wrong. There’s no definitive good guy or bad guy. No one is a saint.”

The play also poses the question to audiences of “What would you do?”  Even the actors in this production can’t agree on which side holds higher moral ground, which Disher explains has made for interesting conversations between them in the weeks leading up to opening night.

“The rehearsal process has been fraught with debate,” says Disher. “Which is great. Nothing is conclusive. It’s more an issue of how does this guy or woman play out this journey?”

“The actors have dedicated a great deal of time, energy and perseverance to this play. They recognize it’s a great script,” he adds. “You have this enmeshment component and five characters with different and varied vested interests. Everyone’s very much out for themselves. From an audience’s standpoint, I like that you can look at all the characters and can’t criticize or justify it.”

For Disher, this is probably the most thought provoking piece he’s directed since “Doubt,” the John Patrick Shanley play in which a nun suspects a priest of sexually abusing a student in the Catholic school where they both work. That play was made into a highly acclaimed movie in 2008 starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep. While the subject matter of “Other People’s Money” may be very different, complex moral issues still abound.

“Garfinkle at the end of Act I considers himself a modern day Robin Hood,” says Disher. “He doesn’t believe what he’s doing is wrong. He’s taking care of people who had the foresight and the promise and earnestness to take their hard earned money and invest in what they felt was worth investing in.”

“Ultimately the vote is left to the stockholders … and I won’t tell you how it goes,” says Disher. “Sterner did a masterful job with this play. It’s clever, smart, funny insightful, and above all thought provoking. I really hope people leave the show debating.”

Center Stage’s production of “Other People’s Money (The Ultimate Seduction)” opens Friday, January 21. Shows are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m. through February 6. General admission is $22 ($20 seniors/$10 students). Southampton Cultural Center is at 25 Pond Lane, Southampton. Call 287-4377 to reserve.

When Guild Hall opened its doors in 1931, it was the crown jewel of art and culture in East Hampton. Through the years, the facility’s prestige grew as did its collection of work by renowned artists of the East End. Guild Hall also developed a reputation as a prime venue for entertainment with many a big name of the day gracing the stage of the John Drew Theater.
But by the end of the 20th century, cutting edge 1930s technology was just not cutting it anymore. There were lighting and storage issues in the art galleries, while problematic temperature and humidity control seriously hampered the curator’s ability to secure art loans from other museums.
In the theater, an uneven and noisy heating and air conditioning system and aging seats made it tough for audiences to comfortably hear what was happening on stage. Behind the scenes, the dated lighting, sound and rigging systems posed a challenge to crew members while dressing rooms and limited facilities taxed performers.
It was clear, a make-over was in order.
“At first we thought, ‘We’ll just renovate,’” said Ruth Appelhof, Guild Hall’s executive director. “Then we realized it was a huge undertaking.”
Ask any homeowner — renovation projects are never easy to live through and for the last few years, the staff of Guild Hall has been dealing with renovation on a massive scale.
Guild Hall came up with a capital campaign goal of $15.1 million for the project — $12.5 million has been raised to date — and, working with Robert A.M. Stern Architects, designed an ambitious four phase renovation plan for the 22,675 square foot structure. Because Guild Hall is in the historic village of East Hampton, the architects were required to work within the footprint of the original building. It was also determined that throughout the whole process, Guild Hall would continue to offer programming for the community.
“We never closed in four and a half years of renovation,” said Appelhof.
Phases I and II of the project focused on the museum’s three galleries — the Woodhouse, Moran and Spiga — totaling 2,875 square feet. That renovation was completed in 2004. Phase III of the project, which was completed in 2006, encompassed 7,000 square feet and included new administrative offices and an education center.
But by far, the most ambitious part of the project was the 12,800 square foot renovation of Phase IV, which included a complete overhaul of the John Drew Theater and all its systems, as well as a redesign of the lobby area and museum shop.
Though the official re-opening celebration for Guild Hall is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, last Friday, Appelhof led a sneak-peak tour of the newly refurbished facility, along with the John Drew Theater’s artistic director Josh Gladstone, and Randy Correll from Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
“The challenges were the footprint,” explained Correll. “Lots of programs go on here. There’s always activity in the theater, as well as art shows and educational programs. The galleries are on either end with the theater on the third side and there are overlapping events.”
“We tweaked the circulation to make it work better,” he added. “We enlarged the lobby. We also stripped the theater down to the walls and put it back the way it was.”
Without a doubt the highlight of the massive renovation is indeed the newly refurbished John Drew Theater, and when walking into the space for the first time, audiences will probably be struck by how much the renovation resembles the original.
“Guild Hall was built in 1931, and the goal was to retain much of the charm — especially in the theater,” explained Correll.
Back are the painted circus tent stripes on the ceiling, as is the period wallpaper — but both have been entirely recreated and now meet code for safety and fire standards. Overhead, visitors will still see the famous balloon chandelier that has long been the centerpiece of the theater.
“It’s been entirely remade,” said Correll. “The old one was put together with tin foil, wire and bubble gum.”
Another improvement is the winch which lowers the new chandelier when its time for a light bulb change. It’s a feature the original didn’t boast.
“I loved being a part of the heritage and bringing it back to life,” said Correll
But the real beauty of the new theater lies in what cannot be seen when first walking into the space before a show. These are improvements that can be felt in the new seating and a much improved HVAC system, heard through the state of the art sound system, and seen on stage in the form of totally upgraded lighting, film equipment and rigging mechanisms.
“Getting connections through a historic building and finding space to run systems is a challenge,” admitted Correll. “In theaters, air conditioning needs to run at a low velocity for the sound, so you need big ducts so it doesn’t make noise. We found trenches — steam pipes — along the sides of the building to use.”
The John Drew Theater’s technical director is Todd Goldblatt, and on Friday, he offered a demonstration of just what the new lighting, sound and projection equipment can do. When played through the theater’s new surround-sound system, an action packed clip from the movie “Hulk” made the whole room rumble.
“It wasn’t just the architects,” said Goldblatt. “We had world class consultants working with us on this renovation. The octagonal shape of the theater and the slope of the ceiling made it an acoustic challenge. We wanted the best to help us.”
“All the systems are integrated,” he added. “Coordinating was hard, but we worked together to get it done.”
On the basement level, the architects were able to dig deeper and accommodate new dressing rooms, a laundry area and storage facilities for costumes, props and the massive amounts of audio and lighting equipment the theater now boasts. A new star dressing room suite was added just off stage right — complete with its own restroom and shower.
This is all great news to Gladstone who, for the past two years, has presented all the theater’s productions “on the road” at assorted venues throughout the East End in order to accommodate the renovation. He’s looking forward to returning home and putting the much improved John Drew Theater to good use.
“We’re very excited to re-open,” said Gladstone. “We have a greatly enhanced stage and can and do more than we ever did before. The first three rows of seats are removable. In terms of dance, there’s a spring floor now, which dancers prefer. Overall, the caliber of acoustics will attract a higher level of performer and they’ll be inclined to come back.”
The grand re-opening weekend for Guild Hall kicks off on Friday, May 22 with Alec Baldwin hosting a Hamptons International Film Festival screening of “The Cove,” which won the 2009 Audience Award for best documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.
The grand re-opening gala comes Saturday, May 23, when the stage of the John Drew Theater is christened by Liza Minnelli (fresh from Broadway) presenting “An Intimidate Evening with Liza” accompanied by Billy Stritch. Sunday, May 24 is the community’s day to come to Guild Hall for a day full of live music by local bands, ribbon cuttings, free admission to the museum’s Artist Members Exhibition, art workshops for children and refreshments in the refurbished gardens. A full slate of offerings follows throughout the summer, from classic foreign films from the Janus Collection, American Musical Theater Salutes, spoken word events with renowned authors, kids performances, music and more.
Though the big stars initiate the stage in late May, the John Drew Theater is already open for business. A Naked Stage play reading marathon will be offered the weekend of April 24 and from April 17 to 19, the Hampton Ballet Theatre School present their spring ballet production of “The Littlest Mermaid.” The Springs Community Theater will also be presenting a production this spring.
In the Guild Hall galleries, the 71st annual Artist Members Exhibition opens April 25 and runs through May 30. A show featuring the work of Grace Hartigan and Taryn Simon follows in June and in August, “The Art of Fashion in the Hamptons” an exhibit featuring the work of nine famous fashion designers with an affiliation with Long Island will be featured.
Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street, East Hampton. For more information about the upcoming season, call 324-0806.