WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey. Exclusive to the CitizeNetReporter April 27, 2006: WPCNR has learned there is more behind sketchy press reports that the Helen Hayes Theatre Company in Nyack has two theatre companies interested in resuming the theatre's operation in the fall.

Carolyn Rossi Copeland, (Top, center), Founding Artistic Director of  renowed Lamb's Theatre Company in New York with some of her cast, from her  now touring hit, Letters to God. Photo by Carol Rosegg, Courtesy The Lamb's Theatre.

One interested party is the renowned impresario, Carolyn Rossi Copeland who has run arguably, the most successful "community theatre" in Manhattan, the Lamb's Club Theatre, located on the third floor of the 1903 Sanford White-designed Lamb's Club mansion, now owned by the Church of the Nazarene in Manhattan. She is considering moving her entire operation to Nyack.

Ms. Copeland is founding and still Artistic Director of the Lamb's Theatre Company and  has produced  original critically acclaimed  and successful touring shows through her Lamb's Theatre  for 28 years without building a deficit.   The unique flare of Ms. Copeland could be coming to Nyack and Rockland-Westchester.  She told WPCNR today she has the backing of The Friends of the Nyacks, the theatre group being given the chance to "save" the Helen Hayes.

The other theater company, reportedly expressing interest is based in New York, but a Helen Hayes Theatre Company Trustee, Daniel Rodriguez was reported saying that theater chose not to be identified.

Lamb's Theatre Space Could be Razed.

Ms. Copeland told WPCNR she is interested in the Helen Hayes Theatre Company because she is losing her historic Lamb's Theatre space at 130 West 44th Street, her home, because "the option on the building is coming to a close in September so the people who have the option are going to be executing it, it looks like, in September. I do not know how they resolved the air rights with the landlord (Church of the Nazarene),  but as far as our theatre company, we are looking for a new home."

The owner of the building, The Church of the Nazarene had an agreement with the Hampshire Hotels and Resorts  chain to build a hotel within the confines of the building in 1999. According to  Reverend John Bowen, Pastor of the Church of the Nazarene, contacted by WPCNR today,  the Church signed an option agreement with Hampshire to build a hotel in the interior of the Lamb's Club building.

To date, Bowen said that has not been done, Bowen told WPCNR, the church is presently in discussions with the hotel. As part of any hotel construction, Bowen said Ms. Copeland's third floor theatre space, where members of the Lamb's Club staged productions a century ago, (featuring such performers as George M.Cohan, who first performed Over There in the theatre)  would be gutted.

Lamb's looking for a Home

Copeland told WPCNR in a telephone interview from her home, that she and her Board of Directors have yet to decide whether to leave New York City, or seek other space in New York for their Lamb's Theatre Company productions.

Asked if this was why Copeland is interested in running the Helen Hayes, she said "Yes, it was the original  interest was because we knew we'd be leaving and several of my Board members actually live in Nyack, (Marion Jacobs and Terry Heckert),  and they alerted me to it. We haven't really made a decision yet because moving out of the city is a very big deal. They were letting me know that they thought  the (Helen Hayes) Theatre was going to become available, and so I sent in a proposal. I've actually had one conversation so far with the new owners (Milbrook Acquisitions of Great Neck)."

Carolyn Rossi Copeland.

Photo by Carol Rosegg, Courtesy, The Lamb's Theatre Company.

Asked if those discussions concerned moving the  entire successful Lamb's Theatre operation up to Nyack, Ms. Copeland said, "That has been the conversation, Yes." The Lamb's most recent production was The God Committee last month.

The Copeland View.

WPCNR asked Ms. Copeland how she would involve the theatre with the Nyack community. "I think for the theatre to be successful in Nyack, it has to involve the community. The Lamb's Theatre would possibly be the managing partner with many other users, But we have not made the decision, so I have not spent a significant amount of time making a plan yet. I haven't negotiated any further than an initial conversation with the new owners. We had a very good conversation. There's a lot in play. Part of that is deciding whether we leave the city, or not."

New Board of Directors

WPCNR asked Ms. Copeland about whether she'd be working with the Helen Hayes Theatre Company present Board of Directors, she said "I have a Board of Directors and we'd be looking for additional members. I think the Helen Hayes Board is no longer involved in this facility, except that they are owners of the interior of the theatre, but no, I'm not interested. That wouldn't be part of any agreement that I make."

Asked if she'd be partnering with another theatre operator. This she said is a possibility: "I think we would be a managing partner, then we would elicit other users and other groups, but we would be the theatre company that would schedule and manage things, and produce three or four shows a year and a youth program. There's got to be a lot of other users. It basically can't be vacant, you know."

Will meet with Milbrook in week.

WPCNR wondered if she'd had any financial discussions yet, and if she liked the numbers.

Ms. Copeland, a seasoned savvy financial operator of an avant gard successful little theater surviving aisle to aisle with the Broadway giants, laughed, and said,  "I can't really comment on that at this point. I think no arts organization ever likes the numbers. The next step is we're going to meet again (with Milbrook) in a week and we're going to see if we can have the kind of support that's needed and the kind of figures that make sense for an arts organization to move."

Capitalization Being Analyzed.

WPCNR queried Ms. Copeland if she was appropriately capitalized at this time.

(Milbrook Acquisitions has said publicly they would rent the theatre space for a minimum of $18,000 a month rent for the theatre space which computes to $216,000 a year -- before the theatre is refurbished with sound system and theater equipment.)

Copeland said, "I think that's part of the meetings we're having now, and that we will continue to have in the next five days. There are lots of groups meeting and people having these kinds of conversations. To come there underfinanced would be a huge mistake."
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Ms. Copeland was asked if she was working with Friends of the Nyacks, a group that has spearheaded the "Save the Helen Hayes" effort in Nyack, and asked if they were endorsing her.

"Deborah Nardone (of Friends of the Nyacks) and I have been involved in this from the very beginning. I would say they feel we are the right group for the space. Yes."

Asked if she had any contact with the O'Donnells of Nyack, who said they would offer to buy the theater complex for $5 million, but that offer was ignored by the Helen Hayes Theatre Company Board of Directors, in favor of the Milbrook offer of $3.7 Million),  Copeland said she had not.

The Next Act

Copeland said the situation "is being continued. It's a big decision, because anybody who takes on that venue is committing themselves to a 15 year project, you don't build a theatre overnight. It's a great little town, but the theatre has to be supported."

WPCNR asked if financial support in Nyack was there.

"Well, I think there are several people raising their hands, but I will know a lot more about that after next week,  when I get finished meeting with all of these groups," Copeland said. "I think it's important the community feels a sense of ownership over the future of the theatre company and the future of the facility."

Programming direction.

Your reporter asked Ms. Copeland what kind of programming she thought would bring in the attendance that seems to be lacking.

"I think a wider net has to be cast in terms of the entertainment. I think you've got more of a diverse population than the programming in the past acknowledged. You've got to do everything from the college music scene to the classics to the youth programs to holiday programming. You're thirty minutes outside of Manhattan so you have to do things that are serving the people in that community."

Ms. Copeland said she would have more for the CitizeNetReporter next Friday on the Helen Hayes drama continues to unfold.