The Queens Playhouse

On this episode of Seminars in Theater, Richard Pyatt talks to administrators and actors associated with the Queens Playhouse. The guests are Founder and Producer Joe Kutzreba, Fundraiser Sidney J. Berger, Chairman Max M. [Loalm] and Actress Blanche Yurka.

Kutzreba discusses his intentions for the theater, which is still in the planning phases. This repertory theater will have a cast of resident actors with celebrity performers occasionally headlining works of their choice. Yurka sees this as a training method for the resident actors. Kutzreba explains that the theater will act as a museum, by selecting encyclopedic works from classic repertoire from all periods in history with consideration to community interest. He also plans to perform one original work per season.

Located at the former site of the World's Fair in Corona Park, the goal of establishing this theater is to move the concentration of performances from Manhattan into the boroughs. The guests argue that the life of the theater is off Broadway and in regional repertory performance spaces.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 151864
Municipal archives id: T6091