In the 1960's Long Island's Mineola Playhouse operated as a year-around Sometime Star Stock house and was housed in the former Mineola Theatre, a 1450-seat movie palace. Mineola was part of a circuit comprised of Paper Mill, Bucks County, and Westport's Playhouse, and Laurence Feldman was the Producer. Feldman's press agent was Tommy Brent (later of Matunuck's Theatre by-the-Sea) ; his production man was Norman Rothstein (later of Theatre Now); and his comptroller was Theodore "Ted" Stevens. Ten years later, Rothstein hired Stevens to manage the Atlanta Fox, where I worked, and later Rothstein's recommendation got me my production job with Tommy. Stevens went on to operate the Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island, where he hired me, and I reunited him with Tommy Brent.
Ted Stevens, while working for Atlanta's Chris Manos, hired Feldman's set designer Leo Meyer, and that is where I met him. Leo also founded and ran Atlas Scenic in Bridgeport.
The artwork for Mineola's kid shows was lifted by Tommy Brent for Theatre by-the-Sea:
Tommy Brent at Matunuck:
Leo Meyer:
Ted Stevens (right) with Atlanta Fox savior and organ-keeper, Joe Patten:
All of these gentlemen are deceased, and the first to go was Laurence Feldman, who was murdered in his upper East Side penthouse in 1967. Ted Stevens was the last person to see him alive, except for the murderer, of course.
To view the complete program book, click here. None of the actor names are familiar to me, except Phil Proctor, playing the juvenile. His claim to fame was as a member of The Firesign Theatre.
For a master index of all photo-essays, click here.
January, 2019