Creative CU Students Cover (Off) Broadway with TAPE

Some students dream of making it on Broadway. Others-like Deanna Weiner, BC '06, and the cast of Stephen Belber's TAPE-decide to make Broadway their own.

This weekend, TAPE, directed by and starring all Columbia University students and recent graduates, will run just two blocks off-Broadway at the Michael Weller Theatre at West 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue.

The cast-Will Snider, CC '09,, Luciana Colapinto, CC '07,, and Austin Mitchell, SEAS '08-expects the show to be well-received by the college students and recent graduates who will be attending. "It is about three friends meeting 10 years after their high school graduation. It is about discovering you no longer identify with friends from home," explains Snider.

The show was designed, Weiner explains, as an industry showcase. She hopes to present her work and the work of the cast to people from the professional theater industry whom she has encountered while working in New York. Such people include those she met while interning for the New York Public Theatre and Summer Play Festival as well as through her current job at Jane Harmon Associates.

While cast member's reasons for participating in the show seem less focused on professional goals, they are no less exited about their off-campus New York debut. "There is such an allure of the chance to do theatre in New York City. When I came to Columbia, I remember hoping for such an opportunity," Colapinto said.

"All of us have worked on many shows at Columbia," Snider added. "We are excited for the chance to perform in a new venue and in a show not affiliated with school." For Snider, this will be the first show his parents are planning to attend since his coming to New York.

The group is making a name for itself because of Wiener's initiative. A theater major while at Barnard, Weiner directed many successful shows on campus including last semester's Everything Different (an original play written by Snider), The Laramie Project in fall 2005, and The 112th Annual Varsity Show in spring 2006. But all these shows, she explains, were limited to campus venues.

"I was ready for a project of my own, a project I could completely spearhead and control," she said. "I scouted over six different Midtown venues until I found the Michael Weller. Best price and best location."

From that point it was a matter of a strong group effort to fundraise and promote the show. The group spearheaded an event at Snider's fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, called Beta Jam-a performance event featuring Columbia student singer-songwriters. In addition, the group held a series of socials to raise money and advertise for the show.

While unable to raise all the necessary funds, the events helped cover the show's fairly modest yet necessary $3,000 budget. The rest will be paid out of pocket, but Weiner feels confident they will earn it back in ticket sales, each of which has a suggested donation of $5.

"The theater has 50 seats, and we already have two full houses reserved," she said.

Putting on a production, however, requires more than just capital. The team also gained the support of many other talented Columbia students and graduates: Hugh Gordon, SEAS '07, is the technical director; Lizzy Ott, BC '07, is the stage manager; Benji Jack, SEAS '07, is the sound designer; Liz Vastola , CC '07, is the costume designer; and Peiyi Wong, CC '06, is the set designer.

The show is possible in large part thanks to the commitment and dedication of the team. The cast has rehearsed solidly every day for three weeks. The members have also taken on a wide range of roles in order to assure the success of the show. Last Tuesday, for example, all members went to the theater to paint and help load in the set.

"The show highlights the talents of this cast. It is smart and naturalistic, sarcastic and cunning," said Snider, a true fan of Belber, TAPE's author. Snider played the character of Stephen Belber last year in The Laramie Project. Snider hopes that TAPE will "resonate deeply with the crowd we are expecting."

Yet perhaps the resonating message is one of an age-old tale: that a little ambition can put college students on Broadway (or at least off-Broadway).