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| - Walking into this theater for the first time brought me back several lifetimes ago, to the New York I knew, and that New York was filled with many Off-Off-Broadway adventures, some wonderful, some ho-hum, and some just unbearably boring. But the hallmark of all of them was the impossibly tiny theater, often seating no more than a dozen people. And sometimes, even the concept of the word "seat" was loosely defined.
Occasionally, those productions begat greatness - "A Soldier's Play," whose original cast included Adolph Caesar as Sergeant Waters, Denzel Washington as Private Peterson, Samuel L. Jackson as Private Louis Henson - went on to become the acclaimed "A Soldier's Story."
Cockroach Theater evoked that same feeling of electricity. But this time, the seats were comfortable, though the elbow room was a bit evocative of a coach airline seat. With only three or four rows of seats, it's an intimate experience that has the viewer so close to the action that it's hard not to be woven into the story. We were there to see "The Chalk Boy," and all four of us were all impressed with the set, lighting, background music, story, and most compelling, the high quality of the acting. Each of the four actors, two of whom played multiple parts, were consummately polished and professional.
The theater is a true gem in the evolving Downtown scene, and I wish it a long and successful life. I can't wait to go back.
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