Retro Productions is a
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
based
Off-Off-Broadway
Off-off-Broadway theaters are smaller New York City theaters than Broadway and off-Broadway theaters, and usually have fewer than 100 seats. The off-off-Broadway movement began in 1958 as part of a response to perceived commercialism of the pro ...
theater company. Their mission is to produce works of "
Retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
Theater," mainly straight plays that take place in the 20th century.
The company is composed of twenty-two members who are actors, designers, directors, and stage managers, and is led by artistic director Heather E. Cunningham, an actress and producer. whose performance as Rose Walker in the Retro production ''An Appeal to the Woman of the House'' by Christie Perfetti Williams won her a
New York Innovative Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role.
History
The company was formed in 2005 under the name River Heights Productions, after the hometown of
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a fictional character appearing in several mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Crea ...
. Under this name the company produced two plays: ''Catholic School Girls'' by Casey Kurtti, in March 2005, at
chashama and the New York City Premiere of ''Mrs. California'' by Doris Baizley, in March 2006, at the 78th Street Theatre Lab.
Following the production of ''Mrs. California'', River Heights Productions was dissolved and the company was renamed Retro Productions.
After the reformation of Retro Productions, they took up residence at the
Spoon Theater, producing two shows per year at the 38th street space in Manhattan. The Spoon Theater closed in 2011, and since then the company have become "gypsies" - moving from venue to venue based on the needs of the show, though, since 2015, primarily use the
Gene Frankel Theatre on Bond Street.
Premieres and other significant productions
* Produced the first major
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
revival in over fifty years of the 1950s sex comedy
The Tender Trap by
Max Shulman
Maximilian Shulman (March 14, 1919 – August 28, 1988) was an American writer and humorist best known for his television and short story character Dobie Gillis, as well as for best-selling novels.
Biography Early life and career
Shulman was b ...
and
Robert Paul Smith
Robert Paul Smith (April 16, 1915 – January 30, 1977) was an American author, most famous for his classic evocation of childhood, '' Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing''.
Biography
Robert Paul Smith was born in Brooklyn, grew up i ...
.
* New York premiere of ''Holy Days'' by Sally Nemeth.
* World Premiere of ''Women and War'' by Jack Hilton Cunningham.
* Production of ''
The Runner Stumbles
''The Runner Stumbles'' is a 1979 American drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, based on the Broadway play by Milan Stitt. The film was the last of Kramer's long and distinguished career. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Kathleen Quinlan, Ma ...
'' by
Milan Stitt
Milan Stitt (February 9, 1941 – March 12, 2009 moved off-Broadway.
* World Premiere of ''An Appeal to the Woman of the House'' by Christie Perfetti Williams.
Productions and awards
Retro Productions has been nominated for a total of 21
New York Innovative Theatre Awards
The New York Innovative Theatre Awards (also known as NYIT Awards and IT Awards) are accolades given annually by the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, a not-for-profit arts organization founded in 2004, to honor individuals and organizat ...
since the company was founded, winning two.
In 2014 Retro was nominated for three awards: Outstanding Premiere Production, Outstanding Full Length Script (Christie Perfetti Williams) and Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role (Heather E. Cunningham - who won this honor) for An Appeal to the Woman of the House.
In 2012 Casandera MJ Lollar was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role for playing Sister Rita in
The Runner Stumbles
''The Runner Stumbles'' is a 1979 American drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, based on the Broadway play by Milan Stitt. The film was the last of Kramer's long and distinguished career. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Kathleen Quinlan, Ma ...
.
In 2011 they received four nominations: Outstanding Production of
Benefactors by
Michael Frayn
Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce '' Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the M ...
as well as Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role for Kristen Vaughan (who won that honor that year) and Heather E. Cunningham, and Outstanding Ensemble. The fourth nomination was for the Set Design for Dear Ruth, designed by Jeff Stander.
Six nominations were given in honor of their May 2010 production of The
Desk Set
''Desk Set'' (released as ''His Other Woman'' in the UK) is a 1957 American romantic comedy film directed by Walter Lang and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The screenplay was written by Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron from the 1955 p ...
by
William Marchant. Included were nominations for Outstanding Set Design (Rebecca Cunningham), Outstanding Costume Design (Viviane Galloway), Outstanding Sound Design (Jeanne Travis), Innovative Design (Heather E. Cunningham and Casandera M.J. Lollar for Properties Design), and Outstanding Leading Actress (Kristen Vaughan).
In 2008, five nominations were awarded for their production of Mill Fire by Sally Nemeth. They included nominations for Outstanding Leading Actress (Lauren Kelston), Outstanding Leading Actress (Kristen Vaughan), Outstanding Lighting Design (Kerrie Lovercheck), Outstanding Set Design (Jack and Rebecca Cunningham), and Outstanding Sound Design (Amy Altadonna). Their sixth nomination that year was for Outstanding Costume Design (Rebecca Cunningham) for their production of
What I Did Last Summer by
A.R. Gurney
Albert Ramsdell Gurney Jr. (November 1, 1930 – June 13, 2017) (sometimes credited as Pete Gurney) was an American playwright, novelist and academic. He is known for works including ''The Dining Room'' (1982), ''Sweet Sue (play), Sweet Sue'' (1 ...
.
[2008 New York Innovative Theatre Awards Nominees and Recipients: http://www.nyitawards.com/anr/2008honorees.asp]
In 2007 Heather E. Cunningham's portrayal of Cheryl in Still Life: A Documentary by Emily Mann was named a 2007 Back Stage Performance to Remember.
List of productions
* ''Catholic School Girls'' by
Casey Kurtti (as River Heights Productions), March 2005
* ''Mrs. California'' by
Doris Baizley (as River Heights Productions), March 2006
* ''
Still Life: A Documentary'' by
Emily Mann, March 2007
* ''
What I Did Last Summer'' by
A.R. Gurney
Albert Ramsdell Gurney Jr. (November 1, 1930 – June 13, 2017) (sometimes credited as Pete Gurney) was an American playwright, novelist and academic. He is known for works including ''The Dining Room'' (1982), ''Sweet Sue (play), Sweet Sue'' (1 ...
, November 2007
* ''Mill Fire'' by Sally Nemeth, May 2008
* ''
The Tender Trap'' by
Max Shulman
Maximilian Shulman (March 14, 1919 – August 28, 1988) was an American writer and humorist best known for his television and short story character Dobie Gillis, as well as for best-selling novels.
Biography Early life and career
Shulman was b ...
and
Robert Paul Smith
Robert Paul Smith (April 16, 1915 – January 30, 1977) was an American author, most famous for his classic evocation of childhood, '' Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing''.
Biography
Robert Paul Smith was born in Brooklyn, grew up i ...
, November 2008
* ''
When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?
''When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?'' is a play by Mark Medoff.
The setting is Foster's Diner, a New Mexico rest stop that lost most of its clientele when a new highway bypass opened. Employees include restless cook Stephen (nicknamed "Red Ryder ...
'' by
Mark Medoff
Mark Medoff (March 18, 1940 – April 23, 2019) was an American playwright, screenwriter, film and theatre director, actor, and professor. His play '' Children of a Lesser God'' received both the Tony Award and the Olivier Award
The Laurence ...
, May 2009
* ''Holy Days'' by Sally Nemeth, November 2009
* ''Women and War'' by Jack Hilton Cunningham, May 2010
* ''The Desk Set'' by
William Marchant, May 2010
* ''
Benefactors'' by
Michael Frayn
Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce '' Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the M ...
, November 2010
* ''
Dear Ruth
''Dear Ruth'' is a successful 1944 Broadway play written by Norman Krasna. It ran for 680 performances.
History
Krasna wrote a serious play, '' The Man with Blond Hair'', which received a tepid response. He said that Moss Hart suggested he wri ...
'' by
Norman Krasna
Norman Krasna (November 7, 1909 – November 1, 1984) was an American screenwriter, playwright, producer, and film director who penned screwball comedies centered on a case of mistaken identity. Krasna directed three films during a forty-year ca ...
, May 2011
* ''
The Runner Stumbles
''The Runner Stumbles'' is a 1979 American drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, based on the Broadway play by Milan Stitt. The film was the last of Kramer's long and distinguished career. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Kathleen Quinlan, Ma ...
'' by
Milan Stitt
Milan Stitt (February 9, 1941 – March 12, 2009 , November 2011 and May 2012
* ''
A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
'' by
Peter Nichols, May 2013
* ''
The Baltimore Waltz
''The Baltimore Waltz'' is a play by Paula Vogel. It revolves around a brother and sister who appear to be taking a European trip and is based on Vogel and her brother Carl's real-life experiences. The play had a workshop at the Perseverance Thea ...
'' by
Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel (born November 16, 1951) is an American playwright who received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play ''How I Learned to Drive.'' A longtime teacher, Vogel spent the bulk of her academic career – from 1984 to 2008 – at Bro ...
, November 2013
* ''An Appeal to the Woman of the House'' by Christie Perfetti Williams, May 2014
* ''
The Butter and Egg Man
''The Butter and Egg Man'' is a 1925 play by George S. Kaufman, the only play he wrote without collaborating. It was a Broadway hit during the 1925–26 season at the Longacre Theatre. Adapted to film six times, it is still performed on stages toda ...
'' by
George S. Kaufmann, May 2015
* ''
Good Boys and True'' by
Roberto Aguirre-Secasa, November–December 2015
* ''
And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little'' by
Paul Zindel
Paul Zindel Jr. (May 15, 1936 – March 27, 2003) was an American playwright, young adult novelist, and educator.
Early life
Zindel was born in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York, to Paul Zindel Sr., a policeman, and Betty Zindel, a nurse; h ...
, May 2017
References
{{reflist
External links
Retro Productions Official Web SiteHeather E. Cunningham's Official Web Site
2005 establishments in New York City
Off-Off-Broadway
Theatre companies in New York City
Entertainment companies established in 2005