Case Aiken III ’06, Adam Samtur ’06, and Matthew Kagen ’07 didn’t set out to start a theater company; they just wanted to produce a play from soup to nuts and see what happened.
Now, under the production company Just ASK (Aiken, Samtur, Kagen), the trio is enjoying the success of their first show and seeing how long the applause lasts, one production at a time.
The germ of the idea to produce Anyone for a Threesome was born over a dinner conversation. They all have theater experience, but this was the first time they would write, direct, and organize the behind-the-scenes details of a play.
“We thought, worst-case scenario, we put on a show and no one comes, but at least we could say that we did the show; and best-case scenario, we get a couple of reviews and get our name out there a little bit,” Aiken said.
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| Matthew Kagen ’07, Adam Samtur ’06, and Case Aiken III ’06 (left to right) are working on their second play, What(‘s) Happen(s)(ed)(ing) in the Elevator, which opens May 23 in New York City. |
Each wrote one of the three one-act plays and directed. Aiken pulled some strings with his theater contacts to arrange for Threesome to be at the Red Room in New York City’s East Village.
Although they led a cast they had never worked with before, they got a helping hand from some 51 friends: Sydney Rais-Sherman ’07 (prop and stage manager), Matthew Brogan ’05 (set designer, lighting designer, and light-board operator), and Stephanie Wortel ’06 (house manager).
Running every Monday night in December, the first four shows sold out, so they added two more shows. Those also sold out, to the point where they were turning people away at the door. “We didn’t think we would do nearly that well going into it,” Samtur said.
And Threesome did get a couple of reviews, which agreed that the play could use some tightening, but that the young directors showed promise. “We got some constructive criticism, which was nice to hear because it will help us get better,” Kagen said.
“We really wanted to see what stage we were at and where we could go,” Aiken added. “The fact that we were received as well as we were is amazing to us, and it’s a great jumping-off point.”
Just ASK is now working on a new play, What(‘s) Happen(s)(ed)(ing) in the Elevator, which opens May 23 at the Red Room. “If this proves to be as much of a success as the previous show, this would be the sign that we should keep going,” Aiken said.
Setting the stage for Elevator, on March 12, they will put on One Night Stands, a similar event to the one Samtur co-created at 51 that involves a series of short plays. The event is a fundraiser for Elevator and an opportunity to workshop a few of the scenes. Described by Aiken as a “festive exchange of art,” it will be at the Irish Rogue pub in Manhattan.
“The main thing I’ve learned from this is to make your own opportunities,” Kagen said. “I think it’s really important to find what you love to do and just do it.”