On the bill since 1987, the dean of New York plays, “A Perfect Crime,” has returned to the stage, although Broadway only has plans to reopen in September. All thanks to the energy of Catherine Russell, who played more than 13,500 times the same role and carries the theater on her shoulders.
“I am very determined, and when people say to me ‘You can not do it’, I respond to them ‘Go to shit. See how I do it'”, Russell told AFP.
Main actress of “Perfect Crime”, but also manager of the Theater Center where the play is presented, slim, with long blond hair, Russell, 65, is “a dynamo”, as described by Charles Geyer, who shares the stage with her . “I can do 180 push-ups in a row,” boasted the 60-year-old.
When the play had to be suspended due to the pandemic, in March 2020, the actress did what she could to stay positive. He painted the theater, repaired seats and bought a new “covid-compatible” ventilation system.
But “when I saw that the bowling alleys were reopening (at the end of August) I said to myself ‘how crazy’,” he said. And he sued New York City to get the theaters reopened. The governor authorized in early March a reopening to 25% of capacity, and then to 33%, but Russell continues his legal action to obtain at least 50%.
On April 9 the Theater Center reopened, with the first performances of the musical inspired by the series “The Office” and then the resumption of “Perfect Crime”, where Russell performed on April 17 for the 13,524th time, a record world.
“A lot of people didn’t feel ready” to go back, both on Broadway and off-Broadway, to the smaller theater circuit, Russell said. “But I thought we were ready (…) I don’t think I’m a visionary. Maybe I’m just a little less scared than the others, but I also have less to lose. I’m a little off-Broadway show.”
“We lose money,” he acknowledged, and even a 50% capacity would not be enough to balance the accounts. This was what deterred Broadway from a partial reopening. “But we are determined, and I want to do it in principle,” he said.
– “Beyond a simple night” –
The Theater Center got the green light for the reopening of the main show syndicate, Actors’ Equity, in exchange for the condition of vaccinating the entire team, which must also be tested for covid each night before the show.
Spectators flock to the event and the 33% capacity is packed with 66 people, up from 200 in normal times, producer Armand Hyatt said.
Susan Jacknowitz, 75, traveled from North Carolina to see the play with her New York friend Linda Schiffer. “When she texted me saying that she had bought seats at the theater, I didn’t believe it. I was so happy,” she said.
For “Perfect Crime,” a classic police enigma with a psychology undertone, the current period is the occasion for a bit of free publicity, as the piece is generally overshadowed by the giant Broadway supply.
A fan of the theater, Jessica Bloom had already passed dozens of times through the doors of the Theater Center, very close to Times Square, but had never stopped to buy tickets.
“I want to see the first thing that allows me to enter a theater, even if I don’t know what it is about,” he said.
Actor Charles Geyer recalled a “fantastic” first post-pandemic performance, “because we knew the people in the room were a bit of a trailblazer.”
The impression is the same still. “We have the feeling of forming a group” between the actors and the spectators. “It goes beyond a simple play,” he said.
tu/lbc/dga
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