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THE VIEW
FROM STAGE RIGHT
A Personal Recollection And Tribute To MC Drama Students
By Jim "Sammy"
Davis
Memories of
a Fallen Stagehand
Fred Kokoszczynski,
class of 1967, passed away on Friday, April 12, 2002.
As typical of
a large urban high school, I didn't meet Fred until we were both assigned
the same senior home room, but he soon became a good friend as he joined
Brother Eugene's "Teahouse of the August Moon" crew. Fred helped construct
the sets, and operated the bamboo curtains with his lifelong friend John
Dominianni. For "Oliver," Fred joined Peter Fredericks and myself in revolving
(by pulling on ropes) the stage center turn table for scene changes. He
also worked on stage crew for "Arsenic and Old Lace" at St. Gabriel's,
and was my Assistant Stage Manager for Dispat's "The Mousetrap" and "Don't
Drink The Water" both of which were presented at Mater Christi. However,
in a little known story, Fred and Mike Miano joined me for a first adventure
in theatre beyond the Mater Christi walls.
Kathy Butler,
the Student Director of "Oliver," had several friends at Holy Cross Academy,
on 42nd Street, between 8th and 9th Avenue in Manhattan, and after seeing
MC's "Oliver" decided to present their own production to raise money for
their school yearbook. The show was scheduled for November, 1968 but I
received a panic phone call in October! Their sets had fallen through,
and they needed help.
Brother Eugene
supplied them with set pieces, John Dominianni loaded them on his family
truck, and off we went to Manhattan. It was there that Fred, Mike, and
I volunteered to be Stage Managers in their small but interesting production.
It's not everyday that you work on an all girl production of "Oliver"
where music is played only when no one is singing, and where the scenic
backgrounds are 12 foot high painted posterboards being held up by stage
managers from behind (it's a long story, folks!).
After the run,
I told Kathy Butler's brother, Denis that it was some experience, and
he said that we loved every second of it. And we did, and Fred, Mike and
I became the first MC drama folk to work on 42nd Street. (Alright, so
it wasn't Broadway, but we were there).
My best wishes
to Fred's wife Sue and his two children. We will all miss him dearly.
View
the program from the Holy Cross Academy production of Oliver
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