INTERVIEW: New play charts rise of Martin Denton and indie theater movement
The work and influence of Martin Denton is so beloved on the theater scene that a new play charting his rise to indie notoriety includes his name twice. Martin Denton, Martin Denton is currently playing New York City’s Kraine Theatre through July 23. The show is the brainchild of writer and star Chris Harcum and director Aimee Todoroff.
Denton is a man dedicated to theater, mostly the indie kind, and he has spent countless hours seeing shows and writing about them online. Throughout the years he has seen firsthand the many changes of the industry and the effects of the social media revolution, all the while giving some ink to productions and artists that desperately needed the spotlight.
The new play, produced by Elephant Run District and Frigid New York @ Horse Trade, promises to tell the “untold story” of Denton. Hollywood Soapbox recently exchanged emails with Harcum to learn all about the man behind the name. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired you to write this play? Was Martin Denton immediately on board?
I’ve known Martin for more than a decade. He has been the greatest champion of my work, and I owe a great deal of my perseverance to his support as a reviewer and publisher. My wife, Aimee Todoroff, and I had dinner with him in New Jersey last summer when he started telling us stories I’d never heard. I interrupted him and said I would make a play about his stories this summer. I would play him, and Aimee would direct this.
Martin is a very gracious person. He said OK, and we arranged for me to visit several times to interview him last fall. This turned into more than 400 pages of transcripts. We had an arrangement that gave him approval of the script before we would announce to the world we were doing this show. While it is his nature … to shy away from the spotlight, I think he sees how important doing this play is in terms of galvanizing the indie theater sector and sharing this history with those who might not know it.
What do you feel the play says about the history and current state of New York theater?
In addition to the sweep of Martin’s biography and the evolution of his work, this play traces much of the history of downtown theater from 1996 to 2014. You will get a sense of how many spaces, companies and artists are no longer here. It is said a new generation of indie theater turns over every two or three years. From that perspective, the time covered in this play is a century’s worth of indie theater years.
If there is a villain in this piece, it is real estate. Things used to be centered in the area west of Times Square and in the East and West Village. Now it is very spread out, and spaces close incredibly fast. When that happens, New York loses some of its identity.
What do you see as the mission of Elephant Run District? How would you describe the company to a newcomer?
Following the tradition of many indie theater companies, ERD was founded by my partner in life and art, Aimee Todoroff, and me. So a lot of how the work is made is based on how she and I work and play. Martin Denton, Martin Denton is our sixth collaboration where she directs, and I write and perform.
The company gets its name from how Aimee and I met (https://elephantrundistrict.
What do you hope audiences take away from the play?
What a unique and incredible person Martin Denton is. How he impacted theater in New York and, really, around the world. Martin has a special philosophy about reviewing that I think should be taught in classes all over.
Martin did a lot to give attention to artists and plays that might not get it otherwise. He lived his life in a true spirit of generosity, and this play is a drop in the bucket in terms of repayment. Theater, like life, is here, and then it’s gone. I hope people seeing this will see the importance of giving back and supporting others at the same time they pursue their work.
When did you first fall in love with theater?
When I was 6, I was asked to recite ‘America the Beautiful’ for a school assembly in the cafetorium. My mom made an Uncle Sam outfit for me with the striped pants, long-tailed coat and top hat. I remember walking out in front of the whole elementary student body, and they went absolutely silent. They listened to what I was saying. Those words filled with those images went out into the room. They connected with the audience, and I got applause. It was something bigger than me. Something greater than what I had experienced in daily life. I’ve spent my life chasing that — giving something to the audience and feeling it land.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Martin Denton, Martin Denton written by and starring Chris Harcum and directed by Aimee Todoroff, is now playing New York City’s Kraine Theatre. Performances run through July 23. Click here for more information and tickets.
