The Subversive Theatre Collective

In this time of frightening repression around the country and even right here in our own city, Subversive Theatre salutes everyone who is braving tear gas and rubber bullets to stand tall in the struggle for social justice. We urge everyone in this global fight against systemic racism and state repression to continue to speak out, to provoke, to empower, and to inspire. As a cultural organization, we re-double our commitment to speak out on these critical issues. We hope everyone will continue to speak truth to power with the loudest possible voice and advance the struggle in every way we all can.

Talk about white ppl doing something!!! Thank you kindly sir, well written & on point!!!!! No lives matter, until Black lives do...

Congratulations to Mike Doben on his Artie Nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Play with ‘Mercury Fur’.

Congratulations to the casts of The Subversive Theatre Collectives productions of, ‘She Kills Monsters’ and ‘Mercury Fur’. Each received an Artie Nomination for Best Ensemble of a Play. Congratulations to Lucas Colon for his individual Artie Nomination for Supporting Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Naz in ‘Mercury Fur’.

Another loooong day spent moving stuff out of the Great Arrow Building... another bevy of photos of some of the great moments at Great Arrow

A gofundme page was started to help our friend in subversion, Michael O’Hear, with medical expenses due to a lengthy illness and subsequent complications. In light of his passing, this has now turned into a fundraiser for his final expenses. If you are able and moved to do so, please contribute however much you can.

Subversive Theatre mourns the loss of Michael O'Hear -- a fine actor with a tender heart and a wonderful soul. Michael appeared in our productions of JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG and 84. Best wishes to you in the great beyond, Michael, you'll be sorely missed here.

Here's another batch of great photos of great moments in great shows in our time at the Great Arrow Building... I just can't resist sharing them all...

MOVIN' OUT! Dear Subversive Friends, Comrades, Partisans, and Arch-Enemies, Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and with the uncertainty surrounding public ga...therings, Subversive Theatre is cancelling our 2020-2021 season. June 30, 2020 will mark the end of our time at our current location. We’re moving out of the Great Arrow Building after almost twelve straight years as our home for theatre that puts "DISSENT at center stage." While we’re sad to leave the space where we’ve invested so much time, love, and energy, we look forward to an even brighter future for our troupe. National events of the past several weeks have shown that our society needs subversive voices and stories now more than ever. COVID-19 leaves us with no choice but to take a pause from our artistic work, but we will keep this pause as brief as possible. For many years now, our troupe has felt the need to ‘take the next step’ to a larger and more inviting venue for our work. Now, with our day-to-day operations on hold, we eagerly turn our full attention to developing a new performance space for the next chapter in protest theatre in Buffalo. We look forward to a time not too far down the road when the health crisis is better in hand and live theatre can once again be enjoyed without fear of a pandemic. We will do our utmost to be ready for that time with a new ‘den of subversion’ to christen in brighter days. In the meantime, we’d like to thank all the wonderful people who have made Subversive Theatre possible for the first 17 years of our amazing kamikaze journey. Subversive Theatre is not the kind of operation that could exist just anywhere. It wouldn’t be possible without the right combination of daring artists and daring audiences. To all the incredible artists we’ve had the privilege of hosting over the years, thank you for your incredible level of passion, talent, and dedication through the good times and the tough times. To all the indefatigable theatre-go-ers who have joined us in the audience for so long who have fought through blizzards in seemingly endless winters and endured the sweltering heat in our abysmally under-air-conditioned summer sweat box we thank you and we salute you for your open-minded-ness, your idealism, and your inspiring commitment to art that can make a difference. We launched Subversive Theatre seventeen years ago promising to be the place where DISSENT takes center stage. Almost two decades later, we are more confident than ever that theatre can be a weapon for the underdog in a land that cries out for social justice in so many ways. We hope you’ll stay with us through our upcoming pause and be ready as we come back strong in the days ahead. Until then, stay safe, stay strong, and STAY SUBVERSIVE!!! Kurt Schneiderman, Artistic Director, Subversvie Theatre Collective.

As we go to move out of the Great Arrow Building, a tidal wave of memories sweep over me -- memories of all the extraordinary moments that have happened in that space over the last 12 years. To all you amazing artists out there who helped make these moments possible, I just want to say that it has been -- is -- and forever will be among the great privileges of my life to work with people like you. Here are a couple of photos as we remember all the love and beauty that people have created in that room for over a decade now! I can't begin to fit in all the photos that belong here, but here's a tiny taste... Kurt Schneiderman, Artistic Director, Subversive Theatre Collective.

And here are some shots of some of the incredible artists who graced our stage at Great Arrow who are have passed on. Sadly this list is far too long -- and there are some I don't have any photos of. If there's anyone I miss from this list, I apologize in advance, it's such a bitter/sweet challenge remembering them all. Of course, I can't begin to do justice to all these wonderful souls. Please, everyone, help us remember them and by all means add on a photo if you have o...ne. In no particular order: Carlton Franklin Harold Luther White Arlene Clement Gary Darling Diane Gaidry Scot Kaitanowski (he's the one in the Darth Vader mask by the way... and he played Hitler for us too! But he didn't always play bad guys) Timothy Patrick Finnegan Dennis Keefe Dee Perry Guy Wagner Richard Hummert Michael Callieri While he never worked with us at Great Arrow, I'd also like to remember Willie Judson who starred in Subversive Theatre's production of PAUL ROBESON SPEAKS OUT at the New Phoenix Theatre. Manny Fried never performed on our stage, he was very near the end of his days when we opened up shop at Great Arrow. But we were honored to present some of his plays and lucky enough to have him in the audience and as a speaker at some of our events on many occasions. And behind the scenes let us always remember our long time Associate Producer Michael Lodick who literally passed away stage left at Subversive Theatre. The great Toni Smith-Wilson directed what would prove to be her final directorial adventure KEELY AND DU for us at Great Arrow. And we should also remember our deceased board members Mary Ann Bruno and Richard Lipsitz, Sr. -- who was one of our key early supporters without whom there might never have been a Subversive Theatre at all. We remember you all, we love you all, and we will carry your spirits with us forever.

A couple shots of the one and only Manny Fried when he came to Great Arrow to help us transform the cramped little warehouse room on third floor of the Great Arrow Building into The Manny Fried Playhouse. This was in 2008, I believe Manny was 95 at the time. Rest in peace, Manny, the spirit marches on!

Friends of Subversive Theatre may want to support this gofundme campaign for actor Michael O'Hear who appeared in our productions of JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG and 84 as well as many other productions in WNY over the last couple decades. Best wishes to you, Mike! https://www.gofundme.com/f/uszy3-help-michael-with-medical-