Gary McComiskey
Who are you and what significant contributions have you made to the organization?
So you want my bio, eh? In college I usually made it a song lyric, or something of that nature. I figured nobody cared how many plays I’d done or what my favorite roles were. Still, I suppose you deserve to know something about the guy you’ve tapped for this distinction.
Among other things, I have served as Technical Director at two colleges, as well as handled set, lighting, sound, and projection design for a number of Off-Off Broadway and community theatre companies. In my current life I work at HBO as A/V Coordinator. I oversee videoconferencing for HBO in New York, while also addressing the audio/visual needs of HBO employees in midtown, NYC. I’m father to a little girl and husband to former Chappell Player Jennifer Seaman. I’m a Team Leader in youth group for high-school Catholics and enjoy the Mets, Rangers, and playing street hockey. And I’m working on a podcast.
I was a Chappell Player from 1998-2002. It is hard for me to look back and call any of my contributions to the group significant, but I can tell you what I did. I served as Historian and then Vice President at a very interesting time. When I did my first show in the Little Theatre, Brighton Beach Memoirs, there was no E-board. The “group” consisted of the seven person cast and a Stage Manager. Our first dress rehearsal was opening night and a good house was fifteen people. Lighting design was the same for every show. Maybe a few instruments were re-focused. That all changed the next year, when we did Grease. Five out of eight performances sold out and we were off to the races. A new E-board was elected and we really started to become a group again.
I mention all this for perspective. We were a bunch of students who lived in the Little Theatre. We had a lot of passion, but not much guidance. I was both actor and tech, on-stage for my parts and building sets when a scene I wasn’t in was being rehearsed. If we were in a crunch, I would give my lines off-stage while I was working on something else for the show. I was involved in the first Cabaret for Charity, the first Bromidean (though it wasn’t called that until a couple of years later), Dance concert, Welcome Week show. I was among the inaugural class of the Upsilon Chi chapter of Alpha Psi Omega. As I said, it was an interesting time.
I built sets and hung lights. I perched precariously off a dangerous A-frame ladder more times than I can count. I designed lights, sets, and sound. I slept in the theatre more than once and spent most of Spring Break of my Junior year in the theatre, despite living half an hour away. I was jokingly referred to as the “Grand Poobah” of the Little Theatre.
After graduation, I was hired to be Technical Director for the group, and maintained that position for two years until it was abolished. For many years after I was involved in Cabarets, Welcome Week shows, and Bromideans until I finally decided it was time to let the students have their spotlight back. Was any of that significant? I don’t know. You tell me.
So you want my bio, eh? In college I usually made it a song lyric, or something of that nature. I figured nobody cared how many plays I’d done or what my favorite roles were. Still, I suppose you deserve to know something about the guy you’ve tapped for this distinction.
Among other things, I have served as Technical Director at two colleges, as well as handled set, lighting, sound, and projection design for a number of Off-Off Broadway and community theatre companies. In my current life I work at HBO as A/V Coordinator. I oversee videoconferencing for HBO in New York, while also addressing the audio/visual needs of HBO employees in midtown, NYC. I’m father to a little girl and husband to former Chappell Player Jennifer Seaman. I’m a Team Leader in youth group for high-school Catholics and enjoy the Mets, Rangers, and playing street hockey. And I’m working on a podcast.
I was a Chappell Player from 1998-2002. It is hard for me to look back and call any of my contributions to the group significant, but I can tell you what I did. I served as Historian and then Vice President at a very interesting time. When I did my first show in the Little Theatre, Brighton Beach Memoirs, there was no E-board. The “group” consisted of the seven person cast and a Stage Manager. Our first dress rehearsal was opening night and a good house was fifteen people. Lighting design was the same for every show. Maybe a few instruments were re-focused. That all changed the next year, when we did Grease. Five out of eight performances sold out and we were off to the races. A new E-board was elected and we really started to become a group again.
I mention all this for perspective. We were a bunch of students who lived in the Little Theatre. We had a lot of passion, but not much guidance. I was both actor and tech, on-stage for my parts and building sets when a scene I wasn’t in was being rehearsed. If we were in a crunch, I would give my lines off-stage while I was working on something else for the show. I was involved in the first Cabaret for Charity, the first Bromidean (though it wasn’t called that until a couple of years later), Dance concert, Welcome Week show. I was among the inaugural class of the Upsilon Chi chapter of Alpha Psi Omega. As I said, it was an interesting time.
I built sets and hung lights. I perched precariously off a dangerous A-frame ladder more times than I can count. I designed lights, sets, and sound. I slept in the theatre more than once and spent most of Spring Break of my Junior year in the theatre, despite living half an hour away. I was jokingly referred to as the “Grand Poobah” of the Little Theatre.
After graduation, I was hired to be Technical Director for the group, and maintained that position for two years until it was abolished. For many years after I was involved in Cabarets, Welcome Week shows, and Bromideans until I finally decided it was time to let the students have their spotlight back. Was any of that significant? I don’t know. You tell me.
How was the transition from college to the real world? How was life after graduation?
For me, the transition after college was a little easier. I was Technical Director for a couple of years and I still performed occasionally, so I didn’t have to quit cold turkey. Plus I still had friends in the group. Still, it was hard not being a Chappell Player anymore. It was a huge part of my life. I guess that’s why it took me so long to actually “go away.”
I stayed involved with theatre here and there, sometimes as a profession, sometimes as a hobby. It was never the same, though. Never quite as special.
For me, the transition after college was a little easier. I was Technical Director for a couple of years and I still performed occasionally, so I didn’t have to quit cold turkey. Plus I still had friends in the group. Still, it was hard not being a Chappell Player anymore. It was a huge part of my life. I guess that’s why it took me so long to actually “go away.”
I stayed involved with theatre here and there, sometimes as a profession, sometimes as a hobby. It was never the same, though. Never quite as special.
"That kind of self-reliance and self-confidence makes for a pretty useful skill set, both in theatre and in life."
Did being involved in the Chappell Players prepare you for life after college? How so?
Being a theatre kid in a school without a theatre program teaches you how to figure stuff out. You don’t have the budget to throw money at every problem, so you have to be able to improvise and work together in areas where you may not be an expert. “The show must go on,” but that only happens if you make it happen. That kind of self-reliance and self-confidence makes for a pretty useful skill set, both in theatre and in life.
Being a theatre kid in a school without a theatre program teaches you how to figure stuff out. You don’t have the budget to throw money at every problem, so you have to be able to improvise and work together in areas where you may not be an expert. “The show must go on,” but that only happens if you make it happen. That kind of self-reliance and self-confidence makes for a pretty useful skill set, both in theatre and in life.
What is your favorite CPTG memory or performance?
I loved the 4th Cabaret, Children of the 80s. I also enjoyed the 6th, The Chappell Players Show, where I got to play a Muppet. We did a unique interpretation of Oedipus Rex which the cast collectively wrote and I played Sigmund Freud. My favorite memory has to be when I met my wife during Grease, right? I mean that’s gotta be right up there. Otherwise, just the small stuff. The late nights. The camaraderie. The triumphs. A child calling out during a particularly dramatic scene of Godspell, and the whole cast fighting not to break. It was just a great time.
I loved the 4th Cabaret, Children of the 80s. I also enjoyed the 6th, The Chappell Players Show, where I got to play a Muppet. We did a unique interpretation of Oedipus Rex which the cast collectively wrote and I played Sigmund Freud. My favorite memory has to be when I met my wife during Grease, right? I mean that’s gotta be right up there. Otherwise, just the small stuff. The late nights. The camaraderie. The triumphs. A child calling out during a particularly dramatic scene of Godspell, and the whole cast fighting not to break. It was just a great time.
Have you been able to remain involved with theatre as much as you hoped/wanted?
Unfortunately I haven’t stayed as close to theatre as I would have liked. Part of it was a bad professional experience somewhere, part of it is just life. Still every once in a while I’ll get to exercise the old acting chops, and it’s still as thrilling as it ever was.
Unfortunately I haven’t stayed as close to theatre as I would have liked. Part of it was a bad professional experience somewhere, part of it is just life. Still every once in a while I’ll get to exercise the old acting chops, and it’s still as thrilling as it ever was.
What is professional theatre like compared to what you did with the Chappell Players?
I’ve never been on Broadway or Off Broadway. The closest thing I’ve done to a regular professional gig was a stint I did at Queens College as Technical Director for their theatre program. Still, it’s a different world with larger budgets, larger egos, and higher expectations. The thing to keep in mind about professional theatre is that it’s a business. The creative freedom that you enjoy as a Chappell Player is not always going to be there in a professional environment.
The good news is that theatre is still theatre. If you are skilled and you work hard, you can still be successful in an art that you love.
I’ve never been on Broadway or Off Broadway. The closest thing I’ve done to a regular professional gig was a stint I did at Queens College as Technical Director for their theatre program. Still, it’s a different world with larger budgets, larger egos, and higher expectations. The thing to keep in mind about professional theatre is that it’s a business. The creative freedom that you enjoy as a Chappell Player is not always going to be there in a professional environment.
The good news is that theatre is still theatre. If you are skilled and you work hard, you can still be successful in an art that you love.
"We do this because we love it. Let yourself love it"
Do you have any advice for Chappell Players going through college or those who have already graduated?
My first foray into theatre was, I believe, in sixth grade. It was a production of The Man Who Came To Dinner put on at my church by previously spotlighted alum Gordon Innes. Myself and a couple of other members of our children’s choir were asked to sing a Christmas carol at the end of Act I. We were paid in pizza. I believe this is still the most I have ever been paid to perform in a show. I have, in contrast, made a lot more money in technical theatre. Do what you love. If you want to be a performer, embrace your dream. Don’t expect it to be easy.
For the students, cherish this time. I sound like a broken record, but this is special. It won’t come again. Appreciate every euphoric and/or agonizing moment. To the actors, be nice to the techs. If it weren’t for them you’d be shouting naked in the dark. To the techs, be nice to the actors. I know, we’re insufferable, but remember that nobody came to see your incredible scene change midway through Act II.
Finally, to the graduates and everyone, really, I say do theatre. If you love theatre, find a way to keep doing it. Most of us won’t make a career of this, but there are plenty of community companies out there. Find one or more that you like and have fun.
We do this because we love it. Let yourself love it.
My first foray into theatre was, I believe, in sixth grade. It was a production of The Man Who Came To Dinner put on at my church by previously spotlighted alum Gordon Innes. Myself and a couple of other members of our children’s choir were asked to sing a Christmas carol at the end of Act I. We were paid in pizza. I believe this is still the most I have ever been paid to perform in a show. I have, in contrast, made a lot more money in technical theatre. Do what you love. If you want to be a performer, embrace your dream. Don’t expect it to be easy.
For the students, cherish this time. I sound like a broken record, but this is special. It won’t come again. Appreciate every euphoric and/or agonizing moment. To the actors, be nice to the techs. If it weren’t for them you’d be shouting naked in the dark. To the techs, be nice to the actors. I know, we’re insufferable, but remember that nobody came to see your incredible scene change midway through Act II.
Finally, to the graduates and everyone, really, I say do theatre. If you love theatre, find a way to keep doing it. Most of us won’t make a career of this, but there are plenty of community companies out there. Find one or more that you like and have fun.
We do this because we love it. Let yourself love it.
