A collection of programs, reviews, and memorabilia from
the Staten Island community theater productions of the 1970s to the 2000s.
Introduction
I used to joke that Jennifer and I saved everything. She, because she foresaw its use in a show. Me because I think that everything has some historical value.
When she passed away in June 2021 and I started going through our “stuff,” I recognized that we had collected a treasure trove of items reflecting the vibrant arts community that existed on Staten Island during our fifty years of marriage.
Most items related to the theatre but others covered Jennifer’s involvement with the Staten Island Symphony, the Miss Staten Island Pageant, and Snug Harbor Cultural Center. As I went through boxes of materials, I found myself asking, “Do Mickey and Karen have this picture?” or “I wonder if Wayne and Donna need this program?” I could have easily spent a substantial amount of time trying to locate a new home for each item. Then it occurred to me that if I could start a website and post the collection, anyone interested could have access to the materials. Because my computer skills consist of turning it on and using it as an upscale typewriter, I contacted Ed Wiseman about the feasibility of the project, and with his encouragement, decided to move forward.
Our community theatre collection primarily reflects Jennifer’s work in Staten Island Civic Theatre but also includes Looking Glass Players, Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre, and others. There are programs, promotional articles, reviews, and photographs from the Staten Island Advance, and Staten Island Register, as well as photos that Jennifer took of many of the productions.
Philita Wondolowski contributed her collection from Looking Glass Players. Cara Liander brought me Shakespeare’s files and Greg Parker provided records from Unity Cultural Workshop. Because of the extent of the materials the Staten Island Museum agreed to house the original documents as part of its collection.
It is my hope that you will enjoy viewing this resource. Please add any materials from your own archives. If you want to add personal comments and memories to the collection, we welcome you to do so.
In Jennifer’s memory we make this gift to all of you who became our family and provided so many happy moments not just to us, but to the entire Staten Island community.
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Phillip Straniere
Tradition
Community theater is a cultural tradition that's been passed down through generations. It's a way for people to come together and create art, but it's also a way to preserve local history.
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Our site is committed to preserving this history by digitizing thousands of pages of ephemera related to community theater and making it available for anyone who wants to see what it was like back in the day.
Enjoy the spotlight as it sweeps across decades of local history created by talented artists and crafts people!
Jennifer Straniere
For decades, Jennifer Richter Straniere was a towering figure in the Staten Island theater community. As an actor, director, and stage manager, she has dedicated her entire life to improving the lives of her fellow professionals.
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She was known for her boundless enthusiasm and all-encompassing commitment to family and the theater. Her lifelong passion and dedication to the stage was unwavering — whether she was directing shows at the College of Staten Island, at Temple Israel Reform Congregation, at community theater or supervising a public presentation at Borough Hall.
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A community advocate, accomplished director, stage manager and costume designer, she knew what it meant to serve the team she led and brought characters to life on the stage she held most dear.
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Her great devotion and passion for the arts served as a guiding light to others, including young adults in local theater where she dedicated her entire life to improving the lives of her fellow professionals.
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She volunteered with Staten Island Civic Theatre and the Staten Island Children’s Theatre; The Looking Glass Players; The Shakespearean Theatre; The Jewish Community Center; Center Stage Productions; Staten Island Summer Musical Theatre; Temple Israel Players; Seaview Playwrights Theatre and Neverland Theater
