I feel a certain sense of simpatico with Garrett West, a little more than with other colleagues in the community.
We are both moderators on the Facebook page 518 Theatre Artists, which West created and which is going strong with well over 5,000 followers. He formed a theater company, Bunbury Players, during the COVID-19 lockdown that has an Oscar Wilde reference, which is close to my heart as I met my partner while auditioning to play Oscar in “Gross Indecency.” We also both have a keen interest in theater history and in Broadway in particular.
West’s interest is stoked by the curious phenomenon of the flop. Most people have a passing interest in huge failures. How did some shows with so many smart, talented, successful people close on opening night?
West has devised a cabaret, featuring songs from some of these flops, that will be performed Friday through Sunday by his large group of Bunburyists when “It’s a Flop Bombs Back.”
I plunged into the depths of the mystery of the flop with West.
QUESTION: What first attracted you to performing or the theater?
ANSWER: My parents were always fans of theater. While they didn’t perform they enjoyed it immensely, so would often have cast recordings on in the car. My grandmother would also take me to just about every play she could. Then one day when I was in elementary school, I decided I wanted to be onstage. So my parents signed me up for the rec drama program. The rest, as they say, is history.
Q: Do you remember your first encounter with a flop, whether reading the review, attending or hearing about one?
A: When I was a teenager my mother once bought me a book of postcards, each with a Broadway window card printed on them. I recognized all the big hits, but there was one show I had never heard of: “Via Galactica.” There was a description on the back describing it as a futuristic, space-themed musical that only ran 16 performances. I soon learned that there were many other shows that had very short runs, and purchased a copy of Ken Mandelbaum’s "Bible" for flop fans, “Not Since Carrie.”
Q: What is it about flops that excites you?
A: They’re shows that many may not have heard of, so it’s something new to discover. I also enjoy discovering and researching why certain shows did not “work.” Theater is an intricate machine with a lot of moving parts, so if one piece is missing or broken the whole thing won’t work.
Q: What’s a Bunbury Players goal in this new year?
A: Our main goal for the new year is to get people who may have never seen a Bunbury show to come out and see us. Our shows are free to the public, so we want to spread the accessibility as much as possible, especially to folks who can’t afford to regularly see theater.
Q: What is a play that changed your life, and how?
A: The first play that comes to mind is “Inherit the Wind.” It’s still a play I want to direct. I remember being on vacation as a kid and seeing part of the film version on television. I later had to read it in high school as part of the curriculum. But it was the first play I remember experiencing that had a dramatic, political message. I understood theater could be more than just for entertainment — it could convey ideas and messages.
“It’s a Flop Bombs Back” plays at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library this Friday through Sunday. Admission is free, but there is a $20 suggested donation.
Patrick White is a Capital Region theater maker, co-founder of Harbinger, host of "The Play That Changed My Life: podcast who attends 300 plays a year. “With a pair of tickets in my pocket for tonight’s show, how bad can a day be?” Reach him at white.patrick1963@gmail.com.
