Producing Experience

Fleetwood Stage

In 1994, Pat partnered with her Westchester County neighbor, Lewis Arlt, star of the TV Daytime drama “Search for Tomorrow”. and St. Louis Rep Writer/Director Nelson Sheeley to form Fleetwood Stage. The three shared a similar artistic vision to bring quality theatre to Westchester, and set about to employ a loyal and talented troupe of actors.

The first season in 1994 was held in a school. It consisted of “Ain’t Misbhavin” directed by Mercedes Ellington and “I’m Not Rappaport” starring TV veteran Jim Pritchard. During this time the search for a permanent home began. The ideal location, an abandoned movie theatre in the downtown section of Fleetwood burned down even before the curtain came down on the first season. But the Southern Westchester Community had embraced Fleetwood Stage and a home was offered on the grounds of the Wartburg, a 26 acre multi use healthcare facility.

Fleetwood set out to build a loyal subscriber base and the first official season, began with a revival of “Relatively Speaking”. According to the New York Times “AFTER putting on two shows of tourist appeal, "Ain't Misbehavin' " and "I'm Not Rappaport" (both prize-winning hits), in its debut season last summer, Fleetwood Stage Company is upgrading to the classy, if not first class.” The seasons consisted of four main stage productions and included during its eleven season run such diverse plays as “Chapter Two” “How The Other Half Loves” “The Importance of Being Earnest” “Benefactors” “Joe Egg” “”Ghosts” “Master Harold and the Boys” “Fences”, “Deathtrap”, “Lady Day at the Emerson Bar and Grill.”

And while all productions are memorable the one that stands out for Producer Pat Patterson is the 1996 production of Lee Blessings “Two Rooms”. Terry Anderson, the AP Bureau Chief in Beirut in 1978 who was kidnapped and held hostage for nearly 7 years by Hezbollah, along with his wife and the daughter he met after his release shared their story with the actors and creatives of this production helping them to tell the story as it had never been done before. According to the New York Times “In an illuminating production by the Fleetwood Stage Company, Mr. Arlt has drawn out the heartbeat of a play that could otherwise do an audience in with its rambling pontifications about a grim subject: the incarceration of Americans by factions in the Middle East.”

Always looking to expand and serve the community, a traveling children’s show was added to the main stage productions and “Androcles and the Lion” and “Romeo and Juliet” went out to local schools. Part of this outreach included the actors working with the children on stage craft and combat and mask making.

The final home for Fleetwood Stage was on the Long Island Sound at the Wildcliffe Center in New Rochelle where the producers were able to add a Children’s Conservatory as well as free Shakespeare in the Park.

After eleven seasons Fleetwood Stage closed its doors as the Producers were looking for new challenges. Pat returned to New York City where she fell in love with the camera and what it can bring to the storytelling process. She has gone on to embrace and flourish in television and film; and yet, her first love, theatre, is never far from her mind.

published by Pat Patterson, President