Justin Rivers of Brooklyn and Edgartown is finally seeing the realization of a project that has been more than 10 years in the making. His play “The Eternal Space” is about to debut Off-Broadway at the Lion Theater on Theater Row in New York.
The title “The Eternal Space” refers to the former Penn Station, which was razed in 1963 to cut down on the high cost of maintaining the 1910 Beaux Arts architectural masterpiece. The station was relocated underground, and the Penn Plaza complex and Madison Square Garden erected above. It was a controversial move that resulted in citywide protests and harsh criticism from the press.
A New York Times journalist of the day wrote, “Until the first blow fell, no one was convinced that Penn Station really would be demolished, or that New York would permit this monumental act of vandalism against one of the largest and finest landmarks of its age of Roman elegance.”
With his two-man play, Mr. Rivers is not only presenting an interesting psychological drama concerning a pair of very different characters with distinct backgrounds and views, he is also helping to keep the former Penn Station alive for a new generation.
Mr. Rivers wasn’t even alive during the era of the original Penn Station, and he had no knowledge of the loss of the landmark until he stumbled upon a book of photos taken during the demolition process. This discovery took place in the wake of the loss of another New York City landmark.
“It was right after 9/11,” says the playwright. “It was the winter of 2002 when I found Peter Moore’s book on the destruction of Penn Station. There were photos documenting the process. It absolutely moved me. I didn’t know Penn Station was what it once was: one of the most beautiful buildings in New York.”
A relative newcomer to New York — Mr. Rivers lives in Brooklyn, where he works as an educator — the playwright found a connection between the loss of the Twin Towers and the demolition of Penn Station. “I sort of linked the two events,” he says. In the play, Mr. Rivers examines the questions that he was exploring at the time. “When iconic pieces of architecture are taken from us, how does that drive the collective psyche of the city?” he says. “We don’t miss something until it’s gone. What does that mean to us?”
Although the play delves into the lives and personalities of its two main characters, the star of the show is, in a way, the building itself. Through extensive research — which included tracking down some of the original photographers or their archives — Mr. Rivers has gathered over 2,000 photos of the demolition project taken by five different photographers. A wide selection of these images is used as a backdrop for the drama. A tech team has managed to recreate areas of the original building, using multiple and fractured images projected around all sides of the stage area.
“This is completely different than the way we used the images for readings,” says Mr. Rivers. “They’ve built a set that mocks a room in Penn Station by taking the photos, cutting them and using four or five different projections to recreate the rooms. There are seven different locations. It’s far beyond what I had ever imagined.”
Of the design team, Mr. Rivers says, “It’s become a passion project for them. They just love it and want to see it grow.”
The two actors who have signed on are equally dedicated to the project.
Clyde Baldo, who plays an English teacher and demolition protester, has appeared in over 50 plays, 30 films, 16 commercials, and 5 network TV spots. Mr. Baldo is also a director, acting coach, and playwright.
Matthew Pilieci, whose character is a construction worker and photographer who is among the demolition team, has been working in film and New York City theater for the past 13 years. He is also co-founder of the Amoralists Theater Company.
“Both [actors] have been working on this show for three years throughout the reading and developing process,” says Mr. Rivers. “They’ve grown really fond of these characters. Watching them in rehearsal, the characters have changed completely.”
“The Eternal Space” has been staged as a reading several times, most notably for the American Institute of Architects’ 50th anniversary memorial for the destruction of Penn Station, for a program at the Transit Museum, at Fordham Lincoln Center, and for the Municipal Arts Society of New York’s 2015 summit.
Mr. Rivers was able to recruit award-winning director Mindy Cooper for the play’s world premiere at the Lion Theater. Ms. Cooper has directed, choreographed, and performed in a number of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, including “Chicago” (original revival) and “Titanic” (original cast).
The play will run for three weeks. Mr. Rivers, who has been spending summers on the Vineyard since 1994, notes that he has maintained many friendships with year-round Islanders. A group of Vineyarders will be heading to New York this coming Saturday for opening night.
“The Eternal Space” will run from Nov. 14 to Dec. 6 at the Lion Theater on Theater Row on 42nd Street. For tickets, more information, and a look at a trailer and a videotaped excerpt from the play, visit theeternalspaceplay.com.