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C.W. Post Center for Family Business Explores
Issues With Theatre
The C.W. Post Center for Family Business will host the Long
Island debut of "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home!",
a one-of-a-kind musical dramatic comedy illustrating many of
the classic but unique challenges of multigenerational businesses.
The event will take place on Saturday, May 20, 2000 at 5:30 p.m.
in the Little Theatre on the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island
University (Route 25A/Northern Boulevard) in Brookville.
Presented by DramaWorks Interactive Business Theatre, in 1999
the show earned the Best Dramatic Presentation Award given by
the Alliance for Community Media. The play has also received
praise from publications including Nation's Business, The Boston
Globe, Entrepreneur, and from National Public Radio.
Using real-life scenarios and Yiddish humor (explained), the
story portrays the feud between twin brothers Jake (Timothy Holcomb)
and Sol Schwartz (Tim Van Ness). The brothers, whose personalities
and management styles are like night and day, are part of the
appropriately named family business, Schwartz and Weiss (Yiddish
for Black and White) Tool Company. The business is held together
by their father Izzy (Nick Simms), the company's colorful CEO.
The tense situation escalates with the announcement of Izzy's
seemingly surprise marriage to Sarah (Christine Stevens), the
marketing director. However, Izzy's sudden death three days later
with no clear-cut succession plan threatens the future of his
company.
Meanwhile, Izzy's granddaughter, Josie (Toni Bergins), is
recording all this - literally - for a school project. Her pointed
observations provide an eye-opening way of viewing the emotional
scenarios. Audiences are rewarded not only by the entertaining
music and performances but also by the education on the issues
that businesses need to survive.
The play is co-authored by Ira Bryck and Erik Mutén.
Bryck is a Long Island native who spent 17 years in his family's
fourth generation children's wear business, Barasch's Kidstore,
which operated in Freeport from 1902 to 1993 and was known as
the oldest children's shop in the nation. Bryck then moved to
Massachusetts to become the director of the Umass Family Business
Center. He has also served as a consultant and public speaker
on the issues of family business survival and professionalization.
In his practice, Mutén, an organizational consultant
and health psychologist, catalyzes emotional intelligence in
the workplace. His expertise adds interesting twists and spins
to the scenarios depicted in family business productions.
"Wait Till Your Father Gets Home!" is limited to
one performance on Saturday, May 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the
C.W. Post Campus Little Theatre, Northern Boulevard, Brookville.
All tickets are $50, which includes a buffet dinner following
the performance. For information and reservations call (516)
299-2236.
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