Diane Stiles, Managing Director of the Castillo Theatre

"We're on 42nd Street now, surely a different location from (Castillo's old home on) Greenwich Street (in Soho)," comments Diane Stiles, Managing Director of the Castillo Theatre. "New groups of people are being exposed to our work, recognizing the importance of our work and recognizing that there is something new happening culturally in the City. It's one thing to plan to move here (a long process in itself), it is another to have people tell us it means something to them for us to be here. Now the All Stars Center is a visible theatre complex in New York City's historic theatre district, a powerful symbol of our arrival in a new context, a change whose meaning I did not fully appreciate before we came here."

"With three new theater spaces to fill, the question arises: how are we filling all of those seats? Several new initiatives have been launched to bring people in. For example, a troupe of Castillo volunteers now goes to the TKTS booth (the half-price ticket operation) near Times Square, pitching our shows to out-of-towners and New Yorkers alike. Another initiative is our 'Ticket-A-Thon,' staffed by volunteers, which cold calls residents of the surrounding neighborhood to make special introductory offers. Thirdly, we have hired two new staff members, Jill Battalen and Gail Peck, to head up Group Sales."

"The most direct expression of the All Stars' successful arrival on 42nd Street is the numbers. During the first five weeks of our first 42nd Street season, some 2100 people have come through our doors! That compares with 5,000 theatergoers during the entire season last year on Greenwich Street. Granted, we have three shows running simultaneously, but that is still an impressive change."

"Other challenges we have faced have been as mundane as the quantitative change from one to three theaters, multiplying the Tech Staffs and House Staffs, which is going nicely. Gail Elberg, Director of Talented Volunteers, and volunteer Jessica Marta, have done a terrific job!"

"On the other hand, establishing a new youth theater, Youth OnStage!, has been both very challenging - and rewarding. We took on the challenge of simultaneously putting on a production while establishing the program. In doing so, we made quite a splash! Youth OnStage!'s first production, Crown Heights has been written up in over a dozen publications locally - and nationally - and has been featured on New York 1's (the local Time Warner Cable's all-news station) 'On Stage' program, making it our most talked about production ever! I am very proud that we are successfully putting political theater on the map in the Big Apple."

"The next event of this season is the opening, on March 19th, of the All Stars Hip Hop Cabaret co-directed by Dan Friedman and Antoine Joyce. I think this is a great pairing! - Hip Hop and Cabaret - in the tradition of Castillo's mixing of things that don't ordinarily go together. Though the acts will come from the All Stars Talent Shows, this will not be 'just another Talent Show.' Rather it will be a 'show' in its own right - with a beginning middle and an end - woven out of the All Stars Talent Shows. Two of the four planned Cabaret shows are already sold out! Stay tuned -- there will be even more next season!"

"On April 4th the Castillo Theatre will open This Is Your Ridiculous Life, directed by David Nackman and starring the Castillo acting ensemble. Based on last season's successful 'Castillo/Improv,' volunteers from the audience will be invited to come on stage, chat with a therapist, and watch as Castillo's experienced improvisers turn their life into a hilarious skit - right on the spot! It will run on selected Saturdays into the Fall. DON'T MISS IT!

"Mommsen's Future is a play featuring four members of the Castillo ensemble. It was compiled by Dan Friedman from the writings of the brilliant German avant-gardist, Heiner Müller. It contains an interview of Müller and some of his poetry. The production opens April 16th. Müller was a gifted playwright who dramatically explored the 'promise and failure of communism,' and his work offers an intellectually rigorous examination of the state of the world. Rehearsals began at the end of February."

"The second offering of Five Points Presents..., opening April 30th, will be Sistermusic by Carol Polcovar. This play deals with gender, sexuality and lots of identity switching. It is delightful and funny - like a French farce!"

For tickets and/or information on any of the All Stars' theatrical offerings, please call the box office at 212-941-1234.