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The second theatrical run of BKC, an original play by Matt Schapiro ’96, took place in June at the 111 First Street Artist’s Initiative Theater in Jersey City.
A one-act comedy written, produced, directed, and performed by Schapiro and Brad Webb, BKC is the tale of two brothers in their late 20s who are kicked out of their rooms in their parents’ house and forced to live together in the garage. Schapiro and Webb play the brothers.
“Even though it is a comedy, I think it’s a good illustration of what a lot of people our age are going through,” says Schapiro. “It represents the uncertainty and stress of this period in life and deals with the pervasive question facing many young people today: What [are] we gonna do now?”
Schapiro and Webb, who formed 40 oz. Productions in 2001, first performed their play in January at the Access Theater in Manhattan, where five of six shows sold out.
“People should come for the experience,” says Schapiro before the play’s run. “It’s going to be a fun event, and it’s not just about the play. It’s in a very cool space, not a conventional theater — there’s also an art exhibit there, and people will sit on couches, not chairs.”
Schapiro notes that BKC is a multimedia production, including animation by Derrick Mast ’95, videography by 40 oz. Production member Jamie Slomski, and music. The play was also co-produced by Kelly Williams, the fourth member of 40 oz.
BKC was performed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights June 12-28 at 111 First Street in Jersey City. For more information on the play, visit www.bkctheplay.com.
“This show and the First Street Artists’ Initiative are thrilled to be receiving wide-scale support from local businesses and the general community, and plans for further productions are already underway,” says Schapiro, who has lived in Jersey City for the past six years.
BKC is set to return to New York, where it will be performed July 17-Aug. 2 as part of the Midtown International Theater Festival at the Abington Theatre Arts Annex and MITF Annex. The play was one of approximately 25 chosen from among hundreds for inclusion in the acclaimed festival.
While majoring in English with a minor in philosophy at Lafayette, Schaprio and Ross Gay ’96, Dean of Studies Humanities Fellow for the past two years, created Toilet Paper, a publication combining reporting, poetry, and satire. They also hosted “The Ross and Matt Show” on WJRH, which Schapiro describes as a “no holds barred” experience with frequent guest appearances by Gil Ozir ’96 and Phil Romano ’98. He also performed in Sunday in the Park with George and directed and acted in a student-run black box production of Waiting for Godot.
Schapiro says his Lafayette experience has helped him “immensely” in his life and career.
“I did a lot of things there, a lot of things I created for myself,” he notes. “After working in New York in theater for a year, I realized that’s the way to do it. You definitely need to make your own rules, and you need to break them too.”
His advice to aspiring actors is that “the hardest thing is not giving up when things aren’t going well — you just have to be able to weather the lows and enjoy the highs.”
Schapiro has appeared in dozens of theatrical, television, and film productions, including TV guest spots on “Sex and the City” (HBO), “Urban Myths” (MTV), and “The $treet” (FOX); a Polish play directed by Brooke O’Harra ’95 entitled Tumor Brainiowicz; Spike Lee’s Bamboozled; and a recent Adidas commercial. He also works for the Building, Dwelling, and Thinking Construction Company.