Du Brock’s main credit was that he had assisted Director Jose Quintero at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Bleeker Street in New York City. In the early 1960’s, Neal Du Brock moved to Buffalo. Healy wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the large scale Easter and Christmas shows including “Alice in Wonderland” and “Winnie the Pooh.” Some lucky drama students (including me) were cast in the shows along with a stellar cast of the best known actors in Buffalo. Healy had been a radio star, notably on “The Lone Ranger.” In addition to teaching at Studio Theatre, Ms. The director of the educational program in the 1950’s was the formidable Mary Barrett Healy.

WNY actors, directors, designers, and stage crew came together as a family there. The theatre building had beautiful old woodwork throughout. Costumes for the main stage were created next door in a large, old refurbished house.

Costumes for students were stored in big closets along the wall. The upstairs stage was smaller than the main stage, but it had lights and a little cyclorama. Upstairs, there was a second stage in a large room for classes. It was a lovely facility with a proscenium stage, a large shop down the stairs off stage left, dressing rooms and greenroom, a lobby furnished with sofas and chairs, and a dance studio. once told me that Studio Theatre was considered the place to aspire to for all WNY actors in the 1940’s and 1950’s. In 1937, Studio Theatre moved to the Universalist Church at the corner of Lafayette and Hoyt where it remained for almost 30 years, still under the auspices of Jane Keeler. Studio Theatre was founded in 1927 by the venerable Jane Keeler and its first location was the corner of Elmwood and Anderson in the space that later became Theatreloft. For summer musicals, the place to go was Melody Fair, but that’s a different story! I grew up in Buffalo in the 1950’s when Studio Theatre was the foremost community theatre company in town.

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