Fact or Fiction: Staten Island Is The Forgotten Borough

Staten Island is the forgotten borough. This, I am here to tell you, is a myth. A frequent question that many tourists as well as residents ask themselves is: "What is there to do on Staten Island?" Besides taking a trip over to the Staten Island mall, one of the three movie theaters, or one of the two bowling alleys, you might be hard-pressed to find an activity to do after going to Applebee's for dinner.
Theater on Staten Island takes a back seat to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and even shows put on by the Paper Mill Playhouse. Being located about an hour away from New York City allows local islanders to hop on the Staten Island Ferry and take a subway over to the theater district. Even an express bus can drop you off an avenue away from Times Square. However, with the downfall of the economy over the past couple of years, the option of buying tickets to Broadway shows that cost anywhere between the range of $55 - $135 a piece is no more. Although, the economy does not affect the fact that people do have a passion for musicals and a need for entertainment. I am here to report on the theater happenings on Staten Island. Good quality and affordable performances are available right at our fingertips. Some companies just do not have the funding to advertise and get the word out about these shows, musicals, plays, concerts, etc. that they are hosting locally.

There are many schools in and around Staten Island that put on performances that are of very high quality. Schools ranging from elementary up to the college level put on various productions throughout the year. Many of the schools do either fall or spring shows. There are other theater groups on the Island such as at the St. George Theater, Snug Harbor, Staten Island Children's Theater, The Actor's Workshop, etc. that hold auditions and have openings for stage crew positions available as well. I will be reporting on shows put on by these theater productions, as well as schools such as: the College of Staten Island, Wagner College, St. John's University, St. Joseph Hill Academy, Monsignor Farrell High School, and much much more. The prices for these tickets vary from $5 - $25 (a large disparity from the Broadway prices if you ask me.)
Personally, having invested many hours of my life in devotion to theater I will be able to talk about some of my own personal experiences as well. I have performed in many Rogers and Hammerstein productions including: Oklahoma, The King and I, Carousel, and South Pacific (all of which took place while I was in high school.) The months and months of preparation and practice for these shows could really give someone insight to the passion the upcoming actors and actresses have for theater. Many peers my age that I performed with went on to college to pursue their dreams of possibly being on Broadway one day. Everyone has to start somewhere and don't miss out on seeing them perform locally before they "make it big." Who knows, this "forgotten borough" might just be the place for their "claim to fame."