She Acts, Teaches, Produces, Builds Theaters
Written by Sylvia Small Tuesday, March 08 2011
Snapshot: Catherine Russell
Catherine Russell is a multitasker par excellence. She wears many hats, including New York actress, general manager, teacher (at New York University and Baruch College), and producer. People magazine named her the "Cal Ripken of Broadway" for her performance record (9,763 performances as of March 1) in the thriller Perfect Crime.
In 2005, she built a new theater center in the heart of Times Square and negotiated off-Broadway's first corporate sponsorship, partnering with Snapple to create the Snapple Theater Center, a 20,000-square-foot entertainment complex where she performs eight times a week.
Womenetics: With so much going on in your life, how do you relax?
Catherine Russell: I don't relax that much. I go to the gym, play with my two dogs, and enjoy date nights with my boyfriend.
Womenetics: How do you feel about being listed in Guinness Book of World Records for your attendance record?
Russell: I was raised to go to work every day. I don't call in sick for any job I do. It's kind of funny to be rewarded for something that's second nature to me. Americans seem to respect people going to work. It's a value that people appreciate a lot.
Womenetics: How do you stay healthy enough to not call in sick?
Russell: I have the worst diet in the world, but I don't smoke or drink. Maybe that's the good part.
Womenetics: Has your career turned out the way you envisioned it?
Russell: From the time I could talk, I was extremely motivated to become an actress. The trick was figuring out how I could do it and support myself. It's hard to do that.
When you do film and television work, you get paid a lot more money and reach more people, but there's a lot of sitting around and waiting involved with a role.
I really like the theater. Every single performance is different in part because of the people sitting in the audience. Sometimes people laugh from the time the play starts. Occasionally no one laughs at all for two hours. But when they clap really hard at the end, you know they enjoyed the play.
I never thought I would be a teacher or a theater manager. In fact, I didn't learn I was good at construction until I was 50 years old. That's a lesson for many people. Women probably have a lot of skills they don't realize they possess.
I love planning, constructing, and managing theaters. I even enjoy taking the garbage out when I lock up at night. My job is enormously satisfying.
Womenetics: Why has Perfect Crime survived for so long?
Russell: I think people love mysteries. Some of the most enduring shows like Law & Order, Murder She Wrote, and Perry Mason dealt with getting away or not getting away with a crime.
People enjoy going to an off-Broadway production in the middle of Broadway. Tourists don't like venturing a long way from their hotels. They like the Snapple Theater Center because it's clean, well run, and looks nice.
Perfect Crime has romance and humor. People seem to enjoy that.
Womenetics: Do you still enjoy playing the leading lady role after 24 years?
Russell: If I were to grow tired of the role, I wouldn't do it anymore. I still get a small thrill before I go on stage. I try to make each performance a little bit different.
As I've aged, so has the character. I'm pretty sure that I've become a better actress. When you play a role eight times each week, you hopefully get better at it. I love what I do.
Womenetics: What's the difference between Broadway and off-Broadway?
Russell: If there are 499 seats or less, it's considered an off-Broadway theater. Once you hit 500 seats, it doesn't matter where you're located on the island of Manhattan. It would be difficult to sell 1,800 seats in a theater that is way out in the middle of nowhere.That's one of the reasons why Broadway theaters are located in one general area. 
Womenetics: How's work progressing on the two other theaters you want to build?
Russell: I have all the money raised for one, and three-fourths of the money raised for the other. I also have corporate sponsors who are interested. They will be 249-seat theaters because there's more of a need for off-Broadway theaters in the heart of Broadway.
Womenetics: What motivates corporate sponsors to get involved with the arts?
Russell: Companies get excited about the possibility of branding a theater. When you walk into our theater, you don't feel like you're in Snapple Land. It's very nice and subtle. For example, there's a bar that displays Snapple bottles with no labels on them.
I think the company was interested in branding, advertising, and supporting the arts. We do a lot of not-for-profit programming here. They get a lot of community goodwill from having their name attached to that programming.
Womenetics: Are you working on a documentary also?
Russell: I hope to film a documentary on the history of off-Broadway within the next 18 months. Off-Broadway is very much tied to the history of New York and even the country. Many of the movers and shakers in the 1950s are getting older so I want to get them on tape soon.
Womenetics: What aspect of teaching do you like most?
Russell: When you're in theater, you entertain people, but you don't really get a chance to affect their lives other than for the moment. When you're a teacher, you can help change the way your students think about themselves and give them the confidence to pursue their dreams.
Womenetics: Do you give your students advice?
Russell: I tell students in my English and acting classes that they need to think long and hard about what makes them happy. They need to find work that satisfies them.
I don't know if anybody told me that when I was young. I sort of figured it out on my own. One of the things I love about teaching is that I can hopefully inspire people to be happier and to find satisfying work.
One of my former students, Ken Leung, wandered into the theater the other day. He was one of the stars of Lost and also performed in an episode of The Sopranos. He credits me and another professor at NYU for helping him become an actor. Responses like that help make teaching satisfying.
Womenetics: Looking back at your life, are there things you wish you had known earlier?
Russell: I know how old I am, but I never think of myself as being old. I don't mind getting older because I keep learning more and more.
I'm a more patient person than I was 10 years ago, which means I might be a little easier to be around. But it also means I get a lot more of what I want. Getting older gives you clarity. You're clearer about what you want and how you can get it.
It helps you put things in perspective. When I was younger, I obsessed about a lot of things that ultimately didn't matter at all.
When you're older, you realize you have a little less time so you waste less time. You also develop a sense of humor. Very few things are so desperate that you can't find some humor in them.
Sylvia Small is a metro-Atlanta based freelance writer and photographer. She also is the principal behind Sylvia Small Communications & Marketing. Her work has been included in Photo District News, Southern Homes (Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles) and numerous association, corporate and online publications.
