INTERVIEW WITH PAUL STORIALE

PAUL STORIALE, isPresident of the NoHo Neighborhood Council, runs and oversees the Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Center, the Avery Schreiber Playhouse, and the Brickhouse Theatre. He is a highly sought after and respected acting teacher and coach and always looking for the next hot commodity for the stage.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with him to discuss the needs of our NoHo arts community. And, YES, he has a lot to say!

Waide Riddle- What would you like to see the subway/train do for the area?

Paul Storiale- There's a billion dollar project going in there. They're breaking ground this year to create the hub of the valley. It's going to be huge... apartments, stores... they're going to build something very nice. It's going to be bigger than anyone could possibly imagine. I'm excited to see the plans... I wish the Metro would take the buses off Magnolia due to the traffic congestion... they are refusing to do that. It would be much easier for everyone if everything went from Vineland to Chandler. 

The one on Magnolia just stops our traffic. If they use the major arteries, Vineland and Lankershim, and stayed off of Magnolia, traffic would be much better.

Waide Riddle- Have you approached them?

Paul Storiale- I've talked to everyone at Metro, and at this point, I don't think they're interested in doing anything that anyone asks of them. It's them doing what they want to do. Think about it, if they take the buses to Vineland-Chandler-Lankershim... only... they wouldn't have to use Magnolia. Magnolia is one lane. Busses are not good for Magnolia.

Waide Riddle- Let's stay on the subject of the subway/train. The entrance/exit at the NoHo Arts District... the riff raff. The drug use and drug dealing. What's your plan to combat that? I'm sure you're aware of this.

Paul Storiale- Everyone's aware of this. Drug addicts, transients... our Senior Lead Officers (SLO's) constantly tell us that their hands are tied. A lot of it is drug addiction. A lot of it is mental illness. Our laws in the State of California and the City of Los Angeles let them do whatever they want to where the residents and businesses no longer have rights. For instance... there are transients on bikes who will go out and terrorize. It's happening all over L.A., but we're the last stop on the Red Line, so they're getting off there... the police say their hands are tied because the judges will find in favor of the transients who get arrested and the city gets sued, and the mayor says, "Sorry. No more." ... that's just my opinion. Everyone's blaming everyone else... just get the job done.

Waide Riddle- Figure it out.

Paul Storiale- Figure it out so transients can legally be allowed to sleep on the sidewalks. Figure it out that transients can have their personal belongings with them in our society. In our civilized society. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, WAIDE? WRITE THIS DOWN!

Waide Riddle- OK!

Paul Storiale- The people who give them food and the people who give them money on the street are not helping the problem, they are causing the problem. That is the problem. They have places to go. The city, the state, provides places for them to go. They don't want to go there. They're not going to make money there. They're going to eat there and sleep there and that's it. Now, this is different from the people who are down on their luck. People who are homeless because they lost something. That's a totally different story. This is about the mentally ill and the drug addicts.

Waide Riddle- Which has become very dangerous.

Paul Storiale- You have no idea.

Waide Riddle- I do know. I see it all the time... Being a man in your position, what would be the ideal medicine?

Paul Storiale- ... When I leave this position, I want to see more people at our neighborhood council meetings. I want them to know we are there for them. That we're there for the community. That's why we were created... for the community... I want to see a lot more interaction with the stake holders. I want to see a lot more involvement with our stake holders. That's what I want when I leave... But! I also want an extremely clean NoHo that people are proud to live in.

Waide Riddle- Street performers! Is there any future attempt to attract them to NoHo and the subway/train station?

Paul Storiale- I haven't seen any...

Waide Riddle- Oh, yeah. Over at the NoHo train station...

Paul Storiale- This is a new issue for me... I don't know anything about it.

Waide Riddle- I guess I introduced you to it.

Paul Storiale- I guess you did! But, I don't know if we can do anything because that's a city thing. BUT! Now, I'm going to go over there and see what's going on.

Waide Riddle- It's a terrific area that you can have performers. See, John, NoHo can take the lead!

Paul Storiale- Thank you for informing me. I'm going to look into this.

Waide Riddle- What's your favorite color?

Paul Storiale- Blue.

Waide Riddle- Why?

Paul Storiale- Because, it's easy on the eyes.

Waide Riddle- What's your favorite book?

Paul Storiale- "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. It teaches you how to gain power in your life by using history as an example.

Waide Riddle- Would our President like it?

Paul Storiale- ................................................................................. I don't think he reads.

We both chuckle.

Waide Riddle- ... No comment... What's your favorite movie?

Paul Storiale- I don't have a favorite movie now... wait ... I'd have to say, "Boyhood!" But, my favorite movie as a kid was "Lean on Me." I've seen it so many times... I can recite every single line from that movie. 

Waide Riddle- What's your favorite song? Your Happy Place Song?

Paul Storiale- That's the problem, I don't really listen to music ... but... 1950s and 1960s songs get me walkin'  down the street. I like current music, but, fifties and sixties is so identifiable to me.

Waide Riddle- Our landmarks of NoHo... What would you like to see done?

Paul Storiale- The NoHo Gateway! I think it's the ugliest thing I've seen in my life. Nobody likes it. When businesses put that up to show off NoHo, it's embarrassing.

Waide Riddle- I have to agree with you on that. It is not an attractive example of NoHo.

Paul Storiale- I think we need something else than can identify us, as opposed to that ugly, disgusting thing. Everyone agrees, except for the persons that put it up.

Waide Riddle- It needs to be updated.

Paul Storiale- It needs to be salvaged. It does not represent us.

Waide Riddle- It's tacky. Industrial in an Arts District.

Paul Storiale- The problem is the money. It would cost fifty grand. The city would have to do it.

Waide Riddle- ... to take it down? 

Paul Storiale- Melt it!

Waide Riddle- It is not attractive.

Paul Storiale- It's embarrassing.

Waide Riddle- You are also a producer and director of theatre.

Paul Storiale- Yes! I wrote a play called "The Columbine Project" which went off-Broadway. I typically produce about three or four productions a year. I have a theatre company called Defiance. It's a baby. Only two years old, but we're cranking out some really good shows. I also do the Valley Theatre Awards. I produced the West Coast premiere of "Twist," "My Big Gay Italian Wedding," "The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever," "Dysfunctional Family Christmas" and my show "One Night Stands" ran for eight years. I teach improv... I have a free improv class that I run through my theatre company. That's how I cast.

Waide Riddle- Is there anything else about the theatre you want people to know?

Paul Storiale- Shut your f**king phones off!

We both laugh.

Waide Riddle- Thank you, Paul, for your time. It's been a pleasure.

Paul Storiale- Thank you for listening to my opinions. 

To contact the handsome and ever-so-attractive Paul Storiale at PS Productions, email him at:

pstoriale@gmail.com.