Thursday, October 1, 2026
What were once two long-vacant Main Street buildings have become one of East Rockaway’s newest cultural destinations.
After nearly six years of planning, construction and setbacks, Strongbox Theater opened last month at 40 Main St., where owners Tony Leone and his business partner, Marla D’Urso, transformed a former bank and neighboring office building into a 90-seat performing arts venue.
The theater celebrated its ribbon-cutting on July 14 and opened its inaugural season last weekend with the second annual Short Play Festival. The first festival was held last year at Bethany Congregational Church in East Rockaway while the theater was still under construction. This year’s event features eight original one-act plays, most of them making their world premieres, performed over three weekends.
The second weekend of the festival will feature performances this Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon. As a special promotion, tickets for this and next Saturday’s 2 p.m. performance are available for $25.
For Leone, 54, producer and founder of Strongbox Theater, opening the venue fulfilled a dream years in the making. “It’s always been an obsession of mine to be a producer and have my own venue,” he said.
After considering locations in Malverne, Lynbrook and Valley Stream, the couple found the former East Rockaway National Bank and Trust Company building. Leone immediately recognized its potential. “The high ceilings were ideal for theater,” he said. “They allow us to build bigger sets and create the lighting design we envisioned.”
The couple later purchased the neighboring building, a TLC Diagnostics office, and combined the two properties, creating additional space for bathrooms, accessibility requirements and a lounge.
“You wouldn’t even believe they were two different buildings,” Leone said.
D’Urso said they intentionally designed the theater to be more than a place to watch a performance. “Other theaters just have a lobby where people grab a drink before the show,” she said. “We wanted people to stay afterward, come beforehand, relax and spend time together.”
The bar and lounge are open Thursday through Sunday during the summer, even when no performances are scheduled, and the owners hope to host musicians, lectures and other events throughout the year. “We wanted it to become a neighborhood gathering place,” D’Urso said.
Leone said that while they never intended to compete with Manhattan’s theater scene, many patrons have told them Strongbox offers a welcome alternative closer to home.
“So many people have said, ‘Now I don’t have to go into the city,’” he said. “That’s been really encouraging.”
The road to last month’s opening, however, was anything but easy. After two years of consultations with an architect, D’Urso said, contractors concluded that the plans were unworkable, forcing the couple to begin again with an entirely new design team.
“It was a huge setback,” she said. “We had to cut our losses and start from scratch.”
Leone credited village officials for helping move the project forward. “The village was really a partner,” he said. “They were supportive, accessible and helped guide us through the process.”
Strongbox was built not only as a performance venue, he said, but to connect people. “We want people to feel like humans, not cattle being shuffled in,” he said. “We want them to walk into a beautiful space where they feel welcome and part of something special. We also want artists to have a home where they can continue developing their craft.”
That vision resonated with actor Edward Grosskreuz, of Bellmore, who is performing in four of the festival’s eight short plays.
Grosskreuz first got involved with Strongbox through connections in Long Island’s theater community, and performed in last year’s Short Play Festival. This year he returned. “I can’t believe I get to help open this beautiful new theater,” he said. “That’s a rare opportunity.”
A longtime educator who has performed since he was a child, Grosskreuz, 42, said Strongbox feels different from other venues because of both its professionalism and its intimate design.
“As a performer, I can see every person in the audience,” he said. “Performing is all about an exchange of energy, and this space lets you feel that connection in a way bigger theaters can’t.”
He also praised the venue’s post-performance atmosphere, when cast members often meet audience members in the lounge to chat about the show. “I’ve never really had the opportunity to sit in such a beautiful setting and talk with people afterward,” Grosskreuz said. “It’s been one of the most memorable experiences of my career.”
Looking ahead, he believes Strongbox can become an important creative hub on Long Island. “I know there were a lot of stops and starts, but Tony and Marla never gave up on their dream,” Grosskreuz said. “What’s special is that it’s become a dream for everybody who wants to create or just experience creativity and connect with other people. I hope this becomes a destination for artists throughout New York.”
