CARS & THEATRE: A Talk with Playwright, Sean King

Say the name Sean King on Long Island, and most folks are inclined to think of Sean King, the Principal Dealer of King O’Rourke Cadillac in Smithtown. They would be correct. However, King is also an actor with an impressive resume to his credit, including roles like Harold in Lyle Kessler’s “Orphans” Ricky Roma in “Glengarry Glen Ross” and Pato Dooley in “The Beauty Queen of Leenane.” He was also bestowed the title of ‘Best Actor in Long Island’ for three consecutive years by Broadway World between 2014 and 2016. Now venturing into the arena of playwriting, his Off-Broadway production of “Airport and the Strange Package” premiers at the Gene Frankel Theatre on August 7, 2024. He kindly took some time between rehearsals to share his story.

Fire Island & Great South Bay News (FIN): We have known you as the principal dealer of King O’Rourke Cadillac, but you’ve been leading a double life with an accomplished acting career of over 40 years. Let’s discuss that.

Sean King (SK): Well, I’ve always been interested in acting, theater, and all the arts. I started to watch “Inside the Actors Studio,” and I would say to myself, ‘That’s where I should be.’ So, I auditioned for some community theater and got a few parts. I became established and met my mentor, Jim Bonney, an accomplished acting teacher. We started producing plays locally on Long Island, notably in Huntington. One was “Orphans,” written by Lyle Kessler. We converted a barn from the Historical Society into a theater. We rented the barn for two months and brought in a stage, lighting, sound, and 70 seats. We invited Kessler to see it. He liked the production and made a producer partner. Jim became a member of the Actors Studio and then part of the Playwright and Directors Unit. He would observe plays as they were being developed and went into full production. Jim was allowed to bring a guest so that we would go to sessions every Wednesday. Sometimes, the plays were good; other times, they weren’t. But we would always discuss in detail what happened. It was like was getting a masterclass as a playwright. Ultimately, I wrote “Airport and the Strange Package,” which is my first play.

FIN: I must say it is an intriguing title. Is it based on real-life experience, or did it spring from your imagination?

SK: I was visiting my daughter down in Wilmington. And just the processes and the dehumanization of what the TSA puts you through just to get on a plane. I remember there was a time when you just walked on the plane, and those days are gone. So, I asked myself why this needs to be. Why does our personal dignity need to be violated just to get on a plane? Well, there’s a risk out there. Well, there’s also a risk of getting in your car. There’s a different dynamic with plane travel because it’s 30,000 feet in the air. The play is about what we’re willing to tolerate in order to order to feel that we’re safe and other agendas that might be involved––TSA control and also make us more compliant as a culture. These are things that I’m passionate about, and they anger me. So, I wrote a play about it. I used humor to show the absurdity of it all.

FIN: It sounds like this play is, in part, a real-life experience combined with your imagination. So, you have produced other plays, but this is the first one you wrote?

SK: Exactly! This is the first play that I produced, that I’ve actually written.

FIN: For a subject you’re so passionate about, why didn’t you cast one of the roles for yourself in the play?

SK: It’s too distracting. I tried producing and acting in the last two shows I did. It takes away from the process. Something’s got to give; either the producing or the acting will suffer. So, I figured that by giving another actor the job, he would focus on the character without distraction. It was the best professional decision to make.

FIN: Can you tell me a little bit about your cast?

SK: They are a young cast early in their careers. They came into the project with the absolute best attitude. They were open to the experience and what I was trying to say. They got it immediately. We also have a very accomplished director. His name is Bill Roudebush, and every one of his rehearsals is a master class in acting. I’m hoping this experience will launch them to another step.

FIN: From the moment we decided to write the play to the curtain rising, how long did it take for this whole thing to come to fruition?

SK: That would be eight years. I wrote it in 2016. The overhead announcement that was broadcast at the gate in the waiting area that day I was going to visit my daughter was absurd. It was just creating fear. So, I wrote a draft of the play and then put it away. Then, the pandemic started. My brothers and I started a production company and produced some short works, and I decided to dust off the play around January. Before I knew it, we found a theater, got the set design, hired a sound guy, put the crew together, and had auditions.

FIN: Is managing a cast and a creative crew for a play any way akin to managing your rather substantial staff at King O’Rourke Cadillac? Are there any parallels?

SK: The parallels are almost exact. The only difference is the result. At the dealership, we’re trying to make money. You have to satisfy the customer, and we want to maximize profitability. All the things we have to do on a daily basis in order to pay their bills and mortgages and educate their kids. In the theater community’s the same thing, but money is the last thing. Everybody’s doing this for a very, very low amount of money. They’re doing it for an artistic need. The secret sauce for both is hiring the right people. If you hire the right crew, production will go so much smoother.

FIN: How do your two worlds, the worlds of cars and theater, feed into each other?

SK: Well, I couldn’t have a theater life if I didn’t have a car life. If I wasn’t the general manager of that dealership, I couldn’t produce plays. I have so many resources available to me –– I have a full-time publicity staff, a tow truck, and a fleet of vehicles that we could send out. I have resources that other producers don’t have. I have 35,000 email subscribers. They may expect a coupon from the car dealership, but I slip in some publicity for the show. I can indulge myself here and there because it’s a family business. There’s no way I could have launched this production without it. I don’t have to make money from the play. I make money selling cars. I can afford to give the creative people what they need to make it a great production. There’s not going to be any windfall from this. I just want to give the people who come to show the best production I possibly can.

FIN: Sean, you know that even before I knew you were a playwright and had a play coming, I pursued your company because I noticed King O’Rourke Cadillac was doing things a little differently. From where I sit, I see creativity. Has working in theatre broadened your scope?

SK: Well, business is not a science. It’s an art. It’s creative and flowing every day. I don’t have a hard set of rules. I noticed the best salespeople are artists. He or she is like an actor on stage. They pivot and change in the moment. They get into character and improvise in order to close the sale. I used to work in a restaurant when I was young, and the chef would make ice sculptures for special events. He would take this block of ice and he would chip away to create a beautiful swan. When I asked him how he did it, he said, ‘I chip away at everything that’s not a swan.’ I know that’s an old axiom, but it’s cliche because it’s true. That’s how we built our dealership.

“Airport and the Strange Package” runs through August 25, 2024. The Gene Frankel Theatre is located at 24 Bond Street in New York City. Tickets are available online at airport-and-the-strange-package.com/shows