Director discovers freedom to take chances

Mark Hennessy was a vampire-killer in the '80s.

The movie was "Night of the Tiger" and graced the big-screens of Hong Kong. He went on to star in "Terminal Exposure," a remake of the 1966 classic "Blow-Up."

Some two decades later, the blue-eyed, floppy-haired artistic director of the Star Bar Players theater company still exudes the charisma that landed him such gigs.

VENUE: Over the past decade, Hennessy has worked on more than 40 local plays, gracing every major stage in Colorado Springs. Yet he remains most attached to the Lon Chaney Theatre in the City Auditorium - home to Star Bar for some 35 years.

"The stage itself is one of the coolest, because it's the most intimate," he says of the 231-seat theater. "You can stand on the edge of the apron and be heard in the last row."

BACKGROUND: "For a long time as a child, I was pretty sure I was going to be a professional baseball player," says Hennessy, who grew up a half-hour from New York City and frequented Broadway shows. "But theater had girls."

He would spend a dozen years in Hollywood, growing disillusioned with the movie industry and taking a teaching job at a school for troubled teens. In 1996, he moved to Colorado Springs, joined the Community Prep School, and saw an opportunity to return to his first love - theater.

TAKE ON THE SCENE: "Over time, it's become painfully obvious to me that there's a lot of talent in this town - painfully, because I don't think there is support for theater like there should be," he says. "I wish I knew why, but we're probably ten theaters short of where we should be."

GREATEST CHALLENGES: "I'd say we're the theater that struggles most against the odds, in terms of community involvement; money, always money; subscription base . . ." he says.

During his four years as president and four years as artistic director of Star Bar, Hennessy has focused on reaching a broader audience.

GREATEST REWARDS: Hennessy enjoys a level of artistic freedom in the Springs he doesn't think he'd find elsewhere.

"As an actor, you get a chance to play roles you wouldn't get to play in other places. I spent 20 years playing every romantic role imaginable.

Now, I get to play bad guys and bastards."

WHY DO IT HERE: "You can take chances here," he says. "You have a lot of ability to express yourself that would be harder to come by in a bigger city because of the sheer volume of competition."

TYPICAL DAY: "Part of my job is to get out there and connect with people. I audition and work at other theaters all the time. I'm the eyes, the ears, the face of Star Bar," he said.

"I work a regular job teaching kids. I'm up past midnight most nights and I get up at 6."