Strongbox Theater in East Rockaway opening after 6-year renovation

It's a production almost six years in the making, but Strongbox Theater in East Rockaway is finally ready for its debut.

On Thursday night, Strongbox will have a soft launch of its bar/lounge, which will be followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by village officials on Tuesday and Strongbox's initial production, a one-act play festival, from July 31 to Aug. 16.

Husband and wife owners Tony Leone and Marla D'Urso, who have worked on transforming the abandoned East Rockaway National Bank and Trust Company into their performing arts space since November 2020, have big plans for the venue. The theater, which can accommodate roughly 90 people, is designed to present plays, comedy shows, concerts, open mic nights and more. There's also a bar, which will serve cocktails, small plates and desserts, as well as an outdoor patio.

"We wanted to create a place where people can gather, get off the couch, get off their phones, see a show and reconnect. And before and after the show, they can go to the bar and lounge and just talk to each other. There'll be no TVs playing," Leone said.

A centerpiece of the space is the remainder of a bank vault from the building's previous life. "We destroyed the walls of the vault and kept the door and it’s a design element for the bar," Leone said. "The back of the vault with the gears and the bases is within the theater and will be a good backdrop for stand-up comedy shows."

When they first talked about the theater in 2020, the couple told Newsday they expected it would be "a seven-figure renovation." While not offering an exact number on how much they spent, the couple said it was double what they expected. And not surprisingly, it was also fraught with issues, including a change of architects three years into the project.

"He wasn’t getting the job done. He wasn’t getting a final set of plans for us," D'Urso said.

"We thought about giving up," Leone said. "But we decided to give it another shot with another architect. We invested so much of our energy and time and we had to do it. We owned the building. We were running on fear and pressure."

Fortunately, they also had the support of the community. "We're excited to welcome Strongbox Theater to Main Street," said Gordon Fox, the Mayor of the Village of East Rockaway in an email to Newsday. "This project has been years in the making, and the Village Board is proud to see it come to life. We wish them every success and know they will be a wonderful addition to our community."

Now as Leone and D'Uris' dream project finally comes to life, they're hoping to create a space that can be a launchpad for actors hoping to hit Broadway and for local musicians to flourish.

"We want to try creating a haven for original music acts," Leone said. "Long Island once had a thriving original music scene and we want to bring some of that back."