At Foods of NY Tours, our tour guides not only showcase the best of the city’s art–they also create it.
Cindy Keiter has led our Original Greenwich Village Tour and our Chelsea Market/ Meatpacking District Tour for over twelve years. In that time, she’s also acted in a number of film, theater, and tv productions in the city. This month, she revives her role of Sally in the neo-noir thriller “Doubles Crossed: The Ballad of Rodrigo,” an original play by Jason S. Grossman and directed by Amber Gallery. It’s a sequel to the 2012 off off-Broadway hit “Doubles Crossed.”
“‘Sally’ is a trip to play!” says Cindy. “You get reoccurring roles in TV or films that have sequels, but it’s very unique for stage, so lucky me!”
“Doubles Crossed: The Ballad of Rodrigo” is a tense, theatrical re-imagining of the film noir dramas of the 40s and 50s. Suspicion and secret alliances underscore the gritty story of criminal-turned-G-man Freddie Tower and the past he can’t escape. Cops, mobsters, heists, a destroyed criminal empire, and a modern down-and-out scam artist bring this adventure full circle.
It’s not just the colorful characters or story lines that inspire Cindy; the thrill of live performances create a unique and unparalleled setting for creating art.
“Doing live stage work is an adrenaline rush for me, because once they say, ‘places,’ you go,” says Cindy. “Unlike shooting a film, where you get multiple chances to get things just right, live performance becomes like a big piece of music with so many elements coming together in the lights, sound, costumes, props, audience. Then, I hope I remember my lines and sound like I’m saying them for the first time!”
Cindy caught the acting bug while in college at the University of Hawaii (yes, she was raised in the Hawaiian Islands). She signed up for an acting class to fulfill her credit requirements, and ended up getting cast in a one-act play. “In the first week of rehearsals, it was as if a lightning bolt hit me and that was it,” says Cindy. “I wanted to be an actor.”
Since then, Cindy has pursued her dream with vigor, whether performing for a tour audience in the Village, or making theatregoers laugh on stage. She always keeps her performance fresh and fun.
“It’s like doing the same tour a few days in a row,” she says. “You might be saying the same things at the same places, but it’s brand new because it’s present. It’s a different audience, day, mood. That makes it exciting and scary and fun all at once.”
If you want to go back to the golden age of film Noir, catch Cindy in the “The Ballad of Rodrigo” at the Tada Theater at 15 West 28th Street. Opening night is Saturday, May 24th, 7pm. Tickets are $18.00. See website for a full list of performance dates!
