Curiosity Lands West Hempstead Man in Ayn Rand Play

Brett Emmett is not a private investigator - he just plays one in the court drama currently being staged at Hofstra University.

The West Hempstead native is a full-time chiropractor,  shuttling back and forth between his offices in West Hempstead and Long Beach, but has managed to build up an impressive repertoire of theatrical performances on the side.

With nearly 18 years of experience on the stage, Emmett is no stranger to the spotlight. You may have seen him perform at the Broadhollow, the Arena and other stages throughout Long Island, appearing in both obscure and well known productions such as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 1776 and Neil Simon's Chapter Two and Laughter on the 23rd Floor to name a few.

His latest project is an Ayn Rand play, Night of January 16th, being stage by Hofstra Entertainment at the University's campus in nearby Hempstead.

Emmett admits that he's 'not a huge Rand fan," but had always found the author to be an interesting person.

"I had read some of her books, "Emmett said, naming two of Rand's best sellers, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, "but I didn't know she had written plays."

Curiosity drew him to the script. Plus, he had always wanted to perform at Hofstra after watching some of the productions its theater company has staged in the past.

"I was impressed with what they had done and wanted to be a part of it,"Emmett said. Plus, with his busy schedule, the proximity of the place to his home also sold him."It's right up the block from me."

Emmet, who grew up in West Hempstead (He graduated from ) and continues to live and work here today, was cast in November. Like the rest of the show's creative team, he had to contend with snowstorms and work around holidays to rehearse for the show.

"We have an excellent director," Emmett says. "Bob Spiotto is a real good guy and made the whole process enjoyable."

While the play opened in 1935 to great acclaim, it is one that is rarely performed today. The show centers around the murder of Bjorn Faulkner, an international tycoon and head of a vast financial empire.  To his beautiful secretary — and mistress — he was a god-like hero. His aristocratic young wife found him a force of nature that needed to be tamed, and his millionaire father saw him as giant whose single error could be used to destroy him.

The play asks the audience to make their own judgments on the man. In fact, during each performance, members of the audience are selected to serve as the jury.

Emmett plays Homer Van Fleet, a private investigator hired by Faulkner's wife who is forced to testify. To bring a realness to the courtroom drama, the cast even includes members of the legal profession - for example, The Honorable Dana Winslow, Supreme Court Judge, Nassau County. Following every performance, legal commentary and discussion is provided by attorneys from the Nassau County Bar Association.

The remaining performances are Saturday, Jan. 22 at 8p.m. and Sunday, Jan.23 at 2p.m, at the Helene Fortunoff Theater, located at Monroe Lecture Center, California Avenue, South Campus of Hofstra University. Tickets are $25, $22 senior citizens (over 65), $18 matriculated non-Hofstra student with ID. For tickets and more information call the Hofstra Box Office at (516) 463-6644, 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit www.hofstra.edu/hofstraentertainment.