Police Lieutenant Schrank is a supporting character in West Side Story. He is a police lieutenant who tries to keep the peace between the Jets and Sharks, yet realistically finds them hopeless and would rather that they be gone for good.
Background[]
Personality[]
Police Lieutenant Schrank is short tempered and sarcastic. It is very much apparent that his long service on the force has made him cynical, yet wise enough to see how things will turn out. While he can be antagonistic towards the Jets and Sharks, he is actually quite truthful with them and delivers a very honest view on how their lives are going to turn out. It is implied that he cares very much for his city and wants to do whatever it takes to keep things clean. Despite the good intentions of Tony and MarÃa, he also seems to look down on them due to their association with the gangs, implying a bit of prejudice.
Trivia[]
Prior to Corey Stoll portraying Schrank, he was played by five actors. When the original Broadway show opened back in 1957, Schrank was portrayed by Arch Johnson and then by Ted Gunther when the show opened on the West End the year after. In the 1961 film adaptation, Simon Oaklans portrayed him. In the 1980 Broadway revival, Johnson reprised the role, Steve Bassett in the 2009 revival, and then by Thomas Jay Ryan in the 2020 revival.
