By Rebecca N. Robertson
Tallish Tales: A Cautionary Fable for Children and Adults brings to the stage Victorian tales about rowdy little girls, examined in a 1950's context. Originally published in 1845, "Der Struwwelpeter" (Shaggy Peter) is a book of satirical tales by German psychologist Heinrich Hoffman that exaggerates the advice of the other children's books of the time wherein children who are badly behaved invariably suffer dire consequences. Tallish Tales is an adaptation for the stage of one of the translations of this book, "Slovenly Betsy".
This show may not be for everyone. Ample gore is suggested with brightly colored strips of cloth and puppet-like prosthetics, but long bouts of sobbing and no understanding the original satirical context could make this somber show frightening for small or very sensitive children. Adults expecting something intellectually stimulating, such as an examination of child rearing morays over the past two centuries, or feminist points of nurture vs. nature, will find only simplified dramatic action contrasted with clever rhymes of classical verbosity. But naughty children of all ages who are well-accustomed to the violence of the average cartoon may mischievously giggle at over-the-top antics and appreciate the feat of animating these dark humored stories on stage.
Tallish Tales: A Cautionary Fable for Children and Adults
Book Adaptation / Costume Design by Amy Kitzhaber
Directed by Brian Maschka
Set Design: Christine Peters
Composer: Benjamin Furiga
Audio Engineer / Sound Designer: Nathan Manley
Lighting Designer: Matthew Gross
Props / Puppet Building: Rachel Baron, Anne M. Thorson
Public Relations: Julia Browning
Featuring: Stacia Newcomb, Nicole Stefonek, and the voice of Joseph Bergquist
The Dorothy Streslin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
July 13th @ 8:00pm
July 14 @ 6:00pm
July 24th @ 7:00pm
July 25th @ 5:30pm
July 29th @ 8:00pm
July 31st @ 3:00pm
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Review - Asian Belle (Midtown International Theatre Festival)
By Rebecca N. Robertson
Asian Belle was workshopped in Mark Hoverman's "Create Your Own Solo Show" workshop and appears to be a work in progress, a cathartic showing that is still seeking concise expression. Ms. Glick's breathy performance is physically overly enthusiastic. However, she has good comedic timing and the sort of genuine wide-eyed vitality that easily captures empathy and makes us want to forgive the desperate tension that impedes natural presentation.
In the first of two acts, Glick tells us what it was like for her to grow up in Alabama. The U.S. born daughter of a Vietnamese woman and an American man, she finds herself amid blonde and blue-eyed classmates that seem to have everything they want. She struggles to be accepted, embracing materialism as a means to inclusion, and sometimes denying her uniqueness for the sake of "chumming it up" with those that have little sympathy for outsiders. Years later, Ms. Glick discovers an appreciation for the heritage she once denied, and she mourns for what she has lost for the sake of assimilation.
Thematically, the second act appears to have little to do with the first. Glick portrays her mother and we learn the circumstances under which the war bride fell for her American soldier husband and came to Alabama. Mother Glick's monologue highlights a universal parental struggle to reconcile the decisions she has made for herself and, indirectly, for her children. Too much of the remaining dialogue and action appears to have little purpose than to celebrate the character's more stereotypical traits. An overused bit with a pop song quickly wears out what humor can be found there. The more genuinely entertaining moments are the most human ones, such as when she describes an encounter with her ex-husband's ridiculous new wife, her feelings of rejection plain to see.
In Asian Belle, Ms. Glick explores some interesting themes about belonging, materialism, and heritage. She gives us a tiny glimpse of her heritage through her eyes, a first generation American. She tickles us with some humorous stories of adolescent longing and adult jealousy. But she stops short of letting us claim her story as an American tale, preferring to continue to straddle two worlds rather than accept where they are one.
Asian Belle
Written and Performed by Michelle Glick
Directed by Christine Renee Miller
Lighting/Sound & Stage Manager: Guinevere Pressley
Production Coordinator: Vickie Lazos
Publicity: Judd Hollander, Bunch of People Press & PR
Featuring: Michelle Glick
Dorothy Streslin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
July 15 @ 6:00pm
July 17 @ 3:00pm
July 23 @ 8:00pm
July 24 @ 5:00pm
August 1 @ 4:00pm
Asian Belle was workshopped in Mark Hoverman's "Create Your Own Solo Show" workshop and appears to be a work in progress, a cathartic showing that is still seeking concise expression. Ms. Glick's breathy performance is physically overly enthusiastic. However, she has good comedic timing and the sort of genuine wide-eyed vitality that easily captures empathy and makes us want to forgive the desperate tension that impedes natural presentation.
In the first of two acts, Glick tells us what it was like for her to grow up in Alabama. The U.S. born daughter of a Vietnamese woman and an American man, she finds herself amid blonde and blue-eyed classmates that seem to have everything they want. She struggles to be accepted, embracing materialism as a means to inclusion, and sometimes denying her uniqueness for the sake of "chumming it up" with those that have little sympathy for outsiders. Years later, Ms. Glick discovers an appreciation for the heritage she once denied, and she mourns for what she has lost for the sake of assimilation.Thematically, the second act appears to have little to do with the first. Glick portrays her mother and we learn the circumstances under which the war bride fell for her American soldier husband and came to Alabama. Mother Glick's monologue highlights a universal parental struggle to reconcile the decisions she has made for herself and, indirectly, for her children. Too much of the remaining dialogue and action appears to have little purpose than to celebrate the character's more stereotypical traits. An overused bit with a pop song quickly wears out what humor can be found there. The more genuinely entertaining moments are the most human ones, such as when she describes an encounter with her ex-husband's ridiculous new wife, her feelings of rejection plain to see.
In Asian Belle, Ms. Glick explores some interesting themes about belonging, materialism, and heritage. She gives us a tiny glimpse of her heritage through her eyes, a first generation American. She tickles us with some humorous stories of adolescent longing and adult jealousy. But she stops short of letting us claim her story as an American tale, preferring to continue to straddle two worlds rather than accept where they are one.
Asian Belle
Written and Performed by Michelle Glick
Directed by Christine Renee Miller
Lighting/Sound & Stage Manager: Guinevere Pressley
Production Coordinator: Vickie Lazos
Publicity: Judd Hollander, Bunch of People Press & PR
Featuring: Michelle Glick
Dorothy Streslin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
July 15 @ 6:00pm
July 17 @ 3:00pm
July 23 @ 8:00pm
July 24 @ 5:00pm
August 1 @ 4:00pm
Review - Songs From An Unmade Bed (Counter Productions)
Review by Byrne Harrison
Songs From An Unmade Bed, the song cycle featuring lyrics by Mark Campbell and music by a number of composers, celebrates the small, quiet moments in urban gay life - no coming out stories, no politics, no wringing of hands over the state of things today. It's just the sly smiles after a tryst, a boyfriend's charming but somewhat inept attempts to play the cello, and seeing a lover naked for the first time. Nothing profound and earth-shattering. Just normal, everyday events.
Brian Dunham takes on the songs with appropriate enthusiasm. He cuts a pleasant figure, and has a good voice, though he tends to become overly breathy on his high notes. He shows a particular gift for the show's quiet and touching numbers, and is able to create an almost palpable wistfulness during some of the songs. Some numbers which are a little more cynical in nature, or those that have a hint of anger, are not as effective, as he has a tendency to miss the wry, self-deprecating humor that should accompany them. Overall, however, he performs well and keeps the audience engaged.
The show is perfectly suited for Counter Productions' intimate studio space on Whaler's Wharf, and director Susan Grilli uses the space to maximum effect. There are a few times when she allows Dunham to wander into shadow, but this is a minor distraction. Music Director Jim Rice and Cellist Elizabeth Schultze perform well, though there are times when Dunham and Rice seem slightly out of sync. These lapses never last particularly long, but they are enough to pull one out of the moment.
Despite a few rough patches, Songs From An Unmade Bed provides a pleasant diversion for those seeking theatrical pleasures in Provincetown.
Songs From An Unmade Bed
Lyricist: Mark Campbell
Composers: Debra Barsha, Mark Bennett, Peter Foley, Jenny Giering, Peter Golub, Jake Heggie, Stephen Hoffman, Lance Horne, Gihieh Lee, Steven Lutvak, Steve Marzullo, Brendan Milburn, Chris Miller, Greg Pliska, Duncan Sheik, Kim D. Sherman, Jeffrey Stock, Joseph Thalken
Diretor: Susan Grilli
Music Director: Jim Rice
Cellist: Elizabeth Schultze
Featuring: Brian Dunham
Counter Productions Studio
Whaler's Wharf
237 Commercial Street
Closed July 27th
Songs From An Unmade Bed, the song cycle featuring lyrics by Mark Campbell and music by a number of composers, celebrates the small, quiet moments in urban gay life - no coming out stories, no politics, no wringing of hands over the state of things today. It's just the sly smiles after a tryst, a boyfriend's charming but somewhat inept attempts to play the cello, and seeing a lover naked for the first time. Nothing profound and earth-shattering. Just normal, everyday events.Brian Dunham takes on the songs with appropriate enthusiasm. He cuts a pleasant figure, and has a good voice, though he tends to become overly breathy on his high notes. He shows a particular gift for the show's quiet and touching numbers, and is able to create an almost palpable wistfulness during some of the songs. Some numbers which are a little more cynical in nature, or those that have a hint of anger, are not as effective, as he has a tendency to miss the wry, self-deprecating humor that should accompany them. Overall, however, he performs well and keeps the audience engaged.
The show is perfectly suited for Counter Productions' intimate studio space on Whaler's Wharf, and director Susan Grilli uses the space to maximum effect. There are a few times when she allows Dunham to wander into shadow, but this is a minor distraction. Music Director Jim Rice and Cellist Elizabeth Schultze perform well, though there are times when Dunham and Rice seem slightly out of sync. These lapses never last particularly long, but they are enough to pull one out of the moment.
Despite a few rough patches, Songs From An Unmade Bed provides a pleasant diversion for those seeking theatrical pleasures in Provincetown.
Songs From An Unmade Bed
Lyricist: Mark Campbell
Composers: Debra Barsha, Mark Bennett, Peter Foley, Jenny Giering, Peter Golub, Jake Heggie, Stephen Hoffman, Lance Horne, Gihieh Lee, Steven Lutvak, Steve Marzullo, Brendan Milburn, Chris Miller, Greg Pliska, Duncan Sheik, Kim D. Sherman, Jeffrey Stock, Joseph Thalken
Diretor: Susan Grilli
Music Director: Jim Rice
Cellist: Elizabeth Schultze
Featuring: Brian Dunham
Counter Productions Studio
Whaler's Wharf
237 Commercial Street
Closed July 27th
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Review - Canned Ham (TWEED TheaterWorks, Kearns Artist Services, and David Drake Productions)
Review by Byrne Harrison
Shows featuring former porn stars seem to have become de rigueur in Provincetown during the summer season. They draw in the crowds, not because the actor is talented or the show is compelling, but because the actor is (or was) sexy, and there is a high likelihood that he will get naked at some point in the show.
In that sense, it comes as no surprise that Tom Judson makes his first appearance in Canned Ham posing on a platform, a jockstrapped Olympian made flesh. What does come as a surprise is when he picks up an accordion a few minutes later and starts belting out "Lullaby of Broadway." This is clearly not your typical porn star memoir. This one has a sense of humor... and a talented performer.
Judson tells of the long and winding road that led from musical theatre (he was in the touring companies of Cabaret and 42nd Street) to his chance meeting with director Chi Chi LaRue. It was Chi Chi's perseverance which led to the creation of "Gus Mattox," Judson's porn alter ego, and his eventual winning of the GayVN Performer of the Year Award, sort of a Best Actor Oscar for gay porn, at the inconceivable for the industry age of 45.
Unlike many of the one-man porn star shows, Canned Ham never becomes a morality tale. No descent into drug use and degradation for Judson, porn is merely another in the amazingly long and diverse line of jobs that he has had in his life. For him, porn was a lark. That seems to be how Judson approaches much of his life, with a kind of joy and wonder.
That's not to say that Canned Ham is all light and humor. Part of what led Judson on this particular path was the death of his lover from AIDS. Though it was the roughest period of his life, it led to one of his most sublime experiences on the island of Capri, one that he describes in magical detail.
As a performer, Judson is open and amusing, with an infectious, likeable grin. At times his performance lacks a certain spontaneity - that spark that makes the audience feel that they are the only ones that Judson has told these stories to - but in the long run, his personality and the stories themselves more than make up for this. He is approachable, and happy to meet his fans after the show (and, of course, to sell them merchandise - an adorable Canned Ham t-shirt). He is just as winning offstage as on.
Canned Ham is worth seeing just for the charming and multi-talented Judson. His life stories, good natured backstage bitchery (Judson's porn co-star Pierre Fitch takes a bit of a pounding, so to speak, as does Teri Hatcher), and musical talents combine for a fun evening of theatre.
Canned Ham
Written and Performed by Tom Judson
Directed by Kevin Malony
Costumes by William Ivey Long
The Art House
June 6-September 6, 2010
Shows featuring former porn stars seem to have become de rigueur in Provincetown during the summer season. They draw in the crowds, not because the actor is talented or the show is compelling, but because the actor is (or was) sexy, and there is a high likelihood that he will get naked at some point in the show.In that sense, it comes as no surprise that Tom Judson makes his first appearance in Canned Ham posing on a platform, a jockstrapped Olympian made flesh. What does come as a surprise is when he picks up an accordion a few minutes later and starts belting out "Lullaby of Broadway." This is clearly not your typical porn star memoir. This one has a sense of humor... and a talented performer.
Judson tells of the long and winding road that led from musical theatre (he was in the touring companies of Cabaret and 42nd Street) to his chance meeting with director Chi Chi LaRue. It was Chi Chi's perseverance which led to the creation of "Gus Mattox," Judson's porn alter ego, and his eventual winning of the GayVN Performer of the Year Award, sort of a Best Actor Oscar for gay porn, at the inconceivable for the industry age of 45.
Unlike many of the one-man porn star shows, Canned Ham never becomes a morality tale. No descent into drug use and degradation for Judson, porn is merely another in the amazingly long and diverse line of jobs that he has had in his life. For him, porn was a lark. That seems to be how Judson approaches much of his life, with a kind of joy and wonder.
That's not to say that Canned Ham is all light and humor. Part of what led Judson on this particular path was the death of his lover from AIDS. Though it was the roughest period of his life, it led to one of his most sublime experiences on the island of Capri, one that he describes in magical detail.
As a performer, Judson is open and amusing, with an infectious, likeable grin. At times his performance lacks a certain spontaneity - that spark that makes the audience feel that they are the only ones that Judson has told these stories to - but in the long run, his personality and the stories themselves more than make up for this. He is approachable, and happy to meet his fans after the show (and, of course, to sell them merchandise - an adorable Canned Ham t-shirt). He is just as winning offstage as on.
Canned Ham is worth seeing just for the charming and multi-talented Judson. His life stories, good natured backstage bitchery (Judson's porn co-star Pierre Fitch takes a bit of a pounding, so to speak, as does Teri Hatcher), and musical talents combine for a fun evening of theatre.
Canned Ham
Written and Performed by Tom Judson
Directed by Kevin Malony
Costumes by William Ivey Long
The Art House
June 6-September 6, 2010
Review - Christine Pedi in "Great Dames" (Post Office Cabaret)
By Byrne Harrison
I've been fortunate enough to see Christine Pedi perform a number of times, most often as part of the Forbidden Broadway franchise. She is a brilliant impersonator (her Ethel Merman is my absolute favorite) and an excellent performer.
I was thrilled to find out that Pedi would be performing this summer in Provincetown (which took away some of the sting of finding out Lea DeLaria would not be). Great Dames, a celebration of her most well-known divas, does not disappoint.
For those who have never seen her perform, Great Dames will serve as a good primer. Running approximately an hour, it allows Pedi to show off her best impersonations (Barbra, Liza, Judy, Angela, Carol, Joan... the list is long) and a couple of hilarious videos (if you've ever wondered what Angela Lansbury would sound like as a phone-sex worker, you can find out). If you have seen her before, the advantage of seeing her perform at the Post Office Cabaret is that it is a very intimate venue and will make you feel like Pedi is performing just for you.
Great Dames is fun post-Tea/pre-dinner show. I recommend buying Pedi's latest CD and taking time to chat with her after the show. She's just as charming in person as she is on stage.
Christine Pedi in Great Dames
The Post Office Cabaret
303 Commercial Street
Thursdays through Sundays, 7:30 PM
I've been fortunate enough to see Christine Pedi perform a number of times, most often as part of the Forbidden Broadway franchise. She is a brilliant impersonator (her Ethel Merman is my absolute favorite) and an excellent performer.
I was thrilled to find out that Pedi would be performing this summer in Provincetown (which took away some of the sting of finding out Lea DeLaria would not be). Great Dames, a celebration of her most well-known divas, does not disappoint.
For those who have never seen her perform, Great Dames will serve as a good primer. Running approximately an hour, it allows Pedi to show off her best impersonations (Barbra, Liza, Judy, Angela, Carol, Joan... the list is long) and a couple of hilarious videos (if you've ever wondered what Angela Lansbury would sound like as a phone-sex worker, you can find out). If you have seen her before, the advantage of seeing her perform at the Post Office Cabaret is that it is a very intimate venue and will make you feel like Pedi is performing just for you.
Great Dames is fun post-Tea/pre-dinner show. I recommend buying Pedi's latest CD and taking time to chat with her after the show. She's just as charming in person as she is on stage.
Christine Pedi in Great Dames
The Post Office Cabaret
303 Commercial Street
Thursdays through Sundays, 7:30 PM
Review - John Thomas & Company featuring Adam Berry and Ben Griessmeyer (The Waterford Tavern)
By Byrne Harrison
It's vacation time at StageBuzz.com, and what could be more relaxing than exploring the theatre scene in Provincetown? As expected in the East Coast's most vibrant arts community, there are a myriad of plays, musicals and cabaret to experience. Reviews, of course, will follow.
In the meantime, I highly recommend that people visiting P'town on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer head to the Waterford Tavern to see Adam Berry and Ben Griessmeyer perform with pianist John Thomas during his afternoon cabaret show on Captain Lavender's Deck. This talented trio performs a nice mix of songs, concentrating on the standards. Their song list is flexible, changing depending on their mood and on which of their talented friends drop by. A recent Saturday featured some of their co-stars from Candide, in which Adam and Ben are performing under John's musical direction, and showcased a few songs from the show. Friday's performance was more traditional, featuring such standards as "Blue Skies," "Get Happy," "Summertime," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," while working in some William Finn ("I'd Rather Be Sailing"), Alicia Keys ("If I Ain't Got You"), Jonathan Larson ("I'll Cover You"), and other current pop and Broadway artists.
Although the music is always the most important thing in a cabaret act (and frankly, Berry, Griessmeyer and Thomas have that well in hand), I'll admit that what brings me back to see Berry and Griessmeyer perform isn't just the duo's vocal abilities. The two, who are partners both personally and professionally, have such wonderful chemistry that they are a constant source of fascination. As they perform, they share glances, smiles and the occasional good natured eye-roll if something goes south. Berry's face lights up when Griessmeyer nails a particularly challenging song. Griessmeyer can be seen silently singing along with Berry at times with a big smile on his face. It's charming to see two people so happy to be performing together.
Captain Lavender's Deck is a fairly small space and the shows are well attended, so if you want to be seated during the performance, it pays to get there a little early. The Waterford Tavern features good food, strong drinks, and a charming and attractive wait-staff, so being early is never a burden.
The Waterford Inn, Cafe & Tavern
386 Commercial Street
Fridays and Saturdays, 4:30-6:30 PM.
It's vacation time at StageBuzz.com, and what could be more relaxing than exploring the theatre scene in Provincetown? As expected in the East Coast's most vibrant arts community, there are a myriad of plays, musicals and cabaret to experience. Reviews, of course, will follow.
In the meantime, I highly recommend that people visiting P'town on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer head to the Waterford Tavern to see Adam Berry and Ben Griessmeyer perform with pianist John Thomas during his afternoon cabaret show on Captain Lavender's Deck. This talented trio performs a nice mix of songs, concentrating on the standards. Their song list is flexible, changing depending on their mood and on which of their talented friends drop by. A recent Saturday featured some of their co-stars from Candide, in which Adam and Ben are performing under John's musical direction, and showcased a few songs from the show. Friday's performance was more traditional, featuring such standards as "Blue Skies," "Get Happy," "Summertime," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," while working in some William Finn ("I'd Rather Be Sailing"), Alicia Keys ("If I Ain't Got You"), Jonathan Larson ("I'll Cover You"), and other current pop and Broadway artists.
Although the music is always the most important thing in a cabaret act (and frankly, Berry, Griessmeyer and Thomas have that well in hand), I'll admit that what brings me back to see Berry and Griessmeyer perform isn't just the duo's vocal abilities. The two, who are partners both personally and professionally, have such wonderful chemistry that they are a constant source of fascination. As they perform, they share glances, smiles and the occasional good natured eye-roll if something goes south. Berry's face lights up when Griessmeyer nails a particularly challenging song. Griessmeyer can be seen silently singing along with Berry at times with a big smile on his face. It's charming to see two people so happy to be performing together.
Captain Lavender's Deck is a fairly small space and the shows are well attended, so if you want to be seated during the performance, it pays to get there a little early. The Waterford Tavern features good food, strong drinks, and a charming and attractive wait-staff, so being early is never a burden.
The Waterford Inn, Cafe & Tavern
386 Commercial Street
Fridays and Saturdays, 4:30-6:30 PM.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Review - Man Boobs (Three Monos Ensemble and the Fresh Fruit Festival)
Review by Byrne Harrison
Playwright J. Julian Christopher doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the issue of body image in his play Man Boobs, currently being produced as part of the 8th Annual Fresh Fruit Festival. Spence (Jeffrey Marx) has a lot going for him. He's a curator at a library, well-read and well-spoken. He has a handsome man, Marty (Robert Valin), actively pursuing him, not just for sex, but possibly for something a little deeper. But no matter what he has or is being offered, he can't see himself in a positive light. Spence is very overweight and is suffering from crippling self-esteem issues.
Where Marty sees a handsome and sensitive man, Spence sees only man boobs. He views himself as a punchline in some sort of cosmic joke and sabotages his relationships by waiting for the other shoe (imaginary though it may be) to drop.
Thrown by Marty's request that they spend the night at Spence's apartment (they've mostly had a series of semi-public trysts to this point), Spence's unease about getting physical with Marty seems to be based more on this invasion of his space, but as Marty cajoles and Spence demurs, the real issue comes to light. Spence's refusal to take off his shirt, and what happens when he finally does, brings everything to light - his self-loathing, inherent suspicion of anyone who finds him attractive, and various humiliations from his childhood.
Can he overcome this for a truly open and non-judgmental man? Well, let's not give away too much.
Christopher's play is mostly well written, though I don't think there is enough of an attempt to give each character his own voice. Considering the differences in their backgrounds, truck driving, working class Marty often sounds quite a bit like white-collar bibliophile Spence. More distinctive voices would highlight those times when their roles reverse, Marty showing his surprising depth and empathy while Spence becomes almost monosyllabic in his shame and self-hatred.
Robert Valin is terrific as the horny and jovial Marty. He is especially effective during his heartbreaking attempts to break through Spence's reserve and suspicion, and during a great scene where he catches a glimpse of himself through Spence's eyes. As Spence, Jeffrey Marx is good, though he seems to have issues with his timing, often pausing before speaking in a way that slows down the scenes (and undercuts the emotion of the particularly fraught moments) and seeming at times to bobble his lines. In fairness, this is not uncommon in festivals due to the short rehearsal times involved. All this said, Marx does an amazing job during Spence's breakdown after removing his shirt. His performance at that moment is raw and moving.
Though this production is in need of a stronger touch by director Web Bogole, there is a lot to recommend it and Christopher's script.
Man Boobs
Written by J. Julian Christopher
Directed by Web Begole
Producer: Kristen Luciani
Lighting Design: Sheila Donovan
Set Design: Web Begole, J. Julian Christopher
Sound Design: J. Julian Christopher
Stage/Light Crew: J. Julian Christopher, Sheila Donovan, Richard Ponce
Postcard Design: J. Julian Christopher
Featuring: Jeffrey Marx (Spence) and Robert Valin (Marty)
Cherry Lane Studio Theater
38 Commerce Street
Closed July 24th
Playwright J. Julian Christopher doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the issue of body image in his play Man Boobs, currently being produced as part of the 8th Annual Fresh Fruit Festival. Spence (Jeffrey Marx) has a lot going for him. He's a curator at a library, well-read and well-spoken. He has a handsome man, Marty (Robert Valin), actively pursuing him, not just for sex, but possibly for something a little deeper. But no matter what he has or is being offered, he can't see himself in a positive light. Spence is very overweight and is suffering from crippling self-esteem issues.Where Marty sees a handsome and sensitive man, Spence sees only man boobs. He views himself as a punchline in some sort of cosmic joke and sabotages his relationships by waiting for the other shoe (imaginary though it may be) to drop.
Thrown by Marty's request that they spend the night at Spence's apartment (they've mostly had a series of semi-public trysts to this point), Spence's unease about getting physical with Marty seems to be based more on this invasion of his space, but as Marty cajoles and Spence demurs, the real issue comes to light. Spence's refusal to take off his shirt, and what happens when he finally does, brings everything to light - his self-loathing, inherent suspicion of anyone who finds him attractive, and various humiliations from his childhood.
Can he overcome this for a truly open and non-judgmental man? Well, let's not give away too much.
Christopher's play is mostly well written, though I don't think there is enough of an attempt to give each character his own voice. Considering the differences in their backgrounds, truck driving, working class Marty often sounds quite a bit like white-collar bibliophile Spence. More distinctive voices would highlight those times when their roles reverse, Marty showing his surprising depth and empathy while Spence becomes almost monosyllabic in his shame and self-hatred.
Robert Valin is terrific as the horny and jovial Marty. He is especially effective during his heartbreaking attempts to break through Spence's reserve and suspicion, and during a great scene where he catches a glimpse of himself through Spence's eyes. As Spence, Jeffrey Marx is good, though he seems to have issues with his timing, often pausing before speaking in a way that slows down the scenes (and undercuts the emotion of the particularly fraught moments) and seeming at times to bobble his lines. In fairness, this is not uncommon in festivals due to the short rehearsal times involved. All this said, Marx does an amazing job during Spence's breakdown after removing his shirt. His performance at that moment is raw and moving.
Though this production is in need of a stronger touch by director Web Bogole, there is a lot to recommend it and Christopher's script.
Man Boobs
Written by J. Julian Christopher
Directed by Web Begole
Producer: Kristen Luciani
Lighting Design: Sheila Donovan
Set Design: Web Begole, J. Julian Christopher
Sound Design: J. Julian Christopher
Stage/Light Crew: J. Julian Christopher, Sheila Donovan, Richard Ponce
Postcard Design: J. Julian Christopher
Featuring: Jeffrey Marx (Spence) and Robert Valin (Marty)
Cherry Lane Studio Theater
38 Commerce Street
Closed July 24th
Review - Alice and Elizabeth's One Woman Show (Midtown International Theatre Festival)
By Rebecca N. Robertson
One day, as she stands before the mirror, a voice in Alice's head tells her she's too old to wear her favorite pleated mini. Startled and confused, she does what any single, modern woman would do -- she calls her best friend to confirm that, yes, indeed, she has heard that voice, too! In Alice and Elizabeth's One Woman Show, two BFF's embark upon a project to explore and, hopefully, to reconcile with that moment in womanhood when one begins wondering just what it is she should and should not be doing, wearing, and feeling at her age.
Lights fade up on Alice, dressed in a gauzy batik dress, dancing to a life-celebrating song of the modern Indigo Girl variety. She quips that "it's not everyday that you see a middle-aged woman dancing on stage." I begin to worry: Have I dragged my unsuspecting boyfriend to one of those angry feminist one-woman shows peppered with self-conscious comedy and woman vs. society baiting? Being nearly of a certain age, I can probably relate to the sentiment, but must I really endure 70 minutes of that particular genre with a squirming companion at my side?
What unfolds, instead, is a brave and moving act of universally digestible storytelling born of an extraordinary friendship. Still searching the dwindling dating pool for your other half at 45? What if she's been there all along in the guise of your once roommate turned best friend of twenty-something years? And what if it takes the possible loss of said best friend to an agonizing fight with cancer to realize it?
In the telling of the story, Alice Barden skillfully portrays multiple characters, including her present and former selves. Without sparing her own pride, she describes in hindsight her naive first impressions of Elizabeth from first meeting to their inseparable party girls phase. We see awe and wonderment envelop her as she recalls their shared mourning of a beloved cat. We empathize with the simultaneous annoyance and unconditional love that can only coexist between two people so close.
Though ultimately effective as a device to create suspense, the story of Alice and Elizabeth is not told in a linear fashion and leaps to and fro through time, sometimes to its detriment. Changes in stage position and lighting are used to help suggest each setting, but it can be a struggle to keep up with where in the timeline each intermittent monologue takes place. However, these few rough spots in timing are smoothed over by the actress's ability to ever so gently disarm the audience with candid vulnerability.
This festival production of Alice and Elizabeth's One Woman Show could be an excellent start to a bigger dramatic project and, perhaps, a springboard for a feminist dialogue such as: with friends like these, who needs a marriage? As it is, it's a well told story that succeeded in making, at least, this woman of nearly a certain age, imagine aging gracefully a little differently.
Alice and Elizabeth's One Woman Show
Written by Alice Barden and Elizabeth Walker
Directed by Patsy DeDongo
Lighting Designer: Gilbert Pearto
Featuring: Alice Barden
Dorothy Strelsin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
Friday, July 16th @ 8:00pm
Sunday, July 18th @ 5:30pm
Thursday, July 22nd @ 8:00pm
Saturday, July 24th @ 1:00pm
Sunday, July 25th @ 7:30pm
One day, as she stands before the mirror, a voice in Alice's head tells her she's too old to wear her favorite pleated mini. Startled and confused, she does what any single, modern woman would do -- she calls her best friend to confirm that, yes, indeed, she has heard that voice, too! In Alice and Elizabeth's One Woman Show, two BFF's embark upon a project to explore and, hopefully, to reconcile with that moment in womanhood when one begins wondering just what it is she should and should not be doing, wearing, and feeling at her age.
Lights fade up on Alice, dressed in a gauzy batik dress, dancing to a life-celebrating song of the modern Indigo Girl variety. She quips that "it's not everyday that you see a middle-aged woman dancing on stage." I begin to worry: Have I dragged my unsuspecting boyfriend to one of those angry feminist one-woman shows peppered with self-conscious comedy and woman vs. society baiting? Being nearly of a certain age, I can probably relate to the sentiment, but must I really endure 70 minutes of that particular genre with a squirming companion at my side?
What unfolds, instead, is a brave and moving act of universally digestible storytelling born of an extraordinary friendship. Still searching the dwindling dating pool for your other half at 45? What if she's been there all along in the guise of your once roommate turned best friend of twenty-something years? And what if it takes the possible loss of said best friend to an agonizing fight with cancer to realize it?
In the telling of the story, Alice Barden skillfully portrays multiple characters, including her present and former selves. Without sparing her own pride, she describes in hindsight her naive first impressions of Elizabeth from first meeting to their inseparable party girls phase. We see awe and wonderment envelop her as she recalls their shared mourning of a beloved cat. We empathize with the simultaneous annoyance and unconditional love that can only coexist between two people so close.
Though ultimately effective as a device to create suspense, the story of Alice and Elizabeth is not told in a linear fashion and leaps to and fro through time, sometimes to its detriment. Changes in stage position and lighting are used to help suggest each setting, but it can be a struggle to keep up with where in the timeline each intermittent monologue takes place. However, these few rough spots in timing are smoothed over by the actress's ability to ever so gently disarm the audience with candid vulnerability.
This festival production of Alice and Elizabeth's One Woman Show could be an excellent start to a bigger dramatic project and, perhaps, a springboard for a feminist dialogue such as: with friends like these, who needs a marriage? As it is, it's a well told story that succeeded in making, at least, this woman of nearly a certain age, imagine aging gracefully a little differently.
Alice and Elizabeth's One Woman Show
Written by Alice Barden and Elizabeth Walker
Directed by Patsy DeDongo
Lighting Designer: Gilbert Pearto
Featuring: Alice Barden
Dorothy Strelsin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
Friday, July 16th @ 8:00pm
Sunday, July 18th @ 5:30pm
Thursday, July 22nd @ 8:00pm
Saturday, July 24th @ 1:00pm
Sunday, July 25th @ 7:30pm
Review - The Irish… and How They Got That Way (Irish Repertory Theatre)
By Bryan Clark
Photos by Carol Rosegg
A quick scan of the press notes for The Irish…and How They Got That Way seemed to promise a light cultural romp: a "tapestry of classical songs and stories." So I grabbed a pair of tickets, rang up an Irish lass—and I let the reference to "bitter irony" slide. But fair warning: the bitter irony does not slide by unnoticed. The wry frustration is central, and that core is both the rich pleasure and the challenging darkness of this musical revue.
Yes, it is in fact a revue. Due to the literary pedigree of author Frank McCourt, you might impulsively assume the show is a musical with a plot-driven book. It's not. McCourt connects a large selection of public-domain Irish songs with a basically chronological but occasionally meandering narrative of the history of the Irish people, from the Norman invasion to the apotheosis of U2. The narrative is always informative, frequently enlightening, and occasionally borders on didactic.
The show succeeds when it is active and on its feet. Dancing of any duration is welcome when it occurs, as is any stage movement at all. When one actor engages another in dialogue, we are watching a play for a passing moment. However, director Charlotte Moore keeps the cast of four actors and two musicians largely rooted in the same spot. In fairness, the writing does not lend itself well to staging, beyond show-and-tell. Still, numerous opportunities for onstage activity are missed. McCourt presents the Irish as a tribe who has fought its way past every obstacle, not one that sat idly by.
Two of the cast are Dublin-born holdovers from the 1997 world premiere at the same venue, and they bring an undeniable authenticity if not always the biggest bang. Terry Donnelly is arch, earthy, and entirely credible, but her darkness is so strong it actually pulls focus on occasion. Ciaran Sheehan has a resonant if somewhat bland tenor. But the show's real treat is Gary Troy, who leads the narrative and fully delivers the goods in song, dance, and earthy character creation.
McCourt's musical history of the Irish provides an amusing and thorough examination of how they got that way. It does not address what that Irish want to do, or have ever wanted to do, beyond surviving the injustices of this cruel world. The show's closing number, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," is a fitting selection, but would be even more appropriate to this show's message if the lyric were "I still don't know what I'm looking for." It is hard to guess what the reaction of most Irish people would be to this presentation, though I brought along one for that very purpose. But my Irish companion simply, and perhaps evasively, proclaimed that she "knew all of those songs, every one."
The Irish…and How They Got That Way
Written by Frank McCourt
Director: Charlotte Moore
Musical Director: Kevin B. Winebold
Choreographer: Barry McNabb
Set design: Shawn Lewis
Costume design: David Toser
Lighting design: Michael Gottlieb
Projections: Jan Hartley
Featuring: Kerry Conte, Terry Donnelly, Ciaran Sheehan, Patrick Shields, Gary Troy, Kevin B. Winebold
Irish Repertory Theatre
122 W. 22nd St.
(212) 727-2737
Closes September 5
Photos by Carol Rosegg
A quick scan of the press notes for The Irish…and How They Got That Way seemed to promise a light cultural romp: a "tapestry of classical songs and stories." So I grabbed a pair of tickets, rang up an Irish lass—and I let the reference to "bitter irony" slide. But fair warning: the bitter irony does not slide by unnoticed. The wry frustration is central, and that core is both the rich pleasure and the challenging darkness of this musical revue.
Yes, it is in fact a revue. Due to the literary pedigree of author Frank McCourt, you might impulsively assume the show is a musical with a plot-driven book. It's not. McCourt connects a large selection of public-domain Irish songs with a basically chronological but occasionally meandering narrative of the history of the Irish people, from the Norman invasion to the apotheosis of U2. The narrative is always informative, frequently enlightening, and occasionally borders on didactic.
The show succeeds when it is active and on its feet. Dancing of any duration is welcome when it occurs, as is any stage movement at all. When one actor engages another in dialogue, we are watching a play for a passing moment. However, director Charlotte Moore keeps the cast of four actors and two musicians largely rooted in the same spot. In fairness, the writing does not lend itself well to staging, beyond show-and-tell. Still, numerous opportunities for onstage activity are missed. McCourt presents the Irish as a tribe who has fought its way past every obstacle, not one that sat idly by. Two of the cast are Dublin-born holdovers from the 1997 world premiere at the same venue, and they bring an undeniable authenticity if not always the biggest bang. Terry Donnelly is arch, earthy, and entirely credible, but her darkness is so strong it actually pulls focus on occasion. Ciaran Sheehan has a resonant if somewhat bland tenor. But the show's real treat is Gary Troy, who leads the narrative and fully delivers the goods in song, dance, and earthy character creation.
McCourt's musical history of the Irish provides an amusing and thorough examination of how they got that way. It does not address what that Irish want to do, or have ever wanted to do, beyond surviving the injustices of this cruel world. The show's closing number, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," is a fitting selection, but would be even more appropriate to this show's message if the lyric were "I still don't know what I'm looking for." It is hard to guess what the reaction of most Irish people would be to this presentation, though I brought along one for that very purpose. But my Irish companion simply, and perhaps evasively, proclaimed that she "knew all of those songs, every one."
The Irish…and How They Got That Way
Written by Frank McCourt
Director: Charlotte Moore
Musical Director: Kevin B. Winebold
Choreographer: Barry McNabb
Set design: Shawn Lewis
Costume design: David Toser
Lighting design: Michael Gottlieb
Projections: Jan Hartley
Featuring: Kerry Conte, Terry Donnelly, Ciaran Sheehan, Patrick Shields, Gary Troy, Kevin B. Winebold
Irish Repertory Theatre
122 W. 22nd St.
(212) 727-2737
Closes September 5
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Patti LuPone Discusses "Patti LuPone: A Memoir"
To find out more about Patti LuPone's upcoming memoir, which will be available for sale on September 14th, click here.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Review - The Starship Astrov (Oberon Theatre Ensemble and the Midtown International Theatre Festival)
By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Brad Fryman
The Starship Astrov: A Chekhovian Space Comedy. I'll admit, it sounds a little... unlikely. Chekhov meets Chekov. What's next? The Triffid Orchard? Three Klingon Sisters? Uncle Adama?
Well, you get the picture.
The remarkable thing is that it actually works, and works well, due in large part to playwright Duncan Pflaster's ability to walk the fine line between humor and pathos, just like Chekhov before him. Astrov is a very funny play, especially in the first half, but it still presents sad, lonely people longing for purpose, meaning and love. The twist is that it presents them not in a country estate, but in possibly the loneliest place of all - the endless void of deep space.
In the year 3047, Professor Cole (Ariel Estrada), his beautiful alien wife Celaria (Elizabeth A. Davis) and faithful doctor, Michael Rosy (Philip Emeott), board the Starship Astrov, traveling to a conference with news that will shatter the lives of everyone in the galaxy. Seemingly just another boring diplomatic mission, the crew of the Astrov - Captain January (Walter Brandes), his daughter Ally (Jennifer Gawlik), Marcus Washington (Rafael Jordan) and "Sparky" Camilo (Christine Verleny) - have no idea the twists and turns this trip will take, as they navigate a minefield of hidden love, misunderstandings, bigotry, and longing.
Since The Starship Astrov is part of a festival, the production elements are on the understated side. Despite consisting of very little other than boxes, chairs and tables, Darby Cire's set is a little unwieldy, leading to longer set changes than should be necessary. Isabelle F. Byrd's lighting design is good, especially for a festival, though director Eric Parness allows the actors to wander into shadow from time to time. Sound designer Nick Moore borrows liberally from old sci-fi shows (the swoosh of the automatic doors in particular is a lot of fun) and creates white noise in the background to simulate being on a ship. A very nice touch. Mark Richard Caswell's costumes are a joyful throwback to the cheesy uniforms and gauzy dresses of the original Star Trek. He is especially clever in creating a costume for Celaria, a green alien, whose green comes from Caswell's costume, not makeup.
The acting is anything but cheesy. There is not a single Shatner in the cast. In particular, Philip Emeott does an outstanding job as the conflicted Dr. Rosy. Torn between his rather humiliating obsession with Celaria and his duty to his employer and completely oblivious to the stary-eyed longing from young Ally, he often gets the funniest and most moving scenes in the play. Other performances of note are given by Elizabeth A. Davis as the alien trying to understand and be understood by the humans around her, and Christine Verleny as Sparky, the member of the crew that has the most to lose with Professor Cole's announcement. Verleny is particularly effective in her scenes with Walter Brandes' Captain January.
If you are a fan of Chekhov or a fan of sci-fi, The Starship Astrov is worth a look. I'd suggest getting to the theatre early - the house music is a fun mix of theme songs from sci-fi shows. I was amused, but not surprised that I knew every single one of them.
The Starship Astrov
Written by Duncan Pflaster
Directed by Eric Parness
Associate Director: Jaime Robert Carrillo
Stage Manager: Jenna Lazar
Set Designer: Darby Cire
Costume Designer: Mark Richard Caswell
Lighting Designer: Isabelle F. Byrd
Sound Designer: Nick Moore
PR Consultant: Antonio Miniño, Kampfire PR
Featuring: Walter Brandes (Captain Jonas January), Elizabeth A. Davis (Celaria), Philip Emeott (Dr. Michael Rosy), Ariel Estrada (Professor Jason Cole), Jennifer Gawlik (Ally January), Rafael Jordon (Marcus Washington), Christine Verleny (Jenny "Sparky" Camilo)
Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row
410 W. 42nd St.
Saturday, July 17th at 9:00pm
Tuesday, July 20th at 8:00pm
Friday, July 23rd at 8:00pm
Thursday, July 29th at 7:00pm
Saturday, July 31st at 2:00pm
Photo by Brad Fryman
The Starship Astrov: A Chekhovian Space Comedy. I'll admit, it sounds a little... unlikely. Chekhov meets Chekov. What's next? The Triffid Orchard? Three Klingon Sisters? Uncle Adama?
Well, you get the picture.
The remarkable thing is that it actually works, and works well, due in large part to playwright Duncan Pflaster's ability to walk the fine line between humor and pathos, just like Chekhov before him. Astrov is a very funny play, especially in the first half, but it still presents sad, lonely people longing for purpose, meaning and love. The twist is that it presents them not in a country estate, but in possibly the loneliest place of all - the endless void of deep space.In the year 3047, Professor Cole (Ariel Estrada), his beautiful alien wife Celaria (Elizabeth A. Davis) and faithful doctor, Michael Rosy (Philip Emeott), board the Starship Astrov, traveling to a conference with news that will shatter the lives of everyone in the galaxy. Seemingly just another boring diplomatic mission, the crew of the Astrov - Captain January (Walter Brandes), his daughter Ally (Jennifer Gawlik), Marcus Washington (Rafael Jordan) and "Sparky" Camilo (Christine Verleny) - have no idea the twists and turns this trip will take, as they navigate a minefield of hidden love, misunderstandings, bigotry, and longing.
Since The Starship Astrov is part of a festival, the production elements are on the understated side. Despite consisting of very little other than boxes, chairs and tables, Darby Cire's set is a little unwieldy, leading to longer set changes than should be necessary. Isabelle F. Byrd's lighting design is good, especially for a festival, though director Eric Parness allows the actors to wander into shadow from time to time. Sound designer Nick Moore borrows liberally from old sci-fi shows (the swoosh of the automatic doors in particular is a lot of fun) and creates white noise in the background to simulate being on a ship. A very nice touch. Mark Richard Caswell's costumes are a joyful throwback to the cheesy uniforms and gauzy dresses of the original Star Trek. He is especially clever in creating a costume for Celaria, a green alien, whose green comes from Caswell's costume, not makeup.The acting is anything but cheesy. There is not a single Shatner in the cast. In particular, Philip Emeott does an outstanding job as the conflicted Dr. Rosy. Torn between his rather humiliating obsession with Celaria and his duty to his employer and completely oblivious to the stary-eyed longing from young Ally, he often gets the funniest and most moving scenes in the play. Other performances of note are given by Elizabeth A. Davis as the alien trying to understand and be understood by the humans around her, and Christine Verleny as Sparky, the member of the crew that has the most to lose with Professor Cole's announcement. Verleny is particularly effective in her scenes with Walter Brandes' Captain January.
If you are a fan of Chekhov or a fan of sci-fi, The Starship Astrov is worth a look. I'd suggest getting to the theatre early - the house music is a fun mix of theme songs from sci-fi shows. I was amused, but not surprised that I knew every single one of them.
The Starship Astrov
Written by Duncan Pflaster
Directed by Eric Parness
Associate Director: Jaime Robert Carrillo
Stage Manager: Jenna Lazar
Set Designer: Darby Cire
Costume Designer: Mark Richard Caswell
Lighting Designer: Isabelle F. Byrd
Sound Designer: Nick Moore
PR Consultant: Antonio Miniño, Kampfire PR
Featuring: Walter Brandes (Captain Jonas January), Elizabeth A. Davis (Celaria), Philip Emeott (Dr. Michael Rosy), Ariel Estrada (Professor Jason Cole), Jennifer Gawlik (Ally January), Rafael Jordon (Marcus Washington), Christine Verleny (Jenny "Sparky" Camilo)
Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row
410 W. 42nd St.
Saturday, July 17th at 9:00pm
Tuesday, July 20th at 8:00pm
Friday, July 23rd at 8:00pm
Thursday, July 29th at 7:00pm
Saturday, July 31st at 2:00pm
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
See The Cast of Fela! Live On Thursday
By Byrne Harrison
WNYC's Soundcheck will be broadcast live on Thursday the 22nd at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at 44 Charlton Street and will feature the cast of Fela!. Led by Sahr Ngaujah, one of two actors who play Fela Kuti, Fela’s cast and band will perform for Soundcheck’s audience. The husband-and-wife duo Dean & Britta will also perform.
Soundcheck will be broadcast from 2-3 PM. Tickets are $10.
WNYC's Soundcheck will be broadcast live on Thursday the 22nd at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at 44 Charlton Street and will feature the cast of Fela!. Led by Sahr Ngaujah, one of two actors who play Fela Kuti, Fela’s cast and band will perform for Soundcheck’s audience. The husband-and-wife duo Dean & Britta will also perform.
Soundcheck will be broadcast from 2-3 PM. Tickets are $10.
NY Innovative Theatre Award 2010 Nominees Announced
By Byrne Harrison
The 2010 New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominees were announced Monday evening at the Carmine Street Recreation Center at 25 Carmine Street. James Scruggs, Nicky Paraiso, Tzipora Kaplan, Doug Strassler, Jay Aubrey and Linda S. Nelson had the honor or announcing the nominees to the crowd.
This year the ceremony will be recognizing a new category, The Innovative Design Award. "This award recognizes those designers, whose work is such an intricate part of these productions, but is so often overlooked such as masks, props and audio/visual designs" says Shay Gines, Co-Executive Director of the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation. "This award is a direct result of feedback from the community and we are excited to be able to honor these theatre artists."
Over the past six years, the IT Awards has honored over 1,000 individual artists, over 350 productions, and 250 theatre companies; having collected over 22,000 ballots and disseminated more than 4,500 judges. The 2010 Nominees include 118 individual artists, 55 different productions and 50 Off-Off Broadway theatre companies.
The Nominees for the 2010 New York Innovative Theatre Awards are:
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
Christine Rebecca Herzog, Itsuko Higashi, Jubil Khan, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Kaela Crawford, Julia Giolzetti, Caitlin Mehner, Alison Scaramella, Stephanie Strohm, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Marc Bovino, Joe Curnutte, Michael Dalto, Stephanie Wright Thompson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Jenny Bennett, Melissa D. Brown, John Graham, John J. Isgro, Courtney Kochuba, Kyle Minshew, Amanda Nichols, Katherine Nolan Brown, Jed Peterson, Sean Reidy, Miranda Shields, Douglas Taurel, Nate Washburn, The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Joie Bauer, David Bishins, Gina Nagy Burns, James Patterson, Chris Skeries, Harris Yulin, Janet Zarish, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble
Daniel Abeles, Craig Jorczak, Jacob Murphy, Anna O'Donoghue, Laura Ramadei, Claire Siebers, Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Dan Berkey, Remission, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Michael Graves, The Report of My Death, One Armed Man, Inc. in association with Oracle Theatre, Inc. and Faux-Real Theatre Company
David Harrell, A Little Potato and Hard to Peel, ADH Enterprises
Erin Markey, Puppy Love: A Stripper's Tail, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Brian McManamon, It or Her, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Avery Pearson, Monster, Really Sketchy and terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Jesse Zaritt, Binding, Theatre C and terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE
Michael Cyril Creighten, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group
Amir Darvish, Psych, Cake Productions
Kyle Haggerty, The Hypochondriac, the cell theatre company
Douglas Scott Sorenson, The Hypochondriac, the cell theatre company
Evan Thompson, Loyalties, Unity Stage Company
Paco Tolson, The Brokenhearteds, I Mean! Productions
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE
Jess Barbagallo, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group
Nikole Beckwith, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group
Jessica Crandall, Agamemnon, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club
Jennifer Harder, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group
Elaine O'Brien, Granada, Polybe + Seats
Anna O'Donoghue, Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE
Frank Anderson, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
Marc Bovino, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Joe Curnutte, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Christopher Domig, A Mysterious Way, Firebone Theatre
John Halbach, Children At Play, CollaborationTown
Harris Yulin, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE
Elizabeth A. Davis, Emily, An Amethyst Remembrance, Firebone Theatre
Elyse Mirto, Next Year in Jerusalem, WorkShop Theater Company
Susan Louise O'Connor, Children At Play, CollaborationTown
Tanya O'Debra, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra
Kristen Vaughan, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Stephanie Wright Thompson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT
Nina Ashe, Manhattanpotamia IV, The Hyperion Theatre Project
Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Austin McCormick, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV
Christine O'Grady, Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Kim Weild, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Jesse Zaritt, Binding, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
Daniel Brodie and Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Heather Cohn, The Lesser Seductions of History, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Lila Neugebauer, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Alex Roe, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
Brian Smith, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Kim Weild, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Tim Cryan, Welcome to the Woods, The International Theatre Laboratory Workshop
Charles Foster, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Gina Scherr, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV
Joel Silver, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
John Tees III, Down Range, Delano Celli Productions
Christopher Weston, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Stephanie Alexander, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Brooke Berry and Mark Mears, Psych, Cake Productions
Olivera Gajic, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV
Viviane Galloway, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Julianne Kroboth, Craven Monkey and The Mountain of Fury, Piper McKenzie
Lisa Zinni, Killing Women, kef theatrical productions
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Daniel Brodie, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Rebecca Cunningham, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Michael P. Kramer, Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Zane Pihlstrom, Snow White, Company XIV
Brian Scott, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Amanda Stephens, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
The Broken Chord Collective, Thunder Above, Deeps Below, Second Generation Productions, Inc.
Stowe Nelson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Shane Rettig, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company
Philip Rothman, Proof, Tongue in Cheek Theater Productions
Jeanne Travis, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Mark Valadez, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Performance Lab 115
OUTSTANDING INNOVATIVE DESIGN
C. Andrew Bauer, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Daniel Brodie, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Heather E. Cunningham and Casandera M.J. Lollar, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Daniel Heffernan, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble
Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Zane Pihlstrom, Snow White, Company XIV
Matt Tennie, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company
David Valentine, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC
Michael Kosch, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Andrew Mauriello, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra
Carl Riehl, Laika Dog in Space, New York Neo-Futurists
Colonna Sonora, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Toy Box Theatre Company
Mark Valadez, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Performance Lab 115
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SHORT SCRIPT
Lorraine Cink, Emilia’s Wish in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Cheryl L. Davis, BMW in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Amy Herzog, Christmas Present in Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions
ML Kinney, What If… in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Bethany Larsen, The Third Date in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL FULL-LENGTH SCRIPT
James Comtois, Infectious Opportunity, Nosedive Productions
Stacy Davidowitz, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Ashlin Halfnight, Balaton, Electric Pear Productions
Adam Kraar, Empire of the Trees, Wizard Oil Productions
Tanya O'Debra, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra
Crystal Skillman, The Vigil or The Guided Circle, Impetuous Theater Group & The Brick Theater
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE ART PRODUCTION
Binding, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Craven Monkey and The Mountain of Fury, Piper McKenzie
Diagnosis of a Faun, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club
Haunted House, Vortex Theater Company
Manhattanpotamia IV, The Hyperion Theatre Project
Remission, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
The Soup Show, New York Neo-Futurists
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Caroline, or Change, The Gallery Players
Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Romance Romance, The Active Theater
Rootless: La No-Nostalgia, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
The Cradle Will Rock, Theater Ten Ten
Top of the Heap, The Gallery Players
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
The Desk Set, Retro Productions
The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, which recognizes the great work of New York's Off-Off-Broadway, honoring its artistic heritage and providing an alliance for this extensive and richly varied community. As advocates for Off-Off-Broadway, they recognize its unique and essential role contributing to global culture.
Each season, The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation publicly recognizes excellence in Off-Off-Broadway, with a high-profile awards ceremony. The New York Innovative Theatre Awards celebrate the community and honor some of the previous year's greatest achievements. The IT Awards heighten audience awareness and foster greater appreciation of the New York theatre experience.
The Fifth Annual IT Awards will be presented on Monday, September 20th, 2010. Location to be announced.
The 2010 New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominees were announced Monday evening at the Carmine Street Recreation Center at 25 Carmine Street. James Scruggs, Nicky Paraiso, Tzipora Kaplan, Doug Strassler, Jay Aubrey and Linda S. Nelson had the honor or announcing the nominees to the crowd.
This year the ceremony will be recognizing a new category, The Innovative Design Award. "This award recognizes those designers, whose work is such an intricate part of these productions, but is so often overlooked such as masks, props and audio/visual designs" says Shay Gines, Co-Executive Director of the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation. "This award is a direct result of feedback from the community and we are excited to be able to honor these theatre artists."
Over the past six years, the IT Awards has honored over 1,000 individual artists, over 350 productions, and 250 theatre companies; having collected over 22,000 ballots and disseminated more than 4,500 judges. The 2010 Nominees include 118 individual artists, 55 different productions and 50 Off-Off Broadway theatre companies.
The Nominees for the 2010 New York Innovative Theatre Awards are:
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
Christine Rebecca Herzog, Itsuko Higashi, Jubil Khan, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Kaela Crawford, Julia Giolzetti, Caitlin Mehner, Alison Scaramella, Stephanie Strohm, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Marc Bovino, Joe Curnutte, Michael Dalto, Stephanie Wright Thompson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Jenny Bennett, Melissa D. Brown, John Graham, John J. Isgro, Courtney Kochuba, Kyle Minshew, Amanda Nichols, Katherine Nolan Brown, Jed Peterson, Sean Reidy, Miranda Shields, Douglas Taurel, Nate Washburn, The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Joie Bauer, David Bishins, Gina Nagy Burns, James Patterson, Chris Skeries, Harris Yulin, Janet Zarish, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble
Daniel Abeles, Craig Jorczak, Jacob Murphy, Anna O'Donoghue, Laura Ramadei, Claire Siebers, Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions
OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Dan Berkey, Remission, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Michael Graves, The Report of My Death, One Armed Man, Inc. in association with Oracle Theatre, Inc. and Faux-Real Theatre Company
David Harrell, A Little Potato and Hard to Peel, ADH Enterprises
Erin Markey, Puppy Love: A Stripper's Tail, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Brian McManamon, It or Her, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Avery Pearson, Monster, Really Sketchy and terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Jesse Zaritt, Binding, Theatre C and terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE
Michael Cyril Creighten, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group
Amir Darvish, Psych, Cake Productions
Kyle Haggerty, The Hypochondriac, the cell theatre company
Douglas Scott Sorenson, The Hypochondriac, the cell theatre company
Evan Thompson, Loyalties, Unity Stage Company
Paco Tolson, The Brokenhearteds, I Mean! Productions
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE
Jess Barbagallo, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group
Nikole Beckwith, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group
Jessica Crandall, Agamemnon, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club
Jennifer Harder, MilkMilkLemonade, The Management & Horse Trade Theater Group
Elaine O'Brien, Granada, Polybe + Seats
Anna O'Donoghue, Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions
OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE
Frank Anderson, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
Marc Bovino, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Joe Curnutte, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Christopher Domig, A Mysterious Way, Firebone Theatre
John Halbach, Children At Play, CollaborationTown
Harris Yulin, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A LEAD ROLE
Elizabeth A. Davis, Emily, An Amethyst Remembrance, Firebone Theatre
Elyse Mirto, Next Year in Jerusalem, WorkShop Theater Company
Susan Louise O'Connor, Children At Play, CollaborationTown
Tanya O'Debra, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra
Kristen Vaughan, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Stephanie Wright Thompson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT
Nina Ashe, Manhattanpotamia IV, The Hyperion Theatre Project
Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Austin McCormick, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV
Christine O'Grady, Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Kim Weild, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Jesse Zaritt, Binding, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
Daniel Brodie and Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Heather Cohn, The Lesser Seductions of History, Flux Theatre Ensemble
Lila Neugebauer, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Alex Roe, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
Brian Smith, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Kim Weild, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Tim Cryan, Welcome to the Woods, The International Theatre Laboratory Workshop
Charles Foster, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Gina Scherr, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV
Joel Silver, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
John Tees III, Down Range, Delano Celli Productions
Christopher Weston, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Stephanie Alexander, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Brooke Berry and Mark Mears, Psych, Cake Productions
Olivera Gajic, Le Serpent Rouge, Company XIV
Viviane Galloway, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Julianne Kroboth, Craven Monkey and The Mountain of Fury, Piper McKenzie
Lisa Zinni, Killing Women, kef theatrical productions
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Daniel Brodie, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Rebecca Cunningham, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Michael P. Kramer, Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Zane Pihlstrom, Snow White, Company XIV
Brian Scott, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Amanda Stephens, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
The Broken Chord Collective, Thunder Above, Deeps Below, Second Generation Productions, Inc.
Stowe Nelson, Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
Shane Rettig, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company
Philip Rothman, Proof, Tongue in Cheek Theater Productions
Jeanne Travis, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Mark Valadez, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Performance Lab 115
OUTSTANDING INNOVATIVE DESIGN
C. Andrew Bauer, Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Daniel Brodie, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Heather E. Cunningham and Casandera M.J. Lollar, The Desk Set, Retro Productions
Daniel Heffernan, The Glass House, Resonance Ensemble
Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Zane Pihlstrom, Snow White, Company XIV
Matt Tennie, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company
David Valentine, Alice in Slasherland, Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC
Michael Kosch, The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
Andrew Mauriello, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra
Carl Riehl, Laika Dog in Space, New York Neo-Futurists
Colonna Sonora, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Toy Box Theatre Company
Mark Valadez, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Performance Lab 115
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SHORT SCRIPT
Lorraine Cink, Emilia’s Wish in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Cheryl L. Davis, BMW in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Amy Herzog, Christmas Present in Too Little Too Late, Red Elevator Productions
ML Kinney, What If… in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Bethany Larsen, The Third Date in The Disorder Plays, Milk Can Theatre Company
Jonothon Lyons, The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL FULL-LENGTH SCRIPT
James Comtois, Infectious Opportunity, Nosedive Productions
Stacy Davidowitz, Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Ashlin Halfnight, Balaton, Electric Pear Productions
Adam Kraar, Empire of the Trees, Wizard Oil Productions
Tanya O'Debra, Radio Star, Horse Trade Theater Group and Tanya O'Debra
Crystal Skillman, The Vigil or The Guided Circle, Impetuous Theater Group & The Brick Theater
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE ART PRODUCTION
Binding, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
Craven Monkey and The Mountain of Fury, Piper McKenzie
Diagnosis of a Faun, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club
Haunted House, Vortex Theater Company
Manhattanpotamia IV, The Hyperion Theatre Project
Remission, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
The Soup Show, New York Neo-Futurists
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Caroline, or Change, The Gallery Players
Children of Eden, Astoria Performing Arts Center
Romance Romance, The Active Theater
Rootless: La No-Nostalgia, terraNOVA Collective’s soloNOVA Arts Festival
The Cradle Will Rock, Theater Ten Ten
Top of the Heap, The Gallery Players
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Fêtes de la Nuit, WeildWorks
Pink!, Down Payment Productions
Samuel and Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War, The Mad Ones
The Desk Set, Retro Productions
The Return of Peter Grimm, Metropolitan Playhouse
The Tenement, The Associated Mask Ensemble
The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, which recognizes the great work of New York's Off-Off-Broadway, honoring its artistic heritage and providing an alliance for this extensive and richly varied community. As advocates for Off-Off-Broadway, they recognize its unique and essential role contributing to global culture.
Each season, The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation publicly recognizes excellence in Off-Off-Broadway, with a high-profile awards ceremony. The New York Innovative Theatre Awards celebrate the community and honor some of the previous year's greatest achievements. The IT Awards heighten audience awareness and foster greater appreciation of the New York theatre experience.
The Fifth Annual IT Awards will be presented on Monday, September 20th, 2010. Location to be announced.
Monday, July 19, 2010
5 Questions With undergroundzero Participant Leigh Evans
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Leigh Evans
Play: Quiet To Departure
Relationship to play: Choreographer and performer
At the intersection of dance, visual art, meditation, and theater, Leigh Evans' performance work explores the nature of perception by re-inventing our relationship to viewing the body. Evans' dance theater illuminates the darker aspects of human nature with the beauty of the physical form in rituals of invocation. Her explorations are fed by her fascination with the performance and meditative traditions of Asia. Integral to her work are her extensive travels and studies in the meditative and performance traditions of Asia, including Indian Odissi dance, Butoh, Yoga, Bulgarian singing and North Indian singing.
You've traveled extensively and have studied a variety of performance, movement and singing styles. Where does this interest come from?
I am interested in the internal energy of the dance, the sounds between the notes, the space between objects, and the deepening of consciousness. I felt unsatisfied with the Western theater and dance forms that I studied. I was drawn to Asian forms because they awaken energy in the body, deepen awareness, and offer a gateway to states of being beyond our concrete reality. I learned through Tadashi Suzuki's theater training how to awaken energy in stillness. In Butoh, I found a means to express the shadow side and explore the space between consciousness and unconsciousness, and between life and death. In my studies of Indian Odissi dance, I experienced how intricately interwoven their dance is with spiritual practice and an offering of one's creative expression to an energy beyond one's self. The sophisticated articulation of Odissi dance requires extreme focus and complete surrender simultaneously. I aim for this in my own work and in my life.
Quiet to Departure draws on Butoh, a performance and movement style that is gaining popularity in this country, but is not necessarily well known to Western audiences. What should your audience expect?
Butoh is unique to each artist's expression. As an audience member viewing my work, I suggest that you release narrative interpretations and allow yourself to be transported into the realm of dreams and the language of images and symbols. You can allow your relationship to time and space to shift. It will be helpful to release your expectations and relax into a meditative state of awareness, inviting your mind and body to settle in the stillness and embrace the opportunity to listen to the surfacing of the unconscious.
What drives you to create your work?
Fundamentally I am interested in developing presence and awareness. Performance provides the opportunity and support to drop into a deeply attentive state in which you are listening with every aspect of your being. This state of presence invites the audience to deepen their awareness as they experience the piece.
My work emerges from a very internal process. Images, gestures, movements, sounds, or songs come forward and I follow them. I often think of my pieces as movement paintings, or as live film.
What are your hopes for this production?
I'd love to perform Quiet to Departure for long run here in New York. I plan on performing it in San Francisco, where several of my collaborators as well as myself have spent alot of time. I'd really love to take it to Europe this Spring or Summer, I have my eye on Spain!
What is next for you after undergroundzero?
First, I'm going to go to the beach!! Then it's back to work, setting up the next venue to present the piece.
Quiet To Departure
Choreographed & Performed by Leigh Evans
P.S. 122
150 First Ave at 9th St. - Downstairs Venue
July 13, 14, 16, 17, & 18 @ 7:30pm, July 15 @ 9:30pm
Name: Leigh Evans
Play: Quiet To Departure
Relationship to play: Choreographer and performer
At the intersection of dance, visual art, meditation, and theater, Leigh Evans' performance work explores the nature of perception by re-inventing our relationship to viewing the body. Evans' dance theater illuminates the darker aspects of human nature with the beauty of the physical form in rituals of invocation. Her explorations are fed by her fascination with the performance and meditative traditions of Asia. Integral to her work are her extensive travels and studies in the meditative and performance traditions of Asia, including Indian Odissi dance, Butoh, Yoga, Bulgarian singing and North Indian singing.You've traveled extensively and have studied a variety of performance, movement and singing styles. Where does this interest come from?
I am interested in the internal energy of the dance, the sounds between the notes, the space between objects, and the deepening of consciousness. I felt unsatisfied with the Western theater and dance forms that I studied. I was drawn to Asian forms because they awaken energy in the body, deepen awareness, and offer a gateway to states of being beyond our concrete reality. I learned through Tadashi Suzuki's theater training how to awaken energy in stillness. In Butoh, I found a means to express the shadow side and explore the space between consciousness and unconsciousness, and between life and death. In my studies of Indian Odissi dance, I experienced how intricately interwoven their dance is with spiritual practice and an offering of one's creative expression to an energy beyond one's self. The sophisticated articulation of Odissi dance requires extreme focus and complete surrender simultaneously. I aim for this in my own work and in my life.
Quiet to Departure draws on Butoh, a performance and movement style that is gaining popularity in this country, but is not necessarily well known to Western audiences. What should your audience expect?
Butoh is unique to each artist's expression. As an audience member viewing my work, I suggest that you release narrative interpretations and allow yourself to be transported into the realm of dreams and the language of images and symbols. You can allow your relationship to time and space to shift. It will be helpful to release your expectations and relax into a meditative state of awareness, inviting your mind and body to settle in the stillness and embrace the opportunity to listen to the surfacing of the unconscious.
What drives you to create your work?
Fundamentally I am interested in developing presence and awareness. Performance provides the opportunity and support to drop into a deeply attentive state in which you are listening with every aspect of your being. This state of presence invites the audience to deepen their awareness as they experience the piece.
My work emerges from a very internal process. Images, gestures, movements, sounds, or songs come forward and I follow them. I often think of my pieces as movement paintings, or as live film.
What are your hopes for this production?
I'd love to perform Quiet to Departure for long run here in New York. I plan on performing it in San Francisco, where several of my collaborators as well as myself have spent alot of time. I'd really love to take it to Europe this Spring or Summer, I have my eye on Spain!
What is next for you after undergroundzero?
First, I'm going to go to the beach!! Then it's back to work, setting up the next venue to present the piece.
Quiet To Departure
Choreographed & Performed by Leigh Evans
P.S. 122
150 First Ave at 9th St. - Downstairs Venue
July 13, 14, 16, 17, & 18 @ 7:30pm, July 15 @ 9:30pm
Thursday, July 15, 2010
5 Questions With undergroundzero Particpant Doris Mirescu
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Doris Mirescu
Play: From Dawn Till Night
Relationship to play: Conceived, Designed and Directed
Doris Mirescu is a Romanian-born freelance director and writer. She is also the founder of New York based theatre company Dangerous Ground. Her most recent productions include John Cassavetes’ Husbands (Under the Radar festival at the Public Theater) and 3!, a multimedia experiment based on Fassbinder’s 1979 film The Third Generation (PS122 as part of the undergroundzero festival- winner of the 2009 undergroundzero “Best Production” Award). She directed Fassbinder’s Beware of a Holy Whore at the Visual Arts Theatre, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris, Madness of Day by Maurice Blanchot and Neil LaBute’s The Distance from Here, all at Tom Noonan’s Paradise Factory. She also directed the American Premiere of Paul Solomon’s Aching to go Home at the Epic Center Theatre (Kalamazoo) and Battle of Black and Dogs by Bernard-Marie Koltès as part of Koltès New York 2003, a festival which she also produced (Ohio Theater). Directing credits include Story of Rats, her adaptation of works by French writer Georges Bataille (Chashama) and the European Premiere of Les Nuits Sans Lune by French playwright Véronique Olmi (Parc de La Villette, Paris). Other New York credits include: Silence of Snow (Soho Rep) and Cocteau’s The Handsome Hunk. Ms. Mirescu was the assistant director of French director Brigitte Jaques, with whom she worked on Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler (La Comédie, Geneva, Switzerland) and Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost (Western Michigan University) and assisted Mr. Andrei Serban on Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at the Grand Théâtre of Geneva. Ms. Mirescu was four times the recipient of Etant Donnés, the French-American Fund for the Performing Arts. She holds a Summa Cum Laude Master of Arts in French Literature from Paris-IV Sorbonne as well as an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University. She has taught Advanced Acting and Directing at The School of Visual Arts, worked as a theatre and film critic for the Swiss magazine Scènes and as a translator/interpreter for Lincoln Center Theater, the Centre Chorégraphique de Montpellier and the French Cultural Services in New York. She is an alumna of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. She is also a member of the Actors Studio Playwright and Director’s Workshop.
How long have you been involved in theatre and what is your background?
My parents left Romania when I was three years old. They didn’t want to raise a child in a dictatorship. I lived in Paris, did some of my studies there - literature at the Sorbonne - at the same time studying acting, theatre. Then I went to New York to study film and theatre. After I got my MFA at Columbia University, I founded my company, Dangerous Ground. So theatre has always been at the core… like a profound gesture of freedom, rebellion also… a political gesture. Something to give voice to the world we live in. And also what we aspire to… what we long for. The pain of being alive.
What led you to found Dangerous Ground?
The name of the company echoes one of my most beloved films, “On Dangerous Ground” by the great artist rebel Nicholas Ray. So danger is key. What I am looking for is what shatters the heart, the soul, what is dangerous… life is dangerous, messy, chaotic, sad, beautiful. Emotions contained in silence, nothingness. The simplest gestures. The quotidian. Time also. Dangerous Ground uses multimedia as an ultimate gesture of revelation. At the core is the erosion of human life, when we go beyond the wall of what is constructed, protected and we look at the wounds, at the trash, at what is hidden away. I am interested in raw emotion. In broken, ruptured things. It is the crack which I find most important, because therein is revealed something essential about human-ness. The imperfect is magnificent. What is unpolished, raw, hard. Not necessarily precise. Open…
This play concludes your Fassbinder trilogy. What drew you to Fassbinder's works?
Fassbinder is a revolutionary filmmaker. Danger is at the core of his work. The anarchy of imagination he used to say… He had the extraordinary ability to mix film and theatre and create a unique environment that revealed something very powerful about the world. He created disturbance in the most profound most moving way. Art is a disturbance. It creates discomfort. Awe. Each time I watch a Fassbinder film, I am in awe. Amazed at the risks he is taking and his willingness to destroy the obvious structure, to throw it all away. To look underneath.
Danger is there, always. This new piece is an ode to that danger… vivid and true. Real.
What are your hopes for this production?
The most important gift is that of performance. Which my friend Paul Bargetto, offered to us.
We need to be in the present… now… in the most fragile, vulnerable time… when the piece is about to take a life of its own. So every day is renewed and becomes the future.
What is next for you after undergroundzero?
A trip to Europe. Sleep. And then new work in the making. With my extraordinary friend and writer Ilana Ozernoy.
From Dawn till Night (The Earth is Uninhabitable Like the Moon)
Directed by Doris Mirescu & Produced by Dangerous Ground Productions
P.S. 122
150 First Ave at 9th St.
July 21 & 23 @ 9pm, July 22 @ 7pm, July 24 & 25 @ 5pm - Upstairs Venue
Name: Doris Mirescu
Play: From Dawn Till Night
Relationship to play: Conceived, Designed and Directed
Doris Mirescu is a Romanian-born freelance director and writer. She is also the founder of New York based theatre company Dangerous Ground. Her most recent productions include John Cassavetes’ Husbands (Under the Radar festival at the Public Theater) and 3!, a multimedia experiment based on Fassbinder’s 1979 film The Third Generation (PS122 as part of the undergroundzero festival- winner of the 2009 undergroundzero “Best Production” Award). She directed Fassbinder’s Beware of a Holy Whore at the Visual Arts Theatre, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris, Madness of Day by Maurice Blanchot and Neil LaBute’s The Distance from Here, all at Tom Noonan’s Paradise Factory. She also directed the American Premiere of Paul Solomon’s Aching to go Home at the Epic Center Theatre (Kalamazoo) and Battle of Black and Dogs by Bernard-Marie Koltès as part of Koltès New York 2003, a festival which she also produced (Ohio Theater). Directing credits include Story of Rats, her adaptation of works by French writer Georges Bataille (Chashama) and the European Premiere of Les Nuits Sans Lune by French playwright Véronique Olmi (Parc de La Villette, Paris). Other New York credits include: Silence of Snow (Soho Rep) and Cocteau’s The Handsome Hunk. Ms. Mirescu was the assistant director of French director Brigitte Jaques, with whom she worked on Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler (La Comédie, Geneva, Switzerland) and Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost (Western Michigan University) and assisted Mr. Andrei Serban on Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at the Grand Théâtre of Geneva. Ms. Mirescu was four times the recipient of Etant Donnés, the French-American Fund for the Performing Arts. She holds a Summa Cum Laude Master of Arts in French Literature from Paris-IV Sorbonne as well as an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University. She has taught Advanced Acting and Directing at The School of Visual Arts, worked as a theatre and film critic for the Swiss magazine Scènes and as a translator/interpreter for Lincoln Center Theater, the Centre Chorégraphique de Montpellier and the French Cultural Services in New York. She is an alumna of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. She is also a member of the Actors Studio Playwright and Director’s Workshop.
How long have you been involved in theatre and what is your background?
My parents left Romania when I was three years old. They didn’t want to raise a child in a dictatorship. I lived in Paris, did some of my studies there - literature at the Sorbonne - at the same time studying acting, theatre. Then I went to New York to study film and theatre. After I got my MFA at Columbia University, I founded my company, Dangerous Ground. So theatre has always been at the core… like a profound gesture of freedom, rebellion also… a political gesture. Something to give voice to the world we live in. And also what we aspire to… what we long for. The pain of being alive.
What led you to found Dangerous Ground?
The name of the company echoes one of my most beloved films, “On Dangerous Ground” by the great artist rebel Nicholas Ray. So danger is key. What I am looking for is what shatters the heart, the soul, what is dangerous… life is dangerous, messy, chaotic, sad, beautiful. Emotions contained in silence, nothingness. The simplest gestures. The quotidian. Time also. Dangerous Ground uses multimedia as an ultimate gesture of revelation. At the core is the erosion of human life, when we go beyond the wall of what is constructed, protected and we look at the wounds, at the trash, at what is hidden away. I am interested in raw emotion. In broken, ruptured things. It is the crack which I find most important, because therein is revealed something essential about human-ness. The imperfect is magnificent. What is unpolished, raw, hard. Not necessarily precise. Open…
This play concludes your Fassbinder trilogy. What drew you to Fassbinder's works?
Fassbinder is a revolutionary filmmaker. Danger is at the core of his work. The anarchy of imagination he used to say… He had the extraordinary ability to mix film and theatre and create a unique environment that revealed something very powerful about the world. He created disturbance in the most profound most moving way. Art is a disturbance. It creates discomfort. Awe. Each time I watch a Fassbinder film, I am in awe. Amazed at the risks he is taking and his willingness to destroy the obvious structure, to throw it all away. To look underneath.
Danger is there, always. This new piece is an ode to that danger… vivid and true. Real.
What are your hopes for this production?
The most important gift is that of performance. Which my friend Paul Bargetto, offered to us.
We need to be in the present… now… in the most fragile, vulnerable time… when the piece is about to take a life of its own. So every day is renewed and becomes the future.
What is next for you after undergroundzero?
A trip to Europe. Sleep. And then new work in the making. With my extraordinary friend and writer Ilana Ozernoy.
From Dawn till Night (The Earth is Uninhabitable Like the Moon)
Directed by Doris Mirescu & Produced by Dangerous Ground Productions
P.S. 122
150 First Ave at 9th St.
July 21 & 23 @ 9pm, July 22 @ 7pm, July 24 & 25 @ 5pm - Upstairs Venue
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