Interview - Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj of "The Little Rock Nine Project"

By Byrne Harrison

After reading about the upcoming Little Rock Nine Project, I spoke with Red Shirt Entertainment's Producing Artistic Director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj to find out more.

What was the genesis of The Little Rock Nine Project?

I have a relationship with the Little Rock Nine.  I wrote a play called The Little Rock Nine which tells the story of their first year integrating in Little Rock Central High School.  I wanted to create a work that told the story of the Little Rock Nine crisis and its legacy on children today.

Tell me a little about what the audience can expect to see at this concert?

A soul-stirring concert that blends together original poems, music and monologues that will warm your heart and touch your soul.

Original member of the Little Rock Nine, Ernest Green, will be attending the performance. How did he come to be involved?

He is a mentor and friend of mind.  He heard about the project and wanted to support me and the kids.

Speaking of the kids, what was it like working with members of the Camp AmeriKid Leader-in-Training program?

It was one of the most important, inspiring journeys I have had in my life.  It's changed my artistic DNA!

If you could say one thing to your potential audience about this performance, what would it be?

You will learn about history and realize that each of us have the power to change the world, just like the Little Rock Nine did in 1957.

Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj is an Indo-Caribbean American artist, educator and activist.  He is the Producing Artistic Director of Red Shirt Entertainment (www.redshirtentertainment.com) and has numerous directing/choreography credits. 

His commissioned works include: Diss Diss and Dis Dat, a new hip hop musical inspired by the music of the Funkie Natives (Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theater); Grey and Twenty-Five (Ensemble Studio Theater NYC); BlackfootNotes (Sloan Grant/Ensemble Studio Theater NYC); Little Rock (Arkansas Repertory Theater/TCG/NEA New Generations); Children of the Dream (Alliance Theater, ATL).  Co. Written and Co. Conceived work: History of the Word, a new spoken word play with music; Exposures, an urban spoken word choreopoem.  Adapted work: Ghosts by Ibsen “Jamaican adaptation” (Rebel Theater Co.); Abortion by O’Neill “Mississippi Night” (Rasa Theater Co. & Sign of the Times); Black Nativity by Langston Hughes “Darfur Nativity” (Goodman Theater & Congo Square); the poem Willie by Maya Angelou “Spook” (Rebel Theater Co.); Daisy inspired by the life and legacy of the indomitable Daisy Lee Bates. Straight Outta Denmark (Hip Hop Hamlet Red Shirt Entertainment); Holocaust Project (a trilogy focusing on the genocides in Germany, Rwanda and Darfur).

He is the founder of a children’s arts group “Be, Do, Fly” that provides free performing arts access to children in need across America. Maharaj is the founder and the artistic advisor of River Voices, an African American Latino playwriting festival in collaboration with Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  He is also an artistic consultant for the Arkansas Repertory Theater. Maharaj has been featured in American Theatre Magazine, Yale Review, New York Times, The Star Ledger, The NAACP Crisis News, Chicago Sun Times, Ebony, Arkansas Times, Uptown Magazine and has been featured on the Hot List as a New York Theater Artist to Watch, Amsterdam News and Variety for his work in the American theatre.  

Interview - Luke Leonard of "Bum Phillips," an opera based on the life of the former Oilers coach

By Byrne Harrison

Luke Leonard (center) with
Bum and Debbie Phillips

Luke Leonard is a director and artist living in New York. He is a founding member and the Producing Artistic Director of Monk Parrots, a nonprofit, vanguard theatre company. His stage productions have been described as "taking creditable gambles... outstanding" by The New York Times, "bold and experimental... a clear vision... pure theatrical experience" by nytheatre.com, and "visually arresting" by Austin American-Statesman. In 2011, nytheatre-wire.com compared Monk Parrots to "young artist revolutionaries."

After hearing that he is working on an opera based on the life of former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips, I spoke with Luke about the opera and its upcoming premiere.

Having grown up in Houston in the '70s, I know how much of an influence former Oilers coach Bum Phillips was in Texas, and even around the country.  That said, he doesn't seem to be the typical subject for an opera.  What inspired you to create an opera based on his life?

I was interested in doing a project about happiness, or being in/capturing a moment.  I was also reflecting on the effect that playing football growing up has had on my aesthetic and leadership skills.  I was looking for books written by coaches to learn more about coaching methods.  The name, Bum Phillips, came to mind and I was instantly filled with nostalgia.  Coincidentally, Bum published an autobiography in 2010, so I ordered it right away and after I read it, I knew that I wanted to make a new work based on his life.  It fit perfectly with the ideas that I was interested in exploring.

Houston was a very special place in the late 1970s and it was due in large part to Bum Phillips and the Houston Oilers.  The fans embraced the team and their coach in a citywide phenomenon called "Luv Ya Blue".  It was as if everyone could bleed the same shade of light blue.  The city was joined by the sense of family that Bum Phillips instilled in his players.  I was only a child, but the devotion that my parents (and their friends) had for the Oilers, the Astros, the Astrodome, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, etc., rubbed off on me, inspired me... it was the culture, and it can only be described as a magical time.

The story of Bum Phillips and the Houston Oilers is the perfect vehicle to explore the concept of happiness and living in the moment, but it is also a chance to look at what happens when the party is over.  Undoubtedly, Bum left a mark on the NFL and Houston, but his tenure with the Oilers was stripped away by owner Bud Adams, robbing the city of its leader.  In over 30 years, Houston has never experienced another bond quite like "Luv Ya Blue" and the present condition of the Astrodome, arguably, symbolizes a neglect of heritage.  Despite its current state, the Astrodome is a container for wonderful memories and dreams.  Bum Phillips is really a universal story about courage and healing.

Why an opera?  Well, I have been pursuing a career directing opera ever since returning to New York in 2010 after receiving a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.  I also lead Monk Parrots, a nonprofit, experimental theater company that devises new works and embraces alternative approaches to making theatre.  We're always looking for bridges that bring people together.  Football is epic and opera is epic, so a Bum Phillips opera seemed to make perfect sense.  Opera is music-driven versus a musical, which is more narrative/text-driven.  A Bum Phillips musical seemed too obvious or gimmicky, and it didn't seem to match the scale and emotion of American football.  We call it an opera because the piece is all sung, but composer Peter Stopschinski's approach is modern and accessible, so it does teeter between what people consider an opera and a musical.  I would like to see it on Broadway someday!

Reaction on the internet runs from bemusement to snark.  What would you say to your doubters?

That's a great question that hasn't been asked.  Funny because I just started reading a book written by Andy Warhol called "Popism" and he talks about how everyone laughed at his early coke bottle paintings, and at Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg (also a native Texan), Frank Stella, Jasper Johns...it's just natural to criticize something new that isn't easily understood.  I actually think the snarky comments are funny, but they can sting if you let them because you're investing an enormous amount of time and hard work, and you're trying to do something personal and with good intentions.  I don't know.  I think for the most part people are supportive.

I understand you met with Mr. Phillips about this project.  What did he think about it?  Was he an opera or theatre fan to begin with?

Peter, Bum and Luke

We drove to Goliad on Sunday, March 10, 2012 to meet Bum and Debbie at their ranch.  Peter was with me as well as my parents.  We took the Phillips' a pecan pie from Goode Company.  I think this was before much of the score and book had been written, so it's funny that "pie" made it's way into the first scene called, "Picnic".  Bum seemed to really like the idea, but he didn't know if it would work in New York.  I tried to reassure him that it would and expressed my desire for a Texas presentation, too.  I found him to be very accepting of all things.  He told us that Lawrence Harris used to play for the Oilers and became a professional opera singer.  I don't remember asking Bum if he was a fan of opera or theatre, but he likes music and he's a big fan of John Wayne movies.  My mother sent me a John Wayne compilation DVD that includes The Searchers, which is one of Bum's favorites.

In his... well, I hesitate to say retirement, since he seems to be more active than ever... but in recent years, Phillips has been more known for his charity work and Christian ministry.  Will that be included in the opera, or will it focus more on his early life and coaching career?

Yes, for a man approaching 90 he is sharp as a whip and has a ton of stamina.  He is certainly active and it's very impressive.  His strength and endurance reminds me of Ellen Stewart, the Founder/Artistic Director of La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (where we will present the world premiere).  You couldn't keep Ellen down, even in her 80s.  She was a firecracker, an amazing woman, and she left behind a inimitable legacy, which is now under the artistic leadership of Mia Yoo.

The primary source material for the opera is the autobiography, Bum Phillips: Cowboy, Coach, Christian.  It includes moments throughout his entire life and it is structured like a football game.  Act I focuses on the early parts of his life; such as, the myth surrounding the source of his nickname, his relationship with his father, his time as a Marine Raider in WWII, and concludes with a football game from the 1979 season.  Act 2 includes scenes about retirement, divorce, the prison ministry, and of course, more football games.  It's ambitious and it will be challenging to stage, but that's what I'm all about, a challenge.

Who are your collaborators on this project?

Kirk Lynn

Kirk Lynn is the librettist and Peter Stopschinski is the composer.  I met Kirk at UT-Austin when I was a MFA student.  He is a professor at UT and I took a class with him called New Play Dramaturgy.  Kirk and Peter are both members of the nationally-renowned theatre collective, Rude Mechs.  Kirk is a founding member and Co-Producing Artistic Director of the Rudes.  Peter is Co-Artistic Director with composer Graham Reynolds of the nonprofit, Golden Hornet Project.  Kirk has been a mentor to me in many ways and very generous about sharing information and helping me with grant writing.  Peter and I are both from Houston and grew up during the "Luv Ya Blue" era.  We both have strong affections for that time.  We're all native Texans, which is really cool.  There are a lot of Texans in New York and we have several in our company, Monk Parrots.  Joey LePage is the Co-Producing Artistic Director of Monk Parrots, who I also met and worked with at UT-Austin.  Joey and I have been working together since 2008.  He has assisted me on several productions and is the assistant director of the Bum Phillips opera.  The costume designer is Alison Heryer.  Alison and I started working together in 2007.  She designed the most extraordinary costumes for a contemporary opera that I directed in 2010 called The Difficulty of Crossing a Field by David Lang and Mac Wellman.  I also invited Marie Yokoyama to join the creative team as Co-Designer.  Marie and I collaborated on Monk Parrots' 2013 production, After an Earlier Incident: A Dyschronic Romeo & Juliet, which premiered at La MaMa.  We'll be adding more amazing artists to the roster, too.

When are you planning to bring it to the stage?

The world premiere is booked for March 13-30, 2014 in the Ellen Stewart Theater at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York.  We will present a benefit performance at Dixon Place on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013.  In July-August, we will work on the production designs during our Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space Artist Residency, and we might begin the casting process during the residency, as well.  We're looking for a Texas-based presenter to partner with to take it to the Lone Star State.

  

Tell me a little bit about your theatre company, Monk Parrots.

Monk Parrots, formerly DUMBO Theater eXchange a/k/a DTX, incorporated in New York in 2001 to present new plays by emerging artists. DTX managed a space in Brooklyn where 30 productions were produced, including plays at the 4th and 5th Annual DUMBO Arts Festival. In 2007, DTX changed its name to reflect a departure from DUMBO and a commitment to collaboration and devised theatre.

In 2011-2013, Monk Parrots produced 4 premieres, 3 public readings, 3 workshop performances, and a European premiere. Awards include 2013 and 2011 Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space Artist Residencies, a 2012 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant, and a 2012 USA Projects grant to commission Bum Phillips, An Opera.

What sort of works has the company produced?

Monk Parrots produce and tour concept-driven live performances that cross artistic boundaries.  In 2011, we created Gay Rodeo By-Laws, an abstract play about assumptions associated with being American that was loosely inspired by James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.  Additionally, we remounted our performance work, The Art of Depicting Nature As It Is Seen By Toads, a structured improvisation based on Sanford Meisner's Word Repetition Game, and staged a site-specific performance of Barry Gifford's Hotel Room Trilogy at the Roger Smith Hotel.  In 2012, we premiered Here I Go at 59E59 Theaters, a piece about a sixty-something widow and Dolly Parton fan who whips up a banana pudding and contemplates suicide, which also premiered in Italy at the 2012 La MaMa Spoleto Open.  This year, we premiered a new work at La MaMa called After an Earlier Incident: A Dyschronic Romeo & Juliet, which was our second collaboration with playwright David Todd (Here I Go).  We aren't limited to one form (performance art, site-specific, theatre, musical/opera), but all of our works share the same core ambitions: to attempt the impossible and advance the art of theatre.

If you could say anything to your prospective audience, what would it be?

Be prepared to be surprised. You don't have to like opera or football. You're going to like this!

I understand you're crowdfunding to raise capital for the show.  If people want to donate, how should they go about it?

The deadline to support the Bum Phillips opera is Sunday, July 21, 2013.  Tax-deductible donations can be made by visiting the USAProjects website.

Thank you for taking time to talk about your show.  I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Planet Connections Interview - Tom Slot of "Farewell to Sanity and Other Irrational Constructs"

By Byrne Harrison

Photo by Eric Ford-Holevinski

Name: Tom Slot
Show: Farewell to Sanity and Other Irrational Constructs

Relationship to production: Writer / Director
Website: www.farewelltosanity.com


Tom Slot has been active in New York Theater since 2006 as a playwright, actor, director, and producer. He has written multiple full-length plays, one acts, musicals, and educational theater pieces. His last full-length play Killing Time (Planet Connections 2012 Reading Series, produced Summer 2012 at the Payan Theater, NYC) was a finalist in the 2012 Princess Grace Awards. His one act play Reimaging Oedipus was just published in the Freshwater Goes To School anthology. Tom’s pieces are frequently character driven and deal with the misconnections and insecurities that separate us. Tom currently serves as the artistic director of Original Binding Productions, a New York City based production company, and teaches acting at Queens College and Teachers College at Columbia University. He holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University and is a member of SAG/ AFTRA and the Dramatists Guild.

How did you first get involved in theatre?
 

I was cast as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream my sophomore year of high school. It was a wonderful experience and firmly planted the theatre bug in my DNA. Midsummer remains one of my favorite shows to date.

Who are your biggest influences?
 

Neil Labute, William Shakespeare, Adam Duritz.

What is your show about?
 

Burnt-out psychologist Dr. Henley knows crazy, but when he’s confronted by the ghost of a whaling ship captain from 1863, he questions his own sanity. Tasked to balance the cosmic scales, Henley embarks on an insane adventure that could cost him his license to practice, his sanity, and his life.

What inspired you to write it?
 

A few years ago I was at a middle school concert and one of the choral groups performed "Farewell to Tarwathie." It was the first time I had ever heard the song and it immediately brought to mind the life of a whaler and the danger they faced on the open water. The character of Captain Tom Haskins was born on the spot and I went home and started writing his story. The story grew and swelled from there, but it all started with that song.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

I’m blessed with an amazing cast and crew for this show. A lot of the actors are from Original Binding Productions, who I’ve been working with since 2009. Included in the mix is Claire Nusuti (who I can’t seem to write a play without writing a character for her), Tom Edmond Evans (a founding partner in OBP), R. Alex Murray, Sharon Pinney, Matthew Dean Wood, and Maryellen Molfetta. We’ve all done a number of shows together and have built a strong ensemble through the years. This time we’re added a number of talented new actors as well including the wonderful David Stallings (whose physically it a dream to watch), Matt Golden (who brings a wonderful two page monologue to life effortlessly), Rick Apicella, Hannah Dubner, and Larry Phillips. Behind the scenes Victoria Grazioli and London Griffith keep us all sane.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity.  What charity has your production chosen and why?
 

We are working with the ASPCA, a great organization that gives a voice to animals in need. My dogs have always been an important part of my life and we wanted to recognize the work that the ASPCA.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?
 

I’m developing a number of new scripts at the moment and will be taking the summer to work on them. In August Original Binding Productions puts up a weekend of one act plays written by female playwrights and focusing on emotionally revealed characters call Naked Theater 2: The Ladies. It runs August 8-11 at the Access Theater Gallery.

If you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

I’d love to work with Bill Murray. He is a gifted comic and dramatic actor who makes even the most broken characters fun to watch. I am always drawn to the flawed character that gets in his own way in my writing. Seeing Bill Murray play one of those characters would be a dream come true.

Planet Connections Interview - Marcus Yi of "The Procedure"

By Byrne Harrison

Name:  Marcus Yi
Show:  The Procedure
Relationship to production: Writer / Director
Website:  www.marcusyi.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

When I was 19, I wrote a horrible musical called Who Wants to Kill a Millionaire? It was a murder-mystery musical set in Singapore played by high schools students…not the highest form of art, but I realized I loved to write and direct, and have been doing it ever since.

Who are your biggest influences?

Christopher Durang, Jane Martin, Prince Gomolvilas, Young Jean Lee, Bob Fosse, Bach, Mozart, Chopin and Richard Wagner.

What is your show about?

Love. Adrian, a man in his mid-thirties, is living the dream. He is a lawyer, married to a loving husband, Jacob, and is about to become a citizen of the United States. Everything seems rosy until the immigration interview, where he learns that the path to citizenship requires a microchip implant. In his eye. In the end, Adrian has to choose between the staying with the people he loves, and standing up for what is right.

What inspired you to write it?

Ingénue Theater invited me to be a part of their writing circle in the Fall of 2012, to create plays about the theme, “Home” I had been thinking a lot about immigration reform and how immigrants feel about their adopted home so decided that immigration would be a central theme. I also had never written anything with Singaporean characters so decided to add that flavor as well and The Procedure was born.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

My biggest collaborator in this project is my co-director Sonia Nam. I directed her in my play Will Hurt in 2010 and we have been friends ever since. She is an amazing performer, director and has the best sense of humor in the world. I always feel she has my back in the rehearsal room.

My actors are also wonderful people to work with. Stephen Thornton, Lauren Gralton, Richard Glucksberg and Fenny Novyane have been working on the play since January and always a joy to work with. The new additions Reynaldo Rivera and Shubhra Prakash bring new life to the piece.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity.  What charity has your production chosen and why?
 
Amnesty International. They help immigrants. Seems fitting for a show about immigration.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?


My next play 29x/y an experimental collage play will be opening at the Fresh Fruit Festival on July 11, 12 and 13.

If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

Free Twinkies for everyone!

Planet Connections Interview - Cat Parker of "Dragon"

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Cat Parker


Show: Dragon
Relationship to production: Producer/Director


Website: articulatetheatre.weebly.com/events
 


Cat Parker is the Artistic  Director  of Articulate  Theatre Company. Favorite productions include Picasso at the Lapin Agile (NYIT Award Winner), Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Towards Zero, A Doll’s House, Twelfth Night (NYIT Award Winner), the New York premiere of Sister Cities, (NYIT Award Nominee), and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead. She assisted Jerry Zaks on the Broadway debut of A Bronx Tale, featuring Chazz Palmenteri. She has recently embarked on a project to interview the directors of New York’s Indie theatre world. You can read about it on her blog, DirectorSpeak. 

How did you first get involved in theatre?
   

I dabbled in theatre in early school days, but I found my true connection to it while I was in the Air Force. I helped manage our area’s “Tops in Blue” competition - sort of a talent show for people in the military. Finding a role -director- that lets me use both my creative and my management skills was such a godsend. From there I continued that journey through academia, regional theatres and then the big move to NYC. I am very, very happy with how it’s turning out!


Who are your biggest influences?
  

Okay, gonna sound corny, but it is true - my parents have always been my biggest influence. They gave me the solidest of foundations, and then taught me how to stand with my toes on the edge of it, and lean out into the wind. Directorially, if that’s a word, my influences run a wide gamut: Jonathan Marks, Marshall Mason, Anne Bogart, Emma Rice, Dan Sullivan, Sam Mendes, just to name a few.



What is your show about?

Well, humm.... Dragon is about a young boy who befriends a wounded dragon, and the evolution of their relationship. Dragon is “really” about the search for identity, our place in the world, and how that changes. And what it’s REALLY “really” about is ‘what you give up to grow up.‘  And chronologically, it’s about 90 minutes.  :-)




What inspired you to direct/produce it?

In January of this year I met with 30 colleagues and we decided to start a theatre company - Articulate Theatre Company. We were going to proceed through the year calmly and sensibly to plan it out, step-by-step, but then Glory Kadigan reminded me about the PCTF and I remembered this play and thought it would be a perfect match-up. Dragon is a fantastical story, that requires the audience to share in the process with their imagination. And festivals, with their inherent limitations, bring in audiences that WANT to use their imaginations and become engaged with the story in that way. Dragon is a challenging piece, and ATC wants to do challenging work.




Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Since ATC is a ensemble based company, I have a LOT of collaborators, who have all given pieces of their time, talents, money and apartments to support this project. My main collaborator on this production is my managing director, Brittney Venable. She keeps the “biz” going when I get insane from the “art.” Dragon’s playwright, Jenny Connell Davis, has been a huge part of this process - writing and re-writing, and re-re-writing! AND she bakes the banana bread we use in the play! We have 6 astonishing actors in the cast - the casting for this show was crazy because we just didn’t want to settle, but in the end, pushing forward really paid off. They are amazing. And by “they” I mean: Maeve Yore, Daniel Kublick, Joe Roseto, Katie Mack, Tony Ponella and James Leighton. And the talent doesn’t stop on that side of the stage. It does, in fact, start way before. The design team for this show is in-cred-i-ble. The set designer, George Allison, is from TV and film, and is a brilliant conceptualist. Dennis Parichy (lights) has lit 15 Broadway shows, was Circle Rep’s key designer, and brought most of Lanford Wilson’s work to ‘light.’ Kwan-Fai Lam has so many awards for sound design I couldn’t begin to name them. Karen Ledger’s costumes have created an ‘otherworldly’ feel on a very mundane worldly budget. And Bronwen Carson’s choreography will show the world just how graceful dragons can be!

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity.  What charity has your production chosen and why?
  

Our charity is “Urgent Death Row Pets.” This organization advocates for changes in the NYC Animal care and control system. There are lots of wonderful rescue groups out there finding homes for these animals literally hours before they are to be killed, but they are suffocating under the never-ending stream of animals in the system. “Urgent” knows that the AC&C can -and should- do more to help the situation, but isn’t. As a New Yorker, you should know how your tax dollars, and donated dollars, are being abused, and “Urgent’s” mission is to share that info far and wide. There is so much in the world that needs to be made right, that I think it can seem too big, and too far away for one person to impact. But “Urgents” goal is something that is right here in our city, and individual actions can make great strides in changing, in making something “right.”


What's next for you after Planet Connections?


Next up for Articulate Theatre is a production based around our company’s talents. Written by, performed by, directed by, designed by, etc. We have two themes that we’re kicking around and will be deciding upon next month. By the end of the year, we will be planning our first official, fully produced play! It’s going to be a crazy year, but it will be so worthwhile. We can keep you updated if you stop by our website!


What was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

In 2011, I saw Sam Mendes’ Cherry Orchard at BAM. It began with a dark stage, then a pinlight on a music box. The music was sweet, tender. And as the light grew brighter, and the sound turned slightly darker - I leaned forward in my seat, eager for the next moment. I knew right then that the story was in good hands and my faith in the magic of theatre was being carefully cultivated. At the end of the show, I walked home unable to speak for about 15 minutes.  That show, that production, it just... it made me a believer - again. I will never forget it.

If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

I would create a energy reversing device that made any trash not properly disposed of, reverse it’s trajectory and stick to the person that tossed it away.

Planet Connections Interview - Christopher Leidenfrost of "The Greatest Pirate Story (N)Ever Told!"

By Byrne Harrison
Headshot by Alan Kaplan
Production photos by Deborah Grossmark


Name: Christopher Leidenfrost
Show: The Greatest Pirate Story (N)Ever Told!

Relationship to production: Writer/Director/Performer
Website: www.offsides.org/piratestory

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I took a community school theatre class at age 8 instructed by the venerable Ms. Fritze.  I had such a great time, and met my best childhood friend.  We started putting on shows in our backyards for our parents and making short films with the family camcorder... and I basically just haven't stopped.

Who are your biggest influences?

Everything and everyone... I feel that every show- bad or good- helps influence my work as a director, writer and performer.  If I had to pick a few performer favorites, I'd say Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Ian McKellan and Johnny Depp.

What is your show about?

"Greatest Pirate Story" is about a rag-tag crew of pirates who are sent into the future by a sea witch to put on a show and to prove their worth. (Why? Treasure, of course!)  The pirates then spin a story out of suggestions given to them by the audience-- so it's never the same show twice!
 
What inspired you to write it?

I've always loved the romanticized idea of pirates, and have worked in the genre as an event producer for almost a decade. During that time, I was also working as an improv performer, and the notion to really marry the two gave birth to this show. 

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

I've been really fortunate to have gotten the chance to develop this piece over the last year with an amazing collective of improvisers.  The original script was basically a mashup of scenes and concepts for characters and various short-form improv styles we could work in.  Each incarnation has had some cast changes, but Rebeca Diaz and Daniel Pivovar have been at my side through the show's inception.  Each cast helped shape the show a little more, and each time the script took on a more solid form and structure. Also, my amazing husband, Rick, who has helped guide me directorially (especially since I'm on stage a lot in this show!)

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity.  What charity has your production chosen and why?  

We are supporting the RESCU Foundation, a non-profit organization established to promote and maintain the health and medical well-being of the participants of Renaissance Faires, historical performances and other artistic events through financial assistance, advocacy, education and preventative programs.  Because the show was developed at both the "New York Renaissance Faire" and  Historic Hudson Valley's "Pirates of the Hudson" festival, it was a perfect fit.  It's also a community I'm proud to be a part of and so glad to have a chance to give back to.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

We are touring with "Greatest Pirate Story" through September, first to Provincetown, MA, and then back to the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo Park, NY.

If you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

Angela Lansbury!! No question.  I loved her as a child... she was hands down my favorite performer from "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" to "Sweeney Todd" to "Murder, She Wrote!"  I loved them all, and have always dreamed of getting to work with her. 

Interview - Jordana Williams of "Frankenstein Upstairs"

By Byrne Harrison

Jordana Williams has directed numerous plays by Mac Rogers, including Sovereign, Blast Radius, Advance Man (2012 NYIT Award-Outstanding Premiere Production), Viral (2009 FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Play), Hail Satan, and three seasons with Vampire Cowboys’ episodic, genre-bending Saturday Night Saloon. Other recent directing work includes Kill Shakespeare at NY Comic Con 2012 and The Particulars with The Bridge Theater Company, FringeNYC 2012. Jordana has directed a number of strange and wonderful projects for such companies as Flux Theatre Ensemble, Boomerang Theatre Company, Piper McKenzie, GroundUP Productions, kef Productions, Impetuous Theater Group, The Brick Theater, The 24-Hour Plays, and The One-Minute Play Festival. She is a founding member of Gideon Productions and a 2012 nytheatre.com Person of the Year.

Today she talks about her current project, Frankenstein Upstairs.

I understand that you and Mac Rogers, the playwright behind Frankenstein Upstairs, have been working together for years.  How did the two of you meet?

Acting in a play Mac wrote was the very first thing I did in college. It was wildly ambitious, mildly pretentious, and one of the best things that has ever happened to me. 

Mac once said that you had a "near-instinctive understanding" of how to direct his work.  Where do you think that comes from?  Is it due to your having known and worked with Mac for so long, or is it something about his work that really resonates with you?

Our years together certainly help, but it's more than that. We're both fascinated by extreme or transgressive behavior, and trying to figure out what's behind it. Mac and I are both pretty well-behaved ourselves, so I'm sure there's some wish fulfillment there. We're also both fiercely protective of the dignity of our characters. They may do things that border on the unforgivable, but there's always a reason. 

We also both like our smart, challenging plays with a healthy serving of entertainment. And pace. We like things to move, and we try to make sure we're earning every minute of our audience's time.

For you, what's the best thing about bringing a show to life?

I love when you invite the designers to rehearsal, you get to a break and they're just exploding with ideas, inspired by what they've seen the actors do.

How would you describe your directing style?

Protective. I want to make sure the actors feel safe, and the playwright feels respected, and the play is done justice. I talk a lot in the beginning, to make sure we're all know what's happening and we're in the same world, and then try to ease off and let the play belong to the actors.

Turning to Frankenstein Upstairs, can you tell me a little bit about the show?

Mac's never going to do just a straightforward adaptation of something. The themes, characters, and many key plot points from the original Frankenstein story are there, but he's kind of put them in a blender. There's life and death and gore and genius and the thrill of creation. Most of all, there's loneliness and the particular madness that comes from loneliness--or the fear of being alone. If you know the book well, you'll recognize many things, but you don't need to know the book to understand everything that's happening.

Have there been any challenges to directing it?

There are some unusual technical challenges, which I can't really describe without giving stuff away. Let me just say that Sandy Yaklin (our set designer) and Stephanie Cox-Williams (our special effects designer) are brilliant and endlessly inventive. The challenge is to get those effects integrated smoothly enough that the actors can just relax and play the scenes.

What has been your favorite part of the rehearsal process for Frankenstein Upstairs?

These actors. They're just so good. They're funny and focused and smart and heartbreaking and incredibly generous with each other. I actually had one rehearsal where I worried that they were too charming. One great thing about directing a small cast (4 character) play after three large cast plays is that there's a lot of room to create full, complex relationships between every combination of characters.

What advice do you have for anyone who is starting a career in directing?

Treat your collaborators well. 

Any advice about directing sci-fi?

World building is what directors do. Sci-fi just exists on a somewhat wider, brighter canvas. Make it clear, make it internally consistent, and make sure the actors are fully invested in the truth of what's happening--however extreme. If the actors buy in, the audience will too.

What else is coming up for you this year?

Right after Frankenstein Upstairs, I'm directing another play of Mac's called Ligature Marks. It's a strange, noir-ish two-hander that will feature Mac and Becky Comtois, for The Brick’s Game Play festival. I'm a lucky lady.

Frankenstein Upstairs will play a three-week engagement at The Secret Theatre (44 02 23rd Street, Long Island City), June 14-30; Thursday through Saturday at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm with additional performances on Monday, June 17 and Wednesday, June 26 at 8pm. Tickets ($18/$15 students & seniors) may be purchased online at www.gideonth.com or by calling 866-811-4111. The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes, with a 10-minute intermission.

Planet Connections Interview - Megan Jeannette Smith of "Ghost On A Stick"

By Byrne Harrison


Name: Megan Jeannette Smith
Show:  Ghost On A Stick

Relationship to production: Director
Website: http://www.meganjeannettesmith.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I struggled through my math and science gifted program in middle school. I got good grades but there wasn’t much there I enjoyed doing. So I decided to take a leap and auditioned for the arts high school in my area. It was an amazing opportunity to study acting and directing among other things. I felt like I finally belonged.

Who are your biggest influences?

Tough question. Anyone doing amazing work that inspires me and makes me feel something. I love film too and I tend to gravitate towards films that have strong theatrical elements like Popeye or Willy Wonka (the original), Lars Von Trier is doing this 3 part film series that all take place on a sound stage where the set is defined by chalk outlines, random furniture pieces, and building facades. The work is so purely driven by the talent and the story. This influences me, to push myself and the people I work with to keep the story in focus at all times. You can be a great artist, have a million dollar budget, but if no one is connecting with the story, who cares?

What is your show about?

When I first read Ghost on a Stick, I instantly connected with the raw emotion exhibited by Man. His arc is such a tenuous free fall from the heights of control to utter debilitating helplessness. We watch him struggle to tell his truth, diving head first into the bitter hypocrisy of his job to the joys of his first love won and tragically lost. All the while hoping the interrogators on the other side of the mirror understand the injustice of it all. He’s like a wild animal with a broken heart, searching for redemption through the small child he tries to save. It’s powerful.

What inspired you to direct it?

The script. Jara is a fantastic writer, he’s got a unique voice but one that makes it easy to relate to the character, Man. Even if you disagree with what Man and the other characters have done, you can identify with the feelings that accompany their actions.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Jara Jones, the writer and actor. Kortney Barber, the sound designer and Lauren Bremen the lighting designer. They are all smart, dedicated and hard working. I got really lucky with this team.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

More directing, hopefully! I’ve been searching various sites for my next project. And I’ve worked on two short films recently as an Assistant Director so I’d really like to take a stab at directing a short film this summer. Any screenwriters or DPs reading this should contact me!

What was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

There isn’t just one – it’s every time I work with an actor or designer, artist of any kind, and we hit an obstacle or we struggle with the choices presented to us by the work, and we find that one answer that makes it all come together. It’s truly divine inspiration, that “a ha” moment, when it strikes and you just know it’s right. 

Planet Connections Interview - Melissa Skirboll of "The Closet"

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Melissa Skirboll

Show: The Closet

Relationship to production: Producer/Director

How did you first get involved in theatre?

Is there anyone involved in theatre who can’t point back to childhood and school plays? As a child, I got on stage any chance I could. I took the “sensible” route through college and ended up with a job in finance, but at 25 I decided to pursue my passion and quit the investment firm in order to go to acting school.  And I never looked back. I still love being on stage any chance I get, but when I began directing, writing and producing about five years ago I fell in love with the theatre all over again in a whole new way.

Who are your biggest influences?

When I first started acting, I thought I was going to be a “dramatic actress” but soon discovered I had a knack for comedy. The first few plays I was in when I started to pursue theatre professionally, were all comedies directed by the same woman. I can still hear her voice in my head when I’m working on a comic piece, whether as an actor, a director or a write; her attention to detail and pacing still echo. In addition I studied with Sande Shurin here in New York for years; her passion and insistence on excellence certainly informs my work at a very deep level. On a more universal level, I think that Wendy Wasserstein wrote the kind of plays that I want to be a part of. She created a road map for the next generation of women in theater. And Tina Fey. Pure comic genius who writes, produces, acts…she’s just amazing!

What is your show about?

THE CLOSET is the story of Ruth, a woman struggling to come to terms with her past. It explores the nature of memory and reality. Ruth has glossed over and buried her family history, but her past has come back to haunt her. Ruth, played by Maureen Van Trease, imagines a series of conversations with her long dead mother, Mara, played by Susan McBrien, and with each conversation she gets closer to the truth. 

What inspired you to direct/produce THE CLOSET?

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?  Amy Gray Piper, the playwright, and I were in a writing group together. When she presented this piece to the group I was immediately drawn to it. It is beautifully written and the way the piece unfolds sparked my imagination as a director. From the first time I read it , I could see it fully realized in my head. I immediately envisioned Susan and Maureen in the roles; I had just finished working with Maureen at last year’s Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, where she played my sister in HELL IS WHERE THE HEART IS. Susan had read for the role of our mother in that play – and had been called back – and I had been keeping an eye out for a project that would allow us to work together. When I read THE CLOSET, I could see those two brilliant actresses in these roles. I could hear their voices in my head saying these lines. Before I submitted the play for consideration, I put out feelers to see if they would be interested; when they both said yes it felt like it was fated! And I have to say, I was right; these woman are amazing as mother and daughter. They bring so many layers to light in their own characters and in each other through the relationship that is being created.

Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?

We’re all citizens of planet earth (as the cliché goes,) and it’s a great way to marry artistic passion with personal responsibility. Plus I think it highlights something that’s inherent in most black box theatre productions anyway. We’re mostly working with budgets that are too small and finding ways to illustrate our stories with whatever is at hand. We’re all expert at reusing and reimagining the detritus of everyday life. It’s great to be part of a Festival that actively rewards that can do spirit!

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity.  What charity has your production chosen and why?

We chose to work with Women In Need (WIN). THE CLOSET is a story about two women and their personal struggles. WIN helps women who are struggling – there seemed to be a natural symbiosis between those two ideas. Had Mara had access to the types of services that WIN provides, then Ruth might have been spared the dark night of the soul that we watch play out in THE CLOSET.

WIN serves homeless and disadvantaged women and children by providing basic needs such as shelter, childcare, and counseling. More importantly WIN teaches women specific skills like financial literacy, job readiness and anger management that help them become self-reliant and confident as they progress towards independence.

“Women In Need provides housing, help and hope to New York City women and their families who are homeless and disadvantaged. Through comprehensive programs such as shelter, supportive permanent housing, job training, domestic violence services, alcohol and substance abuse treatment and childcare, WIN offers the tools and guidance which allow our families to return to their communities and live independently.”

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

Hard to say! Definitely want to see my play “Blizzard” produced this year so finding a home for that is high on my list. Plus I want to keep directing and acting. Which comes first, whatever fate dictates. But I’ll be auditioning, writing, submitting. You know the drill.

Finally, if you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

I would love to work with the entire Monty Python troupe. While I could pick out individual members of the troupe, truth is I’d have loved to have been the only female member – and to work with each of them in the projects they’ve created since Monty Python ended. Not just actors, but writers, directors, creators – like Tina Fey who I mentioned earlier and could just as easily have named here – they do so much more than act. To collaborate with talent like this in any capacity would be smashing.

For more information about “The Closet,” visit http://planetconnections.org/bed-and-the-closet/.

Planet Connections Interview - Diánna Martin of "Coyote On a Fence"

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Diánna Martin
Show: Coyote On a Fence (free staged reading)

Relationship to production: Producer/director/actor


How did you first get involved in theatre?

This is my third year with Planet Connections, and I always end up being the one doing the interview, so I’m trying to come up with something different! I come from a theatrical family, so I suppose since I was a small child. I did move on and focus on writing for a time, as well as working in Television and Radio, and was working on filmmaking as well (shooting camera, directing, and editing) but I returned to theatre in the early 2000s at the request of my family, who saw that I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. In theatre, I soared. I enjoy other mediums of visual work, but few have the same flame that theatre ignites. It’s a rush better than any other.

Who are your biggest influences?

My parents (Ann Wedgeworth, Ernie Martin), without a doubt, who between the two of them act, direct, and teach acting (which are all things I do now as well). They are incredible and have shaped my life creatively and are my immediate inspirations. As well, there are so many brilliant – and I use that word sparingly -  actors and directors who have inspired me to go further, by seeing the amazing work they do. To list them would be tedious, so I’ll throw out a few names for theatre: Kate Blanchett, Sam Sheppard, Mike Nichols, William Hurt, Jessica Lange. I am also, especially in regards to this project, very much influenced by the passion of the people around me, who I have created and worked with, in particular an actor/teacher/director/writer David Robinette, who was also a student of my father’s as well. Seeing him go forth and pursue dramatically the things that I wanted to do – gave me inspiration to try and try and try again.

What is your show about?

On the surface, Coyote On a Fence is about two men on death row in a Southern Prison and the questions: What is true evil? True innocence or guilt? And questions the death penalty itself – never taking a side, but showing two sides to every coin. One man is a sworn member of the Aryan Nation and committed a horrific crime; the other is an intellectual who works tries to use his publicity as a champion of inmates’ rights with his newspaper to save the lives of those around him. Around them to help tell the tale – and be effected by these men -  are a female corrections officer and a reporter for the New York Times, both of whom have their own issues and needs to be involved.

Underneath the surface, it is about the push and pull of people’s choices coming from the most dire of circumstances; of the desire to be loved, of hate, and basically the mediums that are the most extreme of the human condition. This play is funny, tragic, beautifully well-written, and makes one think and question – I believe, anyway – regardless of what their stance is on capital punishment. I think people will talk about the play for days after seeing it – I know everyone who has read it has.

What inspired you to direct and produce it?

I started this project about four years ago on and off, with my fellow actors/directors in crime, David Robinette and Robert Michaels – the former actually bringing me this play, which I had never seen; never heard of Bruce Graham, and we began work with another actor and it became magical. At one point I was asked to direct as well as act in it, since the character Shawna that I play is mostly in monologue, and as the prison guard is watching the actors on stage – so it kind of works. If we were doing a production I would have to relinquish the directorial reigns (although find someone whose work I trusted – and let go of my ego!!!) so that I could play this character…since Shawna speaks to me in ways on a very personal level. Eventually, due to other projects and David moving to California, we stopped working on it – and I vowed to bring it back.

Although I am an active member in three theatre companies, this past year I finally formed a producing entity, The In-Pulse Group, a producing arm of Martin Acting Studios, for producing readings, and hopefully someday, productions, since I want to focus on revivals for this producing arm. I am blessed in that I am surrounded by many fine actors, playwrights, and directors in my theatrical community, and I enjoy working with them, even if it means just getting a few people together to read a play and go have a beer and talk about it. So Coyote is the first one that I brought, casting it with people I have either directed or acted with before and found their creativity and talent to be rewarding, and their work as actors perfect for the characters. What will be performed in this PCTF staged reading is very simple: music stands and talented actors perfect for the roles reading a brilliant play that I think is one of the most compelling works I’ve read – or worked on -  in the past ten years. This reading is a labor of love for me – make no mistake. It’s also my first theatrical producing effort on my own – so I’ve been learning a lot. 

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them? 

As I mentioned, I originally collaborated with David Robinette (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1284223/) and Robert Michaels on this play, but now we have Michael Vincent Carrera* (who I directed in a 2010 Fringe Show, “Banshee of Bainbridge” by Jim Tierney), Anthony Crep (with whom I acted in the MTWorks production of “The Oath) and Mark Emerson*(with whom I have acted and have also directed in various readings both for MTWorks and Oberon Theatre ensemble and evening of scenes). Maureen O’Boyle (also a brilliant actress with whom I have acted in “The Oath” and directed in the 2010 production of  Carol Carpenter’s “Good Lonely People” in PCTF, both MTWorks productions) is reading stage directions and introducing the show. Adam Samtur is my Stage Manager and keeper of my sanity.

Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is amazing. The work they do to try to marry art with outreach and the survival of our planet is wonderful. They are doing something incredible – and they’ve been doing it for a few years now, and every year it’s better. Ten years from now other festivals are going to look back on what Glory and the rest of PCTF started and hope that they can be as beneficial to the community. Reminding the community that not only is theatre and performance art important but also making our world a healthier place to live – that’s pretty awesome in my opinion.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity.  What charity has your production chosen and why?

I chose CEDARS as the charity, which is the same one that Jim and Rachel Tierney chose last year for our PCTF production of “Carry On”.

For “Coyote”, I think it’s very important because it focuses on saving kids in crisis: neglected children, families torn apart – both after the fact and also in prevention. The character that Mark Emerson plays, Bobby, is definitely a child who could have benefitted from an organization like CEDARS, and I can’t think of a better charity for our show. I also think it’s so important because when you think about it: how many men and women in prison come from broken homes? We need more organizations like CEDARS to help possibly prevent a percentage of those people from ever having to enter those doors.
 
What's next for you after Planet Connections?

The In-Pulse Group will be hopefully putting up 6 readings in the next 6 months. I’ve been very fortunate to be sent plays by a few very talented playwrights who are interested in my possibly directing their work. I’m going to spend time reading and also auditioning; I spent most of the last two years directing, and I want to go back to acting more and more – my love for the both of them is extreme.

I’ve also gotten bitten by the writing bug again (I was a writer for many years during my “I don’t want to follow in my parents’ footsteps” years) so…I am trying to write a one-woman show. We shall see what that brings.

And then there is my acting coaching and classes…
 

If you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

Jimmy Stewart. The intensity and passion he put into his work was spellbinding. I would love to work with him, talk to him about the work (I have a feeling that he and I would be very different in our approach, from articles I’ve read on him) and give him a kiss. Just a little one. J

For more information about Coyote on a Fence, visit http://planetconnections.org/coyote-on-a-fence/.