FringeNYC Encore Series Announces Lineup

FringeNYC Encore Series Announces Lineup of 20 Shows
September 9 - 26

Now in its fifth year, the FringeNYC Encore Series gives theatre
lovers another chance at seeing some of the Festival's favorite shows.
Beginning September 9th, the FringeNYC Encore Series will present
nearly 20 works in rotating repertory at three downtown venues: The
Lucille Lortel Theater (121 Christopher Street between Bleecker anf
Hudson) and The Players Theatre (115 MacDougal, between Houston & West
3rd Street) and Soho Playhouse’s Huron Club (15 Vandam Street between
6th Ave & Varick, off the #1 to Houston Street or C, E to Spring).
Tickets are $18 at 866-468-7619 or www.FringeNYC-EncoreSeries.com.

In 16 days, even the most intrepid theatergoer can only sample a small
fraction of the nearly 200 offerings at the New York International
Fringe Festival. The FringeNYC Encores Series is an annual showcase
some of the critically acclaimed and most crowd-pleasing shows from
the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival. The schedule is as
follows:

AT THE PLAYERS THEATRE:

Getting Even with Shakespeare
Writer: Matt Saldarelli / Director: Laura Konsin
Five tragic heroes walk into a bar...and they're pissed. When not
dying nightly, Macbeth plays paintball, Juliet deals ecstasy and Lear
(unsuccessfully) avoids storms. Enter a lawyer who proves the play is
the thing to catch the Playwright King. 1h 30m.
9/21 @ 8:00, 9/24 @ 9:00, 9/25 @ 7:30, 9/26 @ 4:00

Hearts Full of Blood
The New Colony (Chicago, IL)
Writer: James Asmus / Director: Andrew Hobgood
A horrifying secret forever affects the lives of a couple and their
two single friends. "Quite the riveting show." (Chicago Tribune).
"Gut-wrenchingly tragic and very, very funny." (TimeOut Chicago). 2h.
9/9 @ 9:30, 9/10 @ 7:00, 9/12 @ 3:00, 9/14 @ 8:00

How My Mother Died of Cancer, and Other Bedtime Stories
Robert Intile, Jr. & Alina Gutierrez with The Dreamscape Theatre
Writer: Chris Kelly; Director: Laura Moss
Kate Morgan, 25, copes with her mother's death by writing a comedy
about cancer and its impact on her family. She's also cast her family
and friends as themselves. When they hijack the performance, the
results are disastrous. 1h 30m.
9/9 @ 7:00, 9/11 @ 7:00, 9/12 @ 8:00, 9/13 @ 8:00

Over and Over
No Hope Productions
Writer: Tim Aumiller; Director: Tim Aumiller; In a downtown Manhattan
theatre --where relationships, both real and imagined, are forged and
broken --Mitch and Jimmie meet. Two former Fordham roommates and best
friends, they negotiate the complex and intimate terms of their sexual
history. 1h 15m.
9/18 @ 8:00, 9/22 @ 9:30, 9/24 @ 7:00, 9/25 @ 5:00

PigPen Presents The Nightmare Story
PigPen Theatre Co. (Pittsburgh, PA)
Writer: Alex Falberg, Arya Shahi, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Daniel
Weschler, Matt Nuernberger, Ryan Melia
A boy's beloved mother shows symptoms of the mythical "Nightmare
Disease". Now he must journey into the unknown to find a cure...
before it's too late. Actors from Carnegie Mellon University; PigPen
combines storytelling, music, puppetry, and shadow-play. 45m
9/10 @ 9:30, 9/11 @ 5:00, 9/11 @ 9:30, 9/12 @ 6:00

Running
The Journey Company
Writer: Arlene Hutton / Director: Beth Lincks & Lori Wolter
His first Marathon just hours away, Stephen needs a good night's
sleep. Then his wife's attractive former roommate shows up
unexpectedly. Will he be running on empty? A new dark comedy from
the award-winning author of LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC. 1h 30m.
9/16 @ 7:00, 9/18 @ 2:00, 9/19 @ 5:30, 9/20 @ 7:00

Saving Throw Versus Love
Rhetorical Question Players
Writer: Larry Brenner / Director: Dann Fink
Carol thinks her fiancee Sam goes to a weekly poker game. But Sam has
a terrible secret-he’s a seventh level Elven thief. Will Carol be able
to accept Sam’s hobby? And can Grolock the Barbarian slay the evil
Werewolf? 1h 40m
9/20 @ 9:30, 9/22 @ 7:00, 9/25 @ 9:30, 9/26 @ 7:00

South Pathetic
New Conservatory Theatre Center Of San Francisco/Trash de Blanc (New York, NY)
Writer: Jim David; Director: Peter Smith; An unemployed comedian
directs North Carolina's worst community theatre in "Streetcar Named
Desire." Blanche played by "family values" crusader, Stella's a
stripper, Stanley's a porn star. Nominee Outstanding Solo Show, San
Francisco Theatre Critics. "Hilarious." - SF Weekly "Sidesplitting." -
TalkinBroadway.com 1h 15m.
9/15 @ 8:00, 9/17 @ 9:30, 9/18 @ 10:00, 9/19 @ 3:00

The Twentieth-Century Way
The Theatre @ Boston Court (Pasadena, CA)
Writer: Tom Jacobson; Director: Michael Michetti; Based on a
little-known incident in Southern California history, this theatrical
thrill ride explores the collision of reality and fantasy as two
actors juggle various roles to entrap homosexuals for “social
vagrancy” in public restrooms in 1914 Long Beach, California. 1h 40m.
9/16 @ 9:30, 9/17 @ 7:00, 9/18 @ 5:00, 9/19 @ 8:00

AT THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATER:

Bunked! A New Musical
Writer: Alaina Kunin and Bradford Proctor, Music by Bradford Proctor;
Director: Seth Sikes
Bunked features the exploits of five summer camp counselors as they
embark on their first taste of adulthood. Fatal secrets, impassioned
jealousy and triangular love trysts entangle the counselors as the
bittersweet end of summer approaches. 1h 40m.
9/19 @ 5:00, 9/20 @ 7:00, 9/23 @ 7:00, 9/25 @ 4:00

The Hurricane Katrina Comedy Festival
Writer: Rob Florence / Director: Dann Fink (New Orleans, LA)
The heartbreak. The humanity. The humor. Five true stories. Their own words.
1h 30m
9/11 @ 8:00, 9/12 @ 5:00, 9/15 @ 7:00, 9/19 @ 8:00

Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical
Writer: Emma Barash, Marshall Pailet, Bryce Norbitz and Steve Wargo;
Director: Marshall Pailet.
Boldly re-imagined and retold from the perspective of the dinosaurs,
Jurassic Parq is an unflinching meditation on gender, sexual, and
racial identity in an evolving landscape destined to stun you with its
importance. And you should probably see it drunk. 1h 20m.
9/9 @ 7:00, 9/11 @ 10:30, 9/17 @ 9:30, 9/18 @ 10:30

Just In Time: The Judy Holliday Story
Writer/Director: Bob Sloan
A fast-paced romp through the life of the Original Dumb Blond and one
of the funniest actresses of all time. Featuring such exalted cohorts
as Orson Welles, Katherine Hepburn, Comden & Green, Gloria Swanson,
and Jimmy Durante.
(90 min)
9/10 @ 9:30, 9/13 @ 7:00, 9/14 @ 7:00, 9/15 @ 3:00

Lost and Found
Rogue Machine Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
Writer: John Pollono; Director: Andrew Block
An embattled Boston cop family. A stranger with a secret. Sit down to
dinner with the Broncatos as they grapple with personal demons and
search for a place at the table in this savagely comic, emotionally
gripping, dysfunctional family portrait. 1h 50m.
9/18 @ 5:00, 9/21 @ 8:00, 9/24 @ 9:30, 8/25 @ 7:00

Made in Taiwan
Writer: Michelle Krusiec/ Director: Andy Belser
"A Chinese American Sandra Bullock" (NY Post). Krusiec's comedy-drama
entwines dysfunctional family, cultural confusion, and suburban
desperation. Pimped out by a Chinese mother, cowed by an American
naval father, this coming of age story is both poignant and hilarious.
1h 20m
9/10 @ 7:00, 9/14 @ 9:30, 9/17 @ 7:00, 9/18 @ 8:00

Pope! An Epic Musical
Writer: Justin Moran, Music by Christopher Pappas, Lyrics by Justin Moran
Director: Greg Moran, Musical Direction by Adam Podd
A popular Pope is framed and exiled from the Vatican, a tyrannical
Archbishop seizes power. People are in unrest, armies of robots stalk
the streets, the world is crying out for a hero… only one Pope can
answer the call! 1h 30m
9/16 @ 9:30, 9/24 @ 7:00, 9/25 @ 10:30, 9/26 @ 4:00

When Last We Flew
DRD Theatricals & Eric Louie
Writer: Harrison David Rivers/ Director: Colette Robert
After stealing his library's only copy of Angels in America, misfit
teenager Paul begins reading and discovers that his dull Midwestern
life is about to take flight. WHEN LAST WE FLEW was developed at
Lincoln Center and Sundance Theater Lab.
2h 0m Local Manhattan, NYC
9/9 @ 9:30, 9/11 @ 5:00, 9/12 @ 8:00, 9/16 @ 7:00

The Secretaries
TOSOS
Writers: The Five Lesbian Brothers (Maureen Angelos, Babs Davy,
Dominique Dibbell, Peg Healey and Lisa Kron). Director: Mark Finley
Join this cult of murderous Slim-Fast drinking, high-heel wearing,
big-haired secretaries who work the desks of the Cooney Lumber Mill in
Big Bone, Oregon. It's just like your office, only with chainsaws. 1h
30m.
9/13 @ 10:00, 9/15 @ 9:30, 9/22 @ 9:30, 9/23 @ 10:00

Viva Los Bastarditos!
Writer: Jake Oliver
A sublimely ridiculous and heartfelt tale of love, music and
revolution. When dastardly villains take over a mysterious realm
called Western Massachusetts, three rock heroes emerge to unite The
People against the would-be dictators. Join the revolution! 1h 50m
9/19 @ 2:00, 9/20 @ 9:30, 9/22 @ 7:00, 9/26 @ 7:00

AT SOHO PLAYHOUSE’S HURON CLUB:

Amsterdam Abortion Survivor
Micha Wertheim. (Holland, Netherlands)
His controversial solo performance earned him praise in the
Netherlands and at the 2007/8 Edinburgh festival. Wertheim manages to
shock and charm his audiences at the same time. His US debut promises
hard-hitting cutting edge comedy with an adorable accent. 1h
9/10 @ 9:30, 9/12 @ 8:00, 9/16 @ 10:00, 9/17 @ 8:00, 9/19 @ 8:00

Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories
Writer: Faye Lane / Director: Jay Rogers
She grew up in a Texas Beauty Salon... and lived to tell! Come hear
the glittered up memories of a Green Bean Queen. "They were howling,
crying, falling in love with her." New York Magazine. 55m
9/9 @ 9:30, 9/12 @ 6:00, 9/15 @ 3:00, 9/17 @ 10:00, 9/23 @ 9:30

FringeNYC 2010 Announces Overall Excellence Award Winners

In a brief ceremony at the closing night party for the New York International Fringe Festival at The Gramercy Theater, winners of the 2010 FringeNYC Overall Excellence Awards were announced. The awards are selected by an independent panel of over 50 theater professionals.

Overall Production/Play:
The Twentieth Century Way
PigPen Presents The Nightmare Stories
The Momentum
The Hurricane Katrina Comedy Festival

Overall Production/Musical:
Bunked! A New Musical
Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical

Performance:
Tyler Moss – Terror SuperHighway
Geraldine Librandi – Lost and Found
Jared Houseman – Art of Attack
Rory Lipede – When Last We Flew
Deanna Pacelli – 23 Feet in 12 Minutes: The Death and Rebirth of New Orleans
Jake Ahlquist – Richard 3
Marina Squerciati - Just in Time: The Judy Holiday Story

Playwriting:
When Last We Flew - Harrison David Rivers
My Name Is Ruth - Stephen W. Baldwin
Getting Even with Shakespeare - Matt Saldarelli
Hearts Full of Blood - James Asmus

Music & Lyrics:
Justin Moran & Christopher Pappas - Pope: The Musical
Jeff Bienstock - The Morning After/The Night Before
David Chesky - The Pig, the Farmer and the Artist

Ensemble:
Dear Harvey
The Secretaries
The Timing of the Day
Veritas

Directing:
Lucy Cashion - AK-47 Singalong
Kym Gomes - By Hands Unknown
Josh Liveright - Alternative Methods
Divya Palat - A Personal War: Stories of the Mumbai Terror Attacks
Lillian Meredith - Hamlettes
James Presson - Richard 3

Solo:
Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories
Miss Magnolia Beaumont Goes to Provincetown
Driving the Saudis
Viva La Evolucion!
Scared Skinny

Dance:
Trinayan Dance Theater - Swaha: Rituals of Union
Claire Porter/Portables - Namely, Muscles

Unique Theatrical Event:
Daddy Day
Cloud to Ground

TheaterMania Audience Favorite Award (selected through public balloting):
Viva Los Bastarditos!

In 1997, New York City became the seventh US city to host a fringe
festival, joining Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Houston,
Orlando and San Francisco. In its first 14 years FringeNYC has
presented over 2500 performing groups from the U.K., Canada, Poland,
Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Germany, the Czech Republic and across the
U.S., prompting Switzerland’s national daily, The New Zurich Zeitung,
to declare, “FringeNYC has become the premiere meeting ground for
alternative artists.” The festival has also been the launching pad for
numerous Off-Broadway and Broadway transfers, long-running downtown
hits, and regional theater productions including Urinetown, Matt &
Ben, Never Swim Alone, Debbie Does Dallas, Dog Sees God, 21 Dog Years, Krapp 39, Dixie’s Tupperware Party, Silence! The Musical, The Irish
Curse, 666, Tales from the Tunnel and Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party and as well as movies (WTC View) and even a TV show (‘da Kink in My Hair). FringeNYC is a production of The Present Company, under the
leadership of Producing Artistic Director Elena K. Holy.

The 15th Annual New York International Fringe Festival will run August 12 - 28, 2011 and will once again feature nearly 200 of the worlds best emerging theater and dance artists. Applications for the 2011 festival will be available online in November; completed applications are due February 14, 2011. For more information visit www.FringeNYC.org

Review: Shine: A Burlesque Musical (New York International Fringe Festival)

By Rebecca N. Robertson
Photos by Frank Roberts

I am relieved to report that Shine is not a homogenized musical 'about' burlesque and, unlike what appears to be a modern trend, it is certainly not a strip show excusing its lack of skill by calling itself 'burlesque'. Internationally touring music duo The Wet Spots have spawned a genuinely bawdy musical that triumphantly succeeds in hailing free expression of sexuality and embracing of individuality, while dazzling the audience with the talent of its artists.

The premise of the show is The Aristocrat, a fictional burlesque house circa 1930's that is struggling to make the rent in NYC's rapidly gentrifying Bowery district between the Whole Foods Market and a Starbucks. Enter Richard Suit (Douglas Crawford) to save the historic hall and its burlesque show, but at the expense of its soul, imposing sterile mainstream sexual ideals on the untraditional cast of characters.

Adopting the structure of a great backstage musical, Shine's song and dance numbers are willfully entertaining, furthering the action with clever lyrics and illustrating the finer points of the dialogue with upbeat mischief. The original music explores various genres from rock to cabaret vaudeville, while remaining cohesive in style, offering singable melodies and toe-tapping grooves. Highlighting the youthful limberness of the chorus, the choreography keeps energy high and supports the folly of the club atmosphere, especially effective in the plot background number "Perversions of Yesteryear". In a such song heavy production, a few of the numbers that seem to exist for the sake illustrating argument, such as "Girls Gone Wild" and "Breezy Broadway Love Song" may be unnecessarily long, thanks to straightforward presentation that quickly drives the ideas home.

The ladies of Shine dominate the stage. As theatre owner Shine Mionne, Cass King's self-empowered stage presence leads this fast paced exhibition of campy humor, catchy songs and passionate ideals. New to burlesque Adra Boo Green portrays The Aristocrat's unconventional leading lady Lulu Von Doozy with growing confidence in numbers like "Large and in Charge", winning hearts and much deserved audience exultation. Gemma Isaac exudes sexy innocence as the starry eyed ingenue, seducing us into following her as she discovers the landscape of this underground performance culture and her own developing desires. The ensemble is energetic eye-candy, though undermatured characterizations unfortunately weaken the dramatic effectiveness of the chorus numbers. Amid infrequent rough spots such as these, the show shines with higher production potential and begs to be seen, more, more!

There are few moments that fail to win empathy, such as a number devoted to a performer's complaints that he might have to "get a day job" to make ends meet while he pursues his dreams, but this is NYC, after all. However, the great majority of the idealistic message is intellectually convincing and presents the modern existence of burlesque as rebellious movement toward self-acceptance and a revival of consensual sexual exploration beyond exploitation of stereotype. Like great sex, comedy though titillation of intellect may be at the core of Shine, but it quite simply feels like fun!

Shine: A Burlesque Musical
Book by Cass King, John Woods, and Sam Dulmage
Music and Lyrics: The Wet Spots (Cass King / John Woods); song "The Nasty" contributed by Mark Growden
Director: Roger Benington
Choreographer: Inga Ingenue
Assistant Choreographer: Roxie Moxie
Stage Manager: Andrea Hager
Assitant/Rehearsal Stage Manager: Oren Ashkenazi
Set Design: Roger Benington
Lighting Designer: Andy Smith
Sound Engineer: Dave Horowitz
Costume Designers: Daniel Webster, and Cast
Publicist: Juli-Ann WIlliams

Featuring: Anna Allen, Cass King, Adra Boo Green, Roxie Moxie, The Luminous Pariah, Jesse Belle Jones, Melissa Bayern, Paris Original, Trojan Original, Gemma Isaac, Scott W. Abernathy, John Woods, Captain Jakalof, and Douglas Crawford

Venue #7: The Ellen Stewert Theatre @ LA MAMA

Fri 13 @ 8:15
Sat 14 @ NOON
Mon 23 @ 8:45
Thu 26 @ 2
Sat 28 @ 2

Review - Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical (New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison
Photograph by Streeter Phillips

A musical version of "Jurassic Park" told from the dinosaurs' point of view. I'll admit when I decided to review this, it was with the same sense of creepy fascination that one experiences when watching the aftermath of a car crash. I pictured a pretentious "concept" musical, full of young, eager actors ready to show off what they had learned perfecting their craft through those four long years as undergrads.

Holy crap, was I wrong about that.

Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical is pretty damn brilliant.

To say that the musical tells the story of "Jurassic Park" is a bit of an overstatement. In fact, it takes a small plot point from the movie, the fact that some of the dinosaurs were able to turn male thanks to the addition of frog DNA to fill in the blanks in the dinosaur DNA, and expands that into a meta-musical that touches on faith vs. science, gender roles, love, betrayal, finding a home, and the enduring, almost mythic appeal of Morgan Freeman.

Velociraptor of Faith (John Jeffrey Martin) is the leader of a happy band of female dinosaurs. Happy, that is until T-Rex 2 (Natalie Bradshaw) suddenly grows a penis. Confused and questioning their faith in The Lab that made them, the dinosaurs send Baby Velociraptor (Brandon Gill) to reach out to the Velociraptor of Science (the hilarious Mary Ellen Ashley), the exiled twin sister of the Velociraptor of Faith to tell them what is happening. Along the way, Morgan Freeman (Lee Seymour) says lots of profound, and wildly amusing stuff (his rumination on the word "catastrophe" is brilliant).

The writers of Jurassic Parq have created a wildly irreverant musical that will appeal to an audience weaned on the satire of "South Park," "Family Guy" and the like. Director Marshall Pailet crafts a tight, sharp production (slightly over an hour long). Music director (and Pianosaurus) Jonathan Breit does an amazing job, as does choreographer Kyle Mullins, who has created some great numbers.

Acting is uniformly strong, with particular praise going to Ashley, Bradshaw, Seymour and Martin. And though he didn't say much, Brandon Espinoza repeatedly stole scenes as Mime-o-saurus, a rather brilliantly written role.

The last performance of Jurassic Parq is today, but I imagine this is not the last we'll see of this show.

Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical
Written by Emma Barash, Bryce Norbitz, Marshall Pailet, Stephen Wargo
Directed by Marshall Pailet
Producer: Bryce Norbitz
Choreographer: Kyle Mullins
Stage Manager: Ashley Rodbro
Music Director: Jonathan Breit
Costume Designer: Bronwyn Meehan
Lighting Designer: Dante Smith
Set Designer: Caite Hevner
Technical Director: Rahel Biru
Assistant Director: Maggie Burrows
Assistant Stage Manager: Elaina Kwartler
Associate Set Designer: Alyssa Dillon
Press Agent: Drew Fornarola
Print and Graphic Design: Casey Ford Alexander/Alexander Arte
Press Photographer: Streeter Phillips
Marketing Assistant: Anna Perczak
Fashion Police: Hayley Podshun
Dino-Interns: Eddie Pailet, Annie Norbitz

Featuring: Mary Ellen Ashley (Velociraptor of Science), Natalie Bradshaw (T-Rex 2), Jonathan Breit (Pianosaurus), Denise Dumper (Chorusasaurus), Brandon Espinoza (Mime-a-saurus), Jay Frisby (Dilophosaurus), Brandon Gill (Baby Velociraptor), Olli Haaskivi (Chorusasaurus), Emily Jenda (Chorusasaurus), John Jeffrey Martin (Velociraptor of Faith), Cara Massey (Chorusasaurus), Tara Novie (T-Rex 1), Lee Seymour (Morgan Freeman)

VENUE #7: The Ellen Stewart Theatre @ LA MAMA

Fri 20 @ 7
Sat 21 @ NOON
Sun 22 @ 6:15
Wed 25 @ 7:45
Fri 27 @ 4

Review - The Twentieth-Century Way (The Theatre @ Boston Court and New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison
Photos by Ed Krieger

The story that inspired Tom Jacobson to write The Twentieth Century Way is intriguing in and of itself. In 1914, in order to cut down on the vice of oral sodomy, the Long Beach Police Department hired two actors, Warren and Brown, to entrap and arrest men in public bathrooms, changing rooms of bathhouses, and private clubs - wherever men "given to that sort of thing" congregate. The story of the men they target and how they arrest them is interesting enough to put on stage as is.

Jacobson, however, has created an intriguing play within a play within a play that incorporates Warren and Brown's story, then transcends it. The Twentieth-Century Way begins with two actors Warren (Robert Mammana) and Brown (Will Bradley) vying for a role as a confidence man in a movie. While they wait for their auditions, the two probe and challenge each other, trying to psyche the other out in a display of alpha male one-upmanship. This leads into a challenge: using their improv skills, Warren and Brown will act out a story about two actors hired to entrap homosexuals in 1914. The first person to fail has to drop out of the audition. The two men jump from role to role - actors, police, newspaper editors, victims - telling Warren and Brown's story, and constantly daring each other to go further. As the story careens forward, taking on a life of it's own, the two actors begin to lose themselves, forcing them to finally strip off the characters, the pretense of their acting and storytelling, and fianlly be themselves.

Bradley and Mammana are spectacular in their numerous roles. Although much of the play is humorous, director Michael Michetti keeps the production charged with a certain amount of menace and eroticism. The Twentieth-Century Way is also a technically well-produced play. Garry Lennon's costumes and Nick Santiago's props are excellent - set backstage at a theatre, the actors are constantly pulling costume pieces and props from various trunks and wardrobes and incorporating them into their "improv." Lighting designer Elizabeth Harper also does a terrific job helping set the mood of the scenes.

A fascinating play, excellent cast and superior production values make The Twentieth-Century one of the best shows in Fringe NYC 2010. The Theatre @ Boston Court is to be commended for bringing this challenging and entertaining play to life.

The Twentieth-Century Way
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Writer: Tom Jacobson
Director: Michael Michetti
Properties Design: Nick Santiago
Lighting Design: Elizabeth Harper
Costume Design: Garry Lennon
Dialect Coach: Tracy Winters
Assistant Director: Sabina Ptasznik
Production Stage Manager: Meg Friedman
Casting Director: Michael Donovan, CSA
Key Art: Christopher Komuro
General Press Representative: O+M Co./Rick Maramontez, Jaron Caldwell

Featuring: Will Bradley and Robert Mammana

VENUE #10: Players Theatre

Sat 14 @ 7:30
Mon 16 @ 5:15
Wed 18 @ 8:45
Sat 21 @ 12:15
Tue 24 @ 4:15

Review - Monetizing Emma (Thackery Walsh LLC and New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Shauna Horn

Emma (Nitya Vidyasagar) is a brilliant, though introverted high school student, enraptured by Jane Austen and tormented by her classmates. Invited to participate in a new type of financial bond, a "genius trust" that trades in students' future earnings, she finds herself thrust into the spotlight. Will this bookworm be able to adapt to the big time? Or will she find out that everything around her is just smoke and mirrors?

Monetizing Emma is a satisfying, well-paced show, full of humor and teenage angst. Nitya Vidyasagar is excellent as the awkward Emma, as is James Arden as Tony, the charming banker who makes her the face of the genius trust. Director Leah Bonvissuto does an outstanding job with the pacing and in finding the humor in every scene.

Having already produced Monetizing Emma at last year's Planet Connections Festival (see review here), it's no surprise that this is a strong, polished production. With good technical work, solid acting, and well-written story, Monetizing Emma is an excellent choice for a night out at Fringe.

Monetizing Emma
Written by Felipe Ossa
Directed by Leah Bonvissuto
Assistant Director: Shauna Horn
Scenic Designer: jasmine Vogue Pai
Lighting Designer: Lauren Parrish
Costume Designer: Mira Veikley
Production Stage Manager: Carly Levin
Associate Producer: Sergei Burbank

Featuring: James Arden (Tony), Dawn Jamieson (Caroline), Janice Mann (Colleen), Daniella Rabbani (Vanessa), Tovah Rose (Annie), Nitya Vidyasagar (Emma)

VENUE #17: HERE Arts Center- Mainstage Theater

Sat 14 @ 9:45
Tue 17 @ 3:45
Thu 19 @ 8
Sun 22 @ 2:30
Wed 25 @ 9:45

Review - Missionary Position (Geveryman Productions and the New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Dorothy Shi

As part of Fringe NYC, Steven Fales brings the latest chapter in his Mormon Boy Trilogy to the stage. Despite his best intentions, Missionary Position, does not deliver.

I have to confess that it's a little hard to write a review of this play, since I was unable to see the entire performance. The evening I saw him perform, Fales was cut off before completing the play because he had gone over his allotted time. But this is indicative of the main problem with this production.

Fales is a pleasant, though somewhat conventional actor with good looks and a lovely singing voice. His story, dealing with his two years spent as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and his struggles with homosexuality while on that trip, is not one that is by any means common fare on stage. He is personable and friendly. He is not, however, a director, and Missionary Position needs someone with an iron grip to make it work.

With a director in place to work with the pacing and to cut some of the stage business and more overwrought scenes (particularly a big pirate fantasy sequence), Fales would be allowed more time to concentrate on his performance. Several times in the play, Fales bobbles his lines and seems to lose his way. More importantly for a solo show, he lacks the sense of spontaneity that forges the bond between an actor and his audience. We all want to succumb to the illusion that we are the first people to hear this particular story, that Fales is letting us all in on a little secret. Here he doesn't act so much as perform, and this performance creates a distance that keeps us from truly empathizing with his struggles.

There is a lot in Fales' play that is unique and interesting, but this production is not the best opportunity to experience Missionary Position.

Missionary Position
Written, Performed and Produced by Steven Fales
Stage Managers: Sean Lambert, Alex Mark

VENUE #16: The SoHo Playhouse

Sat 14 @ 7:45
Fri 20 @ 2
Sun 22 @ NOON
Tue 24 @ 10
Fri 27 @ 6

Review - Miss Magnolia Beaumont Goes to Provincetown (New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison
Photos by Brandon Kaiser

Miss Magnolia Beatrice Deveraux Beaumont is nothing if not proper. She is, after all, a debutante. Imagine her surprise at finding herself, after her untimely death on the cusp of the Civil War, not in heaven as she expected, but an unwilling passenger in the body of a gay man living in Manhattan in the 21st century. It's enough to make a lady clutch her pearls and reach for the smelling salts.

In Joe Hutchenson's charming one-man play, the audience follows Miss Beaumont and her host, Joe, on his birthday vacation to Provincetown. He sees this vacation as a chance to connect with someone, perhaps even to find some happiness that has been missing in his life.

Miss Magnolia doesn't know why she's been placed in this body, but she voraciously consumes every morsel of Joe's completely alien lifestyle. As she starts to experience Joe's senses and is eventually able to communicate with him, she discovers that it's never too late to live a useful life.

Hutchenson is an excellent actor. His Miss Magnolia is sweet as honey and as proper as a lady can be (she's even working on an etiquette book). That she never strays into camp says a lot about his ability as an actor and his empathy for this character. Miss Magnolia is not to be ridiculed, nor is she merely a comic means to an end. Joe, also, is a fully fleshed out character - a gay man, alone on his birthday and recognizing the writing on the wall as his youth starts to fade. He's a man in need of support, even if it is of the supernatural kind.

In addition to being an effective actor, Hutchenson is a marvelous storyteller. Miss Magnolia's description of her first few moments in Provincetown transported me to the place. I could picture the streets and the crowds, smell the food and the sea air. With few props and set pieces, Hutchenson himself becomes the ultimate set designer, inviting the audience to see through his (and Miss Magnolia's eyes).

Under the able direction of Cheryl King, and with support from Ellen Rosenberg's strong lighting and sound, Miss Magnolia Beaumont Goes to Provincetown is an outstanding production.

Miss Magnolia Beaumont Goes to Provincetown
Cheryl King Productions
Writer: Joe Hutcheson
Director: Cheryl King

VENUE #15: The Studio @ Cherry Lane Theatre

Sat 14 @ 3:45
Tue 17 @ 9
Fri 20 @ 9:15
Tue 24 @ 5:45
Thu 26 @ 2:45

Review - Hamlet Shut Up (New York International Fringe Festival)

By Rebecca N. Robertson
Photos by Chris Millar

I love Hamlet! And what I love even more than Shakespeare's tragedy about the moody prince is the plethora of theorizing, psychoanalysis, and heavily conceptualized retellings of the story both on stage and on film. In a similar veins of anti-purist experiments Reduced Shakespeare Company and Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet," Hamlet Shut Up seems to be an attempt to both cut to the chase and convey the most pertinent bits of one of the bard's most loved plays to a modern audience.

Using pop culture references in music, film, current events, and modern living (but no words!) our band of players entertains and delights us at a brisk comedic pace. Lines are drawn and crossed and ridiculum embraced. All the high and lows of the story are explored without tears or introspection while nodding along the way to the hypotheses touted by professor types and the players who have tread the boards of dramatized Denmark before from Olivier to Steve Martin's gravedigger scene in "L.A. Story."

This presentation will tickle anyone who is familiar with the play, and might be considered just goofing around by someone who managed to skip reading it in high school or seeing Mel Gibson's turn on the wronged prince. But those of us who love the play will anticipate the next scene and look forward to seeing what twisted pantomimed metaphor Hamlet Shut Up will employ. The show will definitely go there and take on that difficult subtext, translating even Freudian-named angst into adolescent embarrassment à la "American Pie." Judging from the reaction of the audience, the show is a hit. Friday night's performance received a standing ovation and excited laughter filled the air outside the theatre as patrons chatted about what they had just seen.

Hamlet Shut Up
Story by William Shakespeare
Adapted and Directed by Jonas Oppenheim
Set & Lighting Design/Stage Manager: Heatherlynn Gonzales
Costume Design: Wesley Crain
Sound Design: Josh Senick
Fight Choreography: Laura Napoli
Prop Design: Matt Valle
Video Production Ben Rock

Featuring: Kimberly Atkinson, Jay Bogdanowitcsh, Tegan Ashton Cohan, Victor Isaac, Derek Mehn, Laura Napoli, Stephen Simon, Adina Valerio, Matt Valle, Colin Willkie

Venue #5: The First Floor Theatre @ LA MAMA

Sat 14 @ 8:30
Mon 16 @ 2:30
Wed 18 @ 9:45
Fri 20 @ 8:15
Sat 21 @ 2:30

Review - Questions My Mother Can't Answer (New York International Fringe Festival)

By Rebecca N. Robertson
Photo by David Flores

All soul-searching stories seem to begin with a wake-up call, and Andrea's number is dialed by a New York City taxi cab that slams into her body on an uptown street. A year and a half later, she survives to tell a story that she says is "part documentary theatre, part autobiographical, and part fictional." Seeking answers to her self-questioning, she interviews eight women who are all about her mother's age regarding marriage, motherhood and life choices. What she culls from these interviews is a cohesive presentation of unique philosophical value, a humorous narrative that can inspire tears and that possesses a kind of healing mojo.

Questions My Mother Can't Answer is a moving story and Andrea Caban's warm, humble presentation style and her tremendous skill with characterization make seeing this solo-performance feel like an intimate conversation. Without the use of props, costumes or lighting changes, Ms. Caban presents nine characters and herself, each with their own cadence, tone and physicalization and each imbued with an infectious spirit. This is an impressive presentation by a young actress and writer that we will undoubtedly see more of in the future.


Questions My Mother Can't Answer
Written & Performed by Andrea Caban
Directed by Rachel Eckerling
Sound Design Marcelo Añez
Lighting Design: Jason Byron Teague
Stage Manager: Danielle Buccino


Venue # 4: 4th Street Theatre

Sun 15 @ 10:15
Sun 22 @ 1:45
Tue 24 @ 2
Thu 26 @ 6:45
Fri 27 @ 9:15

Review: Butterfly, Butterfly, Kill, Kill, Kill! (New York International Fringe Festival)

By Rebecca N. Robertson
Photos by Alana Jacoby

I admit that I had no knowledge of the Japanese yakuza B-movie genre of film when I chose to see Butterfly, Butterfly, Kill Kill Kill! at the New York Fringe Festival on Wednesday night. Walking into a pre-show of actors and musician randomly suiting up, warming up, and casually cracking jokes on the stage did not mentally prepare me for what I saw once the show began. However, Brooklyn-based Depth Charge has created a work that stands on its own -- no love or knowledge of the film genre or of the film that inspired the show is necessary to fully enjoy this well-crafted romp in absurdist secret agent land.

Seijun Suzuki's "Branded to Kill" was critically bashed in the 1960's, later becoming a well-loved cult classic, and Butterfly's Writer/Director Patrick Harrison treats this, his inspiration, with same respect and admiration of a geeky kid emulating his favorite superhero for whom he surely knows absolutely everything about. But it seems his greatest achievement is in the direction of an excellent ensemble of actors. From meticulously presented fight scenes of expressionistic proportions to a mouthful of paper butterflies, the movement and imagery of the piece is superbly timed, keeping a fervent pace throughout gunfights, maintaining suspense during dialogue, and allowing the mind to settle into scenes of psychedelic interlude. Additionally, both Dave Harrington's live music and Nancy Kwon's original film projections are integral to the ensemble and serve as characters in the adventure, furthering the action and telling the story with as much skill and consistency as the seven actors onstage.

This is a must-see show in a must-do festival and, given the success stories of those smash hits that started out in these tiny village venues inhabited by the New York Fringe Festival in years past, I look forward to seeing what is in store for Depth Charge and Butterfly, Butterfly, Kill Kill Kill! in its production future.


Butterfly, Butterfly, Kill Kill Kill!
Written and Directed by Patrick Harrison
Music Composed and Performed by David Harrington
Video and Film Design by Nancy Kwon
Lighting Design: Alana Jacoby
Fight Choreography: Adam Scott Mazer
Puppetry Design: Jeff Wood

Featuring: Patrick Harrison, Margaret Odette Perkins, Adam Scott Mazer, Alexandra Hellquist, Andrew Krug, Gerrardo Macias, and Dan Rogers

Venue #5: First Floor Theater @ LA MAMA

Fri 13 @ 7
Sun 15 @ NOON
Mon 16 @ 8:30
Wed 18 @ 8
Thu 19 @ 2

Review - In Loco Parentis (New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison

Carly (Kristin Katherine Shields) is a bright and vulnerable high school student who has suffered the loss of her mother. Mr. Browning (Desmond Dutcher) is her English teacher, a man with a sarcastic bent, but one who truly seems to care about reaching his students. When his class begins to study Hamlet, he sees his chance to engage Carly about her mother's death, something even her father (Marc Geller) has been unable to do.

But will his attempts to break through her reticence push her away for good or draw her too close?

Playwright Michael DeVito clearly draws on his experiences as an English teacher to create the well-written characters of Browning, Carly, and the slacker student, Ravi (Kareem M. Lucas). He has a good ear for dialogue and does an excellent job with the subtle shifts in power between the characters. Director Jonathan Warman keeps the production tight and interesting. But it is the work of lead actors Desmond Dutcher and Kristin Katherine Shields that keeps this play riveting. Dutcher is spot on as the slightly bored teacher who finds himself fascinated by and somewhat attracted to his smart, but damaged student. Shields as Carly shows impressive range as her character tentatively comes to grips with her mother's death and her feeligns about it. Dutcher excels in particular during the final scene of the play, a reunion between the now divorced Browning and the college-aged Carly. It's a scene that requires a great deal of vulnerability on Dutcher's part, and he handles it masterfully.

In Loco Parentis is a solid play, well-performed and directed, and one that should be on your Fringe viewing list.

In Loco Parentis
Written by Michael DeVito
Directed by Jonathan Warman
Lighting Designer: Yuriy Nayer
Scenic Designer: Maggie Pilat

Featuring: Desmond Dutcher (Mr. Browning), Marc Geller (Oliver), Kareen M. Lucas (Ravi), Kristin Katherine Shields (Carly Price)

VENUE #4: 4th Street Theatre

Sat 14 @ 7:45
Sun 15 @ 5:45
Fri 20 @ 4
Thu 26 @ 2
Sat 28 @ 2

Review - Trick Boxing (Sossy Mechanics and New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Ed Bock

Boxing is like dancing. Dancing is like falling in love. Falling in love is like boxing.

Or at least that's how things are in Sossy Mechanics' fun and charming Trick Boxing, currently at the Connelly Theater as part of the New York International Fringe Festival. If you like fancy footwork, in or out of the ring, this show is for you.

Set in the 1930s, Trick Boxing tells the story of a young apple seller, Daniel Danielovich, who falls under the sway of a charming, but greasy fight promoter, Bill Buck. Rechristened Dancin' Danny David, and with next to no experience under his belt, Daniel begins an improbable race to the championship. Along the way, he meets Bella, a young lady with a secret and a pair of gams built for dancing. But is Daniel's meteoric rise to the top based on skill and luck alone, or do Buck and his shady associate Tony have something more sinister in mind?

Created by Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan, Trick Boxing has been a festival favorite for nearly a decade, and it's easy to see why. Both are charming and adept performers. Sostek, who plays easily half a dozen characters during the show, is like quicksilver, flowing and changing seamlessly from one to the next. Even now, when remembering certain scenes, I can picture three actors on stage, when in fact, there was only him.

Not surprisingly, given the time they've had to work together on this project, Trick Boxing is a highly polished production. Since they've worked the festival circuit, Sostek and McClellan know to keep things simple. Costumes are evocative of the era, but Sostek doesn't change his from character to character - everything is done vocally and physically. Set and props are kept at a minimum, which leads to a taut, well-paced show with few interruptions. Most importatly, it creates a large, open playing space for the actors to utilize in their wonderful and exuberant dance numbers.

Choreographed dances, a fast paced story, boxing puppets (trust me, it works), rapid-fire dialogue, wonderful characters, a top-notch love story, and two terrific actors make Trick Boxing an absolute treat.

Trick Boxing
Written, Directed, Choreographed and Performed by Megan McClellan and Brian Sostek
Stage Managed by Michelle Cote

VENUE #2: Connelly Theater

Sun 15 @ 5:45
Wed 18 @ 8:45
Thu 19 @ 2:30
Sun 22 @ 4:15
Thu 26 @ 7:30

Review - A Separate Peace (New York International Fringe Festival)

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Michael C. Hughes

There are times when watching Brian Foyster, whose one-man version of John Knowles' A Separate Peace is currently playing in the New York International Fringe Festival, that I would swear I was watching two or more actors. It's not so much that Foyster spends the entire play jumping from character to character in such a way as to make the stage seem crowded. It's that he is an exceptional storyteller, capable of painting such a vivid picture with his words that the characters he's describing seem to be onstage with him, even when he's not playing them at that moment.

Foyster's adaptation is stripped down and spare. This is not to imply that the production is lacking in some way, however. He distills the important moments from the book, keeping the focus squarely on the complex relationship between Gene, the studious introvert, and his athletic, gregarious roommate, Finny. With minimal set pieces (a desk and chair, a bench, two suitcases) he creates the dorm, hospital, Finny's home, a bicycle, a beach, and most importantly the old tree from which they jump as members of the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session.

Foyster is precise, physical actor - a scene where Gene and Finny wrestle, which could have been slapstick in the wrong hands, shows his skill exceptionally well. Director Jason McConnell Buzas keeps the pacing tight and creates a nice tension throughout the play, no small feat in a one-man show. This is helped considerably by Foyster's well-written adaptation.

A Separate Peace was my first show in the 2010 Fringe. If it is indicative of the quality of this year's productions, it is going to be an amazing festival.

A Separate Peace
Based on the novel by John Knowles
Adapted and Performed by Brian Foyster
Directed by Jason McConnell Buzas
Lighting Designer: Grant Wilcoxen
Costume Designer: Sharon Lynch
Production State Manager: David A. Vandervliet
Assistant Lighting Desinger: John Wilder
Assistant Stage Manager: Megan Griffith

VENUE #2: Connelly Theater

Sun 15 @ 7:45
Wed 18 @ 6:45
Wed 25 @ 2
Fri 27 @ 4:45
Sat 28 @ 2:30

Fringe Q&A With Jeff Bienstock of The Morning After / The Night Before

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Jeff Bienstock
Show: The Morning After / The Night Before
Relationship to show: Creator (Book, Music, and Lyrics)
Website: www.TMATNB.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

Growing up, my parents and grandparents were huge fans of musical theater, despite the fact that we lived thousands of miles away from the nearest Broadway stage. After listening to so many of them growing up, I was eager to be cast in a musical once I got to high school. However, when it became apparent that I couldn’t dance and my voice was only average, I resigned myself to playing clarinet in the school pit orchestra. (Still, it was the ideal position from which to view as many shows as possible without ever buying a ticket!) After college, I tried to make a go at film and TV scoring, but I couldn’t stay away from my favorite medium for very long. I moved to New York, started writing show music, and the rest is history.

Who are your biggest influences?

I ended up listening to a lot of Sweeney Todd and Company during the writing of this show. As a budding composer/lyricist, I just adore Sondheim’s command of the English language, but even at their wordiest, his songs never take the melody line for granted. A more contemporary influence was Lopez/Marx’s Avenue Q, which proved to me that an original show about people my age could be successful without pandering or attempting to be self-consciously “hip.” Now that an Avenue cast member, Jed Resnick, is playing the lead in The Morning After…, it almost feels like I’ve come full circle.

What is your show about?

It’s about a young man named Todd, who wakes up one morning after a wild party to discover his best friend Cynthia lying in bed beside him. He’s got a girlfriend, and she’s about to get married in a matter of weeks, so needless to say, this is a huge problem for both of them; however, he’s so hungover that he can’t remember anything that happened only a few hours earlier. The action switches back and forth between the debauchery of Saturday night and the bleary-eyed contrition of Sunday morning, and there are plenty of shocking, raunchy, hilarious surprises along the way.

What inspired you to write it?

Not a real-life experience, I assure you! I might have been partially inspired by memories of coming of age in a small-ish city like Santa Monica, where you can wake up after a night’s worth of hazy adventures to discover that all of your friends have an equally bizarre story to tell, often intersecting with your story in unexpected ways. As a premise, this story was in development for a very long time—until I finally felt confident enough in my storytelling skills to do the idea justice.

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

Other than myself, the person who’s spent the most amount of time working on this project — more than 3 years — is my music director Remy Kurs, who by now has arranged each song to sound a hundred times better than they did when I first wrote them. Next to join the project was my friend Gillian Appleby, whom I approached to produce the show back in February; she’s done a lot of television and film work, but this is her very first theatrical undertaking and she’s definitely risen to the challenge. Finally, Diana Glazer, working double-duty as director and casting director, came aboard in June; we never would have secured such a top-notch cast, including Jed Resnick (Avenue Q), Shira Gregory (Frost/Nixon) and Max Spitulnik (With Glee) without her tireless efforts.

If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?

I’d love for us to get the opportunity to move into a venue and STAY there for a few weeks! We’re sharing the beautiful Lucille Lortel Theater with about seven other Fringe shows, which definitely limits our time to rehearse and do tech in the venue itself. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to perform this show on any stage, but The Morning After… is an extremely fast-paced, frenetic comedy with complicated entrances and lighting cues galore. We’re all crossing our fingers and praying that all will go smoothly once we finally move the show from the rehearsal studio to the theater itself—a mere four days before our premiere.

What's next for you after Fringe?

Through the renowned BMI workshop, I met a very talented, very funny composer/lyricist named Eric March. We’re planning to write a musical about the Great Bone Wars of the 19th century, which may have been the most vengeful, hate-filled feud ever waged over dinosaur fossils. It’ll be a true pleasure to work with a collaborator this time around; this show’s three-man creative team has certainly had its share of arguments and creative differences over the years, despite the fact that they’re all me.

And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright, living or dead, who would you chose and why?

I could lie and name some legendary Broadway thespian, but to be perfectly honest, I would kill to work with my comedy idol Mel Brooks in just about any capacity. And who knows? Maybe someday it could actually happen—even if I have to play the nebbishy little Jew who gets hit over the head a lot.

The Morning After / The Night Before
Cracked Windshield Productions
Writer: Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jeff Bienstock
Director: Diana Glazer

VENUE #12: Lucille Lortel Theatre

Wed 18 @ 2:15
Mon 23 @ 11:30
Thu 26 @ 10:15
Fri 27 @ 4:45
Sat 28 @ 7:30

Fringe Q&A With Katharine Heller of My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Katharine Heller
Show: My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
Relationship to show: Playwright, actor
Website: www.mydadscrazier.com, www.katharineheller.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I always knew I wanted to act or bartend. Luckily, the two go together.

Who are your biggest influences?

Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres, Joan Rivers

What is your show about?

My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry is a one-woman show about family or more specifically, my relationship to my father. But it is presented as a live scientific experiment, and as the audience is a big part of proving my bold theory, the show is a little bit different every night.

What inspired you to write it?

I've been telling stories about my dad for years, and people are fascinated by him. He really is an interesting subject. Plus, he was a scientist, so that's how I decided to do this format.

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

Nell Balaban, the director, worked with me on The Boy in the Basement, Fringe 2008, and she won an award for outstanding direction. I love working with her so much and she is so fun, I had to work with her again. Dragonchase is an incredible production company, and they produce another show that is running that I am in, Naked in a Fishbowl, the unscripted episodic sitcom that has huge following both live and on the internet (our episodes are taped for the web).

If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?

I would love it if people leave the theater with a different perspective on how they see their families. Hopefully, a humorous one.

What's next for you after Fringe?

Still running Naked in a Fishbowl every Mondays at the Soho Playhouse - it's such an amazing show to be in and I look forward to it every week. That, and maybe some rest.

And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright,
living or dead, who would you chose and why?

I'd love to be on stage with Jake Gyllenhaal, just because he is so attractive. Is that wrong?

My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
Dragonchase Inc.
Writer: Katharine Heller
Director: Nell Balaban

VENUE #1: Dixon Place

Fri 13 @ 7
Sat 14 @ NOON
Fri 20 @ 6:15
Wed 25 @ 4:15
Fri 27 @ 9

Fringe Q&A With John Pollono of Lost and Found

By Byrne Harrison

Name: John Pollono
Show: Lost and Found
Relationship to show: Playwright, actor
Website: www.LostandFoundPlay.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I moved to Los Angeles ten years ago after finishing college and film school; I wanted to work in film as a screenwriter. I had dabbled in acting and began taking acting classes at Howard Fine Studio with Laura Gardner, and we worked solely on theatre scripts. This was the first time I was really exposed to theatre. The quality of writing blew me away and I realized that my favorite kind of stories -- character driven, dialogue driven, performance driven -- were coming out of theatre. I really fell in love with theatre very quickly and started writing and acting in plays almost immediately. I realized that it was what I was meant to do. The theatrical process helped me develop a voice as a writer, collaborate with actors and directors and find myself on stage as well.

Who are your biggest influences?

I grew up obsessed with movies and television. Martin Scorsese is a huge influence... we're both Italian, although from much different backgrounds. I always connected to how personal he makes his films. Denis Leary is a huge influence... especially "Rescue Me," where he took his talent and aesthetic and applied it to a very personal story that he writes and acts in. Since I didn't get into theatre until somewhat recently, all the classics that everyone studies in "Theater School" are still new to me. Our Town and Death of a Salesman blew me away. I honestly knew nothing about them when I sat down and read them. I also read everything that Mamet, Martin McDonagh or Kenneth Lonergan write.

What is your show about?

Lost and Found is an intimate look at a working class Boston family forced into great change when very influential people step into their lives. It's really about family, passion and anger and about how complicated and crucial love is in our lives.

What inspired you to write it?

A little more than ten years ago I discovered that I had an older sister who had been put up for adoption when my mother was a teenager. I met her and the entire process was emotionally devastating and fascinating. Made me look at everyone in my family in a completely different way. I used those emotions and experiences as the raw material to craft this story. It's not autobiographical... but all of the emotions the different characters are feeling, I very much went through. So I had authority when creating those moments.

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

I've known the director, Andrew Block, for years. We were founding members of Rogue Machine in Los Angeles and we've collaborated on a lot of stuff in the past. Andrew and I really click. The guy is incredibly passionate when he works on something and, as a writer, that's the most important thing. I trust him and he takes my work and infuses it with an amazing life and vitality. This is our fourth collaboration as a writer and director. We recently won the Network One Act festival here in New York and that was a blast. So we're pretty big deals right now!

The rest of the crew worked with Andrew a lot in the past and they are amazing. Katy Burns, our AD, flew out here from Houston, TX to work on the show. She has an incredibly personal connection to the material and her presence is hugely inspiring. Tony Lepore, our lighting and sound designer and stage manager, I worked with recently at the La Lupa Italian American Festival. I acted in a great one act play he wrote and we hit it off. He's a real Italian... he returns favors! Christa Kelly is our production designer, and I've known her for over twelve years. We're good friends, and lucky for us (maybe not her), she was laid off recently and dove right in to our show. The production needs of the show and of Fringe are astronomical and she has worked tirelessly and with insane skill. Anne Lommel, our costumer, I just met for this show and she could not be more helpful or accommodating. She is pulling a lot of strings to make things work! Rodney Ladino, our other producer, pretty much does everything that's needed. He's amazing and tireless. Elizabeth "Boomer" Hawks is our graphic designer, and her design work for our marketing materials has truly influenced the entire look of the show. Joe Trentacosta is our publicist from Springer Associates, and he's really hit the ground running and used his expertise to spread the word, getting NYC ready for us. Rounding it out Steven DeLuca from Martian Entertainment... he’s a childhood friend of Andrew’s, and he has championed the play from day one. There is so much heart and dedication in this show that it’s kind of mind blowing. Also, not sure if you noticed, but there's a lot of vowels in these names... love that too!

The cast is phenomenal... they are authentic and super talented and a blast to work with. Geraldine Librandi and Reiko Aylesworth are definitely our most recognizable and there’s a reason they work so much. Both are a joy to work with and they make such iconic choices with the characters. The rest of the cast are superb as well, even if you might not immediately recognize them. Dana Domenick, Joey Gambetta, Jon Krupp, Jonathan Bock and Casey Predovic. Every one of them is spot on and so dedicated and talented it’s silly. Fringe is a tough gig... you have to do guerilla-type theatre. And this cast is jumping into it with gusto and really using our limitations to inspire themselves in their performances.

If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?

I'd love for this play to move on to another theatre and find a bigger audience. It's really a play that was created for an audience... it speaks passionately and truthfully and often very profanely about themes and people that an audience can relate to, root for and empathize with. Everyone is so great in it... on every level... just want to connect with that audience and show them what we got.

What's next for you after Fringe?

I have a few plays I'm working on. Razorback, which was produced at Rogue Machine in Los Angeles, and is a super dark, scary and very funny play, would really do well in NYC. I'm also finishing my first period piece... another dark tale this one set in Boston in the mid 1800's. I'm very excited to see where that goes. Truth is, the more I work with new and talented people, the more it inspires me to write!

And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright, living or dead, who would you chose and why?

I would love to work on stage with Ian McShane. In fact, I’ve already written a few plays that he’d be perfect in!

Lost and Found
Rogue Machine Theatre
Writer: John Pollono
Director: Andrew Block

VENUE #14: The Cherry Pit

Mon 16 @ 2
Sat 21 @ 7:15
Mon 23 @ 10:15
Thu 26 @ 9:15
Fri 27 @ 3

Fringe Q&A With Michael DeVito of In Loco Parentis

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Michael DeVito
Relationship to show: Playwright
Show: In Loco Parentis
Website: www.inlocoparentisplay.com

You are a high school English teacher. Your show is about a high school English teacher using Hamlet to reach one of his students who lost a parent. How much of In Loco Parentis is drawn from your own experiences?

A great deal, as you might imagine. A lot of Browning’s lessons, especially in the beginning of the play, are drawn from classes I’ve taught, though I like to think I’ve fictionalized Browning’s single-mindedness about Hamlet. He and I have definitely said some of the same things in teaching the play, but he also says some things I don’t quite embrace. I do explore the inevitable loss of parents in my classes, and the obvious extension from the loss of parents to our own mortality, because that’s a large part of what Hamlet is all about. Several times, I had students in class who had lost parents (and I didn’t always know that going in), and more than one of them found the line of discussion a bit hard to take. Those situations formed the core of the idea for In Loco Parentis. But the situation in the play is completely fictional. Hopefully, I was a bit more evidently compassionate than Browning.

I was lucky enough to catch a production of your show last fall. Has the play changed much since then?

Thanks for coming to see it. The spirit of the play hasn’t changed, but I’ve tried to soften Browning up a bit, since we found one of the critiques of the play was that he was a bit too severe, and audiences found it hard to embrace him. Hopefully Jonathan (Warman, director) and Desmond (Dutcher, actor) and I have addressed that in this production. There was also a need to make some of the growth of the characters a bit more explicit. The workshop production was really helpful in showing us where we needed to go to make this play as good as it can be. I’m indebted to The Manhattan Theatre Source for giving us the opportunity to work on it.

As you mentioned, you have some of the same cast and crew from the fall. Given the short rehearsal time for Fringe, did you find that it gave you a little bit of an edge having pieces of the show in place, or did you basically start from scratch and come up with a completely new production?

It was definitely comfortable having the same two leads, the same director and the same scenic designer, especially because summer made it hard to get everyone in the same room at the same time. I also think the process of creating these roles has to have been aided by the period of hibernation. Someone once told me that even when you’re not writing, you are, because you’re always exploring ideas, thinking about a script you are working on, percolating. I’m sure the same is true for the actors and director, who spent the whole winter having immersed themselves in this play, knowing there was a chance they might revisit it.

Tell me a little about your cast and crew. How did you find them and what have they brought to the play?

It’s impossible to tell you “a little” about that, but I’ll try. The first answer is professionalism. Sitting in your room writing a play is the ultimate act of optimism—you hope that a large group of people required to bring your idea to life will want to do so. And then you meet these artists who dedicate themselves to realizing your dream—it’s really amazing. Specifically, I think Desmond and Kristin (Katherine Shields, who plays Carly) have brought voices and directions to these two characters that have really deepened them beyond what I as one person with a specific viewpoint could imagine. Jonathan, whom I met when Emerging Artists asked me to select a director for a reading of the play last June, has also been irreplaceable, not only in seeing the play and in staging it, but also in helping me to believe the script was worth it. He really gets it in the way that I want it to be gotten, and that is very powerful. I have absolute confidence in his ideas for the play because I know he is as passionate and thoughtful as I am about it. There’s a lot more I could say—Maggie Pilat is our scenic designer, whom I met through a mutual friend, Yuriy Nayer is our Lighting Designer, Alison Carroll is our stage manager, and they have both worked with Jonathan before. Our two new cast members, whom we found through auditions, are Kareem M. Lucas and Marc Geller. Their roles are small but important, and they are both terrific actors. One thing you’re sure to see in this production is some wonderful acting.

I understand you're a founding member of The Playwright's Group. How did that get started and was it helpful in the development of this play?

I took the Gotham series of playwriting courses several years ago, and the last one was taught by Richard Caliban, who started this group after that class was over and asked me and other members of our class to join. His vision was of a weekly workshop in which playwrights could hear their work and receive feedback. It was looser than the Gotham course, and the people who came together to form the group were all very serious and very smart. I had worked on In Loco Parentis in the Gotham course, and I did a reading of it for The Playwrights Group shortly after we started. That reading was crucial in helping me develop the play to the point where Emerging Artists noticed it. I got honest, insightful feedback from Richard and the other playwrights. I think without that reading, I wouldn’t be doing this play in The Fringe.

What is next for you after Fringe?

I have a production of another play, Pills, at The Black Ship Company in Chicago in April. And I’m just about finished with a new play—a holocaust drama called The Prediction set in Cuba in 1935. The play is basically about a father and son who have elected to leave Germany, and are trapped on a boat in the Port of Havana awaiting entry into Cuba, facing the option of being sent back or leaving the ship illegally. The problem is it’s 1935 and they don’t fully agree on whether or not it was a necessity to leave in the first place. The son believes it was, and that the Nazis will eventually try to annihilate the Jews; the father thinks that the Nazis are just a nightmare that Germany will awaken from. They basically argue politics and religion, like most fathers and sons do, but their arguments obviously have more weight given the context. It’s really an exploration of their relationship, though. It’s very pained, very laden with baggage. When the Fringe is over, I’m going to finish fine-tuning that script, and then start trying to get people interested in it.

And finally, if you had a chance to meet Shakespeare, what would you talk about?

Whatever he wanted. I imagine he’d be pretty interested in my experiences flying on airplanes and talking on telephones. And I’d like to think at some point I’d say, “Thanks.” Seriously, though, I suppose I’ve always wondered if he had any inkling of the effect he was going to have on literary history. I’m sure he knew he was a good playwright (assuming, of course, that he is wholly responsible for the work ascribed to him), but I wonder if he knew that in addition to writing dialogue that was riveting in the moment it’s delivered, if he had any thoughts about how rich and rewarding his poetry would be upon multiple re-readings. One great thing about being a high school teacher is that I read Hamlet and Macbeth every year, and they never get old, which is not true for a lot of other works of literature I have similar relationships with. I wouldn’t bother asking him how he did that, but I’m very curious what that does to someone’s ego. What’s it feel like to be the most successful dramatist who ever lived?

In Loco Parentis
Writer: Michael DeVito
Director: Jonathan Warman

4th Street Theater
83 East 4th Street

Saturday, August 14th @ 7:45 pm
Sunday, August 15th @ 5:45 pm
Friday, August 20th @ 4 pm
Thursday, August 26th @ 2 pm
Saturday, August 28th @ 2 pm