By Byrne Harrison
Name: Nikki M. Jenkins
Play: Disenchanted, a new musical
Relationship to production: Playwright/Co-Producer/Actress
Website: http://www.disenchantedthemusical.com/
Facebook Fan Page
How did you first get involved in theatre?
It was kind of an accident. I was studying classical voice at East Carolina University and I had to take an elective to fulfill my credit requirements. I took Theatre 101 because I thought it would be easy. I remember the day my professor took the class on a field trip to the set of one of the mainstage productions. I stepped onto the stage and suddenly felt this strange sense of "at-homeness." I knew the stage was where I belonged. I switched majors to musical theatre the very next semester.
Who are your biggest influences?
Actresses: Audra McDonald, Anika Noni Rose, and Nikki James
Writer/composers: Jason Robert Brown (Parade), Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime), Trey Parker and Matt Stone (Avenue Q, Book of Mormon)
Producers: Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple), Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act), and Will Smith (Fela!)
What is your show about?
Disenchanted, a new musical is an urban fairytale about a Black girl who thinks she's White--literally. The protagonist, Amanda Gottadolla (Mandi) is adopted as an infant by the Gottadollas, a fabulously wealthy white couple. When the adoption exposes Mr. and Mrs. Gottadolla to ridicule and racial backlash, they decide to protect their daughter at all costs. They remove all the mirrors from the house and hire a beautiful blonde girl to play Mandi's reflection. Thus begins the little "white" lie. But as Mandi enters adulthood, it becomes harder and harder to shield her from the truth. Mandi's ignorant bliss is ultimately destroyed when two envious villains force her to face reality. But sometimes when the fairytale ends, that's when the real story begins. By letting go of her Barbie-doll existence and embracing her true identity, Mandi is allowed to blossom from an over-sheltered girl into an empowered young woman.
What inspired you to write it?
Frustration, mainly -- frustration with the stereotypical roles for black women in the media. I was pretty tired of playing slaves, maids, and welfare mothers. I wanted to create a positive, fun, unconventional role for African-American actresses like myself. That's where my protagonist "Amanda Gottadolla" (Mandi) comes from. She's basically a black Elle Woods (Legally Blonde). I also play Mandi, which is so much fun, because she shares so many of my personality traits--fun, quirky, strong-willed, a dreamer. And I think there are a lot of other black actresses out there that can relate to this kind of female figure.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
Everyone needs to be more conscious of what we're doing to the planet. If we can create art that changes the world, then we can also produce art in a way that preserves the world.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
Disenchanted has adopted the Play for P.I.N.K. organization. They organize sporting events to raise support for cancer research. We chose this organization because breast cancer research is so important, and we liked the idea of using health and physical activity to raise awareness.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
My co-producer Aaron Pratt and I are determined to take Disenchanted to the next level. We are already making plans for an Off-Broadway run!
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
That's easy--your classic Black and White Cookie! It's half black, half white, and 100% New York!
Disenchanted
Tuesday, June 21 at 12:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Planet Connections Interview - Yvette Heyliger of "White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata!"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Yvette Heyliger
Play: White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata!
Relationship to production: Writer/Director
Website: Planet Connections
http://www.twinbiz.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
My mother took my sisters and me to the theatre, museums, and to the ballet as children. A performing arts high school opened up in Washington, DC and the three of us auditioned. I went into the theatre department.
Who are your biggest influences?
Athol Fugard for his play Master Harold and the Boys (I saw it on Broadway with Danny Glover and Zakes Mokai) and Mahatma Ghandi as portrayed in the movie, Ghandi, starring Ben Kingsley. These were early artistic influences.
What is your show about?
White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata! is an anti-war comedy inspired by Aristophanes' Lysistrata. This "what if..." play is set in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House and stars the wives of the architects of the impending war in Iraq (yes, that's Laura Bush, Lynne Cheney, Alma Powell, Cherie Blair and friends!). It takes place in 2002 before Congress votes on Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution. White House: Operation Lysistrata! captures Aristophanes' strong anti-war message laced in the bawdy sexual humor so enjoyed by ancient, as well as present day audiences.
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Tag Line: In this anti-war comedy, First Lady Laura Bush tries to enlist wives of the architects of the impending war in Iraq in a preemptive sex strike, but will she succeed?
What inspired you to write it?
Mother’s Day is the most commercially successful holiday in the United States. But in 1870 Julia Ward Howe had a much more noble intention. Moved by the blood bath that was the Civil War, she proposed, a "Mother’s Day of Peace," and wrote a proclamation for it which appears in my play. This Mother's Day Proclamation calls women to action against war and heralds Howe’s feminist belief that "women, as bearers of future generations, have the responsibility to shape their societies at the political level.” Her proclamation became my muse. I decided I wanted to write a play about the war in Iraq, but didn’t know what shape the story should take or how I should approach it. Luckily, I had been selected for a residency at women’s writers’ colony in Washington State, Hedgebrook. When the time came I boarded the plane, but with no idea how I would tackle the subject matter (of which I knew little to nothing!) during the residency. I began to read Aristophanes’ Lysistrata on the plane and it came to me that I should adapt the play for modern audiences. Instead of the war between Sparta and Athens, it would be the war against terrorism with First Lady Laura Bush as my “Lysistrata” and Second Lady Lynne Cheney as my “Kalonike.” White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata! was conceived in flight!
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
I write plays that are socially conscious, plays that educate, entertain and serve humanity. When I learned about the “Festivity” it felt like a good fit for me not just as a playwright but also for my company Twinbiz, especially when I learned that producer, Glory Kadigan, founded the festival as a way to combine her background in social work with her love of theatre into this one “planet connecting” event. Another draw was that “green” theatre is a fairly new concept for Twinbiz and my twin sister and partner Yvonne Farrow and I, felt we could learn something new as producers bringing greener projects to the stage. For example, we have a Greek phallus being made for our show out of recyclable materials.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
I have been a pen-pal to a soldier in Afghanistan since January of this year through the AdoptaPlatoon Soldier Support Effort®, a volunteer based nonprofit 501C-3 dedicated to serving deployed United States Service Men and Women. When I heard that part of the Festivity’s mission is that each show take on a charity, I decided to seize the opportunity to deepen my commitment to AdoptaPlatoon by enlisting in their TO IRAQ WITH LOVE campaign. Audience members can participate by bringing selected care package items, as well troop mail—cards and letters from home to encourage and uplift our troops, ensuring that they are not forgotten by a grateful Nation. For a complete list of care package items to bring to the theatre drop-off box, you can visit our show page at Planet Connections.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
Yvonne and I have been selected to receive the inaugural National Black Theatre Festival Emerging Producer Award in North Carolina in August 2011. We are proud to be honored for our producing work at this prestigious festival which showcases the best of Black Theatre from around the nation.
And finally, if you could get any person, living or dead, to see this show who would you choose and why?
I wrote a play entitled Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent which, as you may guess from the title is another “what if…” play starring another (former) First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and the infamous intern, Monica Lewinsky. The play imagines a meeting between the two in the China Room of the White House before the scandal broke, however, make no mistake; the play is bigger than the Clinton scandal which serves only us as a jumping off point for larger issues regarding women, politics, and the evolution of the role of the First Lady in American History. Throughout the development of the play, I invited both Hillary and Monica to see the show. I never received a response to my invitations—although one time a bunch of “suits” showed up to see a very early draft the play that was taking place in a theatre festival on the Lower East Side. The men clearly were not theatre-goers. They seemed very out of place, never once cracking a smile. In fact, they seemed very disapproving and unapproachable, giving me sideways glances in the lobby. I wondered whose camp these sore-thumbs were from, Hillary’s or Monica’s? I did continue with invitations when opportunities arose, especially to Hillary, as I thought she would be proud of the strong women’s piece that the play was becoming. Inspired by the then president-elect Barak Obama’s suggestion to the American people, in 2008 Twinbiz donated a portion of it’s ticket sales to help pay down Hillary’s campaign debt.
The shorter answer to your questions is that with my new play, I would hope that Laura Bush, Lynne Cheney, Alma Powell, Joyce Rumsfeld, Stephanie Tenet, Condoleeza Rice and Cherie Blair (none of whom will recognize themselves in my show!) would all buy a ticket to see my play and come with husbands in tow! Women in the political arena have to walk a tight rope between toughness and humanity that men do not and it can be a difficult balancing act, but in this “what if…” play humanity wins. I feel that somewhere, Julia Ward Howe is smiling.
White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata!
Tuesday, June 07 at 8:15PM
Thursday, June 09 at 6:30PM
Friday, June 10 at 4:30PM
Sunday, June 12 at 1:30PM
Monday, June 13 at 4:00PM
Thursday, June 16 at 6:00PM
Saturday, June 18 at 6:10PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Name: Yvette Heyliger
Play: White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata!
Relationship to production: Writer/Director
Website: Planet Connections
http://www.twinbiz.com/
My mother took my sisters and me to the theatre, museums, and to the ballet as children. A performing arts high school opened up in Washington, DC and the three of us auditioned. I went into the theatre department.
Who are your biggest influences?
Athol Fugard for his play Master Harold and the Boys (I saw it on Broadway with Danny Glover and Zakes Mokai) and Mahatma Ghandi as portrayed in the movie, Ghandi, starring Ben Kingsley. These were early artistic influences.
What is your show about?
White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata! is an anti-war comedy inspired by Aristophanes' Lysistrata. This "what if..." play is set in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House and stars the wives of the architects of the impending war in Iraq (yes, that's Laura Bush, Lynne Cheney, Alma Powell, Cherie Blair and friends!). It takes place in 2002 before Congress votes on Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution. White House: Operation Lysistrata! captures Aristophanes' strong anti-war message laced in the bawdy sexual humor so enjoyed by ancient, as well as present day audiences.
What inspired you to write it?
Mother’s Day is the most commercially successful holiday in the United States. But in 1870 Julia Ward Howe had a much more noble intention. Moved by the blood bath that was the Civil War, she proposed, a "Mother’s Day of Peace," and wrote a proclamation for it which appears in my play. This Mother's Day Proclamation calls women to action against war and heralds Howe’s feminist belief that "women, as bearers of future generations, have the responsibility to shape their societies at the political level.” Her proclamation became my muse. I decided I wanted to write a play about the war in Iraq, but didn’t know what shape the story should take or how I should approach it. Luckily, I had been selected for a residency at women’s writers’ colony in Washington State, Hedgebrook. When the time came I boarded the plane, but with no idea how I would tackle the subject matter (of which I knew little to nothing!) during the residency. I began to read Aristophanes’ Lysistrata on the plane and it came to me that I should adapt the play for modern audiences. Instead of the war between Sparta and Athens, it would be the war against terrorism with First Lady Laura Bush as my “Lysistrata” and Second Lady Lynne Cheney as my “Kalonike.” White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata! was conceived in flight!
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
I write plays that are socially conscious, plays that educate, entertain and serve humanity. When I learned about the “Festivity” it felt like a good fit for me not just as a playwright but also for my company Twinbiz, especially when I learned that producer, Glory Kadigan, founded the festival as a way to combine her background in social work with her love of theatre into this one “planet connecting” event. Another draw was that “green” theatre is a fairly new concept for Twinbiz and my twin sister and partner Yvonne Farrow and I, felt we could learn something new as producers bringing greener projects to the stage. For example, we have a Greek phallus being made for our show out of recyclable materials.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
I have been a pen-pal to a soldier in Afghanistan since January of this year through the AdoptaPlatoon Soldier Support Effort®, a volunteer based nonprofit 501C-3 dedicated to serving deployed United States Service Men and Women. When I heard that part of the Festivity’s mission is that each show take on a charity, I decided to seize the opportunity to deepen my commitment to AdoptaPlatoon by enlisting in their TO IRAQ WITH LOVE campaign. Audience members can participate by bringing selected care package items, as well troop mail—cards and letters from home to encourage and uplift our troops, ensuring that they are not forgotten by a grateful Nation. For a complete list of care package items to bring to the theatre drop-off box, you can visit our show page at Planet Connections.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
Yvonne and I have been selected to receive the inaugural National Black Theatre Festival Emerging Producer Award in North Carolina in August 2011. We are proud to be honored for our producing work at this prestigious festival which showcases the best of Black Theatre from around the nation.
And finally, if you could get any person, living or dead, to see this show who would you choose and why?
I wrote a play entitled Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent which, as you may guess from the title is another “what if…” play starring another (former) First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and the infamous intern, Monica Lewinsky. The play imagines a meeting between the two in the China Room of the White House before the scandal broke, however, make no mistake; the play is bigger than the Clinton scandal which serves only us as a jumping off point for larger issues regarding women, politics, and the evolution of the role of the First Lady in American History. Throughout the development of the play, I invited both Hillary and Monica to see the show. I never received a response to my invitations—although one time a bunch of “suits” showed up to see a very early draft the play that was taking place in a theatre festival on the Lower East Side. The men clearly were not theatre-goers. They seemed very out of place, never once cracking a smile. In fact, they seemed very disapproving and unapproachable, giving me sideways glances in the lobby. I wondered whose camp these sore-thumbs were from, Hillary’s or Monica’s? I did continue with invitations when opportunities arose, especially to Hillary, as I thought she would be proud of the strong women’s piece that the play was becoming. Inspired by the then president-elect Barak Obama’s suggestion to the American people, in 2008 Twinbiz donated a portion of it’s ticket sales to help pay down Hillary’s campaign debt.
The shorter answer to your questions is that with my new play, I would hope that Laura Bush, Lynne Cheney, Alma Powell, Joyce Rumsfeld, Stephanie Tenet, Condoleeza Rice and Cherie Blair (none of whom will recognize themselves in my show!) would all buy a ticket to see my play and come with husbands in tow! Women in the political arena have to walk a tight rope between toughness and humanity that men do not and it can be a difficult balancing act, but in this “what if…” play humanity wins. I feel that somewhere, Julia Ward Howe is smiling.
White House Wives: Operation Lysistrata!
Tuesday, June 07 at 8:15PM
Thursday, June 09 at 6:30PM
Friday, June 10 at 4:30PM
Sunday, June 12 at 1:30PM
Monday, June 13 at 4:00PM
Thursday, June 16 at 6:00PM
Saturday, June 18 at 6:10PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Planet Connection Interview - Jeremy Bloom and Brian Rady of "The Orange Person"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Jeremy Bloom and Brian Rady
Play: The Orange Person
Relationship to production: Writers
Website: http://www.jeremybloomplays.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
The stories of our elders.
Who are your biggest influences?
Radio announcers and magicians.
What is your show about?
It's about feeling mystery in what surrounds you, and how smart your younger sister is. It's about turning colors.
What inspired you to write?
Last year's Clubbed Thumb plays.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
The Earth is precious.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
The LGBT Center, selected by our producer and festivity staff member, Andi Cohen.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
The Orange Person at The Gene Frankel Theater in November
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
Mincemeat Pie
The Orange Person
Tuesday, June 14 at 4:30PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Play: The Orange Person
Relationship to production: Writers
Website: http://www.jeremybloomplays.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
The stories of our elders.
Who are your biggest influences?
Radio announcers and magicians.
What is your show about?
It's about feeling mystery in what surrounds you, and how smart your younger sister is. It's about turning colors.
What inspired you to write?
Last year's Clubbed Thumb plays.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
The Earth is precious.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
The LGBT Center, selected by our producer and festivity staff member, Andi Cohen.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
The Orange Person at The Gene Frankel Theater in November
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
Mincemeat Pie
The Orange Person
Tuesday, June 14 at 4:30PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Planet Connections Interview - Tramaine Montell Ford of "TheTramaineExperience"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Tramaine Montell Ford
Play: TheTramaineExperience: AnUrbanDramedy
Relationship to production: Actor/Co-playwright
Website: http://www.tramainemontellford.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I grew up in a housing projects in inner-city Chicago called Cabrini Green where there were not many theatre opportunities or outlets. So... I began making my own scripts and home movies with a camcorder as a kid. Through a program for underprivileged youth funded largely by Oprah Winfrey, called Cabrini Connections, I wrote and created a short film that won at The Children's Alt. Film Festival. It was then on cable access and I was interviewed on the news. Someone from FreeStreet Theatre saw this on television and contacted me to join their youth training ensemble at age 13.
Who are your biggest influences?
I am largely influenced by the people of Cabrini Green, my mom, my son, and Oprah.
What is your show about?
TheTramaineExperience is a new age one-man show about people from Cabrini Green Housing Projects, their lives, struggles, strengths, and dreams. Playing on the stereotypes that many of us know of inner-city dwellers, the show comedically utilizes these stereotypes for a farcical spin then surprisingly and ultimately pierces through them to reveal the relatable depth of these human beings.
What inspired you to write it?
Receiving feedback, from people of the neighborhood that I grew up in, that I had, was, or could continue to inspire them from some of the accomplishments they watched me fight for inspired me to write this show in the hopes of inspiring more people to go after their worthy life goals despite their obstacles. I was also inspired by the idea to portray these people/characters that are usually stereotyped and judged in a deeper and more intimate light with the hopes of encouraging people toward more understanding, empathy, connectedness, and expression of love toward all human beings.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
In conjunction with the 'connectedness of all human beings' theme of my show, our connectedness to our environment and earth is equally important. An eco-friendly festival is in line with my production's ultimate mission.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
My production has chosen to benefit United Way of NYC. This is because, again in conjunction with the production's theme, and mission as I talked about earlier, United Way of NYC has a mission to connect people, resources and ideas to accelerate systemic changes that improve education, income and health in New York… particularly in communities and neighborhoods of great need, like the one portrayed in the show.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
After Planet Connections, the show will be making it's official Off-Broadway run premiere with 12 performances at The American Theatre of Actors in September in association with The Araca Project, fostered by Broadway producers The Araca Group and my Alma mater, Syracuse University.
If you could get any person, living or dead, to see this show who would you choose and why?
If I could get any person to see this show, it would be Oprah Winfrey. That's because of her life mission of connecting and helping people and it's direct tie to the inner-cities of Chicago and the way that she has personally assisted me in accomplishing my goals, through funding and scholarships, that have directly led to the creation of the production.
TheTramaineExperience
Tuesday, June 14 at 6:00PM
Thursday, June 16 at 9:00PM
Sunday, June 19 at 9:00PM
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Name: Tramaine Montell Ford
Play: TheTramaineExperience: AnUrbanDramedy
Relationship to production: Actor/Co-playwright
Website: http://www.tramainemontellford.com/
I grew up in a housing projects in inner-city Chicago called Cabrini Green where there were not many theatre opportunities or outlets. So... I began making my own scripts and home movies with a camcorder as a kid. Through a program for underprivileged youth funded largely by Oprah Winfrey, called Cabrini Connections, I wrote and created a short film that won at The Children's Alt. Film Festival. It was then on cable access and I was interviewed on the news. Someone from FreeStreet Theatre saw this on television and contacted me to join their youth training ensemble at age 13.
Who are your biggest influences?
I am largely influenced by the people of Cabrini Green, my mom, my son, and Oprah.
What is your show about?
TheTramaineExperience is a new age one-man show about people from Cabrini Green Housing Projects, their lives, struggles, strengths, and dreams. Playing on the stereotypes that many of us know of inner-city dwellers, the show comedically utilizes these stereotypes for a farcical spin then surprisingly and ultimately pierces through them to reveal the relatable depth of these human beings.
What inspired you to write it?
Receiving feedback, from people of the neighborhood that I grew up in, that I had, was, or could continue to inspire them from some of the accomplishments they watched me fight for inspired me to write this show in the hopes of inspiring more people to go after their worthy life goals despite their obstacles. I was also inspired by the idea to portray these people/characters that are usually stereotyped and judged in a deeper and more intimate light with the hopes of encouraging people toward more understanding, empathy, connectedness, and expression of love toward all human beings.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
In conjunction with the 'connectedness of all human beings' theme of my show, our connectedness to our environment and earth is equally important. An eco-friendly festival is in line with my production's ultimate mission.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
My production has chosen to benefit United Way of NYC. This is because, again in conjunction with the production's theme, and mission as I talked about earlier, United Way of NYC has a mission to connect people, resources and ideas to accelerate systemic changes that improve education, income and health in New York… particularly in communities and neighborhoods of great need, like the one portrayed in the show.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
After Planet Connections, the show will be making it's official Off-Broadway run premiere with 12 performances at The American Theatre of Actors in September in association with The Araca Project, fostered by Broadway producers The Araca Group and my Alma mater, Syracuse University.
If you could get any person, living or dead, to see this show who would you choose and why?
If I could get any person to see this show, it would be Oprah Winfrey. That's because of her life mission of connecting and helping people and it's direct tie to the inner-cities of Chicago and the way that she has personally assisted me in accomplishing my goals, through funding and scholarships, that have directly led to the creation of the production.
TheTramaineExperience
Tuesday, June 14 at 6:00PM
Thursday, June 16 at 9:00PM
Sunday, June 19 at 9:00PM
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Planet Connections Interview - Mike Poblete of "Antenora"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Mike Poblete
Play: Antenora
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: http://www.antenoraplay.wordpress.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I wrote my first play in college about my first apartment and roommate. I thought that no one would believe the hilarious squalor I was living in unless it was documented.
Who are your biggest influences?
I'm a big fan of modern dark naturalistic playwrights like David Mamet and Martin McDonagh.
What is your show about?
Two regular men are ripped out of their lives and thrown into an anonymous prison without trial where they are regularly tortured. The play is about how they survive through companionship and imagination.
What inspired you to write it?
Habeus corpus and torture have become majorly publicized issues in the last few years. In between all the debates I didn't want people to forget what it means to the prisoners that have to live through it.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
I think it's a great concept that will hopefully serve as an inspiration to other artists.
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 Amnesty International because of their tireless efforts to advocate human rights across international borders. At every performance we will have a representative with a petition for the audience to sign to help reinforce the message that every person has the right to a fair trial.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I have a show in the New York Fringe Festival examining modern online socializing through the lens of sexual dysfunction called Flaccid Penis Seeks Vaginal Dryness. I will also start working on a Playwriting MFA with Trinity College Dublin in the fall.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
It would be a filthy bowl of gruel handed through a slot in a door.
Antenora
Thursday, June 02 at 4:00PM
Saturday, June 04 at 3:40PM
Sunday, June 05 at 9:00PM
Thursday, June 09 at 8:30PM
Saturday, June 18 at 8:40PM
Monday, June 20 at 6:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Name: Mike Poblete
Play: Antenora
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: http://www.antenoraplay.wordpress.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I wrote my first play in college about my first apartment and roommate. I thought that no one would believe the hilarious squalor I was living in unless it was documented.
Who are your biggest influences?
I'm a big fan of modern dark naturalistic playwrights like David Mamet and Martin McDonagh.
What is your show about?
Two regular men are ripped out of their lives and thrown into an anonymous prison without trial where they are regularly tortured. The play is about how they survive through companionship and imagination.
What inspired you to write it?
Habeus corpus and torture have become majorly publicized issues in the last few years. In between all the debates I didn't want people to forget what it means to the prisoners that have to live through it.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
I think it's a great concept that will hopefully serve as an inspiration to other artists.
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 Amnesty International because of their tireless efforts to advocate human rights across international borders. At every performance we will have a representative with a petition for the audience to sign to help reinforce the message that every person has the right to a fair trial.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I have a show in the New York Fringe Festival examining modern online socializing through the lens of sexual dysfunction called Flaccid Penis Seeks Vaginal Dryness. I will also start working on a Playwriting MFA with Trinity College Dublin in the fall.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
It would be a filthy bowl of gruel handed through a slot in a door.
Antenora
Thursday, June 02 at 4:00PM
Saturday, June 04 at 3:40PM
Sunday, June 05 at 9:00PM
Thursday, June 09 at 8:30PM
Saturday, June 18 at 8:40PM
Monday, June 20 at 6:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Planet Connections Interview - Lauren Epsenhart of "Pushing Daisy"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Lauren Epsenhart
Play: Pushing Daisy
Relationship to production: Playwright/Producer
Website: http://www.pushingdaisyproject.org/
http://www.laurenepsenhart.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
When I was in the 8th grade, my language arts teacher, Mrs. Federico, brought recordings of various Broadway musicals to class, specifically Phantom of the Opera. I don't remember the lesson, or what it had to do with anything we were learning, but I was captivated. Laugh, but I call this my "gateway show". After coming to New York at age sixteen to see the Broadway production of Phantom, I was hooked.
Who are your biggest influences?
There are so many people who have influenced me and continue to do so, my family, my friends, etc. I wouldn't be pursuing a career in the arts if it weren't for them. They encourage me to reach for the sky but they also ground me, reminding me that, ultimately, none of this is worth it if there aren't people in your life to share it with.
What is your show about?
After graduating from college, Daisy Miller moves back home with her parents, Larry and Shannon. Shortly after returning, Daisy is diagnosed with cancer. Once surgery and treatments begin, she and her family face the challenges that comes with cancer and treatment. Daisy explores her identity, questioning her faith in a higher power and what her place in the world will be.
Struggling to overcome their own difficult pasts, Larry and Shannon question why this is happening to Daisy. Once a strong believer, Larry begins to turn away from his faith while Shannon rediscovers hers. Mother, father and daughter are tested in every way possible. For Daisy, this means learning to accept and believe in what she cannot see or control. For Larry and Shannon, this means coming to terms with the fact that Daisy may die. Along the way, all three learn what it means to love unconditionally, cherish life and push beyond pain.
What inspired you to write it?
Pushing Daisy is loosely based on my experiences with cancer and treatment. Shortly after graduating from NYU, I was diagnosed with cancer. The past two years have been a roller coaster of experiences, from treatment to surgery to recovery and everything in between. Like my main character, Daisy, I questioned my identity, what having faith meant, if I believed in god, and what would happen if I were to die. As a result, I started my own non-profit theatre organization, The Pushing Daisy Project. We utilize the arts by giving a platform to diverse artists of various genres to raise cancer awareness and charity for patients who are unable to afford the costs of cancer treatment.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
The charity I chose to partner with is the Martin Memorial Foundation, specifically, the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center. When I was diagnosed I had just been booted off my parents health insurance policy and, because I was fresh out of school, I didn't have a full time job or health benefits. They treated me and took care of the costs of my treatment and surgery. To say I was lucky would be an understatement. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for this hospital and it's amazing team of people.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I'm currently earning my second master's degree in Special Education at Hunter College. I am also working on various theatre projects and planning what The Pushing Daisy Project's next artistic endeavor/charity partnership will be!
If you could get any person, living or dead, to see this show who would you choose and why?
If I could have any person see this show, it would be my grandfather. He died years ago and I miss him.
Pushing Daisy
Thursday, June 23 at 2:00PM
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Name: Lauren Epsenhart
Play: Pushing Daisy
Relationship to production: Playwright/Producer
Website: http://www.pushingdaisyproject.org/
http://www.laurenepsenhart.com/
When I was in the 8th grade, my language arts teacher, Mrs. Federico, brought recordings of various Broadway musicals to class, specifically Phantom of the Opera. I don't remember the lesson, or what it had to do with anything we were learning, but I was captivated. Laugh, but I call this my "gateway show". After coming to New York at age sixteen to see the Broadway production of Phantom, I was hooked.
Who are your biggest influences?
There are so many people who have influenced me and continue to do so, my family, my friends, etc. I wouldn't be pursuing a career in the arts if it weren't for them. They encourage me to reach for the sky but they also ground me, reminding me that, ultimately, none of this is worth it if there aren't people in your life to share it with.
What is your show about?
After graduating from college, Daisy Miller moves back home with her parents, Larry and Shannon. Shortly after returning, Daisy is diagnosed with cancer. Once surgery and treatments begin, she and her family face the challenges that comes with cancer and treatment. Daisy explores her identity, questioning her faith in a higher power and what her place in the world will be.
Struggling to overcome their own difficult pasts, Larry and Shannon question why this is happening to Daisy. Once a strong believer, Larry begins to turn away from his faith while Shannon rediscovers hers. Mother, father and daughter are tested in every way possible. For Daisy, this means learning to accept and believe in what she cannot see or control. For Larry and Shannon, this means coming to terms with the fact that Daisy may die. Along the way, all three learn what it means to love unconditionally, cherish life and push beyond pain.
What inspired you to write it?
Pushing Daisy is loosely based on my experiences with cancer and treatment. Shortly after graduating from NYU, I was diagnosed with cancer. The past two years have been a roller coaster of experiences, from treatment to surgery to recovery and everything in between. Like my main character, Daisy, I questioned my identity, what having faith meant, if I believed in god, and what would happen if I were to die. As a result, I started my own non-profit theatre organization, The Pushing Daisy Project. We utilize the arts by giving a platform to diverse artists of various genres to raise cancer awareness and charity for patients who are unable to afford the costs of cancer treatment.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
The charity I chose to partner with is the Martin Memorial Foundation, specifically, the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center. When I was diagnosed I had just been booted off my parents health insurance policy and, because I was fresh out of school, I didn't have a full time job or health benefits. They treated me and took care of the costs of my treatment and surgery. To say I was lucky would be an understatement. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for this hospital and it's amazing team of people.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I'm currently earning my second master's degree in Special Education at Hunter College. I am also working on various theatre projects and planning what The Pushing Daisy Project's next artistic endeavor/charity partnership will be!
If you could get any person, living or dead, to see this show who would you choose and why?
If I could have any person see this show, it would be my grandfather. He died years ago and I miss him.
Pushing Daisy
Thursday, June 23 at 2:00PM
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Planet Connections Interview - Mark Jason Williams of "The Other Day"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Mark Jason Williams
Play: The Other Day
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: http://www.markjasonwilliams.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
By total accident! I used to write a lot of stories when I was a little kid, mostly about Hulk Hogan and Godzilla, and by the time I was ready to go to college, I knew I wanted to write for a living. I applied to NYU’s Dramatic Writing Program not really knowing what it was, and when I went to visit, the professors said, “If you come here, you will write plays and screenplays, and never have to take another math class.” That was all I needed to know. I wrote my first play when I was 18, and it was terrible! But I’ve been hooked on theatre ever since.
Who are your biggest influences?
Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Paula Vogel, Tony Kushner, Margaret Edson, Tina Fey.
What is your show about?
The Other Day is a funny, poignant and authentic look at the complexities of intimate relationships, both gay and straight. It follows the story of Mark and Santo, who fall in love after a chance meeting, and do their best to make things work over the years, until Mark’s friend Dina rips away the shiny veneer covering the men's fragile relationship. With the hope of moving on, Mark takes Santo and Dina on a vacation to Amsterdam, where each faces an emotional journey that redefines their relationships in surprising ways.
What inspired you to write it?
I’ve always been intensely fascinated with the insecurities, humor and nuances associated with dating and significant others, and I started to ask myself, “are relationships hard in general, or do we just complicate things, and do we stay with someone who isn’t right for us because it’s easier than getting back out there and starting over?” I thought this would make for a compelling drama. I also felt it was important to write a play about gay men who are authentic, human and break stereotypes.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
Planet Connections is simply a joy to be a part of, and the fact that its eco-friendly makes it even cooler. We waste so much in general, so why not do things like share props and other resources, recycle, keep printing to a minimum? It just makes sense, and helps to build a great community of artists.
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 the Hetrick-Martin Institute. I was very interested in connecting with them because we share similar ideals that all young people — regardless of sexual orientation or identity — deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to thrive. This is critical in today’s society, especially with all of the bullying going on.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
My play, Recovery (which debuted last year as part of Planet Connections) will be part of the 2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival and then come back home for the NYC International Fringe Festival. I’m super excited!
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
Pizza. Probably deep-dish, with extra cheese.
The Other Day
Thursday, June 02 at 8:00PM
Saturday, June 04 at 7:15PM
Sunday, June 05 at 3:15PM
Friday, June 10 at 9:00PM
Saturday, June 18 at 12:00PM
Tuesday, June 21 at 4:00PM
Wednesday, June 22 at 8:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Name: Mark Jason Williams
Play: The Other Day
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: http://www.markjasonwilliams.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
By total accident! I used to write a lot of stories when I was a little kid, mostly about Hulk Hogan and Godzilla, and by the time I was ready to go to college, I knew I wanted to write for a living. I applied to NYU’s Dramatic Writing Program not really knowing what it was, and when I went to visit, the professors said, “If you come here, you will write plays and screenplays, and never have to take another math class.” That was all I needed to know. I wrote my first play when I was 18, and it was terrible! But I’ve been hooked on theatre ever since.
Who are your biggest influences?
Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Paula Vogel, Tony Kushner, Margaret Edson, Tina Fey.
The Other Day is a funny, poignant and authentic look at the complexities of intimate relationships, both gay and straight. It follows the story of Mark and Santo, who fall in love after a chance meeting, and do their best to make things work over the years, until Mark’s friend Dina rips away the shiny veneer covering the men's fragile relationship. With the hope of moving on, Mark takes Santo and Dina on a vacation to Amsterdam, where each faces an emotional journey that redefines their relationships in surprising ways.
What inspired you to write it?
I’ve always been intensely fascinated with the insecurities, humor and nuances associated with dating and significant others, and I started to ask myself, “are relationships hard in general, or do we just complicate things, and do we stay with someone who isn’t right for us because it’s easier than getting back out there and starting over?” I thought this would make for a compelling drama. I also felt it was important to write a play about gay men who are authentic, human and break stereotypes.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
Planet Connections is simply a joy to be a part of, and the fact that its eco-friendly makes it even cooler. We waste so much in general, so why not do things like share props and other resources, recycle, keep printing to a minimum? It just makes sense, and helps to build a great community of artists.
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 the Hetrick-Martin Institute. I was very interested in connecting with them because we share similar ideals that all young people — regardless of sexual orientation or identity — deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to thrive. This is critical in today’s society, especially with all of the bullying going on.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
My play, Recovery (which debuted last year as part of Planet Connections) will be part of the 2011 Minnesota Fringe Festival and then come back home for the NYC International Fringe Festival. I’m super excited!
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
Pizza. Probably deep-dish, with extra cheese.
The Other Day
Thursday, June 02 at 8:00PM
Saturday, June 04 at 7:15PM
Sunday, June 05 at 3:15PM
Friday, June 10 at 9:00PM
Saturday, June 18 at 12:00PM
Tuesday, June 21 at 4:00PM
Wednesday, June 22 at 8:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Planet Connections Interview - Alex Bond of "Late Nights With the Boys"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Alex Bond
Book reading: LATE NIGHTS WITH THE BOYS: confessions of a leather bar chanteuse
Relationship to production: I am the novelist and I read selections from my novel (still unpublished) with the incomparable David Carson
Website: http://www.alexbond.org/
http://www.latenightswiththeboys.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
It all began in Louisville, KY when I was three years old. I would sit in front of the TV set (a fairly new invention) and watch a pas-de-deux on the Bell Telephone Hour and say “I’m gonna be a ballerina” with my decidedly Southern accent. Music always has inspired me to move or sing or write. So dance was my first love. I was fortunate to have a Mother who treated me to piano lessons and ballet class. When I was twelve years old I worked on losing that accent, and I did my first school play. I played Howay in Mrs. McThing, a Mary Chase play. I was the male lead (I went to an all-girls school). As I exited after my first scene, I got exit applause. I was shocked and thrilled, and I got teary-eyed as I grabbed on to the newel post at the top of the stairs to the back stage area. The prompter asked if I was okay, and I replied, “I’ve never been better!” and I walked back out on stage for my next scene. The acting bug bit me at that very moment, and its venom has been coursing through my veins ever since. As I have aged, and some areas of the biz have become less penetrable, I have found other fascinating areas in which I can create. I have been blessed with a loving husband (coming up on our 26th anniversary) who has encouraged me to try “everything”: writing, singing, acting, stand-up. I’m one lucky former chanteuse!
Who are your biggest influences?
My husband Leon, my two skull fractures, my aunt Sudie Bond, my acting teacher Michael Howard, my friends and my NYC “family.”
What is your book about and what inspired you to write it?
My book recounts the relationship between a former leather bar chanteuse (Anna Zander) and the dear gay man (Craig Bauer) helping her write her memoirs. Imagine Armistead Maupin and Fannie Flagg swapping stories ala Gurney’s “Love Letters” with a bit of Spalding Gray thrown in.
But to be clear, we are not a show. We are a book reading. And I might add, that can be an art form in and of itself. David brings his wonderful presence to my tales of Dallas, 1977 as we transport our listeners to a wild and wondrous time before AIDS, but not before ignorance and prejudice. I was inspired to write the book to commemorate the wonderful men (many of whom died from AIDS) who taught this Kentucky gal who she is – a woman fighting for tolerance for ALL who are different.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
By taking care of the planet, we prolong the life of all Earth’s inhabitants. “Eco” and “friendly” can permeate our collective vocabulary/consciousness; and as we actively take care of the planet, we take care of each other – regardless!
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
I have chosen PFLAG – if there had been a PFLAG chapter in Dallas, TX in 1977 I would have been a charter member. The work that PFLAG does to help counsel LGBT youth, to help guide families and friends, and to work with schools to prevent bullying and ostracizing is vital in the fight for tolerance and acceptance.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I am writing a play A FUNERAL FOR DERBY DAY which takes place in my home town of Louisville, KY. It’s a shadowy comedy. I hope to enter it in MTWorks Newborn Festival.
And, there are always auditions “up in the air”… I would love to do some Tennessee Williams.
If you could get any person, living or dead, to see this show who would you choose and why?)
I would want Doric Wilson (playwright and friend) to get to see the reading in person. But because he passed away on May 7th of this year, I can only wish that he could attend. He told me he was looking forward to it. So, this reading will be dedicated to Doric Wilson. Without him there would be no Off-Off Broadway, no LGBT theatre as we know it today!
After viewing a DVD of “LATE NIGHTS…” Mr. Wilson wrote me a letter. An excerpt:
“As to the leather bar in Texas, it is a world I predate. I belonged to the earlier more earnest leather scene of the 1950-1960s. I am part of the old crowd who were horrified by the handkerchief codes and boot-tiques in bars – we stood there in the shadows, snapping our studded leather fans open like so many Newport matrons!
But thank you so much for freezing this heartbreaking time in amber like the most rare of all butterflies – caught forever in joyous mid flight. DORIC”
No, thank you, Doric for paving the way!
LATE NIGHTS WITH THE BOYS: confessions of a leather bar chanteuse
June 17th @ 7:00pm
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
There is a “meet and greet” at 5:30pm before the reading at the Planet Connections Festivity Lounge, 440 Lafayette
Name: Alex Bond
Book reading: LATE NIGHTS WITH THE BOYS: confessions of a leather bar chanteuse
Relationship to production: I am the novelist and I read selections from my novel (still unpublished) with the incomparable David Carson
Website: http://www.alexbond.org/
http://www.latenightswiththeboys.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
It all began in Louisville, KY when I was three years old. I would sit in front of the TV set (a fairly new invention) and watch a pas-de-deux on the Bell Telephone Hour and say “I’m gonna be a ballerina” with my decidedly Southern accent. Music always has inspired me to move or sing or write. So dance was my first love. I was fortunate to have a Mother who treated me to piano lessons and ballet class. When I was twelve years old I worked on losing that accent, and I did my first school play. I played Howay in Mrs. McThing, a Mary Chase play. I was the male lead (I went to an all-girls school). As I exited after my first scene, I got exit applause. I was shocked and thrilled, and I got teary-eyed as I grabbed on to the newel post at the top of the stairs to the back stage area. The prompter asked if I was okay, and I replied, “I’ve never been better!” and I walked back out on stage for my next scene. The acting bug bit me at that very moment, and its venom has been coursing through my veins ever since. As I have aged, and some areas of the biz have become less penetrable, I have found other fascinating areas in which I can create. I have been blessed with a loving husband (coming up on our 26th anniversary) who has encouraged me to try “everything”: writing, singing, acting, stand-up. I’m one lucky former chanteuse!
Who are your biggest influences?
My husband Leon, my two skull fractures, my aunt Sudie Bond, my acting teacher Michael Howard, my friends and my NYC “family.”
My book recounts the relationship between a former leather bar chanteuse (Anna Zander) and the dear gay man (Craig Bauer) helping her write her memoirs. Imagine Armistead Maupin and Fannie Flagg swapping stories ala Gurney’s “Love Letters” with a bit of Spalding Gray thrown in.
But to be clear, we are not a show. We are a book reading. And I might add, that can be an art form in and of itself. David brings his wonderful presence to my tales of Dallas, 1977 as we transport our listeners to a wild and wondrous time before AIDS, but not before ignorance and prejudice. I was inspired to write the book to commemorate the wonderful men (many of whom died from AIDS) who taught this Kentucky gal who she is – a woman fighting for tolerance for ALL who are different.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
By taking care of the planet, we prolong the life of all Earth’s inhabitants. “Eco” and “friendly” can permeate our collective vocabulary/consciousness; and as we actively take care of the planet, we take care of each other – regardless!
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
I have chosen PFLAG – if there had been a PFLAG chapter in Dallas, TX in 1977 I would have been a charter member. The work that PFLAG does to help counsel LGBT youth, to help guide families and friends, and to work with schools to prevent bullying and ostracizing is vital in the fight for tolerance and acceptance.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I am writing a play A FUNERAL FOR DERBY DAY which takes place in my home town of Louisville, KY. It’s a shadowy comedy. I hope to enter it in MTWorks Newborn Festival.
And, there are always auditions “up in the air”… I would love to do some Tennessee Williams.
If you could get any person, living or dead, to see this show who would you choose and why?)
I would want Doric Wilson (playwright and friend) to get to see the reading in person. But because he passed away on May 7th of this year, I can only wish that he could attend. He told me he was looking forward to it. So, this reading will be dedicated to Doric Wilson. Without him there would be no Off-Off Broadway, no LGBT theatre as we know it today!
After viewing a DVD of “LATE NIGHTS…” Mr. Wilson wrote me a letter. An excerpt:
“As to the leather bar in Texas, it is a world I predate. I belonged to the earlier more earnest leather scene of the 1950-1960s. I am part of the old crowd who were horrified by the handkerchief codes and boot-tiques in bars – we stood there in the shadows, snapping our studded leather fans open like so many Newport matrons!
But thank you so much for freezing this heartbreaking time in amber like the most rare of all butterflies – caught forever in joyous mid flight. DORIC”
No, thank you, Doric for paving the way!
LATE NIGHTS WITH THE BOYS: confessions of a leather bar chanteuse
June 17th @ 7:00pm
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
There is a “meet and greet” at 5:30pm before the reading at the Planet Connections Festivity Lounge, 440 Lafayette
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Tony Awards Red Carpet on StageBuzz
Watch the Tony Awards pre-show right now on StageBuzz.
Launch the 2011 Tony Awards Live Video Console!
Launch the 2011 Tony Awards Live Video Console!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Planet Connections Interview - Sabrina M. Paterson of "Monster"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Sabrina M Paterson
Play: Monster
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: www.planetconnections.org/monster-hold
How did you first get involved in theatre?
My earliest theater memory is when I was about six years old and I watched Miss Saigon and I think from that moment I was enchanted. It wasn't for another ten years though when I was 16 and in college that I actually found myself wanting to be apart of theater, so I took some classes and then I landed a job working Shakespeare in the Park and found my own theater family. They are the ones who really pushed me to pursue theater.
Who are your biggest influences?
If I had to say it would be some of the Korean drama writers like the Hong sisters and Lee Kyeong Hee (and many others). They really create characters that people can relate and connect to despite the language and cultural barriers. Other than them, everyday people are also a huge influence, because I want to write the stories of the people who may be sitting next to you in the theater while you are watching my show.
What is your show about?
Monster is about a woman, Annie, who is in a mental institution and is the only person who may have witnessed her father's murder. During the play the characters are trying to find out what it is that happened that day he was killed.
What inspired you to write it?
Two things really inspired this piece the first is a highway sign on Sunken Meadow Parkway that reads: Pilgram Psych Center- Crooked Hill Rd. The second thing was Gnarls Barkley's song "Crazy". The two just kind of bounced around in my head for a while until Annie and her story came to life.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
It is a chance to give back. It isn't as though it is some huge effort to take steps to make your production green or make your living green, so why not? It takes more effort to go to the gym and work out everyday than it does to send your cast notices via email to save some trees. The question is why isn't more important to everyone else?
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
Monster will be working with the RAINN organization to bring awareness and raise funds for their cause.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
We have actually been invited to perform as part of the San Francisco Theater Festival in August. Although it won't be Monster on stage there, it will be another equally great new show to watch.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
The one food that sticks in my head is Jacques Torres' Wicked Chocolate flavor. When you eat it initially it's the smooth and rich chocolate taste, after a little while and a few more bites, you start to get this uncomfortable feeling (burning really) in the back of your throat from the chili peppers. That feeling in your throat lingers for a while after you have finished your chocolate; that is the kind of feeling I want to inspire the people who come to my show to have. I want to make them uncomfortable while they are watching it and I want them to remember what they have seen after they have left the show.
Monster
Tuesday, June 7th @ 8pm
Wednesday, June 8th @ 4pm
Sunday, June 12th @ 5pm
Saturday, June 18th @ 2pm
Sunday, June 19th @ 7:30pm
Monday, June 20th @ 6:30pm
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Name: Sabrina M Paterson
Play: Monster
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: www.planetconnections.org/monster-hold
How did you first get involved in theatre?
My earliest theater memory is when I was about six years old and I watched Miss Saigon and I think from that moment I was enchanted. It wasn't for another ten years though when I was 16 and in college that I actually found myself wanting to be apart of theater, so I took some classes and then I landed a job working Shakespeare in the Park and found my own theater family. They are the ones who really pushed me to pursue theater.
Who are your biggest influences?
If I had to say it would be some of the Korean drama writers like the Hong sisters and Lee Kyeong Hee (and many others). They really create characters that people can relate and connect to despite the language and cultural barriers. Other than them, everyday people are also a huge influence, because I want to write the stories of the people who may be sitting next to you in the theater while you are watching my show.
Monster is about a woman, Annie, who is in a mental institution and is the only person who may have witnessed her father's murder. During the play the characters are trying to find out what it is that happened that day he was killed.
What inspired you to write it?
Two things really inspired this piece the first is a highway sign on Sunken Meadow Parkway that reads: Pilgram Psych Center- Crooked Hill Rd. The second thing was Gnarls Barkley's song "Crazy". The two just kind of bounced around in my head for a while until Annie and her story came to life.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
It is a chance to give back. It isn't as though it is some huge effort to take steps to make your production green or make your living green, so why not? It takes more effort to go to the gym and work out everyday than it does to send your cast notices via email to save some trees. The question is why isn't more important to everyone else?
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
Monster will be working with the RAINN organization to bring awareness and raise funds for their cause.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
We have actually been invited to perform as part of the San Francisco Theater Festival in August. Although it won't be Monster on stage there, it will be another equally great new show to watch.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
The one food that sticks in my head is Jacques Torres' Wicked Chocolate flavor. When you eat it initially it's the smooth and rich chocolate taste, after a little while and a few more bites, you start to get this uncomfortable feeling (burning really) in the back of your throat from the chili peppers. That feeling in your throat lingers for a while after you have finished your chocolate; that is the kind of feeling I want to inspire the people who come to my show to have. I want to make them uncomfortable while they are watching it and I want them to remember what they have seen after they have left the show.
Monster
Tuesday, June 7th @ 8pm
Wednesday, June 8th @ 4pm
Sunday, June 12th @ 5pm
Saturday, June 18th @ 2pm
Sunday, June 19th @ 7:30pm
Monday, June 20th @ 6:30pm
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Planet Connections Interview - Takeo Rivera of "Goliath"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Takeo Rivera
Play: Goliath
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: www.poetictheater.com/goliath
How did you first get involved in theatre?
In college, I was involved as a spoken word/slam poet, and I was very interested in using performance poetry to explore and interrogate social issues. My first serious foray into theatre, however, occurred when I was taking a course from my mentor, CherrÃe Moraga. CherrÃe assigned us all to write creative responses to the texts we read, so I always wrote poetry, since it was an area of comfort for me. Eventually, CherrÃe told me, "I think you have this poetry thing down. So therefore, you're no longer allowed to write poetry in my class." Instead, she insisted, I was to write scenes, plays, that sort of thing. The miniature play I wrote for her class was absolutely terrible, but it ended up being a thoroughly valuable experience that taught me a lot about the potential of lyricism in drama. I think it was only five or six months later, at the beginning of junior year, that I wrote the first draft of Goliath, a choreopoem-style play.
Who are your biggest influences?
As I mentioned, CherrÃe Moraga was my hugest artistic mentor, so I've been heavily informed by a feminism-of-color aesthetic and politic. Goliath most strongly echoes the work of Ntozake Shange, Anna Deavere-Smith, and Velina Hasu-Houston, unabashedly embracing the fluidity of poetic drama. Poetically and prosaically, I've been informed by folks like Audre Lorde, Sekou Sundiata, Amiri Baraka, Allen Ginsberg, Saul Williams, Famia Nkansa, Carl Hancock Rux, and Arundhati Roy. There's a little bit of music in there, too: I think was listening to a lot of Sufjan Stevens and Philip Glass when I wrote Goliath, for example.
What is your show about?
Goliath is a fictional work inspired by a true story of an atrocity that occurred during the Iraq War in 2005. However, I'd say that Goliath is not so much about the tragedy itself so much as what the tragedy says about American social constructions of gender, sexuality, race, and nationhood. The vast majority of the slam-poetry-style monologues are about America and the discursive practices that reinforce inequalities and encourage violence. And we're talking about violence against the Other, violence against women, violence against those who do not conform to our normative, hegemonic notions of what it means to be a "man," or an "American," and so on and so forth. David, the central character, experiences the violence and horror of the war, but he's also experienced the violence and horror of simply growing up; his story illustrates that sometimes, unfortunately, we need a tragedy to illuminate the personal of the politics and the politics of the personal.
What inspired you to write/direct/perform in it?
I only read a snippet of that news story when it broke out (and in the interest of spoiler alerts, I won't elaborate on the story itself), but the brutality of the incident was absolutely profound to me. I felt the story epitomized the profound dehumanization that we're capable of when our social inequalities are so vast. I meditated on the story for several months, and then literally spent one weekend in the corner of a library to write a first draft. It was one of those very rare "divine inspiration" type things that I've never been able to quite recreate. I'd say 75% of what you'll see at Planet Connections is from those first afternoons and evenings in Green Library at Stanford.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
Well, Goliath is not exactly an explicitly environmentalist play per se, but I think that it is important to be epistemologically expansive when we think about "environmentalism." Central to environmentalism is the notion of having a respect for our surroundings, even beyond the "human." Goliath is a piece that exposes the tragedy of our social constructions and the domination by privileged groups, particularly via masculine state power. What would be a more appropriate location to host Goliath than a festival focused on supporting Mother Earth?
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
We will be benefiting Operation Uplink through Veterans of Foreign Wars, which provides Free Call Days to troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan to call home. Our society and our government sets our servicewomen and servicemen up for trauma and tragedy, as we see in Goliath; it's very important that we recognize and support the humanity of the real flesh-and-blood people who die and bleed for the abstract heroism our nation trumpets. America's soldiers deserve to be loved and cared for, not sent away to kill or be killed for problematic reasons.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I'm quite excited to start a PhD program in Performance Studies at UC Berkeley in August, where I will professionally continue my career in socially-conscious artist-scholarship.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
I'd say a piece of maguro sushi doused in a lot of wasabi. It's simple, clean, a little painful 'cause it shoots up your sinuses; but by the end if it, you're thoroughly satisfied.
Goliath
Wednesday, June 01 at 9:00PM
Saturday, June 04 at 9:00PM
Sunday, June 05 at 1:15PM
Tuesday, June 07 at 6:15PM
Saturday, June 11 at 6:15PM
Saturday, June 18 at 2:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Name: Takeo Rivera
Play: Goliath
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: www.poetictheater.com/goliath
How did you first get involved in theatre?
In college, I was involved as a spoken word/slam poet, and I was very interested in using performance poetry to explore and interrogate social issues. My first serious foray into theatre, however, occurred when I was taking a course from my mentor, CherrÃe Moraga. CherrÃe assigned us all to write creative responses to the texts we read, so I always wrote poetry, since it was an area of comfort for me. Eventually, CherrÃe told me, "I think you have this poetry thing down. So therefore, you're no longer allowed to write poetry in my class." Instead, she insisted, I was to write scenes, plays, that sort of thing. The miniature play I wrote for her class was absolutely terrible, but it ended up being a thoroughly valuable experience that taught me a lot about the potential of lyricism in drama. I think it was only five or six months later, at the beginning of junior year, that I wrote the first draft of Goliath, a choreopoem-style play.
Who are your biggest influences?
As I mentioned, CherrÃe Moraga was my hugest artistic mentor, so I've been heavily informed by a feminism-of-color aesthetic and politic. Goliath most strongly echoes the work of Ntozake Shange, Anna Deavere-Smith, and Velina Hasu-Houston, unabashedly embracing the fluidity of poetic drama. Poetically and prosaically, I've been informed by folks like Audre Lorde, Sekou Sundiata, Amiri Baraka, Allen Ginsberg, Saul Williams, Famia Nkansa, Carl Hancock Rux, and Arundhati Roy. There's a little bit of music in there, too: I think was listening to a lot of Sufjan Stevens and Philip Glass when I wrote Goliath, for example.
Goliath is a fictional work inspired by a true story of an atrocity that occurred during the Iraq War in 2005. However, I'd say that Goliath is not so much about the tragedy itself so much as what the tragedy says about American social constructions of gender, sexuality, race, and nationhood. The vast majority of the slam-poetry-style monologues are about America and the discursive practices that reinforce inequalities and encourage violence. And we're talking about violence against the Other, violence against women, violence against those who do not conform to our normative, hegemonic notions of what it means to be a "man," or an "American," and so on and so forth. David, the central character, experiences the violence and horror of the war, but he's also experienced the violence and horror of simply growing up; his story illustrates that sometimes, unfortunately, we need a tragedy to illuminate the personal of the politics and the politics of the personal.
What inspired you to write/direct/perform in it?
I only read a snippet of that news story when it broke out (and in the interest of spoiler alerts, I won't elaborate on the story itself), but the brutality of the incident was absolutely profound to me. I felt the story epitomized the profound dehumanization that we're capable of when our social inequalities are so vast. I meditated on the story for several months, and then literally spent one weekend in the corner of a library to write a first draft. It was one of those very rare "divine inspiration" type things that I've never been able to quite recreate. I'd say 75% of what you'll see at Planet Connections is from those first afternoons and evenings in Green Library at Stanford.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
Well, Goliath is not exactly an explicitly environmentalist play per se, but I think that it is important to be epistemologically expansive when we think about "environmentalism." Central to environmentalism is the notion of having a respect for our surroundings, even beyond the "human." Goliath is a piece that exposes the tragedy of our social constructions and the domination by privileged groups, particularly via masculine state power. What would be a more appropriate location to host Goliath than a festival focused on supporting Mother Earth?
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
We will be benefiting Operation Uplink through Veterans of Foreign Wars, which provides Free Call Days to troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan to call home. Our society and our government sets our servicewomen and servicemen up for trauma and tragedy, as we see in Goliath; it's very important that we recognize and support the humanity of the real flesh-and-blood people who die and bleed for the abstract heroism our nation trumpets. America's soldiers deserve to be loved and cared for, not sent away to kill or be killed for problematic reasons.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I'm quite excited to start a PhD program in Performance Studies at UC Berkeley in August, where I will professionally continue my career in socially-conscious artist-scholarship.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
I'd say a piece of maguro sushi doused in a lot of wasabi. It's simple, clean, a little painful 'cause it shoots up your sinuses; but by the end if it, you're thoroughly satisfied.
Goliath
Wednesday, June 01 at 9:00PM
Saturday, June 04 at 9:00PM
Sunday, June 05 at 1:15PM
Tuesday, June 07 at 6:15PM
Saturday, June 11 at 6:15PM
Saturday, June 18 at 2:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Planet Connections Interview - Kimberly Pau of "Bomb Shelter"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Kimberly Pau
Play: BOMB SHELTER
Relationship to production: Writer/Producer
Website: http://www.kimberlypau.com/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
My aunt was an opera singer when I was growing up and she introduced me to performing. And I was always making plays with my neighbors.
Who are your biggest influences?
Aristophanes, Ingmar Bergman, Tony Kushner
What is your show about?
The right to kill. The morality of people who are outcasted from society.
What inspired you to write it?
I met an elderly landlord when I was looking at an apartment in one of those beautiful old buildings on Prospect Park West and kept seeing him when my eyes closed. I guess I wanted to figure him out so he became George in Bomb Shelter.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
I think it's a wonderful concept and I was interested in learning new methods for producing green theatre. I also worked on producing a "green" production of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People last year with Aquila Theatre that was a gorgeous show and an informative process in thinking "green".
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
The Brooklyn Public Library is our charity. I have worked with them before and they are a wonderful resource that we want to support. We are also donating all of our producer's share of ticket sales to the Brooklyn Public Library.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
This summer we're screening a short film I worked on called "Installation" and I'm traveling to Estonia to work on a documentary project. I also have a reading coming up for a new play, Milk Mama Mama Milk.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
I will say Bomb Shelter would be foccacia.
Bomb Shelter
Thursday, June 02 at 5:00PM
Friday, June 03 at 8:30PM
Sunday, June 05 at 11:00AM
Monday, June 06 at 9:00PM
Saturday, June 11 at 1:00PM
Sunday, June 12 at 9:00PM
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Name: Kimberly Pau
Play: BOMB SHELTER
Relationship to production: Writer/Producer
Website: http://www.kimberlypau.com/
My aunt was an opera singer when I was growing up and she introduced me to performing. And I was always making plays with my neighbors.
Who are your biggest influences?
Aristophanes, Ingmar Bergman, Tony Kushner
What is your show about?
The right to kill. The morality of people who are outcasted from society.
What inspired you to write it?
I met an elderly landlord when I was looking at an apartment in one of those beautiful old buildings on Prospect Park West and kept seeing him when my eyes closed. I guess I wanted to figure him out so he became George in Bomb Shelter.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
I think it's a wonderful concept and I was interested in learning new methods for producing green theatre. I also worked on producing a "green" production of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People last year with Aquila Theatre that was a gorgeous show and an informative process in thinking "green".
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
The Brooklyn Public Library is our charity. I have worked with them before and they are a wonderful resource that we want to support. We are also donating all of our producer's share of ticket sales to the Brooklyn Public Library.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
This summer we're screening a short film I worked on called "Installation" and I'm traveling to Estonia to work on a documentary project. I also have a reading coming up for a new play, Milk Mama Mama Milk.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
I will say Bomb Shelter would be foccacia.
Bomb Shelter
Thursday, June 02 at 5:00PM
Friday, June 03 at 8:30PM
Sunday, June 05 at 11:00AM
Monday, June 06 at 9:00PM
Saturday, June 11 at 1:00PM
Sunday, June 12 at 9:00PM
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Planet Connections Interview - Anne Berlin of "Howling Hilda"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Anne Berlin
Musical: HOWLING HILDA
Relationship to production: Playwright/Book & Lyrics/Producer
Website: http://planetconnections.org/howlinghilda/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
My parents took me to see Lucy Arnaz and Robert Klein in They're Playing Our Song. I was a kid and they couldn't find a babysitter so they took my sister and I who didn't understand where Quogue was (a song in the show), but I liked saying it. Afterwards I went backstage and met Lucy Arnaz and wrote my mother a note I wanted to do what she did in the show. Her character was a lyricist!
Who are your biggest influences?
Dorothy Fields.
What is your show about?
Set on the eve of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ last season in New York, HOWLING HILDA, a solo musical, tells the story of Hilda Chester, the team’s greatest and most colorful fan. Thwarted in her dream to play baseball, she spent a lifetime cheering. Hilda became an institution at Ebbets Field, notorious for her clanging cowbells, frying pan and iron ladle.
What inspired you to write it?
I fell in love with Hilda's story, happened upon it by chance and couldn't pull myself away from knowing more about her. And who doesn't love the Brooklyn Dodgers. There is an innate nostalgia and romance associated with them.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
It's a good way to bring the theatre community together for a great cause and to try to find challenges in productions.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
We've chosen The All-American Girl's Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) because the subject matter of HOWLING HILDA involves a baseball fan who had dreams of playing in the women's league.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
Further development of HOWLING HILDA and a reading in the fall of a new play.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
A ballpark frank with mustard, relish and sauerkraut.
Howling Hilda
Thursday, June 16 at 2:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Name: Anne Berlin
Musical: HOWLING HILDA
Relationship to production: Playwright/Book & Lyrics/Producer
Website: http://planetconnections.org/howlinghilda/
How did you first get involved in theatre?
My parents took me to see Lucy Arnaz and Robert Klein in They're Playing Our Song. I was a kid and they couldn't find a babysitter so they took my sister and I who didn't understand where Quogue was (a song in the show), but I liked saying it. Afterwards I went backstage and met Lucy Arnaz and wrote my mother a note I wanted to do what she did in the show. Her character was a lyricist!
Who are your biggest influences?
Dorothy Fields.
What is your show about?
Set on the eve of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ last season in New York, HOWLING HILDA, a solo musical, tells the story of Hilda Chester, the team’s greatest and most colorful fan. Thwarted in her dream to play baseball, she spent a lifetime cheering. Hilda became an institution at Ebbets Field, notorious for her clanging cowbells, frying pan and iron ladle.
What inspired you to write it?
I fell in love with Hilda's story, happened upon it by chance and couldn't pull myself away from knowing more about her. And who doesn't love the Brooklyn Dodgers. There is an innate nostalgia and romance associated with them.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
It's a good way to bring the theatre community together for a great cause and to try to find challenges in productions.
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
We've chosen The All-American Girl's Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) because the subject matter of HOWLING HILDA involves a baseball fan who had dreams of playing in the women's league.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
Further development of HOWLING HILDA and a reading in the fall of a new play.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
A ballpark frank with mustard, relish and sauerkraut.
Howling Hilda
Thursday, June 16 at 2:00PM
The Robert Moss Theatre
440 Lafayette Street
Planet Connections Interview - Christina Quintana of "The Recession Club"
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Christina Quintana
Play: The Recession Club
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: http://www.unabridgedcq.com/
www.planetconnections.org/therecessionclub
How did you first get involved in theatre?
The 8th grade play was a prospect I looked forward to for most of my middle school existence. We got to write our own play and perform it for the entire school. I took the lead and we wrote an oh-so memorable piece about George Bush's meeting of celebrities at the White House. From that kooky experience, I was hooked.
Who are your biggest influences?
I'm going to take a cue from Stephen Adley Guirgis here and say, "everyone." I'm honestly inspired by every single person I come into contact with. If you're dying for me to get specific: Paula Vogel made me want to be a playwright, Complicite rocks my world fully, and this past year I've really fallen in love with Wallace Shawn's work.
What is your show about?
Yolanda Atkinson loses her job as a petroleum engineer and forms a support group through an ad on Craigslist. The unlikely cohorts, including a former college professor, a former retail employee and a woman of questionable background, each cope with an identity crisis that pulls them, at times, back into their five-year-old selves. Together, in the face of an unlikely affair and a death scare, they learn that what you do is not who you are.
What inspired you to write it?
I read an article in The New York Times about a woman who lost her job as a petroleum engineer due to the recession. At the time I was working a retail job with a bucket-load of quirky individuals who were all facing their own economic hardships. Meanwhile, friends who were recent college graduates were having a hell of a time finding work, and I continually heard horror stories about people losing positions they'd held for decades or more. Mix all of that together in my brain and you get The Recession Club.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
I think as theatre artists, and artists in general, it is our responsibility to give back to the community-- and the environment! As a writer I often think to myself: all of this paper, all of this ink! It's refreshing and important to enter the mindframe: what can we reuse? Because there's plenty we can!
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
We've chosen Dress for Success. Since our show features a number of characters, including three women, who have lost their jobs, what better organization to team up with than one that, "promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life." We will be holding an in-kind donation drive on behalf of Dress for Success on the day of our reading, and will be collecting nearly-new women's professional clothing.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I'll be a playwright in The Movement Theatre Company's third annual GO GREEN 24-hour festival, Saturday June 11, 2011 at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden in the Lower East Side. Also, a workshop production of 177th and Audubon: Two One-Acts, Three Actors, One Apartment will open in early September. The piece is a combination of my one-act Cornflakes Con Leche and Alessandra Hirsch's The Incomplete Ones, two plays about the immigrant experience set in the same Washington Heights apartment. And, I'll performing as Verges/Messenger in the ExtantArts summer production of Much Ado About Nothing.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
I think it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- the perfect packed-lunch companion from kindergarten upwards, the poor man's staple and something everyone can enjoy (unless you're allergic to peanuts).
The Recession Club
Wednesday, June 15 at 4:00PM
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
Name: Christina Quintana
Play: The Recession Club
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: http://www.unabridgedcq.com/
www.planetconnections.org/therecessionclub
The 8th grade play was a prospect I looked forward to for most of my middle school existence. We got to write our own play and perform it for the entire school. I took the lead and we wrote an oh-so memorable piece about George Bush's meeting of celebrities at the White House. From that kooky experience, I was hooked.
Who are your biggest influences?
I'm going to take a cue from Stephen Adley Guirgis here and say, "everyone." I'm honestly inspired by every single person I come into contact with. If you're dying for me to get specific: Paula Vogel made me want to be a playwright, Complicite rocks my world fully, and this past year I've really fallen in love with Wallace Shawn's work.
What is your show about?
Yolanda Atkinson loses her job as a petroleum engineer and forms a support group through an ad on Craigslist. The unlikely cohorts, including a former college professor, a former retail employee and a woman of questionable background, each cope with an identity crisis that pulls them, at times, back into their five-year-old selves. Together, in the face of an unlikely affair and a death scare, they learn that what you do is not who you are.
What inspired you to write it?
I read an article in The New York Times about a woman who lost her job as a petroleum engineer due to the recession. At the time I was working a retail job with a bucket-load of quirky individuals who were all facing their own economic hardships. Meanwhile, friends who were recent college graduates were having a hell of a time finding work, and I continually heard horror stories about people losing positions they'd held for decades or more. Mix all of that together in my brain and you get The Recession Club.
Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?
I think as theatre artists, and artists in general, it is our responsibility to give back to the community-- and the environment! As a writer I often think to myself: all of this paper, all of this ink! It's refreshing and important to enter the mindframe: what can we reuse? Because there's plenty we can!
Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?
We've chosen Dress for Success. Since our show features a number of characters, including three women, who have lost their jobs, what better organization to team up with than one that, "promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life." We will be holding an in-kind donation drive on behalf of Dress for Success on the day of our reading, and will be collecting nearly-new women's professional clothing.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I'll be a playwright in The Movement Theatre Company's third annual GO GREEN 24-hour festival, Saturday June 11, 2011 at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden in the Lower East Side. Also, a workshop production of 177th and Audubon: Two One-Acts, Three Actors, One Apartment will open in early September. The piece is a combination of my one-act Cornflakes Con Leche and Alessandra Hirsch's The Incomplete Ones, two plays about the immigrant experience set in the same Washington Heights apartment. And, I'll performing as Verges/Messenger in the ExtantArts summer production of Much Ado About Nothing.
And finally, if your play was food, what kind of food would it be?
I think it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- the perfect packed-lunch companion from kindergarten upwards, the poor man's staple and something everyone can enjoy (unless you're allergic to peanuts).
The Recession Club
Wednesday, June 15 at 4:00PM
The Gene Frankel Theatre
24 Bond Street
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