“Wear It Like A Crown” - Uneasy Are The Ones That Watch

By Judd Hollander

Photos by Jack Vartoogian

Wear It Like A Crown, presented by the Swedish troupe Cirkus Cikör at the Brooklyn Academy of Music is, as explained in the show program notes, all about risk taking. Risking one's life and limb, the risk of looking stupid when you're performing and the risk of having one's heart broken over and over again - as one of the troupe demonstrates continually via her sad countenance and broken hearted airs while exiting the stage multiple times during the first part of the show. Yet despite some rather interesting stunts and acrobatics, the entire experience never really takes off, becoming more of a "circus light" affair rather than anything truly amazing.

The production starts off promisingly enough, with the performers entering and exiting the playing area via a door that is pushed in a circular motion around the middle of the stage by one of the company. This leads in to several acrobatic efforts, including one, which has the Mistress of Mayhem (Anna Lagerkvist) maneuvering on a long pole in the center of the stage and stopping herself from falling with only the strength of her leg muscles as she rapidly descends perpendicular to the floor.

Unfortunately, the entire work quickly becomes bogged down with continual ramblings about risks and the right and left side of the brain, as mentioned by the Wizard of Wonder (Henrik Agger). Less of an explanation than it is incoherently sounding sentences, and told in a halting and incomplete manner, the effect serves to derail again and again any momentum the show might have otherwise built. Indeed, at times one feels as if in a lecture hall rather than a performance space. All of which does nothing to help one feel immersed or involved in what is unfolding. Nor does the repeatedly alluded to idea of risk-taking come to prominence in many of the sequences demonstrated, with one often waiting for something more to happen than what actually occurs.

To be sure, some of the exhibitions are quite enjoyable, such as a knife-throwing act – with a performer strapped to a spinning wheel as the blades hurtle towards her. There's also a hilarious ping pong ball sequence between two of the company (David Eriksson and Fouzia Rakez) which includes juggling and spitting said object from their mouths. Another nice touch is when knives come falling from the ceiling or when Nerves of Steel (Jesper Nikolajeff) starts tossing around chain saws.

Things also pick up a bit after the intermission, with some rather interesting and occasionally risqué trapeze action, but the entire experience never really comes together to create an overall feeling of astonishment, enjoyment or humor. There's also little connection between the performers and the audience members, though there is some audience participation at one point.

The show sets, all of which have a sort of used circus feel to them, are nicely appropriate to the context of the production, as are the costumes and makeup work. The choreography and direction are more of a mixed bag, enjoyable when they work and feeling more than a little stagnant when they don't.

Wear It Like A Crown is certainly not a bad show in any sense of the word. However it's sadly not that good enough to warrant a strong recommendation.

Wear It Like A Crown

Featuring: Henrik Agger (Wizard of Wonder), Louise Bjurholm (Miraculous and Supernatural), David Eriksson (Marvel of the Century), Fouzia (Fofo) Rakez (Wild Weird and Wonderful), Jesper Nikolajeff (Nerves of Steel), Anna Lagerkvist (Mistress of Mayhem)

Presented by Cirkus Cikör

Music and Lyrics by Rebekka Karijord

Set Design by creative team and ensemble

Costume Design by Anna Bonnevier

Lighting Design by Ulf Englund

Dramaturgy by Camilla Damkjaer

Chorography by Molly Saudek, Cilla Roos

Film and Projection Design by Johan Bååth

Hair and Makeup Design by Helena Andersson

Props/Décor Tomas Helsing

Director's Assistant: Hanna Reinius

Circus Rigging and Construction Ulf Poly Nylin, Anders Freudendahl

Constructor: Joel Jedström

Sound Technician: Alex Angelflod

Tour Leader: Camilla Hammarström

Props Assistant: Sara Brobert

Directed by Tilde Björfors

Presented by the Brooklyn Academy of Music
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House

30 Lafayette Avenue

Running time: Two Hours, with intermission
Closed: June 3, 2012

“Cock” - A Damn Good Theatrical Experience

By Judd Hollander

While one may wonder why playwright Mike Bartlett chose to title his show the way he did, there's no denying the ultimate power of the work, one which puts three individuals, and at times a fourth, on a collision course over relationships, peace of mind and, more importantly, the question of personal identity in this taut, intermissionless comedy-drama. The play, which began life at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2009, is now making its New York stage debut at the Duke on 42nd Street.

John (Cory Michael Smith) and his boyfriend M (Jason Butler Harner) have been in a long-term relationship, but over time their passion has been supplemented by arguments and quarrels, not to mention continual nit-picking over most every little thing. Finally fed up, John decides to end his romance with M, an action which leaves M devastated. However, it's not long before John returns, wanting to give things another go. Yet John is not running back to M because he loves him, but rather because he's running away from something else. For during his absence, John has become intimately involved with a woman, designated as "W" (Amanda Quaid) - other than John, there are no proper names used - W not only being surprisingly sexually compatible with John, especially since she knows about his proclivity for men, but also seemingly the answer to all his hopes and dreams. John and W having many of the same tastes and attitudes, and both surprisingly wanting to move things forward into a more permanent situation.

Needless to say, M is somewhat flummoxed at this turn of events, a trend which doesn't halt upon John's return, as he continues to see W and M simultaneously, all the while denying he's bisexual and telling each exactly what they want to hear; thus keeping them both dangling while they wait for him to make a decision. Eventually M ends up inviting W over for dinner, determined to meet his rival, only to find out she is not at all what he expected, either in appearance or attitude. As W and M trade verbal barbs and inquires and John wishes desperately he could be anywhere else, it's safe to say that what follows will be an evening none of them will ever forget.

The first thing one notices when walking into the space is how the theatre has been set up, it being done in the round in a stadium style manner; the audience looking down upon the small playing area which the actors will use. The atmosphere reminding one of a gladiator arena or perhaps where a cock fight would be held; a bell sounding every so often to end the various scenes and sending the participating actors to neutral corners before beginning again.

This up close and personal feeling continues throughout the play as the story dances around the one question John refuses to confront: just what is it exactly that he wants. Is he in fact gay, as all have assumed and accepted as such, or just going through a phase? Does he want a life as a "normal" person, with a wife and kids, or does he just want to go through the motions, simply gliding through his existence and falling into the category in which everyone seems to think he belongs? The only obvious truism that quickly emerges is that John is definitely not happy, but whether he has the courage to confront and fix the situation is another thing entirely. Indeed it's not long before the question of sexual preference and genetic disposition begins to take a back seat to issues of happiness and contentment.

Smith is perfectly cast as John, a fellow who just wants things to be simple, but who is ultimately terrified of making a decision, telling lies to both W and M, trying not to hurt anyone and not wanting to burn bridges until it becomes obvious he has to just that in order for any of them to be able to move on. At first a seemingly weak individual, he eventually bursts forth with a searing explanation of angst as to how he is so tired of being what everyone expects him to be and just wants to be himself. Yet at the same time he's often afraid to do the hard work that usually comes with achieving that goal.

Harner is very strong as M, a somewhat sarcastic sort who loves John dearly and who uses humor as both a defense and weapon, and thus delivers some of the funniest and most telling lines in the play. In addition, just like John, M may find himself settling for something less than what he ultimately wants if he's not careful.

Quaid is excellent in the pivotal role of "the other woman." Both a companion and mother type to John, the two characters having a wonderful chemistry, with their love-making scene handled with taste, humor and honest emotional impact. At the same time, W is nobody's fool, thus making her a perfect foil for M in their scenes together. She's also realistic enough to know what she faces in her struggle to have a life with John.

Cotter Smith works well as M's father (designation: "F") whom M invites to the dinner for emotional support and who quickly throws his own opinions into the mix, urging John to stay with his son, though F's feelings may be colored because of his emotional involvement with both men and also because of his possible, almost unconscious attraction to W.

Director James MacDonald deserves great credit here for taking the script and running with it, making the different scenes and emotional circumstances play off each other nicely until they all combine in a tangled web of energy where hot button issues are brought to the fore with W, F and M and alternatively battling each other and then allying together against John, until John realizes it's up to him to make the final move.

Michael Buether's set works perfectly, nicely setting the scenes and structure where, completely absent of props, the four performers must rely on their acting skills and the power of the script to tell this tale. One with an ending that is completely believable and quite surprisingly satisfies the requirements the story has set up.

Playwright Bartlett expertly tells a multilayered and emotionally laden story about finding out who one is and what one really wants out of life. Saddled with a perhaps unnecessary title, Cock is nonetheless, quite a strong piece of theatre.

Cock

By Mike Bartlett

Featuring: Cory Michael Smith (John), Jason Butler Harner (M), Amanda Quaid (W), Cotter Smith (F).

Scenic and Costume Design: Miriam Buether

Lighting Design: Peter Mumford

Sound Design: Darron L West

Directed by James MacDonald

The Duke on

42^nd Street

229 West 42nd Street

Tickets: 646-223-3010 or http://www.new42ndstreet.org/

Information: http://www.cockfightplay.org/

Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission

Closes: October 7, 2012

You're gonna need a bigger piano - Jaws: the Musical has two more performances this weekend

Just when you thought it was safe to go to the theatre…a shark swims right into your heart.

JAWS: the Musical

Resurfaces July 6th, 7th, 13th & 15th at The Broadway Comedy Club

Book, music & lyrics by Wayne Henry
Musical direction by Clare Cooper
Directed by Steven McElroy

This time he’s out for love.

Jaws: the Musical  is an over the top love story where a Manhattanite falls in love with a shark, people get eaten and marine biologists break into songs. Get hooked on the campiest, funniest, new musical to hit our shores! Featuring the songs “Fishing the Great White Way,”  “At Night He Swims Home to Me,” and “When A Shark Attacked My Heart.” 

The cast features; Laura Daniel, Brett Douglas, John Flynn, Wayne Henry, Jason Salmon & Suzanne Stein.

Jaws: the Musical won the 2002 Strawberry One-Act Festival (40 play elimination tournament) and was featured in Emerging Artists Theater’s 2007 Notes from a Page musical development series. The show has now resurfaced and with new music and extended material. 

All performances take place at The Broadway Comedy Club, 318 West 53rd Street (btw 8th & 9th Avenues), http://www.broadwaycomedyclub.comsubways/: C or E train to 50th St. 1 or 9 train to 50th St.  N, R, W, or Q train to 57th St
Tickets are $10 at the door (cash only) plus 1 drink minimum. To make a reservation e-mail, JawsTickets@gmail.com with your name, number in your party, and date of performance.
Running time: 40 minutes
Show Dates
Friday, July 6th @ 6:30 pm
Saturday, July 7th @ 6:00 pm
Friday, July 13th @ 6:30 pm
Sunday, July 15th @ 3:00 pm   

Jaws: the Musical stars the original cast with John Flynn (Oh, Hey Guys, UCB) in the title role. Brett Douglas (My Big Gay Italian Wedding) plays his unfortunate victim, while Wayne Henry (The Collin Quinn Show, The Play About the Naked Guy), Jason Salmon (30 Rock & MTV) & Suzanne Stein (Our D.A.M.N. Show, Laughter On the 23rd Floor) take on Hooper, Brody & Quint. Laura Daniel (NYMF Award for The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun) is the cast’s only newcomer in the role of Sally, the object of Jaw’s affection. Clare Cooper (Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding, Memphis)tackles music, with Steven McElroy (What Happened Was...) playing director to this cast of high-energy hams!

Songs in the Key of LGBT: A Cabaret Benefit for Ali Forney Center

SONGS IN THE KEY OF LGBT: A Cabaret Benefit for ALI FORNEY CENTER

This Sunday, July 8, 2012, at 7:00 PM

One night only!

Featuring the amazing:

Eric Michael Gillett

La Tanya Hall

Marieann Meringolo

Carolyn Montgomery-Forant

 Julie Reyburn

Arbender Robinson

Nina Siegel

Niki & Viki Sorrentino

Cookie Stark

KT Sullivan

Special Surprise Guests!

Produced and Musical Directed by Jeff Cubeta

Direction by Eric Michael Gillett

Hosted by Carolyn Montgomery-Forant

Ali Forney Center provides housing and social services for homeless LGBT youth. It is the only housing organization in the nation that identifies itself as a "safe space" for these young people. Five weeks ago, the mayor presented a budget that would eliminate 160 of Ali Forney Center's 250 beds. (And there are over 3000 homeless youth identifying as LGBT in New York City alone.)

Please join us as we support this incredible organization.

SONGS IN THE KEY OF LGBT

A Cabaret Benefit for Ali Forney Center

Sunday, July 8, 2012, at 7:00 PM

Doors open at 6:00 PM

Laurie Beechman Theatre

407 West 42nd Street, 10036

$20 Music Charge (Proceeds benefit Ali Forney Center, a non-profit organization)

$15 Food/Drink Minimum

Reservations: 212-695-6909 (after 12:00 PM)

If you would like to attend but are unable, perhaps you might consider making a donation to Ali Forney Center. Please feel free to click here for more information.

“The Bad and the Better” from The Amoralists

By Olivia Jane Smith

Cops who shoot first and plant loaded guns on their victims later. Developers who commit mass murder to realize a dream of clean energy. Peace-loving anarchists who agree to commit violent crimes rather than run out of the cash they need in order to survive.

There’s more: Husbands betray wives, undercover agents pose as lovers—cheating on the real loves of their lives in the process—and no one can be certain which side anyone’s really on. Then the bodies start to pile up so fast we might as well be in Act V of a Shakespeare tragedy.

Welcome to Derek Ahonen’s “The Bad and the Better,” currently showing in a physically superb production by The Amoralists, thanks largely to Alfred Schatz’ set design, Natalie Robin’s lights, and some virtuosic staging by director Daniel Aukin. While the show looks great and, with 26 actors, wows in terms of sheer size, the script’s attempt to veer from tragedy to comedic satire to serious moral commentary doesn’t entirely work.

It may be possible to pull this off. But here, the heightened send-ups—of police, politicians, secretaries, people from Long Island—make it impossible to take a lot of the drama seriously, which the show seems to be asking us to do. It’s billed as a “detective noir.” While films of the genre can read like parody, coming off as unintentionally funny to our modern eyes, they’re played straight up (which is how they manage to make us chuckle without losing their dramatic edge). That may be partly what went awry here. Some characters seem written only for laughs, and come off as caricatures. In trying to tackle serious themes in what can feel like a comic-book style, the show doesn’t earn its more earnest moments. We’re left with a fairly entertaining evening, but not one that makes much of a dramatic impact.

Another problem is that we can see many (though not all) of the twists coming, and the show’s moral conundrums aren’t such conundrums at all—or at least, the play doesn’t illuminate them in a way that really causes us to think deeply about whether it’s worth it to commit a triple murder to avenge your family’s death, or to go corporate if the corporation is one that makes the world a better place. And with few exceptions, most of the 20-plus characters we meet aren’t people you’d want to be your new best friend. Of the poles in the show’s title, “better” is substantially underrepresented among this bunch.

One of the few “better” ones is Matilda (Cassandra Paras), who tends an immaculately rendered bar—right down to the handwritten credit card minimum poster, a pay phone, and a “No Spitting” sign on the restroom door—that is known as a place frequented exclusively by members of the NYPD. Her boyfriend is a cop, of course, though he’s on an undercover assignment and she hasn’t seen him in a while. His brother, Lang (William Apps), is also a cop of the Sam Spade-Philip Marlowe ilk. His rather too devoted secretary, Miss Hollis (Sarah Lemp) makes sure to replace the empty whiskey bottle in his drawer with a full one. His wife, Connie (Judy Merrick) and daughter Julie (Sarah Roy) are minor characters here, which is good, because they’re written and played as such depressing and predictable stereotypes that we wouldn’t want to see much more of them.

We also meet the improbably named Venus (David Nash), a playwright studying up on the habits of student protestors by haunting an anarchist bookstore where he meets Faye (Anna Stromberg, in my favorite performance of the night—she struck the right chord, sincere and heightened at once, of the best of the film noir genre). She leads him to a den of neon-wearing professional demonstrators, lead by Charity (Selene Beretta) and Justice (James Kautz), a stoic wonder-twin duo of potential mayhem. They’re the ones calling the anarchists’ shots, but who is really pulling the strings, via pay phone calls that can’t be traced?

There is also the requisite evil businessman, real estate developer Zorn (Clyde Baldo) and the gubernatorial candidate in his pocket, Moretti (David Lanson); written as pure parody, the character adds little to the show. And people keep dying on in a nature preserve on Long Island. Is it a plot to wrest control of a vital piece of coastline? (I’m thinking yes.)

But for all the show’s missteps, there are also some strokes of brilliance. Ahonen’s weaving together of so many characters and cleverly plotted turns and reveals can be a fun ride, especially when combined with Aukin’s adept staging. A dance-protest scene begins with the band of anarchists moving in slow motion at the very front of the playing area, in silence (their movement to me evoked a chain gang, or a group of slaves about to be auctioned). Suddenly, the picture bursts into real time, music blaring and everyone dancing up to speed. Simultaneously, Matilda and the cops at the bar are watching the action unfold on TV, leading to an unpleasant revelation, before the protest devolves into a chaotic fight with police. The series of moments is so well directed, and executed; it’s an exciting piece of theater muscle and magic.

Schatz’s set is just as impressive, managing with almost no moving around of furniture to evoke a bar, a bookstore, a detective’s office, an anarchists’ lair, and various other apartments and dimly lit offices. It’s a tall order, especially when all of it is so richly detailed, from bottles to books. I also counted more than 20 lamps glowing through their shades during pre-show. Then, in the opening scene, Matilda flicks on the lights in the bar, and instantly the space is transformed, with colored lanterns hanging above the libations, and holiday twinkle lights crisscrossing the space’s ceiling. Later, in an early party scene, the back wall of the space is suddenly illuminated—it’s bright yellow, instantly changing the entire space. It’s easy to forget how the right set and lights can create their own drama and surprise. Here, they came close to stealing the show. (Moira Clinton’s costumes were also strong; Phil Carluzzo did the sound design, and Judy Merrick designed the props).

“The Bad and the Better” is cleverly plotted and at its best, engaging. The ensemble cast is mostly good, and the show is worth seeing for the direction and scenery alone. If there is a takeaway it’s that we’re pretty much all awash in moral ambiguity by the time we get out of bed every morning (or even if we don’t). But then again, most of us knew that already.

From left, Selene Beretta, Chris Wharton, Regina Blandón,
Nick Lawson, Byron Anthony, David Nash, Anna Stromberg

THE BAD AND THE BETTER, presented by The Amoralists
through July 21, 2012
The Peter Jay Sharp Theater
416 West 42nd Street

Written by Derek Ahonen
Directed by Daniel Aukin

The Cast (in alphabetical order)
Byron Anthony NINO
William Apps LANG
Clyde Baldo ZORN
Reuben Barsky PROTESTER/STUDENT
Selene Beretta CHARITY
Penny Bittone LENNY
Regina Blandon INEZ
Ugo Chukwu GUN DEALER/DETECTIVE BECKER/LEON
Wade Dunham COP 3
Edgar Eguia COP 1
James Kautz JUSTICE
Chris Lanceley JOHN MARCH
David Lanson EUGENE MORETTI
Nick Lawson SCOTTY
Sarah Lemp MISS HOLLIS
Judy Merrick CONNIE
David Nash VENUS
Cassandra Paras MATILDA
James Rees COP 2/HOMELESS MAN/ZORN’S ASSISTANT
Sarah Roy JULIE
Dan Stern NEWS ANCHOR
Anna Stromberg FAYE
Kelley Swindall JANE MARCH
Jordan Tisdale JULIO
Vanessa Vache MEDICAL EXAMINER/STUDENT/ASH
Chris Wharton EDMOND

The Creative Team
Assistant Directors Sam Shane & Joanna Tomasz
Set Designer Alfred Schatz
Costume Designer Moria Clinton
Lighting Designer Natalie Robin
Sound Designer Phil Carluzzo
Props Designer Judy Merrick
Costume Assistant Christopher Metzger
Assistant Lighting Designer Jenna Lloyd
Fight Choreographer Lisa Kopitsky
Artwork Danica Novgorodoff
Graphic Designer Alexis Buatti-Ramos

The Production Team
Producer Kelcie Beene
Producer Form Theatricals (Anthony Francavilla & Zachary Laks)
Director of Production Sean Bauer
Director of Development & Events Caroline Hendrix
Director of Marketing Seena Hodges
Spiritual Advisor Larry Cobra
Spiritual Advisor Matthew Pilieci
Production Stage Manager Whitney Dearden
Assistant Stage Manager Nick Trotta
Assistant Stage Manager Christina Bracco
Master Electrician Amanda Clegg Lyon
Press Representative David Gibbs (DARR Publicity)
Assistants to the Producers Katie Kopajtic & Jenny Soo
Development & Communications Assistant Ryan Leach
Marketing Assistants Theresa Speziale & Caroline Cincaruk
Production Assistants Arshia Panicker, Alex Pepperman, Nicole Richards & Vassilea Terzaki

My Theatre Manifesto - Kristin Arnesen of Theatre Reverb

By Kristin Arnesen, Co-Artistic Director, Performer, Media Artist Theatre Reverb

As a performance and media artist, I treat popular media and commercial products as archives of shared imagination and symbols that can access our collective unconscious. Taking a topical theme or question, for example: “anxiety about cultural collapse,” our Theatre Reverb method casts a net out into video sharing sites like YouTube, television programming, news headlines, and our own memories and associations. Treating the samples we collect as dream images, (which, as Jung claimed, carry their own logic), we address our search results as banks of intuitively connected ephemera and search for threads that join these disparate cultural archives and our personal associations.

We then enhance or project narrative threads and organize our samples in an episodic form influenced by dada, surrealism and the films of David Lynch. We assume the roles of characters engaged in the initial question we were exploring, and use a heightened style of acting influenced by Eco’s notion of hyperreality and classical Indian dance-theatre forms (which we studied on two training trips to Kerala India).  In performance, we often access my night job as an emcee and variety entertainer and alternate familiarity and humor with off-putting devices like noticeably ‘foreign’ modes of communication, direct address, and live spectator video feed.  This process comes together in large-scale, interactive, spectacles designed to recontextualize and manipulate familiar objects and social rituals and create a persistently unpredictable environment aimed at bypassing our viewers logical thought process and allowing them to experience familiar material differently, reconsider perceptions, and identify their engagement in a shared cultural space.  This is the method to our madness and the objective of our mission the best way we can describe it!  If you want more we’d say: Theatre Reverb’s supreme objective is perhaps best expressed in these words from their agent provocateurs:
"Our agents are storming the world, destroying the drawers of the brain and of social organization, spreading a spirit of excess everywhere they go, restoring the fecund wheel of the universal circus to objective forces and bringing tickles to secret places everywhere. After all, everyone dances to his own personal boom boom.

Perhaps you will understand us better when we tell you that Theatre Reverb is a virgin microbe that penetrates with the insistence of air into all spaces that reason has not been able to fill (especially secret places)."

Kristin Arnesen is a performer, writer, dancer, media artist, and the co-founder of Theatre Reverb. She holds a BA in performance and an MA in theatre. Kristin’s work is influenced by classical Indian theatre forms which she studied on two trips to Kerala India to train in kathakali and kutiyattam. She has performed with such companies as Mabou Mines under the direction of Lee Breuer.  Kristin is also a regular emcee and dancer in variety shows and clubs around New York, she is a resident artist at Galapagos Art Space, she studies classical bharatanatyam with master dancer Kamala Cesar, she is a sponsored artist of the Brooklyn Arts Council, and a collaborator with the Ukraine-based international women’s movement FEMEN. Her critically acclaimed and "Most Innovative" award winning Theatre Reverb production initium/finis is set to play at the Mini-Fridge Festival in June and at HERE Arts Center in July.

For more information about Theatre Reverb, visit http://www.theatrereverb.org/ and for more information about the miniFRIDGE production of initium/finis, visit http://www.horsetrade.info/.

Tonight - Doric Wilson's "Street Theater" at the Center

Thursday, June 28 2012 : 7:30pm – 9:00pm



Thursday, June 28, 2012
Doors Open 7PM, Performance 7:30PM

Center Performance presents "Street Theater" by Doric Wilson

Buy Tickets Here!

A participant in the Stonewall Uprising, Doric Wilson wrote Street Theater not so much as a history of the event but as a record of the people he knew and the incidents he was involved in on Christopher Street in the months, days and hours leading up to the night gays fought back. The play focuses on a panorama of drags, dykes, leathermen, flower children, vice cops and cruisers— the innocent and not-so-innocent bystanders who would turn June 28, 1969 into Stonewall—the D-day of gay history. 

About Doric WilsonFrequently called the “father of modern queer theatre,” Doric Wilson’s 50 year dedication to queer culture has been recognized with the first Robert Chesley Award for Lifetime Achievement in Gay Theatre; the 2007 IT Award for Artistic Achievement; in 2009, the ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education) Career Achievement Award for Professional Theatre; and last year the Fresh Fruit Festival presented playwright Doric Wilson with the 2010 PassionFruit Award for Enduring and Continuing Pioneer Work in LGBT Theater.

About TOSOS
In 1974, playwright and gay activist Doric Wilson founded the first professional gay theatre company. It was called The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS for short). In 2002, directors Mark Finley and Barry Childs and Wilson resurrected the company, rededicating it to an honest and open exploration of the life experience and cultural sensibility of the GLBT community and to preserving and promoting our theatrical past in a determined effort to keep an important literary heritage alive. TOSOS has presented a number of critically acclaimed plays by playwrights David Bell, Meryl Cohn, Linda Eisenstein, Mark Finley, Robert Patrick, Chris Weikel, The Five Lesbian Brothers, Lanford Wilson and Charles Busch. TOSOS also runs the highly successful Chesley/Chambers play reading series under the directorship of Kathleen Warnock. The program is a recipient of grants from The Dramatists Guild Fund. For more information about TOSOS visit www.tosos2.org.

Tickets to benefit TOSOS and the LGBT Center:
$20 online; $25 at the door

Cash bar reception with the cast, director, and veterans of Stonewall and the early days of the movement.In loving memory of our friend, mentor and guiding light Mr. Doric Wilson, the Center is presenting a special benefit performance of Street Theater, Doric's award winning satire about Stonewall.

“Chimichangas and Zoloft” - Interesting to a Point

By Judd Hollander

The Atlantic Theater Company presents a nicely serviceable family comedy-drama in Fernanda Coppel's Chimichangas and Zoloft.  While the issues raised are both serious and at times dealt with in an amusing way, the play never really lets the audience get too close to the characters or totally under their skin to see what drives them.

In present day Los Angeles, Sonia Martinez (Zabryna Guevara), a woman who we later find out has struggled with depression all her life and is currently taking the medication Zoloft for the problem, has an internal meltdown/midlife crisis during her 40^th birthday party and leaves her family to get some time, space and perspective for herself. In the meantime, her lawyer husband Ricardo (Teddy Cañez) is forced to look after their daughter Jackie (Carmen Zilles), the two not having a particularly close relationship. Also feeling the pinch of Sonia's absence is their neighbor Alejandro Lopez (Alfredo Narciso), the single father of Penelope (Xochitl Romero), Jackie's best friend. Alejandro, a bartender by trade, who used to share carpooling duties with Sonia, is now forced to assume them full time, taking the girls to and from school daily, at least until Sonia's return.

It quickly becomes apparent that Sonia is a major part of the glue holding both families together - each person missing her presence and contribution for different reasons. Alejandro because he has to carpool the kids to work every day; Penelope, because she sees Sonia as a sort of surrogate mother and talks to her about things she's not ready to share with anyone else-such as her first sexual experience with a boy and the fact she may now be pregnant. As for Jackie, who is gay, she came out to Sonia just before she left and now feels responsible for her mom's departure. Ricardo on the other hand, is taking Sonia's leaving rather stoically, as if he knows more than he's telling about the matter.

There are a lot of different storylines and elements running throughout the show; the highlights being the various interplays between the characters. One especially good scene occurs when Ricardo and Alejandro are having an intense personal bonding moment and then instantly switch into parental mode when the girls are caught in a lie, or when Alejandro and Penelope are waiting in a Planned Parenthood examination room to see if she in fact is with child.

Unfortunately, much of the play has a rather disjointed feel, focusing on one character than another, but never really delving into what makes any of them tick. For example, most of Sonia's scenes are staged as monologues separate from the rest of the story. Yet the script never presents a moment of clarity for her regarding if she's found what she's looking for or why she makes the decision she ultimately does. Additionally, since there's little interaction between Sonia and the rest of the people onstage, it sometimes feels as if one is watching two separate plays when it comes to her character.

Another problem is with the characters of Jackie and Penelope, both of whom are pretty much interchangeable, despite their different sexual preferences. Each has the "all-knowing" attitude of a teenager until confronted with things outside their spheres of experience, and both get defensive at times and both have emotional meltdowns, albeit it at different times. Whereby the other takes the opportunity to confront the one in crisis and affirm their friendship. Yet neither ever really has her own individual identity.

The best characters in the play are Alejandro and Ricardo. At first seemingly polar opposites and coming from different social/economic backgrounds, the two appear to clash like fire and water until a common bond is revealed. Cañez is good as the outwardly calm and surprisingly passionate Ricardo, while Narciso works well as the somewhat overprotective Alejandro. As he tells Penelope, "sex is like buying a motorcycle. Sure it looks cool and shiny. But at any turn you could crash into a taco truck and die." Alejandro also has a secret of his own, one he seems willing to die to protect, even though most of the other characters pretty much know what it is before the end of the play.

Jamie Castañeda's direction is okay as far as it goes, but like the play itself, needs some tightening to move things along and weave a more cohesive story than what's ultimately presented. There is a lot happening on stage, but certain questions as to why they're happening are not adequately explained and this misstep drags the story down more than once.

Sets by Lauren Helpern are nicely functional, lighting by Grant W.S. Yeager and costumes by Jessica Wegener Shay are fine.

Chimichangas and Zoloft

Written by Fernanda Coppel

Featuring: Zabryna Guevara (Sonia Martinez), Carmen Zilles (Jackie Martinez), Xochitl Romero (Penelope Lopez), Alfredo Narciso (Alejandro Lopez), Teddy Cañez (Ricardo Martinez)

Scenic Design: Lauren Helpern

Costume Design: Jessica Wegener Shay

Lighting Design: Grant W.S. Yeager

Sound Design: Broken Cord

Violence Consultant: J. David Brimmer

Dialect Coach: Doug Paulsen

Production Stage Manager: Michael Alifanz

Assistant Stage Manager: Catherine M. Lynch

Press Representative: Boneau/Bryan-Brown

Production Manager: Michael Wade

Associate Artistic Director: Christian Parker

General Manager; Jamie Tyrol

Directed by: Jaime Castañeda

Presented by the Atlantic Theater Company

Atlantic Stage II

330 West 16th Street

Tickets: 212-279-4200 or http://www.ticketcentral.com/

Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission

Closes: June 24, 2012

Planet Connections Interview - Layon Gray of "Webeime"

By Byrne Harrison

Production photos by Sue Coflin

Layon Gray is a theatrical artist on the rise who is captivating audiences with each and every play he writes, produces and performs. 

           

Gray has spent more than two decades writing, directing and developing stage plays and films that reflect a wide array of African-American cultural movements, creating new paradigms for the stage and motion picture industry.

Since founding The Layon Gray Experience, Gray has guided the company’s growth from a privately held theatre company to one of the entertainment industry’s leading independent companies and a veritable box office force.

Focusing on creating conversational dialogue in his works, Gray continues to make his mark in traditional African-American theater.  A native of Louisiana, Gray quickly ascended as one of Los Angeles’ premiere playwrights earning more than 60 nomination and awards for his works since 2000.  Among the honors are 2010 NY AUDELCO Award (Achievement Award for Excellence); 2009 NAACP Award (Best Ensemble Award); 2009 Hollywood ADA Award (Best Ensemble Award); 2008 MATCHLIFE Artist of the Year; 2007 NAACP Award (Best Producer, Best Play); 2007 MITF Award (Best Play, Best Writer, Best Director, Best Producer); 2006 NAACP Award (Best Play); 2005 Hollywood ADA Award (Best Play); 2004 Hollywood ADA Award (Best Play, Best Writer, Best Director); and 2003 Los Angeles MADDY Award (Best Play, Best Writer, Best Director, Best Ensemble).

How did you first get involved in theatre?

Coming from a small town in Louisiana the thought of being in the arts was far from my mind. I was actually an all-state quarterback in high school/college, and then a touring production of “Grease” came through my city and I was bitten by the bug.  Quit the team changed my major to theater, and haven’t looked back.

Who are your biggest influences?

Interesting enough my favorite actor is Don Knotts. The way he can say a million words with his expressions fascinates me. I’m a huge Joe Pesci fan.   I long to direct Denzel Washington on stage.  His art form and approach is a master class to all actors.  

What is your show about?

Part Spoken word and part chore poem Webeime is the portrayal of one man’s coming to terms with the repercussions of the decisions that he has made in life before the inevitable happens. With little time on his side, he searches his soul for inner peace and his mind wanders back down the road that put him in his current predicament.

What inspired you to write and direct it?

The play is actually based on someone I knew when I was a kid. The nameless protagonist takes his audience on a journey down memory lane filled with childhood sexual and mental abuse, mental and physical isolation, and domestic violence and becoming a man who was shaped by his tragic past. The protagonist is nameless because he can be anyone -- any defenseless child in the world -- being abused and searching for the answer to the inevitable question, why me. All the shows I write are embraced by all races and nationalities because of the honest exploration of universal themes Webeime won best play, best ensemble, best producer and best choreography in 2007. This piece has played to sold-out audiences in Los Angeles, North Carolina at the National Black Theatre Festival, where theatres from around the country fought for the rights to produce the play. I settled on the prestigious Negro Ensemble Company of New York City in 2008. I thought it was time to take it back off the shelf. (Lol.)  Webeime is part sociodrama -- the psychotherapeutic technique that utilizes dramatization and role-playing to identify and remedy intergroup problems and conflicts, but mostly chore poem -- the blending of music, dance and poetry to communicate a powerful story. The cast consists of 8 young African American Males.

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

The play is produced by a theatre company I created in 2007 called The Black Gents of Hollywood:  we are an all male ensemble dedicated to resurrect, redefine and restore positive images of African-American men.

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

It’s important to save our planet and I think this festival brings major awareness.    Being eco-friendly is  not only helping the human race but also saving many animals from extinction.

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 Male Survivor.  The organization is committed to preventing, healing and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men through support, treatment, research and education, advocacy, and activism. In the show Webeime the main character deals with all of these issues, and bringing it forward and talking about it may heal a lot of people.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

Presently I have a play in its 3^rd year about the Tuskegee Airmen running Off- Broadway entitled Black Angels Over Tuskegee.  Its won numerous awards around the country and is in early pre-production for a Broadway transfer.  For more info or tickets go to www.blackangelsovertuskegee.com.
 

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

Sidney Poiter. Enuf said!

For more information about “Webeime,” visit www.webeime.com or http://planetconnections.org/webeime/.

Planet Connections Interview - LaTonia Phipps of "Fishin' in Brooklyn"

By Byrne Harrison

LaTonia Phipps is an alum of The Eugene O’Neil National Theater Institute and has also received an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College. She was last seen in All American Girls Off-Broadway at The Actors Temple, With Aarons Arms Around Me with The Negro Ensemble Company at The Cherry Lane Theater, The Colored Museum, by George C. Wolfe at The Crossroads Theater, Wait Until Dark, by Fredrick Knott at The Ivoryton Playhouse as well as a variety of venues throughout New York City. “Fishing in Brooklyn,” is Phipps’s first full-length play to be written and performed. Phipps is a multidisplinary artist whose writings and performance have been compared to the likes of Anna Deveare Smith and Ntozake Shange.

She also currently serves as a Teaching Artist for Opening Act a non-profit organization providing theater for at risk teens within the New York City area. As well as conducts workshops titled “My Wordz Heal” where students draw from their own narratives to construct mini-solo pieces. Phipps is also working on her book of poetry titled, “My Wordz Heal.”

How did you first get involved in theatre?

Well, there are two stories…. First, both my parents dabbled in the performance arts when I was a child, I didn’t find out this story until I was much older, but nonetheless I was always surrounded by the arts. Secondly, I was extremely hyper active as a child. And in my family that usually resulted in a spanking, but my mother put me in a dance class instead. I was so intrigued with performing that I auditioned for a play at school based on the story of Rosa Parks. After not getting the lead I was furious; I knew then that anger only meant this was something I really wanted to do.

Who are your biggest influences?

 This may sound cliché but God and my father. I’ve had a pretty rough upbringing and these two forces in my life have truly kept me grounded. My father was never able to continue with his dream of being a performer and in some sense he lives through me. He is my biggest fan. I recently closed an Off Broadway show, “All American Girls,” a story about an all black female baseball team. I knew nothing about baseball. So he worked with me everyday for 2 months making me throw a tennis ball against the back of a wall and catch it just so I could work on my pitching. I never did pitch a real ball onstage but I could have if I needed to.

What is your show about?

Fishin' in Brooklyn is the heart-wrenching story of a mother and daughter’s love following a young performer turned playwright as she struggles to meet the deadline of her very first play. All goes “Write” when she unknowingly gets help from the spirit of her late mother. Set in 1995 Brooklyn and present day Harlem, NY. In it, performer I portray 27 characters, including a Jamaican roots woman, an African train hustler, a flamboyant Literary Agent, a female Love Interest, and a sassy 10-year old girl from Brooklyn. Infusing Slam Poetry, dance, song and much more, “Fishin’ in Brooklyn” touches upon how forgiveness and growth can be achieved through love.

What inspired you to write it?

There was two reasons why I decided to write and create, “Fishin’In Brooklyn,” First, there were and still is very little work for Black Female Actors. I grew tired of the seeing the same stories being told so I decided to tell my own. Secondly, I’d created a solo show several years ago during my studies at the Eugene O’Neil National Theater Institute and it was such a success I toured at a few colleges in upstate NY. I realized that I have a knack for this type of storytelling. During a dry spell in the “acting world,” I attended an emerging writers workshop at Freedom Train Productions and was given the task of creating a piece inspired by a childhood memory. One of my fondest memories as a child was fishing with my mother in a lake in Prospect Park, a lake that wasn’t supposed to be used for fishing.

The facilitator urged me to expand on this memory and that began the journey of “fishin.”

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

Currently, I am working with Christopher Burris (Director), noted for his work on “A Raisin in the salad: black plays for white people.” Chris is new to the project however we have very similar ways of working and great chemistry. I’m also working with Arthur Toombs (Djembe African Drummer) whom I’ve known for years. Arthur has worked with me on many projects including the beginning instillations of “fishin.” And finally, Tesfaye Hamanot (Light and sound Tech) who is also new to the project but nonetheless a huge asset; a touch of genius is needed to travel through the non-linear world of “Fishin,” making each transition clear. That genius is executed through Tesfaye.

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

As artists whether we know it or not our art is a form of service. We perform in order to change a person disposition be that laughter, anger etc… and they are forced to re-evaluate themselves. This festival highlights change and awareness… although I’ve always been aware of my role in caring for the environment I’m now inspired to take a bigger stance in doing my part.

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

I’ve chosen Providence Rock… it’s an organization dedicated to using the performing arts and spirituality to bring about a form of healing for people of all ages and races: be that suicide, domestic abuse, or people who’ve been diagnosed with fatal diseases. Three years ago I came to Providence Rock completely broken and alone with suicidal thoughts every since that day I’ve been singing and praying and dancing and building a strong spiritual relationship and understanding with God. I never had another suicidal thought since…

This organization, which does so much for so many people, is dependent on availability in a high-demand theater space. They have a growing population but cannot always accommodate all those who come to participate week after week. They are desperately in need in a place of their own where they can offer even more services to make a greater impact on the lives of those who wish to be join them. All the proceeds I receive will be going toward this purpose. 

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

Well, I’m focusing all my attention on the show. My ultimate goal is to tour for a year to local and regional colleges. So, if they don’t catch fishing now they will soon.

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

As cheesy as it sounds, to take away all suffering and pain of every degree and issue an abundance of everlasting love and fulfillment.

For more information about “Fishin’ in Brooklyn,” visit www.latoniaphipps.com/fishininbrooklyn or http://planetconnections.org/fishinin-brooklyn/.

Planet Connections Interview - Melissa Skirboll of "The Closet"

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Melissa Skirboll

Show: The Closet

Relationship to production: Producer/Director

How did you first get involved in theatre?

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

Who are your biggest influences?

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

What is your show about?

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

What inspired you to direct/produce THE CLOSET?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

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

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

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

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

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

By Byrne Harrison

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

Relationship to production: Producer/director/actor


How did you first get involved in theatre?

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

Who are your biggest influences?

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

What is your show about?

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

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

What inspired you to direct and produce it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then there is my acting coaching and classes…
 

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

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

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