FRIGID New York Interview - Samantha DeSimone of "Erik"

By Byrne Harrison

Show: Erik
Photo credit: Kisha Peart

Samantha DeSimone is a New Jersey native who graduated from Wagner College with a B.A in Theatre in 2012.  Samantha has been working with Rising Sun Performance Company since 2012. Shows with RSP include Hotel Suite/Room 128, Erik Staged Reading, Donkey, Henry’s Wives and Hellcab (2013).  Past non RSP credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (Soul Sister), Lysistrata (Lampito) and The Magic Tower (Mrs. O’Fallon) all at Wagner College.  Other favorite credits Bare: A Pop Opera (student), Straphangers: An Original Musical (Sarah) and Rent (Mrs. Davis).  Samantha is also a volunteer with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, helping to produce and direct numbers cabarets including “Laughter is the Best Medicine I and II”, “All You Need is Love: A Beatles Revue” and “Blackout.”

Tell me a little about your show.

Erik (with a K!) is a satirical look at The Phantom of the Opera as told through the rag tag members of a traveling freak show.  It's highly stylized and highly hilarious--plus there are puppets.  Plenty of puppets!
  
How did you become involved with it?

I was lucky enough to be a part of the initial reading of Erik in October, from then I was hooked.  When I heard that we were going to get the chance to produce a full production of the show I could not contain my excitement.

Who else is helping you bring the show to FRIGID?

Rising Sun Performance ensemble has been home base for all things Erik.  Rising Sun has an outstanding reputation in the off-off Broadway community and has been a nurturing home for this avant-garde piece. 

Who would be your dream audience for this show?

Anyone with an open mind.  There are tons of laughs to be mined in this show--but if you walk through those doors expecting a conventional show you have come to the wrong place.  But if you're willing to suspend reality for an hour or so then we have a show for you---oh and Meryl Streep.  Meryl you're always welcome.

As a theatre artist, who are your biggest influences?

When Mark Rylance is in a piece I try not to miss it.  He has such freedom on stage as well as overall courage when tackling a role.

What shows are you planning to see at FRIGID?

As many as I can.  I get free passes--why on Earth would I not go to as many as humanly possible.  Even without the passes I would go.  This festival is an amazing opportunity for artists to get their work seen on a level that may not have been possible before.

What is next for you in 2015?

Next up I am in an interactive, immersive theatre piece called Phantasm that will be premiering later this year Off Broadway in the same venue as 50 Shades: The Musical Parody!

Lightning round

Favorite theatre professional? Julie Taymor (I'll forgive you for Spider-Man)

Current show you would love to be involved with? Sleep No More

Your dream show to be involved with?  Does Saturday Night Live count?

Who would you most like to have a chance to work with? Alan Cumming

Your best theatre experience? Last year working with Rising Sun Performance ensemble again I was in the Planet Connections Theatre festivity in a show called Donkey, and that experience changed my life.  Oh, and the time I played a tree in the second grade.

Person you’d most like to thank for getting you where you are today?  My parents, my sister and Lucille Ball.  All of whom taught me that laughing at yourself is the best form of comedy.


To find out more about Erik, visit the FRIGID New York website.

FRIGID New York Interview - Keenan M. Scott II of "Thoughts of a COLORED MAN on a day when the sun set too early"

By Byrne Harrison

Show:  Thoughts of a COLORED MAN on a day when the sun set too early
Website: www.toacm.com
Photo credit: Headshot by Lauren E. Banks

Keenan M. Scott II, a native of Queens, New York, completed his theater training at Frostburg State University (2009). Some of his theater credits include Of Mice and Men, ALMOST, Maine, Lysistrata and Othello.

Tell me a little about your show. 

It’s a great production. It explores the lives of eight young men as they navigate through society. They all find themselves in situations battling feelings a lot of us have. The twist is all of the characters are emotions themselves. The name of my characters are love, lust, passion, anger, happiness, despair, depression and wisdom. So they don’t embody ideas…they are the idea.

What inspired you to create it?

When I was a sophomore in college I saw the made for TV special For Colored Girls who considered suicide and was blown away by the words. Being a spoken word artist as well, it inspired me to start writing this piece. After researching the play more and realizing it was written during the feminist movement of the '70s, I wanted to write something for the young black male of the 21^st century.

Who else is helping you bring the show to FRIGID?

My production team Noisy Tenants, LLC. It’s a company I help form with my partners Nick Mitchel and Chris Landrum.

Who would be your dream audience for this show?

To be honest, everyone. Depending on who attends will depend on how the play affects them. But I think this piece would be and can be important for inner city youth. I was once an inner city youth, so this is where the spirit of this play comes from. 

As a theatre artist, who are your biggest influences? 

I’m affected by a lot of mediums in art, but currently I love the work of Katori Hall.

What shows are you planning to see at FRIGID?

I want to see them all. We have badges so I want to take advantage of that.

What is next for you in 2015? 

I plan to get into Fringe NY this summer with my one-man show Black Cotton and tour it for the 2015-2016 college school year. As well as bring this production to the DC/Baltimore area this summer as well.

Lightning round

Favorite theatre professional? Katori Hall

Current show you would love to be involved with? Anything that involves great writing.

Your dream show to be involved with? A David Mamet play.

Who would you most like to have a chance to work with? Spike Lee (I would love for him to produce my work)

Your best theatre experience? Producing my play for the first time in 2009 when I was a senior in college.

Your worst theatre experience? The audition I had in college for A Raisin in the Sun. I was horrible (laughs)

Person you’d most like to thank for getting you where you are today? My mother.


For more about Thoughts of a COLORED MAN on a day when the sun set too early, visit the FRIGID New York website.

FRIGID New York Interview - Antonia Lassar of "Post Traumatic Super Delightful"

By Byrne Harrison

Show: Post Traumatic Super Delightful
Website: PTSDtheplay.com
Photo credit: Angela Dumlao

Antonia Lassar is first and foremost a Beyoncé enthusiast. She is also an actor, poet, playwright, and musician. Antonia spends some of her time touring her other one-woman show God Box around the country to engage great people in interfaith dialogue. As a playwright, Antonia believes that silence is the food of oppression, and her projects aim to dismantle hatred with communication, humor, and understanding. Past work includes Tina and Amy (Frigid Festival 2014), Pair of Animals (Edmonton Fringe 2014), and On the Tracks (Boston University). Antonia has a BFA from Boston University and is based in Jersey City with her super hot boyfriend and her Netflix account. antonialassar.com

Tell me a little about your show.

Post Traumatic Super Delightful is a one-woman, half clown, half monologue, all feminist critique of the sexual assault crisis on college campuses. It focuses on how there is no “good” survivor narrative, and how an entire community is hurt by sexual assault. Most of all, PTSD looks at what kind of role laughter can play when helping survivors and their communities heal. 

What inspired you to create it?

When I first came out as a survivor of sexual assault, I felt intense pressure to fit an identity that people expected of me. Trying to meet those expectations was incredibly painful. So I started to interview other survivors and was struck by how, while there is no single survivor narrative, everyone struggles under the expectation that there is one. I noticed that laughter was largely absent in most survivors’ healing processes. While every healing process is different, I do think that laughter’s overwhelming absence is a red flag. Laughter is a sign of acknowledging common humanity, of healing as a community.  So because I’m a clown, I wanted to use theatrical clowning to experiment playfully with the absurdity of being a survivor. 

Who else is helping you bring the show to FRIGID?

I have an ARMY! I am so proud to say that PTSD is produced by an entirely woman-identified legion of mini-Beyoncés! Angela Dumlao (Sea Wife) is directing; Kati Frazier (ART/NY, Random Access Theatre 2015) is dramaturging; Sam Garcia (Target Margin Theatre Lab) is both costume and set designing; Darielle Shandler (The Civilians) is light designing; Olivia Hull (New Dramatists) is stage managing; Lindsey Yadon (lindseyyadon.com) is graphic designing; and Molly Jones is our amazing production assistant!

Who would be your dream audience for this show?

We want current college students at this play! PTSD brings up a discussion of sexual assault, consent, and college adjudication policies- a discussion every student needs to have! If you are a current college student, we really want you at the show! If you need help affording the ticket, please email us! 

I also would love to see an audience of survivors and their communities. Unfortunately, because sexual assault is so common, we are more than likely to have this without trying. We believe that laughing together as a community is a first step towards greater healing. 

As a theatre artist, who are your biggest influences?

I love the work of brilliant female solo performers before me! Sarah Jones, Anna Deavere Smith, Lily Tomlin. I also love the radical feminist reclamation of pop music happening right now with Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monae, and so many more. And Buffy. Buffy. Buffy. Buffy. Slaying vampires and the patriarchy. 

What shows are you planning to see at FRIGID?

I have incredibly good information that “It Ain’t Going To Be Normal” is the best thing to ever hit the FRIGID ever. (I also might be in love with one half of the show.) I’m also really looking forward to another story of badass survivorhood from Gillian English in “Get Around Me”!

What is next for you in 2015?

My other one-woman show “God Box” (Frigid ‘13) is going to have a month long run at the New Repertory Theatre in Boston. And then PTSD is going on tour! We’ll be travelling to colleges and crisis centers nationwide! 

Lightning round

Favorite theatre professional? Meryl. Deal with it. I love her. 

Current show you would love to be involved with? Orange Is The New Black

Your dream show to be involved with? Orange Is The New Black: The Musical

Who would you most like to have a chance to work with? Sarah Ruhl

Your best theatre experience? God Box is how I met my BF!

Your worst theatre experience? Once my costume was only post it notes. Not even that many. 

Person you’d most like to thank for getting you where you are today? God! Barbra Streisand before I found God.


For more information on Post Traumatic Super Delightful, visit the FRIGID New York website.

FRIGID New York Interview - Jeremy Cone of "The Field: A Musical Myth"

By Byrne Harrison

Show: The Field: A Musical Myth

Website: facebook.com/thefieldproject

Photo credit: Jane Clausen

Jeremy Cone mixes words, music, stories, and photography to create a unique theatrical experience. He’s produced and performed The Field in New York (Dixon Place, Under St. Marks, and Muchmore’s) and Los Angeles (Beyond Baroque). He lives in New York and continues to grow The Field every day.

Tell me a little about your show.

The Field is modern musical myth about growing life. It’s a universal story told through a unique blend of poetry, music, and singing. The plot follows Man In The Field setting forth to grow something where there is nothing. He sees visions of the enchanting Harvest Woman who will only be real when his crops have grown. There’s a Thief who steals from him and must be stopped. The myth mixes with reality as People Of The Field work to grow in modern times. Dreams, life, stories, and memories collide in The Field which begins with these words:

Go on my friend.

Don’t be afraid.

Go forth to The Field

Where all the lives are made.

Pour your soul into that land

And see what it will yield.

The past is in the womb.

The future’s in The Field.

What inspired you to create it?

I wanted to write something that people could relate to that was also uplifting. I was in LA trying to grow a life as a person and as an artist. I put those feelings into words that I shared through spoken word poetry at open mics to see if they resonated with people.  They did because I believe everyone’s working to grow something. Whether it’s a career, a relationship, or a project, there’s a growth process that requires work. So the idea of someone literally working in an open Field intrigued me. It was a good metaphor for the work I’ve seen and see many people do in various Fields. I’ve always been interested in stories and myths and how they shape and impact reality. This is a story I’m telling, but also one that I’m living as I’ve been working to grow The Field from 3-10 minute open mic sets to a full production with singers, actors, and musicians here in New York. Some of the writing has come from experiences of executing past productions so the work, words, and music all feed each other. The Field has more to go and grow, but I’m excited to present it in the FRIGID Festival.

Who else is helping you bring the show to FRIGID?

I’m fortunate to have a wonderful cast and crew for FRIGID made possible by the kind supporters of our Kickstarter campaign. Lucian Smith (music director, arranger, conductor, and master of the keys) has been working with me for over a year on the project. The wonderful production team is Chelsea Owens (Stage Manager) Emily Naylor (Assistant Director) Jane Clausen (Art Director) Emily Craver (Choreographer) and Danielle Santos (Production Assistant).

The cast has Rosie Sowa (Harvest Woman) Gregory Levine (Thief) Jasmine Thomas (Mother Goddess) Julie Congress (Storyteller). Tucker Bryan (Man In The Field Understudy), Briana Gibson, Matt Magrath, Clare Rea, and Dennis Williams are People Of The Field. They sound great!

Who would be your dream audience for this show?

My dream audience is as many people as possible. I hope that everyone who sees The Field can relate to some part of it, and walk away with something. I like to think of the story as a seed that people can take with them. Hopefully they keep growing.

As a theatre artist, who are your biggest influences?

My parents loved musicals and played soundtracks on car rides. I memorized a lot of the songs and would imagine what was going on onstage. They encouraged me to pursue writing and performing. My high school drama teacher Jen Yolles directed plays that the student cast collaboratively wrote. It was a great outlet and rewarding experience writing and performing something with and for my peers. My college directing professor Alma Becker had a deep love for theater and the people who made it. She directed Strindberg’s “A Dream Play” in 2006 and some sequences still stick with me.

Other influences are Stephen Sondheim for his lyrics. Julie Taymor for her vision.  Lin-Manuel Miranda for his ability to make modern musicals. Ellen Stewart for her dedication and contributions to independent theater and the people who make it. It means a lot to present The Field on East 4^th street aka Ellen Stewart Way.

What shows are you planning to see at FRIGID?

As many as I can but definitely Heart Of Oak, It Ain’t Going To Be Normal, Hey '90s Kids, You’re Old, Post Traumatic Super Delightful, Erik, 300 to 1, An Evening Of Not So Quiet Despair With Satan, Whiskey Pants, Thoughts Of A Colored Man on a Day When The Sun Set Too Early, and Where I’m From.

What is next for you in 2015?

I’ll be recording some songs from The Field and making some videos. I’ll do some public performances of The Field in New York once it gets nice out. I’ll also be doing a hometown show of The Field in Boston in June.

  

Lightning round

Favorite theatre professional? Stephen Sondheim

Current show you would love to be involved with? Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind

Your dream show to be involved with? West Side Story’s original production just to see Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents and Hal Prince work together.

Who would you most like to have a chance to work with? Alex Timbers

Your best theatre experience? When I was 8, I was in “Fiddler On The Roof” with my dad and brother.  

Your worst theatre experience? Doing a show with a 3 person audience.

Person you’d most like to thank for getting you where you are today? My mom. Though it’s many more than one.  

For more information on The Field: A Musical Myth, visit the FRIGID New York website.

FRIGID New York - "Cootie Catcher" - Circle, circle, dot, dot, now I've got my cootie shot

By Byrne Harrison

While it is one of my favorite NYC festivals, the fates conspired to keep me away from much of this year's FRIGID New York Festival.  I did, however, carve out time to see the latest production of Lucas Brooks' one-man comedy, Cootie Catcher. In this funny, clever, and at times touching show, Brooks takes the audience on a little journey through his brushes with sexually transmitted infections.

The show features several of Brooks' hot sexual encounters, each with an anxiety-laden twist--brushes with gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV, HIV, and herpes (though the last is essentially an opportunity for Brooks to humblebrag about hooking up with a good looking straight guy… but it's still a great story).  Brooks is a sex-educator and vocal proponent of safe sex, so most of these encounters were merely embarrassing for him or good learning experiences.

I've seen the show several times, from its initial workshop in director David Drake's solo show class to two full productions.  Each production has been tighter than the previous, with some new material and a lot of polishing.  Certain moments--dance breaks between scenes, for instance--have Drake's fingerprints on them.  This collaboration between Brooks and Drake is a particularly strong one, since they really seem to understand each other's style.

Brooks is an attractive and charming guy.  He's a fixture in the NYC burlesque scene, and his previous show, VGL 5'4" Top, describes him to a T.  But this isn't a vapid, eye candy show; he has the looks and the fierce intellect to back it up.  Brooks is insightful, a good storyteller, and funny.  His message includes loving and accepting yourself, being true to who you are, and not letting anyone attempt to shame you for that truth.  The fact that he can do that in an hour, and with a lot of laughter, makes this show a don't miss.

Cootie Catcher plays its final performance Friday, March 6th at 5:30 PM.  For more information, visit the FRIGID New York website.

FRIGID New York Interview - Mark Bentley Cohen of "Bi, Hung, Fit… and Married"

By Byrne Harrison

Show: Bi, Hung, Fit… and Married
Website: www.bihungfit.ca
Production stills: Sean Cummings
Standing in the Alley: Rita Ivanauskis

Mark Bentley Cohen is a writer, performer, counsellor, workshop facilitator, public presenter, and outdoor enthusiast living in Vancouver.  “Bi, Hung, Fit … and Married” is based on his revealing autobiographical book, “Confessions of a Bisexual Husband”. 

Mark has always been interested in sexual identity issues. He began experimenting with bisexuality at the age of 13, and continues to this day. Mark believes there is an inherent need for continued sexual growth and exploration throughout one's life, and modern partnerships are slowly evolving to accommodate those needs. After speaking with and meeting hundreds of bisexual men and women, Mark has discovered that the vast majority of them are deep within the closet, living secret double lives. 

He hopes that his work and ground-breaking relationship with Lianna Walden, his partner of over 20 years, will help them - and others - to take the first small steps toward accepting themselves and their unique sexuality. 

Tell me a little about Bi, Hung, Fit… and Married.

The show is about my process of coming to terms with being bisexual within the confines of marriage and fatherhood, and the changes my partner and I made to our marriage after coming out to her. 

The truth is we were in a bad place before I came out. What the show demonstrates is that we needed something new. In our case it was my need to be authentic about my sexuality, but in other cases it's a matter of finding ways to revitalize your relationship. Quite often this revolves around issues of sex and sexuality. 

Long-term monogamous unions tend to stagnate because the two people involved are not allowed to grow, change, and express desire outside of their monogamy. This can become stifling in many ways. Allowing for dialogue and exploration around sex and sexuality often brings fresh energy into the people, and therefore their relationship. 

What we've come to learn is, this is a good thing, and far better than the "dangers" espoused by partaking in these activities. 

What inspired you to create it?

Once my wife and I could see that this sexual exploration and newly-found openness in our relationship

was actually very salubrious, we knew we had to tell everyone about our findings, which fly smack in the face of conventional "wisdom". 

The show is my way of discussing issues around sex, relationships, authenticity, which is why the focus of it is sex. So many other stories leave the sex out, because it's sex, and therefore personal/dirty/not important/secondary, etc. 

What we've found is that many others also want to discuss these things – as no one else seems to want to. The personal voice of the play makes the material honest, and therefore powerful. You may not agree with what I'm saying, but you will at the very least acknowledge that this has been our experience, and as such needs to be recognized as valid, if for no one else than us, although most people can relate to the work, regardless of orientation or relationship status. 

Who else is helping you bring the show to FRIGID?

I could not do this without my partner, Lianna Walden. When we met over 20 years ago she was to be the producer in our company and I was to be the writer. We've never strayed from that paradigm, and it still works for us to this day. 

We're also running an Indiegogo campaign to raise the funds necessary to pay for the production, so all those who have contributed are also a part of this. Thanks to all who have shown their support!

Who would be your dream audience for this show?

Besides highly influential theatre people who can take this show on a world tour, I'd like to see potential publishers for my book too, upon which the play is based. It's currently being shopped around the city by my literary agent, Lucas Hunt. 

As for non-industry people, the surprising thing is that straight, married people get the most from this show. There are very few other works out there which portray couples successfully crossing the monogamy boundary. Pretty much every other song, TV show, movie, play, book, advertisement speaks of the utter and immediate death to any relationship when people cross the monogamy line. 

As a theatre artist, who are your biggest influences?

I love David Mammet. I'm a bit of a "Glengarry Glen Ross" groupie, asking everyone I meet if they've ever seen it. I also love Spalding Gray. He's been a big influence, and I was deeply disturbed by his suicide years ago. I also love Michelle Tremblay's work. 

What shows are you planning to see at FRIGID?

All of them! We're huge Fringe fans. Lianna has run the Vancouver Fringe for a few years, has been a board member for many years, and we're both regular attendees at the festival. 

What is next for you in 2015?

Vancouver is the kind of city where you have to leave to make it, and then come back to show everyone how well you've done. When we return from New York we're planning a run of the show at a local club called "8x6". We're hoping the cachet of coming from New York will grab peoples' attention. It already has. When we tell people we're going to New York, they all get glass-eyed and mesmerized by the idea. 

Lightning round

Favorite theatre professional? David Mammet

Your best theatre experience? Performing my show at UC Berkeley as part of their "International Conference on the Future of Monogamy and Nonmonogamy". This audience really got my work, and showed their overwhelming appreciation for it afterward. It was a very special moment. They were all so moved to have seen "their story" being told for the first time. 

Person you’d most like to thank for getting you where you are today? My life-partner, Lianna Walden. There is no doubt in my mind I would not be doing this without her, in every way you can imagine. 


To find out more about Bi, Hung, Fit… and Married, visit the FRIGID New York website.

FRIGID New York Interview - Dandy Darkly of "Dandy Darkly's Pussy Panic!"

By Byrne Harrison

Show: Dandy Darkly’s Pussy Panic!

Website: www.dandydarkly.com

Photo credit: Laura Pardo 2014

Dandy Darkly is an internationally acclaimed cabaret showman and ribald raconteur of supernatural, sentimental, sleazy ghost stories. He’s a Southern gothic sissy with a penchant for pop culture and the paranormal. “How ghost stories should be told.” The Stage “A decidedly wicked storyteller.” The New York Times Dandy Darkly is the new painted face of New York storytelling.

Tell me a little about your show.

“Dandy Darkly’s Pussy Panic!” is a delightful, frightful fistful of fables with a focus on the classical interpretations of womanhood, the maiden, the mother, the crone, and also homosexual misogyny – how some gay men build women up, only to tear them back down. My style of storytelling is poetic and lyrical, also chilling and hilarious. Time Out called it - “Unlike anything else at the Fringe, or indeed elsewhere.”

What inspired you to create it? 

At the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe I had a post-show encounter with a young woman, an audience member, who accused me of misogyny and “celebrating the murder of women” in one of my highly wrought, satiric stories. I explained to her that I, actually, celebrate the murder of everyone – men, women, children, even pets – but she was unconvinced and we left it at that. However her accusation lingered with me, so I began to explore the notion of “Pussy Panic!” – the irrational fear gay men have of the vagina – and the show developed from there.

Who else is helping you bring the show to FRIGID?

"Dandy Darkly’s Pussy Panic!" was written initially for the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe, but I’d be amiss not to thank Dixon Place HOT! Festival and The Celebration of Whimsy Theater where the show had two incredible NYC runs. Ian Bjorklund is my wonderful director. He’s been so helpful in guiding my focus. And I’m also blessed to work with some amazing musicians on this show: Adam Tendler (88x50), Rachel Blumberg (Arch Cape, Death Vessel) and Bryce Edwards (Boy Crazy, The Isotoners). And Laura Pardo for her exquisite photographs.

Who would be your dream audience for this show?

Apart from a room of Broadway producers, fighting over me like feral cats for a can of tuna – I suppose Dandy Darkly’s ideal audience is one with a love of truly immersive story telling – an audience eager to have their expectations absolutely turned upside down. I think contemporary audiences have a pre-conceived idea of “storytelling” as this sort of Moth-style anecdotal navel gazing. I’m ready to lead the storytelling revolution.

As a theatre artist, who are your biggest influences?

Elvira Mistress of the Dark. Wayland Flowers and Madame. William Castle. Bret Somers. Leslie Jordan. Alf.

What shows are you planning to see at FRIGID?

I’m very eager to see “300 to 1” starring Matt Panesh. He’s a phenomenal UK storyteller who I know from the Edinburgh Fringe. Likewise “Cootie Catcher” is such a great show. Its written by and stars the talented Lucas Brooks and directed by David Drake. Other shows on my list include “ERIK”, “The ChristmApocalypse” and “An Evening of Not-So-Quiet Despair with Satan.” I enjoy work that's both horrific and comedic.

What is next for you in 2015?

After the Frigid Festival I’m putting “Pussy Panic!” to bed for a while and I’m returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with a brand new show. It’s called “Dandy Darkly’s Trigger Happy!” and themes will explore hypersensitivity, PTSD, gun violence and the good ole U. S. of A. Can’t wait!

Lightning round

Favorite theatre professional? John Cameron Mitchell

Current show you would love to be involved with? La Soirée

Your dream show to be involved with? Broadway debut of Showgirls

Who would you most like to have a chance to work with? Peaches Christ

Your best theatre experience? Fun Home

Your worst theatre experience? High school senior year... The Crucible

Person you’d most like to thank for getting you where you are today? Grandpappy Darkly who told me my first Georgia ghost stories. I sure miss him.

To find out more about Dandy Darkly's Pussy Panic!, visit the FRIGID New York website.

FRIGID New York Interview - Cristina M. Ramos of "Heart of Oak"

By Byrne Harrison

Show: Heart of Oak
Website:  http://www.everydayinferno.com/HeartofOak/
Photo credit: Anais Koivisto

Cristina M. Ramos, alumna of Columbia University and The Lee Strasberg Institute, is an acting, singing, dancing, directing, fight enthusiast who also writes plays in her "spare" time. Favorite performance credits include: Tales of the Perpetually Single But Eternally Optimistic, Real | Crazy, and Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite, as well as dance-theater pieces at The Latin Billboard Awards and Latino Night at Madison Square Garden. She is certified with recommendation in unarmed and sword & shield stage combat with the SAFD, and is currently working on two original plays and an adaptation of a Spanish play. She's also a Company Collaborator with Everyday Inferno! Resume, photos, videos and more at www.cristinamramos.com.

Tell me a little about your show.

Heart of Oak is a (literally) legendary tale of a princess who becomes a pirate to avoid an arranged marriage. She wrangles together a crew consisting of a laundry woman, seamstress, lady's maid, farm girl, cook, and scullery maid (that's me!). As her betrothed hears stories of this princess-turned-brutal-pirate he was meant to marry, he falls in love and sets out on a quest to find the woman behind the myth. But this is not your childhood fairytale… This woman is dark, complicated, and more than a little dangerous. There are raids and mutinies, shanties and sword fights, betrayals and love triangles... It's pretty jam-packed!

How did you become involved with it?

I auditioned and prayed my little heart out! I've worked with Everyday Inferno before - I'm actually a Company Collaborator – and I've auditioned for them before, but this is my first time getting cast in one of their full productions. I couldn't be happier that it happens to be a play about some really remarkable women.

Who else is helping you bring the show to FRIGID?

We've got an exceptionally devoted and talented creative team (our producer doubles as our stage manager… yeah, that devoted), a hugely supportive group of company members (I think our Director of Social Media is more excited than I am!), and an astonishingly broad list of donors that includes family, friends, past Everyday Inferno artists, and total strangers who just love the work this company does. Not to mention a cast that's gonna knock everyone's socks off.

Who would be your dream audience for this show?

Some combination of bi-curious artsy multi-racial women, nerdy teenage girls, and alpha-men. I feel like the first group would totally appreciate the show for its many layered-ness (let's just say it passes the Bechdel test with flying colors), the second group would find some women they could be excited to look up to, and the third group would simply have to admit (like our male lead does!) that these are some very real, imperfect women who are bewitchingly badass in a wide variety of ways. 

As a theatre artist, who are your biggest influences?

Oh gosh… would it be weird to say Wagner? Putting his politics and anti-semitism aside for a moment… He was all about the "Gesamtkunstwerk " – a concept that I worked into an independent study in college and thrills me to this day. It's the idea of a true masterwork, an art that encompasses all the arts. Every time I perform or create theatre I try to keep that concept in mind. Is this as full as it can be? Does this character paint, sing, sew, fight? What does she touch, smell, hear?

A life is a thing that is full of art. And theatre can be such a wildly liberating way to express life. So for me, every piece, and every character within it, should be full of art.

What shows are you planning to see at FRIGID?

I'm really excited about Erik – it looks dark and hilarious and therefore right up my alley! I also plan to check out Whiskeypants: The Mayor of Williamsburg, because, come on, that title! And Post Traumatic Super Delightful was honestly super delightful at Snapshots… I think I'm going to be seeing a lot of shows.

What is next for you in 2015?

I plan to get certified in small sword with the SAFD by May and hopefully another weapon or two before the year's out. I'm also going to Universal Orlando for a long weekend because, well, Harry Potter. A friend and I are working on a night of two-person one-acts together (including the gorgeous and terrifying Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen by Tennessee Williams). And I'm really hoping to get some readings and/or full productions of my own original works up and running before the clock strikes 2016 (hopefully with Everyday Inferno or even next year's FRIGID!). Not to mention the grand old audition grind and the exciting works and relationships that can come out of it!

Lightning round

Favorite theatre professional? Currently, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Current show you would love to be involved with? Cabaret

Your dream show to be involved with? Venus in Fur

Who would you most like to have a chance to work with? Geoffrey Rush

Your best theatre experience? Starring in a staged reading of my first original play

Your worst theatre experience? Seeing Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway. It was bad. And I played Rosie Alvarez in high school so I sort of wanted to stomp on stage and take over the part or just leave.


Person you’d most like to thank for getting you where you are today? People, not person. My family. They're everything.


For more about Heart of Oak, visit the FRIGID New York website.

Signature’s Serves up an Original Hit: You’ll Want Seconds at This "Diner"

By Mark A. Newman
Photo by Christopher Mueller

Admittedly, the number of rock stars who have made the jump from the iPod to the stage has been a mixed bag. For every Kinky Boots by Cyndi Lauper there’s a half dozen Hands on a Hardbody by Phish frontman Trey Anastasio. Not to say Hands on a Hardbody was bad (in fact, I enjoyed it more than Kinky Boots), but it didn’t stick around for long.

Thankfully, the world premiere of Diner at the Signature Theater in Arlington, Virginia, with a score by Sheryl Crow based on the Barry Levinson film from 1982, has the chops to be a hit. No doubt it’s a risky endeavor to turn an extremely beloved film that is quoted by a generation into a musical, but if it worked for those crazy Pythons with The Holy Grail (which begat Spamalot, another rollicking hit), then good golly, Miss Molly, why not Diner, a film that launched the careers of a handful of Hollywood household names (Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Steve Gutenberg…well, depends on the household I suppose).  

Knowing that the songs would reflect the show’s time period – 1959 – I was a bit apprehensive; doo-wop and crooners are not spilling from my ear buds, bud. Boy was I pleasantly surprised by Crow’s enigmatic score. Yes, it did reflect the last year of Dwight Eisenhower’s administration but it also had the hallmark of a contemporary songwriter in her prime. The songs are, in a word, gorgeous, and probably one of the best original score’s I’ve heard from a pop star since David Byrne’s collaboration with Fatboy Slim for the amazing Here Lies Love. It would take too long to go down the list but “Please Be There,” “Tear Down This House,” “Don’t,” and “Last Man Standing” are just a few of the standouts. This is one of those scores that needs to be preserved by the original cast as soon as possible!

Levinson’s book is lovingly faithful to his screenplay of the film, however there have been some welcomed – and frankly, needed – changes made, most notably recognizing that women of the 1950s actually had thoughts, feelings, opinions, desires, and personalities all their own even though – as it is stressed in the show – it was not the best time to be a woman (or black, or gay, or…well anything not straight and male). Levinson essentially used his remarkable movie as a guide for what was created on stage and it’s easily one of the most seamless movie-to-stage adaptations I have ever seen. The spirit of the film is alive and well in Levinson’s book.

Broadway legend Kathleen Marshall is overseeing the direction and choreography duties for Diner and the staging is perfect. Set among the confines of the eponymous eatery – sumptuously rendered by Derek McLane – the actors, singers, dancers all move fluidly from scene to scene. Considering the Signature’s space limitations and further limitations by a diner sitting amidst the action throughout the show, Marshall’s direction is key to really keeping the action moving and flowing like a well-oiled singing and dancing machine. From big numbers to intimate moments, Marshall’s direction was vital to Diner’s appetizing production.

Aside from McLane’s sets, Peter Kaczorowski’s lighting, Paul Tazewell’s costumes, Lane Elms’ sound, and especially Charles LaPointe’s wigs brought the Baltimore denizens of another era to life on stage. The look and feel of the show was authentic without looking dated; rather than looking back the audience was made to feel like it was collectively time traveling. While some period shows have the effect of “let’s see what’s in the old trunk” and come off as dusty reruns, the show’s design team immersed the audience into another time with remarkable ease.

And then there’s the cast. Holy cow, what a cast! Easily the best cast that has trod the boards at Signature, at least in the time I’ve been attending shows there. That’s not to say other casts were not up to the job. It’s just that this cast was so amazing that they have left an indelible standard that will be impossible to match, much less surpass, in the future.

The show is framed by the narration of Older Boogie (John Schiappa) as he looks back on “those crazy times.” While it comes awfully close to the tired tropes employed by many a one-person show – “And there’s me…why, look at me. I was so wild back then. And then there’s…” – the conceit is used sparingly enough to actually inform the audience while providing the occasional update. For example, through Older Boogie we learn that one of our boys will be dead shortly after the curtain falls while one will be a multi-millionaire in a couple of decades. It works and it works quite well.

If life was fair, Derek Klena as Younger Boogie would not be in this show; he would still be in The Bridges of Madison County on Broadway which closed way too soon last season. However, here he is, and he’s the closest the show has to a leading man even though the duties are fairly equally shared by the six actors portraying our diner inhabitants. As Billy, Aaron C. Finley gets one of the sweetest songs (“Please Be There”) and he has the charisma and vocal chops to boot. Plus, of all the actors, he looks the most like his movie counterpart, Timothy Daly. Trust me, if you’re a fan of the movie, you’ll spend the first scene matching the actors to their movie counterparts. For the record, as Modell, Bryan Fenkart almost channels movie Modell Paul Reiser’s tempo word for word and he’s hilarious and natural in what could’ve been a thankless role (Modell is the only of the diner boys without a solo or a duet).

Adam Kantor is perfectly cast as Eddie (Steve Gutenburg in the film), the sports-loving groom-to-be with cold feet and there could not have been a better actor to portray Shrevie, the music-obsessed wise guy, than Josh Grisetti. However, if the show were to be stolen, it would be by Matthew James Thomas as Fenwick, the hard-drinking, slacker who is a better Peter Pan than Mary Martin. He really cuts loose in “Last Man Standing” that ends with him clad only in his boxer shorts, and in the mournful “Letting Go,” where we see the real pain behind the party. Truly a standout tour de force performance in a show full of astounding performances.

Unlike the movie, the female characters move front and center somewhat to fully show how life was for the ladies back in 1959. Yeah, it wasn’t great but the women of the cast prove they’re up for the challenge. As Elyse, Eddie’s bride-to-be..maybe, Tess Soltau is charming which is especially noteworthy since the character was only alluded to in the movie. Whitney Bashor’s Barbara – Billy’s almost girlfriend – gets a wonderful moment to lament her life’s choices in “Don’t.” But the performance that brings down the house is in a number called, well, “Tear Down This House,” where Erika Henningsen as Beth, Shrevie’s neglected wife, rattles the rafters as she laments her station in life. This is easily the standout song and performance in the entire show.

Damn the hyperbole, but if you plan to see only one show for the rest of your life at Signature, this is the one! I’m going back for seconds!

Diner
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Avenue
Arlington, VA 22206

Book: Barry Levinson
Music & Lyrics: Sheryl Crow
Director & Choreographer: Kathleen Marshall
Assistant Director: Paige Kiliany
Associate Choreographer: David Eggers
Music Director: Lon Hoyt
Orchestrator: Mitchell Froom
Set Designer: Derek McLane
Scenery: Adapted by James Kronzer
Costume Designer: Paul Tazewell
Wig Designer: Charles LaPointe
Lighting Designer: Peter Kaczorowski
Sound Designer: Lane Elms
Production Stage Manager: Kerry Epstein
Assistant Stage Manager: Allie Roy
Tickets: 703-820-9771; ticketmaster: 703-573-SEAT tickets@signature-theatre.org

Information: http://www.signature-theatre.org/

"Lives of the Saints" - A Mixed Bag of Tricks

By Judd Hollander
Photo by James Leynse

Playwright David Ives looks beyond the surface of what seems normal in Lives of the Saints, his latest batch of one act works. Presented by Primary Stages, this collection of tales can now be seen at The Duke on 42nd Street. However unlike All in the Timing, Ives' previous offering which hit the mark on almost every level, this time out things are much more incomplete, providing some very interesting high points but also a great many more low ones.

Things start off with the two-hander The Goodness of Your Heart, about the bonds of friendship and what happens when it comes with a price tag. Long time friends Del (Arnie Burton) and Marsh (Rick Holmes) are sitting in Del's backyard, drinking beers when Marsh suddenly asks Del for a new television set.

Nicely written, the story is slanted in such a way that Del keeps finding himself at fault for trying to understand or even question the nature of such a request. Marsh's line of reasoning being that if one friend asks another for a favor, the other should do it with no questions asked; and with no expectations in return, including the need for the receiver of the favor to say "thank you". That last being understood as a given, rather than having to be said aloud. 

This is a play that could easily go in many different directions and also be expanded into a full-length work. Burton is hilarious as Del, doing one slow burn after another as he tries to figure out what to do; while at the same time being continually stunned by Marsh's seemingly straightforward reasoning. As for Holmes, he gives off a sort of honest naivety, to which he later adds an aggrieved air; offended that Del is even questioning his motives by seemingly trying to put a limit on their decades long friendship. Unfortunately the piece ends too abruptly, with the final result not all that satisfying. 

Conversely, the next piece, Soap Opera, suffers from being far too long in length. Manny (Carson Elrod), a Maypole Repairman – a riff on the classic Maytag Repairman commercials - has fallen in love with a Washing Machine (Liv Rooth). This attraction stemming from childhood incidents involving his mother (Kelly Hutchinson), who continually berated young Manny for always getting his clothes dirty. At least until the Maypole Washer made everything sparkling clean. Love eventually bloomed between the unlikely twosome, with Manny's fixation eventually threatening to destroy any chance he has for a relationship with Mabel (Hutchinson), his high school sweetheart. 

Certainly an unusual premise, the work is played far too broadly for the audience to really care about any of the characters involved. Another problem is the blatant overuse of bad puns--"...the Tide has turned....I gave it my All....so be of good Cheer", all of which quickly become more annoying than anything else. Also in the cast are Rick Holmes and Arnie Burton.

Next up is Enigma Variations. Feeling that everything in her life has happened before, Bebe 1 (Rooth) goes to Bill 1 (Burton), a psychiatrist of some sort. As Bebe I starts explaining her situation, Bill 2 (Holmes) and Bebe 2 (Hutchinson) emerge and start mimicking the words and gestures of Bill 1 and Bebe 1. Eventually the scene shifts from end to beginning, with different combinations of these four characters taking turns repeating the comments Bebe 1 and Bill I have made previously. The pace of each succeeding sequence continually increases, as does the speed of the words delivered and the movements of the actors, but the piece itself never really develops. Ives seems to be trying to talk about the infinite variety of the universes, with occasional bleeding between the different realities, but the work itself simply isn't all that interesting. Coming off as the weakest of all the one acts presented, it was probably a poor choice to put this one right before the intermission. Also in the cast is Carson Elrod.

Fortunately things start off much better in Act Two with Life Signs, by far the best offering in the group. Helen (Hutchinson), a rich, sixty-something woman has just passed away in her Park Avenue home, with her son Toby (Elrod), his wife Meredith (Rooth), and family physician Dr. Brinkman (Burton) in attendance. While Toby is left alone with the body, his wife seeing the Doctor out, Helen suddenly starts to talk, a situation the initially disbelieving Meredith soon sees for herself, in an absolutely hilarious sequence. Helen, unfettered from earthly obligations of social position and protocol, can finally afford to let her thoughts and opinions flow freely, and she proceeds to do just that. Most of said comments concerning sex, love and how she felt her just ended life was so unfulfilled and empty.

Somewhat course in language, one wonders how Hutchinson can speak her words with a straight face, or indeed with no expression at all as she delivers the funniest lines of the production while playing a basically lifeless corpse. Elrod does well as increasingly flummoxed Toby, doing one double take after another as he realizes the person he thought he knew so well he didn't really know at all. Most interesting of all here is the character of Meredith. Someone who never really got along with Helen when she was alive, yet who is clearly bonding with her now that she's dead. Though underneath all the humor is the very real warning that each of us only go around once and that you have to make your choices in live count before it's too late. Filled with excellent moments of comic time and strongly directed by John Rando, doing his best work in the production here, Life Signs alone is worth the price of admission.

Things go from the simply hilarious to the painfully wistful in It’s All Good. Stephen (Holmes), a successful writer now living in New York with his lovely wife Leah (Hutchinson), decides while in Chicago on business, to look in on the working class neighborhood where he grew up. On the way there, he meets and strikes up a conversation with Steve (Elrod) who invites him to join him and his wife Amy (Rooth) for dinner. Amy just happening to be the girl Stephen left behind when he went off to become a writer. What follows is a journey into The Twilight Zone as Stephen realizes he's somehow seeing how his own life would have turned out if he had not left all those years ago.

Poignant and powerful, this is one piece in which the acting firmly takes center stage. Elrod is able to convincingly project a working class persona of someone content in his life, while wondering what would have happened had he made different choices in the past. Holmes on the other hand, comes off as a man in torment. Someone who thought he had everything he ever wanted, only to come face to face with what he gave up in the process. Rooth works well as Amy, a hardscrabble woman who has had a good but certainly not easy life, while Hutchinson is nicely supportive as Leah. However, just as with earlier The Goodness of Your Heart, this play also ends too abruptly; with not enough time allowed to explore more of the possibilities presented.

Things wind up with Lives of the Saints, where Edna (Hutchinson) and Flo (Rooth), two elderly Polish women are working in a church kitchen, putting together a funeral breakfast for a neighbor they both knew. A situation most people can identify with - having food present in the wake of a death - regardless of their background, it's an enjoyable enough tale and Hutchinson and Rooth play off each other well. However an extra bit in regards to sound effects is either unnecessary or simply hints at there being something more to this world than what we knew, but after setting up the premise, the play drops it just as quickly. Also in the cast are Arnie Burton, Carson Elrod and Rick Holmes.

Costumes by Anita Yavich are fun, especially those in the Soap Opera segment. Lighting by Jason Lyons, as well as sound design & original music by John Gromada are fine. Special mention must also go to the excellent work of wig designer Tom Watson.

Cute sometimes, funny at others, Lives of the Saints is a pleasant enough diversion but never really comes together when everything is taken into account.

Featuring Rick Holmes (Loudspeaker Voice, Friend, Marsh, Bill 2, Stephen, Stagehand), Arnie Burton (French Maitre D', Madman, Del, Bill 1, Dr. Brinkman, Stagehand), Carson Elrod (Repairman, Fifi, Toby, Steve, Stagehand), Kelly Hutchinson (Mother, Mabel, Bebe 2, Helen, Leah, Edna), Liv Rooth, (Washing Machine, Bebe 1, Meredith, Amy, Flo).

Lives of the Saints 
by David Ives

Set Design: Beowulf Boritt
Costume Design: Anita Yavich
Lighting Design: Jason Lyons
Sound Design & Original Music: John Gromada
Wig Design: Tom Watson
Props Supervisor: Christine Goldman
Production Stage Manager: Robbie Kyle Peters
Casting: Calleri Casting
Press Representative: Keith Sherman & Associates
Production Management: Mind The Gap
Directed by John Rando

Presented by Primary Stages
The Duke on 42nd Street
229 West 42nd Street
Tickets: 646-22303010, www.PrimiaryStages.org or www.Dukeon42.org
Running Time: Two Hours, with one intermission

Closes: March 27, 2015