Fringe Q&A With Tim Watts of The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Michelle Robin Anderson

Name: Tim Watts
Show: The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorerer
Website: www.weepingspoon.com/AlvinSputnik

How did you first get involved in theatre?
When I was 7 years old I was in some community theatre musical. It was rubbish, but I loved the attention.

Who are your biggest influences?
Jim Henson, Robert Lepage, Charlie Chaplin, Rowan Atkinson, Tim Burton, Carl Sagan, Alan Moore, and ted.com

What is The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer about?
Well, its set in a post-apocalyptic environmental water-world, and Alvin Sputnik joins a last-ditch effort to find a new place for humanity to live at the bottom of the ocean. However its more about the power of enduring love even in the face of such a bleak future. It's got puppets, animation, ukulele and bubbles.

What inspired you to write it?
A few things. Firstly I had made this puppet (Alvin Sputnik) which was a deep sea diver, and I really liked him, and other people did too. I love the ocean, and deep sea exploration; the ocean is very important to me where I am from in Perth. I also really wanted to make a solo show, and have it tour-able, and fun, poignant and not pretentious. Finally I was becoming (and still am) overwhelmed with the environmental situation, and felt like I had to make a piece that at least acknowledged it. But I didn't want to make it a preachy piece about picking up trash, cause I am just as flawed as everybody else when it comes to this stuff, but what I wanted to embody was the goodness in humanity. That means that there is always hope, that we will endure, and love will endure (but its going to take a lot of work). I was getting sick of the apathetic existential bleak stuff, and wanted some inspiring joy.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
I worked with numerous people along the way, mainly Arielle Gray, who I have worked with for many years, and I feel understands my vision more than anyone else, and was able to contribute ideas, as well as mainly help me self-direct the piece. My father Anthony Watts, built the set and all the gadgets; he isn't a theatre guy, but is a whiz kid with the soldering iron, and any whacked-out electric gizmo idea I come up with, he can usually find a way to make it happen. Most of the show runs on batteries, even the lights.

Fringe shows are notorious for their short rehearsal schedule. How has the rehearsal process been?
This show has actually been in the works for a while. Since March this year, I have been plugging way with ideas, and showings to various people. I did a season in Perth (Australia, my home town) before I came out here and it went really well, and gave me a chance to get the show nice and slick.

What's next for you after Fringe?
I'll be going home. Back to the other side of the world (literally), and doing a dark, violent musical (rare for Perth, not for here), and doing some development for some other shows. In terms of Alvin Sputnik, I am currently organising some more touring around Australia, and the world (I'm going to translate it into different languages).

And finally, if a genie were to grant you one wish, what would you wish for?
The ability to breathe underwater. Oh so awesome.



The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer
Weeping Spoon Productions
Written by Tim Watts

HERE Arts Center - Dorothy B. Williams Theater
Fri 14 - 5 PM
Sat 15 - 7:15 PM
Tue 18 - 8:30 PM
Sat 22 - 2:15 PM
Sun 23 - 8:15 PM
Thu 27 - 7:30 PM

Fringe Q&A With Brian Golden of 6 Seconds in Charlack

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Brian Golden
Show: 6 Seconds in Charlack
Website: www.6secondsincharlack.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?
I performed in a few shows in high school - and did a little professional improv with ComedySportz Quad-Cities - but those were fun and games, nothing I took seriously, or even knew how to take seriously. I went to Washington University in St. Louis intent on studying political science and becoming President of the United States. After a semester and a half of constitutional construction classes, I realized that I really wanted to be a campaign manager, not a political scientist. I took Acting 1 with Anna Pileggi. I was on the wait list. I stuck it out. It was an epic challenge - real work. I was hooked.

Who are your biggest influences?
Tough question because I wouldn't consider someone an influence if I didn't think they were way, way better than me at writing. And I don't want to put myself in the same breath as some of those people. How about this: I'll tell you some of my favorite writers, plays or otherwise - Michael Lewis, David Mamet, Marisa Wegrzyn, Carter Lewis, Lanford Wilson, Bridget Carpenter, Jay-Z, Michael Schur, James McManus, Adam Duritz, Matt Nathanson, Howard Zinn.

What is 6 Seconds in Charlack about?
The pain and excitement of being young. Love and its consequences. The human need to fit square pegs in to round holes.

What inspired you to write it?
Heartbreak and deadlines.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
Patrick Mills is the director of this production, and he has been a huge advocate of the play since it played for a weekend at American Theatre of Actors three years ago. Christena Doggrell plays Candy in this production, and she played the role in the academic premiere of the play - at Washington University in St. Louis in 2005 - I really wrote a great deal of that role for Christena's insane talents. I don't know the other actors - Ned Cray, Allison Walton and a gentleman's name i can't remember playing bard. I've heard they're all fabulous!

Fringe shows are notorious for their short rehearsal schedule. How has the rehearsal process been?
Great - I've been in Chicago!

What's next for you after Fringe?
My company, Theatre Seven of Chicago, will conclude its third season with Cooperstown, my next full length play, opening November 16th at the Greenhouse Theatre in Chicago. I'll keep working on Sex Signals, the presentation I direct which is the nation's leading program on sexual assault prevention at college campuses and military bases. And Christena, who plays Candy, is getting married like five days after the last show. Crazy times!

And finally, if a genie were to grant you one wish, what would you wish for?
Maybe if I make it one long run-on sentence, the genie will count it as one wish. I wish for the end of murder, rape, violence, destruction, theft, warfare of all kinds, and I wish for the equal treatment of women, children, people of all races, creeds and appearances and I wish for the allowance of the peaceful pursuit of self-interest by every human being across the universe and I wish for a fresh pair of socks every day.

6 Seconds in Charlack
Golden & Mills
Written by Brian Golden
Directed by Patrick Mills

CSV Cultural and Educational Center Flamboyan
Fri 21 - 4 PM
Sun 23 - 3:45 PM
Mon 24 - 5 PM
Wed 26 - 10 PM
Fri 28 - 7:15 PM

Visit FringeNYC for more information.

Fringe Q&A With Mary Adkins of The 49 Project

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Mary Adkins
Show: The 49 Project
Website: the49project.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?
In sixth grade I played "Spinning Seaweed" in a community theater production of The Little Mermaid. I spun.


Who are your biggest influences?
I kind of pull ideas from everything I read. I am a huge fan of Tom Stoppard, Neil Simon, Wendy Wasserstein, David Auburn. I love Eugene O'Neill, Ibsen, Chekhov. I think Jean Genet is really great. Lately I'm enjoying reading through Neil LaBute's plays.


What is The 49 Project about?
In the world of the play, women - as 51 percent of the population - have successfully obtained majority representation in government and under power-corrupted female leadership, discriminatory policies against men have appeared. Nathan, the lead, directs a men's rights organization called The 49 Project (referring to the population stat for men). He is fed up with failure and desperate for some kind of visible change. He decides to recruit the organization's college intern, Christina, for a plan he believes will create such a change. The plan goes awry.

What inspired you to write it?
It occurred to me that if the gender distribution in a democratic government were to reflect the gender distribution in society, women would compose the majority. I thought it would be interesting to write a play about what might happen under that kind of regime.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
Marshall Pailet is the director and we've been working together since May. He's very talented and a lovely person, generally. Jack Thomas is producing and is an old friend and mentor. The cast includes Clayton Apgar, Dylan Moore, Bryan Russell, Zoey Martinson, Alexis McGuinness and Finerty Steeves. Stage manager is Michael John Carroll, also a wonderful person.

Fringe shows are notorious for their short rehearsal schedule. How has the rehearsal process been?
I am actually working during the day so I've only been able to attend a couple of evening rehearsals. Both times I've been very impressed with what the cast has been able to accomplish in such a short period of time.

What's next for you after Fringe?
The Fringe is home of the World Premiere of the play, and hopefully the play will have a life after the festival. That would be fantastic. As for me, I will keep writing. I have learned much through this process and started working on a new play this month. I'm also in law school, so that will be a priority as well.

And finally, if a genie were to grant you one wish, what would you wish for?
Eternal global peace. Just kidding, thicker hair.

The 49 Project
Jack Thomas / Bulldog Theatrical
Written by Mary Adkins
Directed by Marshall Pailet

The Studio at Cherry Lane
Tue 25 - 8:45 PM
Wed 26 - 2 PM
Thu 27 - 3 PM
Thu 27 - 7 PM
Fri 28 - 9:15 PM
Sat 29 - 5:30 PM

Visit FringeNYC for more information.

Fringe Q&A With Alex DeFazio of 1-900-SELFPLEX

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Alex DeFazio
Show: 1-900-SELFPLEX
Website: www.elixirproductions.org

How did you first get involved in theatre?
In college. It was something I always wanted to do, and my high school had a wonderful theatre program, but I was so intimidated by the theatre kids and completely terrified of acting.

In college I began to sort of inch my way into theatre. I took several courses where I studied plays as texts. Gradually, though, I met students who wanted to perform, direct, and design actual shows. I experimented with acting and directing, but I’d been writing steadily since high school, so it wasn’t long before I tried my hand at playwriting.

Who are your biggest influences?
Most of my big influences come from literature – Lewis Carroll, Tom Robbins, Anais Nin, Anne Sexton, Hermann Hesse, William Blake, Erica Jong. It’s a real hodgepodge, but I love every one of these writers and learned so much from each of them.

Once I fell in love with writing plays, I also fell in love with Tennessee Williams, John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation, and everything by Shakespeare.

I also had some very important personal influences: my high-school librarian, my senior-year English teacher, two high-school friends – Erica Kutcher (who passed away a few years ago) and Wendy Wisner (an amazing poet) – and Jody P. Person, the director of 1-900-SELFPLEX, with whom I’ve been collaborating for over ten years.

What is your show about?
1-900-SELFPLEX is about the power of storytelling, or storytelling as power.

The lead character, Alberta Lesalle, is an artist in her early forties who has never had professional success – as a writer, a singer, a "sexpert," or in any of the other careers she’s pursued. In the first scene of the play, there’s a boy in her apartment. Only she can see him; he’s like a piece of psychic furniture she isn’t sure where to place. However, once she starts talking with him, she realizes he’s a character from one of her unfinished stories. He’s HIV-positive, a hustler, the victim of many years of sexual abuse, and Alberta makes a very conscious choice not only to finish writing his story, but to write as him – to assume his identity and impersonate him over the phone. The boy becomes famous, and the play is about the lengths to which Alberta will go to sustain the deception.

What inspired you to write it?
Two things: Susan Blackmore’s essay, "Meme, Myself, I," and the unmasking of J.T. Leroy – who was supposedly an abused, transgendered, teenage boy – as the literary invention of a middle-aged female author.

Blackmore’s essay inspired the theme. Her idea is that none of us possess a "self" that is essentially or uniquely ours. Instead, she writes that our "self" is nothing more than a collection of stories or "memes" – a manufactured, artificial thing; a patchwork of fictions.

The J.T. Leroy scandal inspired some of the characters and circumstances of the play, but it’s not a play about J.T. Leroy any more than it’s a play about Susan Blackmore’s theories. It’s about a woman who consciously exploits this lack of "essence" in all of us – the fact that we are, all of us, forever playing characters. I find this idea intriguing, even freeing. At the same time, I also find it kind of frightening that I – or you, or all of us – may be nothing more than the sum of other people’s stories. I started writing the play because I wanted to see how this idea would play out in action, and the characters evolved from there.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
I already said something about my director, Jody P. Person. He’s been directing my plays for over ten years, from my first play in college to this one, and I am truly so lucky. We have very different tastes and approaches to the work we do – he’s a very physical person, for example, and trained for many years as a dancer, while I tend to be much more internal. I think we complement each other really well in this respect, and he’s instrumental in the development of all my work.

Two of our cast in 1-900-SELFPLEX – Deena Jiles and Michelle Wood – worked with us in 2007 on our FringeNYC production of my play, To Be Loved. They are both powerhouse actresses. Really, I’m so grateful they haven’t been swept up into the for-profit/commercial theatre or film industry – at least not yet – because it means they’ll work for us simply for the joy of it.

This is our first time working with Patrick Martin (who plays the boy) and Jennifer Joyce (Alberta’s partner, Max), and I’m equally grateful to have them. 1-900-SELFPLEX is Patrick’s first show in NYC. He has an astonishing presence – quiet and vulnerable, but tuned to such emotional rawness, it almost feels naked. Jennifer has been acting for many years. I have yet to get her to fess up to her full bio, but I know she’s acted with Christine Lahti and other established performers. She probably has the most experience of us all, but she’s gracious and wonderful, and the real emotional center of the play.

I should also say that everyone in the cast and crew of 1-900-SELFPLEX is somehow connected to Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, NJ. Jody coordinates the Theatre and Dance Programs; I teach for the Theatre Program and English Department; Deena, Michelle, Pat, and Jennifer are all MCCC alumni (Jennifer also teaches there now); and Robert A. Terrano, our lighting designer, is the Coordinator of the Entertainment Technology Program. Jody, Robert, and I are colleagues at MCCC as well as collaborators outside of it, and everyone involved in the production shares a common experience of working as students or instructors to make theatre happen at the college.

Fringe shows are notorious for their short rehearsal schedule. How has the rehearsal process been?
Fantastic! Yes, it’s been short, but we made a decision this time around to limit rehearsal time. Obviously we want to be prepared – and we are – but there’s something about the energy of just enough rehearsal time that keeps everyone lively and on their toes. In the past we’ve over-rehearsed, and that can be simply deadly.

What's next for you after Fringe?
More writing. And teaching. And writing.

And finally, if a genie were to grant you one wish, what would you wish for?
That these kinds of opportunities to present my work and collaborate with people I trust will never end. Genie or no genie, I honestly can’t ask for more.

1-900-SELFPLEX
Elixir Productions Theatre Company
Written by Alex DeFazio
Directed by Jody P. Person

The Studio at Cherry Lane
Mon 17 - 2 PM
Tue 18 - 5 PM
Thu 20 - 8:15 PM
Sat 22 - 4:15 PM
Thu 27 - 9:15 PM
Fri 28 - 4:45 PM

Visit FringeNYC for more information.

Fringe Q&A With Nina Morrison of Forest Maiden

By Byrne Harrison
Photos by Zoe Woodworth

Name: Nina Morrison
Show: Forest Maiden
Website: www.ninamorrison.com/forestmaiden

How did you first get involved in theatre?
In college I took an acting workshop my freshman year and loved it.

Who are your biggest influences?
Guy Maddin, Pina Bausch, Stephanie Mnookin & Eliot Laurence (comedy duo GUILE), Phil Soltanoff, Shira Piven, Wes Anderson, Gus Van Sant

What is Forest Maiden about?
Forest Maiden is a cheerfully raunchy comic fable that follows three characters: a Knight, a Maiden, and the Host of a Reality Show. The Maiden has left her elf-dyke girlfriend behind in the forest when she is captured by a Knight! The Knight has been dispatched to capture this Maiden and bring her back to the Kingdom to be assessed for marriage. A Reality Show Host has been hired to professionally assess all the maidens of the Kingdom for marriage to the Prince. The Reality Show Host meets them in the forest while he is out getting some exercise, and the three of them get lost together. As they try to find their way back to the Kingdom they fight, fuck, sing, dance and discuss philosophy, television, feminism, love, God and happiness.

What inspired you to write it?
I had been trying to find a way to talk about feminism, sexism, size-ism, and homophobia (I just typed "heterophobia" then had to correct it, sighhhh!) without being tiresome and didactic. I want to make this conversation accessible and funny and still reflect how complicated and relevant all of these things still are.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
Zoe Woodworth (Art Director, Video Designer) I worked with Zoe in March 2009 when I was production assistant on the showcase staging of Lizzie Borden: A Rock & Roll Roadshow. She designed the video for Lizzie Borden, and I loved it.

Sharla Meese (Maiden - pictured above), Katherine Wessling (Scrollturner 1), Melanie Girton Hewett (Scrollturner 2) and I last worked together in 2006 when we collaboratively created Supernatural Break Room. They are all such talented and hilarious actors and improvisers so I was excited for us to work together again. We met through mutual teacher and friend Shira Piven.

Jamie Pizzorno (Host of Reality Show) has been my friend since freshman year in college. We last worked together in our senior year on a scene I directed for a class. We waited 13 years to continue our collaboration.

Paul Jones (Lighting Designer) I met Paul in 1998 when I first began doing improv in New York and he was the only lighting designer I knew who specialized in "improv lighting". I have worked with him on all of my shows since meeting him because he is super talented and creative and I love his work.

Jimmy Helvin (Costume Designer) is a friend of mine from high school who also happens to be a brilliant designer. We last worked together in 2004 when he designed the costumes for my play Muffin Is Evil.

Caroline Oster (Queen Mary May - pictured at right) Caroline and I met a couple of years ago, and I wrote the role of Queen Mary May for her. We didn't collaborate on the writing process, but I did take notes on some conversations which became the Queen's dialog. I transcribed her stories about a "dreadful" acting workshop taught by one of Meisner's assistants involving "rolling around on the floor remembering what orange juice tastes like..." and stories about her years at her women's college "where we were required to take a posture and weight control class" and put them all in the play.

Also, I think this is noteworthy, though not related to the collaboration question: Caroline is turning 78 on the opening day of the show, and this show is her New York City theater debut. She has been doing community theater in Iowa City for the past 50 years.

Fringe shows are notorious for their short rehearsal schedule. How has the rehearsal process been?
Well, yes, the rehearsal process is definitely short and occasionally frenzied, but it has still been a great experience. The limitations and challenges presented by the timeline have, after some wringing of hands, ultimately forced us to be creative in our problem solving. The Fringe is such an excellent festival and well worth a little hand wringing, and we have all felt very supported throughout the experience.

What's next for you after Fringe?
I am working on a new play about surrealist artist Claude Cahun and her partner Marcel Moore. They were a lesbian couple who broke into the surrealist scene in Paris in the '20s and '30s, and then they moved to the Isle of Jersey in the late '30s. Jersey was occupied by Nazis and Cahun and Moore undertook a resistance campaign that lasted 4 years until they were captured and sentenced to death, but they were rescued before being killed. Somehow I'm going to find the humor and love and accessibility of their story in my play about them. Yes. I am.

And finally, if a genie were to grant you one wish, what would you wish for?
I would wish that everyone everywhere could know what a beautiful unique magical unicorn they are.

Forest Maiden
Written and Directed by Nina Morrison

HERE Arts Center - Mainstage Theater
Sat 15 - 3 PM
Sun 16 - 6:30 PM
Wed 19 - 7:45 PM
Thu 20 - 4 PM
Sat 22 - 8:30 PM

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Fringe Q&A With Ben Knox of For the Love of Christ!

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Ben Knox
Show: For the Love of Christ!
Website: Fortheloveofchristthemusical.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?
At age 11, my dad took me to audition for The King & I. I got the part of the crown prince and on my pasty face they smeared brown pancake make-up that failed to disguise me as a Siamese Prince due to my chubby, pasty-white chest being exposed in my princely garb!

Who are your biggest influences?
Trey Parker, Matt Stone and John Waters.

What is For the Love of Christ! about?
It's a bathhouse brouhaha that explores the Advent of AIDS while satirizing mankind's extremes . . . and has a plethora of killer monkeys!


Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
Brian Nash makes my songs sing! We've been working together for five years.

Karen Weatherwax and Heather Collis aid me in my book-writing by reading my pages week after week, asking questions and always insisting sense be made of my madness!

Fringe shows are notorious for their short rehearsal schedule. How has the rehearsal process been?
Don't ask!!! Luckily I thrive on uncertain outcomes and surprise at every turn! Let's hope, after the inevitable transfer, we have a little more time ;)

What's next for you after Fringe?
Fame and fortune!

And finally, if a genie were to grant you one wish, what would you wish for?
To expedite the aforementioned fame and fortune, especially the fortune part--starving artist is so passé!

For the Love of Christ!
Book/Music/Lyrics by Ben Knox
Additional Lyrics & Arrangements by Brian J. Nash
Additional Book by Heather Collis & Karen Weatherwax
Director: Holly-Anne Ruggiero
Choreographer: Holly Cruz

Cherry Lane Theatre
Sat 15 - 2:15 PM
Wed 19 - 10 PM
Fri 21 - 5 PM
Mon 24 - 3 PM
Fri 28 - 7 PM

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Review - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival)

Review by Byrne Harrison

How best to describe the glorious madness that is The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)? Perhaps, taking a page from the play's version of Titus Andronicus (which is turned into a cooking show), I can best describe it as a recipe.

Take 37 plays, toss until thoroughly mixed. Place into a hot frying pan and reduce to approximately 97 minutes. Add three actors, sprinkled with neuroses, one property mistress who would clearly rather be anywhere else, and a big bag of tricks. Heat until boiling. Shake violently, then with a smile on your face, ladle it into the laps of your dinner guests.

Even that does not begin to describe the lunacy of this wild and interactive play. Created by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, William Shakespeare (Abridged) has spawned a number of similar hits: The Complete History of America (Abridged), All The Great Books (Abridged), and Western Civilization: The Complete Musical (Abridged) just to name a few. But the original is still the best.

In the play, three actors Kurt (Kurt Rhoads), Chris (Christopher V. Edwards) and Jason (Jason O'Connell) take on the task of producing all of Shakespeare's plays in one evening. This requires grit, ingenuity, and more than a little cross-dressing. It also helps to have a slightly bored, but very efficient prop mistress (Kate Abbruzzese). The actors make their way through the comedies, histories, and all but one of the tragedies. Realizing that they forgot Hamlet, the greatest of Shakespeare's plays, they devote the entire second act to it.

Directed by Terrence O'Brien with an eye toward milking all the comedy possible out of the script, and utilizing the manic energy of the exceptional cast, William Shakespeare (Abridged) will keep you laughing so hard, you may not be able to catch your breath.

A few words of warning. If you do not like audience participation, sit toward the back. You will still have to participate, mind you, but you probably won't be called up on stage. If it is a sunny day, bring sunglasses. The tent in which the show is being produced is open on one side (it has a breathtaking view) and gets a lot of direct sunlight as the sun sets.

Featuring four talented actors, a marvellous script, and the wide-open vistas of the Hudson Valley, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is one of the most enjoyable productions I've seen this year. Go early, have a picnic, and enjoy this fun and silly production.


The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield
Directed by Terrence O'Brien
Lighting Design by Dan Scully
Costume Design by Melissa Daghini
Sound Design by Matt Sherwin
Properties Design by Brett Travis and Phoebe Slocum
Stage Manager: David Apichell

HVSF Artistic Director: Terrence O'Brien
HVSF Executive Director: Susan Landstreet

Featuring: Katharine Abbruzzese (Kate), Christopher V. Edwards (Chris), Kurt Rhoads (Kurt), Jason O'Connell (Jason)

New York International Fringe Festival - Fun Stuff

By Byrne Harrison

As companies gear up for the start of the New York International Fringe Festival, keep an eye open for some of the fun publicity and fundraising events that they have planned.

Last night I attended a cabaret at Don't Tell Mama benefiting Far Out, a new sci-fi musical comedy by Brian Breen and Michael Chartier being produced by Supreme Eyeball Productions. The evening featured the cast of Far Out singing a number of cabaret and musical theatre staples, as well as a couple of songs from the show. In addition to performing, the cast stayed around for a meet and greet, auctioned off several items (including the shirt off cast member Eddie Rabon's back), and handed out some promo CDs. While I will wait and see what Far Out is like, I will say that they have an incredibly talented cast (Nick Adams, Tiffan Borelli, Michael Breen, Ashleigh Davidson, Mary Katherine DeChiara, Jan DiPietro, Alden Fulcomer, Marcie Henderson, Holly Holcomb, Lorinne Lampert, Spencer Liff, Andrea McCullough, Eddie Rabon, Hollis Scarborough, Mykel Vaughn, and Timothy Warmen).

All in all, a terrific evening, and one that is being repeated all over the city as the various companies try to generate buzz for their Fringe shows.

If you want to get in on the fun, visit the Fringe website and find some shows that sound interesting to you. Visit their websites and sign up for their mailing lists. Visit their Facebook and MySpace pages. And above all, attend some of these events. It's a great opportunity to meet the cast and writers of this year's Fringe shows.

Review - On the Way Down (Ashberry Productions)

Review by Byrne Harrison

For people who are still in their twenties, the characters in Michael V. Rudez's play On the Way Down are facing a remarkably middle-aged problem - the sneaking suspicion that they took a wrong turn somewhere along the way and the lives they are living are not the ones they were meant to live.

Josie, Browning and Stevenson are old friends taking their annual trip to the beach. Having started out at Jones Beach in their youth, they've upgraded to East Hampton now that they are living somewhat more staid and comfortable lives. Something about this year's trip is different, however. First, Josie's husband Don decided to take the kids up by bus, allowing Josie some time with her friends. Second, and more disturbingly, everyone in New York City has decided, for some reason, to come to the Hamptons as well. Millions and millions of people, all in a relatively small area. Though never seen, their numbers lead to a crushing sense of claustraphobia, most notably affecting Josie, who already seems somewhat confused and on edge.

While the friends dance around what is bothering Josie, we find out about their lives and their past. Both Stevenson and Browning were Josie's lovers at one time. While Stevenson, an alpha male Wall Streeter, is happy in the life he has built for himself, even if it is different from the one the friends imagined, Browning is stuck facing backwards. He is still in love with Josie and spends his days remembering their time together. Josie is somewhere in between. She recognizes the good things in her life, her husband and children, but isn't quite sure how she went from being a carefree teen to a wife and mother.

Rudez's script is a bit difficult. First, he isn't going for easy answers. There are no facile explanations for what he puts on stage, no tying up of loose ends. His play seems to be creating an atmosphere, one full of loss and regret, more than telling a simple point-A-to-point-B story. It is at times confusing, but it is moving as well.

Lindsay Wolf is outstanding as Josie. A complex character under extraordinary pressue, Wolf wrings every bit of emotion and depth out of Rudez's script, and gives and incredibly moving portrayal of this surprisingly fragile person. Rocco Chierichella does a good job as the macho and somewhat boorish Stevenson. He is a less complex person, more than happy with the simple pleasures. Chierichella is best when playing off Wolf; they are extremely good playing friends who know just which buttons to push to get a reaction out of each other. Steven Todd Smith as Browning doesn't always seem to be fully present. In part, that may be due to the nature of the character; Browning seems to be an observer of life, more than a participant. However, a more nuanced performance could flesh Browning out somewhat and make him an equal to Josie and Stevenson.

Dan Waldron's direction is solid, though at times the play tends to drag and seems longer than its relatively short running time. Production elements are good, with Jessie Kressen's curtain-draped set being particularly noteworthy.

On the Way Down
Written by Michael V. Rudez
Direction: Dan Waldron
Sets: Jessie Kressen
Costumes: Campbell Ringel
Lights: Tom Bergeron
Producers: Michael Mraz, Michael Lister
Stage Management: Su Hendrickson
Assistant Costumes: Katie Gaughran
Technical Director: Nathaniel Kressen
Photography: Michael Bartelle

The Access Theater
380 Broadway, 4th Floor

Closed Aug. 9th

On the Way Down Throwdown - And the Winner Is . . .

By Byrne Harrison

Congratulations to the participants of the On the Way Down Throwdown tonight at the Access Theater. It was a terrific event, and the three companies did a great job with their entries.

First up was Rebellious Subjects Theatre with their "Audience Interactive Bar Snacks." These sweet and spicy roasted pecans were a treat, and very appropriate for a company known for putting on productions of Shakespeare's plays in bars.

Next up was Hip Obscurity, who referenced their mission of producing works dealing with gender and sexual identity issues by submitting a "How Do You Identify: Tapenade or Bottom?" These goat chese, fig and olive appetizers were a savory success.

Finally, hosts Ashberry Productions presented a vegan treat - "Lindsay's New Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake." Delicious and creamy, you'd never guess it was vegan.

And the winners (chosen by celebrity judges Paul Schultz, Elizabeth Hodes and Paul Capone) were:

1st Prize - Hip Obscurity
2nd Prize - Rebellious Subjects Theatre
3rd Prize - Ashberry Productions

Finally, the Audience Choice Award went to Ashberry Productions.

The winners received prize packages which included legal services, public relations services, publishing assistance, memberships with United Stages and Fractured Atlas, among other items.

All in all a great event for the audience and the participants. Here's hoping we see more events like this in the future.

Sun, Sand, Surf and Songs

By Byrne Harrison

Frequent visitors to Provincetown know to head to the Crown & Anchor's Central House Cabaret to hear Bobby Weatherbee whenever they need a healthy dose of Broadway music. Weatherbee performs every Thursday-Sunday from 9 PM to closing. If you haven't seen him perform, you have to go at least once. You'll have a great time singing along to your Broadway favorites.

For those of you who don't want to stay up quite so late, or have other uses for your nighttime hours, I recently discovered the Afternoon Music Escape at The Waterford Tavern (part of the Waterford Inn). Every Wednesday-Saturday from 4-6 PM, pianist John Thomas performs at Captain Lavender's Deck.

On Friday and Saturday, Thomas is joined by Adam Berry and Ben Griessmeyer. Charming and charismatic, Berry and Griessmeyer delight with their golden voices, humor and marvelous arrangements. Best of all, you can see Berry and Griessmeyer after their cabaret performing in the Provincetown Theater's production of Moises Kaufman's Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.

I highly recommend attending one of Berry and Griessmeyer's performances.

2 Boys in a Bed . . . to Return August 7th - September 6th at the Art House in Provincetown

By Byrne Harrison

2 Boys in a Bed on a Cold Winter's Night returns for it's third engagement in Provincetown on Friday, August 7th. The latest incarnation features Aaron Tone and Scott Douglas Cunningham.

Produced and directed by OBIE Award winner David Drake, 2 Boys in a Bed . . . will play five more weekends this summer.

Fresh from his Director’s Fellowship at Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute Theatre Lab in Utah, director/producer David Drake welcomes actor Aaron Tone to star opposite Scott Douglas Cunningham in this summer’s return engagement of 2 Boys in a Bed on a Cold Winter’s Night at the Art House Theatre in Provincetown, MA. Tone, who received rave reviews for his performance as the volatile baseball player Shane Mungitt in the Provincetown Theatre Company’s current production of Take Me Out, will be doing double-duty as a performer in P’town this month -- with Take Me Out continuing its run thru August 20th and 2 Boys in a Bed… playing through Labor Day weekend.

A post-coital love story, James Edwin Parker’s internationally acclaimed 2 Boys in a Bed . . . explores the intimate emotions that arise between two gay men following a one-night stand in New York’s Greenwich Village, circa 1987. 2 Boys in a Bed . . . will run at the Art House for five consecutive weekends at 9PM on Fridays and Saturdays from August 7th through August 22nd, and then at 9PM on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from August 27th through September 5th. A special Sunday night performance of 2 Boys in a Bed . . . will play at 8PM on September 6th.

2 Boys in a Bed... is for adults only. The production contains nudity and sexual situations, which pretty much guarantees a good audience. Get your tickets early.

The Art House Theatre, 214 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA. All tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the Art House box office starting daily at noon, or online.

On the Way Down Throwdown

By Byrne Harrison

New York is a foodie paradise. So it makes sense that everyone, even the theatres, would want to get in on that action. After tomorrow night's performance of On the Way Down, Small Pond Entertainment and Ashberry Productions will be hosting a special foodie event.

For one night only - prepare your taste buds for the ultimate theatrical food competition. The On the Way Down THROWDOWN!

Here's how it works. Theater companies and other individuals will prepare an appetizer or dessert that will be sampled by both the audience and special celebrity judges representing both the theater and culinary communities. There will be an Audience Choice Award, declared by the tasters, and a Grand Jury prize, delivered by the special guest judges!

Prizes will be awarded at the end.

The lineup of the On the Way Down THROWDOWN includes:

Ashberry Productions

Rebellious Subjects

Hip Obscurity

Judges confirmed thus far are:

Elizabeth Hodes (Food Network Ice Age Cake Challenge and owner of Elizabeth Hodes Custom Cakes and Sugar Art)

Paul Schultz (Former food editor for the NY Daily News)

Paul Capone (Professional chef running an NYC Catering Service)

And this is just a taste of the final line-up.

"But wait," I hear you say. "How can I get a piece of this?"

Simple. Just buy a ticket to see On the Way Down, the cost of the THROWDOWN is a 1-drink minimum (with beers starting at only $3 a bottle).

"But what if I saw On the Way Down already?"

See it again! Or just bring your program to the THROWDOWN for a free admission (with, of course, a 1-drink minimum).

If you ONLY come to see the THROWDOWN, it's $5 at the door and a 1-drink minimum.

Tickets for On the Way Down can be purchased here.

Show begins at 8PM. The food competition begins at 9:45 pm.


ON THE WAY DOWN
A new play by Michael Rudez
Directed by Daniel Waldron

It’s a summer’s afternoon and all eight million New Yorkers have invaded the Hamptons for the weekend. Why everyone has come remains a mystery, but what is clear is that the situation is becoming too much for three of them to handle. Since graduation from college, Josie, Browning and Stevenson have made the Hamptons their sanctuary. With this now under attack combined with the mounting fear that Josie’s husband and children are later than expected create a turbulent atmosphere in which one of them pushes the envelope too far, and the audience is left asking themselves: “how far is too far to go to save someone’s sanity”?

With Lindsay Wolf, Steven Todd Smith, Rocco Chierichella

Performance Schedule:
Thursday, July 30th at 8PM
Friday, July 31st at 8PM
Sunday, August 2nd at 8PM
Wednesday, August 5th at 8PM
Thursday, August 6th at 8PM - and the ON THE WAY DOWN THROWDOWN @ 9:45 PM
Friday, August 7th at 8PM
Saturday, August 8th at 2PM and 8PM
Sunday, August 9th at 8PM

Review - All The Kings Men

Review by Byrne Harrison
Photos by Li Colandrea

One audience member, upon leaving the Art House after an All The Kings Men performance, sniffingly said to her partner, "How can they call themselves drag kings? There wasn't even a single dildo in their show."

Clearly, she didn't get it, and that's a pity. Because of her preconceived notions of what a drag king show must be, she couldn't enjoy the rollicking entertainment that this talented cast provided during their too short stay in Provincetown as part of Girl Splash Weekend.

Luckily, Ms. Sniffy was in the minority. The rest of the audience clearly enjoyed ATKM for what it is, an all female theatre ensemble that explores gender stereotypes using physical theatre, costume, dance, music, comedy, and lip-synch. Their sketches range from comedy (a great sketch about two boys who discover love to a Wham! song), to drama (a marvellous dance performance about saving the planet), to just plain amazing (an exceptional dance tribute to Michael Jackson that had to be seen to be believed). They explore sexual attraction, gender identity, and the nature of drag itself. And they are, above all, entertaining and talented performers who create a show that is a melange of drag, theatre, dance, and performance art.

If you are in the Boston area, keep an eye open for All The Kings Men. If you like clever sketch comedy, music, dance, and an incredibly talented group of actors, you shouldn't miss their shows. If you're not in the Boston area, ATKM does travel, so visit their website and sign up for their mailing list.

For a sample of ATKM in action, watch their YouTube promo, and look out for "Play in the Gray," an upcoming documentary about the troupe.



All The Kings Men features: Katie Allen, Julee Antonellis, Leighsa Burgin, Jill Gibson, Maria Kogan, Karin Webb

Win a Custom Song, Support New York Theatre Barn

By Byrne Harrison

Looking for a unique gift? Want an audition song that no one else has heard? Feel like supporting a great nonprofit?

New York Theatre Barn is auctioning off a song written just for you by the writing team of Anna K. Jacobs and Maggie Kate Coleman – authors of the new musical POP! The winner will receive sheet music of the song, as well as a professional recording — generously provided by MoppTopp Records.

New York Theatre Barn produces a monthly platform (NYTB at The Duplex) for emerging writers and performers at the legendary Duplex Cabaret in the West Village. They are now partnering with these artists to extend their creativity out to you, while benefiting New York Theatre Barn’s mission to investigate, develop, and advance new work.

Click here to visit the auction and bid on this unique item.


ANNA K. JACOBS is a composer-lyricist from Sydney, Australia. She wrote the music for POP! (Yale Repertory Theatre, scheduled 2009) and STELLA AND THE MOON MAN (Sydney Theatre Company/ Theatre of Image/ Australian Youth Orchestra, 2005), which won a Helpmann Award. Her music and lyrics have been featured at Joe's Pub, The York Theatre, Theatre Row, NYTB at the Duplex, Barrington Stage, Goodspeed, Don't Tell Mama, The Darlinghurst Theatre, and the Art Gallery of NSW. Current projects include music for HARMONY, KANSAS, a full-length piece about a gay men’s chorus in rural Kansas, and lyrics for SHOOTING FROM THE HIP, a song cycle commissioned to open the 2010 Sydney Festival. She is a graduate of NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and the University of Sydney, and also studied composition at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Anna is proud to be represented by the Australian Music Centre and MorningStar Music Publishers. Member: Dramatists Guild of America.

MAGGIE-KATE COLEMAN (Bookwriter, Lyricist, etc.) Recent works include POP! with music by Anna K. Jacobs (Yale Repertory Theatre, scheduled 2009), STEPMOMMY DEAREST, a song-cycle written with Jacobs, and FROM A CHILDHOOD, written with Erato Kremmyda, (Montclair State University in April 2009). Her work has been featured at The York Theatre Company’s NEO Cabaret (with composer Daniel Maté), Joe’s Pub, Barrington Stage, Laurie Beechman Theater, Prospect Theater Company (with Julia Meinwald), Goodspeed Musicals, The Darlinghurst Theatre, and New York Theatre Barn. Current projects include RAINSONG, a dance theatre piece with composer Erato Kremmyda and choreographer Clare Cook; an adaptation of Ludwig Tieck’s DER BLONDE ECKBERT; and a full-length musical inspired by poems from Rainer Maria Rilke's Book of Images. A graduate of Ithaca College and Tisch School of the Arts at NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program, she also trained at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Member: Dramatists Guild of America.

NEW YORK THEATRE BARN (NYTB). Under the direction of Joe Barros (Artistic Director) and Reed Prescott (Executive Director), New York Theatre Barn is a not-for-profit theatre company dedicated to the investigation, development, and advancement of new evocative works. New York Theatre Barn launched in April of 2007 and has since grown and evolved. In just two years, NYTB introduced a monthly springboard event for emerging writers and performers (NYTB at The Duplex), presented concerts and staged readings (including the musical BIG FAT CAT with Bruce Vilanch and I MARRIED WYATT EARP with Tovah Feldshuh, directed by Tony-nominee Graciela Daniele) and produced a fully realized productions (including WOOD at NYMF with Tony Award winner Cady Huffman). Recent productions include the musical parody HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT MOVIE WOULD MAKE A GOOD MUSICAL? at the Julia Miles Theatre and Bridget Bailey’s one-woman play CHILD OF HUNGRY TIMES (nominated for two Planet Connections Theatre Festival Awards).