The cast of the Tony Award-winning Fela! will be performing and signing their newly released cast album at the Borders bookstore at 10 Columbus Circle on Friday, June 18th at 5 PM.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Fela! Cast Album Signing This Week
By Byrne Harrison
The cast of the Tony Award-winning Fela! will be performing and signing their newly released cast album at the Borders bookstore at 10 Columbus Circle on Friday, June 18th at 5 PM.
The cast of the Tony Award-winning Fela! will be performing and signing their newly released cast album at the Borders bookstore at 10 Columbus Circle on Friday, June 18th at 5 PM.
Neo-Futurists Present Their 4th Annual Gay Pride Performances
By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Matt Lucas
The New York Neo-Futurists present their 4th Annual Gay Pride edition of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, their twice-weekly critically acclaimed, energetic show of original short plays.
Too Much PRIDE Makes the Baby Go Gay: 30 Gay Plays in 60 Straight Minutes, will be raising money to benefit LGBTQ advocacy in Uganda through the Fund for Global Human Rights, in an effort to combat proposed legislation that could make it a criminal offense to be gay, with punishment by imprisonment and even execution.
Too Much PRIDE Makes the Baby Go Gay will be performed at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003) on Friday, June 25th and Saturday, June 26th at 10:30pm. Tickets are $20.00. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.nyneofuturists.org or by calling 212-352-3101.
Photo by Matt Lucas
The New York Neo-Futurists present their 4th Annual Gay Pride edition of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, their twice-weekly critically acclaimed, energetic show of original short plays.Too Much PRIDE Makes the Baby Go Gay: 30 Gay Plays in 60 Straight Minutes, will be raising money to benefit LGBTQ advocacy in Uganda through the Fund for Global Human Rights, in an effort to combat proposed legislation that could make it a criminal offense to be gay, with punishment by imprisonment and even execution.
Too Much PRIDE Makes the Baby Go Gay will be performed at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003) on Friday, June 25th and Saturday, June 26th at 10:30pm. Tickets are $20.00. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.nyneofuturists.org or by calling 212-352-3101.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Too Soon Festival Interview - Crystal Skillman of HACK! an I.T. Spaghetti Western
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Crystal Skillman
Play: HACK! an I.T. Spaghetti Western
Relationship to production (playwright/director/actor/etc.): playwright
Website: www.impetuoustheater.org and
www.google.com/profiles/crystalskillman
How long have you been involved in theatre?
10 years professionally.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Oddly enough, it’s a play I saw as a teenager in Woodstock. I had driven up there in my Chevy Nova from Wappingers Falls – I’m not sure what made me go but it was Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitmore. It told the story of Alan Turing, the cryptanalyst, completely out of order, but I totally understood it and knew the audience did too. The production was in the round and one minute Alan was in his 20s, then 6, then sixteen. I loved how inventive the play was, not only with the story, which is fascinating, but in terms of how the story was told. It’s something I strive for in my own plays – to tell the story in a theatrically truthful, and personal, way.
What is your show about?
When Hedge fund I.T. employees, Cal, Dash, and Jay, discover that they’ve been hacked – and that the hack is one of them – they scramble to pin it on each other in order to snag the gold in this ultimate showdown of the Good, the Bad and the Geek. Staged as episodes from a T.V office melodrama with the underbelly of a spaghetti western, HACK! is a “ Live DVD Cut” of the first season acted out in front of you.
What led you to write it?
I’d just gotten laid off from a dayjob so I was figuring out what to do about that. But at the same time there was this new idea for a play I couldn’t get out of my head! My friend, a hacker who leads an I.T team, missed a play of mine last spring because he had to stay up all night “fighting a virus” that was attacking his company. There was something about this story that meant even more to me after seeing so many of my friends being laid off, and me eventually with them. When I started to research, it popped into my head – the tension of those office politics, the struggle to understand what you’re a part of and why, and especially the hacker world is kinda like a western! From handles like “Gunslinger”, to the idea of hacking a hedge fund being like stealing the gold, to the idea of spurs being the sound of your boss flicking his keys coming down the hall - the concept emerged of a play set in the real world that exposed this underlying tension through the lens of a Spaghetti Western feel to the play/direction. When the very awesome Qui Nguyen asked me to write for the Vampire Cowboys Saloon Series this past season, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to write this play to be shown in episodes and instantly director John Hurley (12th Night of the Living Dead, After Darwin) popped into my head as the perfect director for the project. I love how grounded and real his work feels but there’s such a heightened quality/tone to it. Really brilliant stuff and it’s such a joy working with him. And – he loves westerns! We had a real blast developing the material together, which has continued in our other collaborations (we recently worked together on my play The Vigil or the Guided Cradle). We’re so happy to be diving back in and hanging with our amazing cast again as we rehearse, which only grows more and more zany as it goes - beanie babies, drugs and now DVD credits...? Such fun.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
I love, love, love The Brick. I’ve always wanted to be involved with them and this festival. I saw James Comtois’s Infectious Opportunity there last summer and got to see Matthew Freeman’s Glee Club (originally in last year’s summer festival), when it was remounted by Blue Coyote this spring. Both pieces rocked my world. I was lucky to get to really know Jeff Lewonczyk and Hope Cartelli at the Vampire Cowboy’s Saloon Series (where they do Lady Crypto which rocks my universe just as much as Craven Monkey! If you can’t tell I’m a fan … :) and they were really supportive of my work. They encouraged me to submit Vigil and luckily they, as well as Michael Gardner and Robert Honeywell, really dug the play. We were in rehearsal when I found out about HACK! which I had also submitted for the summer festival. I’m so glad they picked it – John and I, as well as our lovely producer Amanda Feldman, and the wonderful Impetuous Theater Group who’ve returned to play with us again after Vigil, really thought the festival would be a great next step for the play as we explore the material further. We’re honored to be a part of it and excited to see all the shows!
What's next for you after Too Soon?
This summer I’ll be writing two new full length plays – one is a commission for Vampire Cowboys, which I can’t wait to start. The other is totally written in my head from start to finish. It’s called Another Kind of Love and is about three fucked up sisters in a failed rock band from the '80s that have a chance to re-record their one hit wonder in Woodstock. Really looking forward to hunkering down and getting these babies out on paper! Production wise, this summer my ghost story play The Telling will be staged by director Heidi Handelsman site specifically with a great cast in a backyard in Brooklyn at dusk on June 13th; I’ve written a new short play for the Women’s Project Lab that will be directed by Alice Regan as part of an evening that will feature our work at the Julia Miles Theater on July 15th; also I’m one of the writers for the 48 Hour Musicals going on this August in Chicago at the Music Theater Company. And keep your fingers crossed – That’s Andy, the musical I’ve written book/lyrics for about a boy who wants to play “Annie”, is a finalist for the NAMT festival of new musicals this fall.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
This is a great question! Want to just keep exploring more – from trips overseas to the nooks and crannies of our own awesome city boroughs with Fred, my wonderful husband and fellow writer.
Hack! an I.T. Spaghetti Western
Written by Crystal Skillman
Directed by John Hurley
75 minutes
Thu 6/10, 7pm
Sat 6/12, 8:45pm
Sun 6/13, 2pm
Wed 6/16, 7pm
Sat 6/19, 7pm
Sun 6/20, 8:45pm
Name: Crystal Skillman
Play: HACK! an I.T. Spaghetti Western
Relationship to production (playwright/director/actor/etc.): playwright
Website: www.impetuoustheater.org and
www.google.com/profiles/crystalskillman
How long have you been involved in theatre?
10 years professionally.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Oddly enough, it’s a play I saw as a teenager in Woodstock. I had driven up there in my Chevy Nova from Wappingers Falls – I’m not sure what made me go but it was Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitmore. It told the story of Alan Turing, the cryptanalyst, completely out of order, but I totally understood it and knew the audience did too. The production was in the round and one minute Alan was in his 20s, then 6, then sixteen. I loved how inventive the play was, not only with the story, which is fascinating, but in terms of how the story was told. It’s something I strive for in my own plays – to tell the story in a theatrically truthful, and personal, way.
What is your show about? When Hedge fund I.T. employees, Cal, Dash, and Jay, discover that they’ve been hacked – and that the hack is one of them – they scramble to pin it on each other in order to snag the gold in this ultimate showdown of the Good, the Bad and the Geek. Staged as episodes from a T.V office melodrama with the underbelly of a spaghetti western, HACK! is a “ Live DVD Cut” of the first season acted out in front of you.
What led you to write it?
I’d just gotten laid off from a dayjob so I was figuring out what to do about that. But at the same time there was this new idea for a play I couldn’t get out of my head! My friend, a hacker who leads an I.T team, missed a play of mine last spring because he had to stay up all night “fighting a virus” that was attacking his company. There was something about this story that meant even more to me after seeing so many of my friends being laid off, and me eventually with them. When I started to research, it popped into my head – the tension of those office politics, the struggle to understand what you’re a part of and why, and especially the hacker world is kinda like a western! From handles like “Gunslinger”, to the idea of hacking a hedge fund being like stealing the gold, to the idea of spurs being the sound of your boss flicking his keys coming down the hall - the concept emerged of a play set in the real world that exposed this underlying tension through the lens of a Spaghetti Western feel to the play/direction. When the very awesome Qui Nguyen asked me to write for the Vampire Cowboys Saloon Series this past season, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to write this play to be shown in episodes and instantly director John Hurley (12th Night of the Living Dead, After Darwin) popped into my head as the perfect director for the project. I love how grounded and real his work feels but there’s such a heightened quality/tone to it. Really brilliant stuff and it’s such a joy working with him. And – he loves westerns! We had a real blast developing the material together, which has continued in our other collaborations (we recently worked together on my play The Vigil or the Guided Cradle). We’re so happy to be diving back in and hanging with our amazing cast again as we rehearse, which only grows more and more zany as it goes - beanie babies, drugs and now DVD credits...? Such fun.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
I love, love, love The Brick. I’ve always wanted to be involved with them and this festival. I saw James Comtois’s Infectious Opportunity there last summer and got to see Matthew Freeman’s Glee Club (originally in last year’s summer festival), when it was remounted by Blue Coyote this spring. Both pieces rocked my world. I was lucky to get to really know Jeff Lewonczyk and Hope Cartelli at the Vampire Cowboy’s Saloon Series (where they do Lady Crypto which rocks my universe just as much as Craven Monkey! If you can’t tell I’m a fan … :) and they were really supportive of my work. They encouraged me to submit Vigil and luckily they, as well as Michael Gardner and Robert Honeywell, really dug the play. We were in rehearsal when I found out about HACK! which I had also submitted for the summer festival. I’m so glad they picked it – John and I, as well as our lovely producer Amanda Feldman, and the wonderful Impetuous Theater Group who’ve returned to play with us again after Vigil, really thought the festival would be a great next step for the play as we explore the material further. We’re honored to be a part of it and excited to see all the shows!
What's next for you after Too Soon?
This summer I’ll be writing two new full length plays – one is a commission for Vampire Cowboys, which I can’t wait to start. The other is totally written in my head from start to finish. It’s called Another Kind of Love and is about three fucked up sisters in a failed rock band from the '80s that have a chance to re-record their one hit wonder in Woodstock. Really looking forward to hunkering down and getting these babies out on paper! Production wise, this summer my ghost story play The Telling will be staged by director Heidi Handelsman site specifically with a great cast in a backyard in Brooklyn at dusk on June 13th; I’ve written a new short play for the Women’s Project Lab that will be directed by Alice Regan as part of an evening that will feature our work at the Julia Miles Theater on July 15th; also I’m one of the writers for the 48 Hour Musicals going on this August in Chicago at the Music Theater Company. And keep your fingers crossed – That’s Andy, the musical I’ve written book/lyrics for about a boy who wants to play “Annie”, is a finalist for the NAMT festival of new musicals this fall.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
This is a great question! Want to just keep exploring more – from trips overseas to the nooks and crannies of our own awesome city boroughs with Fred, my wonderful husband and fellow writer.
Hack! an I.T. Spaghetti Western
Written by Crystal Skillman
Directed by John Hurley
75 minutes
Thu 6/10, 7pm
Sat 6/12, 8:45pm
Sun 6/13, 2pm
Wed 6/16, 7pm
Sat 6/19, 7pm
Sun 6/20, 8:45pm
Too Soon Festival Interview - Danny Bowes and Jillian Tully of Chemistry
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Danny Bowes and Jillian Tully
Play: Chemistry
Relationship to production: Danny: co-author, actor, director; Jillian: (takes a deep breath) I am one of the two playwrights. I am also playing the male lead, designing the costumes and sound cues, and assisting the director. You know, now that I think of it, I'm kind of a co-producer, too. How's that for a relationship? Maybe we need to start thinking about giving each other some space, taking a break, possibly even seeing other people...
Website: The official Facebook event invitation page for Chemistry
How long have you been involved in theatre?
Danny: I wrote my first play in high school, and started acting in college, so about 15 and 13 years respectively.
Jillian: Consciously? Since about 4th grade... but one could argue that I've been giving acting choices as far back as when they were merely compensation for being too young to write my own name or form coherent sentences. Oh wow, that sounds terrible. Let's just stick with 4th grade, then.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Danny: Betrayal by Harold Pinter, for the use of what appears to be a gimmick at first---the backward structure---but what actually turns out to be an essential part of the play being as emotionally powerful as it is.
Jillian: Hands down - Pippin. I was taken to see a high school production of it when I was about 9 years old. I'd always liked musicals and dance, coming from a theatrical family and all, but this was the first show I had seen that looked, sounded and felt like what I wanted to be doing. The face paint, the folky, pop-informed music, the costumes - there was this sort of DIY, punk rock playfulness to this awesome show about a guy trying to find his place in the world that gobsmacked me then and still stays with me now. I actually have a tattoo of a Pippin Apple; I got it to celebrate my first full year of making theatre my career, you know, finding my "corner of the sky" and what have you.
What is your show about?
Danny: As Marlo Stanfield once mumbled malignantly "You want it to be one way . . . but it's the other way." More specifically, it's about a relationship where one party is at the beginning and the other is at the end. And, in that sense, it's about the different way men and women view relationships, and since Jillian and I are playing each other, about each trying to understand the other.
Jillian: ...How awesome Mexican pop music is. No, that's not right - it's a boy-meets-girl story, only, of course, gender-switched. Which I guess makes it a girl-as-boy-meets-boy-as-girl story, then?
What led you to create it?
Danny: The initial idea was Jillian and I writing the story of how we met together, which was soon followed by the idea of each other in drag. It's kind of hard to say what led us to that, though whiskey and insomnia are probably high up on my list.
Jillian: These questions! Doozies, they are. This play was born out of the very true events contained within it. I can't speak for anyone else, but sometimes life can feel scripted... so, why the hell not write one? The progression from off-the-cuff idea to the actual production has been crazy; I have had the thought during this process that this must be what the editors of reality TV feel like. No... I think Danny and I are way cooler than any reality show "personalities", if only because we listen to Mexican pop music.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
Danny: Our entire show is about things being too soon. It's that simple. And we came up with it before they announced the festival theme!
Jillian: Well, both Danny and I are part of the lovely little Island of Misfit Toys that orbit The Brick... and serendipity? Happenstance? We had a story on our hands that could easily be a business meeting presentation on the concept of "too soon". In fact, even our submission went in before the real-life story's conclusion had happened. The amount of meta is making my eyes cross. I love it.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
Danny: Getting my movie production company, Seedy Kay Films, off the ground, and working on a couple scripts I want to film.
Jillian: I have started work on designing costumes for the play Father Of Lies, written and directed by Jose Zayas, which will be going up in July as part of PS122's Undergroundzero Festival, as well as returning to the handful of musical theatre projects in development that have me on their cast list, recording my next EP with my band, rainy day assembly, singing in the subway and of course, continuing my campaign to convince my cats to let me pick them up and hug them.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
Danny: Probably spend most of the two hours trying to scheme a way to squeeze another two out of the deal, and the last minute or so pondering the notions of futility and irony.
Jillian: Check Facebook. I wish you could see my lack of ability to keep a straight face there. My usual shift as a subway musician is two hours - I'd do that. Or, you know... play with my cats.
Chemistry
Written by Danny Bowes and Jillian Tully
Directed by Danny Bowes
75 minutes
Sun 6/6, 5pm
Fri 6/11, 7:30pm
Sat 6/12, 10:45pm
Tue 6/15, 8:45pm
Thu 6/17, 7pm
Name: Danny Bowes and Jillian TullyPlay: Chemistry
Relationship to production: Danny: co-author, actor, director; Jillian: (takes a deep breath) I am one of the two playwrights. I am also playing the male lead, designing the costumes and sound cues, and assisting the director. You know, now that I think of it, I'm kind of a co-producer, too. How's that for a relationship? Maybe we need to start thinking about giving each other some space, taking a break, possibly even seeing other people...
Website: The official Facebook event invitation page for Chemistry
How long have you been involved in theatre?
Danny: I wrote my first play in high school, and started acting in college, so about 15 and 13 years respectively.
Jillian: Consciously? Since about 4th grade... but one could argue that I've been giving acting choices as far back as when they were merely compensation for being too young to write my own name or form coherent sentences. Oh wow, that sounds terrible. Let's just stick with 4th grade, then.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Danny: Betrayal by Harold Pinter, for the use of what appears to be a gimmick at first---the backward structure---but what actually turns out to be an essential part of the play being as emotionally powerful as it is.
Jillian: Hands down - Pippin. I was taken to see a high school production of it when I was about 9 years old. I'd always liked musicals and dance, coming from a theatrical family and all, but this was the first show I had seen that looked, sounded and felt like what I wanted to be doing. The face paint, the folky, pop-informed music, the costumes - there was this sort of DIY, punk rock playfulness to this awesome show about a guy trying to find his place in the world that gobsmacked me then and still stays with me now. I actually have a tattoo of a Pippin Apple; I got it to celebrate my first full year of making theatre my career, you know, finding my "corner of the sky" and what have you.
What is your show about?
Danny: As Marlo Stanfield once mumbled malignantly "You want it to be one way . . . but it's the other way." More specifically, it's about a relationship where one party is at the beginning and the other is at the end. And, in that sense, it's about the different way men and women view relationships, and since Jillian and I are playing each other, about each trying to understand the other.
Jillian: ...How awesome Mexican pop music is. No, that's not right - it's a boy-meets-girl story, only, of course, gender-switched. Which I guess makes it a girl-as-boy-meets-boy-as-girl story, then?
What led you to create it?
Danny: The initial idea was Jillian and I writing the story of how we met together, which was soon followed by the idea of each other in drag. It's kind of hard to say what led us to that, though whiskey and insomnia are probably high up on my list.
Jillian: These questions! Doozies, they are. This play was born out of the very true events contained within it. I can't speak for anyone else, but sometimes life can feel scripted... so, why the hell not write one? The progression from off-the-cuff idea to the actual production has been crazy; I have had the thought during this process that this must be what the editors of reality TV feel like. No... I think Danny and I are way cooler than any reality show "personalities", if only because we listen to Mexican pop music.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
Danny: Our entire show is about things being too soon. It's that simple. And we came up with it before they announced the festival theme!
Jillian: Well, both Danny and I are part of the lovely little Island of Misfit Toys that orbit The Brick... and serendipity? Happenstance? We had a story on our hands that could easily be a business meeting presentation on the concept of "too soon". In fact, even our submission went in before the real-life story's conclusion had happened. The amount of meta is making my eyes cross. I love it.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
Danny: Getting my movie production company, Seedy Kay Films, off the ground, and working on a couple scripts I want to film.
Jillian: I have started work on designing costumes for the play Father Of Lies, written and directed by Jose Zayas, which will be going up in July as part of PS122's Undergroundzero Festival, as well as returning to the handful of musical theatre projects in development that have me on their cast list, recording my next EP with my band, rainy day assembly, singing in the subway and of course, continuing my campaign to convince my cats to let me pick them up and hug them.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
Danny: Probably spend most of the two hours trying to scheme a way to squeeze another two out of the deal, and the last minute or so pondering the notions of futility and irony.
Jillian: Check Facebook. I wish you could see my lack of ability to keep a straight face there. My usual shift as a subway musician is two hours - I'd do that. Or, you know... play with my cats.
Chemistry
Written by Danny Bowes and Jillian Tully
Directed by Danny Bowes
75 minutes
Sun 6/6, 5pm
Fri 6/11, 7:30pm
Sat 6/12, 10:45pm
Tue 6/15, 8:45pm
Thu 6/17, 7pm
Too Soon Festival Interview - Eric Bland of Jeannine's Abortion
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Eric Bland
Play: Jeannine’s Abortion: A Play in One Trimester
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: Old Kent Road Theater; for the Director Hope Cartelli’s company, Piper McKenzie.
How long have you been involved in theatre?
12 years maybe. Though I’ve “known” about it for longer.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Um...reading, probably Woyzeck by Georg Buchner. Seeing, probably the
Polish company TR Warszawa’s Krum at BAM in 2007. Both expanded the
possibilities of performance for me. Tossing in a movie, because it
all punches together — Pedro Almodovar’s "All About My Mother."
What is your show about?
People like us, today, in New York City. One of whom has an abortion.
What led you to write it?
The title was inspired by the festival. And I’m very interested in
this topic — abortion has become an easy target lately. It’s still
rarely spoken of in sensible or sensitive terms.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
The Brick is heaven. I’ve worked there a lot. I love them. And then
the title and the idea of the festival and the play just clicked.
What’s next for you after Too Soon?
I want to mount a big contemporary theatrical ecstasy called
Emancipatory Politics in the near future.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours
out of every day, what would you do with them?
Ask a girl out and be nervous. Though I’d probably spend it sleeping
or on Hulu or trying to understand what Alain Badiou is talking about
when he says “the one does not exist” in his philosophical ruckus
"Being and Event" that I’m desperately trying to fathom my way through.
Or perhaps I’d watch "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" again while chomping a
baguette. Or maybe I’d call my mother who is a masterpiece.
Possibilities!
Jeanine's Abortion: A Play in One Trimester
Written by Eric Bland
Directed by Hope Cartelli
70 minutes
Thu 6/24, 8:45pm
Fri 6/25, 7pm
Sat 6/26, 2:30pm
Sun 6/27, 6:30pm
Name: Eric Bland
Play: Jeannine’s Abortion: A Play in One Trimester
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: Old Kent Road Theater; for the Director Hope Cartelli’s company, Piper McKenzie.
How long have you been involved in theatre?
12 years maybe. Though I’ve “known” about it for longer.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Um...reading, probably Woyzeck by Georg Buchner. Seeing, probably the
Polish company TR Warszawa’s Krum at BAM in 2007. Both expanded the
possibilities of performance for me. Tossing in a movie, because it
all punches together — Pedro Almodovar’s "All About My Mother."
What is your show about?
People like us, today, in New York City. One of whom has an abortion.What led you to write it?
The title was inspired by the festival. And I’m very interested in
this topic — abortion has become an easy target lately. It’s still
rarely spoken of in sensible or sensitive terms.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
The Brick is heaven. I’ve worked there a lot. I love them. And then
the title and the idea of the festival and the play just clicked.
What’s next for you after Too Soon?
I want to mount a big contemporary theatrical ecstasy called
Emancipatory Politics in the near future.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours
out of every day, what would you do with them?
Ask a girl out and be nervous. Though I’d probably spend it sleeping
or on Hulu or trying to understand what Alain Badiou is talking about
when he says “the one does not exist” in his philosophical ruckus
"Being and Event" that I’m desperately trying to fathom my way through.
Or perhaps I’d watch "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" again while chomping a
baguette. Or maybe I’d call my mother who is a masterpiece.
Possibilities!
Jeanine's Abortion: A Play in One Trimester
Written by Eric Bland
Directed by Hope Cartelli
70 minutes
Thu 6/24, 8:45pm
Fri 6/25, 7pm
Sat 6/26, 2:30pm
Sun 6/27, 6:30pm
Too Soon Festival Interview - Erin Austin and Ross Evans of RIP JD
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Erin Austin and Ross Evans
Play: RIP JD: A Celebration of Death
Relationship to production: Playwrights, Ross-Director and Erin-Actor
Website: www.plasticflamingo.org
How long have you been involved in theatre?
We started writing together and formed The Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company our senior year of college at the University of Miami in 2007. Separately, we’ve been involved in theatre for as long as we can remember.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
How could we pick? We see hundreds of shows a year in the city. Each one inspired our work in a unique fashion.
What is your show about?
RIP JD: A Celebration of Death is an exploration of cult figure and author JD Salinger. We probe the mystery associated with the man and his art through fast paced ensemble driven comedy. Using homage, meditation, and mockery, this collage asks who really owns art- its creator or its audience?
What led you to write it?
We wrote RIP JD immediately after Salinger’s death. We both live in Brooklyn and noticed especially in our ‘hoods, but throughout the city, the resurrection of the author’s popularity. His death and his reader’s reaction felt ripe for theatrical interpretation, comedy, and discussion.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
The Too Soon Festival inspired us. As patrons of The Brick, we were eager to get involved, creatively. A festival inspired by themes that feel too fresh and too inappropriate paired well with our Salinger scrutinizing.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company will present readings of both Ross and Erin works, Team Awesome, and Fit, respectively. Also, look out for revivals of our FringeNYC hit Finger Paint and Eggs and Edamame.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours
out of every day, what would you do with them?
Ross would watch his DVRed Cubs games and Erin would clean her room. Maybe.
RIP JD
Written by Erin Austin and Ross Evans
Directed by Ross Evans
90 minutes
Sat 6/5, 3pm
Sun 6/6, 7pm
Sat 6/12, 4:30pm
Sat 6/19, 9:15pm
Fri 6/25, 9pm
Name: Erin Austin and Ross Evans
Play: RIP JD: A Celebration of Death
Relationship to production: Playwrights, Ross-Director and Erin-Actor
Website: www.plasticflamingo.org
How long have you been involved in theatre?We started writing together and formed The Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company our senior year of college at the University of Miami in 2007. Separately, we’ve been involved in theatre for as long as we can remember.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
How could we pick? We see hundreds of shows a year in the city. Each one inspired our work in a unique fashion.
What is your show about?
RIP JD: A Celebration of Death is an exploration of cult figure and author JD Salinger. We probe the mystery associated with the man and his art through fast paced ensemble driven comedy. Using homage, meditation, and mockery, this collage asks who really owns art- its creator or its audience?
What led you to write it?
We wrote RIP JD immediately after Salinger’s death. We both live in Brooklyn and noticed especially in our ‘hoods, but throughout the city, the resurrection of the author’s popularity. His death and his reader’s reaction felt ripe for theatrical interpretation, comedy, and discussion.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
The Too Soon Festival inspired us. As patrons of The Brick, we were eager to get involved, creatively. A festival inspired by themes that feel too fresh and too inappropriate paired well with our Salinger scrutinizing.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company will present readings of both Ross and Erin works, Team Awesome, and Fit, respectively. Also, look out for revivals of our FringeNYC hit Finger Paint and Eggs and Edamame.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours
out of every day, what would you do with them?
Ross would watch his DVRed Cubs games and Erin would clean her room. Maybe.
RIP JD
Written by Erin Austin and Ross Evans
Directed by Ross Evans
90 minutes
Sat 6/5, 3pm
Sun 6/6, 7pm
Sat 6/12, 4:30pm
Sat 6/19, 9:15pm
Fri 6/25, 9pm
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Broadway Bares Releases New CD Featuring Opening Numbers From Past Shows
BROADWAY'S LATEST CD
INSPIRED BY BROADWAY'S HOTTEST NIGHT
"BROADWAY BARES OPENINGS"
In celebration of the 20th edition of BROADWAY BARES, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS and Jerry Mitchell are proud to announce the upcoming release of BROADWAY BARES OPENINGS, a CD of 13 original opening numbers from BC/EFA's popular annual burlesque show. Each song is recorded by the Broadway stars who debuted them on the BROADWAY BARES stage.
Pre-orders for the album are being accepted now at www.BroadwayBares.com and the album will be officially released Sunday, June 20 at this year's BROADWAY BARES.
All proceeds from BROADWAY BARES OPENINGS will benefit BC/EFA. To listen to audio clips of some of the songs featured on the album, visit: www.broadwaybares.com.
BROADWAY BARES OPENINGS features vocals by such Broadway luminaries as Shoshana Bean, Mary Birdsong, Heidi Blickenstaff, Tituss Burgess, Sara Gettelfinger, Debbie Gravitte, Jane Krakowski, Leslie Kritzer, Anika Larsen, Andrew Lippa, Euan Morton, Julia Murney, Mo Rocca, Christopher Sieber, and Lillias White.
Songwriting teams represented include: Gary Adler and Laura Kenyon, Jeff Bowen, Andrew Lippa, David Nehls, and Mark Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
BROADWAY BARES creator and executive producer Jerry Mitchell expressed his thoughts on the upcoming CD release, "A great strip always starts with a great tune and this is just the beginning! Now you too can be the stripper you always wanted to be in the privacy of your own bedroom with this first BROADWAY BARES CD. Have fun!"
BC/EFA Producing Director Michael Graziano said, "People have been asking about getting a copy of these songs for years, so BC/EFA was thrilled when Mike Croiter and Yellow Sound Lab volunteered to take on the project, re-mastering all the original orchestrations and recording new vocals. And best of all, 100% of the proceeds are benefiting the charity. It's fantastic!"
Shoshana Bean, who recorded "Doctor's Orders," written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman from BROADWAY BARES 15 said, "Revisiting this sexy and seductive tune made me wanna take off all my clothes and get naked for a good cause again!"
Julia Murney, who recorded "Comic Strip" penned by Andrew Lippa for BROADWAY BARES 12 said, "Singing 'Comic Strip' at BROADWAY BARES is probably the closest I'll ever get to feeling like a rock star: grinding guitars, hot dancing chicks, a screaming sea of humanity filling every sweaty nook and cranny of Roseland."
Euan Morton, who will be singing "The Best Game in Town," the opening number by David Nehls for the upcoming edition of BROADWAY BARES said, "What an honour to be involved in this exciting project! The only downside of listening to "The Best Game in Town" on CD is that you won't see the girls flashing the crowd!!"
Pre-orders for the album are being accepted now at www.BroadwayBares.com and the album will be officially released Sunday, June 20 at this year's BROADWAY BARES held at Roseland Ballroom.
INSPIRED BY BROADWAY'S HOTTEST NIGHT
"BROADWAY BARES OPENINGS"
In celebration of the 20th edition of BROADWAY BARES, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS and Jerry Mitchell are proud to announce the upcoming release of BROADWAY BARES OPENINGS, a CD of 13 original opening numbers from BC/EFA's popular annual burlesque show. Each song is recorded by the Broadway stars who debuted them on the BROADWAY BARES stage.
Pre-orders for the album are being accepted now at www.BroadwayBares.com and the album will be officially released Sunday, June 20 at this year's BROADWAY BARES.
All proceeds from BROADWAY BARES OPENINGS will benefit BC/EFA. To listen to audio clips of some of the songs featured on the album, visit: www.broadwaybares.com.
BROADWAY BARES OPENINGS features vocals by such Broadway luminaries as Shoshana Bean, Mary Birdsong, Heidi Blickenstaff, Tituss Burgess, Sara Gettelfinger, Debbie Gravitte, Jane Krakowski, Leslie Kritzer, Anika Larsen, Andrew Lippa, Euan Morton, Julia Murney, Mo Rocca, Christopher Sieber, and Lillias White.
Songwriting teams represented include: Gary Adler and Laura Kenyon, Jeff Bowen, Andrew Lippa, David Nehls, and Mark Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
BROADWAY BARES creator and executive producer Jerry Mitchell expressed his thoughts on the upcoming CD release, "A great strip always starts with a great tune and this is just the beginning! Now you too can be the stripper you always wanted to be in the privacy of your own bedroom with this first BROADWAY BARES CD. Have fun!"
BC/EFA Producing Director Michael Graziano said, "People have been asking about getting a copy of these songs for years, so BC/EFA was thrilled when Mike Croiter and Yellow Sound Lab volunteered to take on the project, re-mastering all the original orchestrations and recording new vocals. And best of all, 100% of the proceeds are benefiting the charity. It's fantastic!"
Shoshana Bean, who recorded "Doctor's Orders," written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman from BROADWAY BARES 15 said, "Revisiting this sexy and seductive tune made me wanna take off all my clothes and get naked for a good cause again!"
Julia Murney, who recorded "Comic Strip" penned by Andrew Lippa for BROADWAY BARES 12 said, "Singing 'Comic Strip' at BROADWAY BARES is probably the closest I'll ever get to feeling like a rock star: grinding guitars, hot dancing chicks, a screaming sea of humanity filling every sweaty nook and cranny of Roseland."
Euan Morton, who will be singing "The Best Game in Town," the opening number by David Nehls for the upcoming edition of BROADWAY BARES said, "What an honour to be involved in this exciting project! The only downside of listening to "The Best Game in Town" on CD is that you won't see the girls flashing the crowd!!"
Pre-orders for the album are being accepted now at www.BroadwayBares.com and the album will be officially released Sunday, June 20 at this year's BROADWAY BARES held at Roseland Ballroom.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Planet Connections Interview - Anne Berlin of REVOLUTION!
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Anne Berlin
Play: REVOLUTION!
Relationship to production: Playwright, lyricist and producer.
Website: To learn more about my other work please visit my websites: www.charliechangandthemysterioussalami.com , www.ripcordsmusical.com , www.greenmanifestomusical.com.
How did you first get involved in theatre?
When I was younger I thought men and women sang to each other when they were in love. I saw a lot of musicals and thought they were so romantic. The romance, the idealized joy appealed to me.
I have been writing since I was a young girl. One day, a year after a I graduated from college I realized that I didn't want to be a lawyer as I'd planned. I had studied history and english and wanted to go into politics, or law. But I realized, all I did was go to the theater - any chance I had I was there. I noted I loved reading plays more than books and that I always sang tunes in the shower or wherever I was going. That words would become songs in my heads. It was then that I realized I LOVE THIS and I want to do this, work in this area, write in this discipline and taught myself how.
Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influences are memories and objects. I will see an object pick it up and suddenly find a story in it: I would also add my family and the comedy of life. I see stories in people's conversations, overhearing something on the bus, all of this influences me.
What is your show about?
REVOLUTION! is a new musical that playfully deconstructs history's most famous revolutions in a trio of interconnected one acts. The musicals deconstruct the American, French, and Russian revolution with whimsy and charm, as told through matryoshka dolls, chess pieces, and toy soldiers. The stories trace the pivotal moments of a revolution: the beginning, middle, and end.
What inspired you to write it?
I passed a store and saw a Matryoshka doll in the window, the Russian nesting dolls. All of the sudden I had this image - the opening scene of a play which is how I have begun my musical.
What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?
I am a returning artist. Last year my musical HOWLING HILDA premiered in Planet Connections as a reading. Of all the festivals I have participated in I felt connected to the people and felt because of that my work was the best I had ever done. I have written another musical about the green movement so it has been on mind like so many of us. But what also speaks to me about PC is their attention to charity. It feels natural and sincere. And Glory and Jenn and Ryan and Carly and all the other wonderful faces of PC are so sincere it inspires you.
Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?
My show is benefiting Washington Crossing Historic Park. It is extremely significant to the American Revolution, in fact it's where the tides turned for Washington. Everything was against him, everything was going wrong. Once he crossed he continued to Trenton. If he not crossed that night it is said the revolution would have been lost. The park is in need of financial assistance and deserves to be preserved as a place of national significance.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I want to develop this show and hopefully after my reading have the opportunity to go further with it off-Broadway.
And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?
If I could go back in time I would say "Anne learn the piano, read music, you are going to use it one day!"
REVOLUTION!
Book & Lyrics Anne Berlin
Music by Andy Cohen
Conceived by Anne Berlin
Musical Direction by Markus Hauck
Stage Manager Chae-kyung Lee
Directed by Valentina Fratti
Featuring: Caryln Connolly, Bellavia Mauro, Edward Prostak, Marek Sapieyevski, Tom Schubert and Daryl Stewart
Running time: 90-100 minutes, no intermission
Venue: The Robert Moss Theater, 440 Lafayette Street, 3rd floor
Staged Reading - Thurs. 6/10 @ 2pm
Name: Anne BerlinPlay: REVOLUTION!
Relationship to production: Playwright, lyricist and producer.
Website: To learn more about my other work please visit my websites: www.charliechangandthemysterioussalami.com , www.ripcordsmusical.com , www.greenmanifestomusical.com.
How did you first get involved in theatre?
When I was younger I thought men and women sang to each other when they were in love. I saw a lot of musicals and thought they were so romantic. The romance, the idealized joy appealed to me.
I have been writing since I was a young girl. One day, a year after a I graduated from college I realized that I didn't want to be a lawyer as I'd planned. I had studied history and english and wanted to go into politics, or law. But I realized, all I did was go to the theater - any chance I had I was there. I noted I loved reading plays more than books and that I always sang tunes in the shower or wherever I was going. That words would become songs in my heads. It was then that I realized I LOVE THIS and I want to do this, work in this area, write in this discipline and taught myself how.
Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influences are memories and objects. I will see an object pick it up and suddenly find a story in it: I would also add my family and the comedy of life. I see stories in people's conversations, overhearing something on the bus, all of this influences me.
What is your show about?
REVOLUTION! is a new musical that playfully deconstructs history's most famous revolutions in a trio of interconnected one acts. The musicals deconstruct the American, French, and Russian revolution with whimsy and charm, as told through matryoshka dolls, chess pieces, and toy soldiers. The stories trace the pivotal moments of a revolution: the beginning, middle, and end.
What inspired you to write it?
I passed a store and saw a Matryoshka doll in the window, the Russian nesting dolls. All of the sudden I had this image - the opening scene of a play which is how I have begun my musical.
What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?
I am a returning artist. Last year my musical HOWLING HILDA premiered in Planet Connections as a reading. Of all the festivals I have participated in I felt connected to the people and felt because of that my work was the best I had ever done. I have written another musical about the green movement so it has been on mind like so many of us. But what also speaks to me about PC is their attention to charity. It feels natural and sincere. And Glory and Jenn and Ryan and Carly and all the other wonderful faces of PC are so sincere it inspires you.
Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?
My show is benefiting Washington Crossing Historic Park. It is extremely significant to the American Revolution, in fact it's where the tides turned for Washington. Everything was against him, everything was going wrong. Once he crossed he continued to Trenton. If he not crossed that night it is said the revolution would have been lost. The park is in need of financial assistance and deserves to be preserved as a place of national significance.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I want to develop this show and hopefully after my reading have the opportunity to go further with it off-Broadway.
And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?
If I could go back in time I would say "Anne learn the piano, read music, you are going to use it one day!"
REVOLUTION!
Book & Lyrics Anne Berlin
Music by Andy Cohen
Conceived by Anne Berlin
Musical Direction by Markus Hauck
Stage Manager Chae-kyung Lee
Directed by Valentina Fratti
Featuring: Caryln Connolly, Bellavia Mauro, Edward Prostak, Marek Sapieyevski, Tom Schubert and Daryl Stewart
Running time: 90-100 minutes, no intermission
Venue: The Robert Moss Theater, 440 Lafayette Street, 3rd floor
Staged Reading - Thurs. 6/10 @ 2pm
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Too Soon Festival Interview - Mateo Moreno of Happily After Tonight
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Mateo Moreno
Play: Happily After Tonight
Relationship to production: Playwright/Director, Actor
Website: Facebook Page
How long have you been involved in theatre?
Acting: I've been involved since high school. Directing: I directed by first play my senior year in high school. Writing: I wrote a short play in 2005, and this is my first feature length play.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Jonathan Larson is my continued inspiration. What he created in Rent has not only influenced my writing and inspired me, but has literally changed the way I view the world, opened my mind and my heart, and has touched me like no other show ever has.
What is your show about?
It's a modern day, fractured fairy tale that takes the classic stories of Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, and more, and tells what happened after their "happily ever afters."
What led you to write it?
I wrote it originally as a ten minute play for a friend of mine Eva Gil to perform in Chicago a few years ago. It never was produced and just sort of sat on my shelf. Then early this year, another friend of mine Bryan Enk told me I should make my own version of "Alice in Wonderland." Which got me to take this off the shelf and make it into a full length play. And I always had in mind the part I would like to play, so I'm very happy I was able to do that as well.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
I've worked with The Brick Theatre several times, and during the recent extension of The Brick's own Craven Monkey and the Mountain of Fury, I began speaking to Festival director Hope Cartelli about the upcoming festival. She told me the title of it, and it just seemed like too good of a fit to pass up.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
Hopefully more staging of Happily After Tonight. I'd like to have it produced in other theatres and see what life it has. I'm also interested in producing a version of Romeo & Juliet that I adapted, as well as completing the filming of "falling..." a feature length romantic comedy that I wrote and am directing. I'd also like to stage an updated version of The Shadow Box.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
I'd use them to work more on the pre-production of Happily After Tonight! And MAN could I use two more hours a day... :)
Happily After Tonight
Written and directed by Mateo Moreno
60 minutes
Wed 6/9, 7pm
Sun 6/13, 8pm
Fri 6/18, 8:45pm
Tue 6/22, 7pm
Thu 6/24, 7pm
Name: Mateo MorenoPlay: Happily After Tonight
Relationship to production: Playwright/Director, Actor
Website: Facebook Page
How long have you been involved in theatre?
Acting: I've been involved since high school. Directing: I directed by first play my senior year in high school. Writing: I wrote a short play in 2005, and this is my first feature length play.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Jonathan Larson is my continued inspiration. What he created in Rent has not only influenced my writing and inspired me, but has literally changed the way I view the world, opened my mind and my heart, and has touched me like no other show ever has.
What is your show about?
It's a modern day, fractured fairy tale that takes the classic stories of Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, and more, and tells what happened after their "happily ever afters."
What led you to write it?
I wrote it originally as a ten minute play for a friend of mine Eva Gil to perform in Chicago a few years ago. It never was produced and just sort of sat on my shelf. Then early this year, another friend of mine Bryan Enk told me I should make my own version of "Alice in Wonderland." Which got me to take this off the shelf and make it into a full length play. And I always had in mind the part I would like to play, so I'm very happy I was able to do that as well.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
I've worked with The Brick Theatre several times, and during the recent extension of The Brick's own Craven Monkey and the Mountain of Fury, I began speaking to Festival director Hope Cartelli about the upcoming festival. She told me the title of it, and it just seemed like too good of a fit to pass up.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
Hopefully more staging of Happily After Tonight. I'd like to have it produced in other theatres and see what life it has. I'm also interested in producing a version of Romeo & Juliet that I adapted, as well as completing the filming of "falling..." a feature length romantic comedy that I wrote and am directing. I'd also like to stage an updated version of The Shadow Box.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
I'd use them to work more on the pre-production of Happily After Tonight! And MAN could I use two more hours a day... :)
Happily After Tonight
Written and directed by Mateo Moreno
60 minutes
Wed 6/9, 7pm
Sun 6/13, 8pm
Fri 6/18, 8:45pm
Tue 6/22, 7pm
Thu 6/24, 7pm
Too Soon Festival Interview - Matthew Freeman of That Old Soft Shoe
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Matthew Freeman
Play: That Old Soft Shoe
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: matthewfreeman.blogspot.com
How long have you been involved in theatre?
Depends on when you start counting. If you count high school...half my life.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Endgame. It’s what made me see what theater could be. That isn’t to say I write like Beckett. I don’t really. But that play is to blame for what I do now.
What is That Old Soft Shoe about?
We’re lost in a sea of policy debates when we should be simply appalled. We are not appalled. We are curious. We discuss the relative merits of classifying human lives and doling out rights in accordance with those classifications. It’s monstrous, of course. And so, I wrote a comedy.
The rest of the answer to this question has been redacted.
What led you to write in it?
I wrote it because I wanted to entertain and enlighten and provoke. You know, those old chestnuts.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
In the previous two summer festivals at the Brick Theater, I made appearances. This will be my third. I like the parameters of the themes. It helps me shape an impulse.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
More life. Planning my upcoming wedding, first and foremost. Finding a home for my new play. High fiber diet. Going to the movies. Writing.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
I’d like to say get more writing done, or cook delicious meals, but I know I would use them for PS3.
That Old Soft Shoe
Blue Coyote Theatre Group
Written by Matt Freeman
Directed by Kyle Ancowitz
90 minutes
Sun 6/6, 2:30pm
Tue 6/8, 8:45pm
Wed 6/23, 8:45pm
Sat 6/26, 7pm
Sun 6/27, 4pm
Name: Matthew Freeman
Play: That Old Soft Shoe
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: matthewfreeman.blogspot.com
How long have you been involved in theatre?
Depends on when you start counting. If you count high school...half my life.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
Endgame. It’s what made me see what theater could be. That isn’t to say I write like Beckett. I don’t really. But that play is to blame for what I do now.
What is That Old Soft Shoe about? We’re lost in a sea of policy debates when we should be simply appalled. We are not appalled. We are curious. We discuss the relative merits of classifying human lives and doling out rights in accordance with those classifications. It’s monstrous, of course. And so, I wrote a comedy.
The rest of the answer to this question has been redacted.
What led you to write in it?
I wrote it because I wanted to entertain and enlighten and provoke. You know, those old chestnuts.
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
In the previous two summer festivals at the Brick Theater, I made appearances. This will be my third. I like the parameters of the themes. It helps me shape an impulse.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
More life. Planning my upcoming wedding, first and foremost. Finding a home for my new play. High fiber diet. Going to the movies. Writing.
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
I’d like to say get more writing done, or cook delicious meals, but I know I would use them for PS3.
That Old Soft Shoe
Blue Coyote Theatre Group
Written by Matt Freeman
Directed by Kyle Ancowitz
90 minutes
Sun 6/6, 2:30pm
Tue 6/8, 8:45pm
Wed 6/23, 8:45pm
Sat 6/26, 7pm
Sun 6/27, 4pm
Too Soon Festival Interview - Esther Crow of Death Is A Scream
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Esther Crow
Play: Death is a Scream
Relationship to production: Playwright and Actor
Website: www.esthercrow.com
How long have you been involved in theatre?
Since the early 90's. I started with improv, then sketch comedy. Then I developed my first solo show in San Francisco, People Like Us, which had its premiere as part of the 2001 NY Fringe Fest.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
In terms of my own writing, I'm more influenced by comedians and solo performers. Carol Burnett is my biggest influence for sure. Followed by Tracey Ullman, Eric Bogosian, Anna Deveare Smith, Sarah Jones, Bill Hicks, Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Lily Tomlin, David Sedaris...and the list goes on and on.
What is your show about?
Death. Dying. The Afterlife. Near Death Experiences. All things pertaining to death. Oh, and it’s a comedy. With lots of original music.
What led you to develop it?
Over the past year, I had been contemplating writing a show about Death. I had been working on a solo show (developed mostly at PIT) for the past couple years on alcohol, called Pickled. But somehow, the subject of Death kept luring me and I found it to be much more fruitful than the subject of booze. There's only so many drunken characters you can do before it gets old!
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
When the theme "Too Soon" was chosen for the Brick's summer fest, I thought: "a-HA!!! A show about Death could totally fit into this!" My reasoning: its always "too soon" to broach a subject like Death. Everyone wants to shelve it, cause we're frightened of the unknown and of losing loved ones. What better ingredients to start cookin' up a comedic play than fear and tragedy? So I immediately got to work while on vacation in February and managed to meet the March deadline for submissions.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
Carnegie(the hall not the deli:)! But seriously...next is a tour to Chicago and back with my band, The Electric Mess in July!
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
Sleep.
Death Is A Scream
Written by Esther Crow
Directed by Rabeah Ghaffari
50 minutes
Fri 6/11, 9:30pm
Fri 6/18, 7pm
Sat 6/19, 3pm
Sun 6/20, 5pm
Wed 6/23, 7pm
Watch the video promo.
Name: Esther Crow
Play: Death is a Scream
Relationship to production: Playwright and Actor
Website: www.esthercrow.com
How long have you been involved in theatre?
Since the early 90's. I started with improv, then sketch comedy. Then I developed my first solo show in San Francisco, People Like Us, which had its premiere as part of the 2001 NY Fringe Fest.
What play had the biggest influence on your life?
In terms of my own writing, I'm more influenced by comedians and solo performers. Carol Burnett is my biggest influence for sure. Followed by Tracey Ullman, Eric Bogosian, Anna Deveare Smith, Sarah Jones, Bill Hicks, Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Lily Tomlin, David Sedaris...and the list goes on and on.
What is your show about?
Death. Dying. The Afterlife. Near Death Experiences. All things pertaining to death. Oh, and it’s a comedy. With lots of original music.
What led you to develop it?
Over the past year, I had been contemplating writing a show about Death. I had been working on a solo show (developed mostly at PIT) for the past couple years on alcohol, called Pickled. But somehow, the subject of Death kept luring me and I found it to be much more fruitful than the subject of booze. There's only so many drunken characters you can do before it gets old!
What inspired you to apply for the Too Soon Festival?
When the theme "Too Soon" was chosen for the Brick's summer fest, I thought: "a-HA!!! A show about Death could totally fit into this!" My reasoning: its always "too soon" to broach a subject like Death. Everyone wants to shelve it, cause we're frightened of the unknown and of losing loved ones. What better ingredients to start cookin' up a comedic play than fear and tragedy? So I immediately got to work while on vacation in February and managed to meet the March deadline for submissions.
What's next for you after Too Soon?
Carnegie(the hall not the deli:)! But seriously...next is a tour to Chicago and back with my band, The Electric Mess in July!
And finally, if you could slow the world down and get two more hours out of every day, what would you do with them?
Sleep.
Death Is A Scream
Written by Esther Crow
Directed by Rabeah Ghaffari
50 minutes
Fri 6/11, 9:30pm
Fri 6/18, 7pm
Sat 6/19, 3pm
Sun 6/20, 5pm
Wed 6/23, 7pm
Watch the video promo.
Too Soon Festival Coming to the Brick Theater on June 4th
By Byrne Harrison
Tomorrow is the first day of the Too Soon Festival at the Brick Theater in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The Too Soon Festival features 11 plays and runs from June 4th through the 27th.
And in an appropriate twist for a Too Soon festival, several Too Soon shows will be exposed with their pants down, unready to open, scrambling to impress audiences at the Half-Cocked Preview Cabaret and Awards Ceremony. Intercut with the performances, awards celebrating the potential achievement of each Too Soon Festival show will be prematurely handed out by The Brick, with artists giving tearful acceptance speeches thanking everyone who contributed to each show’s presumed success. Attendees and participants alike will be confused but big-hearted about the whole affair.
For tickets and a schedule of the festival, visit the Too Soon webpage.
And, as always, keep an eye out for the StageBuzz.com interviews and reviews.
Tomorrow is the first day of the Too Soon Festival at the Brick Theater in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The Too Soon Festival features 11 plays and runs from June 4th through the 27th.
And in an appropriate twist for a Too Soon festival, several Too Soon shows will be exposed with their pants down, unready to open, scrambling to impress audiences at the Half-Cocked Preview Cabaret and Awards Ceremony. Intercut with the performances, awards celebrating the potential achievement of each Too Soon Festival show will be prematurely handed out by The Brick, with artists giving tearful acceptance speeches thanking everyone who contributed to each show’s presumed success. Attendees and participants alike will be confused but big-hearted about the whole affair.For tickets and a schedule of the festival, visit the Too Soon webpage.
And, as always, keep an eye out for the StageBuzz.com interviews and reviews.
Planet Connections Interview - Duncan Pflaster of The Thyme of the Season
By Byrne Harrison
Photos by Nancy Keegan
Name: Duncan Pflaster
Play: The Thyme of the Season
Relationship to production: Playwright/Director
Website: The Thyme of the Season and DuncanPflaster.com
How did you first get involved in theatre?
My mother was an actress when I was growing up, I was in a children's adaptation she directed of The Nutcracker, in which I played Fritz and a Chinese Dancer. From then on I knew I wanted to be an actor. Ironically, I'm now a playwright.
Who are your biggest influences?
Charles Ludlam, Charles Busch, Anton Chekhov, Tom Stoppard, Israel Horovitz, Donald Marguiles, Teresa Rebeck, and Berkeley Breathed. Oh, and Shakespeare.
What is your show about?
It's a sequel to A Midsummer Night's Dream, set on Hallowe'en, three months after the Shakespeare play.
What inspired you to write it?
My friend and frequent collaborator Clara Barton Green and I conceived it over drinks one night; I wrote the role of Puck for her to play. We were also in Holla Holla's production of Midsummer in 2005 in Central Park (I played Bottom, and she was Puck), and that informed most of the writing.
What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?
I was in the festival last year with my vampire play Suckers, and jumped at the chance to be in it again. They're great people doing great work.
Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?
I chose Planned Parenthood because of the great work they do, and because there are matters of pregnancy discussed within the play. We're gonna have free condoms at the performances!
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
Oberon Theatre Ensemble will be producing my play The Starship Astrov in the Midtown International Theatre Festival in July, directed by Eric Parness. It's a new play I wrote in the style of Anton Chekhov, but set on a spaceship. It's rather like an episode of "Star Trek" on a ship that doesn't have adventures every week.
Tickets are already available here.
And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?
Follow your instincts.
The Thyme of the Season
Written and Directed by Duncan Pflaster
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
Venue: The Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street
Performance dates:
Sat 6/5 @ 1:30pm
Sun 6/6 @ 7pm
Tues 6/8 @ 9pm
Fri 6/11 @ 5:30pm
Sun 6/13 @ 11:30am
Fri 6/18 @ 5pm
Sat 6/19 @ 7pm
Wed 6/23 @ 5:30pm
Photos
1. Clara Barton Green as Puck and Tania Jeudy as Pumpkinseed
2. Shawn McLaughlin as Lysander and Rebecca Hirota as Hermia
Photos by Nancy Keegan
Name: Duncan Pflaster
Play: The Thyme of the Season
Relationship to production: Playwright/Director
Website: The Thyme of the Season and DuncanPflaster.com
How did you first get involved in theatre?
My mother was an actress when I was growing up, I was in a children's adaptation she directed of The Nutcracker, in which I played Fritz and a Chinese Dancer. From then on I knew I wanted to be an actor. Ironically, I'm now a playwright.
Who are your biggest influences?
Charles Ludlam, Charles Busch, Anton Chekhov, Tom Stoppard, Israel Horovitz, Donald Marguiles, Teresa Rebeck, and Berkeley Breathed. Oh, and Shakespeare.
What is your show about?
It's a sequel to A Midsummer Night's Dream, set on Hallowe'en, three months after the Shakespeare play.
What inspired you to write it?
My friend and frequent collaborator Clara Barton Green and I conceived it over drinks one night; I wrote the role of Puck for her to play. We were also in Holla Holla's production of Midsummer in 2005 in Central Park (I played Bottom, and she was Puck), and that informed most of the writing. What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?
I was in the festival last year with my vampire play Suckers, and jumped at the chance to be in it again. They're great people doing great work.
Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?I chose Planned Parenthood because of the great work they do, and because there are matters of pregnancy discussed within the play. We're gonna have free condoms at the performances!
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
Oberon Theatre Ensemble will be producing my play The Starship Astrov in the Midtown International Theatre Festival in July, directed by Eric Parness. It's a new play I wrote in the style of Anton Chekhov, but set on a spaceship. It's rather like an episode of "Star Trek" on a ship that doesn't have adventures every week.
Tickets are already available here.
And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?
Follow your instincts.
The Thyme of the Season
Written and Directed by Duncan Pflaster
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
Venue: The Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street
Performance dates:
Sat 6/5 @ 1:30pm
Sun 6/6 @ 7pm
Tues 6/8 @ 9pm
Fri 6/11 @ 5:30pm
Sun 6/13 @ 11:30am
Fri 6/18 @ 5pm
Sat 6/19 @ 7pm
Wed 6/23 @ 5:30pm
Photos
1. Clara Barton Green as Puck and Tania Jeudy as Pumpkinseed
2. Shawn McLaughlin as Lysander and Rebecca Hirota as Hermia
Planet Connections Interview - Andrew Rothkin of Danny
By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Kim M. Jones
Name: Andrew Rothkin
Play: Danny
Relationship to production: Playwright, Director and Co-Producer
Website: www.DannysDay.info
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I started off as an actor many, many years ago and began to write as a means of staying creative between acting roles…and bit by bit, the writing took over and took on a life of its own. Little by little, I began to experiment with other aspects of theatre: directing, producing, designing, teaching… I have worn a lot of theatrical hats – but there is still much I still want to try!
Who are your biggest influences?
When I was starting out, I had some amazing instructors and directors who not only instructed me, but inspired me beyond measure. While I still study acting periodically and I continue to learn from great directors, playwrights and actors, I am mostly influenced by my friends/peers, who are constantly upping the stakes of the work and providing higher and higher measures of excellence to live up to.
What is Danny about?
A group of old college friends gathers for food, laughter, stories and songs, and to honor their old friend Danny...all by the side of his grave. While their sweet celebration goes on year after year, this year, some secrets are revealed and the friends are forced to look in on their own lives, on their friendships and their dreams – and they will never be the same.
What inspired you to write and direct it?
I had produced an earlier draft of the play twice before – many, many years ago…but it felt like the time was right to bring Danny back, and for the first time, to direct it myself. The initial impulse came from a dear friend of mine who visited a deceased friend of hers every year on the same day…
What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?
My initial reason for getting involved with Planet Connections was to work with Glory Bowen, a longtime friend and colleague...but learning about keeping things green and conserving our world and natural resources has been a great and important lesson! I am very happy to be a part of it!
Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). I have long been a lover and supporter of animals – like the Danny of my play…and I am delighted to have a chance to finally give back to the animal world.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I am directing Meri Wallace’s short play FB and will portray The Devil in Jonathan Wallace’s Slap the Devil, both part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival. I have several pieces I am writing in various stages of development.
And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t be in such a rush. Do what you love and take your time. (I also would have told myself to invest all my money in Microsoft.)
Danny
Written and Directed by Andrew Rothkin
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Kelly Johnston
Set Designer: Starlet Jacobs
Starring: Amada Anderson, Jason Barker, Marc Graiser, James Kaliardos, James Pravasilis and Charlё Webb
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
Venue: Green Room Theatre, Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street (downstairs), 45 Bleecker Street
Performance dates:
Thurs 6/3 @ 4:30pm
Sun 6/6 @ 6:30pm
Sat 6/12 @ 3pm
Sun 6/20 @ 8:30pm
Thurs 6/24 @ 4:30pm
Sun 6/27 @ 6:30pm
Photo by Kim M. Jones
Name: Andrew Rothkin
Play: Danny
Relationship to production: Playwright, Director and Co-Producer
Website: www.DannysDay.info
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I started off as an actor many, many years ago and began to write as a means of staying creative between acting roles…and bit by bit, the writing took over and took on a life of its own. Little by little, I began to experiment with other aspects of theatre: directing, producing, designing, teaching… I have worn a lot of theatrical hats – but there is still much I still want to try!
Who are your biggest influences?
When I was starting out, I had some amazing instructors and directors who not only instructed me, but inspired me beyond measure. While I still study acting periodically and I continue to learn from great directors, playwrights and actors, I am mostly influenced by my friends/peers, who are constantly upping the stakes of the work and providing higher and higher measures of excellence to live up to.
What is Danny about?A group of old college friends gathers for food, laughter, stories and songs, and to honor their old friend Danny...all by the side of his grave. While their sweet celebration goes on year after year, this year, some secrets are revealed and the friends are forced to look in on their own lives, on their friendships and their dreams – and they will never be the same.
What inspired you to write and direct it?
I had produced an earlier draft of the play twice before – many, many years ago…but it felt like the time was right to bring Danny back, and for the first time, to direct it myself. The initial impulse came from a dear friend of mine who visited a deceased friend of hers every year on the same day…
What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?
My initial reason for getting involved with Planet Connections was to work with Glory Bowen, a longtime friend and colleague...but learning about keeping things green and conserving our world and natural resources has been a great and important lesson! I am very happy to be a part of it!
Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). I have long been a lover and supporter of animals – like the Danny of my play…and I am delighted to have a chance to finally give back to the animal world.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
I am directing Meri Wallace’s short play FB and will portray The Devil in Jonathan Wallace’s Slap the Devil, both part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival. I have several pieces I am writing in various stages of development.
And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t be in such a rush. Do what you love and take your time. (I also would have told myself to invest all my money in Microsoft.)
Danny
Written and Directed by Andrew Rothkin
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Kelly Johnston
Set Designer: Starlet Jacobs
Starring: Amada Anderson, Jason Barker, Marc Graiser, James Kaliardos, James Pravasilis and Charlё Webb
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
Venue: Green Room Theatre, Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street (downstairs), 45 Bleecker Street
Performance dates:
Thurs 6/3 @ 4:30pm
Sun 6/6 @ 6:30pm
Sat 6/12 @ 3pm
Sun 6/20 @ 8:30pm
Thurs 6/24 @ 4:30pm
Sun 6/27 @ 6:30pm
Planet Connections Interview - Gabrielle Fox of Fox Tales
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Gabrielle Fox
Play: Fox Tales: An Evening of One Act Plays by Gabrielle Fox
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: Fox Tales
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I grew up in theatre, my mother is an actress, I sat in on rehearsals, ran lines with her etc. It wasn't until I was an adult and I happened to stumble into a free playwriting workshop that I fell in love with writing plays. Tony Howarth ran the workshop so it's really wonderful to be working with him as a director on Fox Tales.
Who are your biggest influences?
ALL the Foxes ;) I love O'Neill, Mamet and especially Eve Ensler for her incredible bravery as a woman and as a playwright.
What is Fox Tales about?
Three one act plays (Winfluence, The Graveyard Shift, Good Friday) about human beings struggling to make connections. In these plays characters come from extreme circumstances and overcome their loneliness even if it is for just a moment. Sounds serious but there's lots of humor! That's ultimately how we connect isn't it?
What inspired you to write it?
That's hard to pin down....Winfluence came up during a difficult work situation, The Graveyard Shift after a painful break up and Good Friday...I don't really know! Inspiration for me usually comes when I don't know what to do in real life (good or bad) so I hide out in an imaginary world for awhile. The plays don't really have anything to do with the situation but they get me through them.
What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?
I love the mission of Planet Connections and it has provided me with even more motivation to get the word out to people to see not only my play but all of the productions, it's got a real community feel.
Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. One of the characters in my play is suffering the loss of a loved one due to AIDS so it seemed like a perfect fit. BC/EFA took care of its community from the very beginning and has never stopped. They are amazing and relentless in their pursuit to raise funds for those affected by AIDS.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
Broadway, baby! Maybe not right away...but some day...gotta dream big!
And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?
"Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid" Fear is fleeting...learn to make friends with it.
Fox Tales: An Evening of One Act Plays by Gabrielle Fox
By Gabrielle Fox
Directed by Tony Howarth
CAST: Jess Erick, Margie Ferris, Fidel Fonteboa, Donna James, Stephen Medwid and Fred Rueck
Running time: 60 minutes, no intermission
Venue: The Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street
Performance dates:
Thurs 6/3 @ 9pm
Sat 6/5 @ 12pm
Sun 6/6 @3:30pm
Thurs 6/10 @ 7:30pm
Mon 6/14 @ 8pm
Sun 6/20 @ 1pm
Name: Gabrielle FoxPlay: Fox Tales: An Evening of One Act Plays by Gabrielle Fox
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: Fox Tales
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I grew up in theatre, my mother is an actress, I sat in on rehearsals, ran lines with her etc. It wasn't until I was an adult and I happened to stumble into a free playwriting workshop that I fell in love with writing plays. Tony Howarth ran the workshop so it's really wonderful to be working with him as a director on Fox Tales.
Who are your biggest influences?
ALL the Foxes ;) I love O'Neill, Mamet and especially Eve Ensler for her incredible bravery as a woman and as a playwright.
What is Fox Tales about?Three one act plays (Winfluence, The Graveyard Shift, Good Friday) about human beings struggling to make connections. In these plays characters come from extreme circumstances and overcome their loneliness even if it is for just a moment. Sounds serious but there's lots of humor! That's ultimately how we connect isn't it?
What inspired you to write it?
That's hard to pin down....Winfluence came up during a difficult work situation, The Graveyard Shift after a painful break up and Good Friday...I don't really know! Inspiration for me usually comes when I don't know what to do in real life (good or bad) so I hide out in an imaginary world for awhile. The plays don't really have anything to do with the situation but they get me through them.
What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?
I love the mission of Planet Connections and it has provided me with even more motivation to get the word out to people to see not only my play but all of the productions, it's got a real community feel.
Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. One of the characters in my play is suffering the loss of a loved one due to AIDS so it seemed like a perfect fit. BC/EFA took care of its community from the very beginning and has never stopped. They are amazing and relentless in their pursuit to raise funds for those affected by AIDS.
What's next for you after Planet Connections?
Broadway, baby! Maybe not right away...but some day...gotta dream big!
And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?
"Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid" Fear is fleeting...learn to make friends with it.
Fox Tales: An Evening of One Act Plays by Gabrielle Fox
By Gabrielle Fox
Directed by Tony Howarth
CAST: Jess Erick, Margie Ferris, Fidel Fonteboa, Donna James, Stephen Medwid and Fred Rueck
Running time: 60 minutes, no intermission
Venue: The Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street
Performance dates:
Thurs 6/3 @ 9pm
Sat 6/5 @ 12pm
Sun 6/6 @3:30pm
Thurs 6/10 @ 7:30pm
Mon 6/14 @ 8pm
Sun 6/20 @ 1pm
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