By Byrne Harrison
Name: Jeff Bienstock
Show: The Morning After / The Night Before
Relationship to show: Creator (Book, Music, and Lyrics)
Website: www.TMATNB.com
How did you first get involved in theatre?
Growing up, my parents and grandparents were huge fans of musical theater, despite the fact that we lived thousands of miles away from the nearest Broadway stage. After listening to so many of them growing up, I was eager to be cast in a musical once I got to high school. However, when it became apparent that I couldn’t dance and my voice was only average, I resigned myself to playing clarinet in the school pit orchestra. (Still, it was the ideal position from which to view as many shows as possible without ever buying a ticket!) After college, I tried to make a go at film and TV scoring, but I couldn’t stay away from my favorite medium for very long. I moved to New York, started writing show music, and the rest is history.
Who are your biggest influences?
I ended up listening to a lot of Sweeney Todd and Company during the writing of this show. As a budding composer/lyricist, I just adore Sondheim’s command of the English language, but even at their wordiest, his songs never take the melody line for granted. A more contemporary influence was Lopez/Marx’s Avenue Q, which proved to me that an original show about people my age could be successful without pandering or attempting to be self-consciously “hip.” Now that an Avenue cast member, Jed Resnick, is playing the lead in The Morning After…, it almost feels like I’ve come full circle.
What is your show about?
It’s about a young man named Todd, who wakes up one morning after a wild party to discover his best friend Cynthia lying in bed beside him. He’s got a girlfriend, and she’s about to get married in a matter of weeks, so needless to say, this is a huge problem for both of them; however, he’s so hungover that he can’t remember anything that happened only a few hours earlier. The action switches back and forth between the debauchery of Saturday night and the bleary-eyed contrition of Sunday morning, and there are plenty of shocking, raunchy, hilarious surprises along the way.
What inspired you to write it?
Not a real-life experience, I assure you! I might have been partially inspired by memories of coming of age in a small-ish city like Santa Monica, where you can wake up after a night’s worth of hazy adventures to discover that all of your friends have an equally bizarre story to tell, often intersecting with your story in unexpected ways. As a premise, this story was in development for a very long time—until I finally felt confident enough in my storytelling skills to do the idea justice.
Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
Other than myself, the person who’s spent the most amount of time working on this project — more than 3 years — is my music director Remy Kurs, who by now has arranged each song to sound a hundred times better than they did when I first wrote them. Next to join the project was my friend Gillian Appleby, whom I approached to produce the show back in February; she’s done a lot of television and film work, but this is her very first theatrical undertaking and she’s definitely risen to the challenge. Finally, Diana Glazer, working double-duty as director and casting director, came aboard in June; we never would have secured such a top-notch cast, including Jed Resnick (Avenue Q), Shira Gregory (Frost/Nixon) and Max Spitulnik (With Glee) without her tireless efforts.
If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?
I’d love for us to get the opportunity to move into a venue and STAY there for a few weeks! We’re sharing the beautiful Lucille Lortel Theater with about seven other Fringe shows, which definitely limits our time to rehearse and do tech in the venue itself. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to perform this show on any stage, but The Morning After… is an extremely fast-paced, frenetic comedy with complicated entrances and lighting cues galore. We’re all crossing our fingers and praying that all will go smoothly once we finally move the show from the rehearsal studio to the theater itself—a mere four days before our premiere.
What's next for you after Fringe?
Through the renowned BMI workshop, I met a very talented, very funny composer/lyricist named Eric March. We’re planning to write a musical about the Great Bone Wars of the 19th century, which may have been the most vengeful, hate-filled feud ever waged over dinosaur fossils. It’ll be a true pleasure to work with a collaborator this time around; this show’s three-man creative team has certainly had its share of arguments and creative differences over the years, despite the fact that they’re all me.
And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright, living or dead, who would you chose and why?
I could lie and name some legendary Broadway thespian, but to be perfectly honest, I would kill to work with my comedy idol Mel Brooks in just about any capacity. And who knows? Maybe someday it could actually happen—even if I have to play the nebbishy little Jew who gets hit over the head a lot.
The Morning After / The Night Before
Cracked Windshield Productions
Writer: Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jeff Bienstock
Director: Diana Glazer
VENUE #12: Lucille Lortel Theatre
Wed 18 @ 2:15
Mon 23 @ 11:30
Thu 26 @ 10:15
Fri 27 @ 4:45
Sat 28 @ 7:30
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Review: Princes of Darkness (Dream up Festival at Theatre for the New City and Razors Edge Productions)
By Rebecca N. Robertson
Princes of Darkness is a jack-in-the-box of existential angst, a Lynchian montage of lonely neuroses colored in grays, light and bright red sins. The production incorporates a film noir style of redundant action -- a cruel microscope on the creased cheek of lost vitality, empathy, sanity -- and the visual elements of a moth-eaten vaudevillian trunk show.
As we sit in the dark with our strange host, Satan conjures up three tragic characters to illustrate their shortcomings for the next "Ruler of the World" and insists that his audience consider the job, as well. Director/Designer Rachel Klein has structured the production on deliberate choreography with elaborate sequenced gestures and prop-heavy bits that, while a good showcase for her talent as a movement artist and concept director, seem to draw the actor's efforts away from storytelling. Writer/performer Bill Connington appears set on an attempt to seduce us with a characterization of Satan as dashing trickster, philosopher, and scenery chomper, a figure who will steal our souls by encouraging us to indulge our hubris. Despite heavy borrowing of text and characters from classic literature, his protagonist fails to charm us with words, and the higher purpose of the text, a difficult task, seems muddied.
Meanwhile, as we attempt to dissect the patterns his uneasy soft-shoe has left in the dust, or guess the next magician's shop trick (perhaps a rabbit from a hat?) he will next deploy, we discover that we have dropped our guard in this sacred space to a conniving entity we thought benign and obsolete. He has caused us to let him into our minds, if only for a moment, and let him dance around that voyeuristic center of human fecundity, his songs ringing sharply between our teeth. (Cue evil laugh. Lights flicker and fade. Darkness.)
Princes of Darkness
Written and Performed by Bill Connington
Director and Choreographer: Rachel Klein
Lighting Design: Kia Rogers
Sound Design: Sean Gill
Costume Design: Rachel Klein
Theatre for the New City
155 1st Avenue
Sunday, August 8: 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 11: 9:00pm
Thursday, August 12: 9:00pm
Friday, August 13: 9:00pm
Saturday, August 14: 7:00pm
Princes of Darkness is a jack-in-the-box of existential angst, a Lynchian montage of lonely neuroses colored in grays, light and bright red sins. The production incorporates a film noir style of redundant action -- a cruel microscope on the creased cheek of lost vitality, empathy, sanity -- and the visual elements of a moth-eaten vaudevillian trunk show.
As we sit in the dark with our strange host, Satan conjures up three tragic characters to illustrate their shortcomings for the next "Ruler of the World" and insists that his audience consider the job, as well. Director/Designer Rachel Klein has structured the production on deliberate choreography with elaborate sequenced gestures and prop-heavy bits that, while a good showcase for her talent as a movement artist and concept director, seem to draw the actor's efforts away from storytelling. Writer/performer Bill Connington appears set on an attempt to seduce us with a characterization of Satan as dashing trickster, philosopher, and scenery chomper, a figure who will steal our souls by encouraging us to indulge our hubris. Despite heavy borrowing of text and characters from classic literature, his protagonist fails to charm us with words, and the higher purpose of the text, a difficult task, seems muddied.Meanwhile, as we attempt to dissect the patterns his uneasy soft-shoe has left in the dust, or guess the next magician's shop trick (perhaps a rabbit from a hat?) he will next deploy, we discover that we have dropped our guard in this sacred space to a conniving entity we thought benign and obsolete. He has caused us to let him into our minds, if only for a moment, and let him dance around that voyeuristic center of human fecundity, his songs ringing sharply between our teeth. (Cue evil laugh. Lights flicker and fade. Darkness.)
Princes of Darkness
Written and Performed by Bill Connington
Director and Choreographer: Rachel Klein
Lighting Design: Kia Rogers
Sound Design: Sean Gill
Costume Design: Rachel Klein
Theatre for the New City
155 1st Avenue
Sunday, August 8: 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 11: 9:00pm
Thursday, August 12: 9:00pm
Friday, August 13: 9:00pm
Saturday, August 14: 7:00pm
Fringe Q&A With Katharine Heller of My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Katharine Heller
Show: My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
Relationship to show: Playwright, actor
Website: www.mydadscrazier.com, www.katharineheller.com
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I always knew I wanted to act or bartend. Luckily, the two go together.
Who are your biggest influences?
Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres, Joan Rivers
What is your show about?
My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry is a one-woman show about family or more specifically, my relationship to my father. But it is presented as a live scientific experiment, and as the audience is a big part of proving my bold theory, the show is a little bit different every night.
What inspired you to write it?
I've been telling stories about my dad for years, and people are fascinated by him. He really is an interesting subject. Plus, he was a scientist, so that's how I decided to do this format.
Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
Nell Balaban, the director, worked with me on The Boy in the Basement, Fringe 2008, and she won an award for outstanding direction. I love working with her so much and she is so fun, I had to work with her again. Dragonchase is an incredible production company, and they produce another show that is running that I am in, Naked in a Fishbowl, the unscripted episodic sitcom that has huge following both live and on the internet (our episodes are taped for the web).
If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?
I would love it if people leave the theater with a different perspective on how they see their families. Hopefully, a humorous one.
What's next for you after Fringe?
Still running Naked in a Fishbowl every Mondays at the Soho Playhouse - it's such an amazing show to be in and I look forward to it every week. That, and maybe some rest.
And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright,
living or dead, who would you chose and why?
I'd love to be on stage with Jake Gyllenhaal, just because he is so attractive. Is that wrong?
My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
Dragonchase Inc.
Writer: Katharine Heller
Director: Nell Balaban
VENUE #1: Dixon Place
Fri 13 @ 7
Sat 14 @ NOON
Fri 20 @ 6:15
Wed 25 @ 4:15
Fri 27 @ 9
Name: Katharine Heller
Show: My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
Relationship to show: Playwright, actor
Website: www.mydadscrazier.com, www.katharineheller.com
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I always knew I wanted to act or bartend. Luckily, the two go together.
Who are your biggest influences?
Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres, Joan Rivers
What is your show about?
My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry is a one-woman show about family or more specifically, my relationship to my father. But it is presented as a live scientific experiment, and as the audience is a big part of proving my bold theory, the show is a little bit different every night.What inspired you to write it?
I've been telling stories about my dad for years, and people are fascinated by him. He really is an interesting subject. Plus, he was a scientist, so that's how I decided to do this format.
Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
Nell Balaban, the director, worked with me on The Boy in the Basement, Fringe 2008, and she won an award for outstanding direction. I love working with her so much and she is so fun, I had to work with her again. Dragonchase is an incredible production company, and they produce another show that is running that I am in, Naked in a Fishbowl, the unscripted episodic sitcom that has huge following both live and on the internet (our episodes are taped for the web).
If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?
I would love it if people leave the theater with a different perspective on how they see their families. Hopefully, a humorous one.
What's next for you after Fringe?
Still running Naked in a Fishbowl every Mondays at the Soho Playhouse - it's such an amazing show to be in and I look forward to it every week. That, and maybe some rest.
And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright,
living or dead, who would you chose and why?
I'd love to be on stage with Jake Gyllenhaal, just because he is so attractive. Is that wrong?
My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
Dragonchase Inc.
Writer: Katharine Heller
Director: Nell Balaban
VENUE #1: Dixon Place
Fri 13 @ 7
Sat 14 @ NOON
Fri 20 @ 6:15
Wed 25 @ 4:15
Fri 27 @ 9
Fringe Q&A With John Pollono of Lost and Found
By Byrne Harrison
Name: John Pollono
Show: Lost and Found
Relationship to show: Playwright, actor
Website: www.LostandFoundPlay.com
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I moved to Los Angeles ten years ago after finishing college and film school; I wanted to work in film as a screenwriter. I had dabbled in acting and began taking acting classes at Howard Fine Studio with Laura Gardner, and we worked solely on theatre scripts. This was the first time I was really exposed to theatre. The quality of writing blew me away and I realized that my favorite kind of stories -- character driven, dialogue driven, performance driven -- were coming out of theatre. I really fell in love with theatre very quickly and started writing and acting in plays almost immediately. I realized that it was what I was meant to do. The theatrical process helped me develop a voice as a writer, collaborate with actors and directors and find myself on stage as well.
Who are your biggest influences?
I grew up obsessed with movies and television. Martin Scorsese is a huge influence... we're both Italian, although from much different backgrounds. I always connected to how personal he makes his films. Denis Leary is a huge influence... especially "Rescue Me," where he took his talent and aesthetic and applied it to a very personal story that he writes and acts in. Since I didn't get into theatre until somewhat recently, all the classics that everyone studies in "Theater School" are still new to me. Our Town and Death of a Salesman blew me away. I honestly knew nothing about them when I sat down and read them. I also read everything that Mamet, Martin McDonagh or Kenneth Lonergan write.
What is your show about?
Lost and Found is an intimate look at a working class Boston family forced into great change when very influential people step into their lives. It's really about family, passion and anger and about how complicated and crucial love is in our lives.
What inspired you to write it?
A little more than ten years ago I discovered that I had an older sister who had been put up for adoption when my mother was a teenager. I met her and the entire process was emotionally devastating and fascinating. Made me look at everyone in my family in a completely different way. I used those emotions and experiences as the raw material to craft this story. It's not autobiographical... but all of the emotions the different characters are feeling, I very much went through. So I had authority when creating those moments.
Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
I've known the director, Andrew Block, for years. We were founding members of Rogue Machine in Los Angeles and we've collaborated on a lot of stuff in the past. Andrew and I really click. The guy is incredibly passionate when he works on something and, as a writer, that's the most important thing. I trust him and he takes my work and infuses it with an amazing life and vitality. This is our fourth collaboration as a writer and director. We recently won the Network One Act festival here in New York and that was a blast. So we're pretty big deals right now!
The rest of the crew worked with Andrew a lot in the past and they are amazing. Katy Burns, our AD, flew out here from Houston, TX to work on the show. She has an incredibly personal connection to the material and her presence is hugely inspiring. Tony Lepore, our lighting and sound designer and stage manager, I worked with recently at the La Lupa Italian American Festival. I acted in a great one act play he wrote and we hit it off. He's a real Italian... he returns favors! Christa Kelly is our production designer, and I've known her for over twelve years. We're good friends, and lucky for us (maybe not her), she was laid off recently and dove right in to our show. The production needs of the show and of Fringe are astronomical and she has worked tirelessly and with insane skill. Anne Lommel, our costumer, I just met for this show and she could not be more helpful or accommodating. She is pulling a lot of strings to make things work! Rodney Ladino, our other producer, pretty much does everything that's needed. He's amazing and tireless. Elizabeth "Boomer" Hawks is our graphic designer, and her design work for our marketing materials has truly influenced the entire look of the show. Joe Trentacosta is our publicist from Springer Associates, and he's really hit the ground running and used his expertise to spread the word, getting NYC ready for us. Rounding it out Steven DeLuca from Martian Entertainment... he’s a childhood friend of Andrew’s, and he has championed the play from day one. There is so much heart and dedication in this show that it’s kind of mind blowing. Also, not sure if you noticed, but there's a lot of vowels in these names... love that too!
The cast is phenomenal... they are authentic and super talented and a blast to work with. Geraldine Librandi and Reiko Aylesworth are definitely our most recognizable and there’s a reason they work so much. Both are a joy to work with and they make such iconic choices with the characters. The rest of the cast are superb as well, even if you might not immediately recognize them. Dana Domenick, Joey Gambetta, Jon Krupp, Jonathan Bock and Casey Predovic. Every one of them is spot on and so dedicated and talented it’s silly. Fringe is a tough gig... you have to do guerilla-type theatre. And this cast is jumping into it with gusto and really using our limitations to inspire themselves in their performances.
If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?
I'd love for this play to move on to another theatre and find a bigger audience. It's really a play that was created for an audience... it speaks passionately and truthfully and often very profanely about themes and people that an audience can relate to, root for and empathize with. Everyone is so great in it... on every level... just want to connect with that audience and show them what we got.
What's next for you after Fringe?
I have a few plays I'm working on. Razorback, which was produced at Rogue Machine in Los Angeles, and is a super dark, scary and very funny play, would really do well in NYC. I'm also finishing my first period piece... another dark tale this one set in Boston in the mid 1800's. I'm very excited to see where that goes. Truth is, the more I work with new and talented people, the more it inspires me to write!
And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright, living or dead, who would you chose and why?
I would love to work on stage with Ian McShane. In fact, I’ve already written a few plays that he’d be perfect in!
Lost and Found
Rogue Machine Theatre
Writer: John Pollono
Director: Andrew Block
VENUE #14: The Cherry Pit
Mon 16 @ 2
Sat 21 @ 7:15
Mon 23 @ 10:15
Thu 26 @ 9:15
Fri 27 @ 3
Name: John Pollono
Show: Lost and Found
Relationship to show: Playwright, actor
Website: www.LostandFoundPlay.com
How did you first get involved in theatre?
I moved to Los Angeles ten years ago after finishing college and film school; I wanted to work in film as a screenwriter. I had dabbled in acting and began taking acting classes at Howard Fine Studio with Laura Gardner, and we worked solely on theatre scripts. This was the first time I was really exposed to theatre. The quality of writing blew me away and I realized that my favorite kind of stories -- character driven, dialogue driven, performance driven -- were coming out of theatre. I really fell in love with theatre very quickly and started writing and acting in plays almost immediately. I realized that it was what I was meant to do. The theatrical process helped me develop a voice as a writer, collaborate with actors and directors and find myself on stage as well.
Who are your biggest influences?
I grew up obsessed with movies and television. Martin Scorsese is a huge influence... we're both Italian, although from much different backgrounds. I always connected to how personal he makes his films. Denis Leary is a huge influence... especially "Rescue Me," where he took his talent and aesthetic and applied it to a very personal story that he writes and acts in. Since I didn't get into theatre until somewhat recently, all the classics that everyone studies in "Theater School" are still new to me. Our Town and Death of a Salesman blew me away. I honestly knew nothing about them when I sat down and read them. I also read everything that Mamet, Martin McDonagh or Kenneth Lonergan write.
What is your show about?
Lost and Found is an intimate look at a working class Boston family forced into great change when very influential people step into their lives. It's really about family, passion and anger and about how complicated and crucial love is in our lives. What inspired you to write it?
A little more than ten years ago I discovered that I had an older sister who had been put up for adoption when my mother was a teenager. I met her and the entire process was emotionally devastating and fascinating. Made me look at everyone in my family in a completely different way. I used those emotions and experiences as the raw material to craft this story. It's not autobiographical... but all of the emotions the different characters are feeling, I very much went through. So I had authority when creating those moments.
Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
I've known the director, Andrew Block, for years. We were founding members of Rogue Machine in Los Angeles and we've collaborated on a lot of stuff in the past. Andrew and I really click. The guy is incredibly passionate when he works on something and, as a writer, that's the most important thing. I trust him and he takes my work and infuses it with an amazing life and vitality. This is our fourth collaboration as a writer and director. We recently won the Network One Act festival here in New York and that was a blast. So we're pretty big deals right now!
The rest of the crew worked with Andrew a lot in the past and they are amazing. Katy Burns, our AD, flew out here from Houston, TX to work on the show. She has an incredibly personal connection to the material and her presence is hugely inspiring. Tony Lepore, our lighting and sound designer and stage manager, I worked with recently at the La Lupa Italian American Festival. I acted in a great one act play he wrote and we hit it off. He's a real Italian... he returns favors! Christa Kelly is our production designer, and I've known her for over twelve years. We're good friends, and lucky for us (maybe not her), she was laid off recently and dove right in to our show. The production needs of the show and of Fringe are astronomical and she has worked tirelessly and with insane skill. Anne Lommel, our costumer, I just met for this show and she could not be more helpful or accommodating. She is pulling a lot of strings to make things work! Rodney Ladino, our other producer, pretty much does everything that's needed. He's amazing and tireless. Elizabeth "Boomer" Hawks is our graphic designer, and her design work for our marketing materials has truly influenced the entire look of the show. Joe Trentacosta is our publicist from Springer Associates, and he's really hit the ground running and used his expertise to spread the word, getting NYC ready for us. Rounding it out Steven DeLuca from Martian Entertainment... he’s a childhood friend of Andrew’s, and he has championed the play from day one. There is so much heart and dedication in this show that it’s kind of mind blowing. Also, not sure if you noticed, but there's a lot of vowels in these names... love that too!
The cast is phenomenal... they are authentic and super talented and a blast to work with. Geraldine Librandi and Reiko Aylesworth are definitely our most recognizable and there’s a reason they work so much. Both are a joy to work with and they make such iconic choices with the characters. The rest of the cast are superb as well, even if you might not immediately recognize them. Dana Domenick, Joey Gambetta, Jon Krupp, Jonathan Bock and Casey Predovic. Every one of them is spot on and so dedicated and talented it’s silly. Fringe is a tough gig... you have to do guerilla-type theatre. And this cast is jumping into it with gusto and really using our limitations to inspire themselves in their performances.
If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?
I'd love for this play to move on to another theatre and find a bigger audience. It's really a play that was created for an audience... it speaks passionately and truthfully and often very profanely about themes and people that an audience can relate to, root for and empathize with. Everyone is so great in it... on every level... just want to connect with that audience and show them what we got.
What's next for you after Fringe?
I have a few plays I'm working on. Razorback, which was produced at Rogue Machine in Los Angeles, and is a super dark, scary and very funny play, would really do well in NYC. I'm also finishing my first period piece... another dark tale this one set in Boston in the mid 1800's. I'm very excited to see where that goes. Truth is, the more I work with new and talented people, the more it inspires me to write!
And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright, living or dead, who would you chose and why?
I would love to work on stage with Ian McShane. In fact, I’ve already written a few plays that he’d be perfect in!
Lost and Found
Rogue Machine Theatre
Writer: John Pollono
Director: Andrew Block
VENUE #14: The Cherry Pit
Mon 16 @ 2
Sat 21 @ 7:15
Mon 23 @ 10:15
Thu 26 @ 9:15
Fri 27 @ 3
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Dream Up Festival Interview - David Lawson of Gloves for Guns
By Byrne Harrison
Name: David Lawson
Play: Gloves for Guns
Relationship to play: Playwright
What is your play about?
Gloves for Guns is about two teenagers who shot up their high school and killed themselves. They now find themselves in a mysterious afterlife with just a baseball, a baseball glove and a portal that shows them the world's reaction to their actions.
What inspired you to write it?
The recent rash of school shootings in the past 15 years. While they did occur before, the school shooting has become a phenomenon within my lifetime. I'm often amazed at how many of the perpetrators of these shootings are just like people I knew growing up...and a lot of them are even like me.
Tell me a little bit about your cast and crew.
Ryan Rinkel and Danny Tenzer are two wonderful, fresh-faced actors who just graduated from Marymount Manhattan University here in NYC. Michael Padden has been David Cromer's go-to assistant director the past few years. They've all done wonderful work.
What inspired you to be part of the Dream Up Festival?
When I moved to New York City, I wrote out a list of theatres I wanted to work at in New York City. Theater for the New City was near the top of that list. To have a world premiere at a theatre that has produced world premieres from great dramatists like Sam Shepard, Moises Kaufman, Peter Schumann, Gao Xingjian... it's an honor.
What do you want your audience to take away from Gloves for Guns?
In Errol Morris' excellent documentary "The Fog of War," Robert S. McNamara's #1 rule of war is "empathize with your enemy." Gloves for Guns is about trying to empathize with two people who have done something absolutely awful. I would love people to walk away from Gloves willing to empathize with the various enemies in their lives. Not to stop fighting them, not that, just try to empathize with them. Try to understand what their enemy wants. And perhaps, even some who see the play will realize THEY might be someone else's enemy (some might say we are all someone else's enemy) and realize that THEY need to change their approach to get what they want.
What is next for both of you after Dream Up?
I am developing a play called Thanks for Traveling that I hope to produce in the coming months. It's about two engaged airport security workers who lose their jobs (and thus, their wedding) when a hijackers passes through their security checkpoint, yet over time they begin to doubt the official story of the hijacking. Ryan and Danny will be back auditioning (cast them!!!) and Michael will be back working with David Cromer.
You've created a particular vision of the afterlife for Gloves for Guns. Do you think there is an afterlife, and what do you think it will be like?
My three biggest wishes for the actual afterlife is that (1) All questions will be answered (even silly ones like "How many times did I tie my shoes?" or "How much total money in spare change did I find throughout my life?"), (2) There will be a highlight reel I'll get to watch, and (3) I'll be able to see all the people I loved back here. But in all reality... it probably is just a good, long, sleep.
Gloves for Guns
Written by David Lawson
Directed by Michael Padden
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue, between 9th and 10th Streets
Sunday- August 8 - 5pm
Sunday- August 15 - 7pm
Tickets ($12) are available online at www.theaterforthenewcity.net or by calling 866-811-4111.
Name: David Lawson
Play: Gloves for Guns
Relationship to play: Playwright
What is your play about?
Gloves for Guns is about two teenagers who shot up their high school and killed themselves. They now find themselves in a mysterious afterlife with just a baseball, a baseball glove and a portal that shows them the world's reaction to their actions.What inspired you to write it?
The recent rash of school shootings in the past 15 years. While they did occur before, the school shooting has become a phenomenon within my lifetime. I'm often amazed at how many of the perpetrators of these shootings are just like people I knew growing up...and a lot of them are even like me.
Tell me a little bit about your cast and crew.
Ryan Rinkel and Danny Tenzer are two wonderful, fresh-faced actors who just graduated from Marymount Manhattan University here in NYC. Michael Padden has been David Cromer's go-to assistant director the past few years. They've all done wonderful work.
What inspired you to be part of the Dream Up Festival?
When I moved to New York City, I wrote out a list of theatres I wanted to work at in New York City. Theater for the New City was near the top of that list. To have a world premiere at a theatre that has produced world premieres from great dramatists like Sam Shepard, Moises Kaufman, Peter Schumann, Gao Xingjian... it's an honor.
What do you want your audience to take away from Gloves for Guns?
In Errol Morris' excellent documentary "The Fog of War," Robert S. McNamara's #1 rule of war is "empathize with your enemy." Gloves for Guns is about trying to empathize with two people who have done something absolutely awful. I would love people to walk away from Gloves willing to empathize with the various enemies in their lives. Not to stop fighting them, not that, just try to empathize with them. Try to understand what their enemy wants. And perhaps, even some who see the play will realize THEY might be someone else's enemy (some might say we are all someone else's enemy) and realize that THEY need to change their approach to get what they want.
What is next for both of you after Dream Up?
I am developing a play called Thanks for Traveling that I hope to produce in the coming months. It's about two engaged airport security workers who lose their jobs (and thus, their wedding) when a hijackers passes through their security checkpoint, yet over time they begin to doubt the official story of the hijacking. Ryan and Danny will be back auditioning (cast them!!!) and Michael will be back working with David Cromer.
You've created a particular vision of the afterlife for Gloves for Guns. Do you think there is an afterlife, and what do you think it will be like?
My three biggest wishes for the actual afterlife is that (1) All questions will be answered (even silly ones like "How many times did I tie my shoes?" or "How much total money in spare change did I find throughout my life?"), (2) There will be a highlight reel I'll get to watch, and (3) I'll be able to see all the people I loved back here. But in all reality... it probably is just a good, long, sleep.
Gloves for Guns
Written by David Lawson
Directed by Michael Padden
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue, between 9th and 10th Streets
Sunday- August 8 - 5pm
Sunday- August 15 - 7pm
Tickets ($12) are available online at www.theaterforthenewcity.net or by calling 866-811-4111.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Review - Candide (Counter Productions)
By Byrne Harrison
With only a passing familiarity with the musical, I wasn't sure what to expect from Provincetown's Counter Productions' version of the Leonard Bernstein, Richard Wilbur and Hugh Wheeler musical Candide. Their small, yet enthusiastic production was delightful.
Director Susan Grilli maximizes the space in the somewhat snug studio by setting the play in the round. Set designer Michael Steers uses the leftover available space - primarily the walls and ceiling - to string lights, bunting, posters, and curtains to decorate the otherwise empty space. The result feels like a festive garden party with a private performance for a handful of honored guests. This combined with the intimate staging (watch your feet!) and the fact that you can observe the other audience members at all times, really makes Candide a group experience. Based on the audience the night I saw the show, the experience was an enjoyable one.
The principals are well chosen, each with an excellent voice. Soprano Nell Snaidas, who is picture perfect as Cunegonde, has a set of pipes on her that won't quit. Her "Glitter and Be Gay" is terrific, and though not my favorite song in the show, makes me appreciate it a bit more. Snaidas shares a good chemistry with Ben Griessmeyer, who makes a particularly eager and earnest Candide. Their "Oh Happy We" is one of the high points of the show. Darlene Van Alstyne is great as the coquettish, yet sadly underwritten, Paquette. Adam Berry, who plays Voltaire, Pangloss, and a rakish Governor, is a strong performer and does particularly well jumping between characters. While I would like to have seen an older actor in this role, Berry does an excellent job, particularly as the pedantic Pangloss. Jon Shee, as the vain and fiery-tempered Maximillian, and Lacey A. Waite as the Old Lady round out the principals. Both are good performers, though Waite's choice of accent for her character does make her hard to understand at times, especially when she is facing away from your section.
Candide features some amazing work by Music Director John Thomas and Brad Conant, Marija Kovacevic and Roxanne Layton, his musicians. The four perform flawlessly, with Layton's work on the recorders particularly well done.
The quality of the ensemble ranges from professional to community theatre. While this gives the production a slightly uneven feel, it also shows that Counter Productions is taking an active role in building its ensemble and providing training for younger and less experienced actors. At only three years old and with 25 productions under its belt, it's exciting to think of what this company has ahead of them.
Sadly there are only two performances left of this charming production (and I hear one is already sold out). If you haven't had a chance to see Candide yet, make your reservations now.
Candide
Book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Richard Wilbur
Directed by Susan Grilli
Musical Direction: John Thomas
Set Design: Michael Steers
Costume Design: Carol Sherry
Drums/Percussion: Brad Conant
Violin: Marija Kovacevic
Recorders: Roxanne Layton
Featuring: Ben Griessmeyer (Candide), Nell Snaidas (Cunegonde), Adam Berry (Voltaire/Pangloss), Lacey A. Waite (Old Lady), Darlene Van Alstyne (Paquette), Jon Shee (Maximilian), Jereme Anglin (Ensemble), Fran O'Neill (Ensemble), Joanie Carney (Ensemble), Stan Cooper (Ensemble), John Stephens (Ensemble), Tim Babcock (Ensemble), Leif Johnson (Ensemble), Chris Brooke (Ensemble)
Counter Productions Studio
Whalers Wharf
237 Commercial Street
July 21-August 13
With only a passing familiarity with the musical, I wasn't sure what to expect from Provincetown's Counter Productions' version of the Leonard Bernstein, Richard Wilbur and Hugh Wheeler musical Candide. Their small, yet enthusiastic production was delightful.Director Susan Grilli maximizes the space in the somewhat snug studio by setting the play in the round. Set designer Michael Steers uses the leftover available space - primarily the walls and ceiling - to string lights, bunting, posters, and curtains to decorate the otherwise empty space. The result feels like a festive garden party with a private performance for a handful of honored guests. This combined with the intimate staging (watch your feet!) and the fact that you can observe the other audience members at all times, really makes Candide a group experience. Based on the audience the night I saw the show, the experience was an enjoyable one.
The principals are well chosen, each with an excellent voice. Soprano Nell Snaidas, who is picture perfect as Cunegonde, has a set of pipes on her that won't quit. Her "Glitter and Be Gay" is terrific, and though not my favorite song in the show, makes me appreciate it a bit more. Snaidas shares a good chemistry with Ben Griessmeyer, who makes a particularly eager and earnest Candide. Their "Oh Happy We" is one of the high points of the show. Darlene Van Alstyne is great as the coquettish, yet sadly underwritten, Paquette. Adam Berry, who plays Voltaire, Pangloss, and a rakish Governor, is a strong performer and does particularly well jumping between characters. While I would like to have seen an older actor in this role, Berry does an excellent job, particularly as the pedantic Pangloss. Jon Shee, as the vain and fiery-tempered Maximillian, and Lacey A. Waite as the Old Lady round out the principals. Both are good performers, though Waite's choice of accent for her character does make her hard to understand at times, especially when she is facing away from your section.
Candide features some amazing work by Music Director John Thomas and Brad Conant, Marija Kovacevic and Roxanne Layton, his musicians. The four perform flawlessly, with Layton's work on the recorders particularly well done.
The quality of the ensemble ranges from professional to community theatre. While this gives the production a slightly uneven feel, it also shows that Counter Productions is taking an active role in building its ensemble and providing training for younger and less experienced actors. At only three years old and with 25 productions under its belt, it's exciting to think of what this company has ahead of them.
Sadly there are only two performances left of this charming production (and I hear one is already sold out). If you haven't had a chance to see Candide yet, make your reservations now.
Candide
Book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Richard Wilbur
Directed by Susan Grilli
Musical Direction: John Thomas
Set Design: Michael Steers
Costume Design: Carol Sherry
Drums/Percussion: Brad Conant
Violin: Marija Kovacevic
Recorders: Roxanne Layton
Featuring: Ben Griessmeyer (Candide), Nell Snaidas (Cunegonde), Adam Berry (Voltaire/Pangloss), Lacey A. Waite (Old Lady), Darlene Van Alstyne (Paquette), Jon Shee (Maximilian), Jereme Anglin (Ensemble), Fran O'Neill (Ensemble), Joanie Carney (Ensemble), Stan Cooper (Ensemble), John Stephens (Ensemble), Tim Babcock (Ensemble), Leif Johnson (Ensemble), Chris Brooke (Ensemble)
Counter Productions Studio
Whalers Wharf
237 Commercial Street
July 21-August 13
Fringe Q&A With Michael DeVito of In Loco Parentis
By Byrne Harrison
Name: Michael DeVito
Relationship to show: Playwright
Show: In Loco Parentis
Website: www.inlocoparentisplay.com
You are a high school English teacher. Your show is about a high school English teacher using Hamlet to reach one of his students who lost a parent. How much of In Loco Parentis is drawn from your own experiences?
A great deal, as you might imagine. A lot of Browning’s lessons, especially in the beginning of the play, are drawn from classes I’ve taught, though I like to think I’ve fictionalized Browning’s single-mindedness about Hamlet. He and I have definitely said some of the same things in teaching the play, but he also says some things I don’t quite embrace. I do explore the inevitable loss of parents in my classes, and the obvious extension from the loss of parents to our own mortality, because that’s a large part of what Hamlet is all about. Several times, I had students in class who had lost parents (and I didn’t always know that going in), and more than one of them found the line of discussion a bit hard to take. Those situations formed the core of the idea for In Loco Parentis. But the situation in the play is completely fictional. Hopefully, I was a bit more evidently compassionate than Browning.
I was lucky enough to catch a production of your show last fall. Has the play changed much since then?
Thanks for coming to see it. The spirit of the play hasn’t changed, but I’ve tried to soften Browning up a bit, since we found one of the critiques of the play was that he was a bit too severe, and audiences found it hard to embrace him. Hopefully Jonathan (Warman, director) and Desmond (Dutcher, actor) and I have addressed that in this production. There was also a need to make some of the growth of the characters a bit more explicit. The workshop production was really helpful in showing us where we needed to go to make this play as good as it can be. I’m indebted to The Manhattan Theatre Source for giving us the opportunity to work on it.
As you mentioned, you have some of the same cast and crew from the fall. Given the short rehearsal time for Fringe, did you find that it gave you a little bit of an edge having pieces of the show in place, or did you basically start from scratch and come up with a completely new production?
It was definitely comfortable having the same two leads, the same director and the same scenic designer, especially because summer made it hard to get everyone in the same room at the same time. I also think the process of creating these roles has to have been aided by the period of hibernation. Someone once told me that even when you’re not writing, you are, because you’re always exploring ideas, thinking about a script you are working on, percolating. I’m sure the same is true for the actors and director, who spent the whole winter having immersed themselves in this play, knowing there was a chance they might revisit it.
Tell me a little about your cast and crew. How did you find them and what have they brought to the play?
It’s impossible to tell you “a little” about that, but I’ll try. The first answer is professionalism. Sitting in your room writing a play is the ultimate act of optimism—you hope that a large group of people required to bring your idea to life will want to do so. And then you meet these artists who dedicate themselves to realizing your dream—it’s really amazing. Specifically, I think Desmond and Kristin (Katherine Shields, who plays Carly) have brought voices and directions to these two characters that have really deepened them beyond what I as one person with a specific viewpoint could imagine. Jonathan, whom I met when Emerging Artists asked me to select a director for a reading of the play last June, has also been irreplaceable, not only in seeing the play and in staging it, but also in helping me to believe the script was worth it. He really gets it in the way that I want it to be gotten, and that is very powerful. I have absolute confidence in his ideas for the play because I know he is as passionate and thoughtful as I am about it. There’s a lot more I could say—Maggie Pilat is our scenic designer, whom I met through a mutual friend, Yuriy Nayer is our Lighting Designer, Alison Carroll is our stage manager, and they have both worked with Jonathan before. Our two new cast members, whom we found through auditions, are Kareem M. Lucas and Marc Geller. Their roles are small but important, and they are both terrific actors. One thing you’re sure to see in this production is some wonderful acting.
I understand you're a founding member of The Playwright's Group. How did that get started and was it helpful in the development of this play?
I took the Gotham series of playwriting courses several years ago, and the last one was taught by Richard Caliban, who started this group after that class was over and asked me and other members of our class to join. His vision was of a weekly workshop in which playwrights could hear their work and receive feedback. It was looser than the Gotham course, and the people who came together to form the group were all very serious and very smart. I had worked on In Loco Parentis in the Gotham course, and I did a reading of it for The Playwrights Group shortly after we started. That reading was crucial in helping me develop the play to the point where Emerging Artists noticed it. I got honest, insightful feedback from Richard and the other playwrights. I think without that reading, I wouldn’t be doing this play in The Fringe.
What is next for you after Fringe?
I have a production of another play, Pills, at The Black Ship Company in Chicago in April. And I’m just about finished with a new play—a holocaust drama called The Prediction set in Cuba in 1935. The play is basically about a father and son who have elected to leave Germany, and are trapped on a boat in the Port of Havana awaiting entry into Cuba, facing the option of being sent back or leaving the ship illegally. The problem is it’s 1935 and they don’t fully agree on whether or not it was a necessity to leave in the first place. The son believes it was, and that the Nazis will eventually try to annihilate the Jews; the father thinks that the Nazis are just a nightmare that Germany will awaken from. They basically argue politics and religion, like most fathers and sons do, but their arguments obviously have more weight given the context. It’s really an exploration of their relationship, though. It’s very pained, very laden with baggage. When the Fringe is over, I’m going to finish fine-tuning that script, and then start trying to get people interested in it.
And finally, if you had a chance to meet Shakespeare, what would you talk about?
Whatever he wanted. I imagine he’d be pretty interested in my experiences flying on airplanes and talking on telephones. And I’d like to think at some point I’d say, “Thanks.” Seriously, though, I suppose I’ve always wondered if he had any inkling of the effect he was going to have on literary history. I’m sure he knew he was a good playwright (assuming, of course, that he is wholly responsible for the work ascribed to him), but I wonder if he knew that in addition to writing dialogue that was riveting in the moment it’s delivered, if he had any thoughts about how rich and rewarding his poetry would be upon multiple re-readings. One great thing about being a high school teacher is that I read Hamlet and Macbeth every year, and they never get old, which is not true for a lot of other works of literature I have similar relationships with. I wouldn’t bother asking him how he did that, but I’m very curious what that does to someone’s ego. What’s it feel like to be the most successful dramatist who ever lived?
In Loco Parentis
Writer: Michael DeVito
Director: Jonathan Warman
4th Street Theater
83 East 4th Street
Saturday, August 14th @ 7:45 pm
Sunday, August 15th @ 5:45 pm
Friday, August 20th @ 4 pm
Thursday, August 26th @ 2 pm
Saturday, August 28th @ 2 pm
Name: Michael DeVito
Relationship to show: Playwright
Show: In Loco Parentis
Website: www.inlocoparentisplay.com
You are a high school English teacher. Your show is about a high school English teacher using Hamlet to reach one of his students who lost a parent. How much of In Loco Parentis is drawn from your own experiences?
A great deal, as you might imagine. A lot of Browning’s lessons, especially in the beginning of the play, are drawn from classes I’ve taught, though I like to think I’ve fictionalized Browning’s single-mindedness about Hamlet. He and I have definitely said some of the same things in teaching the play, but he also says some things I don’t quite embrace. I do explore the inevitable loss of parents in my classes, and the obvious extension from the loss of parents to our own mortality, because that’s a large part of what Hamlet is all about. Several times, I had students in class who had lost parents (and I didn’t always know that going in), and more than one of them found the line of discussion a bit hard to take. Those situations formed the core of the idea for In Loco Parentis. But the situation in the play is completely fictional. Hopefully, I was a bit more evidently compassionate than Browning. I was lucky enough to catch a production of your show last fall. Has the play changed much since then?
Thanks for coming to see it. The spirit of the play hasn’t changed, but I’ve tried to soften Browning up a bit, since we found one of the critiques of the play was that he was a bit too severe, and audiences found it hard to embrace him. Hopefully Jonathan (Warman, director) and Desmond (Dutcher, actor) and I have addressed that in this production. There was also a need to make some of the growth of the characters a bit more explicit. The workshop production was really helpful in showing us where we needed to go to make this play as good as it can be. I’m indebted to The Manhattan Theatre Source for giving us the opportunity to work on it.
As you mentioned, you have some of the same cast and crew from the fall. Given the short rehearsal time for Fringe, did you find that it gave you a little bit of an edge having pieces of the show in place, or did you basically start from scratch and come up with a completely new production?
It was definitely comfortable having the same two leads, the same director and the same scenic designer, especially because summer made it hard to get everyone in the same room at the same time. I also think the process of creating these roles has to have been aided by the period of hibernation. Someone once told me that even when you’re not writing, you are, because you’re always exploring ideas, thinking about a script you are working on, percolating. I’m sure the same is true for the actors and director, who spent the whole winter having immersed themselves in this play, knowing there was a chance they might revisit it.
Tell me a little about your cast and crew. How did you find them and what have they brought to the play?
It’s impossible to tell you “a little” about that, but I’ll try. The first answer is professionalism. Sitting in your room writing a play is the ultimate act of optimism—you hope that a large group of people required to bring your idea to life will want to do so. And then you meet these artists who dedicate themselves to realizing your dream—it’s really amazing. Specifically, I think Desmond and Kristin (Katherine Shields, who plays Carly) have brought voices and directions to these two characters that have really deepened them beyond what I as one person with a specific viewpoint could imagine. Jonathan, whom I met when Emerging Artists asked me to select a director for a reading of the play last June, has also been irreplaceable, not only in seeing the play and in staging it, but also in helping me to believe the script was worth it. He really gets it in the way that I want it to be gotten, and that is very powerful. I have absolute confidence in his ideas for the play because I know he is as passionate and thoughtful as I am about it. There’s a lot more I could say—Maggie Pilat is our scenic designer, whom I met through a mutual friend, Yuriy Nayer is our Lighting Designer, Alison Carroll is our stage manager, and they have both worked with Jonathan before. Our two new cast members, whom we found through auditions, are Kareem M. Lucas and Marc Geller. Their roles are small but important, and they are both terrific actors. One thing you’re sure to see in this production is some wonderful acting.
I understand you're a founding member of The Playwright's Group. How did that get started and was it helpful in the development of this play?
I took the Gotham series of playwriting courses several years ago, and the last one was taught by Richard Caliban, who started this group after that class was over and asked me and other members of our class to join. His vision was of a weekly workshop in which playwrights could hear their work and receive feedback. It was looser than the Gotham course, and the people who came together to form the group were all very serious and very smart. I had worked on In Loco Parentis in the Gotham course, and I did a reading of it for The Playwrights Group shortly after we started. That reading was crucial in helping me develop the play to the point where Emerging Artists noticed it. I got honest, insightful feedback from Richard and the other playwrights. I think without that reading, I wouldn’t be doing this play in The Fringe.
What is next for you after Fringe?
I have a production of another play, Pills, at The Black Ship Company in Chicago in April. And I’m just about finished with a new play—a holocaust drama called The Prediction set in Cuba in 1935. The play is basically about a father and son who have elected to leave Germany, and are trapped on a boat in the Port of Havana awaiting entry into Cuba, facing the option of being sent back or leaving the ship illegally. The problem is it’s 1935 and they don’t fully agree on whether or not it was a necessity to leave in the first place. The son believes it was, and that the Nazis will eventually try to annihilate the Jews; the father thinks that the Nazis are just a nightmare that Germany will awaken from. They basically argue politics and religion, like most fathers and sons do, but their arguments obviously have more weight given the context. It’s really an exploration of their relationship, though. It’s very pained, very laden with baggage. When the Fringe is over, I’m going to finish fine-tuning that script, and then start trying to get people interested in it.
And finally, if you had a chance to meet Shakespeare, what would you talk about?
Whatever he wanted. I imagine he’d be pretty interested in my experiences flying on airplanes and talking on telephones. And I’d like to think at some point I’d say, “Thanks.” Seriously, though, I suppose I’ve always wondered if he had any inkling of the effect he was going to have on literary history. I’m sure he knew he was a good playwright (assuming, of course, that he is wholly responsible for the work ascribed to him), but I wonder if he knew that in addition to writing dialogue that was riveting in the moment it’s delivered, if he had any thoughts about how rich and rewarding his poetry would be upon multiple re-readings. One great thing about being a high school teacher is that I read Hamlet and Macbeth every year, and they never get old, which is not true for a lot of other works of literature I have similar relationships with. I wouldn’t bother asking him how he did that, but I’m very curious what that does to someone’s ego. What’s it feel like to be the most successful dramatist who ever lived?
In Loco Parentis
Writer: Michael DeVito
Director: Jonathan Warman
4th Street Theater
83 East 4th Street
Saturday, August 14th @ 7:45 pm
Sunday, August 15th @ 5:45 pm
Friday, August 20th @ 4 pm
Thursday, August 26th @ 2 pm
Saturday, August 28th @ 2 pm
Dream Up Festival Interview - Bill Connington and Rachel Klein of Princes of Darkness
By Byrne Harrison
Names: Bill Connington, Rachel Klein
Play: Princes of Darkness
Relationship to play: Bill - Writer/Performer, Rachel - Director/Choreographer/Costume Designer
I've got to admit, I'm pretty excited about this particular collaboration. Bill, I'm familiar with last year's award-winning production of Zombie. Rachel, I've seen several of your productions over the last couple of years. How did you find each other?
Rachel: Bill saw a musical that I directed earlier this year, Lizardman, and apparently was dazzled by my ability to cover grown men in sequins and eyeliner. I saw clips of Zombie, and was dazzled by his ability to be terrifying... thus a collaboration was necessary!
Bill: I went to see a production of a new musical called Lizardman. The lyrics are by Michael Cooper, who I know. He was the producer on a short film of Zombie which I acted in. The film is based on the novella by Joyce Carol Oates. I loved Lizardman -- it was very exciting. The energy started high, and kept getting higher and higher and higher. And I loved how it was directed. Rachel directed it, and is Michael's cousin. I said, "I have to work with this woman," and he introduced me.
What is Princes of Darkness about?
Rachel: Lucifer, sort of a Rod Serling meets the emcee from Cabaret, is the happy host of the evening, on a quest to find the new ruler of the universe. Lucifer then evokes the spirits of three men who couldn’t handle the job themselves.
Bill: He talks to the audience and thinks he's pretty "all that" and oozing with charm. He's essentially trying to seduce the audience in various ways. He shows them the stories of Hamlet, Oedipus, and Dracula -- acts them out. They are all leaders who fail, in his opinion. So he says he's trying to get the audience to agree to being to becoming leaders. But what he's really trying to do is to get the audience completely full of themselves, and narcissistic. And then to become sinners so he can get them sent to Hell. Did I mention that it's also funny? I'd say it's an "existential comedy." And you can't tell at all that both my parents went to Catholic schools all the way from nursery school through college. Really you can't.
What is it about Satan that makes him such a compelling character?
Rachel: Satan is full of mischief—in most literary depictions, he is pulling pranks, playing with human beings’ emotions, and having a grand old time. A troublemaker is always more compelling than a goody two shoes in my book!
But what is really spellbinding is Bill’s portrayal of Satan — He is having a ball and he’s mesmerizing to watch!
Bill: I always thought that if Satan was able to entrap so many souls, he must be very intelligent, quick, ingenious, attractive, wily, compelling, maybe even sexy in a way. It's not easy to trap millions of people! You've really got to work it!
Of all the stories to combine, how did you pick Hamlet, Oedipus and Dracula?
Bill: They're all fascinating characters. They are all princes, literally. But also princes of darkness, because in various ways they are drawn into very, very dark places. So many people are afraid of going to a dark place. In some way they may be afraid that they will be overwhelmed by it. I think this is a mistake. It's better to look at dark, difficult things -- and then they begin to lose some of their power over you. It makes you a stronger person to face difficult questions and situations. In the play we also use humor, and zaniness -- that helps to lighten everything, and bring a sense of fun to the journey.
What do you want your audience to take away from Princes of Darkness?
Rachel: I want the tagline to resonate: “Darkness can be fun!”
Bill: You mean besides their programs? Michael came to see a run-through -- he liked it a lot, and said it was, "thought-provoking." I forgot to ask him, "What kind of thoughts?" I hope it made him think about more than what to get for lunch! I can honestly say that you haven't seen this show a million times before -- it's definitely unique. I hope people are entertained by the absurd humor, and enjoy hearing parts of Hamlet, Oedipus, and the Dracula stories. And maybe the play might may people think a little bit -- but just a little bit. After all, it's a summer festival, so I don't want to exhaust anybody. It's only an hour long, so no one will have to think too hard!
What is next for both of you after The Dream Up Festival?
Rachel: I am choreographing a dance piece in Low Life at Howl Festival at Tompkins Square Park this September, inspired by 1950’s Beat, which I am very excited about! I am also directing Kae Burke’s circus adaptation of "Animal Farm," The Circus of Circus, which will perform at the House of Yes in Brooklyn in October.
Bill: I wrote a solo play version of Joyce Carol Oates' novella Zombie, and performed it at the Fringe FestivalNYC, then for an extended run Off-Broadway, then at the Gerald Lynch Theater at John Jay College. It's going to be performed at a theater in Seattle in October, and also in Mexico City. We shot a short film version of Zombie which will be submitted to film festivals beginning the fall. I'll be writing a full-length of the screenplay. And I'll be playing some very nice (rather conservative) guys who wear ties and don't abduct teenagers, or send Souls to Hell.
Finally, if you had a chance to ask God or Satan one question, who would you choose and what would you ask?
Rachel: I would choose Satan—specifically, our Satan. And I would ask him: “Darling, where do you get your eyeliner?”
Bill: I choose both. I would ask God, "Why do you stay silent so long and so often?" And I would ask Satan, "Don't you want to give people a break?"
Princes of Darkness
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Street
Sunday, August 8 at 7pm
Wednesday, August 11 at 9pm
Thursday, August 12 at 9pm
Friday, August 13 at 9pm
Saturday, August 14 at 7pm
Tickets ($12) are available online at www.theaterforthenewcity.net or by calling 866-811-4111.
Names: Bill Connington, Rachel Klein
Play: Princes of Darkness
Relationship to play: Bill - Writer/Performer, Rachel - Director/Choreographer/Costume Designer
I've got to admit, I'm pretty excited about this particular collaboration. Bill, I'm familiar with last year's award-winning production of Zombie. Rachel, I've seen several of your productions over the last couple of years. How did you find each other?
Rachel: Bill saw a musical that I directed earlier this year, Lizardman, and apparently was dazzled by my ability to cover grown men in sequins and eyeliner. I saw clips of Zombie, and was dazzled by his ability to be terrifying... thus a collaboration was necessary! Bill: I went to see a production of a new musical called Lizardman. The lyrics are by Michael Cooper, who I know. He was the producer on a short film of Zombie which I acted in. The film is based on the novella by Joyce Carol Oates. I loved Lizardman -- it was very exciting. The energy started high, and kept getting higher and higher and higher. And I loved how it was directed. Rachel directed it, and is Michael's cousin. I said, "I have to work with this woman," and he introduced me.
What is Princes of Darkness about?
Rachel: Lucifer, sort of a Rod Serling meets the emcee from Cabaret, is the happy host of the evening, on a quest to find the new ruler of the universe. Lucifer then evokes the spirits of three men who couldn’t handle the job themselves.
Bill: He talks to the audience and thinks he's pretty "all that" and oozing with charm. He's essentially trying to seduce the audience in various ways. He shows them the stories of Hamlet, Oedipus, and Dracula -- acts them out. They are all leaders who fail, in his opinion. So he says he's trying to get the audience to agree to being to becoming leaders. But what he's really trying to do is to get the audience completely full of themselves, and narcissistic. And then to become sinners so he can get them sent to Hell. Did I mention that it's also funny? I'd say it's an "existential comedy." And you can't tell at all that both my parents went to Catholic schools all the way from nursery school through college. Really you can't.What is it about Satan that makes him such a compelling character?
Rachel: Satan is full of mischief—in most literary depictions, he is pulling pranks, playing with human beings’ emotions, and having a grand old time. A troublemaker is always more compelling than a goody two shoes in my book!
But what is really spellbinding is Bill’s portrayal of Satan — He is having a ball and he’s mesmerizing to watch!
Bill: I always thought that if Satan was able to entrap so many souls, he must be very intelligent, quick, ingenious, attractive, wily, compelling, maybe even sexy in a way. It's not easy to trap millions of people! You've really got to work it!
Of all the stories to combine, how did you pick Hamlet, Oedipus and Dracula?
Bill: They're all fascinating characters. They are all princes, literally. But also princes of darkness, because in various ways they are drawn into very, very dark places. So many people are afraid of going to a dark place. In some way they may be afraid that they will be overwhelmed by it. I think this is a mistake. It's better to look at dark, difficult things -- and then they begin to lose some of their power over you. It makes you a stronger person to face difficult questions and situations. In the play we also use humor, and zaniness -- that helps to lighten everything, and bring a sense of fun to the journey.What do you want your audience to take away from Princes of Darkness?
Rachel: I want the tagline to resonate: “Darkness can be fun!”
Bill: You mean besides their programs? Michael came to see a run-through -- he liked it a lot, and said it was, "thought-provoking." I forgot to ask him, "What kind of thoughts?" I hope it made him think about more than what to get for lunch! I can honestly say that you haven't seen this show a million times before -- it's definitely unique. I hope people are entertained by the absurd humor, and enjoy hearing parts of Hamlet, Oedipus, and the Dracula stories. And maybe the play might may people think a little bit -- but just a little bit. After all, it's a summer festival, so I don't want to exhaust anybody. It's only an hour long, so no one will have to think too hard!
What is next for both of you after The Dream Up Festival?
Rachel: I am choreographing a dance piece in Low Life at Howl Festival at Tompkins Square Park this September, inspired by 1950’s Beat, which I am very excited about! I am also directing Kae Burke’s circus adaptation of "Animal Farm," The Circus of Circus, which will perform at the House of Yes in Brooklyn in October.
Bill: I wrote a solo play version of Joyce Carol Oates' novella Zombie, and performed it at the Fringe FestivalNYC, then for an extended run Off-Broadway, then at the Gerald Lynch Theater at John Jay College. It's going to be performed at a theater in Seattle in October, and also in Mexico City. We shot a short film version of Zombie which will be submitted to film festivals beginning the fall. I'll be writing a full-length of the screenplay. And I'll be playing some very nice (rather conservative) guys who wear ties and don't abduct teenagers, or send Souls to Hell.
Finally, if you had a chance to ask God or Satan one question, who would you choose and what would you ask?
Rachel: I would choose Satan—specifically, our Satan. And I would ask him: “Darling, where do you get your eyeliner?”
Bill: I choose both. I would ask God, "Why do you stay silent so long and so often?" And I would ask Satan, "Don't you want to give people a break?"
Princes of Darkness
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue between 9th and 10th Street
Sunday, August 8 at 7pm
Wednesday, August 11 at 9pm
Thursday, August 12 at 9pm
Friday, August 13 at 9pm
Saturday, August 14 at 7pm
Tickets ($12) are available online at www.theaterforthenewcity.net or by calling 866-811-4111.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Review - Slap&Tickle (Robert Driemeyer in association with Jim A. Lande)
By Byrne Harrison
I'll admit that I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from David Parr's new play, Slap&Tickle, currently at The Provincetown Theater. It's set in a gay bathhouse, is sponsored by Manhunt, and has a funny sounding title. I guess I was expecting an updated version of Terrence McNally's The Ritz. While Parr's Slap&Tickle certainly has it's comic moments, this nuanced play about a group of men whose lives intersect at a bathhouse is certainly no broad farce. Well written and extremely well acted, Slap&Tickle is a surprise and not to be missed.
Parr's play is non-linear, allowing the stories of the various characters to be told in short pieces, each character's story revealing a little bit about themselves and often another character. The play continuously loops back upon itself to give a different point of view on a scene or to create connections between characters that are not readily apparent. It's an exciting and fascinating form of storytelling that hooks the audience and keeps them interested.
Director David Drake has assembled a terrific ensemble featuring J. Stephen Brantley, Todd Flaherty, Joe MacDougall, Christopher MacDow, Joseph Mahan, and Aaron Tone. These six actors play multiple characters (there are twenty or so characters presented during the play). While most of the characters can be distinguished by slight costume changes - one wears his towel like a sarong, another a baseball cap, one a string of pearls - even without these visual aids, the actors do such a remarkable job creating these characters that it would be easy to follow as they change from person to person. As an audience member, it's exciting to see an actor create a number of characters during one play and excel at making them unique and memorable. This cast does a terric job at that, with particular praise going to J. Stephen Brantley and Joe MacDougall, both of whom so thoroughly transformed from character to character that it was easy imagine that one was watching a much larger cast of actors.
Only two actors play sigle characters. Joseph Mahan as Billy, an older, flamboyant gay man whose story about stealing his mother's pearls and finding an "Uncle," an older gay man who taught him about life, were both funny and touching, and Aaron Tone as Frank, an employee at the bathhouse who had a childhood crush on Han Solo and was the victim of a vicious attack. They provide an anchor for the play, a couple of fixed presences at the bathhouse.
Drake once again excels as a director, creating a fast-paced, yet easy to follow production. His set design is simple but visually interesting, creating numerous levels in the playing area for the actors to use. Chris Page's lighting design is also effective, and Susan Morabito's music is a very nice addition to the show.
Quite easily the best performance I saw while in Provincetown, Slap&Tickle is eyeing a New York run. If you are visiting the Cape, I highly recommend
Slap&Tickle
Written by David Parr
Directed by David Drake
Original Music: Susan Morabito
Set Design: David Drake
Lighting Design: Chris Page
Costume Design: Beto Guedes
Stage Manager: Charlie Owens
Technical Director: Dean Denmon
Marketing: Ron Johnson
Featuring: J. Stephen Brantley (Brett, Josh, David, Tim), Tod Flaherty (Sam, Jesse, Dale), Joe MacDougall (Ray, Danny, Marcus), Christopher MacDow (Mel, Vic, Aldo), Joseph Mahan (Billy Sunday), Aaron Tone (Frank Stark)
The Provincetown Theater
238 Bradford Street
Call 508-487-9793 for tickets.
July 6th - August 14th
I'll admit that I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from David Parr's new play, Slap&Tickle, currently at The Provincetown Theater. It's set in a gay bathhouse, is sponsored by Manhunt, and has a funny sounding title. I guess I was expecting an updated version of Terrence McNally's The Ritz. While Parr's Slap&Tickle certainly has it's comic moments, this nuanced play about a group of men whose lives intersect at a bathhouse is certainly no broad farce. Well written and extremely well acted, Slap&Tickle is a surprise and not to be missed.
Parr's play is non-linear, allowing the stories of the various characters to be told in short pieces, each character's story revealing a little bit about themselves and often another character. The play continuously loops back upon itself to give a different point of view on a scene or to create connections between characters that are not readily apparent. It's an exciting and fascinating form of storytelling that hooks the audience and keeps them interested.
Director David Drake has assembled a terrific ensemble featuring J. Stephen Brantley, Todd Flaherty, Joe MacDougall, Christopher MacDow, Joseph Mahan, and Aaron Tone. These six actors play multiple characters (there are twenty or so characters presented during the play). While most of the characters can be distinguished by slight costume changes - one wears his towel like a sarong, another a baseball cap, one a string of pearls - even without these visual aids, the actors do such a remarkable job creating these characters that it would be easy to follow as they change from person to person. As an audience member, it's exciting to see an actor create a number of characters during one play and excel at making them unique and memorable. This cast does a terric job at that, with particular praise going to J. Stephen Brantley and Joe MacDougall, both of whom so thoroughly transformed from character to character that it was easy imagine that one was watching a much larger cast of actors.Only two actors play sigle characters. Joseph Mahan as Billy, an older, flamboyant gay man whose story about stealing his mother's pearls and finding an "Uncle," an older gay man who taught him about life, were both funny and touching, and Aaron Tone as Frank, an employee at the bathhouse who had a childhood crush on Han Solo and was the victim of a vicious attack. They provide an anchor for the play, a couple of fixed presences at the bathhouse.
Drake once again excels as a director, creating a fast-paced, yet easy to follow production. His set design is simple but visually interesting, creating numerous levels in the playing area for the actors to use. Chris Page's lighting design is also effective, and Susan Morabito's music is a very nice addition to the show.
Quite easily the best performance I saw while in Provincetown, Slap&Tickle is eyeing a New York run. If you are visiting the Cape, I highly recommend
Slap&Tickle
Written by David Parr
Directed by David Drake
Original Music: Susan Morabito
Set Design: David Drake
Lighting Design: Chris Page
Costume Design: Beto Guedes
Stage Manager: Charlie Owens
Technical Director: Dean Denmon
Marketing: Ron Johnson
Featuring: J. Stephen Brantley (Brett, Josh, David, Tim), Tod Flaherty (Sam, Jesse, Dale), Joe MacDougall (Ray, Danny, Marcus), Christopher MacDow (Mel, Vic, Aldo), Joseph Mahan (Billy Sunday), Aaron Tone (Frank Stark)
The Provincetown Theater
238 Bradford Street
Call 508-487-9793 for tickets.
July 6th - August 14th
Saturday, August 7, 2010
$8 Tickets to "It Must Be Him"
8coupons has teamed up with another off-Broadway show and this one features a 3-time Emmy Award Nominee. We’ve teamed up with a new comedy, It Must Be Him, to offer $8 tickets for 8 days only (reg. $65). Tickets are first come, first serve and available for performances August 24 through August 31. Please see all the details below and let me know if you have any questions.
Who: http://www.8coupons.com/ & http://www.itmustbehimplay.com/
What: 8coupons OCHO LOCO! $8 tickets for 8 days only!
When: Buy Now. $8 tickets available for performances from August 24 through August 31.
Where: The Peter J. Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd St.)
Why: Comedy for $8 warms our heart! Emmy Award Nominee, Peter Scolari, plays Louie Wexler, a whiz kid comedy writer from the heyday of variety television down on his luck. With his devoted agent and considerably less devoted housekeeper by his side, Louie finds himself broke, lonely, and on the wrong side of middle age. Watch what happens as Louie searches high and low for one last shot at his own real-life happy ending.
How: OCHO LOCO! Tickets now on sale. 2 Ways To Order:
1. Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! coupon from 8coupons.com and show your phone to the box office to redeem. Use promo code: HM82. Visit www.Ticketcentral.com or call 212-279.4200 and use promo code: HM8.
Link: http://www.8coupons.com/discounts/peter-j-sharp-theater-new-york-10036#14445
The Conditions: Limit 8 tickets per order! Additional service fees may apply to phone/online orders. This offer is subject to availability and can be revoked at anytime.
Who: http://www.8coupons.com/ & http://www.itmustbehimplay.com/
What: 8coupons OCHO LOCO! $8 tickets for 8 days only!
When: Buy Now. $8 tickets available for performances from August 24 through August 31.
Where: The Peter J. Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd St.)
Why: Comedy for $8 warms our heart! Emmy Award Nominee, Peter Scolari, plays Louie Wexler, a whiz kid comedy writer from the heyday of variety television down on his luck. With his devoted agent and considerably less devoted housekeeper by his side, Louie finds himself broke, lonely, and on the wrong side of middle age. Watch what happens as Louie searches high and low for one last shot at his own real-life happy ending.
How: OCHO LOCO! Tickets now on sale. 2 Ways To Order:
1. Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! coupon from 8coupons.com and show your phone to the box office to redeem. Use promo code: HM82. Visit www.Ticketcentral.com or call 212-279.4200 and use promo code: HM8.
Link: http://www.8coupons.com/discounts/peter-j-sharp-theater-new-york-10036#14445
The Conditions: Limit 8 tickets per order! Additional service fees may apply to phone/online orders. This offer is subject to availability and can be revoked at anytime.
Friday, August 6, 2010
$8 Tickets to "An Error of the Moon"
An Error of the Moon is offering 188 lucky people tickets for $8 (reg. $50). Tickets are first come, first serve and available for performances August 13 through August 29.
Who: http://www.8coupons.com/ & http://www.anerrorofthemoon.com/
What: 8coupons OCHO LOCO! First 188 people can see An Error of the Moon for $8!
When: $8 tickets available for performances from August 13 through August 29.
Where: The Beckett Theatre Theatre Row - 410 W. 42nd Street
Why: 8coupons is turning 3 on Aug 8th and no birthday would be complete without a little drama! What better way to celebrate with some off-Broadway theatre. An Error of the Moon paints a fictional portrait of the brothers Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, the rock stars of their day. Edwin tell his tale of a man consumed by sexual jealousy, bitter sibling rivalry and the mad obsession that sparked the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
How: OCHO LOCO! Tickets now on sale. Be the first 188 - 2 Ways To Order:
1. Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! coupon from 8coupons.com and show your phone to the box office to redeem. Use promo code: EIGHT.
2. Visit www.broadwayoffers.com or call 212-947-8844 and use promo code: EIGHT.
Link To Get The Mobile Coupon: http://www.8coupons.com/discounts/theater-row-new-york-10036#14347
The Conditions: $1.25 facility fee will be added to each ticket (Total $9.25). Limit 8 tickets per order! Additional service fees may apply to phone/online orders. This offer is subject to availability and can be revoked at anytime.
Who: http://www.8coupons.com/ & http://www.anerrorofthemoon.com/
What: 8coupons OCHO LOCO! First 188 people can see An Error of the Moon for $8!
When: $8 tickets available for performances from August 13 through August 29.
Where: The Beckett Theatre Theatre Row - 410 W. 42nd Street
Why: 8coupons is turning 3 on Aug 8th and no birthday would be complete without a little drama! What better way to celebrate with some off-Broadway theatre. An Error of the Moon paints a fictional portrait of the brothers Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, the rock stars of their day. Edwin tell his tale of a man consumed by sexual jealousy, bitter sibling rivalry and the mad obsession that sparked the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
How: OCHO LOCO! Tickets now on sale. Be the first 188 - 2 Ways To Order:
1. Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! coupon from 8coupons.com and show your phone to the box office to redeem. Use promo code: EIGHT.
2. Visit www.broadwayoffers.com or call 212-947-8844 and use promo code: EIGHT.
Link To Get The Mobile Coupon: http://www.8coupons.com/discounts/theater-row-new-york-10036#14347
The Conditions: $1.25 facility fee will be added to each ticket (Total $9.25). Limit 8 tickets per order! Additional service fees may apply to phone/online orders. This offer is subject to availability and can be revoked at anytime.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Review - Tallish Tales (Midtown International Theatre Festival)
By Rebecca N. Robertson
Tallish Tales: A Cautionary Fable for Children and Adults brings to the stage Victorian tales about rowdy little girls, examined in a 1950's context. Originally published in 1845, "Der Struwwelpeter" (Shaggy Peter) is a book of satirical tales by German psychologist Heinrich Hoffman that exaggerates the advice of the other children's books of the time wherein children who are badly behaved invariably suffer dire consequences. Tallish Tales is an adaptation for the stage of one of the translations of this book, "Slovenly Betsy".
This show may not be for everyone. Ample gore is suggested with brightly colored strips of cloth and puppet-like prosthetics, but long bouts of sobbing and no understanding the original satirical context could make this somber show frightening for small or very sensitive children. Adults expecting something intellectually stimulating, such as an examination of child rearing morays over the past two centuries, or feminist points of nurture vs. nature, will find only simplified dramatic action contrasted with clever rhymes of classical verbosity. But naughty children of all ages who are well-accustomed to the violence of the average cartoon may mischievously giggle at over-the-top antics and appreciate the feat of animating these dark humored stories on stage.
Tallish Tales: A Cautionary Fable for Children and Adults
Book Adaptation / Costume Design by Amy Kitzhaber
Directed by Brian Maschka
Set Design: Christine Peters
Composer: Benjamin Furiga
Audio Engineer / Sound Designer: Nathan Manley
Lighting Designer: Matthew Gross
Props / Puppet Building: Rachel Baron, Anne M. Thorson
Public Relations: Julia Browning
Featuring: Stacia Newcomb, Nicole Stefonek, and the voice of Joseph Bergquist
The Dorothy Streslin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
July 13th @ 8:00pm
July 14 @ 6:00pm
July 24th @ 7:00pm
July 25th @ 5:30pm
July 29th @ 8:00pm
July 31st @ 3:00pm
Tallish Tales: A Cautionary Fable for Children and Adults brings to the stage Victorian tales about rowdy little girls, examined in a 1950's context. Originally published in 1845, "Der Struwwelpeter" (Shaggy Peter) is a book of satirical tales by German psychologist Heinrich Hoffman that exaggerates the advice of the other children's books of the time wherein children who are badly behaved invariably suffer dire consequences. Tallish Tales is an adaptation for the stage of one of the translations of this book, "Slovenly Betsy".
This show may not be for everyone. Ample gore is suggested with brightly colored strips of cloth and puppet-like prosthetics, but long bouts of sobbing and no understanding the original satirical context could make this somber show frightening for small or very sensitive children. Adults expecting something intellectually stimulating, such as an examination of child rearing morays over the past two centuries, or feminist points of nurture vs. nature, will find only simplified dramatic action contrasted with clever rhymes of classical verbosity. But naughty children of all ages who are well-accustomed to the violence of the average cartoon may mischievously giggle at over-the-top antics and appreciate the feat of animating these dark humored stories on stage.
Tallish Tales: A Cautionary Fable for Children and Adults
Book Adaptation / Costume Design by Amy Kitzhaber
Directed by Brian Maschka
Set Design: Christine Peters
Composer: Benjamin Furiga
Audio Engineer / Sound Designer: Nathan Manley
Lighting Designer: Matthew Gross
Props / Puppet Building: Rachel Baron, Anne M. Thorson
Public Relations: Julia Browning
Featuring: Stacia Newcomb, Nicole Stefonek, and the voice of Joseph Bergquist
The Dorothy Streslin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
July 13th @ 8:00pm
July 14 @ 6:00pm
July 24th @ 7:00pm
July 25th @ 5:30pm
July 29th @ 8:00pm
July 31st @ 3:00pm
Review - Asian Belle (Midtown International Theatre Festival)
By Rebecca N. Robertson
Asian Belle was workshopped in Mark Hoverman's "Create Your Own Solo Show" workshop and appears to be a work in progress, a cathartic showing that is still seeking concise expression. Ms. Glick's breathy performance is physically overly enthusiastic. However, she has good comedic timing and the sort of genuine wide-eyed vitality that easily captures empathy and makes us want to forgive the desperate tension that impedes natural presentation.
In the first of two acts, Glick tells us what it was like for her to grow up in Alabama. The U.S. born daughter of a Vietnamese woman and an American man, she finds herself amid blonde and blue-eyed classmates that seem to have everything they want. She struggles to be accepted, embracing materialism as a means to inclusion, and sometimes denying her uniqueness for the sake of "chumming it up" with those that have little sympathy for outsiders. Years later, Ms. Glick discovers an appreciation for the heritage she once denied, and she mourns for what she has lost for the sake of assimilation.
Thematically, the second act appears to have little to do with the first. Glick portrays her mother and we learn the circumstances under which the war bride fell for her American soldier husband and came to Alabama. Mother Glick's monologue highlights a universal parental struggle to reconcile the decisions she has made for herself and, indirectly, for her children. Too much of the remaining dialogue and action appears to have little purpose than to celebrate the character's more stereotypical traits. An overused bit with a pop song quickly wears out what humor can be found there. The more genuinely entertaining moments are the most human ones, such as when she describes an encounter with her ex-husband's ridiculous new wife, her feelings of rejection plain to see.
In Asian Belle, Ms. Glick explores some interesting themes about belonging, materialism, and heritage. She gives us a tiny glimpse of her heritage through her eyes, a first generation American. She tickles us with some humorous stories of adolescent longing and adult jealousy. But she stops short of letting us claim her story as an American tale, preferring to continue to straddle two worlds rather than accept where they are one.
Asian Belle
Written and Performed by Michelle Glick
Directed by Christine Renee Miller
Lighting/Sound & Stage Manager: Guinevere Pressley
Production Coordinator: Vickie Lazos
Publicity: Judd Hollander, Bunch of People Press & PR
Featuring: Michelle Glick
Dorothy Streslin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
July 15 @ 6:00pm
July 17 @ 3:00pm
July 23 @ 8:00pm
July 24 @ 5:00pm
August 1 @ 4:00pm
Asian Belle was workshopped in Mark Hoverman's "Create Your Own Solo Show" workshop and appears to be a work in progress, a cathartic showing that is still seeking concise expression. Ms. Glick's breathy performance is physically overly enthusiastic. However, she has good comedic timing and the sort of genuine wide-eyed vitality that easily captures empathy and makes us want to forgive the desperate tension that impedes natural presentation.
In the first of two acts, Glick tells us what it was like for her to grow up in Alabama. The U.S. born daughter of a Vietnamese woman and an American man, she finds herself amid blonde and blue-eyed classmates that seem to have everything they want. She struggles to be accepted, embracing materialism as a means to inclusion, and sometimes denying her uniqueness for the sake of "chumming it up" with those that have little sympathy for outsiders. Years later, Ms. Glick discovers an appreciation for the heritage she once denied, and she mourns for what she has lost for the sake of assimilation.Thematically, the second act appears to have little to do with the first. Glick portrays her mother and we learn the circumstances under which the war bride fell for her American soldier husband and came to Alabama. Mother Glick's monologue highlights a universal parental struggle to reconcile the decisions she has made for herself and, indirectly, for her children. Too much of the remaining dialogue and action appears to have little purpose than to celebrate the character's more stereotypical traits. An overused bit with a pop song quickly wears out what humor can be found there. The more genuinely entertaining moments are the most human ones, such as when she describes an encounter with her ex-husband's ridiculous new wife, her feelings of rejection plain to see.
In Asian Belle, Ms. Glick explores some interesting themes about belonging, materialism, and heritage. She gives us a tiny glimpse of her heritage through her eyes, a first generation American. She tickles us with some humorous stories of adolescent longing and adult jealousy. But she stops short of letting us claim her story as an American tale, preferring to continue to straddle two worlds rather than accept where they are one.
Asian Belle
Written and Performed by Michelle Glick
Directed by Christine Renee Miller
Lighting/Sound & Stage Manager: Guinevere Pressley
Production Coordinator: Vickie Lazos
Publicity: Judd Hollander, Bunch of People Press & PR
Featuring: Michelle Glick
Dorothy Streslin Theatre
312 W. 36th St.
July 15 @ 6:00pm
July 17 @ 3:00pm
July 23 @ 8:00pm
July 24 @ 5:00pm
August 1 @ 4:00pm
Review - Songs From An Unmade Bed (Counter Productions)
Review by Byrne Harrison
Songs From An Unmade Bed, the song cycle featuring lyrics by Mark Campbell and music by a number of composers, celebrates the small, quiet moments in urban gay life - no coming out stories, no politics, no wringing of hands over the state of things today. It's just the sly smiles after a tryst, a boyfriend's charming but somewhat inept attempts to play the cello, and seeing a lover naked for the first time. Nothing profound and earth-shattering. Just normal, everyday events.
Brian Dunham takes on the songs with appropriate enthusiasm. He cuts a pleasant figure, and has a good voice, though he tends to become overly breathy on his high notes. He shows a particular gift for the show's quiet and touching numbers, and is able to create an almost palpable wistfulness during some of the songs. Some numbers which are a little more cynical in nature, or those that have a hint of anger, are not as effective, as he has a tendency to miss the wry, self-deprecating humor that should accompany them. Overall, however, he performs well and keeps the audience engaged.
The show is perfectly suited for Counter Productions' intimate studio space on Whaler's Wharf, and director Susan Grilli uses the space to maximum effect. There are a few times when she allows Dunham to wander into shadow, but this is a minor distraction. Music Director Jim Rice and Cellist Elizabeth Schultze perform well, though there are times when Dunham and Rice seem slightly out of sync. These lapses never last particularly long, but they are enough to pull one out of the moment.
Despite a few rough patches, Songs From An Unmade Bed provides a pleasant diversion for those seeking theatrical pleasures in Provincetown.
Songs From An Unmade Bed
Lyricist: Mark Campbell
Composers: Debra Barsha, Mark Bennett, Peter Foley, Jenny Giering, Peter Golub, Jake Heggie, Stephen Hoffman, Lance Horne, Gihieh Lee, Steven Lutvak, Steve Marzullo, Brendan Milburn, Chris Miller, Greg Pliska, Duncan Sheik, Kim D. Sherman, Jeffrey Stock, Joseph Thalken
Diretor: Susan Grilli
Music Director: Jim Rice
Cellist: Elizabeth Schultze
Featuring: Brian Dunham
Counter Productions Studio
Whaler's Wharf
237 Commercial Street
Mondays and Tuesdays through August 10th
Songs From An Unmade Bed, the song cycle featuring lyrics by Mark Campbell and music by a number of composers, celebrates the small, quiet moments in urban gay life - no coming out stories, no politics, no wringing of hands over the state of things today. It's just the sly smiles after a tryst, a boyfriend's charming but somewhat inept attempts to play the cello, and seeing a lover naked for the first time. Nothing profound and earth-shattering. Just normal, everyday events.Brian Dunham takes on the songs with appropriate enthusiasm. He cuts a pleasant figure, and has a good voice, though he tends to become overly breathy on his high notes. He shows a particular gift for the show's quiet and touching numbers, and is able to create an almost palpable wistfulness during some of the songs. Some numbers which are a little more cynical in nature, or those that have a hint of anger, are not as effective, as he has a tendency to miss the wry, self-deprecating humor that should accompany them. Overall, however, he performs well and keeps the audience engaged.
The show is perfectly suited for Counter Productions' intimate studio space on Whaler's Wharf, and director Susan Grilli uses the space to maximum effect. There are a few times when she allows Dunham to wander into shadow, but this is a minor distraction. Music Director Jim Rice and Cellist Elizabeth Schultze perform well, though there are times when Dunham and Rice seem slightly out of sync. These lapses never last particularly long, but they are enough to pull one out of the moment.
Despite a few rough patches, Songs From An Unmade Bed provides a pleasant diversion for those seeking theatrical pleasures in Provincetown.
Songs From An Unmade Bed
Lyricist: Mark Campbell
Composers: Debra Barsha, Mark Bennett, Peter Foley, Jenny Giering, Peter Golub, Jake Heggie, Stephen Hoffman, Lance Horne, Gihieh Lee, Steven Lutvak, Steve Marzullo, Brendan Milburn, Chris Miller, Greg Pliska, Duncan Sheik, Kim D. Sherman, Jeffrey Stock, Joseph Thalken
Diretor: Susan Grilli
Music Director: Jim Rice
Cellist: Elizabeth Schultze
Featuring: Brian Dunham
Counter Productions Studio
Whaler's Wharf
237 Commercial Street
Mondays and Tuesdays through August 10th
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Review - Canned Ham (TWEED TheaterWorks, Kearns Artist Services, and David Drake Productions)
Review by Byrne Harrison
Shows featuring former porn stars seem to have become de rigueur in Provincetown during the summer season. They draw in the crowds, not because the actor is talented or the show is compelling, but because the actor is (or was) sexy, and there is a high likelihood that he will get naked at some point in the show.
In that sense, it comes as no surprise that Tom Judson makes his first appearance in Canned Ham posing on a platform, a jockstrapped Olympian made flesh. What does come as a surprise is when he picks up an accordion a few minutes later and starts belting out "Lullaby of Broadway." This is clearly not your typical porn star memoir. This one has a sense of humor... and a talented performer.
Judson tells of the long and winding road that led from musical theatre (he was in the touring companies of Cabaret and 42nd Street) to his chance meeting with director Chi Chi LaRue. It was Chi Chi's perseverance which led to the creation of "Gus Mattox," Judson's porn alter ego, and his eventual winning of the GayVN Performer of the Year Award, sort of a Best Actor Oscar for gay porn, at the inconceivable for the industry age of 45.
Unlike many of the one-man porn star shows, Canned Ham never becomes a morality tale. No descent into drug use and degradation for Judson, porn is merely another in the amazingly long and diverse line of jobs that he has had in his life. For him, porn was a lark. That seems to be how Judson approaches much of his life, with a kind of joy and wonder.
That's not to say that Canned Ham is all light and humor. Part of what led Judson on this particular path was the death of his lover from AIDS. Though it was the roughest period of his life, it led to one of his most sublime experiences on the island of Capri, one that he describes in magical detail.
As a performer, Judson is open and amusing, with an infectious, likeable grin. At times his performance lacks a certain spontaneity - that spark that makes the audience feel that they are the only ones that Judson has told these stories to - but in the long run, his personality and the stories themselves more than make up for this. He is approachable, and happy to meet his fans after the show (and, of course, to sell them merchandise - an adorable Canned Ham t-shirt). He is just as winning offstage as on.
Canned Ham is worth seeing just for the charming and multi-talented Judson. His life stories, good natured backstage bitchery (Judson's porn co-star Pierre Fitch takes a bit of a pounding, so to speak, as does Teri Hatcher), and musical talents combine for a fun evening of theatre.
Canned Ham
Written and Performed by Tom Judson
Directed by Kevin Malony
Costumes by William Ivey Long
The Art House
June 6-September 6, 2010
Shows featuring former porn stars seem to have become de rigueur in Provincetown during the summer season. They draw in the crowds, not because the actor is talented or the show is compelling, but because the actor is (or was) sexy, and there is a high likelihood that he will get naked at some point in the show.In that sense, it comes as no surprise that Tom Judson makes his first appearance in Canned Ham posing on a platform, a jockstrapped Olympian made flesh. What does come as a surprise is when he picks up an accordion a few minutes later and starts belting out "Lullaby of Broadway." This is clearly not your typical porn star memoir. This one has a sense of humor... and a talented performer.
Judson tells of the long and winding road that led from musical theatre (he was in the touring companies of Cabaret and 42nd Street) to his chance meeting with director Chi Chi LaRue. It was Chi Chi's perseverance which led to the creation of "Gus Mattox," Judson's porn alter ego, and his eventual winning of the GayVN Performer of the Year Award, sort of a Best Actor Oscar for gay porn, at the inconceivable for the industry age of 45.
Unlike many of the one-man porn star shows, Canned Ham never becomes a morality tale. No descent into drug use and degradation for Judson, porn is merely another in the amazingly long and diverse line of jobs that he has had in his life. For him, porn was a lark. That seems to be how Judson approaches much of his life, with a kind of joy and wonder.
That's not to say that Canned Ham is all light and humor. Part of what led Judson on this particular path was the death of his lover from AIDS. Though it was the roughest period of his life, it led to one of his most sublime experiences on the island of Capri, one that he describes in magical detail.
As a performer, Judson is open and amusing, with an infectious, likeable grin. At times his performance lacks a certain spontaneity - that spark that makes the audience feel that they are the only ones that Judson has told these stories to - but in the long run, his personality and the stories themselves more than make up for this. He is approachable, and happy to meet his fans after the show (and, of course, to sell them merchandise - an adorable Canned Ham t-shirt). He is just as winning offstage as on.
Canned Ham is worth seeing just for the charming and multi-talented Judson. His life stories, good natured backstage bitchery (Judson's porn co-star Pierre Fitch takes a bit of a pounding, so to speak, as does Teri Hatcher), and musical talents combine for a fun evening of theatre.
Canned Ham
Written and Performed by Tom Judson
Directed by Kevin Malony
Costumes by William Ivey Long
The Art House
June 6-September 6, 2010
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