The Incubator Arts Project hosts its notorious annual BBQ Benefit this Saturday July 9th. Doors open at 8pm and the entry price gets you all you can EAT & DRINK with our staff slaving away over grills & kegs to satisfy. All proceeds directly benefit the Incubator Arts Project which is presenting its second full season of original, experimental work made by local artists.

This is a special opportunity to hang out in the gardens and grounds of the landmark St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery while mixing & mingling with some of the most exciting up-and-coming performing artists anywhere in NYC. The Church & Theater are located at 131 East 10th Street at 2nd Avenue in the East Village.

Most notably, I left NYC in April to relocate to sunny Florida. Having spent more than 15 years in the Big Apple left me exhausted and needing a break from city life. I made some wonderful friends in Central Florida a decade ago when I lived here the first time, so it made sense to return when wondering where to go next.

Never content to move across the country without going into production at EXACTLY the same time, I am thrilled to share that I am working as Assistant Visual Fringe Producer for the 20th anniversary year of the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival (now officially the longest running Fringe festival in the USA!).   I’ve been affiliated with Fringe in a few different ways over the years – first as a local show Producer and presenting partner, next as the festival Grant Writer and more recently I was the Production Manager for an out of town show that toured here from NY.

This being the 20th anniversary, we have more fun & fringy stuff happening throughout Loch Haven Park than ever before. Some basic festival info in case you are in the Central Florida and can come catch the insanity:

The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival is a 12-day-festival that is founded on the concept of offering 100% unjuried, 100% uncensored, 100% accessible theatre, music, dance, art and madness to all types and ages where 100% of the box office ticket sales go directly back to the artists within The Fringe. The Orlando Fringe is the longest running US Fringe festival. The mission of the Orlando Fringe is to provide an accessible, affordable outlet that draws diverse elements of the community together and inspires creative excellence through the arts.

The Fringe is held in beautiful Loch Haven Park, just north of downtown Orlando, at Princeton Street and Mills Avenue. The shows are in various theaters at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Orlando Repertory Theatre and some outdoor or ad-hoc sites; most of the venues are identified by colors May 18-30. Box-office hours on weekdays are 4 p.m.-midnight; on weekends, 10 a.m.-midnight.

Like the theatre portion of the festival, Visual Fringe is uncensored, unjuried and 100% of the money made in sales is given to the artists. The 2011 Visual Fringe will feature both emerging artists and established artists mainly from Central Florida.  It offers Fringe-goers a chance to see artwork they do not normally have access to and features artists creating their work live in the gallery. A primary goal of Visual Fringe is for patrons and artists to interact and all mediums of artwork are encouraged: painting, photography, sculpture, multi-media, installation, drawing, collage, jewelry, conceptual, abstract, figurative, pastoral, comedic, stoic, you name it.

If you live in Central Florida and have never “done the Fringe”, you should do yourself a favor and check it out before it disappears on 5/30/11.

Now that I am somewhat settled in my new home, city & state, I promise more timely updates on all things Arwen going forward. And I am still working remotely as Development Director for Incubator Arts Project, my favorite downtown NYC performance venue and will be returning to NYC periodically during the year so NY friends, do not despair. I am not gone, just farther away…

When I read the play the first time, I was really challenged by the subject matter. It forced me to take time to examine my beliefs and assumptions surrounding all kinds of issues like love & intimate relationships, personal definition of “health”, body types & self-perception, self-love and self-acceptance, food & diet, and especially the media’s role in reinforcing negative body-type prejudices, stereotypes and bias. And anytime a project challenges me and causes me to think about something as much as this did, I know I have to be involved.

The show runs from March 6-26 – tickets are available here. We are having two special events which are brief post-show discussions that I will be moderating after the Monday night performances on 3/14 and 3/21. We have lined up special guests to participate and will be discussing transmedia storytelling on the 14th and Fat Acceptance on 3/21. The discussions are free for any ticket buyer so if you see the show and want to return for either event, please join us.

This four-part workshop covers the tools needed to garner support from institutions, appeal to venues and producers, and write/talk effectively about your work. It gives an introduction to proposal writing with a focus on project descriptions, how work samples are handled in panel, and how you can put your best foot forward. We’ll cover pitching the work and building relationships with theaters and funders alike; best practices for seeking opportunities and for following up on leads.  Throughout the workshop participants will develop and receive feedback on their own materials.

The dates are Thursdays 6:30-9pm, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24. The cost is $160 for non-members, $100 for Field members and you can enroll here.

For a variety of reasons, I recently needed some change so I decided to head south for a few months this winter. I have temporarily transplanted myself to a lovely little garden apartment at a friend’s house on the Gulf coast of Florida. I will return to NYC in February, so I won’t completely escape winter’s chill, but every little bit counts. I’ve dubbed myself the youngest snowbird in FL and the seniors seem to agree.

I am still doing my part to keep the independent theater community in NYC rolling along – albeit remotely for a few months. Here is some recent news that I am happy to share about what will be keeping me busy through the holidays and into early 2011.

In September, I became the Development Director for the Incubator Arts Project. This excites me because I have a particular passion for start-ups trying to make their way in the world of legacy arts institutions. I worked with the Incubator during its previous incarnation as a program of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater Inc. and I have a huge place in my heart for the upstairs theater at St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery made famous by Richard Foreman. This is a big year for us and I am proud to be part of the team making it happen.

In February 2011, I will be teaching a four week workshop at The Field focused on how to prepare competitive proposals for funding agencies, residencies, presenting organizations – basically, getting your pitch together for the many powers-that-be who can help you along the way. I will post again with more info when details have been set.

I also have two more producing projects in the works – both are happening in Manhattan in March 2011.

One is a fascinating new play titled “Feeder: A Love Story” being produced by terraNOVA Collective. You can find some teaser info about it on the Kickstarter page that was set up to help fund the show. I am thrilled to be working with terraNOVA for the first time and think this play is incredibly provocative – I can’t wait to see the audience response.

My other project is the hotINK Festival of International Play Readings (formerly housed at Tisch School of the Arts). In an exciting development for 2011, hotINK will be produced at The Lark Play Development Center. The new, upcoming hotINK Festival will present work by 8-10 playwrights from outside the United States in readings from March 24-28, 2011.

I will surely post again with more details as these events approach. Since the holiday mayhem is fast upon us, I will take the time now to wish you all the best & happiest of holidays & a joyful New Year.

PRELUDE.10: Techniques for Live Stimulation is this Wednesday 9/29 – Friday 10/1 from 3pm – 10pm each day. The Grad Center is located in Midtown Manhattan at 34th & Fifth Avenue.

Here is what it is all about:

PRELUDE.10 asks the blunt question: Why Does Live Matter?

Join us for participatory art sessions, sneak-peak excerpt presentations, live writing, and round-table chats as we investigate different techniques each day: Communication, Provocation, and Simulation. The festival also includes SPOTLIGHT: CATALONIA presented in association with The Institut Ramon Llull with support from Sala Beckett.

Our participating artists comprise a stellar array of individuals and ensembles (in my obviously biased opinion).

* on Wednesday, we explore COMMUNICATION with: The PRELUDE.10 Live Writers, Joyce Cho, Ugly Duckling Presse, Robert Quillen Camp, Hoi Polloi and Sylvan Oswald, Trajal Harrell, and The TEAM

* on Thursday, we address PROVOCATION with: HERE, Aaron Landsman, The Field‘s ERPA Artists, OurGoods.org, Jim Findlay, Julie Atlas Muz, Penny Arcade and Ishmael Houston-Jones

* on Friday, we feature SPOTLIGHT: CATALONIA and investigate SIMULATION with Joe Silovsky, Kimon Keramidas, Reid Farrington, Andrew Schneider, Reggie Watts, and a video from DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid

The festival is FREE with no reservations – strictly first come, first served. Activity sessions occur each afternoon, performances and round-table discussions follow in the evening and late night we journey to the local watering hole to continue our conversations and raise a glass together.

You can view the schedule, read about our artists or learn more about the afternoon’s activities online or by stopping by the Grad Center anytime during festival hours.

Will you join us?

Folks in the media are starting to comment now that we’ve completed our first week. There is a great profile written about Christina, our playwright. I am also happy to thank Culturebot for its love and share what is officially my first NY Times review.

Two more weeks of shows are running at Abrons Arts Center from Wed – Sat at 8pm through Sept 18. Tickets available here for $18.

In my own words, I would describe the show as “an understated and heartfelt meditation on perception & transformation”.

Other people’s words include:

“A lovely, resourceful and unexpected coup de theatre…inspired and inventive…a showcase for Ms. Masciotti’s gift for writing.”- Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“a thoroughly enjoyable evening in the theater and a reminder that, sometimes, all you need is…strong actors and good, insightful writing”- Andy Horwitz, culturebot.com

You can read more about the show here.

Seating is limited so if you plan to attend, I suggest you get tickets sooner than later. You will understand why when you see it…and that is all I will say about that.

From our press release:

A new play by Christina Masciotti, Vision Disturbance is about two people whose structured lives suddenly fall apart and who are vehemently looking to find new ground and belonging.

In Vision Disturbance, Mondo, a middle-aged Greek immigrant woman living in smalltown Pennsylvania, is going through a divorce from her traditional, Greek husband. The resulting stress detonates an eye disorder that features a loss of depth perception among other perplexing symptoms. She seeks treatment from Dr. Hull who uses an unorthodox approach involving music therapy to help her regain her eyesight.

Vision Disturbance features Linda Mancini as Mondo and Jay Smith as Dr. Hull. The set and lighting design is by Adrian W. Jones, costumes by Victoria Vazquez, and sound design by Ben Williams.

The play starts September 1st and runs through September 18, Wed-Sat, 8pm at Abrons Arts Center, located 466 Grand Street in New York City. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased by calling 212.352.3101 or at www.theatermania.com.

Vision Disturbance
Written by Christina Masciotti
Directed by Richard Maxwell
80 minutes, without intermission

Wed- Sat, September 1- 18, 2010, 8:00pm
Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, NYC
Tickets: $18 | For tickets call: 212.352.3101 or www.theatermania.com

I know Christina from my days at Fractured Atlas and I was thrilled when NYCP asked me to produce the show, which has been in development for about two years. We had a reading at New York Theatre Workshop last May, after being featured in CUNY’s 2009 Prelude Festival.

I love this play, we have an amazing cast & crew and I am so proud to be working on it. There are production elements that excite me so much I want to spill the beans about them here & now, but I won’t. To do so would ruin the experience, so you’ll just have to come down and see for yourself. We have limited seats available (hint hint) so don’t miss it!

What is undergroundzero you ask? Why, an experimental theater festival of course! More specifically…

undergroundzero festival offers a unique flying repertory of innovative performance by renowned local and international theater makers. Over twenty artists and companies from the US, Australia, Catalonia (Spain), Germany, Ireland, Italy, Romania, and Wales are participating.

The 4th Annual undergroundzero festival will run July 6-25 at Performance Space 122 (150 1st Avenue at East 9th Street). Tickets ($20) may be purchased online at www.PS122.org  or via phone at (212) 352-3101.

According to Time Out NY, we are a great deal and you can read a bit about the history & philosophy here.

playgroundzero is the Laboratory Division of the undergroundzero festival featuring a series of bold and innovative works-in-progress, followed by feedback sessions with the artists. All playgroundzero readings are downstairs at PS 122 with a $5 suggested donation. The line-up can be found here.

Not content with presenting daring new work by some of downtown’s favorite theater-makers, we are also hosting  weekly special events.

Each Tuesday (July 6, 13, & 20) from 8pm – 10pm in the Upstairs venue at PS122, commonground will introduce the festival artists and highlight our international guests.

commonground is a meta-theatrical talk show in which attendees will comprise a live studio audience for the first hour while special guests interview participating artists and cultural experts. The second hour will be an open gathering for participants, special guests, and audience-goers to mix and mingle.

And everyone knows it ain’t a festival without a dance party somewhere in the mix, so…

Each Friday, the festival presents latenightzero, a downtown dance party that welcomes everyone in the arts community and beyond to shake off the work week by getting down.

latenightzero happens every Friday (July 9, 16, & 23) from 11pm – 1am in the Upstairs venue at PS122. On Friday, July 16 latenightzero hosts the League of Independent Theater, the membership, advocacy and business league for the independent theater community in New York City.

The special events are free and open to the public with a $5 suggested donation and refreshments served.

If you find yourself in the East Village during July, be sure to check it out!

We spent the day listening to some serious VIPS in the marketing world address the thorny topic of “The New Normal”. I believe the title was in reference to an article written last year by Ian David, worldwide Managing Director at McKinsey & Co (free registration required). Mr. David expounded on what he called “not merely another turn of the business cycle, but a restructuring of the economic order.”

So what is the new normal?

In this context, the “new normal” refers to a shift in consumption patterns by the U.S. consumer. The experts agreed that value(s) and trust are twin forces to be reckoned with during this period of adjustment. They sense a growing distrust from consumers towards big business, big media and the government (which interestingly, the PEW Research Center just echoed and quantified in this scary report). Gee…I wonder why?

Consumer behavior has changed in response to the information technology revolution we are living through. Increased access to information has helped give rise to virtual communities, independent journalism, consumer research, self-produced media and so on. Marketers have to back up their claims now, which means some massive message restructuring.

The New Normal also refers to a rise in consumer frugality and saving in response to the financial crisis. Consumers are scarred and scared, many of them much poorer than they were a few years ago either due to real estate deflation or high debt levels. Between wage stagnation and high unemployment, many are pessimistic about their future earning prospects. People are looking for high quality in tandem with low prices and we are much more reticent to part with our hard earned cash for non-essentials than in the recent past.

All this spells disaster for people who market products that aren’t necessary for survival.

Here are a few things I took away with me.

Value + Values: Consumers want something of high quality that ALSO reflects their personal values whenever possible now that they can do a ton of research prior to purchase. There is increased consumer scrutiny when money is tight and information is everywhere.

Constant Change: The info tech revolution is still underway with more futuristic technology right around the bend. Marketers who want to do things the old way or the “way we do them” will be in for a bumpy ride. The possibilities are endless but resources are finite, so building flexibility into all communications planning and organizational strategy is key. In addition to creating products & services that present a smarter solution, we need to work smarter to get the message out effectively and when something isn’t working, change it.

Intrusion vs. Engagement (aka Push vs. Pull): The old way is to push your product to large groups of people as often as you can afford to using traditional mass media like radio, newspaper, television. The new way is to create a feeling – of excitement or intrigue or reliability or respect or trust – about your brand/product/service in a consumer who has been specifically targeted using technology and existing data.

As we should all know by now, things on the media landscape are changing rapidly (some not for the better). People are spending lots of their time on the internet and marketers want to be there. But the old way isn’t working well in the brave new wild west and very few have worked out the etiquette of the sale yet. Privacy concerns are huge and consumers are more media savvy than they’ve ever been.

Best case scenario is when people come to you via referral from an existing customer. Relationship building through reputation and personal connection is the engagement marketers seek. What they are experimenting with now is: how do they become your trusted friend?

Other thoughts from my notes:

1. Brand is about what you do, not what you say. Since it is difficult to differentiate yourself by what you do when others do the same thing, what truly differentiates you is WHO you are and HOW you do what you do.
2. Understand your customers and build the customer experience around them.
3. Advertisers need to be content creators for the brands they represent rather than messaging architects (ok artists, we should EXCEL at this one).
4. A free white paper titled “The Authentic Enterprise” was mentioned as an excellent resource. I look forward to reading it.
5. Word of mouth info sharing is possibly the most powerful force in the universe.

What do you think?