StageBuzz.com

TOSOS to present a special performance of Doric Wilson's "Street Theater"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:45:00 +0000

On Thursday, June 20th at 7:30 PM, TOSOS and the LGBT Center will present a a special presentation of Doric Wilson's award-winning satire about Stonewall, Street Theater.

A participant in the Stonewall Uprising, Doric Wilson wrote Street Theater not so much as a history of the event but as a record of the people he knew and the incidents he was involved in on Christopher Street in the months, days and hours leading up to the night gays fought back. The play focuses on a panorama of drags, dykes, leathermen, flower children, vice cops and cruisers— the innocent and not-so-innocent bystanders who would turn June 28, 1969 into Stonewall—the D-day of gay history.

Frequently called the “father of modern queer theatre,” Doric Wilson’s 50 year dedication to queer culture was recognized with the first Robert Chesley Award for Lifetime Achievement in Gay Theatre; the 2007 IT Award for Artistic Achievement; in 2009, the ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education) Career Achievement Award for Professional Theatre; and last year the Fresh Fruit Festival presented playwright Doric Wilson with the 2010 PassionFruit Award for Enduring and Continuing Pioneer Work in LGBT Theater.

This performance benefits TOSOS and the LGBT Center.

Tickets - $20 in advance

https://mycenter.gaycenter.org/my-center/cultural-programs/event-registration-street-theater

$25 cash at the door

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, 208 West 13th Street

(between 7th Ave. and Greenwich Ave)

Directions: http://www.gaycenter.org/contactus

Facebook invite:

https://www.facebook.com/events/336453583148272/

About the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

A beacon of hope for 29 years, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center builds and supports our community through arts and culture, wellness and recovery, HIV/AIDS services, family services and life-saving youth programs designed to foster healthy development in a safe, affirming environment. The Center envisions a world where LGBT people will no longer face discrimination or isolation because of who we are or who we love. We offer a welcoming home to 300,000 visitors each year and we are committed to serving all LGBT people through a variety of programs, services and activities that are designed to meet existing and emerging needs. The Center is many things to many people. We invite you to experience our home at 208 West 13th Street in person and online at gaycenter.org.

About TOSOS

In 1974, playwright and gay activist Doric Wilson founded the first professional gay theatre company. It was called The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS for short). In 2002, directors Mark Finley and Barry Childs and Wilson resurrected the company, rededicating it to an honest and open exploration of the life experience and cultural sensibility of the GLBT community and to preserving and promoting our theatrical past in a determined effort to keep an important literary heritage alive. TOSOS has presented a number of critically acclaimed plays by playwrights David Bell, Meryl Cohn, Linda Eisenstein, Mark Finley, Robert Patrick, Chris Weikel, The Five Lesbian Brothers, Lanford Wilson and Charles Busch. TOSOS also runs the highly successful Chesley/Chambers play reading series under the directorship of Kathleen Warnock. The program is a recipient of grants from The Dramatists Guild Fund. For more information about TOSOS visit www.tosos2.org.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/tososnyc

Twitter: @TOSOSNYC

Website: http://www.tososnyc.org

Email: tososnyc@gmail.org

Interview with Robbie Robertson of "Satan in High Heels"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:21:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Robbie Robertson is a playwright and screenwriter and a graduate of both the University of South Carolina and UCLA’s professional program in screenwriting. Robertson’s first play, Mina Tonight!, was published by Samuel French Inc. and has been consistently produced in regional theatres across the nation. He created the musical comedy The Twitty Triplets and brought '60s TV to life by directing a staged version of “Gilligan’s Island” at Trustus Theatre. Robertson’s screenplays have placed in several national contests, including his latest comedy, “Sweet Child of Mine” being named one of the top 12 comedy scripts in the 2010 Austin Film Festival’s Screenwriting Competition. He is currently developing several independent television and film projects and will be mounting a workshop production of Satan in High Heels this fall in NYC.

I recently attended a reading of Satan in High Heels presented as part of the TOSOS theatre company's Chesley/Chambers Playwrights Project reading series. I had such a good time that I had to talk with Robertson about the play and how it came to be.

So I'm guessing that you are a fan of B movies and exploitation films?

You know, it’s funny, I do love exploitation films but my tastes run wildly from camp to classics. And when judging these films solely on their screenplays, what many people consider B movies of the past have at lot in common with independent cinema of today. That said, I do love a fun, low budget trashy movie and “Satan in High Heels” is my all-time favorite. “Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill” is a close runner up. And “Kitten with a Whip.” Anything with Ann-Margret makes my list.

When did you first see the film "Satan in High Heels"?

Meg Myles

I first saw “Satan in High Heels” about 15 years ago. It was on a videocassette loaned to me by this cool old gay guy in the deep south who collected obscure celebrity autographs. He was a big fan of singer and pinup girl Meg Myles who was the lead in “Satan” and he kept telling me I had to see this film. Little did I know, it would become my favorite obsession. On the first viewing, I was especially thrilled to see Grayson Hall from the original “Dark Shadows” TV series playing a lesbian nightclub owner named Pepe. Doesn’t get any better than Dr. Julia Hoffman.

What was it about the story that made you interested in it?

What I loved most about the movie is the lead character, Stacy Kane—a carnival stripper turned nightclub singer—is totally amoral, a sociopath with no redeeming qualities except she has a killer body and can carry a tune. The film almost plays like a horror movie in that Stacy, the sexual predator, takes out her victims— one at a time—as she bed bounces her way to the top. It’s just great fun to see everyone fall victim to her charms—repulsed and turned on at the same time.

Did you have a "Eureka!" moment when you decided it should be brought to the stage?

Absolutely. Upon repeated viewings, I kept shouting out lines I wished the characters would say. Then I started imagining new scenes and plot twists that would make for a more satisfying ending. As a comedy writer and a playwright, I knew the film’s theatricality and melodramatic tone would translate well to the stage. My adaptation definitely plays up the unintentional irony and humor of the original film but I also worked hard to beef up the overall story arc with new and rewritten scenes, character development and dialogue rewrites.

How long of a trip was it from film to stage? What did you need to do along the way?

I started on a stage version of the film about 8 years ago with some friends of mine I met at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. They were interested in collaborating on a musical version of the film but life got in the way. But after leaving a day job corporate gig, I realized I wasn’t getting any younger so the only person to execute my vision was going to be myself. So I finished a new draft about two years ago and then I did a staged reading at Trustus Theatre in Columbia, SC directed by my pal Tim Gardner, an in-demand commercial film director. From there, my friend (and playwright) Kathleen Warnock asked to read the script and she suggested it be part of TOSOS’ Chesley/Chambers new play reading series in NYC.

As you know, I attended that staged reading of your play. I thought it was a lot of fun, thanks in no small part to the talented cast. I understand you'll be bringing most of them back for this fall's production. Who will be involved?

How cool is our cast?? Karen Stanion is playing Stacy Kane and I could not be more excited to have her in the lead role. She is absolutely ravenous in this part and she looks awesome in high heels! Brett Warwick plays Stacy’s drug addicted husband, Rudy, an ex con turned pulp fiction writer. Ron Bopst is a dynamo as Arnold Kenyon, the shady businessman with a penchant for S&M, with Paul Caiola as his naïve son Larry Kenyon. Virginia Baeta is playing nightclub manager Pepe. Jacqueline Sydney is jaded barfly Felice and Robert Locke is bitchy, piano playing Paul, one of the only people in the cast who doesn’t sleep with Stacy! I'm leaving a couple of people out but suffice it to say we have a dream team of actors who not only get the era but the style and tone of the piece.

And who do you have directing?

Mark Finlay will be directing and I am so really fortunate to have him at the helm. He is a big fan of the original source material and I instantly had an incredible rapport with him. With an evolving piece like this, the writer/director relationship is crucial and I lucked out with one of the nicest and most accomplished stage directors in NYC.

What would you say to your potential audience to get them to see the show?

Sex, drugs, booze and murder in a cabaret setting…this one has it all! And for lovers of B movies, I think you’ll get a good buzz from the laughs of this staged adaptation.

Are there any other B movies you'd like to see turned into plays or maybe even musicals?

I think “Kitten with a Whip” would be awesome on stage. Think we can get Karen Stanion to wear a red wig? That and the women’s prison movie “Caged.” I want Kathleen Warnock back on stage playing the Agnes Moorehead role!

If you could give some advice to the Stacy Kanes of the world, what would it be?

Always remember, bruised strippers get lousy tips. My favorite line from the play!

Follow the progress of the play on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SatanInHighHeelsThePlay or on Twitter @SataninHH.

Planet Connections Interview - Roi Escudero of "Artaud..mon mômo"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:44:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison
Photo of Roi Escudero by Valentin Ewan
Production photo by James Ewan

Name: Roi Escudero
Show: Artaud...mon mômo
Relationship to production: Producer/performer/writer/designer/director
Website: http://planetconnections.org/artaud-mon-momo/

Conceptual performance artist Roi Escudero was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her award winning inter-media work, as designer, songwriter, dramatist, and director of documentary-visual theatre and video, is internationally known. She is the creator of performance-art-cinema™. Her vision paved the way for new media-theatre through her Connected Series BUBULINOS’ DREAMS. In the USA her work has appeared at The Art Museum Council Gallery, at Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA), Los Angeles International Open Festival, at The Charlie Chaplin Space L.A., The Contemporary Museum, Baltimore, The New York International FRINGE Festival, The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), The Midtown International Theatre Festival, FRIGID New York, and other cultural and artistic events. Escudero's performance-art productions B=Essence, (2012) The Matra India (2011) and 11 seconds of ecstasy!(2010) presented at Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, won the PCTF 2011 and PCTF 2010 Awards for Outstanding Performance-art, Multimedia Event, Use of Projections and Special Effects. Escudero's plays received a total of 14 nominations. This includes Outstanding Overall Production of a New Play.

Quotes Playwright/Critic Mario Fratti hailed Roi Escudero as “a director of the third millennium” Martin Denton of nytheatre.com wrote: “Roi Escudero —"Bubi" to anyone she's ever met and anyone who's ever seen one of her extraordinary shows—doesn't believe in walls. She's against barriers of any kind: artistic ones that would attempt to put any of the multitudinous disciplines that make up her work—music, dance, poetry, mime, mask, puppetry, fashion, architecture, video, and others…” Alfred Weiss of The Italian Voice praised the “Convincing ensemble guided by Ms. Escudero’s masterful direction…” Producer and Entrepreneur John Chatterton calls Roi the “Ultimate visual-dramatic artist.” Artist Sue Grillo said: "On the imaginary canvas of the stage, Roi Escudero paints with light."

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I was involved in theatre since I was a little girl. I grew up in a creative family. My parents constantly gave theatrical "tertulias" at home. My aunt, my uncle, and my parents were amateur performers. My father was a extraordinary comedian and my mother a ballerina and designer, as a designer she became well known. My mother made the most amazing costumes and accessories.

Who are your biggest influences?

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Antonin Artaud, Jean Genet, The Instituto De Tella, The Living Theatre, Maria Fux, Guliano Vasilico, Prem Rawat, Salo Vasochi, Lucille Ball, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino and everyday life.

What is your show about?

In the final period of Artaud's life, he is living in an abandoned pavilion in a park convalescence clinic at Ivry-sur-Seine, surrounded by 406 school children's notebooks. The pages are covered with drawings and cutting edge text: "a body without organs". The drawings depict sexuality and terror, screams and gestures, and the paper is scarred with strokes of piercing knife-blade incisions. Artaud 's radio play To Have Done With the Judgment of God has been banned. It is Mardi Gras, Jacques the poet, masked as "el Diablo", brings chloral to Artaud. The drug transports Artaud into an imaginary transitory zone in his mind that materializes the assorted places of his memories. Artaud's hallucinations and flashbacks bring him to his mother's womb, his childhood next to the sea, Paris, the silent cinema, the Surrealist movement, Genica, and The Théâtre Alfred Jarry. Artaud also flashbacks to his journey with the Tarahumaras peoples and the time of war at the asylum of Rodez, where Artaud suffered beatings, starvation and electroshock therapy. In the constrained space of his mind the only contact that Artaud has with the outside world is the memory of a movie by the Marx Brothers that he loves. The action is focused on the protagonist’s awareness with the support of his alter ego, the bon vivant God Pan and a nurse with multiple personalities: Mademoiselle Perfection Obsession Phobos La Folie. Artaud sometimes perceives God Pan like the sadistic Dr Ferdière, a psychiatrist that knows from experience that nothing is more terrifying than freedom. The female figures represent the maternal, the erotic and the hysteric. All of the allegorical characters are manifestations of Artaud's raison d'etre and his pain, the pain of the world and its violent indifference.

What inspired you to write it?

Artaud mon mômo is inspired by the life, work and lucid madness of the actor, director, theoretician, artist, and visionary genius Antonin Marie Joseph Artaud. After years of research and practice with Artaud’s theory and following Artaud's belief that the creative process of the mise-en-scène needs to be in the hands of the same artist, I conceived Artaud mon mômo. With my background in French literature, visual arts and theatre I produced an integral work as a performance artist, designer, playwright and director. I mingled documentary and visual theatre with the extemporary nature of performance-art through an artful planning method. The mise-en-scène containing stage design, new-media, and a narrative of moving images, supports the action onstage and connects my extemporary performance-art action with a skillful performance of actors following my stage directions. I created the plot with real facts, the mystique of the fantastic, a touch of the absurd and the irreverent awareness of the Theatre of Cruelty. I removed the stage’s imaginary fourth wall to produce a spontaneous response and pull the audience into a "visual-dramatic spectacle."

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

I met most of the cast of Artaud...mon mômo by fate!!! The first was Brad Burgess, executive producer of The Living Theatre, and the main collaborator of the legendary Judith Malina. I went to a LIT Fund meeting at The Living Theatre to bring a piece from a project that I'm doing with kids for the LIT Fund. And there under a red light I saw a living image of Artaud! I murmured Artaud, and Brad Burgess responded, "I love Artaud!" Later he said: "Since The Living Theatre helped bring Artaud to the United States and has championed him as one of the great thinkers in their own work and in world theatre, I could not refuse the opportunity to play one of my own and my mentor's heroes." Brad Burgess said yes, and Voila he is portraying Artaud! Later on I went to a benefit for the LIT Fund by The Living Theatre and Elephant Run District in a retrospective of Chris Harcum and I saw Bryant Carroll perform one of Chris plays and he was fantastic. Now Bryant is part of the cast of Artaud mon mômo, with the gifted twins Ashley and Kimberly Carvalho and the unique Mika Oyaizu. I have been working with Mika since 2009 when she danced tango in my performance art play, Argentina Passionate choreographed by the genial Rubén Celiberti. Since then Mika has collaborated in three of my performance art pieces presented at The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity: B=Essence (2012), The Matra India (2011) and 11 seconds of ecstasy (2010). Mika's work was nominated for Outstanding Choreography for the PCTF awards! Others participating in the production are: Erika Bracy Mendoza who gives to the piece a priceless touch by singing acappella a Jacques Prevert poem. The endowed Ryan Metzler as technical director and light designer. The multimedia and research assistant is Valentin Ewan, a recent Honors graduate from New York University with a Major in History and a Minor in Documentary Film, he also serves as stage manager. Renown artist James Ewan created painted costumes and a virtual background for the Tarahumaras scene. The original songs are by La Banda Argentina and me. A new actor in town, James Stokes, gives an awesome curtain speech and is our house manager. I love the cast and the crew too! Artaud... mon mômo is dedicated to Judith Malina.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Artaud...mon mômo is benefiting The LIT Fund. The LIT Fund, is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit designed to financially assist organizations and individual artists creating independent theater in the five boroughs of New York City. The intent of the Fund is to protect, sustain and strengthen this vital segment of American theater--in any economic environment--and to further enhance its positive impact on the cultural landscape of the city. The money for the Fund comes from participating organizations and artists who make donations in the amount of 5¢ per ticket they sell. www.litfund.org

I chose to help the LIT Fund because the indie theatre in New York needs to stay alive!

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

I'm have been invited to present my work at the Urban Eye Studio in L.A. California.

I'm planning to bring my documentary-performance piece America what a trip! and Artaud...mon mômo to the west coast.

If you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

Charlie Chaplin and Johnny Depp!

Planet Connections Interview - Balint Varga of "Dangersparkle and the Lion"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:55:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Balint Varga
Show: Dangersparkle and the Lion
Relationship to production: Music Director/Music Arranger
Website: www.balintvarga.com

Balint Varga is a composer, conductor, music director originally from Budapest, Hungary, His musicals include: Kobolds (produced at Emerson in 2012), Darlings of Broadway, Houdini -The Musical and Why Don't I have a Girlfriend? Previous musical direction credits include: West Side Story, Oliver, Assassins, Kobolds, Berklee Goes Broadway. He's been working over Europe in many production as Oliver!, Jekyll and Hyde, Fiddler on the Roof, Chess (also co-orchestrated), Jesus Christ Superstar, They're playing our song (orchestration) and most recently Roman Polanski's Dance of the Vampires (Budapest/Antwerp/St. Petersbourg).He graduated from Berklee College of Music where he studied composition and conducting.

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I began my professional career in the world of musical theater at age 17 when I moved to Paris (I’m originally from Hungary). I worked first for Bastille Opera House in Paris with the musical director Scott Alan Prouty. I was the youngest contracted piano player ever in the history of the Bastille Opera House. I also worked at the French Ballet Institute and in Chatelet.

Who are your biggest influences?

As a composer I’m amazed by Alan Menken’s work. He had a huge influence on me. I also love Leonard Bernstein as a conductor and I admire Jason Robert Brown for his piano arrangements. Furthermore I listen to Puccini, Verdi, John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Stephen Schwartz among others.

What is your show about?

Dangersparkle and the Lion is the epic, touching, comic, and way-too personal tale of the history of the human race as seen through the eyes of two hapless immortals, fallen from heaven and doomed to reincarnate together until they can figure out just how to get along.

What inspired you to become involved with it?

The process we used to make the show was very creative, collaborative, and improvisational, and it was exciting to be a part of something like this.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

My producers are the extremely creative Harry Einhorn and Lia Tamborra who are also the writers and leads in our show. This is the first time I had a chance to work with them. I had an interview and they asked to be their music director. The amazing Shana Solomon is our director who put so many brilliant ideas in the show, giving it way more colored details.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

We are raising awareness for Khoryug, a special project of the World Wildlife Fund working with Buddhist monasteries for environmental protection across the Himalayas

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

I’ll be music directing Willy Wonka, I’m writing two new musicals, I am preparing my own showcase and I’m also working on music directing two projects in China.

What was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

When one of my show (Kobolds the Musical) was produced in Boston last year. Conducting my own show in Boston was one of my best theatre moments. Next, Broadway!

Planet Connections Interview - Mark-Eugene Garcia of "The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:27:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison
Headshot by Ben Strothmann
Production photo by Melissa Segal

Name: Mark-Eugene Garcia (with a little help from Carolyn Lardinois English)
Show: The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota
Relationship to production: Bookwriter and producer
Website: http://planetconnections.org/the-holy-cows-of-credence/

Mark-Eugene Garcia is a proud member of A.S.C.A.P. and is the director of the Playwrights Forum of the F.A.C.T. Theatre Company. He is a Graduate of City College of New York and studied book and lyric writing with the Academy of New Musical Theatre in Los Angeles. His musicals include STANDBY- THE MUSICAL (New York International Fringe Festival- Encores Selection, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Next Link Selection), FACING EAST: A NEW MUSICAL (Broadwayworld.com Chicago Special Event- Nominee), THE HOLY COWS OF CREDENCE SOUTH DAKOTA, and THE JOURNEY. His plays include (UN)MISSED CONNECTIONS (Jacob Weiser Playwriting Award for a Fully Realized Drama, The Stark Award in Drama in Memory of Ross Alexander- honorable mention), ONE NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN BOOT, INSCRIPTIONS, WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR and KEYS. His works have been presented in The New York International Fringe Festival, The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, The Puzzle: Marble’s Festival of New Works, ANMT’s Festival of New Musicals, Untucked: LBGT One Act festival, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Disney’s Hyperion Theatre, and The Colony Theatre Burbank.

As an actor he has appeared from New York to California, including the shows A STRANGE AND SEPARATE PEOPLE (Jay Berman) (Winner- Seymour Peck Award for Sustained Excellence) THE TAINT OF EQUALITY OR I WANT YOUR SEX (Javier Pena) ,SIX SILENCES IN THREE MOVEMENTS (Sean), THE MOUSETRAP (Paravacini), LEAVES OF GRASS(Nude soloist), NEW YORK ( Duff, Vigil), HAMLET (Horatio), THE BOYS IN THE BAND (Larry), THE JAR (The Man), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Fyedka) , CITY OF ANGELS ( Pasco,Eugene, Munoz u/s), TEN PAGES WITH 25 WORDS AND A NUDE SCENE (Jay), and many performances at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure as well as on the Jenny Craig Website. Mark's film roles include NOCTURNAL FURY (Charlie) and ALEKSANDR'S PRICE (Michael) He can also be seen on the web series THE MESSAGE BOARD (Charlie) and PIONEER ONE (Dr. Richard C. Hadfield)

How did you first get involved in theatre?

Carolyn: Royal Crane and I began our career as stand-up comedians performing in the LA area. On a challenge and the promise of an all you can eat buffet, we began writing a play for three friends who had found it difficult to find parts that fit their unique personalities and extra-large bodies. Night Nurses was a critical success and quickly launched our writing career but ruined the three aforementioned friendships. Writers see things differently. Often mistaken as husband and wife, which creeps us out, we continue to work to write for all mediums but fewer larges. Holy Cows is our second collaboration.

Who are your biggest influences?

Mark: When it comes to musical theatre, Ahrens and Flaherty will always be my biggest influences. When I was in high school I happened to see the pre Broadway cast of Ragtime and a regional production of Once on this Island back to back. I was immediately drawn to the storytelling through music in each show. Up until then I felt musicals were just about doing a scene, singing a song about it, then doing another scene. In those two stories so much time and emotion was wrapped into each song. I was addicted When I realized that the same people wrote these two shows, I instantly went and found their other material. I’ve been hooked ever since. That’s about when I started writing plays and poetry, which led me into musical theatre.

What is your show about?

Mark: The musical is about a community of women- and one man- who get together every Sunday to watch their, ever losing, church baseball team (The Holy Cows) play. The minister’s wife, Marlys Brooks, uses these Sunday get-togethers to solve the problems of all of her friends. But this Sunday is the anniversary of a tragedy in her life. Because of this, she is losing her faith. But she has no one to tell. Alone, confused, and searching, Marlys puts her faith in an unlikely source.

What inspired you to write it?

Carolyn: On a hot summer day on a dirt road in South Dakota, four young adults, almost home, passed a slow-moving tractor. Their head-on collision with the vehicle on the other side of the road and their deaths is not newsworthy. It happens with regularity on the two lane dirt ways of rural America. But in that event were all of life’s unanswered questions. Why do these things happen? What if they had had one more cup of coffee to drink that day? What if they had had one less cup of coffee? Why do the “good” ones have to die and who gets to decide who the “good” ones are anyway? With the metaphor of a church softball game, a game that everyone understands, we explore the profound questions of life and death and signs in a game that no one understands.

Mark: My mom handed me the play Holy Cows which was written by a friend of hers and mentor of mine, Carolyn English and her writing partner Royal Crane. That was almost ten years ago. It was a bit of time before I was able to sit down and read the play, during the break from another project. Immediately, I heard music singing from the page and knew that I needed to tell this fantastic story through song. I was incredibly nervous approaching someone who I had always thought of as “teacher” and “mentor” and asking if I could try my hand at adapting her work. However after giving me the go ahead, and seeing Carolyn and Royal’s reactions to the first readings, I felt reassured and very excited to move along with this project.

We have been given some fantastic opportunities, first with LaGuardia College, then later The Puzzle: Marble Collegiate Church’s Festival of New Works, and finally here, with the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

These characters mean so much because they are so real. The story means so much because it is so basic, yet so touching. This is a simple show, with an intimate story of six people hoping for something as small as their small town church winning a game. Yet, looking deeper, to hits heart, we see a woman searching desperately for meaning, a group of people searching for community, and a young girl searching for a connection. It is in these moments that the Holy Cows sing.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Mark: One of the many things I love about The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota is the sense of community between the characters. This is something that continues in the behind scenes element also. We have Carolyn, who always encouraged my writing when I was younger. Then three years ago, when the musical premiered at LaGuardia College, a fellow student, Viktoria Dana King, was my assistant director. We were so happy to have her back on board in that role this time around. Rodrigo E. Bolaños was our set designer in that run, but in the past few years has become an accomplished director. Having seen every production of Cows, and after his fantastic work on my play (un)missed connections, it seemed only natural to have him take the bull by the horns this time around. David Rigano and I worked on another musical Facing East out in Chicago. He and his brother Paul Rigano write so well together and their song, style and sensibility fit the show so well, that they also seemed the natural fit. Kyle James Johnson, our stage manager, was an actor in (un)missed connections last year. Donald Garverick is a friend, as well as a fantastic choreographer whom we’d all longed to work with for quite a while. I love the storytelling he does with movement. Casting wise, Lisa Dennett who plays Grandma Fette did such a great job in the reading at The Puzzle Festival two years ago that we were so happy to have her back. As for the new members of our herd: Stephanie Kirkland brings such honesty and beauty to Marlys. Alanna Gwynn Shaffer manages to be hilarious and touching at the same time. Jenny Paul is hilarious perfection as Dotty-Lue. Peter Ackerman is spot on as Skipper and has more energy that I thought was humanly possible. Julia Menn is wonderful, bringing a balance of dark and light to the dramatic role of Liz.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Mark: For our charity, we chose WIN (Women in Need). The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota is show about women and community. With nearly an all female cast, we really wanted to find charity that focused on women. WIN transforms the lives of New York City homeless women and their children by providing a holistic solution of safe housing, critical services and ground-breaking programs they need to succeed on their own – so the women can regain their independence and their children can look forward to a brighter future. The linking of women and community was so close to our theme that WIN seemed like the perfect fit.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

Mark: Two days after Holy Cows closes, my other musical Standby begins rehearsals for The New York Musical Theatre Festival. It’s a rock musical about five people waking up in an airport terminal with no recollection of how they got there. It’s a lot darker than Holy Cows but just as character driven. It was really well received at last years NYC Fringe Festival and was chosen for the Fringe Encores series. I co-wrote the book and lyrics with Alfred Solis. The Music is by Amy Baer and Keith Robinson. Carlos Armesto is directing and our cast is amazing. We’re opening July 19th

What was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

Mark: Okay, it’s going to sound like I’m sucking up here. But, I promise it’s all true. Two years ago I got mentioned my first NYC review. I remember reading it, in my living room, with my heart beating a mile a minute. It was just one sentence, but it was my name and a statement of praise. It was for Duncan Pflaster’s Six Silences In Three Movements which was a big step for me theatrically as well as one of my favorite theatrical experiences. In the review I got a shout out about my performance. I showed that review to EVERYONE. I Facebook linked it. I emailed it. I printed it and handed it to my friends. In fact, it’s still quoted on my website. That year, I was really taking a tentative step back into performing, but that sentence changed everything. I went at everything full force after that. That night at the show, when I went on, I was so happy- but at the same time thought “don’t mess this up!” It was a mix of pressure and jubilation. I never wanted that to stop. That review was by a certain Byrne Harrison on a certain blog called StageBuzz. So yeah, it might sound like I’m sucking up. But I’m saying that it’s all true. And I am also saying, “thank you.”

Planet Connections Interview - Mia Ellis of "Occupied" part of "Sharon's Shorts"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:56:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison
Group photo by Sharon Cooper

Name: Mia Ellis
Show: Sharon’s Shorts (Occupied)

Relationship to production (actor/writer/director, etc.): Actor
Website: http://planetconnections.org/sharons-shorts/. You can also go through the playwright’s website: http://sharonecooper.com

Mia Ellis is a graduate of the Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Acting program and is also a teaching artist and writer. Her regional work includes - Ophelia, Hamlet; Francine/Lena, Clybourne Park; Ghost of Christmas Past and Sister-in-Law, A Christmas Carol. Her TV and film work includes - Person of Interest, What Would You Do, After the Fall. Other credits include - Parade, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Three Sisters.

How did you first get involved in theatre?

Wow! Well, there were a few moments that led to my decision to work in the theatre – probably too many to discuss, but I’d have to say that being cast in Annie Jr. is at the top of my list. The community theater in my hometown of Madison, MS, was auditioning for all the roles, and I got up the nerve to go in for it; I was thirteen and had never been in a play before, let alone a musical. I fell in love with the entire process from start to finish.

Who are your biggest influences?

My acting teachers in graduate school at Brown University/Trinity Rep, my mentors from Tougaloo College, and my mom influence me the most. They are all artists in some way and teach me how to own who I am and what I do. It is through their insight, advice, and guidance that I remember to remain open to growing, changing, and seeing the world with new eyes.

What is your show about?

Occupied is a short play (one of five short plays in the production), about a young woman who decides to ask for something that anyone else would request under the given circumstances. Her request exposes her vulnerability and forces her to assert herself in a way that reveals some of the reasons why we make demands and strive to be understood.

What inspired this play?

I asked the playwright, Sharon Cooper, to answer this one and she said the following:

Occupied is inspired by the occupy movement, being pissed off at the bank, and the little gal getting her say. It was written as part of the CRY HAVOC Holiday play series, and I am a Resident Playwright with this awesome company. Occupied had its world premiere as part of CRY HAVOC’s 15^th year world-wide celebration in November of 2012 on the same night—in Hungary and Germany. I’m really excited about all of the short plays in Sharon’s Shorts and have never had so many of my short plays produced together.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

The collaborative spirit of the cast and crew has kept us focused and laughing from the first read through, which took place the last week of April. This is my first time working with the wonderful Joanna Strange (dir), Sharon E. Cooper (pw), Laura Hirschberg (sm), and seven amazing actors: Hend Ayoub, Will Clark, Kerry Flanagan, Jonathan Horvath, James O’ Brien, Will Shaw, Evelyn Spahr. What I’ve enjoyed the most about working with this group of artists is that I’m always surprised by each choice they make to tell these five stories in a way that is fun but grounded in truth.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Our production will be donating to New York Cares.

Here’s a note from Joanna about New York Cares: “For almost 10 years, I get up one Sunday per month at 6:30 AM and head downtown to St. Francis Xavier. There, I, along with about 20 other volunteers, prep food to feed approximately 1000 homeless men, women and children. This, however, is not the only thing I have done with New York Cares. I have walked dogs at BARC Animal Shelter. I have delivered meals from God’s Love We Deliver for shut in elderly New Yorkers. I have re-painted an inner city school. I love New York Cares because, essentially, it is a catalogue for thousands of volunteer opportunities per month. There are over 50,000 volunteers like me working for over 1,300 nonprofits, city agencies, and public schools. What makes this so unique is the sheer volume of various opportunities that one can participate in with only one orientation session. We are proud to be supporting them.”

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

I will be working with a colleague and friend, Lauren Lubow, on producing our one woman shows together.

If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

If I could change the world, there would be more kindness and positive compromise.

Planet Connections Interview - The Akadēmeia Theatre Company of "Miss Nowhere Diner"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:15:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Akadēmeia Theatre Company
Show: Miss Nowhere Diner
Relationship to production: We are a theatre company; Lydia Fort is the Producing Artistic Director and Kathleen Potts is the Managing Artistic Director. We are producing this show in conjunction with Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2013.
Website: http://planetconnections.org/miss-nowhere-diner/

Tell me about your company and how long you've been involved with theatre.

We are a brand new theatre company, Akadēmeia Theatre; however, co-founders Lydia Fort and Kathleen Potts both consider theatre their life-long artistic calling.

Who are your biggest influences?

Akadēmeia Theatre is named after and draws inspiration from Plato’s famous school of philosophy in ancient Greece. Our theatre company embraces the concept of a theatrical production as a public forum for discussing – and even debating – important social and cultural issues.

What is your show about?

Gambling, promises, denial, lies, and a trucker/preacher who thinks of his flock “not as sheep, but as deer in the headlights of life.” As each character’s outlook is altered, the audience is left to decide what truly constitutes conversion – what truly constitutes change.

What inspired you to bring it to the stage?

Having spent time last summer with Planet Connections Festivity founder Glory Kadigan at La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors, Lydia Fort was inspired by the vision of directing a production that raises awareness and financial support for worthy social causes in an eco-friendly/socially conscious environment. Miss Nowhere Diner, by Kathleen Potts, seemed to be the perfect fit for this festival, as it deals with a major societal issue – addiction to gambling.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

We have a terrific cast: Corey Wright *(AEA), Salina Duplessis, Jennifer Roberts, Branden Baskin, Miriam Tabb, and Lex Daemon. Our design team is incredibly creative and our technical crew is passionately dedicated. We’re even crazy about our PR person. They’re an amazing group, who, along with the Planet Connections people, make up a wonderful artistic community.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness is our charity of choice. As spokesperson Jennifer Hudson says on their website, “Mental illness affects 1 in 4 or nearly 60 million Americans every year. It’s time to provide support, educate our peers, and play our part.” (www.nami.org) We’re playing our part (literally and figuratively) with this production.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

We are currently creating the long-term vision for Akadēmeia Theatre Company, which we hope will include new productions, workshops, staged readings, and continued community outreach.

If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

Making theatre and experiencing theatre can bring all of us closer to the same goals we have when we choose to get an education: to actively engage with challenging subjects and ideas and, in the process, expand our knowledge of what the world is and our concepts of what it can be.

Planet Connections Interview - Mark Jason Williams of "Straight Faced Lies"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:01:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Mark Jason Williams
Show: Straight Faced Lies
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: www.markjasonwilliams.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

By accident! When I was 18, I knew I wanted to go to school for “writing,” but didn’t exactly know what that meant. I saw that NYU had a “Dramatic Writing” program, and since I lived in Yonkers and the school was close, I applied. I remember that I had sent writing samples, and chose a bunch of poems. I had no idea what the program was about or how hard it was to get into Tisch, I just a kid who wanted to write. Once I got in, and learned that it was a playwriting program (and, equally importantly, that I’d never had to take a math or science class again), I went for it, and was hooked from my first class. It still think it’s pretty cool that I went in having never written a script before, and now…well, it’s all I ever want to do!

Who are your biggest influences?

I’m still very much a fan of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, and will probably be channeling these brilliant writers for the rest of my life. Family and friends also rank highly on the list of people who inspire me.

What is your show about?

Straight Faced Lies is a comedic drama that takes place on the scariest day of the year—Thanksgiving. It’s about a family, and some unexpected guests, who gather together and face uncovered secrets that might tear them apart. At the heart of the show are six distinct characters: a devoted (but controlling) wife and mother, a son with a secret that’s more obvious than he realizes, an estranged daughter grabbling with an unexpected pregnancy, the married doctor she’s with whom she’s having an affair, an outspoken woman who likes her liquor a little too much, and a guy in love with a man he can’t have.

What inspired you to write it?

I’ve always wanted to write a show about a family. I think that the most fascinating conversations, and great life moments, happen at the kitchen table or in the living room.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

I’m working with a great team this year. Melissa Skirboll, an award-winner in last year’s Planet Connections for Outstanding Direction, returns to the festivity this year as the show’s director. The cast includes: Linda Blackstock, Danny Hilt, Hannah Logan Wolfe, Thom Christensen, Ann Farthing and Josh Krebs. Each actor brilliantly combines comedic snap with human drama to create full-bodied, authentic characters.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

We chose Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Visible Ink program, which provides one-on-one writing mentorship to current, and former, patients. It’s a cause that is close to my heart because I’m a cancer survivor, and a member of Visible Ink, and I think it’s an absolutely necessary and wonderful program.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

My show, Recovery, which premiered at Planet Connections in 2010 heads to the 2013 Capital Fringe Festival in July, while The Other Day, which won the Planet Connections Award for Outstanding Playwriting in 2011, returns to the New York stage as part of the 2013 Fresh Fruit Festival, July 20-21.

What was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

My best theatre moment was in 2010, doing Recovery at Planet Connections at the Gene Frankel. I’d been writing the play for quite some time, and was finally ready to stage a full production, and my Off-Off Broadway debut was met with a sold-out crowd, including my parents and a surprise guest, my childhood hematologist, Dr. Radel. I’ll never forget the look on my parent’s face when they saw Dr. Radel (and vice versa). It was a moment when they realized how powerful theatre can be. And, really, I did, too!

Planet Connections Interview - Tom Slot of "Farewell to Sanity and Other Irrational Constructs"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:42:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Photo by Eric Ford-Holevinski

Name: Tom Slot
Show: Farewell to Sanity and Other Irrational Constructs

Relationship to production: Writer / Director
Website: www.farewelltosanity.com

Tom Slot has been active in New York Theater since 2006 as a playwright, actor, director, and producer. He has written multiple full-length plays, one acts, musicals, and educational theater pieces. His last full-length play Killing Time (Planet Connections 2012 Reading Series, produced Summer 2012 at the Payan Theater, NYC) was a finalist in the 2012 Princess Grace Awards. His one act play Reimaging Oedipus was just published in the Freshwater Goes To School anthology. Tom’s pieces are frequently character driven and deal with the misconnections and insecurities that separate us. Tom currently serves as the artistic director of Original Binding Productions, a New York City based production company, and teaches acting at Queens College and Teachers College at Columbia University. He holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University and is a member of SAG/ AFTRA and the Dramatists Guild.

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I was cast as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream my sophomore year of high school. It was a wonderful experience and firmly planted the theatre bug in my DNA. Midsummer remains one of my favorite shows to date.

Who are your biggest influences?

Neil Labute, William Shakespeare, Adam Duritz.

What is your show about?

Burnt-out psychologist Dr. Henley knows crazy, but when he’s confronted by the ghost of a whaling ship captain from 1863, he questions his own sanity. Tasked to balance the cosmic scales, Henley embarks on an insane adventure that could cost him his license to practice, his sanity, and his life.

What inspired you to write it?

A few years ago I was at a middle school concert and one of the choral groups performed "Farewell to Tarwathie." It was the first time I had ever heard the song and it immediately brought to mind the life of a whaler and the danger they faced on the open water. The character of Captain Tom Haskins was born on the spot and I went home and started writing his story. The story grew and swelled from there, but it all started with that song.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

I’m blessed with an amazing cast and crew for this show. A lot of the actors are from Original Binding Productions, who I’ve been working with since 2009. Included in the mix is Claire Nusuti (who I can’t seem to write a play without writing a character for her), Tom Edmond Evans (a founding partner in OBP), R. Alex Murray, Sharon Pinney, Matthew Dean Wood, and Maryellen Molfetta. We’ve all done a number of shows together and have built a strong ensemble through the years. This time we’re added a number of talented new actors as well including the wonderful David Stallings (whose physically it a dream to watch), Matt Golden (who brings a wonderful two page monologue to life effortlessly), Rick Apicella, Hannah Dubner, and Larry Phillips. Behind the scenes Victoria Grazioli and London Griffith keep us all sane.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

We are working with the ASPCA, a great organization that gives a voice to animals in need. My dogs have always been an important part of my life and we wanted to recognize the work that the ASPCA.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

I’m developing a number of new scripts at the moment and will be taking the summer to work on them. In August Original Binding Productions puts up a weekend of one act plays written by female playwrights and focusing on emotionally revealed characters call Naked Theater 2: The Ladies. It runs August 8-11 at the Access Theater Gallery.

If you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

I’d love to work with Bill Murray. He is a gifted comic and dramatic actor who makes even the most broken characters fun to watch. I am always drawn to the flawed character that gets in his own way in my writing. Seeing Bill Murray play one of those characters would be a dream come true.

Planet Connections Interview - Marcus Yi of "The Procedure"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:14:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Marcus Yi
Show: The Procedure
Relationship to production: Writer / Director
Website: www.marcusyi.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

When I was 19, I wrote a horrible musical called Who Wants to Kill a Millionaire? It was a murder-mystery musical set in Singapore played by high schools students…not the highest form of art, but I realized I loved to write and direct, and have been doing it ever since.

Who are your biggest influences?

Christopher Durang, Jane Martin, Prince Gomolvilas, Young Jean Lee, Bob Fosse, Bach, Mozart, Chopin and Richard Wagner.

What is your show about?

Love. Adrian, a man in his mid-thirties, is living the dream. He is a lawyer, married to a loving husband, Jacob, and is about to become a citizen of the United States. Everything seems rosy until the immigration interview, where he learns that the path to citizenship requires a microchip implant. In his eye. In the end, Adrian has to choose between the staying with the people he loves, and standing up for what is right.

What inspired you to write it?

Ingénue Theater invited me to be a part of their writing circle in the Fall of 2012, to create plays about the theme, “Home” I had been thinking a lot about immigration reform and how immigrants feel about their adopted home so decided that immigration would be a central theme. I also had never written anything with Singaporean characters so decided to add that flavor as well and The Procedure was born.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

My biggest collaborator in this project is my co-director Sonia Nam. I directed her in my play Will Hurt in 2010 and we have been friends ever since. She is an amazing performer, director and has the best sense of humor in the world. I always feel she has my back in the rehearsal room.

My actors are also wonderful people to work with. Stephen Thornton, Lauren Gralton, Richard Glucksberg and Fenny Novyane have been working on the play since January and always a joy to work with. The new additions Reynaldo Rivera and Shubhra Prakash bring new life to the piece.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Amnesty International. They help immigrants. Seems fitting for a show about immigration.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

My next play 29x/y an experimental collage play will be opening at the Fresh Fruit Festival on July 11, 12 and 13.

If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

Free Twinkies for everyone!

Planet Connections Interview - Celestine Rae of "Velvet Rope"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:00:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison
Headshot by Chris Sorensen
Production photo by Jeminah Russell
Postcard photo by Gillian Alexy

Name: Celestine Rae
Show: Velvet Rope
Relationship to production: Writer/ Director
Website: www.velvetropetheplay.com

Celestine Rae is an actress, contemporary dancer, and emerging writer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Celestine graduated from Temple University with a degree in English. Two weeks after graduation, she moved to New York City to pursue her acting career full time. Celestine studied at the William Esper Studio under Terry Knickerbocker and has appeared in several off Broadway productions as well as independent Film & TV, including a recurring role on the hit HBO series, Boardwalk Empire. Her passion for telling stories with complex female characters lends itself to Velvet Rope, a provocative play about a young college women's studies major whose curiosity about the world of stripping leads her to pose as an "experienced" stripper at the local club.

As a budding writer and director, Celestine seeks to challenge the perceptions of women and the underrepresented in the media. Her exploration of the world of stripping in Velvet Rope spawns from her desire to investigate beyond the social stereotypes of marginalized groups and bring forth the humanity that exits within them, but is often dismissed. www.celestinerae.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I began my life in the theatre as a dancer. I was terribly shy as a child and it wasn't until my first dance recital at the age of 4, when the curtains opened and the music began, that I came out of my shell. Being on stage made me feel at home. I grew up performing on stage in concert dance recitals and with dance companies in the Philadelphia area where I grew up. Dance was an enormous part of my life since I was 4 years old. It allowed me to express myself in ways that I could not as the shy child I was off stage. I knew that being in a theatre and performing was my calling. When I found acting, it completed a piece of the puzzle artistically and allowed me to go even deeper through another means of expression. The move towards acting sparked an interest in creating my own work and I began to write plays. Now I am directing a play that I wrote. The theatre and performing are my callings in life. Sometimes I feel that the theatre chose me, rather than the other way around. I find myself always returning to it in some capacity. No matter how many films I work on, there is nothing like stepping on a stage or directing for the stage. Simply nothing like it.

Who are your biggest influences?

I have so many. I’m still inspired by the old school theatre and dance artists – Alvin Ailey, Carmen De Lavallade, Jeffery Holder. They understood story telling through movement. I think of Ailey’s “Revalations” and the masterpiece of a story that it was without any words. As an actor and director I work from a place of understanding in the body first. I am also inspired by artists who were considered “before their time” and helped to create a new genre or way of approaching art- The names Sidney Portier, Marlon Brando, Eartha Kitt, Dorothy Dandridge, Anna Deavere Smith, Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington, & Phillip Seymour Hoffman come to mind. And I am incredibly fond of the writers- John Patrick Shanley, Lynn Nottage, and Stephen Adly Guirgis.

What is your show about?

Joan, a college sophomore, sets out to explore the topic of women’s sexuality for a thesis paper in her women’s studies class by going undercover at the local strip club and stepping into the world of a stripper.

Brynn Alexander as "Suzanne"
and Craig Colasanti as "Henry"

What inspired you to write it?

I was inspired to write this play 2 years ago when there were what seemed to be recurring instances of government officials being caught in sex scandals. Every time I watched the reports on the news and saw the way the women involved were being slandered, I cringed. I wondered what were the real stories of these women, separate from the judgement that was being placed on them by the media and the public. And then, the idea about women’s sexuality and the enormous disparity between the way women are perceived when it comes to sex as opposed to that of men, kept coming up for me. So I wanted to write about it.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

I am honored to be working with and directing an amazingly talented cast: Azariah Gunn, Alexis Kelley, Kimberlee Monroe, Craig Colasanti, Brynn Alexander, and Samantha Strelitz. I am also working with two very dedicated co- producers, a long time friend and fellow dancer, Jeminah Russell, and a very good friend, talented actress, and producer, Gillian Alexy, founder of Girl in Red Productions.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Velvet Rope is benefitting Women for Women International. Because our play is about women I felt that this charity, that assists in the rehabilitation of women and their families who are survivors of war, was something I connected with and wanted to contribute to.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

I hope Velvet Rope will continue on and have the chance to have a full New York City run.

Finally, if you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Planet Connections Interview - Cat Parker of "Dragon"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 19:35:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Cat Parker 

Show: Dragon
Relationship to production: Producer/Director 

Website: articulatetheatre.weebly.com/events   

Cat Parker is the Artistic Director of Articulate Theatre Company. Favorite productions include Picasso at the Lapin Agile (NYIT Award Winner), Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Towards Zero, A Doll’s House, Twelfth Night (NYIT Award Winner), the New York premiere of Sister Cities, (NYIT Award Nominee), and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead. She assisted Jerry Zaks on the Broadway debut of A Bronx Tale, featuring Chazz Palmenteri. She has recently embarked on a project to interview the directors of New York’s Indie theatre world. You can read about it on her blog, DirectorSpeak.

How did you first get involved in theatre? 

I dabbled in theatre in early school days, but I found my true connection to it while I was in the Air Force. I helped manage our area’s “Tops in Blue” competition - sort of a talent show for people in the military. Finding a role -director- that lets me use both my creative and my management skills was such a godsend. From there I continued that journey through academia, regional theatres and then the big move to NYC. I am very, very happy with how it’s turning out!

 Who are your biggest influences? 

Okay, gonna sound corny, but it is true - my parents have always been my biggest influence. They gave me the solidest of foundations, and then taught me how to stand with my toes on the edge of it, and lean out into the wind. Directorially, if that’s a word, my influences run a wide gamut: Jonathan Marks, Marshall Mason, Anne Bogart, Emma Rice, Dan Sullivan, Sam Mendes, just to name a few.
 

What is your show about?

Well, humm.... Dragon is about a young boy who befriends a wounded dragon, and the evolution of their relationship. Dragon is “really” about the search for identity, our place in the world, and how that changes. And what it’s REALLY “really” about is ‘what you give up to grow up.‘ And chronologically, it’s about 90 minutes. :-) 
 

What inspired you to direct/produce it?

In January of this year I met with 30 colleagues and we decided to start a theatre company - Articulate Theatre Company. We were going to proceed through the year calmly and sensibly to plan it out, step-by-step, but then Glory Kadigan reminded me about the PCTF and I remembered this play and thought it would be a perfect match-up. Dragon is a fantastical story, that requires the audience to share in the process with their imagination. And festivals, with their inherent limitations, bring in audiences that WANT to use their imaginations and become engaged with the story in that way. Dragon is a challenging piece, and ATC wants to do challenging work. 
 

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Since ATC is a ensemble based company, I have a LOT of collaborators, who have all given pieces of their time, talents, money and apartments to support this project. My main collaborator on this production is my managing director, Brittney Venable. She keeps the “biz” going when I get insane from the “art.” Dragon’s playwright, Jenny Connell Davis, has been a huge part of this process - writing and re-writing, and re-re-writing! AND she bakes the banana bread we use in the play! We have 6 astonishing actors in the cast - the casting for this show was crazy because we just didn’t want to settle, but in the end, pushing forward really paid off. They are amazing. And by “they” I mean: Maeve Yore, Daniel Kublick, Joe Roseto, Katie Mack, Tony Ponella and James Leighton. And the talent doesn’t stop on that side of the stage. It does, in fact, start way before. The design team for this show is in-cred-i-ble. The set designer, George Allison, is from TV and film, and is a brilliant conceptualist. Dennis Parichy (lights) has lit 15 Broadway shows, was Circle Rep’s key designer, and brought most of Lanford Wilson’s work to ‘light.’ Kwan-Fai Lam has so many awards for sound design I couldn’t begin to name them. Karen Ledger’s costumes have created an ‘otherworldly’ feel on a very mundane worldly budget. And Bronwen Carson’s choreography will show the world just how graceful dragons can be!

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why? 

Our charity is “Urgent Death Row Pets.” This organization advocates for changes in the NYC Animal care and control system. There are lots of wonderful rescue groups out there finding homes for these animals literally hours before they are to be killed, but they are suffocating under the never-ending stream of animals in the system. “Urgent” knows that the AC&C can -and should- do more to help the situation, but isn’t. As a New Yorker, you should know how your tax dollars, and donated dollars, are being abused, and “Urgent’s” mission is to share that info far and wide. There is so much in the world that needs to be made right, that I think it can seem too big, and too far away for one person to impact. But “Urgents” goal is something that is right here in our city, and individual actions can make great strides in changing, in making something “right.”

 What's next for you after Planet Connections? 

Next up for Articulate Theatre is a production based around our company’s talents. Written by, performed by, directed by, designed by, etc. We have two themes that we’re kicking around and will be deciding upon next month. By the end of the year, we will be planning our first official, fully produced play! It’s going to be a crazy year, but it will be so worthwhile. We can keep you updated if you stop by our website!
 
What was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

In 2011, I saw Sam Mendes’ Cherry Orchard at BAM. It began with a dark stage, then a pinlight on a music box. The music was sweet, tender. And as the light grew brighter, and the sound turned slightly darker - I leaned forward in my seat, eager for the next moment. I knew right then that the story was in good hands and my faith in the magic of theatre was being carefully cultivated. At the end of the show, I walked home unable to speak for about 15 minutes. That show, that production, it just... it made me a believer - again. I will never forget it.

If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

I would create a energy reversing device that made any trash not properly disposed of, reverse it’s trajectory and stick to the person that tossed it away.

Planet Connections Interview - Christopher Leidenfrost of "The Greatest Pirate Story (N)Ever Told!"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 19:12:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison
Headshot by Alan Kaplan
Production photos by Deborah Grossmark

Name: Christopher Leidenfrost
Show: The Greatest Pirate Story (N)Ever Told!

Relationship to production: Writer/Director/Performer
Website: www.offsides.org/piratestory

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I took a community school theatre class at age 8 instructed by the venerable Ms. Fritze. I had such a great time, and met my best childhood friend. We started putting on shows in our backyards for our parents and making short films with the family camcorder... and I basically just haven't stopped.

Who are your biggest influences?

Everything and everyone... I feel that every show- bad or good- helps influence my work as a director, writer and performer. If I had to pick a few performer favorites, I'd say Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Ian McKellan and Johnny Depp.

What is your show about?

"Greatest Pirate Story" is about a rag-tag crew of pirates who are sent into the future by a sea witch to put on a show and to prove their worth. (Why? Treasure, of course!) The pirates then spin a story out of suggestions given to them by the audience-- so it's never the same show twice!

What inspired you to write it?

I've always loved the romanticized idea of pirates, and have worked in the genre as an event producer for almost a decade. During that time, I was also working as an improv performer, and the notion to really marry the two gave birth to this show.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

I've been really fortunate to have gotten the chance to develop this piece over the last year with an amazing collective of improvisers. The original script was basically a mashup of scenes and concepts for characters and various short-form improv styles we could work in. Each incarnation has had some cast changes, but Rebeca Diaz and Daniel Pivovar have been at my side through the show's inception. Each cast helped shape the show a little more, and each time the script took on a more solid form and structure. Also, my amazing husband, Rick, who has helped guide me directorially (especially since I'm on stage a lot in this show!)

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

We are supporting the RESCU Foundation, a non-profit organization established to promote and maintain the health and medical well-being of the participants of Renaissance Faires, historical performances and other artistic events through financial assistance, advocacy, education and preventative programs. Because the show was developed at both the "New York Renaissance Faire" and Historic Hudson Valley's "Pirates of the Hudson" festival, it was a perfect fit. It's also a community I'm proud to be a part of and so glad to have a chance to give back to.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

We are touring with "Greatest Pirate Story" through September, first to Provincetown, MA, and then back to the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo Park, NY.

If you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

Angela Lansbury!! No question. I loved her as a child... she was hands down my favorite performer from "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" to "Sweeney Todd" to "Murder, She Wrote!" I loved them all, and have always dreamed of getting to work with her.

Planet Connections Interview - Mateo Moreno of "Bohemian Valentine"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:40:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison
Photos by Caitlin Becker
Logo by Yelena Guller

Name: Mateo Moreno
Show: Bohemian Valentine
Relationship to production: Writer, Actor
Website: http://planetconnections.org/bohemian-valentine/

How did you first get involved in theatre?

My first role was playing Rumpelstiltskin when I was 9 or so. Something just clicked inside of me (I was hungry so it could have been my stomach, but I think it was something else). I continued with theatre through high school, doing dinner theatre and community theatre around the Kansas City area and finally came to New York by way of attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.”

Who are your biggest influences?

Jonathan Larson and his legacy truly shaped me into who I am today as an artist. I was living in the Midwest and saw Rent for the first time watching the Tony Awards and I couldn’t breathe. It moved me and challenged the way I saw the world. It was truly a defining moment for me. I’m also influenced by Wes Anderson, Alex Timbers, Jonathan Christenson, and theatre groups like The Mad Ones or Loft Ensemble who make these bold creative choices with no budget at all.

What is your show about?

It’s a dark love story about a man who’s trying to get over the death of his fiancée. He’s struggling day to day, taking Polaroid pictures of places they spent together so he can hold a memory of them. It’s a memory piece so it leaps from moment when she was alive to present day, focusing on him trying to understand this loss.

What inspired you to write/produce it?

I’ve sadly lost several friends and family over the years and wanted to write a story directly involving moving on from loss. I didn’t really have a basis for the story until I heard Anthony Rapp say that Jonathan Larson used to call Rent his “valentine to bohemia.” Suddenly the entire story clicked in my head.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Michaela Alyse Tomcho, who plays Kate, and I have collaborated on all of my theatre projects so far. You could call her my muse, as I write for her often. She played Alice in my play Happily After Tonight last year and is going into some workshops with me later this year. Daniel A. Weiss and I have been in two projects together now. I workshopped a musical he was composing and he wrote music for my play HAT. Tracy McDowell and I went to college together and I’ve known Ryan Andes for years. Both I’ve wanted to work together for years but just haven’t been able to. Kent Burnham directed the first reading of Bohemian at Boomerang which Chris Henry Coffey was also involved with, Danielle Thompsen is also the stage manager for the other Planet Connections show I’m starring in, Fix Number Six, and this is the first time I’ve worked with Kristen Adele.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Not only is it a fantastic charity run by artists within our own community, but year after year it brings awareness to this terrible disease that too many of us have been affected by.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

Next I’m looking for a theatre to produce a full version of Bohemian Valentine, starring in The Glass at the Piper One Act Theatre Festival, and developing an adaptation of Romeo & Juliet I wrote with Boomerang Theatre.

Finally, what was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

In high school I was in an adaption of one of the Chronicles of Narnia plays. The scene had me and my co-star “travel through a portal into Narnia” using strobe lights and the set was supposed to change behind us. As I was pretending to “travel” I saw the stage crew wasn’t paying attention and the set hadn’t been changed. So I softly yelled, “Hey!” and one heard me. He quickly ran and tried to change the backdrop but it went too fast and flew off the hinge. I grabbed my costar and we jumped out of the way. The flat came crashing down. As it did I said, “Oh shit,” completely forgetting that I had a mic and this was the parents and kids night. The lights go up on a horrified crowd with a set that’s half fallen and us just standing in the middle of the chaos. It’s still one of my favorite theatre stories.

Interview - Jordana Williams of "Frankenstein Upstairs"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:48:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Jordana Williams has directed numerous plays by Mac Rogers, including Sovereign, Blast Radius, Advance Man (2012 NYIT Award-Outstanding Premiere Production), Viral (2009 FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Play), Hail Satan, and three seasons with Vampire Cowboys’ episodic, genre-bending Saturday Night Saloon. Other recent directing work includes Kill Shakespeare at NY Comic Con 2012 and The Particulars with The Bridge Theater Company, FringeNYC 2012. Jordana has directed a number of strange and wonderful projects for such companies as Flux Theatre Ensemble, Boomerang Theatre Company, Piper McKenzie, GroundUP Productions, kef Productions, Impetuous Theater Group, The Brick Theater, The 24-Hour Plays, and The One-Minute Play Festival. She is a founding member of Gideon Productions and a 2012 nytheatre.com Person of the Year.

Today she talks about her current project, Frankenstein Upstairs.

I understand that you and Mac Rogers, the playwright behind Frankenstein Upstairs, have been working together for years. How did the two of you meet?

Acting in a play Mac wrote was the very first thing I did in college. It was wildly ambitious, mildly pretentious, and one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

Mac once said that you had a "near-instinctive understanding" of how to direct his work. Where do you think that comes from? Is it due to your having known and worked with Mac for so long, or is it something about his work that really resonates with you?

Our years together certainly help, but it's more than that. We're both fascinated by extreme or transgressive behavior, and trying to figure out what's behind it. Mac and I are both pretty well-behaved ourselves, so I'm sure there's some wish fulfillment there. We're also both fiercely protective of the dignity of our characters. They may do things that border on the unforgivable, but there's always a reason.

We also both like our smart, challenging plays with a healthy serving of entertainment. And pace. We like things to move, and we try to make sure we're earning every minute of our audience's time.

For you, what's the best thing about bringing a show to life?

I love when you invite the designers to rehearsal, you get to a break and they're just exploding with ideas, inspired by what they've seen the actors do.

How would you describe your directing style?

Protective. I want to make sure the actors feel safe, and the playwright feels respected, and the play is done justice. I talk a lot in the beginning, to make sure we're all know what's happening and we're in the same world, and then try to ease off and let the play belong to the actors.

Turning to Frankenstein Upstairs, can you tell me a little bit about the show?

Mac's never going to do just a straightforward adaptation of something. The themes, characters, and many key plot points from the original Frankenstein story are there, but he's kind of put them in a blender. There's life and death and gore and genius and the thrill of creation. Most of all, there's loneliness and the particular madness that comes from loneliness--or the fear of being alone. If you know the book well, you'll recognize many things, but you don't need to know the book to understand everything that's happening.

Have there been any challenges to directing it?

There are some unusual technical challenges, which I can't really describe without giving stuff away. Let me just say that Sandy Yaklin (our set designer) and Stephanie Cox-Williams (our special effects designer) are brilliant and endlessly inventive. The challenge is to get those effects integrated smoothly enough that the actors can just relax and play the scenes.

What has been your favorite part of the rehearsal process for Frankenstein Upstairs?

These actors. They're just so good. They're funny and focused and smart and heartbreaking and incredibly generous with each other. I actually had one rehearsal where I worried that they were too charming. One great thing about directing a small cast (4 character) play after three large cast plays is that there's a lot of room to create full, complex relationships between every combination of characters.

What advice do you have for anyone who is starting a career in directing?

Treat your collaborators well.

Any advice about directing sci-fi?

World building is what directors do. Sci-fi just exists on a somewhat wider, brighter canvas. Make it clear, make it internally consistent, and make sure the actors are fully invested in the truth of what's happening--however extreme. If the actors buy in, the audience will too.

What else is coming up for you this year?

Right after Frankenstein Upstairs, I'm directing another play of Mac's called Ligature Marks. It's a strange, noir-ish two-hander that will feature Mac and Becky Comtois, for The Brick’s Game Play festival. I'm a lucky lady.

Frankenstein Upstairs will play a three-week engagement at The Secret Theatre (44 02 23rd Street, Long Island City), June 14-30; Thursday through Saturday at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm with additional performances on Monday, June 17 and Wednesday, June 26 at 8pm. Tickets ($18/$15 students & seniors) may be purchased online at www.gideonth.com or by calling 866-811-4111. The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes, with a 10-minute intermission.

Planet Connections Interview - Megan Jeannette Smith of "Ghost On A Stick"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:35:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Megan Jeannette Smith
Show: Ghost On A Stick

Relationship to production: Director
Website: http://www.meganjeannettesmith.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I struggled through my math and science gifted program in middle school. I got good grades but there wasn’t much there I enjoyed doing. So I decided to take a leap and auditioned for the arts high school in my area. It was an amazing opportunity to study acting and directing among other things. I felt like I finally belonged.

Who are your biggest influences?

Tough question. Anyone doing amazing work that inspires me and makes me feel something. I love film too and I tend to gravitate towards films that have strong theatrical elements like Popeye or Willy Wonka (the original), Lars Von Trier is doing this 3 part film series that all take place on a sound stage where the set is defined by chalk outlines, random furniture pieces, and building facades. The work is so purely driven by the talent and the story. This influences me, to push myself and the people I work with to keep the story in focus at all times. You can be a great artist, have a million dollar budget, but if no one is connecting with the story, who cares?

What is your show about?

When I first read Ghost on a Stick, I instantly connected with the raw emotion exhibited by Man. His arc is such a tenuous free fall from the heights of control to utter debilitating helplessness. We watch him struggle to tell his truth, diving head first into the bitter hypocrisy of his job to the joys of his first love won and tragically lost. All the while hoping the interrogators on the other side of the mirror understand the injustice of it all. He’s like a wild animal with a broken heart, searching for redemption through the small child he tries to save. It’s powerful.

What inspired you to direct it?

The script. Jara is a fantastic writer, he’s got a unique voice but one that makes it easy to relate to the character, Man. Even if you disagree with what Man and the other characters have done, you can identify with the feelings that accompany their actions.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Jara Jones, the writer and actor. Kortney Barber, the sound designer and Lauren Bremen the lighting designer. They are all smart, dedicated and hard working. I got really lucky with this team.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

More directing, hopefully! I’ve been searching various sites for my next project. And I’ve worked on two short films recently as an Assistant Director so I’d really like to take a stab at directing a short film this summer. Any screenwriters or DPs reading this should contact me!

What was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

There isn’t just one – it’s every time I work with an actor or designer, artist of any kind, and we hit an obstacle or we struggle with the choices presented to us by the work, and we find that one answer that makes it all come together. It’s truly divine inspiration, that “a ha” moment, when it strikes and you just know it’s right.

Planet Connections Interview - Katherine Brann Fredricks of "Walden"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:18:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Photo by Daniel Maté

Name: Katherine Brann Fredricks
Show: Walden

Relationship to production: writer, lyricist, co-producer

Website: http://planetconnections.org/walden/

Katherine Brann Fredricks has had her work performed in regional theatre, Off-Off Broadway and on Cinemax. She is certified as a meditation and yoga instructor with the Chopra Center, and is on the board of directors of Flagstaff Light Opera Company.

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I grew up in Arizona, and my first relationship to theatre was cast albums. In the evening, my family would sit out on the porch under the stars and listen to Broadway shows.

Who are your biggest influences?

Kander and Ebb, Schwartz, Sondheim and Shakespeare

What is your show about?

Walden is a musical adaptation of Thoreau’s best-seller, featuring his work on the underground railroad & his star crossed romance.

What inspired you to write it?

My ex-husband’s father used to run a school named Walden. One day I picked up the book. Thoreau hooked me at “Walden water’s always young.”

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Composer Bert Draesel and I met at NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing. Bert has a gift for melodies. We began writing art songs, based on Walden. After several readings, the show evolved into a drama about what happened when Thoreau took a moral stand which his neighbors found unconventional, uncomfortable, and ultimately illegal. J. Oconer Navarro is also an NYU alum, and now professor. He joined us as music director and arranger of additional music. Director Brian Maschka has put together a beautiful show, with the help of a marvelous production team, including costume designer DW Withrow and lighting designer Travis McHale. I’m thrilled with the cast, including Drew Aber, Cole Burden, Susannah Jones, Heather Lundstedt, Lisa C. M. Lamother, Ronnie Nelson, Kurt Robbins, Doug Shapiro, Thalia St. Hubert, and Forest VanDyke. Hearing them sing sends chills up my spine!

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Thoreau was a pioneer naturalist. His goal was to observe nature with the accuracy of a trained scientist, and the pleasure of a child discovering a new flower in a meadow. Because of Thoreau’s passion for nature and also because I’m a member, Walden partnered with the Union of Concerned Scientists. UCS is actually using Thoreau’s field observations on temperature & bird migrations, to document global climate change. I like the fact that UCS uses independent, objective science to address contemporary issues.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

I’m writing a dance musical.

If you could work with any famous actor, living or dead, who would it be?

The person I really want to work with is choreographer Christopher Gatelli.

Planet Connections Interview - Scott Kesselman of "Attempts On Her Life"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:06:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Scott Kesselman

Show: Attempts On Her Life

Relationship to production: Director

Website: blacknotetheatre.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

An English professor, during my freshman year, suggested I try out for the theatre and I thought, why not? I auditioned and got a role in a short play by Shel Silverstein and it opened my eyes to this whole wonderful world of staged theatre.

Who are your biggest influences?

I draw a lot of inspiration from music - it turns over and over inside me creating questions, forming dialogues, and telling stories. If a picture is worth a thousand words a song is worth a great deal more. Some names the stand out to me now are Keith Emerson, Miles, 'trane, Mozart, Yes, and Keith Jarrett, as well as, for this piece, the performance artist Karen Finley.

What is your show about?

Our play reduces the human condition to its raw components analyzing the inefficiencies of language in expressing out emotions and exposing self perception as at distance from the real world. Real world being one obeying the rules of physics and empirical knowledge exists outside the self. The play exists in a reality personal to one woman, a reality that is driven by desire and conversely disappointment and showcases that one's reality can never match another's.

What inspired you to direct it?

I wasn't truly inspired to direct this play until I had read through the entire play. Upon completion I marveled at the uniqueness and paradoxical randomness of how each scene flowed to the next. I also enjoy the challenge of developing characters from a set of thought presented on a page with no labels.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

My biggest collaborator on this project was Janelle Zapata. We've been working together for almost 3 years now. She introduced me to the script and has been there to shoot ideas back and forth with since day one. She is also a co-producer and one of my actors. I cannot say enough about the job she does. Truthfully everyone involved in this show is a great collaborator. Even my actors all bring something to the show and their characters that I wouldn't have seen.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Our charity is the National Alliance on mental Illness. We chose this organization because of it's grassroots nature and attempt at creating a different atmosphere around mental illness. Our play also delves deeply into the human mind and the intricacies and oddities of thought and touches on suicide and other themes of mental illness. Blacknote Theatre wants to help support those with mental illness, remind you that you're not alone and many people out there are struggling too. Up to one in four adults battles mental illness. In this period of rapid growth and change in the human world, our minds, which are evolved for tasks it incurred 50,000 years ago, are many times not equipped to handle the turmoil of modern society.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

I am trying to work on an original play right now and I also hope to release some original music at some point. I want to continue to direct with Blacknote Theatre as their love of unconventional texts and no apologies brand of script-based performance art is too appealing to pass on.

If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

To stop intolerance. We're all human with the same unbelievably adaptive minds and with the same flaws as well. No man is any greater or less than any other man. We are just people winding out ways through life - the same Genome - all brothers, and yet we harm our brothers because of intolerance - because they don't look like us or talk like us or think like us, but then again, who is doing the thinking in a group?

Planet Connections Interview - Charles Gershman of "Unbirth"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:55:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Charles Gershman
Show: Unbirth

Relationship to production: Writer
Website: www.charlesgershman.com

Charles Gershman’s plays have been staged or developed in New York City, Orlando, FL, Cape Cod, MA, and Spoleto, Italy. In addition to Unbirth (featured in this year’s Planet Connections Festivity), his play Milk for Mrs. Stone will premiere in the New York International Fringe Festival in August 2013, directed by Eli Taylor. Charles is currently studying playwriting with Tina Howe and Mark Bly at Hunter College, and is an alumnus of the La MaMa International Playwright Retreat.

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I wrote my first real play a few years back in Provincetown under the tutelage of the amazing Elana Greenfield. That play was named a semifinalist in the O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference, kind of a confidence booster. I’ve been at it ever since.

Who are your biggest influences?

Albee, Chekhov, Tony Kushner, Tina Howe, Caryl Churchill

What is your show about?

My show’s about a young woman who is inseminating herself and inducing miscarriages as a part of her senior thesis in college.

What inspired you to write it?

This actually happened somewhere, sometime. My play is fiction, an absurdist imagining of this young woman’s family life/personal life.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Jim Fagan is directing Unbirth. Jim and I have been collaborating on projects for two years, including workshopping Unbirth for more than a year together. He’s a brilliant director. Our all-star cast includes Sarah Jadin, Matthew Christian, Lucy McMichael, Michael Wikes, and Carolyn Charpie. Our stage manager is the wonderful Ali Keller. Our amazing designers include Vickie Nidweski (scenic design), Lara de Bruijn (costume design), and Jessica Black (lighting design). Luke Eisemann is our house manager.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

We chose Women for Women International because, even though I am a male playwright, Unbirth is in many ways a play about women’s rights and freedoms.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

My play Milk for Mrs. Stone will be a part of the New York International Fringe Festival.

Finally, if you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be?

I’d make global warming go away.

"The Weight of Water" - A Fragile Hold on Life in Post-Katrina New Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:26:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Bobby Miller

This is the second time I've seen a performance of Myra Slotnick's moving play, "The Weight of Water," about life and death in post-Katrina New Orleans, but my first full production (the previous version I saw was a staged reading featuring the same cast). In addition, StageBuzz contributor Greg Waagner reviewed the Provincetown premiere, declaring the production "buoyant and beautiful."

Aside from being an interesting commentary on the people left behind during and after Katrina, Slotnick's play covers a myriad of other issues - loneliness, the desperate need to start over, home, crushing loss, mental illness, resilience. It's a beautiful and fascinating piece of theatre.

The story revolves around Pearl (Geany Masai), a Katrina survivor, continuing to live in her ramshackle house as the waters slowly recede. Her peace, such as it is, is interrupted by Finch (Andrew Clemons) and Natalie (Jamie Heinlein), a pair of grifters who see opportunity in disaster. She is also haunted by memories of her husband Emery (Jimi Little), a hard-drinking musician. Narrated by The Musician (Linda Daniels), whose identity is revealed late in the play, "The Weight of Water" is a thoughtful and well-written show.

The performance I saw, however, felt a little off. Having seen this cast in the previous staged reading, I feel confident saying that what I saw was not a reflection of the cast or David Drake's direction, but just an off night. The performance seemed sluggish, with a number of bobbled lines and timing issues. This was most noticeable during the scenes between Masai and Clemons. They didn't feel like they were quite connecting, and given that their scenes comprise most of the early part of the play, it was noticeable.

This was less of an issue in the scenes with Masai, Clemons and Heinlein. Heinlein brought a great deal of energy to her portrayal of Natalie, and this intensity drove those scenes.

Masai was at her best when she was showing Pearl's confusion and vulnerability, especially when Pearl would dip into the past. Her scenes with Little were terrific. His Emery was a joy to watch, and Masai was a virtuoso at showing Pearl's love and frustration in both her words and actions.

Linda Daniels enigmatic Musician was spot on, and reminded me of many of the interesting people I've met in New Orleans over the years - unflinchingly loyal to New Orleans, with a touch of otherworldliness that pushes her slightly out of kilter.

David Drake's direction was solid, and production had a nice rhythm - an ebb and flow not unlike the muddy waters surrounding Pearl's home.

"The Weight of Water" is well worth seeing, and I look forward to future productions.

"The Weight of Water"
By Myra Slotnick
Directed by David Drake
Set Design by Karen Billard
Lighting Design by Mike Steers
Sound Design by Jeffery Billard
Stage Manager: Roberta Eggart

Featuring: Geany Masai (Pearl Haynes), Linda Daniels (The Musician), Andrew Clemons (Finch Calder), Jamie Heinlein (Natalie Dixon), Jimi Little (Emery Hayes), Keith Amato (The Man)

Planet Connections Interview - Lenny Schwartz of "Subject 62"

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Fri, 31 May 2013 22:22:00 +0000

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Lenny Schwartz
Show: "Subject 62"

Relationship to production: Writer/director
Website: http://planetconnections.org/subject-62/

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I first got involved with theatre as an actor in my first year of high school. I was in the musical "Anything Goes." My theatre teacher, Phillip Brown, wanted me in it because he said I was funny to look at, that he started laughing just by looking at me. (This trend also continued into my high school dating life ironically.) It was my first time acting and I loved it. I was the character of Ling of the two part duo in "Anything Goes," Ching and Ling. I was a white kid who they made into an old Chinese man. (These were the days before political correctness really made it's way into the schools.)

Later on, I began writing my first play in college called "Lost in a Daydream," because I was bored in a math class. At the end of the semester, I had a play and an A in the class.

Who are your biggest influences?

My influences are whoever the people I am working with at the moment. So in this case it would be the cast of "Subject 62." Brad Kirton, for his unwavering dedication to dig deeper and ask hard questions each go round, Missy Marine for her joy of acting, her charm, and her natural likability on stage, Elyssa Baldassarri for her determination, her, talent, her fierce portrayals and honesty in anything I write, Mat Clerrico for his heart and his natural ability to make everything better on the stage, David Adams Murphy for his original, alive performances which grab me every time, Julian Trilling for her lovely characters and being genuine, Ama Appiah for her energy and her strong characterizations, Melissa Corbett for her strength onstage and readings of characters which make it different than what they sounded n my head, but better than I could ever think up, Dan Martin for his dark humor and his striking characters, Samantha Lee Preston for her original ways or looking at things and portraying them, Dave Almeida for his heart as well as his thoughts, Dave is a talent and a unique wonderful person, Geoff Monti for his verve and his unique amazing spirit, Jim Belanger for his crazy yet amazing ideas that constantly surprise and exhilarate me, Lloyd Felix for his artistry and his views both amazing, and my wife Sara Hutchings-Schwartz for her creativity, her spirit, and for being the one person in my life I never stop loving or learning from . And my daughter Callie who is my everything,

These are the people who inspire me and they all deserve mention and are of note. I couldn't ask for a better cast. These people are wonderful.

My only word would be for people to come and see these performers. And if you like what you see then hire them. And you'll never regret your decision.

What is your show about?

"Subject 62" is a surreal dramas about an artist, Chris, who is afflicted with a degenerative disease called Huntington's. When he is signed up for a unique experiment to find a cure, he finds himself trapped in his memories, losing them as he tries to hold onto a single one to take with him.

What inspired you to write "Subject 62?"

This play was written because Huntington's is a disease that hasn't been seen too much in the media. I also wanted to write a play where a man's memories fall away from him, almost disintegrating in front of him from scene to scene. I decided to combine the two ideas. As the disease advances in the show, the main character loses memories right in front of his eyes. At that point I had to write the script as I could not get it out of my head. I'm still having trouble actually shaking it from my head... so I have no choice but to do it.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity. What charity has your production chosen and why?

Huntington's Disease Society of America. It fit pretty well with the show! (laughs)

And please read up on the things they do at their website. Wonderful organization, worth contributing to.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

Rest! But then a ton of things after that.

November I will be directing a play I wrote in RI about Lucille Ball. It is a biography-play and the script is done ready to go. Very excited about that one.

In December, Scorpio Film Releasing will be premiering their new film which I wrote called “Normal” It stars Michael Reed, Sarah Nicklin, Nay Sylva and an incredible group of actors directed by Richard Marr-Griffin. More on that as it gets closer, but it's been shot and what I've seen of it looks amazing. Also, the film I wrote for them previously called “Murder University” has received worldwide distribution for DVD and PPV, etc., this October! Very excited about that as well. Details forthcoming. I have also completed a draft of the film version of “Accidental Incest” for Richard as well, the pay I directed and wrote for last year's Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

I also have two other film projects coming up from Breaking Branches Pictures: one is a film script I have been writing with them called “Rhodyopolis” and the other is an adaptation of this play, “Subject 62” We have a draft we like of it, just needs a rewrite or two but the that should be ready as well!

And more to come beyond that as well!

Finally, what was your best “theatre moment” - that one moment, either onstage or off, that was so sublime that it stayed with you?

The one moment I can never forget, that is so sublime, was that my wife came to the very first show that I wrote and directed in 1996. She made her dad drive 5 hours to get down to see it (we weren't even dating at the time) and she saw the show. We had talked a few times before that, but that night was special and I'll never forget it. The first time I saw her I knew she would be my wife. But that night confirmed to me how good the ride was going to be.

"Subject 62"

Venue: The Gene Frankel (24 Bond Street)

Schedule:
Friday 6/14/13 – 7:00pm
Saturday 6/15/13 – 2:30pm
Sunday 6/16/13 – 12:30pm

Let’s Hear it For Pinoy: "Here Lies Love" Rocks the Public Theater

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Fri, 31 May 2013 20:43:00 +0000

By Mark A. Newman

Photo by Joan Marcus

If you would’ve told me that the brains behind "Burning Down the House" and "The Rockefeller Skank" would’ve been two of the driving forces behind one of the most amazing theatrical experiences I’ve had in the last 20 years, I would’ve told you to go home because you’re drunk. And if you further informed me that the subject of this extravaganza was former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, I would then put you into a cab and sent you off into the night.

But dammit, you were right: Here Lies Love, with music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, is an immense and immersive, hard-thumping spectacular that manages to bring the theatre-going experience to new heights. And under the fluid and exciting direction of Alex Timbers, this theatrical experience is definitely not “the same as it ever was.”

Yet, as you enter the LuEsther Theater at The Public’s newly revamped facilities on Lafayette Street you may ask yourself, “Where is my beautiful Playbill?” You may ask yourself, “Where is my aisle seat?” Brace yourself, because the typical theatrical experience has been jettisoned stage left. Here Lies Love tells the story of Imelda Marcos from her youth in the Philippines to her rise to fame, power, and notoriety in a setting that is essentially an old school disco. You’re not going to just sit back and watch Here Lies Love; you’re totally immersed in it. Most of the seats have been removed and the majority of the audience is standing on the floor amid the shifting stages that move to and fro throughout. Audience members are safely herded out of harm’s way by pink jumpsuit-clad ushers. The audience becomes an essential element of the party. Yes, there will be line dancing!

Pre-show, as the audience makes its way into the theater, the action is already in high gear as a DJ in his booth overseeing the action and keeps the beats going. The DJ also serves as a friendly narrator as the show dictates…think Che from Evita, but with two turntables and a microphone, and a shock of blonde hair. He encourages the audience to dance, clap, and even sing throughout the show but gives a surprisingly rousing closing number – “God Draws Straight” -- a heartfelt emotional wallop as the electronic disco trappings fade away.

The lighting by Justin Townsend is a mix of theatrical and dance club with attention paid to needs for proper video lighting. Since the show revolves around a newsmaker who often found herself on television, video cameras are vital in presenting the action as is David Korins’ set which goes from sandy beaches to seedy disco in the blink of an eye. The scenic design is both a marvel of ease and complexity. With two stages at either end of the space, the action moves seamlessly from platform to platform via the moving structures in the center that transform from runways to stages to even a series of raised platforms with alarming ease. The costumes by Clint Ramos are exquisite in their simplicity and make it quickly known who the good guys and bad guys are by a classic black or white color palette. But don’t worry: Imelda’s gaudy gowns with the puffy sleeves are present and manage to look a little like deranged prom dresses.

While the rollicking pop/rock/new wave score by Byrne and, um, Slim is a stunning centerpiece, the table set by Timbers is truly remarkable. Rather than experience the show from among the crowd on the main floor, I had a seat in the gallery overlooking the action, a mirror ball directly in front of me. Believe me, it added to the ambiance. What Timbers did was so simple and yet so intricate, it’s amazing how well it worked. What’s even more amazing is how seamlessly the action moved around the space, all of which was utilized to the fullest extent possible. I have to admit, I got a kick out of watching the mass of audience members move in a series of fluid motions to make way for the stages’ many configurations. The ebb and flow of a musical’s audience has never been so amusing to watch. Or as impressive.

The cast is, in a word, breathtaking. The show rises and falls on the shoulders of this amazing troupe. As Imelda Marcos, Ruthie Ann Miles shines as the “Rose of Tacloban,” as Imelda is nicknamed in her youth. She brings Imelda on a journey from the young, naïve wannabe model full circle to a narcissistic, power-hungry diva. Miles didn’t need any spotlights because she shined insanely bright any time she was on the stage. As the show draws to a close and she pleads “Why Don’t You Love Me?” to her people, the audience laughs with a mix of pity and pathos at how clueless the fallen first lady is. Miles plays it to the hilt, not a bit of irony in her performance. Her Imelda is truly a star-making turn and she astounds in this central role.

As the corrupt and philandering Ferdinand Marcos, New York stage veteran Jose Llana proves once again why he’s seldom out of work. His rich tenor voice and marquee looks make the distasteful Filipino president likable despite the evil deeds he does (or at least accused of doing). Marcos is a man used to getting his way by any means necessary and Llana portrays him with the suave demeanor of a super villain. Llana also does double duty as one of the dancers so kudos to a classic triple-threat.

Conrad Ricamora portrays the villain’s arch nemesis Ninoy Aquino, who opposed Marcos at every turn as a Filipino senator, and even dated a young Imelda, ultimately rejecting her for being “too tall.” Bad news, Ninoy: Imelda carries a grudge. His rousing call to arms is classic Talking Heads but is a perfect stirring theatrical anthem in the tradition of Evita’s “A New Argentina” and Les Miserables’ “Do You Hear the People Sing.” Anyone at all familiar with Philippines’ history knows what happens to Aquino and that makes the character even more tragic. Ricamora plays the doomed politician with courage and verve and possesses a dynamic presence that resonates throughout the show.

I have to admit that I was borderline speechless at the conclusion of Here Lies Love because in a quarter century of attending live theatre in New York, I have never seen anything quite like this amazing production. I was stunned at how innovative the show was and the credit belongs equally to Timbers, the composers, as well as the dynamic cast, but also to The Public Theater itself for venturing out and producing something so cutting edge. Regardless of whether you’re a Filipino history buff, a Talking Heads fan, a Fatboy Slim enthusiast, or just a theatre aficionado, Here Lies Love will have you dancing down Lafayette Street. And if you wear out your shoes, don’t worry: you can borrow a pair of Imelda’s.

Here Lies Love has been extended to June 30…so far.

Here Lies Love

Music by: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim

Direction: Alex Timbers

Choreography: Annie-B Parson

Lighting: Justin Townsend

Projections: Peter Nigrini

Scenery: David Korins

Sound: M.L. Dogg & Cody Spencer

Costumes: Clint Ramos

Additional music: Tom Gandey, Jay Pardo

Featuring: Renée Albulario (Ensemble), Melody Butiu (Ensemble), Natalie Cortez (Ensemble), Debralee Daco (Ensemble), Joshua Dela Cruz (Ensemble), Jose Llana (Ferdinand Marcos), Kelvin Moon Loh (Ensemble), Jeigh Madjus (Ensemble), Ruthie Ann Miles (Imelda Marcos), Maria-Christina Oliveras (Ensemble), Conrad Ricamora (Aquino), Trevor Salter (Ensemble), and Janelle Velasquez (Ensemble).

The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, New York City, www.publictheater.org

"Old Fashioned Prostitutes (A True Romance)" - A Different Plane of Consciousness

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:27:00 +0000

By Judd Hollander

Photo by Joan Marcus

The first thing one must understand when attending a Richard Foreman play is that terms such as "liner" and "sequential" often have no meaning. Such is the case with his latest work, Old-Fashioned Prostitutes (A True Romance). A piece he wrote, directed and designed and which is now having its world premiere at The Public Theater.

The show begins and ends with a mysterious voice saying "end of play." The meaning of that phrase however, is, like so many other things presented here, open to interpretation. Has an unseen play just finished moments before with a new one on stage about to begin? Or does it refer to the same play, the story being presented again and again as some type of eternal cycle?

Said story, as best as can be explained, deals with an aging man named Samuel (Rocco Sisto), who is unhappy with how his life has turned out. Looking back over the choices he made and the paths he has taken he wonders what would happened had he instead gone in a different direction. Samuel, who at times almost seems to revel in his failures the way others delight in their successes, often making his comments to two elegantly-dressed ladies of the evening - Suzie (Alenka Kraigher) and Gabriella (Stephanie Hayes). Women who exist both together in time with him as well as at different places and points in existence, though their clothes recall the 1920s. The ladies' actions often punctuated by comments from the afore-mentioned voice, or perhaps it's Samuel's own consciousness or past calling out.

This non-linear feeling continues when one looks at the different aspects of the various characters. Such as the possibility that Samuel and his friend Alfredo (David Skeist) are actually the same person at different points in their life - even though they're talking to each other or through each other at various moments. There's also the mysterious Michelin (Nicholas Norena), a silent type who appears every now and again to bang on a drum. Said action often causing the story to change direction.

Watching the action on stage gives one the feeling of seeing a dream unfolding where different thoughts, memories and people from a person's life who have no business being together in the waking world are able to co-exist here. Also like a dream, there is a certain disjointedness and choppy sensation to the proceedings, leading to sudden shifts of narrative yet still staying within the overall impression of what had been shown before.

Sisto does well as Samuel, an aging dreamer/loner trapped in his memories, while talking about avoiding his destiny and blaming himself for doing just that. There is also more that a bit of faded gentility among him, as he talks about his beautiful coquettes and mentioning a leisurely promenade through the dark streets of a city almost dead. His words also suggest a hint of Tennessee Williams, and of not-quite faded bitterness of what has come before. Kraigher and Hayes play off Sisto nicely as the coquettes in question. The women, like Samuel, seemingly trapped on a mobius strip of what is, what was and what will be. Suzie, supposedly the one Samuel's been searching for all his life, gets to have her own dreams of being admired and of being in a pretty dress on a sun drenched boulevard. But are these really her own dreams or are they Samuel's dreams for her or about her?

Foreman, who came out of retirement to create this work, knows what he is trying to present, with everything being carefully set out for one reason or another. This care is evident in the seemingly chaotic yet quite deliberately chosen set, with a performing area dressed up with bits of string, a blackboard and a supposedly haphazard collection of letters. Also tossed into the mix are photographs, newspapers and flowers - all offering tantalizing hints to what's about to be shown. Directorially-wise, Forman does a good job with the action, keeping things moving carefully and concisely while taking great pains so the work will not overstay its welcome.

Offering a wonderful presentation of the avant-garde where nothing is what it seems or perhaps it's all so straightforward one can't see the explanation, Old-Fashioned Prostitutes is an example of theatre that refuses to spoon-feed the audience a story, forcing them instead to try to figure it out on their own. Those who find something like this intellectually stimulating should make tracks to The Public Theater immediately, and for those who don't well, there's certainly enough mindless alternatives out there to choose from.

Old-Fashioned Prostitutes (A True Romance)

Featuring: David Skeist (Alfredo), Stephanie Hayes (Gabriella) Alenka Kraigher (Suzie) Rocco Sisto (Samuel), Nicholas Norena (Bibendum (aka Michelin)

Written, directed and designed by Richard Foreman
Performed in association with Ontological-Hysteric Theater
Costume Design: Gabriel Berry
Lighting Design: Yael Lubetzky
Production Stage Manager: Lee Micklin
Stage Manager: Michael Ulreich

The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street
Tickets: 212-967-7555 or www.publictheater.org
Running Time: 65 Minutes, no intermission
Closes: June 2, 2013

"Mass" at the Brick Theater

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:15:00 +0000

By Rob Hartmann

Mass, currently finishing its run at the Brick Theater in Williamsburg, is a rock musical which explores the contemporary art world and the lengths to which artists will go to make their mark.

The story, set in 2015, begins with Mary, a painter weeks away from finishing her masters degree in art, who has gone to church to escape the looming pressure of completing her thesis; the people surrounding her at mass begin to echo the self-doubting voices in her head.

When Mary and her lover, sculptor Françoise, fail their art-school juries (the withering questioning of the faculty panel, played by the chorus all in identical yellow-framed glasses, will induce PTSD in anyone who has gone after an MFA), they hatch a plan to urinate on Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain” at MOMA, to make a statement about their frustration with the art establishment. When alarms go off, Françoise bolts, leaving Mary to be detained by the police.

Mary’s gallery-worker sister, Kate, arrives to bail her out. Kate has been supporting Mary – a perpetual student – by doling out money from their parents’ estate. Tensions flare between the sisters, and Kate declines to rescue Mary (as one guesses she has had to do before.) Mary proposes to Françoise, and convinces her that they should return to Françoise’s hometown of Vancouver. There, Mary finds an ever-deepening connection to the beauty of nature, while Françoise turns to performance art – creating a song, “Punk For Beauty.” “I am art/I am beauty/I am enough/I’m a slut for beauty.”

Mary and Françoise argue passionately about art and the role of the artist; the struggle eventually becomes physical, and Mary is accidentally injured in a way that evokes the famous confrontation between Van Gogh and Gauguin which led to Van Gogh slicing his ear. Françoise departs.

A few years later, Kate is a successful art agent in Shanghai. Françoise has come to pitch herself and her art to Kate, who agrees to bring Françoise into her “family” of artists. (“It’s not a stable – are you a horse?” purrs the elegant Kate.) Mary arrives unexpectedly, with a proposal for a shocking performance art piece that will test the limits of her relationship with Françoise and Kate – as well as her own physical endurance.

The three lead performances are all outstanding, with each actor working in her own particular style. Moira Stone brings a fierce intensity to Mary, who seems to be tortured by the strength of her own thoughts, always on the verge of physical collapse. Stone has a particular gift of being able to make complex dialogue completely clear and natural, finding unique rhythms in the ebb and flow of the words.

Esther Crow skillfully details Françoise’s transformation from sleepy-eyed complacency, to vibrant performance artist complete with “international accent”, to a Warhol-meets-Karl Lagerfeld-meets Marina Abramovic grandeur. (One of the highlights of Act Two is Crow’s number in which she riffs improv-style off members of the audience – at this particular performance, admiring a gentleman’s velvet jacket with increasing appetite until she was practically snarling with desire.)

Rebecca Gray Davis, as the savvy Kate, is the personified essence of art-gallery chill. In her first song, sung in fragments as she works the door at a gallery opening, she finds the knives lurking just beneath the surface of a perfectly modulated, endlessly repeated “welcome… welcome … welcome.” In her Shanghai-glam outfit in Act Two, she gets mileage out of the clank-clank of her gold bracelets as she ponders the PR benefits of renaming Françoise to the more marketable “Pablo.”

The sleek set, designed by Lianne Arnold, cleverly draws on museum motifs – sheer white fabric stretched over frames, glossy white boxes on casters – to evoke locations from art-school workroom to museum to Shanghai penthouse. Joe Levasseur’s lighting design subtly and effectively underscores Mary’s many emotional states, most effectively when she is bathed in sunlight, almost hypnotized by the beauty of the Vancouver landscape.

Director Leah Bonvissuto keeps the action moving fluidly, focusing on the evolving relationships among the three women. Even as the work changes form – wheeling freely between realistic relationship drama to absurdist comedy to rock-show performance art – there is a sense of a director’s guiding hand, keeping the emotional narrative on track. The use of the toga-clad Greek chorus is especially effective: Melissa DeLancey, Kaitlin Emery, Amanda LaPergola, Tracy Shar and Phoebe Silva each have sharply etched moments on their own (as fellow art students, a waitress, Kate’s art-agent assistant), as well as a hilarious turn as a fluttery group of art-student interns working for Françoise. Watching them prepare a cup of tea for a visitor – each of the five taking a small part of the task – is like a small performance art piece itself. They execute Sarah Doudna’s imaginative choreography effectively.

Perhaps the most striking production element is the video design by Daniel McKleinfeld (who works under the name VJ Fuzzy Bastard – www.VJFuzzyBastard.com) Mary’s emotional reveries take psychedelic shape in Mr. McKleinfeld’s projections, which are fascinating (while never upstaging the onstage action.)

Music director Maria Dessena ably leads the 5 piece band (Ryan Ferreira and Michael Rafalowich on guitar, Derek Davidson on bass, Sparkie Sandler on drums, with Ms. Dessena on piano and accordion) in a variety of styles from simple folk-style recitative, to full-blast rock.

The piece itself, written by Robert Honeywell (book, music and lyrics) reflects its subject matter by playing with form. The idea, asserted by Françoise in the script, that art is whatever we say it is – that the art is the act of the artist telling us where and how to look – is embodied in the way the script defies expectation of form and genre. Mr. Honeywell gives each of his characters depth and nuance: Kate could easily be a caricature of the art gallery owner as soulless art-pimp, but Mr. Honeywell finds the wit, anger and vulnerability which keeps her real.

A standout set piece in the dialogue is when Françoise begins to tell a story of a trip to the grocery store, which somehow morphs into her account of being with the subjects of Seurat’s painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte and then into the sinking of the Titanic.

Mr. Honeywell’s songs, which span a range of styles within the world of progressive art rock, find their own forms, following the dramatic flow rather than falling too neatly into conventional patterns. One of the most moving moments of the score is sung by Ms. Crow a cappella – a beautifully undulating melody. “Nature’s what I say it is… Europe’s what I say it is…” He pushes the actors to explore all registers of their voices – Ms. Stone in particular journeys from the lowest reaches of her range, through a sharp pop-belt, to a lighter folk sound in her middle range, up to an operatic soprano register in more extreme moments.

Mass seeks to make us look anew at our relationship to art and artists – Tilda Swinton sleeping in a glass box at MOMA, David Blaine subjecting himself to quasi-torture for public view. With a mix of musical and dramatic styles, and a trio of fierce, visceral performances, the piece does exactly that.

Mass, April 13 – 30, 2013, at the Brick Theater in Williamsburg:
579 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211, between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street. $18. www.bricktheater.com for information and tickets.

Music, book and lyrics by Robert Honeywell

Directed by Leah Bonvissuto
Music direction by Maria Dessena
Set design by Lianne Arnold
Lighting design by Joe Levasseur
Video design by Daniel McKleinfeld
Sound design by Emma Wilk
Costume design by Iracel Rivero
Choreography by Sarah Doudna
Special effects by Stephanie Cox-Williams and Melissa Roth
Assistant Dir. & Stage Management by Raffaela Vergata

Featuring: Esther Crow, Rebecca Gray Davis, Melissa DeLancey, Kaitlan Emery, Amanda LaPergola, Tracy Shar, Phoebe Silva, and Moira Stone.

And the band of: Derek Davidson, Maria Dessena, Ryan Ferreira, Michael Rafalowich and Sparkie Sandler

He Sang, She Sang: "The Last Five Years" at the Signature Theatre, Arlington, Va.

noreply@blogger.com (Byrne Harrison) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:08:00 +0000

Review by Mark A. Newman

Has it really been a decade since I saw the original version of The Last Five Years, the two-person Jason Robert Brown tuner, off-Broadway? Yeah, it has. Oddly, as much acclaim as it garnered “back in the day,” the show didn’t stay around that long. Its original stars have gone off to quite acclaimed careers – Norbert Leo Butz has two Tonys on his mantle and Tony-nominated Sherie Renee Scott is a household name (in certain Broadway-loving households, that is).

The show itself – seemingly a master class of audition tunes for both males and females – has gained quite a reputation in the intervening decade. Make no mistake, the songs are fantastic but maybe, just maybe the show’s chief conceit – telling the same story from different perspectives and timeframes – may also be its biggest flaw. For anyone who’s never heard of the show, it goes like this: Jamie and Cathy are a couple. They’ve been together five years (hence the title). He’s a successful author; she’s a not-so-successful actress. But here’s where it gets complicated: Cathy sings her songs from the end of the relationship to the beginning while Jamie sings his songs chronologically from the beginning of the relationship to the ending.

The only time the two doomed lovebirds are together are smack dab in the middle when Jamie proposes in Central Park.

I am very familiar this structure, have had the original cast album since it was released, and have now seen the show performed live three times. And STILL I find myself getting confused as the musical unwinds. Maybe that’s just my muddled brain, which is likely. Maybe it’s the author’s dependence on the audience’s memory that is the real problem. For example, after the proposal a reference to a trip to Ohio in the second half confused me because it seemed like Cathy took two trips to Ohio for god-awful summer stock productions. But when she wrote Jamie a letter, things seemed to be okay. Was she in Ohio then? The second trip to Ohio (the first one in the musical) Jamie was obviously being sung to by Cathy and things were not going well at all.

The storytelling doesn’t quite make it clear where the relationship hit the skids and each other’s reaction to it because what happens in “act one” is often not referenced until “act two.” The so-called act one gun is Kathy’s opening number “Still Hurting” immediately followed by Jamie’s “Shiksa Goddess.” While she’s lamenting the courtship’s downward spiral, he’s rejoicing over finding a non-Jewish girl to love. This juxtaposition either sets the tone for the audience or royally confuses them. Probably a little of both.

As Jamie, James Gardiner is excellent. In his first number – the aforementioned “Shiksa Goddess” – he tried to shove in every over-the-top bit of comic timing he cab and it borders on being too much but as the show goes on and you get to know Jamie, you realize he would totally do that. Unfortunately you don’t have that knowledge right away so you think he’s just a very overly enthusiastic Jewish guy. And you’d be right.

The yin to Gardiner’s Jamie’s yang is Erin Weaver, recently nominated for a Helen Hayes award for her remarkable turn in Signature’s production of Xanadu last season. Even though she’s not on skates this time, she still keeps on rolling along as we see Cathy evolve (or devolve) from lonely, sad, and newly single to downright giddy when she meets the man of her dreams as the final curtain falls.

Due to the show’s structure, it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly where the relationship went wrong. Suffice to say that due to his burgeoning literary success Jamie became impossible to deal with, at least according to Kathy. However, it also seemed like Cathy could not be happy for Jamie because of her own lack of success as an actress. Okay, this is a given. But where the relationship really hit the skids is hard to tell. What was the breaking point, the proverbial last straw? We don’t really know.

Then again, it’s not all that important. What is important is that this delicate, two-person show walks a fine line between the two witnesses to a relationships decline while never pointing a finger of blame at either. That’s the audience’s job. Due to the fairly typical circumstances of this bad romance, most people will have strong feelings of empathy over the course of this 90-minute show.

As with a low-key chamber musical such as The Last Five Years, the show’s design aspects should be equally subdued. The lighting by Andrew F. Griffin is striking in its simplicity as is the off-the-rack costumes by Kathleen Geldard. The sound design by Matt Rowe perfectly captures the show’s intimacy to the point it felt as though the audience was eavesdropping on a relationship that was alternately crumbling and growing from song to song. Daniel Conway’s delicate scenic design was capped by the flourish that rose from Jamie’s writing desk and into the rafters. A twisted sculpture of clocks and manuscript pages tenuously tangled, this set piece was always the visual center of attention, signaling how easily time slips out of our hands.

It should be noted that the show comprises some of the smartest and well written theatre songs of the last 20 years. Just to hear the songs performed live is reason enough to get yourself to Arlington, Virginia to witness one of the best crafted shows Signature has put on the last year or so. The direction by Aaron Posner is sublime, shifting the focus from him to her and back effortlessly in a production that is as eloquently crafted as a ballet.

We may never figure out if we should blame Jamie’s self-destructiveness or Cathy’s insecurities that doom this Manhattan love story, but you only have yourself to blame for missing this jewel of a musical shining ever so brightly in Northern Virginia.

Music and lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
Direction: Aaron Posner
Lighting: Andrew F. Griffin
Costumes: Kathleen Geldard
Sound: Matt Rowe
Scenic design: Daniel Conway
Music direction: William Yannesh
Music supervision: Jon Kalbfleisch

Featuring: James Gardiner (Jamie) and Erin Weaver (Cathy).

Tickets: Ticketmaster (703) 573-SEAT (7328)
Signature Theatre • 4200 Campbell Avenue • Arlington, VA 22206
http://www.signature-theatre.org