Twin Towers

The Nominations:

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:23:00 +0000

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, Play with Music, or Musical Event

Outstanding Choreography (Fight or Dance)- Christopher Langner for the Capoeira Choreograhy, Diego Villada for the Fight Choreography, and Patricia Zeccola for the Tango Choreography in Twin Towers

Outstanding Lighting Design - Andy Fritsch for Twin Towers

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Play with Music, or Musical Event- Kena Anae for the role of Trevor Forde in Twin Towers

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical, Play with Music, or Musical Event- Lauren Kelston for the role of Female Ensemble in Twin Towers

Twin Towers has been nominated!

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:21:00 +0000

Twin Towers has been nominated for several Planet Connections Theater Festivity Awards!

Come find out who wins:

When: Sunday August 2, 2009

Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm

Where: The Triad
158 West 72nd Street, 2nd Floor
(Between Broadway & Columbus Avenue, closer to Broadway)

Price: $10 + 2 drink minimum
Complimentary hors d'oeuvres plus a fabulous show featuring many of our talented artists!

Dress code: Semi-Formal/Casual Dressy
(Frank will be wearing a tux! Oooooooh!)

Join us in a celebration of the 2009 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. Awards will be
given out in many acting and technical categories. An exciting and fun
evening of entertainment and celebration of our artists.

Seating capacity limited. This will sell out fast!
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR TICKETS TODAY
Directions to The Triad
Subway: 1, 2, 3, B or C to 72nd Street
Bus: M72 Crosstown Bus to Broadway

Here is what Frank has to say about the show...

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:14:00 +0000

I went to see Twin Towers with nothing but a brief summary: Two guys go their separate ways and meet again a number of years later. When I saw the play, I realized that it's more than that. Twin Towers goes deep into the world of war vs. peace and comes out shining. Damian and Angela did a great job of evoking emotion throughout the play through their script and direction. Not to mention the phenomenal job by the cast! Definitely check this one out. -Frank

Please tell us what you thought of the show!

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:36:00 +0000

If you saw a production of Twin Towers, please leave a comment and let us know what you thought. You can also leave a comment at Theatermania
http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/shows/twin-towers_154905/

Thanks!

Update on tickets - only 14 tickets left!

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:21:00 +0000

Just to let you all know, there are only 14 tickets left for the show on Friday's show at 7:30. If you want to see the show, please get your tickets early online. www.twintowersplay.com

Audience Reaction!

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:17:00 +0000

"Twin Towers doesn't just entertain. Wrapped in a love story, the play addresses some serious issues — war, faith, homosexuality, absent parents. The actors share each of their character's struggles in a very real way, but the dance and song keep will keep you upbeat. You know you're watching something special when tango, rap and capoeira are blended into one seamless performance." - Meg

Second Show

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:20:00 +0000

We just had our second show and the audience response was very good. I don't want to say, "they laughed, they cried..." but that's pretty much what happened. People had great things to say about the show and the cast is really in their stride now that they know the space and we have a handle on the sound and lights. Just four more shows left! - Damian

Cast Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:58:00 +0000

The cast and crew of Twin Towers celebrates a successful first show. Just 5 more to go!

Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:01:00 +0000

A note from the writer/producer to everyone who made opening night possible:

The opening of TWIN TOWERS at 440 Studios is truly special for me. More than a year ago I started jotting down bits and pieces of dialog I overheard on the subway and in the streets of my neighborhood in Brooklyn. Slowly, a story formed, and the characters took on a life of their own. I started submitting the play to festivals in September of 2008, but I never imagined that my play would every actually get produced. Yet here I am - no, here we are, with a cast of 6, a creative team of more than 10 and a score of friends and family who have helped out. Many others read the play, connected with the message and took on the responsibility of making it come to life, be it by learning lines and playing the parts, sending me books of stamps, buying T-shirts or simply buying a ticket. I'm very thankful to the people who have helped make this possible, I couldn't do it alone, nor would I want to. The fun of this show is seeing people interpret and internalize the work, to connect with the characters, to gte involved and be as enthusiastic about my vision as when I was writing it. I've made great friends with the cast and crew, I've learned about my play and about myself, and my friends and family get to see my art, my vision of the world, in a different way. I truly thank you all for being a part of this. - Damian Wampler

"Now we have a show."

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:55:00 +0000

- Overheard on set yesterday, spoken by Angela Astle, director of Twin Towers after the second full dress run through.

What to expect on Friday...

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Kena talks about what to expect on Friday when Twin Towers opens at the Robert Moss Theater at 440 Studios, 440 Lafayette.

What is TWIN TOWERS?

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:18:00 +0000

Twin Towers opens tomorrow at the Robert Moss Theater at 440 Studios, 440 Lafayette - but what is the play about? Quite simply, it focuses on two young men, Trevor (left, played by Kena Anae) and Jamal. Both fatherless and raised like brothers in the Bronx, the two meet again in their old neighborhood after five years apart. Jamal is returning from 5 years living overseas (which began with Peace Corps service) and Trevor is returning from a second tour of duty in Iraq. Trevor's return sparks a rush of childhood memories and emotions, while they both struggle to contain the feelings that are really inside them. In their youth, the boys were nicknamed the Twin Towers because of their strength and athletic ability, and while the play doesn't directly deal with the terrorist attacks on 9/11, it does confront the social and political issues of the Bush Era as it plays out on real people. Life isn't about the situation you are given, but how you react to the challenges you face. But the play isn't preachy - it uses music, dancing and a Brazillian martial art called Capoiera to move the story forward. Like my playwriting teacher in college said, "Don't be boring!"

For tickets and showtimes, visit www.twintowersplay.com

One White Woman - please comment

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:04:00 +0000

Twin Towers has an all black cast except for Lauren, who plays the Devil.

Feel free to comment. Or call. - Damian

The Writer Speaks about Angela Astle, director

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:11:00 +0000

I talk about how Angela's direction has made my play much much better! Watch.

Tickets and showtimes: http://www.twintowersplay.com/

Kena talks about working with director Angela Astle

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:45:00 +0000

More on Kena and the cast at http://www.twintowersplay.com/cast/

Jason wanted to play the part of Trevor Forde...

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:00:00 +0000

More on Jason at http://www.twintowersplay.com/cast/

Here are the lyrics to "Love is a Treasure"

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:59:00 +0000

The song is posted on the right hand side. Enjoy.

Your words penetrate me
Armor piercing round
Like a rolling thunder
Recoil at the sound

I yield to your touches
Your fingers they invade
No shield can protect me
From the fate that I have made

Under cover of darkness you take me
To a place where madness will break me
And all my fears I thought over
Come alive in the shadow

Your lips infiltrate me
I fall to the ground
A robber you plunder
The treasure that you’ve found

My defenses are useless
Naked and exposed
To you I surrender
My body and my soul

Under cover of darkness you find me
And in the silence you bind me
And all my fears I thought over
Come alive in the shadow

The curse of your kiss, it blinds me
With a poison I can not cure
And all my fears I thought over
Come alive in the shadow

Kena talks about the friendships on and off the set

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:10:00 +0000

More on the cast at http://www.twintowersplay.com/cast/

Jason in Jeans

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:03:00 +0000

Jason Hurt, who plays Jamal Jones, is not only an actor but a model as well. We'd like to thank Paul Aarrington for buying an ad in our playbill, promote our star Jason and, well, show you this picture. See all our our cast at http://www.twintowersplay.com/cast/

Jason shares his thoughts on the production.

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:03:00 +0000

More on the cast at http://www.twintowersplay.com/cast/

S&M

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:50:00 +0000

At one point in the play, the world inside of Trevor's head explodes into reality and onto the stage. Trevor's nightmares (and fantasies) come to life in an S&M scene. Here are some images from rehearsal. The whole scene is a metaphor, but... come see the show!

Rehearsals

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:42:00 +0000

The cast and crew of Twin Towers are working really hard to put on a great show. Everyone is working overtime. Here are some images from the show: Kena, Jason, Angela, Quatis, Lauren and Patricia.
Read more about the cast at http://www.twintowersplay.com/cast/

Patches...

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:30:00 +0000

Some of Trevor's experiences and some of the dilemmas he faces reflect the challenges that some (certainly not all) soldiers in our military face. Throughout the play, Trevor’s personal turmoil reflects the crisis of a war veteran dealing with post traumatic stress disorder, and he impatiently struggles to pick up his civilian life right where he left off, despite his prolonged absence.

Trevor set out to advance his career by entering military service, only to face an abrupt shift of roles the invasion of Iraq placed on many soldiers. At one point in the play, Trevor mentions that he joined the army to be a clerk, to learn a trade. Due to the necessities of the Iraq war however, there is no clear division between the clerks and the soldiers- even “support elements” like Trevor conduct patrols, protect convoys, and face roadside IEDs, suicide bombers, and non-military insurgents. In the war in Iraq, everyone is on the front line.

For nearly half a century the military has promoted itself as an opportunity to learn valuable career skills, but in the modern age of counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, it has proven impossible to separate even the “cooks and clerks” from the career soldiers- when the Iraq War first began, entire divisions of the military were stretched thin on a high speed armored dash to contain Iraq’s major military resistance, and to project US forces to places like Baghdad as soon as possible. The result was that entire brigade combat teams were deployed wholesale, often strung out in long supply chains, often with the support elements, the cooks and the clerks, alongside and sometimes facing as much hostile fire. While the military was stretched thin before the strategy of the current, force-heavy, human presence of the “Surge,” Guard and Reserve elements were also facing militias and insurgents on street patrols alongside full-time career soldiers. In short, anyone and everyone in today's ground forces faces at least some degree of very real danger of combat action in Iraq. This is an essential component of Trevor's character and his journey, one we don't see on stage, but we do see on his uniform.

Trevor’s uniform marks him as a very particular kind of soldier, and ties his service to a very particular time window of the Iraq war. Since Trevor wears the old Desert Camouflage Uniform, which predates the green-grey Army Combat Uniform, we know that his time in Iraq was most likely sometime between 2003 and late 2006. The pre-surge numbers of soldiers deployed in theatre meant that those there would more likely be called upon for combat duties, regardless of specialty. Even the cooks and clerks had to fight.

But Trevor is not entirely unprepared. On his right shoulder, Trevor wears a “combat patch.” This is the patch of the larger unit he was assigned to when he saw combat, and is now authorized permanent wear regardless of whichever other unit he transfers to. On his left shoulder, he wears the patch of the unit he currently serves with, and more specifically ties him to the 167th Support Division (left), which would fit with his stated career path as a clerk. His combat patch is of the 3rd Infantry Division, (square, right) a much larger unit and one of the Army’s oldest and biggest and most distinguished. At least some element of the 3rd has been deployed to Iraq at every point since the initial invasion.

Trevor also wears specialty insignia which allude to his training in a ground combatant role. He wears the Army’s Air Assault wings (left, with helicopter center), which identify him as having trained to conduct airborne helicopter operations. More coveted that the Air Assault pin is the Army’s Airborne “jump wings,” (left, with parachute) which indicate that he has attended the Army’s basic paratrooper training. Both of these badges mark him as a very capable soldier.

In the military, unlike almost any other profession, personal history and credentials are worn and displayed openly, rather than noted in a résumé. Perhaps if Trevor’s true personality could be displayed as openly as those insignia, he could more easily relate to those around him. But for Trevor, a uniform can only capture one tiny piece of his person, one dimension of his conflicted psyche. Despite the simplicity of the story that the patches tell, there is much more to Trevor, and to life, than can be indicated by a man's rank.

Jason talks about his passion for acting

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:51:00 +0000

I asked Jason about his motivation for being an actor and his passion for the part of Jamal Jones in TWIN TOWERS.

Quatis speaks

noreply@blogger.com (Damian Wampler) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:30:00 +0000

"I knew I wanted to move to New York to pursue an actor career, just wasn't sure how to do it. I came in January and then again in February - and was convinced. Still unsure of how. One can never truly be completely prepared for what New York has to offer. The constant pace, the tremendous culture, the overwhelming amounts of restaurants color the imagination of things to do. But opportunity was first on my mind. And working with the Twin Towers team has provided that first opportunity to work in New York.

It has been amazing to work with people like Angela - who is from the same city I am from - and is a New York caliber talent - the way she has sewn the picture of this production together makes me glad to be apart of this life enriching painting. Also working with the Capoiera instructors/ choreographers has been a lot of fun. It has given me such a respect for stage combat. They showed true patience and skill helping me to understand the basics of capoiera and how to bring it to life on stage. All-in-all this has been a great experience, and I look forward to working with more talented people here in New York!" - Quatis Tarkington
www.twintowersplay.com/quatis_tarkington