The impact of Sandy won't reach until later tonight, but the Broadway League has announced the cancellation of all Broadway performances for Tuesday, October 30th. As always, safety is a priority, so if you're in the New York Metro area, stay tuned to your local news stations.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Hurricane Sandy Shuts Down Broadway Sunday Night and Monday
Hurricane Sandy or Frankenstorm, has made its impact on the New York theater scene. Following the shut down of service of New York public transportation, Broadway and Off Broadway shows have announced they too will shut down. Sunday evening and Monday performances have been cancelled due to the impending storm. Please be safe and stay tuned to your local news reports for the latest on Sandy.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Have No Fear, Richard's Here!
I have to make a confession. Prior to seeing Facing Page Production’s No Fear Shakespeare’s Richard III, I had no prior knowledge to this Shakespeare play. Having never read nor seen a production of Richard III, I was fearful if I would get it. Fortunately, I was granted a remarkable opportunity to actually UNDERSTAND a Shakespeare production!
Despite the additional three words to the title, the story is still the same. The jealous and ambitious Richard, an ugly hunchback, is on a mission to gain control of the thrown. He’s ruthless and manipulative and will do whatever possible in order to fulfill his objective. In No Fear Shakespeare’s Richard III, the text is aided by being “translated” into modern dialogue. Though prose and poetry may at times be sacrificed, we are allowed to showcase the story. And thankfully we had a pretty remarkable ensemble as our storytellers. Luke Forbes as the title character was tremendous, using his physicality and depth to his advantage. There is a possibility that you want to cheer for Forbes’ Richard despite his dastardly doings. Equally as strong was Frank De Julio’s Buckingham. De Julio and Forbes played quite well off of one another, acting as quite a tandem. Give them another Shakespeare play and I’m sure they could tackle it. Perhaps No Fear Shakepeare’s Othello? Though his time on stage may have been limited, Zak Kamin as Clarence was superb, not wasting a single moment. He earned sympathy for his untimely death by the hands of Tyrrel and Catesby, played effortlessly by Ryan McCurdy and Jeffrey Omura respectively. Despite some weaker links in the cast, with some unorthodox casting, overall the ensemble carried the work with great ease lead by director Shannon Fillion. Fillion’s simple yet effective direction was what the play needed. Additionally, her transitions were fluid and kept the action moving, something which could have been problematic having only two possible entrances.
Anshuman Bhatia, who served as both scenic and lighting designer, created a space that served the play quite well. Using a different vantage point to create the room and not having the table, the focal piece of the set, not sit on the same plane was ingenious. This allowed Fillion to stage outside the restraints of a normal three wall set. The multiple hanging light bulb chandeliers that were sporadically placed were a clever touch. One of the best lighting and scenic moments came during Clarence’s death scene, which was played on top of the table with some stark lighting. The only thing that could have been brightened, literally, was the front light during some of the darker lit asides and soliloquies. The image was moody, but a tad difficult to see. The soundscape that Kortney Barber created was ominous and eerie, allowing for some spectacular moments. One of the highlights of the evening was Richard’s dream sequence that was portrayed as a surveillance video featuring zombies of his victims. Shaun Fillion’s video combined with Barber’s sound design worked dramatically to create a haunting moment.
What Facing Page Productions did was wonderful. They make understanding Shakespeare accessible. They assembled a team that created an evening of theater that has the ability to make the audience want to go back and read the original. If you’re looking for the original text, you may be disappointed, but know you’ll still see a tremendous production. Expect big things from this company in the future.
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Erik Carter Photography |
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Erik Carter Photography |
What Facing Page Productions did was wonderful. They make understanding Shakespeare accessible. They assembled a team that created an evening of theater that has the ability to make the audience want to go back and read the original. If you’re looking for the original text, you may be disappointed, but know you’ll still see a tremendous production. Expect big things from this company in the future.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Spotlight On...Jeremy Goren
Name: Jeremy Goren
Hometown: La Habana, Cuba, centro del Caribe. (And Washington, D.C.)
Education: Continuing.
Favorite Credits: I can’t really answer this. I’m not trying to be difficult, but I prefer to look forward.
Why the performing arts?: I didn’t have the wherewithal – or the arm – to make a life in baseball.
Tell us about You Will Make A Difference: You Will Make A Difference is very much about the life of the process of creating this work -- and our society more at large. It is not about making a cool show or even a "successful" show but about nothing less ambitious than questioning ourselves and trying to manifest something in our world, to reexamine the way we do things -- the way we're "supposed" to do things. To that end a courageous team has worked with me since May to bring this to life for you. You Will Make A Difference is an “immersive performance”. I call it a watch-and-play. It draws on sources from medieval England, a ’50s play looking back at the Puritan settlers, ’90s television, and the performers themselves. It originally chose the title The Gaggery and Gilt, a phrase that emerged from the introduction to Leaves of Grass (another misunderstood title, I’m told): “If the greatnesses are in conjunction in a man or woman it is enough … the fact will prevail through the universe … but the gaggery and gilt of a million years will not prevail. Who troubles himself about his ornaments or fluency is lost.” So, You Will Make A Difference, down to its bones and organs, has been buried and resurrected and buried and resurrected. It’s absolutely ironic and completely in earnest. At the least: It’s alive.
What inspired you to create and direct You Will Make A Difference?: The night I turned thirty, I found myself on a train, in the middle of a bone-chilling night, somewhere in the long stretch between Albuquerque and Chicago. I was watching two Amish couples play a dice game I couldn’t understand at the table across the aisle from me in the dark observation car, when the train made a stop. I decided to spend a few minutes standing on the platform while no one mounted the train. It was cold as hell, and I wore only a t-shirt and jeans. I suddenly remembered that when I’d been 15 or 16 I’d made a pact with myself to change the world by the age of 30 and then, if not already gunned down by an oppressive government somewhere or a jealous lover with a pearl-handle pistol or having blasted out my mind on some exotic narcotic that left me twitching on top of my typewriter, kill myself. I imagined throwing myself off of the train before the next stop. No one would notice me in the darkness of the countryside. But, it was clear I wasn’t going to do it. I didn’t want to. Things had changed. I had changed. I thought about who that person was who had made that pact with himself and what had happened to him. I wondered who this person I thought I was was. This continued for months. But, who cares? It was just banal naval gazing. However, when Occupy Wall Street began, in September of that year, I found myself having conversations with a lot of my peers about it – and hearing coming from their months the same questions I’d been asking myself since the frigid January night on the train. I realized: You asshole. You’re not special. You’re part of this society. Get with it. It occurred to me there could be some value in asking these questions together somehow. Only then did the very clear image of the vast, new-construction kitchen, barely lit, in the wee hours of the morning in my high-school friend’s parents’ house in the D.C. suburbs in 1996 start following me around inside and connecting with those questions. I happened, then, to reread The Crucible – which I don’t like and yet find very much compelling in some way I don’t understand – and I suddenly saw it and its true wisdom in a new way. (Forget Communism – what it tells us in our current moment has to do with societies in transition destabilized by their most oppressed members and the trauma of passing into adulthood…) These things grew tendrils connecting them. Then I found, unwittingly, Van Gennep. Then Scott Rodrigue asked me to apply for the A/M/P Residency at AliveWire. Connections fused. I had – and may still have – no interest in directing. But, something was clearly starting to manifest, something greater than I, and I had no choice but to follow.
What kind of art speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: The art that speaks to me is amoral. It grows from and towards the universal and has nothing to do with self-expression. It doesn’t belong to anyone. It’s community service. It eschews convention but grows from tradition. It doesn’t try to tell me a story or teach me a lesson. Instead, it opens up a space and a questioning and accepts its own not-knowing. It touches on the mystery of existence. It inspires me to engage, to have my own experience – and yet doesn’t worry if I ‘get it’ or not. (Why must we get things?) Who or what inspire me? Eons of humanity and mystery. Nature. Shtetl ghosts. Slave singers. Pretty girls. Cowled monks. Most directly and daily, artistic director of Terra Incognita Theater, visionary artist, master acting teacher, my mentor: Polina Klimovitskaya.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Cal Ripken, Jr.
What shows have you recommended to your friends?: The only show I’ve recommended in recent memory – and do so fervently again here – is The Assembly’s Home/Sick, which will reopen in November. Beyond our work at Terra Incognita’s work, I’d also urge people to see work by LEIMAY (Shige Moriya and Ximena Garnica), Maximillian Balduzzi, and Ben Spatz. These are the hardest-working artists I know, and that’s clear in what they do. What else I’d recommend is any appearance by The Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards. Even if they’re just standing on the street corner smoking, go to them.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I hope such a thing never exists.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: We shouldn’t feel guilty over our pleasures. I’m working on that.
If you weren’t working in the performing arts, you would be _____?: Even more lost. Hopefully in the mountains.
What’s up next?: We’ll see how long You Will Make A Difference lives. I hope for some time yet; but, when its end comes, okay. Meanwhile, Terra Incognita has underway several ongoing works, about which I remain excited and daunted. My apprenticeship continues. Hopefully, the sun continues to rise and set. Hopefully, clarity comes. Hopefully, liberation. But, who can say?
Hometown: La Habana, Cuba, centro del Caribe. (And Washington, D.C.)
Education: Continuing.
Favorite Credits: I can’t really answer this. I’m not trying to be difficult, but I prefer to look forward.
Why the performing arts?: I didn’t have the wherewithal – or the arm – to make a life in baseball.
Tell us about You Will Make A Difference: You Will Make A Difference is very much about the life of the process of creating this work -- and our society more at large. It is not about making a cool show or even a "successful" show but about nothing less ambitious than questioning ourselves and trying to manifest something in our world, to reexamine the way we do things -- the way we're "supposed" to do things. To that end a courageous team has worked with me since May to bring this to life for you. You Will Make A Difference is an “immersive performance”. I call it a watch-and-play. It draws on sources from medieval England, a ’50s play looking back at the Puritan settlers, ’90s television, and the performers themselves. It originally chose the title The Gaggery and Gilt, a phrase that emerged from the introduction to Leaves of Grass (another misunderstood title, I’m told): “If the greatnesses are in conjunction in a man or woman it is enough … the fact will prevail through the universe … but the gaggery and gilt of a million years will not prevail. Who troubles himself about his ornaments or fluency is lost.” So, You Will Make A Difference, down to its bones and organs, has been buried and resurrected and buried and resurrected. It’s absolutely ironic and completely in earnest. At the least: It’s alive.
What inspired you to create and direct You Will Make A Difference?: The night I turned thirty, I found myself on a train, in the middle of a bone-chilling night, somewhere in the long stretch between Albuquerque and Chicago. I was watching two Amish couples play a dice game I couldn’t understand at the table across the aisle from me in the dark observation car, when the train made a stop. I decided to spend a few minutes standing on the platform while no one mounted the train. It was cold as hell, and I wore only a t-shirt and jeans. I suddenly remembered that when I’d been 15 or 16 I’d made a pact with myself to change the world by the age of 30 and then, if not already gunned down by an oppressive government somewhere or a jealous lover with a pearl-handle pistol or having blasted out my mind on some exotic narcotic that left me twitching on top of my typewriter, kill myself. I imagined throwing myself off of the train before the next stop. No one would notice me in the darkness of the countryside. But, it was clear I wasn’t going to do it. I didn’t want to. Things had changed. I had changed. I thought about who that person was who had made that pact with himself and what had happened to him. I wondered who this person I thought I was was. This continued for months. But, who cares? It was just banal naval gazing. However, when Occupy Wall Street began, in September of that year, I found myself having conversations with a lot of my peers about it – and hearing coming from their months the same questions I’d been asking myself since the frigid January night on the train. I realized: You asshole. You’re not special. You’re part of this society. Get with it. It occurred to me there could be some value in asking these questions together somehow. Only then did the very clear image of the vast, new-construction kitchen, barely lit, in the wee hours of the morning in my high-school friend’s parents’ house in the D.C. suburbs in 1996 start following me around inside and connecting with those questions. I happened, then, to reread The Crucible – which I don’t like and yet find very much compelling in some way I don’t understand – and I suddenly saw it and its true wisdom in a new way. (Forget Communism – what it tells us in our current moment has to do with societies in transition destabilized by their most oppressed members and the trauma of passing into adulthood…) These things grew tendrils connecting them. Then I found, unwittingly, Van Gennep. Then Scott Rodrigue asked me to apply for the A/M/P Residency at AliveWire. Connections fused. I had – and may still have – no interest in directing. But, something was clearly starting to manifest, something greater than I, and I had no choice but to follow.
What kind of art speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: The art that speaks to me is amoral. It grows from and towards the universal and has nothing to do with self-expression. It doesn’t belong to anyone. It’s community service. It eschews convention but grows from tradition. It doesn’t try to tell me a story or teach me a lesson. Instead, it opens up a space and a questioning and accepts its own not-knowing. It touches on the mystery of existence. It inspires me to engage, to have my own experience – and yet doesn’t worry if I ‘get it’ or not. (Why must we get things?) Who or what inspire me? Eons of humanity and mystery. Nature. Shtetl ghosts. Slave singers. Pretty girls. Cowled monks. Most directly and daily, artistic director of Terra Incognita Theater, visionary artist, master acting teacher, my mentor: Polina Klimovitskaya.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Cal Ripken, Jr.
What shows have you recommended to your friends?: The only show I’ve recommended in recent memory – and do so fervently again here – is The Assembly’s Home/Sick, which will reopen in November. Beyond our work at Terra Incognita’s work, I’d also urge people to see work by LEIMAY (Shige Moriya and Ximena Garnica), Maximillian Balduzzi, and Ben Spatz. These are the hardest-working artists I know, and that’s clear in what they do. What else I’d recommend is any appearance by The Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards. Even if they’re just standing on the street corner smoking, go to them.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I hope such a thing never exists.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: We shouldn’t feel guilty over our pleasures. I’m working on that.
If you weren’t working in the performing arts, you would be _____?: Even more lost. Hopefully in the mountains.
What’s up next?: We’ll see how long You Will Make A Difference lives. I hope for some time yet; but, when its end comes, okay. Meanwhile, Terra Incognita has underway several ongoing works, about which I remain excited and daunted. My apprenticeship continues. Hopefully, the sun continues to rise and set. Hopefully, clarity comes. Hopefully, liberation. But, who can say?
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Review: Three Stuck Sisters
Anton Chekov once wrote a play entitled Three Sisters about three sisters whose lives virtually suck. By Right We Should Be Giants, produced by Lunar Energy Productions, takes inspiration from the Chekhovian classic, relocating the sisters to modern day Loraine, Ohio. But fear not, these are still the sisters you know. One sister is stuck in solitude. One sister is stuck in a loveless marriage. One sister is stuck in dream world. Do they get out of their sticky situations? No. And unfortunately the script, co-written by Nadia Sepenwol and Tim Van Dyck, is a bit sticky as well.
The script is stuck in a place of disconnect. The story is set in a near-recent time, 2007 thru 2009 to be specific, and place with many of the Chekhovian references needing modernizing. Some of the parallels don’t seem to fit as well as others. The play is set in a time of economic downfall where soldiers are returning from war. These elements are merely touched upon and could benefit from additional boosts. Especially on the war front. By exploring what it means to potentially have PTSD in this economically woeful world could give the characters of Andy or Victor weight and dimension. Additionally some of the characters and plot points may not be necessary and serve mostly just to fill time. For example, the character of Allison, an Afghanistan vet, has virtually no arc but to be the person who is sent back to war. Before her last exit, she has a very odd love-filled interaction with Irina, which seems to come out of nowhere having never been explored on stage prior. Stylistically, Act I has a very different feel than Act II and Act III, almost as if it is a completely different play. This may be partially due to the dramatic scene change that occurs when the characters’ world collapses. Director Christopher Diercksen does his best taking a messy script and breathing life into it. He’s given an equally difficult challenge of a bizarrely designed set (featuring a seemingly unfinished wood floor), where actors come and go on and off stage almost as often as they speak. He’s given enormous restraints and figures out ways to make it engaging. Luckily, he is aided by some strong actors in the twelve member ensemble.
Caitlin Johnston, as the dreamer Irina, and George Salazar, as Nick, Irina’s lovelorn best friend, emerge as the highlights of the ensemble. Both Johnston and Salazar have amazing chemistry and are able to give their characters a genuine soul. Salazar’s shining moment occurs during the handgun dual with Casey Robinson’s ragin’ Cajun inspired Victor. Salazar shows his depth as an actor, selling the moment perfectly. And spoiler alert, kudos to the company for not going with a sound cue. This was one of the defining moments of the production. While some of the characters seem to tread on the surface, Samantha Fairfield Walsh’s Natalie packs a punch as the ill-received sister-in-law.
In the three-hour production, one of the big struggles besides tackling the script was maneuvering Jonathan Cottle’s set. Walking into the theater, you may be baffled to see what the floor of the set looks like. It looks unfinished, which seems like a poor design choice. Perhaps its justification is announced late into Act III, but untreated wood sitting under realistic furniture pieces is unpleasant to an audience’s eye. But despite the floor, once we broke out of the family’s house in Act I, defining the multiple locations in this world became muddy. Alana Jacoby’s lights helped as much as humanly possible but much of the time actors are forced to walk into the next scene just to exit the stage.
Tackling the classic Chekov play is an ambitious undertaking but when executed with precision, the power of the story can shine. The ideas behind Sepenwol and Van Dyke’s look marvelous on paper so perhaps by weaving in the many threads left hanging or unexplored, By Rights We Should Be Giants can be stunning.
The script is stuck in a place of disconnect. The story is set in a near-recent time, 2007 thru 2009 to be specific, and place with many of the Chekhovian references needing modernizing. Some of the parallels don’t seem to fit as well as others. The play is set in a time of economic downfall where soldiers are returning from war. These elements are merely touched upon and could benefit from additional boosts. Especially on the war front. By exploring what it means to potentially have PTSD in this economically woeful world could give the characters of Andy or Victor weight and dimension. Additionally some of the characters and plot points may not be necessary and serve mostly just to fill time. For example, the character of Allison, an Afghanistan vet, has virtually no arc but to be the person who is sent back to war. Before her last exit, she has a very odd love-filled interaction with Irina, which seems to come out of nowhere having never been explored on stage prior. Stylistically, Act I has a very different feel than Act II and Act III, almost as if it is a completely different play. This may be partially due to the dramatic scene change that occurs when the characters’ world collapses. Director Christopher Diercksen does his best taking a messy script and breathing life into it. He’s given an equally difficult challenge of a bizarrely designed set (featuring a seemingly unfinished wood floor), where actors come and go on and off stage almost as often as they speak. He’s given enormous restraints and figures out ways to make it engaging. Luckily, he is aided by some strong actors in the twelve member ensemble.
Caitlin Johnston, as the dreamer Irina, and George Salazar, as Nick, Irina’s lovelorn best friend, emerge as the highlights of the ensemble. Both Johnston and Salazar have amazing chemistry and are able to give their characters a genuine soul. Salazar’s shining moment occurs during the handgun dual with Casey Robinson’s ragin’ Cajun inspired Victor. Salazar shows his depth as an actor, selling the moment perfectly. And spoiler alert, kudos to the company for not going with a sound cue. This was one of the defining moments of the production. While some of the characters seem to tread on the surface, Samantha Fairfield Walsh’s Natalie packs a punch as the ill-received sister-in-law.
In the three-hour production, one of the big struggles besides tackling the script was maneuvering Jonathan Cottle’s set. Walking into the theater, you may be baffled to see what the floor of the set looks like. It looks unfinished, which seems like a poor design choice. Perhaps its justification is announced late into Act III, but untreated wood sitting under realistic furniture pieces is unpleasant to an audience’s eye. But despite the floor, once we broke out of the family’s house in Act I, defining the multiple locations in this world became muddy. Alana Jacoby’s lights helped as much as humanly possible but much of the time actors are forced to walk into the next scene just to exit the stage.
Tackling the classic Chekov play is an ambitious undertaking but when executed with precision, the power of the story can shine. The ideas behind Sepenwol and Van Dyke’s look marvelous on paper so perhaps by weaving in the many threads left hanging or unexplored, By Rights We Should Be Giants can be stunning.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Spotlight On...George Salazar
Name: George Salazar
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Education: BFA in Musical Theatre, University of Florida
Select Credits: Godspell (“George/Light of the World”, Broadway); Spring Awakening (Otto, Second National Tour)
Why theater?: Well, I spent a huge chunk of my childhood wanting to become a surgeon. And then I discovered theater, fairly late in the game, and was drawn to it like a fat kid to candy. I was always the class clown and my family's resident entertainer, like so many actors, and naturally when my first show opened and I got my first taste of performing in front of a large group, I was hooked. I fell in love with affecting a room full of people and with collaborating with artists and audiences. Collaborating, creating imaginary worlds and then inviting an audience to live in those worlds with us. And ultimately bearing witness to the final product. The satisfaction is overwhelming. Every single time. It's a lifestyle that won't get old. There aren't a lot of careers out there that I can say that about. It's always a new experience. So yeah. Why not theater?
Tell us about By Rights We Should Be Giants: Giants is an adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters, but our version is set in Lorraine, OH and follows our three sisters and their family in 2008, during the most recent economic recession. A group of soldiers visit them after serving a tour in Afghanistan and their lives are forever changed. This play is relevant, it's powerful, it's poignant, and it's well-written.
What is it like being a part of By Rights We Should Be Giants?: It's been a great experience; mounting a new play with a group of extremely talented artists. It's safe to say there isn't a weak link in this cast. The play is really well-written and it's been so exciting to dive into. I feel fortunate to be a part of this ensemble and am very proud of the work we're doing at the Secret Theatre in Long Island City. Come check it out!
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I'm a non-traditional, maybe even anti-traditional kind of guy. So I enjoy theater that goes against the grain and challenges its audience. I also find inspiration in artists challenging themselves, living outside of their comfort zones and being as ballsy as possible. Nothing excites me more as an audience member than to see a group of actors working hard and enjoying their process. It's difficult to watch that and not want to be a part of it.
Any roles you’re dying to play?: I have a preference for new works, so I'm not sure if that role has been written yet.
What’s your favorite showtune?: Hahaha! Anything from Gypsy. Seriously.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I would love to work with Brendan Spieth. Oh wait. Nevermind. I'm working with him now. Aaaaand he's kind of an asshole. No, but seriously, I'd love love love to get a chance to work with Christopher Walken in the theatre or in front of a camera. He's a genius.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Me, because the money would be nice. Or Macauley Culkin circa 1992.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: By Rights We Should Be Giants. And Peter and the Starcatcher. Great ensemble work in both of those productions.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: NIKE.
What’s up next?: I'm working on a few personal projects as a writer. Sketches, an animated short web series, and a full length musical based on the life of John Mark Karr (look him up). For updates and all that jazz, visit my website at www.thegeorgesalazar.com!
For more on By Rights We Should Be Giants, visit http://www.lunarenergyproductions.com/
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Education: BFA in Musical Theatre, University of Florida
Select Credits: Godspell (“George/Light of the World”, Broadway); Spring Awakening (Otto, Second National Tour)
Why theater?: Well, I spent a huge chunk of my childhood wanting to become a surgeon. And then I discovered theater, fairly late in the game, and was drawn to it like a fat kid to candy. I was always the class clown and my family's resident entertainer, like so many actors, and naturally when my first show opened and I got my first taste of performing in front of a large group, I was hooked. I fell in love with affecting a room full of people and with collaborating with artists and audiences. Collaborating, creating imaginary worlds and then inviting an audience to live in those worlds with us. And ultimately bearing witness to the final product. The satisfaction is overwhelming. Every single time. It's a lifestyle that won't get old. There aren't a lot of careers out there that I can say that about. It's always a new experience. So yeah. Why not theater?
Tell us about By Rights We Should Be Giants: Giants is an adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters, but our version is set in Lorraine, OH and follows our three sisters and their family in 2008, during the most recent economic recession. A group of soldiers visit them after serving a tour in Afghanistan and their lives are forever changed. This play is relevant, it's powerful, it's poignant, and it's well-written.
What is it like being a part of By Rights We Should Be Giants?: It's been a great experience; mounting a new play with a group of extremely talented artists. It's safe to say there isn't a weak link in this cast. The play is really well-written and it's been so exciting to dive into. I feel fortunate to be a part of this ensemble and am very proud of the work we're doing at the Secret Theatre in Long Island City. Come check it out!
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I'm a non-traditional, maybe even anti-traditional kind of guy. So I enjoy theater that goes against the grain and challenges its audience. I also find inspiration in artists challenging themselves, living outside of their comfort zones and being as ballsy as possible. Nothing excites me more as an audience member than to see a group of actors working hard and enjoying their process. It's difficult to watch that and not want to be a part of it.
Any roles you’re dying to play?: I have a preference for new works, so I'm not sure if that role has been written yet.
What’s your favorite showtune?: Hahaha! Anything from Gypsy. Seriously.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I would love to work with Brendan Spieth. Oh wait. Nevermind. I'm working with him now. Aaaaand he's kind of an asshole. No, but seriously, I'd love love love to get a chance to work with Christopher Walken in the theatre or in front of a camera. He's a genius.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Me, because the money would be nice. Or Macauley Culkin circa 1992.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: By Rights We Should Be Giants. And Peter and the Starcatcher. Great ensemble work in both of those productions.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: NIKE.
What’s up next?: I'm working on a few personal projects as a writer. Sketches, an animated short web series, and a full length musical based on the life of John Mark Karr (look him up). For updates and all that jazz, visit my website at www.thegeorgesalazar.com!
For more on By Rights We Should Be Giants, visit http://www.lunarenergyproductions.com/
Friday, October 19, 2012
Spotlight On...Shannon Fillion
Name: Shannon Fillion
Hometown: Bedford, MA
Education: MFA Columbia University, BA Trinity College
Favorite Credits: Julia May Jonas’ Lake Coordination & No One is Excused from the Trouble of Living, Danny Mitarotando's What the Sparrow Said, As You Like It, an adaptation of Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, and Lascivious Something at the 6B Garden.
Why theater?: I began with music as a kid, and I studied different instruments and voice and composition for most of my youth. Theater seemed just a natural next step, and as a director I find I use my musical background to score a theatrical piece. I've never been anything but an artist, but I feel that many of the arts blend together in the theater in a way that really inspires me.
Tell us about No Fear Shakespeare’s Richard III: The No Fear Shakespeare series of books "translates" Shakespeare's original text into modern English with the original Elizabethan text on one side of the page and the plain English translation facing it. Chances are, if you are of my generation, you used one to help decipher a line or a character in high school. But this world premiere is the first time one of these texts has been professionally staged, and I see it as a really unique experiment.
What inspired you to direct No Fear Shakepeare’s Richard III?: The producers, Winnie Lok and Ryan McCurdy, approached me with the idea. I had just finished directing As You Like It and I was really in a mood to work on more Shakespeare. I was initially very skeptical of the No Fear text as I am not of the mind that Shakespeare's language is too difficult for the average theatergoer to understand. However I had to acknowledge that I had not as yet directed or seen a performance of Shakespeare's work where everyone in the audience understood every word of the text all the time. There was always a gap between actor and audience. So I am fascinated to see what will happen when the audience and actors are all in sync. Will the story still hold that magic? How much will we miss the original poetry?
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: A really important part of my education was to see as much theater, dance, performance art, and visual art as possible. A list of all the things that inspire me as an artist would include a few significant theatrical works like Anne Bogart's Bobrauchenbergamerica, but also music and books and strange events in everyday life. I spent a lot of training time studying Viewpoints, which teaches us that the theatrical vocabulary is just one of many artistic vocabularies that can all speak to each other. So I try to keep my eyes open and my mind open and be unashamed about my tastes.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Well I would love to direct an Edward Albee play, and to have a playwright like that in the room would be incredible. I would also love to work with the Steppenwolf gang out in Chicago.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: Besides mine? I am very excited for Matilda, and for Vogel's A Civil War Christmas at NYTW. For all my friends back home in Boston I am recommending they see The Hypocrite's Pirate's of Penzance.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Well I don't know about the title, I would probably hire a playwright to write me a witty one. But it would definitely star a young Meryl Streep, or a Katherine Hepburn. Go big or go home, right?
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I will preface this by saying I feel little to no guilt about it - "Game of Thrones".
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: If I switched careers right now I would want to own a bakery, or I would run a small bookstore. Anywhere where I can be in charge, talk about things I love with people who are interested, and still drink a lot of coffee.
What’s up next?: I am doing a workshop/reading of Danny Mitarotondo's Orchestra, a really fascinating new piece that he and I are developing. We have a reading early next month and are hoping for a production next spring. I can't say too much without giving all our secrets away - but its written like nothing I have ever seen before.
Hometown: Bedford, MA
Education: MFA Columbia University, BA Trinity College
Favorite Credits: Julia May Jonas’ Lake Coordination & No One is Excused from the Trouble of Living, Danny Mitarotando's What the Sparrow Said, As You Like It, an adaptation of Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, and Lascivious Something at the 6B Garden.
Why theater?: I began with music as a kid, and I studied different instruments and voice and composition for most of my youth. Theater seemed just a natural next step, and as a director I find I use my musical background to score a theatrical piece. I've never been anything but an artist, but I feel that many of the arts blend together in the theater in a way that really inspires me.
Tell us about No Fear Shakespeare’s Richard III: The No Fear Shakespeare series of books "translates" Shakespeare's original text into modern English with the original Elizabethan text on one side of the page and the plain English translation facing it. Chances are, if you are of my generation, you used one to help decipher a line or a character in high school. But this world premiere is the first time one of these texts has been professionally staged, and I see it as a really unique experiment.
What inspired you to direct No Fear Shakepeare’s Richard III?: The producers, Winnie Lok and Ryan McCurdy, approached me with the idea. I had just finished directing As You Like It and I was really in a mood to work on more Shakespeare. I was initially very skeptical of the No Fear text as I am not of the mind that Shakespeare's language is too difficult for the average theatergoer to understand. However I had to acknowledge that I had not as yet directed or seen a performance of Shakespeare's work where everyone in the audience understood every word of the text all the time. There was always a gap between actor and audience. So I am fascinated to see what will happen when the audience and actors are all in sync. Will the story still hold that magic? How much will we miss the original poetry?
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: A really important part of my education was to see as much theater, dance, performance art, and visual art as possible. A list of all the things that inspire me as an artist would include a few significant theatrical works like Anne Bogart's Bobrauchenbergamerica, but also music and books and strange events in everyday life. I spent a lot of training time studying Viewpoints, which teaches us that the theatrical vocabulary is just one of many artistic vocabularies that can all speak to each other. So I try to keep my eyes open and my mind open and be unashamed about my tastes.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Well I would love to direct an Edward Albee play, and to have a playwright like that in the room would be incredible. I would also love to work with the Steppenwolf gang out in Chicago.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: Besides mine? I am very excited for Matilda, and for Vogel's A Civil War Christmas at NYTW. For all my friends back home in Boston I am recommending they see The Hypocrite's Pirate's of Penzance.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Well I don't know about the title, I would probably hire a playwright to write me a witty one. But it would definitely star a young Meryl Streep, or a Katherine Hepburn. Go big or go home, right?
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I will preface this by saying I feel little to no guilt about it - "Game of Thrones".
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: If I switched careers right now I would want to own a bakery, or I would run a small bookstore. Anywhere where I can be in charge, talk about things I love with people who are interested, and still drink a lot of coffee.
What’s up next?: I am doing a workshop/reading of Danny Mitarotondo's Orchestra, a really fascinating new piece that he and I are developing. We have a reading early next month and are hoping for a production next spring. I can't say too much without giving all our secrets away - but its written like nothing I have ever seen before.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Sarah Brightman...In Space!
Isn't there an old saying "in space no one can hear you sing?" Wait, I've got it wrong, it's "no one can hear you scream" and it's not an old saying, it's the tagline from the film "Alien." The galaxy will soon be getting a free concert from legendary soprano Sarah Brightman as she announced today that she will be going to space on an orbital spaceflight mission to the International Space Station. The UNESCO Artist for Peace Ambassador will be part of a three person mission that will orbit the Earth sixteen times a day. Brightman says, "I don't think of myself as a dreamer. Rather, I
am a dream chaser I hope that I can
encourage others to take inspiration from my journey both to chase down
their own dreams and to help fulfill the important UNESCO mandate to
promote peace and sustainable development on Earth and from space. I am
determined that this journey can reach out to be a force for good, a
catalyst for some of the dreams and aims of others that resonate with
me." If Brightman, the original star of The Phantom of the Opera, makes it back to Earth, expect her to play Sigourney Weaver's role in the inevitable production of Alien the Musical.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Spotlight On...David Mizzoni
Name: David Mizzoni
Hometown: Cranston, Rhode Island
Education: Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from NYU
Select Credits: Most of my credits are NYU related. I've worked with many amazing directors there, that include Michael McElroy, Jerry Dixon, and Tony nominee Elizabeth Swados.
Why theater?: That's a tough one. Theater for me is the only way I've ever understood how to express myself. It's who I am, it's what I've grown up learning about. I can't say theater is my only passion, however it has been a part of my life for the longest. Some theater is bad. But the good stuff always reminds me of what the theater has that nothing else does: it is unpredictable. Even with a script, the action unfolds in a unique and organic way; the same performance can never happen twice.
Tell us about Fiction in Photographs: Fiction in Photographs is many things. For me, it's essentially about that moment when you see a photo online from a few years back.; you sit and stare at a moment in time, frozen still. You notice goofy facial expressions, you're mother's hair, the way you smiled, the way someone you love smiles; it's all fossilized. Through some incredible music, we unveil characters who are both exploited and empowered by images captured on camera. The show has taken a variety of forms in the past year and working on it this time, we are truly allowing Dan's lyrics and melodies to stand for themselves--waiting for the relationships between all of us to come to the surface.
What is it like being a part of Fiction in Photographs?: The best part is just spending time with the creative team. Even back in July during our first reading I was amazed at how genuinely I was enjoying myself. I was nervous! I felt like everybody around me was a real person, and I was this eager college graduate, with no Broadway credits and a dream! But like I said, right from the start I fell in love with the project. The music is just--Dan and Adam have lived with some of these songs for a long time, and feeling like Dan and Adam enjoy the spin that I have on them is exhilarating. Sosie and Adam just joined us for this run at New World, and are really blowing us away in rehearsals. The group was and continues to be a family (and i mean that in the cheesiest realest way possible) I am honored to be in their company.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I've always had aspirations of writing and recording my own music. Theater that speaks to me involves a strong musical voice. Musicals where the composition and the lyrics are so clearly influenced by the styles and background of those who created it. Today we see a lot of shows that go for the spectacle and the tricks… but for me the backbone of a good musical has always been and should always be the score. Shows like Once for example. Glen Hansard's Irish roots and performance quality is so apparent in the show. Other favorites include Brian Yorkey, Tom Kitt, and also musicians like John Legend, Amy Winehouse, Ray Lamontagne, and Mika.
Any roles you’re dying to play?: To be honest when I think back on my final days at NYU, I remember being at CAP-21 and constantly asking myself, "What roles am I going to play? Where in this enormous business do I fit in?" and I had always felt that I wanted to desperately to join a show at the very beginning. Developing the character and allowing my unique affectations and vocal strengths to become like... what the role is. The experience so far proves to me that this kind of work is most fulfilling for me, more than any role I could ever play. I do wish I was in Next to Normal though!! That entire show was a really incredible experience for me.
What’s your favorite show tune?: Haha, to be honest I am not a show tune expert. I go through music quickly. Always listening, processing, moving on to the next. I consume music, my spottily account is the best thing I've ever paid for. Favorite theatrical recordings include The Last Five Years, Spring Awakening, Altar Boyz, and anything sung by Norm Lewis or Sutton Foster.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I'd love to work with Trey Parker, or Tina Fey, or Mia Michaels. Not to dance for her obviously, but maybe collaborate on a project.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: The movie would be called, "Should'a Been a Backstreet Boy" and I would be played by like... Darren Criss, or Joe Jonas.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: Fiction in Photographs. Or Sleep No More. I haven't seen that one--but I hear its epic.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I love Lady Gaga. I met her a few times, and she is really incredible. Her music, what she stands for. She's a rock star inspiration.
What’s up next?: Hoping for bigger and brighter things with FIP. If not, I'll continue auditioning and living life.
For more on Fiction in Photographs, visit http://www.facebook.com/FictionInPhotographsMusical?fref=ts
Hometown: Cranston, Rhode Island
Education: Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from NYU
Select Credits: Most of my credits are NYU related. I've worked with many amazing directors there, that include Michael McElroy, Jerry Dixon, and Tony nominee Elizabeth Swados.
Why theater?: That's a tough one. Theater for me is the only way I've ever understood how to express myself. It's who I am, it's what I've grown up learning about. I can't say theater is my only passion, however it has been a part of my life for the longest. Some theater is bad. But the good stuff always reminds me of what the theater has that nothing else does: it is unpredictable. Even with a script, the action unfolds in a unique and organic way; the same performance can never happen twice.
Tell us about Fiction in Photographs: Fiction in Photographs is many things. For me, it's essentially about that moment when you see a photo online from a few years back.; you sit and stare at a moment in time, frozen still. You notice goofy facial expressions, you're mother's hair, the way you smiled, the way someone you love smiles; it's all fossilized. Through some incredible music, we unveil characters who are both exploited and empowered by images captured on camera. The show has taken a variety of forms in the past year and working on it this time, we are truly allowing Dan's lyrics and melodies to stand for themselves--waiting for the relationships between all of us to come to the surface.
What is it like being a part of Fiction in Photographs?: The best part is just spending time with the creative team. Even back in July during our first reading I was amazed at how genuinely I was enjoying myself. I was nervous! I felt like everybody around me was a real person, and I was this eager college graduate, with no Broadway credits and a dream! But like I said, right from the start I fell in love with the project. The music is just--Dan and Adam have lived with some of these songs for a long time, and feeling like Dan and Adam enjoy the spin that I have on them is exhilarating. Sosie and Adam just joined us for this run at New World, and are really blowing us away in rehearsals. The group was and continues to be a family (and i mean that in the cheesiest realest way possible) I am honored to be in their company.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I've always had aspirations of writing and recording my own music. Theater that speaks to me involves a strong musical voice. Musicals where the composition and the lyrics are so clearly influenced by the styles and background of those who created it. Today we see a lot of shows that go for the spectacle and the tricks… but for me the backbone of a good musical has always been and should always be the score. Shows like Once for example. Glen Hansard's Irish roots and performance quality is so apparent in the show. Other favorites include Brian Yorkey, Tom Kitt, and also musicians like John Legend, Amy Winehouse, Ray Lamontagne, and Mika.
Any roles you’re dying to play?: To be honest when I think back on my final days at NYU, I remember being at CAP-21 and constantly asking myself, "What roles am I going to play? Where in this enormous business do I fit in?" and I had always felt that I wanted to desperately to join a show at the very beginning. Developing the character and allowing my unique affectations and vocal strengths to become like... what the role is. The experience so far proves to me that this kind of work is most fulfilling for me, more than any role I could ever play. I do wish I was in Next to Normal though!! That entire show was a really incredible experience for me.
What’s your favorite show tune?: Haha, to be honest I am not a show tune expert. I go through music quickly. Always listening, processing, moving on to the next. I consume music, my spottily account is the best thing I've ever paid for. Favorite theatrical recordings include The Last Five Years, Spring Awakening, Altar Boyz, and anything sung by Norm Lewis or Sutton Foster.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I'd love to work with Trey Parker, or Tina Fey, or Mia Michaels. Not to dance for her obviously, but maybe collaborate on a project.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: The movie would be called, "Should'a Been a Backstreet Boy" and I would be played by like... Darren Criss, or Joe Jonas.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: Fiction in Photographs. Or Sleep No More. I haven't seen that one--but I hear its epic.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I love Lady Gaga. I met her a few times, and she is really incredible. Her music, what she stands for. She's a rock star inspiration.
What’s up next?: Hoping for bigger and brighter things with FIP. If not, I'll continue auditioning and living life.
For more on Fiction in Photographs, visit http://www.facebook.com/FictionInPhotographsMusical?fref=ts
Friday, October 5, 2012
Daphne Rubin-Vega to Guest on Smash
Having trouble keeping track of all the guest stars and new characters on season 2 of "Smash"? So are we. But let's add another name to the ever-growing list. Daphne Rubin-Vega is set to play a Broadway publicist. Rubin-Vega joins her former Rent costar Jesse L. Martin on the musical series, though she will not be singing or share any scenes with Martin. Are you ready for the January comeback?
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Hands on Hardbody to Open on Broadway in March
Hands on Hardbody, the new musical about a bunch of people who are given an endurance challenge to win a pickup truck, will begin performances at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on February 23, 2013 with an opening of March 21. With a book by Doug Wright, lyrics by Amanda Green, and music by Trey Anastasio, Hands on Hardbody will be directed by Neil Pepe with musical staging by Sergio Trujillo. Inspired by the 1997 documentary of the same name, the musical debuted at La Jolla Playhouse with the same cast that will be a part of the Broadway production. I'm thinking this will be the sleeper hit of the 2012-2013 Broadway season.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Rebecca Will Not Open This Fall
The Rebecca saga continues. After the death of a producer in August, the show was postponed by two weeks in order to gain a new investor. That investor had been found but just before rehearsals were supposed to begin, the new investor withdrew his investment after receiving an anonymous third party, filled with lies and innuendo, e-mail set up to scare the investor, which in turn, succeeded. Though no official announcement on another postponement or cancellation has been made, the fate of Rebbeca is still up in the air. What do you think? Will Broadway see Rebecca?
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