Friday, February 28, 2014

Spotlight On...Andy Matchett

Name: Andy Matchett

Hometown: Orlando, FL

Education: Dr Phillips Visual and Performing Arts Magnet Program, Florida State University, University of Central Florida

Favorite Credits: Played Buddy Holly in the Ice House Theatre's sold out run of The Buddy Holly Story in early 2013. Won 11 awards with Key of E in its first run at the Orlando Fringe Fest, the most of any show in the history of the awards, including Best Musical, Best Director and Best of Fringe.

Why theater?: I was big into theater in high school but sort of drifted off into the music world during my late teens and 20s. Recently, I got to feeling a little frustrated and creatively stifled by the climates in both indie and mainstream rock and didn't feel like changing what I wanted to do in order to fit in to either side. Getting back into theater, it really feels like anything goes. The possibilities feel endless and its really exciting. 

Tell us about Key of E?: Its a schizophrenic rock musical about a misanthropic, wannabe rock singer who is obsessed with the apocalypse. After another failed performance and a fight with his girlfriend, he finally gets his wish - the end of the world - and washes up battered on a patch of deserted high ground. Hungover and shellshocked, he starts singing elaborate musical numbers with parts of his personality that, unbeknownst to him, have begun to take physical form. With only his inner demons to keep him company - and a volatile narrator with questionable motives - he begins to question every aspect of his life. There is also an 8 foot tall id monster, an apocalyptic puppet show and a giant wave made of trash. Pretty much your standard night at the theater...   

What inspired you to create Key of E?: The continuing pop culture obsession with the apocalypse.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Adventurous and unexpected creativity of any kind inspires me. I like it when people don't follow the rules, when things feel like they don't belong. Wayne Coyne has an Instagram account that I like to check to remind myself how much insane crap one person can achieve with the proper dedication.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Dave Grohl

What show have you recommended to your friends?:
The one about Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's early years. In my mind its like SNL Muppet Babies.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: "
Can't Matchett" starring Cher, Leo and 1970's Meatloaf as Andy Matchett. All three of them would be on screen at all times reading/singing the same lines simultaneously.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Steak, Whiskey, Broads and Smokes. Don't really feel that guilty about any of them, though.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: The one I'm working on at the moment.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be: Writing songs for some other project.

What’s up next?: Right now I'm recording tracks for my new original music project that has yet to be named and fleshing out some new ideas for musicals. The main goal is to work up a full length version of Key of E within the year and transition it to bigger stages and film.

Spotight On...Alycya Miller

Name: Alycya Miller

Hometown:
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Education: Princeton University; City University London

Why theater?: Performing onstage, particularly as an ensemble is like playing a game of odds and offers the same thrill as poker. A "good" performance in theater is all about the exact, unique positioning of the players onstage and the audience. Getting it "right" one night only gives the performers (and audience) a feeling that they want to try to reach that high again the next time.

Tell us about Brownie and Lolli Go To Hollywood: It is an absurd musical comedy about an oddball song and dance duo who work at a hat shop in New Orleans. They have a long-awaited chance to be on TV, but need to get to Hollywood by tomorrow. In their attempts to come up with the money to get to their dream, they meet a host of zany characters. The show features four jazz, R&B & rock songs as well as vibrant dance numbers. Some people have said that the comedy reminds them of Absolutely Fabulous and Abbott and Costello.

What inspired you to create Brownie and Lolli Go To Hollywood?: The whole idea emerged from a variety show I put together when I managed a funk band in North Carolina. Burlesque was making a comeback at that time (early 2000's) and we invited a local belly dancer to the shows to do her thing to funk and hip hop. During that time I came up with a stage name for the show host (Brownie Glendale) based on the rules for devising a burlesque name (name of first pet and name of first street). We had a singer who used to come for the show, but she was always late and frazzled when she got there. I gave her the nickname "Lolli." Long story short, I  felt inspired to write a piece about a female double act similar to Abbott and Costello, who have only one thing in common: their desire to be famous Hollywood stars.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?:
Musical plays like Hair, Tommy and the Rocky Horror Show speak to me because they do not follow the traditional musical theater format. As a musician first (my identity as an artist began with music), I appreciate pieces that offer solid tunes as well as plot. Both pieces can live independently that way.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: John Cleese.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: In the Frigid Festival? My own. In general? Fela - The Musical. It was so extraordinary, I cried.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I would play myself because so far, I have not seen many high profile triple threat Black actresses who could.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: A whole pint of coffee Haagen Dazs in one sitting.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?:
"Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be_____?: RICH

What’s up next?: If you want to make God laugh, make plans...

Spotlight On...Artem Yatsunov

Name: Artem Yatsunov

Education: Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ

Why theater?: Well my parents are telecommunications radar engineers, and Ben’s (the playwright’s) parents are park rangers, so we didn’t want to be unoriginal and follow in their footsteps. Cause like, please, I could be  a radar engineer in a heartbeat – I could wake up tomorrow and decide to just be one and I could do it, just like that. And Ben is all ranger, all the time. It is in his blood and he is one with nature. Seriously, you should watch him sprint a mile; the man is a gazelle.... so yeah, that’s “why theater”.

Tell us about Basic Help?: Basic Help is about two people on opposite ends of a journey through a crisis, of sorts. Cynthia (played deftly by Megan Greener) is reeling from a very recent failed relationship that has left her struggling to grasp who she thought she was and what she is now. Simon (the cool as ice Gavin Earl Johnson) in the meantime is slowly forgetting who he is – he has been working as a kitchenware sales associate since he graduated college and now is really good at it but none of his actual hopes, dreams or aspirations have materialized; he can potentially stay in the deep space vacuum that is the cubicle office workplace forever. Simon is not sad about any of it – until he meets Cynthia. As he watches her climb out of the darkness it sheds a stark light on how deep in the well of desolation he is in his own comfortable life. It’s a fast little play about going nowhere, about being stuck and about rapid change. It is a eulogy to the state of being in stasis. With jokes.

What inspired you to direct Basic Help?: Ben and I both regard ourselves as gentlemen of refined manners and pride ourselves on our incredibly amiable phone banter etiquette with help line personnel. We’re wonderful to catch on the phone! Every time my Chase bank account manager calls me concerning my once again over drafted bank account I have the cheeriest, excited disposition; although it is never ever ever never good news – it is always only very bad news when the bank calls – I strive to make the banker's day a little brighter - and I always succeed. It’s almost a competition, who can out-polite who. This play examines the concepts of the private and the social using long distance communication – we see the two people in their own private worlds, communicating with one another only through phone calls. The “kitchenware help line” serves as a conduit and their only social contract between each other. There’s a lot of comedy in how hard and awkward it can be to get comfortable talking with a complete stranger who you can’t see.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I feel like we gravitate to theatre that is uninhibited. That may seem like a really general and naïve answer but we’re actually really old timey fellas who prefer straightforward daring storytelling. We like fearless stories, plays that don’t hold back – ‘Night Mother, or The Pillowman, for example. Tina and Amy: Last Night in Paradise is a very current kindred spirit to that mission, too. Not to be missed!

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Antonia Lassar, Emily Mann, or Clay McLeod Chapman.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Tina and Amy: Last Night in Paradise - if I wasn't a man, which I am, I would want to be a cast member in that show. I've told them countless times that I could get in good enough shape by the end of February to be in the production, but they are still insisting on flying George Clooney out to be their stage hand  and the aerial acrobat for their "sexy-dance-with-circus-giraffes-and-veggie-oil" sequence.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Idris Alba, "The Tides of Tomorrow". It’s set on an island after the apocalypse and Idris Alba is playing me as a super scientist stranded, having just survived a super special and deadly people-killing planet-wide explosion. Fearing that the world’s populations is dying out, Idris (me) constructs a clone machine – out of conch shells, palm leaves, coconuts, etc – and creates many clones of himself (me)…. But the clones don’t care about the world population problem, the clones just want the island and the planet all to themselves. Action, mind games, lethal coconut bowling tournaments, the hunter is hunted, and of course – romance! It’s sort of like that scene from "Total Recall" at the very end, meets "Cast Away", meets "The Wire".

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?:
All of them. I only have big pleasures and I feel really guilty.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: I don’t own any Apple products. I like Tom Waits.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Colonizing the moon.

What’s up next?: Probably a production of The Pillowman or Macbeth in New Jersey in May. Then, I’m going to tour around Canada with my girl-friend Antonia Lassar, who is a real-life dragon and the star of Tina and Amy: Last Night in Paradise, and we will be performing our two-person musical audience-participation-show called Pair of Animals… wants to marry YOU!  We’ll be at Edmonton and Winnipeg Fringes so check us out! And we’re hoping to get into Minnesota Fringe, too – cross your fingers and your toes for us, everyone!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Spotlight On...Rebecca Perry

Name: Rebecca Perry

Hometown: Toronto

Education: George Brown College's Theater School in Toronto (a 3 year conservatory style program for classical theater)

Favorite Credits: premiering a World War II musical called Suzy Snowflake Entertains The Troops! in New Orleans, I came up with the concept and wrote additional lyrics along with performing in the show. Lorraine in Bat Boy: The Musical (Gladstone Theater) and singing alongside Broadway’s Mark Cassius at his 70’s Poparet cabaret show in Toronto.

Why theater?: Because if I actually became a lawyer I don't think the judge would like my flare for dramatics or need for a costume change every time the jury had a break.

Tell us about Red Headed Coffee Shop Girl?: This November I had my first foray into writing for musical theater.  I came up with a concept and alongside a lyricist and composer we created a musical set during WWII that was historically accurate (plot-wise and musically).  It was the most exciting challenge I have had as a writer and form it emerged Suzy Snowflake Entertains The Troops!

What inspired you to create Red Headed Coffee Shop Girl?: That storytelling is a natural instinct for the human race.  Storytelling is how humans have passed on information from the beginning of time.  From cultural beliefs to teaching math to explaining ancestry or tradition. In this day and age we have the luxury of telling a story with costumes, set, lighting, sound, music...why not try and tell your story?

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Classical theater, mainly because it was what I trained in but also because the stories are so rich in detail and every scene has a purpose.  Every line must be paid attention to.  This inspires me as an artist because that is what we should strive for in contemporary theater - exciting, intricate and necessary stories - no matter what the topic!

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?:
Paul Hutcheson, but that is happening at the FRIGID - I will be a guest in his Canuck Cabaret.  I've had a talent crush on his razor-sharp comedic skills since I saw him perform in Ottawa more than a year ago. 

What show have you recommended to your friends?: The Canuck Cabaret - I am Canadian after all!

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Emma Stone - I was mistaken for her today while hanging out in The East Village, it's a sign (haha).  The title:  "Redheaded Ambition"!

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: All the yummy desserts you can buy at Babycakes bakery in the East Village

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: "Baby, Don't Save Me" by HAIM. Damn those girls have tight harmonies.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: I was supposed to be a lawyer, so there's always that!

What’s up next?: After this I am home for a six weeks and then my show tours to Stratford, London, Toronto again, Saskatoon, Victoria, Seattle and while I am out there I get to go to LA to see my best friend (who moved to California) get married. Fun ahead!

Spotlight On...Scott Michael Morales

Name: Scott Michael Morales

Hometown: McKinney, TX

Education: BA in English at Marymount Manhattan College, plus some acting here and there

Favorite Credits:
Playing a meth cook/addict in the independent film "Pearl," Playing most of Shakespeare's characters in the play The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Playing a massage parlor patron in a Trojan Condom commercial.

Why theater?:
Because its urgent and immediate; you can't escape the audience and that is utterly thrilling. And because I get to do funny voices.

Tell us about Professor Ralph's Loss of Breath:
Its a fun, silly comedy with just the right amount of meat on its bones: it tells the story of a man-child who endures a crucible and, when he finds himself on the other side, he finds that he has grown up a little and discovered just how lucky he is. Plus funny funny voices.

What inspired you to join the cast of Professor Ralph's Loss of Breath: I love big, broad comedy, and the opportunity to do something so vaudevillian gave me a great chance to do just that.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Theater that pushes me into any extreme direction, be it positive or negative, and makes me a little uncomfortable. Ian MacKellan, Gary Oldman, and Meryl Streep are my heroes alongside Luke Skywalker and Emmitt Smith (somewhat different categories, though).

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: See above, especially Emmitt Smith.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Many, but one that sticks out in recent memory is the production of The Other Place put on by MTC a couple of years ago. Laurie Metcalf delivered one of the single best performances I have ever seen.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: It would be an animated film called "Scotty Bones: Tales of a Jedi Master" and would be directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It would feature the great Gary Oldman as my voice with my body modeled after a younger Wallace Shawn. Or if they called me up, I would gladly do it.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?:
Jean Claude Van Damme movies. Except I don't feel guilty...

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: I want to be cool and say something no one has heard of, but let's be honest here, its probably a movie score by John Williams.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?:
Working in film? Too easy. Probably a minister or a teacher. Or a comic book writer. Or a space marine.

What’s up next?: Working on a new play about the Van Goghs called The Room that will go up later in the year, working on a web series called "Written for You" that will come out in the Spring, chasing that dream, more funny voices.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Spotlight On...Rob Matsushita

Name: Rob Matsushita

Hometown: Montclair, NJ (but we're coming from Madison, Wisconsin)

Education:
BA in Communication Arts from University Of Wisconsin--Madison

Favorite Credits: Superhero Boogie, 900, Chapel.

Why theater?: When I started (back in the 90's), it was much easier to get a play going than a film. Nowadays, what with digital, it's the opposite, so I do both, now.

Tell us about Boogie of the Apes?: Boogie Of The Apes is a fast-paced parody, recapping the first four “Planet Of The Apes” movies in less than an hour, with the help of children's read-along records from the 1970's.

What inspired you to create Boogie of the Apes?: This is actually a sequel to a show called Superhero Boogie, which was all about comic book characters, and used the same format, of lip-syncing children's records. “Planet Of The Apes” seemed the logical next step, because all of the movies put together made one crazy, epic story. These shows are just so much fun to do, and we're always finding laughs every time we rehearse. I wanted to do this same show back when I was about 10 years old, only then, I probably wouldn't have been ironic.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Normally, I'm a lot more of a realism guy--but when I was younger, it was all about absurdist humor. Now, I like to jump back and forth. Honestly, the Boogie plays are a blast to perform. If all I did from this point on were shows like this, that's a life worth having.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Edgar Wright. He seems to know how to have fun.

What show have you recommended to your friends?:At the first annual Frigid New York festival, it was a show by Jacob Richmond called Legoland. It was actually opposite one of my plays on its closing night, and I made one of my relatives go and see that show instead because I didn't think he'd get another chance if he didn't, and he'd already seen my show.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?:
Freddy Wong, and it'd be called "Shut Up, We're Doing This."

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: "Chucky" movies and the "Final Destination" series. I will watch the hell out of every single one of them.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?:
Currently, it's the theme song to "Snuff Box," by Matt Berry.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: ...PLAYING in theater.

What’s up next?: My first sci-fi show, called Civil. It's also my first courtroom drama. It's about how court cases are tried in an unspecified future.

Spotlight On...Liliana Ashman

Name: Liliana Ashman

Hometown:
Santa Fe, NM

Education: B.A. Theatre Arts, Drew University

Favorite Credits: All Hell Lay Beneath with Sugarglass Theatre Company, Dublin; Lady MacBeth with The British American Drama Academy Midsummer in Oxford, U.K).; Ida Cartmill in Rock Shore with Theaterwork, Santa Fe.

Why theater?: I love it. The whole creative process is incredible even when it can be terribly stressful. I love bringing an audience together and sharing an experience or a story. Being able to communicate that live is so powerful and exhilarating.

Tell us about How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Gardaí?:
It's a one woman play about my experience of immigration. Having grown up in Santa Fe I was always aware of immigration but it was not until I was directly affected by it that I reflected critically on how important of an issue it is.

What inspired you to create How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Gardai?: I decided to write and perform the play after I was almost deported from Ireland. I felt that I needed to tell my story.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Theatre that makes you think and resonates after you have left the performance. A piece that causes a discussion amongst strangers. I love theatre that explores movement in innovative ways. I really admire the work of Elevator Repair Service, The Wooster Group, Brokentalkers, and junk ensemble.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?:
Mark Rylance.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Shakespeare's Globe Twelfth Night
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Well I recently took a BuzzFeed quiz that said Danielle Radcliffe would play me. But really I would like Lena Dunham or Jennifer Lawrence to play me and the movie would be called “Lili in Translation”.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Binge watching something on Netflix and eating cheese.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: “Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)” by Florence + The Machine

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Rolling in it.

What’s up next?:
I'm seeing where How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Garda will take me over the next year
í

Spotlight On...Charles Gershman

Name: Charles Gershman

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Education: BA, Columbia University; MA (theatre with a focus on playwriting) Hunter College

Favorite Credits: I'm a huge Woody Allen fan. I don't care what anyone says about him.

Why theater?: The unpredictable organic energy of theatre is something that can only occur in live performance.

Tell us about Shooting Abe?: This is a play about two brothers and the lives they want to lead vs. the lives they lead. In wrestling with each other, they're really wrestling with themselves, and with the tradition that informs their sense of self. Things in the play that should make you want to see it: prayers. art. tears. an engagement. shame. laughter. baseball. a rabbi. and A TON OF NUDITY.

What inspired you to create Shooting Abe?: The first draft of the play emerged from out of nowhere -- I simply sat down to write. Once I had a draft, I worked extensively on it to capitalize on the dramatic potential of its absurd and dramatically rich premise.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I admire skillful plotting, complex and richly drawn characters, innovative dramatic structure, and the kind of theatre that an audience doesn't forget. I'm inspired by so many: Kushner, Chekhov, Albee, Richard Greenberg, Sarah Ruhl, Ira Sachs, my playwright friends, my mentor Tina Howe, and innumerable others.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?:
Sam Gold.

What show have you recommended to your friends?:
Nina Raine's Tribes.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?:
I'm crawling out of my skin just thinking about this. I really don't know.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Watching FailArmy videos on Youtube.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: “Guitar Man”, by Bread.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: I'd probably try another form -- screenplays, maybe.

What’s up next?: My play Tell Me in Code (or, Milk for Mrs. Stone) will have a staged reading with the Fresh Fruit Festival, at 3:15pm on March 1. The location is 487 Hudson Street, NYC.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Spotlight On...Karina Casiano

Name: Karina Casiano

Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Education: University of Puerto Rico, Drama Department

Favorite Credits: My shows, and the film and TV gigs.

Why theater?: I just wanted to be an actress when I entered college. I didn't know or had seen much theater. I got sucked into the magic.

Tell us about Womankind?: It's a play in verse with original songs about the destructive effects of sexual inequality on women. It includes several different movement styles, including modern, aerial and pole dancing. I want to spark the urge to become absolutely intolerant to sexual discrimination and to take concrete action to eradicate it once and for all. It tells the story of a bitter old lady who, during the last day of her life looks back at the way her life has been negatively affected by being a woman.

What inspired you to create Womankind?: The constant harassment and discrimination that we women face and the way it is accepted as normal, funny and even desirable in every society.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I like theater where magic happens, which has a point of view and which displays artistic virtuosity. I am inspired by the combination of talent and rigor. Steven Colbert inspires me.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Alfonso Cuarón. Call me already, güey!

What show have you recommended to your friends?:
I remember recommending "Traces" by Seven Fingers when I first saw it.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I don't even want to think what lame movie Hollywood would make about me.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: TV

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: I do not like iTunes. I listen to music depending on my mood. All kinds. I'm listening to a mix of Ismael Rivera, Bruno Mars, Billy Joel, Calle 13, and the sound cues to Womankind. And I'm learning to play a few chords on the piano, and I'm a bit addicted.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Less stressed and better paid. Also fatter.

What’s up next?:
I hope Womankind has some kind of impact. Then there's the possibility to perform the play internationally in the summer. And then, rest, clean my house, and assess the damages.

Spotlight On...Nate Trinrud

Name: Nate Trinrud

Hometown: Rock Island, IL

Education: Northwestern University

Select Credits:
I've maxed out every card I've ever had.

Why theater?:
Was told "face too weird" for film.

Tell us about HELIX, HELIX: The story of you, me, and us; A Sloan Commission:
Its about those girls from college who always post those articles about feminism and then you're all like... wait whaaaaaat. I hate you. BUT I LOVE WOMEN AND RESPECT WOMENS RIGHTS! No but seriously. It's a really important play about topics that will change our socioeconomic structures. And science.

What is it like being a part of HELIX, HELIX: The story of you, me, and us; A Sloan Commission?: Torture. I have asked to be released from this production on numerous occasions. No dice.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Really into mime right now. Just really feeling it.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: I would like to play the role of Lea Michelle playing the role of a human-person. It would be a challenge, but I'm up for it.

What’s your favorite showtune?: "You Done Right" from Raisin! the Musical.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Chad Michael Murray or The Ying Yang Twins

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Ron Rifkin as Nate Trinrud in "I'm Not Getting Texts right Now; The Nate Trinrud Story"

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Bring it On: The Musical (non-equity touring production)... but only the performances in Kansas. The rest have been garbage. Really found the sweet spot in Kansas, though.

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: Sleep Sounds Volume 5: "The Jungle is Alive with the Sounds of the Night!"

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Plucking.

What’s up next?: We could grab coffee or see a movie? I'm free all month. But...you'll have to pay. That cool? Hit me up. Also, come see HELIX, HELIX and buy your tickets in advance because I hear Joan Rivers is coming on one of the nights. http://here.org/shows/detail/1396/

Spotlight On...Megan Hill

Name: Megan Hill

Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Education: MFA in Acting, Moscow Art Theatre/American Repertory Theater IATT at Harvard University; BFA in Acting and Original Works, Cornish College of the Arts

Select Credits: "ME+U" (Web Series); The House of Von Macrame (The Management/ Bushwick Starr); Hand to God (EST); Crystal Skillman's Cut and Open; Company member of The Management, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Studio 42

Why theater?: It's like that nursery rhyme: When it's good, it's very, very good.

Tell us about HELIX, HELIX: The story of you, me, and us; A Sloan Commission: It's more about me than you, but it's still about us. It's a play about science. It's a play about family. It's a play about how boring most plays about science and family are.

What is it like being a part of HELIX, HELIX: The story of you, me, and us; A Sloan Commission?: Grueling. Morgan Gould is a hack. The rest of the cast is okay.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Theater that's a little bit messy, that doesn't take itself too seriously, and isn't lazy. Theater that isn't spelled with an "re". I'm inspired most by anything outside of theater.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: Anything new.

What’s your favorite showtune?: “Big Spender” from Sweet Charity; Any song from Really Rosie

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Carol Channing, Elaine Stritch, Joan Rivers. Well, really I would just like to have a ladies' night with them.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: "Why You So Hairy, Fart Lady?: A Story of Triumph in the Search for a Journey: The Megan Hill Story" OR "How to Make your Face a Meal for Cats: A Guide to Dying Alone" both starring John Turturro

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Big Ang's Miami Monkey (Mob Wives' spinoff)

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: Not sure-- "Paradise City" by Guns 'N Roses is probably up there.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Anything with Big Ang. Real Housewives. Coco (Ice T's wife), she can balance a beer can on her ass and she has a heart of gold. I love Ice T and Coco.

What’s up next?: The Claque's Spotlight Fellowship. Collaborations with Joshua Conkel, Crystal Skillman, Darcy Fowler, Eric Dufault, Heather Robb, Margot Bordelon, Meg Sturiano, and Stein/Holum.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Spotlight On...Paul Hutcheson

Name: Paul Hutcheson

Hometown:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Education:
Drama In Education; Second City Conservatory Graduate

Why theater?: Nothing compares to the immediacy and intimate nature of live theatre. The relationship between artist and audience is vital.

Tell us about Canuck Cabaret: I was performing my solo show "On Second Thought" at the Frigid Festival in 2009.  The festival was great but was missing a show for artists and a late night crowd.  Canuck Cabaret was born.

What inspired you to create Canuck Cabaret?: I love being a cabaret curator!  I love placing numerous artists in front of audiences to not only entertain but challenge. 

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Theatre that takes risks inspires me!  I love being uneasy and not having all the answers placed before me in art.  The city and other artists are a constant inspiration to me.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: My dream performers to work with:  Laurie Metcalf, Laura Dern, Martha Plimpton & Cloris Leachman

What show have you recommended to your friends?:
Petunia & Chicken

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Chips

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: “Make a New Dance Up”-Hey Ocean

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Teacher

What’s up next?: Directing a show, Snow Brid in the spring of 2014.  Producing numerous Pride shows in Toronto in June 2014.

Spotlight On...Maria Wojciechowski

Name: Maria Wojciechowski

Hometown: Mobile, Al (Currently in Chicago)

Education: BA in Drama from University of South Alabama

Favorite Credits: Stand Up duo: Abbaria, ensemble member at iO Theater's Saturday/SATURDAY

Why theater?: I've always loved performing. I started dancing when I was two and just could never imagine my life without being on stage.

Tell us about Almost A Genius?: It's a comedy show about my experiences with bipolar disorder. I incorporate solo sketch, stand up, monologues, music and dance.

What inspired you to create Almost A Genius?: I'd always wanted to do a show where I could throw everything I like to do in there. And when I received my diagnosis I wrote a bunch that night and figured... this is it.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love all types of theater. I really am inspired by people/companies that take risks.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Everyone. This is a solo show!

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Double Happiness. My friend Kelly is in it and she's a sweetheart.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I don't know. I'll go with Jennifer Lawrence and it will be called "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood."

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I love binge watching Netflix

What’s the most played song on your iPod?:
"Constant Conversations" by Passion Pit

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Who knows. I love doing everything.

What’s up next?: Just heading back to Chicago and keep working on doing comedy.

Review: Attend the Tale of Perfect Revenge

Let's face it, we've all had revenge fantasies. A long time ago someone does you wrong so years after the dust has settled, you seek them out, lure them to your apartment and kill them. Wait. Too far? Maybe we're all not like that but in Ryan Sprague's East in Red there's a whole lot of revenge going on with the backdrop of a psycho killer lurking through the Lower East Side.
The play follows Aaron, an effeminate though not necessarily gay hair stylist, who invites a prostitute over. Clue number one! After it's established that sex is off the table, the two strangers begin to talk leading to truths and pasts. The first half of Sprague's script is a beautiful case study in character. Two characters, who necessarily should never meet, are given the opportunity to come clean with no strings attached. But when the truths begin to reveal motives, the play takes a turn toward the action. Before this turn, Sprague expertly places subtle plot points that you need to remember, allowing for the "oh no they didn't" moments to land. Without spoiling the fun, once we discover who Aaron and Marie actually are, we see their true character unleashed, representing how strangers in any circumstance will act a part in order to get what they want. With this backdrop of a serial killer and only two characters, the information makes you believe that we've been watching Sweeney Bateman the Demon Stylist of the East Village. But just when you think you've figured out what's going to happen next, be warned, you're wrong. Well at least for the time being. We're granted so many twists and turns that make it exciting to see what's coming next. However there may be one too many, wishing the play ended after the slice and dice, not allowing for the last big reveal.
With a bookend of scenes, for the most part it's a two-character play. Fortunately there is a sensational performance that makes you wish Aaron was granted a television series of his own. Patrick Andrew Jones as Aaron is phenomenal. From his perfectly calculated physicality and mannerisms to his wonderful vocal inflections, he gives a standout performance. You can't help but cheer for the potential psychopath with the deep-rooted pain and empathy. Jones finds a humor within Aaron that balances out his beautiful moments of distress giving the character depth. Emily Tuckman as Marie, the damaged goods with a vengeance, puts up a good fight against Jones and Aaron. Because Tuckman knows when she needs Marie to play a performer, it allows the big switch but be so shocking. In their supporting roles, Jonah Nathan and Sam Yarabek both take time in their moments in the spotlight.
Director Mike Backes does a great job helping his actors tell Sprague's story in a limited space. Set in a dingy apartment, Backes finds the safe spots in the room for the characters as well as well as calculating the importance of special relationship during certain key plot points. You know if Aaron is by his music or sitting on the couch next to Marie whether he's sharing fact or preparing for something. Possibly due to the nature of the festival setting there were some iffy lighting choices. But the device of establishing a "story telling past" light was a smart choice that wanted to be executed sharper. There were some sadly executed rope tying and fight and weapon work that took you out of the action and reminded you we're at the theater.
East in Red is a smart and fun script that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you're a fan of mystery, noir, or plain old excitement, this is for you. If you like watching a star be born on stage, Patrick Andrew Jones has that covered.

Spotlight On...Scott Raymond Johnson

Name: Scott Raymond Johnson

Hometown:
Hampden, Maine

Education: Emerson College

Favorite Credits: Quest for the West: Adventures on the Oregon Trail! (Ezekiel), Oklahoma! (Will Parker), Route 66 (Charlie, Depot Theater)

Why theater?: I gain the opportunity to lead so many different lives without having to commit to living one. Cowboys, factory workers, eye donor recipient; I may have spent more time being someone else than I have been myself.

Tell us about Eyes of Orbach?:
Paul and Billy meet and fall in love at first sight, only to discover they are each the recipients of one of Jerry Orbach's donated eyes. The show was inspired by The Eye Bank of New York's posters in the subway which said that "Jerry Orbach gave his heart and soul to acting and the gift of sight to two New Yorkers."

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: As I've gotten older I'm finding myself drawn to all sorts of theater. Musical, Classic and immersive experiences all have opened me up to absorbing as much NYC theater as possible. I'm inspired by everyone I get the chance to work with because there is always something I can learn from a fellow artist regardless of how long any of us has been in the business.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I base all of my working with lists on whether they'd be fun to get a drink with after. That's a pretty wide open list.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: If you still haven't seen Once, shame on you and go right now. Best adaptation of a movie yet.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: “How to have it all with very little money”, starring Justin Timberlake. It'd be a travel buddy comedy about me and my husband, who would be played by Mo Rocca.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Competition based reality tv. "Amazing Race". "Survivor". 'The Mole". I can't get enough.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: "Little Black Dress", Sara Bareilles. She's a goddess.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?:
and will be, an admission counselor at my old college. Once I feel I've left my Mark, I want to go back and help the next round do the same...whenever that day comes.

What’s up next?:
it's audition season! After Orbach I have a pretty baller honeymoon to China coming up, and hopefully a stock gig to get to come home to this summer.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Spotlight On...Jonathan A. Goldberg

Name: Jonathan A. Goldberg

Hometown: Hawthorne, NJ

Education: BA, Gallatin, NYU ; MFA, Tisch, NYU

Favorite Credits:
Land Whale Murders, Luck of the Ibis (Shelby Company); Winner of the 2013 Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival In Process Short Play Festival; Winner of the 2011 L Magazine Pocket Fiction Contest

Why theater?: Theater is a communal medium and I love collaborating with other artists and talent.  When you create a work for  the stage both the audience and players are working together to create the show.  We are all creating the show together and it’s immediate and powerful.  It’s exciting.

Tell us about Real Dead Ghosts?:
Real Dead Ghosts tells the story of a young married couple who think a trip to a secluded cabin will help repair their relationship.  Amber is overworked and trying to keep her past away, while her husband Graham an amateur ghost hunter is obsessed with the past.

What inspired you to create Real Dead Ghosts?:
It would be fun to create a modern day ghost story where there might not be any ghost involved.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I enjoy all sorts of theater.  Some of my favorite works are by: Charles Ludlam, Tony Kushner, Carol Churchill, and many many others.  I want to create unique and challenging works for the stage that are both entertaining and challenge us.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: There are so many people I’d love to work with.  I love Everett Quinton and would love to work with him on something.  We’ve talked about it but I’d love to make it happen.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: I really enjoyed the Julie Taymor Midsummer Night’s Dream at Theater For a New Audience and I’m very excited about Irma Vep at RedBull I would recommend that show anytime even not having yet seen this version.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Me?  Maybe a rock with googly eyes in some sort of stop motion adventure.  It’d probably be called something like "Rock This Way" or "Stone Cold Something".  It would probably be more interesting than my actual life.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Buffalo wings.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: Something by Sleater-Kinney probably.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Unemployed.

What’s up next?: We are going to take Real Dead Ghosts to the Toronto and Montreal Fringe this summer.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Spotlight On...Ian Ferrier

Name: Ian Ferrier

Hometown: Montreal, Canada   
           
Education:
Honours English/Creative Writing Undergraduate Scholars Program, Concordia University; Banff Centre for the Arts Spoken Word Program

Favorite Credits: Founder of the Canadian Review of Literature in Performance, Wired on Words Productions, the Tusarniq Festival and the Mile End Poets’ Festival; featured performer at Volapuk Festival, Oslo Norway; featured at One Man Band Festival and at the Lyon, France Literary Festival; selected as one of 10 top Canadian spoken word performers.

Why theater?:
Well it ain’t exactly theater. Our work explores the interface between imagination and motion. Poetry asks the audience to create their own images from words, and we do our best to leave these intact. But images evoke emotional resonance and this we explore and reflect with light and with the beauty, responses, motion and relationships of five women dancers.

Tell us about For Body and Light: For Body and Light is what I’ve always wanted to do: to create words and music while surrounded with beauty and motion. I found choreographer Stephanie Robert while we were both working with Body Slam, Greg Selinger’s improv group mixing poetry, music and dance. From our own perspectives we were both interested in mixing story and dance, which is what we’ve done. She creates and choreographs dance and I create and perform original scores for voice and music. 

What inspired you to create For Body and Light?: The piece we’re presenting was first explored in a residency at Main & Station in Nova Scotia, Canada. We were creating in a studio in the old Customs House, then on the beach, then on the pier and in the forest. The beach and pier are like nowhere else on earth. Twice each day water enough to bury a three story building moves in and out. So the fishing boat that’s resting on the sandy bottom floats on 35 feet of water six hours later. As we worked and filmed, our dancers would be standing on dry land one moment and overwhelmed by water a minute later. It gives one the idea of the fragility and tenacity of life, surrounded by these huge forces. One night we lit a fire on the dunes only to have our path back to land cut off by the incoming tide. We had to wait half the night to get home.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?:
Two of my early influences were Chekhov and Beckett. Both have a sense of what predates all of our experience and our lives, of the immense unknowable. After that I like Nikolai Gogol and the works of a number of American contemporary poets and writers: Mary Gaitsklll and Tom Sleigh to name two.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I’d love to work with the Icelandic band Sigur Ros

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Can't answer yet as I haven't seen the rest of the work at Frigid. But looking forward to many. Almost a Genius looks fascinating, as does Eating My Gatrbage, Confessions of a Redheaded Coffee Shop Girl and Charlotte the Destroyer

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Watching bootleg cinema on my laptop in the bath

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: John Coltrane- “Ole”

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be ______?: a writer and mountain bike tour guide in the Himalayas; in winter, a writer and marine biologist in Fiji

What’s up next?: We’re traveling For Body and Light from the prairies to the West coast of North America

Spotlight On...Jennifer Gill

Name: Jennifer Gill

Hometown: Oxford, NC

Education: B.F.A. from NYU Tisch School of the Arts

Favorite Credits: Elaine in Arsenic and Old Lace, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet

Why theater?: It's unpredictable in a way - you can rehearse all you like, but it's still humans being human directly in front of other humans. Anything can happen. Yes, I enjoy transporting people from their humdrum lives for a bit and all those lovely idealistic things, but the rush of it being live is pretty spectacular. People are so tuned into their screens these days (televisions, computers, tablets, smart phones...) that it's really almost old fashioned to have an audience sit down for a bit with a piece of live theater. It's thrilling if you think about it.

Tell us about I Shall Forget You Presently?: Our writers, Amy Overman and Eric Chase, have taken Edna St Vincent Millay's poems and letters (and some period music) and created a piece that gives a real sense of the woman she was. When I try to explain the work to people I often hear, "Oh I think I've read some of her poems, but I don't really know anything about her". We hope to change that. The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry; Millay was a Jazz Age super star who embodied the spirit of the era. She has such an incredible story! I'll steal this bit from our promo materials: "funny and sexy, sacred and profane - a woman who captured love, defined feminism and shaped the 20th century"  I think it's such a shame that so many people have no idea who she was. Working on this we've all become a bit obsessed with her, and I think people who see it will understand why!

What is it like being a part of I Shall Forget You Presently?: I was a member of the cast of our original short production of this in 2012 and have really enjoyed watching this show develop. We've gathered frequently over the past year to read poetry, share ideas, and read drafts. So many of the cast and crew have been involved from day one and it's exciting to finally have a chance to share this long version. Combining my loves of literature and theater with some of my best friends...it just doesn't get any better.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: All of it. Musicals, Classical, Drama, Comedy... anyone trying to do something live is good by me. Amanda Palmer constantly throws out thoughts and work that makes me think of new things. She isn't afraid to have a conversation with her audience either. I follow her on Twitter for the conversations actually. Art isn't a one sided conversation - you need that audience and their reaction to make it complete.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I feel like I should have someone for this, shouldn't I? I probably had a whole list when I was 22 and fresh out of school. Look, I'm inching towards 40 now and am a stay at home mom.  Most days I'm just glad I get to make art that doesn't involve school glue and googly eyes.

What show have you recommended to your friends?:
I don't get out a lot anymore (see previous stay at home mom comment), but when someone is looking for a recommendation I try to steer them towards one of the small, independent theaters around town. Try something new and small. It could be awful or it could be amazing! Let yourself be surprised.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: A long time ago someone said I looked like Keira Knightley. I think they were drunk, but I'm sticking with it. You can call the movie whatever you like, but in it "I LOOK LIKE KEIRA KNIGHTLEY".

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Nutella and a spoon

What’s the most played song on your iPod?:
I did a legitimate check on this and it says Simon & Garfunkel's "I Am A Rock".  My toddler requests it every night at bedtime. I worry about him.  Take that out and I'd guess Amanda Palmer, "Do It With a Rockstar" or "Ukulele Anthem"

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be_______?: Dreadfully bored

What’s up next?: Nothing yet, anyone hiring?

Friday, February 21, 2014

Spotlight On...Ryan Sprague

Name: Ryan Sprague

Hometown: Syracuse, NY

Education:
B.A. in Theatre & Playwriting from Oswego State University

Favorite Credits: My one act play, Some Just Do It Naturally, played at Theatre Row in 2006. It was my first production ever, and in "The Big Apple" nonetheless! After that first night of hearing the audience react in various different ways (good and bad), I knew that writing was for me. I also had the wonderful opportunity to premiere my play, Reach, in my hometown where my playwriting mentor was able to see the show. I will never forget drinking a Guinness with him after the show, and him asking me what I thought of the production. My response was simply, "I immediately want to go home and start digging deeper in to the script." His response was even more simple and surprisingly prolific: "I taught you right."

Why theater?: Theatre is life. It breathes. It grows. It dies. And it resurrects. I find nothing more gratifying than going to the theatre and being inspired to do something. Whether it's to run home and start a new play or whether a certain character inspires me to examine my own life in a different way, the connection between the actor and the audience is one of the most intimate things in any art form. If I can make people forget about what happened to them that day or where they are going for drinks after the play, I feel that I've down my job as a playwright. They have entrusted me to be their guide for 30, 90, or 120 minutes. It has a lot to do with trust. They can trust me to take them on an emotional and evocative journey, and in return, I can trust them to respond in any way they see fit. The brutal honesty of an audience is the greatest gift a playwright can ever receive.

Tell us about East in Red: East in Red is a film-noir/dark comedy/horror-thriller play. (Probably my only play I can't fit neatly in to a genre puzzle). It is loosely based on actual people who were involved with the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888- 1889. Transformed in to modern day New York City, the play follows Marie, a down-on-her-luck actress-turned prostitute who finds herself in the apartment of Aaron, a mysterious client with unclear motives. On the way, we meet a dark figure who haunts the stage, and a landlord who fancies himself a gum-shoe detective ready to uncover the gruesome murders happening in his neighborhood. As the night progresses, it's clear this is more than an innocent night of sex, but a dangerous game of cat and mouse where the chances of everyone making it out alive being scathingly slim. It's funny, sad, gruesome, and beautiful. Think Hitchcock meets Tom Savini, with a dash of Dexter for flavor.

What inspired you to write East in Red?: This was actually the first play of mine that I was commissioned to write for a company. After submitting another play to DreamCatcher Entertainment, I received an email stating that what I sent wasn't for them at that time, but the artistic director, Kelly Feustel, asked if I'd have any interest in writing a play for their October slot of their following season. It would run during Halloween, and the only stipulation was that it would have to involve Jack the Ripper in some way. I'd never written british dialogue, or a period-piece for that matter, so I asked if I could put my own spin on it. They gladly obliged. I immediately started researching the original case and found one of the suspects, Aaron Kominski, to be a very interesting individual, ripe with accusation. A well dressed barber of his time, Kominsku became a stylish hairdresser in SoHo in my updated version. A detective on the original case, Edmund Reed, became the landlord of Aaron's East Village apartment, and Marie, the final and most brutal victim of Jack the Ripper's ghastly streak, became a meticulous and vigilante prostitute with an agenda of pure revenge on her mind and in her heart. And that dark figure I mentioned earlier... you'll just have to come see the show!

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Anything that makes me think about my own life and how I would react in a situation that the character has been thrown in to. Any playwright who breaks boundaries, structure, or convention, I have immense respect and envy for. Rebecca Gilman, Sarah Ruhl, Tracy Letts, Adam Rapp, and Christopher Shinn are my biggest inspirations when it comes to playwriting. Their voices are so clear and their worlds so defined.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?:
Tracy Letts. Whether it's collaborating writing-wise, having him either direct or act in one of my plays (hell, why not both!?), I would die a happy man. I would also love to pick the brain of Tony Kushner one day. And then there's the actor, Michael Shannon. The guy is terrifying in anything he does. I'd love to write a stark-raving mad character to just lose himself in. Actually… maybe I should send East in Red to his agent!

What show have you recommended to your friends?: I recently saw a play called, How to Make Friends and Then Kill Them, by Halley Feiffer, at Rattlestick. It was one of the most gut-wrenching and perversely funny plays I'd ever experienced.  I believe it was extended twice, but had to close due to the rest of the season. WHEN it gets done again somewhere, I'd highly recommend it.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Wow. I know it's probably cliche to say I've never even thought about this question… but I can modestly say that I don't think I ever have. I'd like to say someone like Joseph Gordon Levitt or Jared Leto… but the more realistic voice in my head is saying Sean Astin (From the days of "Rudy"… not Sam from "Lord of the Rings") It would be called, "Burden of the Playwright… or Why Do You Write Plays When You Can Just Skip a Step and Write the Screenplay Instead?". Not sure if that will fit on a title-card in a readable-sized font, however.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Netflix. The second I think I'm done with binge-watching something, another show creeps up on to my list. I also have an obsession with podcasts that talk about bad movies. I don't understand why I like it… but I do. And it is somewhat pleasurable in a guilty sorta way. I think. Yes. Yes it is.

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: “Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Investigating paranormal cases for the FBI, ala Fox Mulder from The X-Files. Seriously though… I'm obsessed with the UFO phenomenon.

What’s up next?:
My first feature film is currently in post-production and will be hitting the festival circuit in early 2015. More info on that can be found at www.reverielanemovie.com. My one act play, Some Just Do It Naturally, will be one of ten plays featured in the Outworks GLBTQ Festival of Plays in April of 2014. It was also recently published by Black Box Theatre Publishing. To help me keep my electricity on, you can purchase it online at amazon.com or the Barnes and Noble online store. Shamless plug complete. I also have my first book coming out in late 2014. It is titled, "When Logic Fails: Implications and Aftermath of Experiencing the Unknown". It will be published by Richard Dolan Press. And yes… it's about UFOs.

For more on Ryan, visit www.ryandsprague.com

Spotlight On...Anaïs Koivisto

Name: Anaïs Koivisto

Hometown: San Francisco

Education: BU CFA, LAMDA, ACT (and other acronyms)

Favorite Credits: As a director - Erik Ehn's The Saint Plays while I was at BU. For fun - playing Gollum in 4th grade during my elementary school's epic theatrical adaptation of The Hobbit.

Why theater?: It's a collaborative art - the final product doesn't ever belong to any one artist. And I LOVE that. My job, as a director, is to get a lot of really talented people in a room together, make them feel safe, and push them to do the best work they can. In theatre, the work we create as a company is deeper, smarter, riskier, and frankly better than anything I could ever create on my own. I am inspired by the brilliance of the people I get to work with every day. The actors who teach me new things about characters I've been studying for months, the playwrights who find a way to put human emotions down on paper, the designers who take light and fabric and glue and can somehow create a whole new world. After a life spent in theatre, I think I'd be lonely if I tried to work in any other form.

Tell us about Something Wicked?: Something Wicked picks up at the moment of Lady Macbeth's death and charges forward into the unknown. She finds herself trapped in the afterlife, surrounded by memories from her past and accompanied by three witches (yes those witches) who probably don't have her best interests at heart. The piece repurposes Shakespeare's text (along with some live music and a bit of dance) to tell a new story.

What inspired you to direct Something Wicked?:
I've always been intrigued by Lady M. She casts a long shadow over Macbeth, but spends very little of the play actually onstage. It's always felt to me that her arc in the play is ended prematurely. We see her instigate the murders. We watch as she begins to realize their effect on her husband and her marriage and then as that realization turns into regret and madness. And then she kills herself... offstage. I've always wanted to know what happens next. To give credit where it is very much due, I was also deeply inspired in creating this piece by a production I saw as a child and which was one of the theatrical experiences in my life that I would point to as fundamentally altering my understanding of how a story can be told. It was Art Street Theatre's R&J, directed by Mark Jackson and, in a lovely coincidence, produced as part of the San Francisco Fringe Festival (which is, in turn, produced by FRIGID's co-producer, EXIT Theatre). It was a gorgeous and haunting dream of a production and, though the subject matter is obviously quite different, I hope that I've translated some the magic I felt as an audience member at that show into our own piece.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I am unreservedly sentimental, and the theatre that I love most always makes me feel something. Beyond that, my tastes are pretty diverse though I'd say they probably tend towards the extremely amorphous category of "magical realism". Then again, I also really love just great straightforward comedy. As far as who inspires me as an artist - that's a huge and wide-ranging list that I suspect is way too long to be interesting. For a cliff's notes version, I'm going to limit it to one choice per discipline... Art: Rene Magritte. Film: Terry Gilliam. Music: Tchaikovsky (I told you I was sentimental). Dance: Lar Lubovitch. Literature: Italo Calvino.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Absolutely, without hesitation: Emma Rice of Kneehigh Theatre. I was first exposed to her when Brief Encounter came through St. Ann's in 2009 and since then I've seen everything she's worked on that I could get a ticket to. Her productions look like my dreams. She understands things about the way music and movement and speech overlap and her shows exist in a sort of perfect intersection between the three that creates magic.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: I recommend Great Comet loudly to anyone who will listen (and occasionally people who won't)!

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Jewel Straite is my celebrity doppelganger (this is the closest I will ever be to fame) so I'm going to go with her. And it would be called "Yes, like the writer. No, not like the perfume."

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Bread. I love bread so much. I wish I had a sexier answer.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: Right now I'm deep in the process of choreographing the dance moments for our FRIGID production, so what I've been listening to (over and over and over again) lately are the scratch tracks my cast members recorded for me to work with. In particular: one of our ridiculously talented actors, Lila Newman, has arranged the folk song "Three Ravens" as a tango. On the banjo. It's epic.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Much better-rested. I bet you hear that a lot.

What’s up next?: I'll be directing a staged reading of Regina Robbins' fantastic spin on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamlin, Pay the Piper, in March. In April I'll be producing a staged reading of Real | Crazy, written by Cristina Ramos and directed by Katherine Sommer. And then after that it's back to directing for the New York premiere of A Map to Somewhere Else by the incredibly talented and rapidly emerging playwright, Reina Hardy.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Spotlight On...Colin Summers

Name: Colin Summers

Hometown: Glenmont, New York

Education: Emerson College

Why theater?: I actually thought about a lot of different ways in which I could present the source material for Steve: A Docu-Musical...at one point even dreaming up an interactive installation piece... in the end I thought a live show with storytelling, songs and projections would be the best way to tell our story. 

Tell us about Steve: A Docu-Musical?:
The show is the true story of my relationship with the title character.  Steve has written over a hundred songs through a website that I started with my roommate called www.PoetryToMusic.com. He writes the lyrics and we write the music.  Using selections and anecdotes from our five years communicating via email, I try to tell a really unique story about what it means to be an artist, and what it means to be in constant contact with somebody whom you have never met in person.   

What inspired you to create Steve: A Docu-Musical?: Basically, I kept telling my friends stories about Steve.  They knew that he had become a part of my life, and there was usually something interesting going on with him.  He's a really captivating personality and it seemed like really ripe material for a solo show. 

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I like variety.  Any kind of theater that makes me laugh and cry.  I like a lot of abstract stuff, but I also like straight forward storytelling. 

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: What a crazy hard question! 

What show have you recommended to your friends?: "Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind" by the New York Neo-Futurists. 

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I'm into non-traditional casting so I think it'd be great to see myself played by a woman.  Maybe Helena Bonham Carter,  she usually nails it.  Title: "Over-thinkers Anonymous".

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Sleeping past noon. 

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: I don't actually have an ipod, but according to the stats on my laptop, my most played song in itunes is "Worm Mountain" by The Flaming Lips. 

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Well most of my time is spent crossing the line between music and theater.  So I suppose I'd be working in music.  If you take music out of the equation then maybe I could be a woodworker or something.  I like making things. 

What’s up next?: Hopefully more to come with Steve: A Docu-Musical, but I'm also composing music for a dance piece, in addition to writing and recording with my band Toys And Tiny Instruments. 

Spotlight On...Kelly Haramis

Name: Kelly Haramis

Hometown: Highland Park, IL

Education: BA in Journalism, minors in Theatre Arts and Women’s Studies from Penn State. Second City Conservatory graduate.

Favorite Credits: Double Happiness, of course!

Why theater?: After being downsized from my writing and editing job at the Chicago Tribune, I wanted to work in a field where I wouldn’t experience rejection.

Tell us about Double Happiness: A Tale of Love, Loss, and One Forever Family?:
The show is about my quest to a have family with actual children, and not just a cat. It’s the struggle for family, stability, and adulthood in a world full of unexpected fertility curve balls.

What inspired you to create Double Happiness?: My improv teacher at iO Chicago asked me to talk about something personal. I started an impromptu monologue about my daughter’s adoption. 40 minutes later, the teacher said: “that’s a one-woman show, and you need to write it.”

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?:
Improv and sketch. I love “Key & Peele!” Keegan-Michael Key taught my intro acting class when I was at Penn State.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler!

What show have you recommended to your friends?: TJ & Dave—they are masters of long-form improv.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Nia Vardalos: “My Big Fat Greek-German-Puerto Rican-married-to-a-Jew-with-a-Chinese daughter Life!”

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Watching “Girls,” while eating chocolate ice cream with cashews.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: Tie—Frozen’s “Let it Go” (for the kids) and “Royals” by Lorde

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: An organic, slow-food, locavore, corn-free, dye-free, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, all-natural baker/activist/mogul.

What’s up next?: Performing improv with my Chicago troupes Old Smuggler and Kelly Machiavelli, and bringing Double Happiness: A Tale of Love, Loss, and One Forever Family to the St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Spotlight On...J.Stephen Brantley

Name: J.Stephen Brantley

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Education: New York University, Tisch School Of The Arts, Experimental Theatre Wing

Favorite Credits: Theatre 167’s Jackson Heights 3am and PIRIRA, CapsLock’s Mrs. Mayfield’s Fifth-Grade Class of ’93 20-Year Reunion, Kathleen Warnock’s That’s Her Way at Dublin Gay Theatre Festival, Neo-Political Cowgirls’ EVE, and Slap & Tickle at Provincetown Theater.

Why theater?: Because my only other interests were pornography or priesthood, and I’m slightly underqualified for either position.

Tell us about Chicken-Fried Ciccone?: Chicken-Fried Ciccone is a one-man-show that tells the true story of my own addiction to and recovery from heroin, set to acoustic covers of Madonna songs. I sing and play pieces from all thirteen of her albums, and reveal a ton of embarrassing things about myself. It’s dirty and funny and a little dark, but ultimately it’s about personal transformation and the healing power of making art. Turning our ugliest truths into something beautiful. Reinvention. Living to tell. I wrote it, I perform it, I produced it, but I’m leaving its direction to Obie-winning master of the one-man-show, David Drake. David’s solo piece The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me had a major impact on me as both an actor and a playwright when I first came to NYC. Getting to work with him on David Parr’s Slap & Tickle a couple years back in Provincetown was a dream come true. He continues to inspire me with his latest creation, Tawny Heatherton. Tawny always finds the Light, even in the darkest places. I think that’s what we’re aiming to do with Chicken-Fried Ciccone.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I like plays that break the rules. I’m not much for naturalism; I’m more interested in truth than reality. I want stories that challenge our preconceived notions about one another and I want these stories told in surprising ways, in new spaces, in a multitude of languages. And I like very physical stuff, like National Theatre Of Scotland’s Black Watch or the hybridized forms of companies like Big Dance and Punchdrunk and The Wooster Group.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Madonna. Obviously.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Currently running? Wow, I’ve hardly seen anything, I’m always in rehearsal. The Skype Show is great. I’m looking forward to The Unlikely Ascent Of Sybil Stevens. If we’re talking Broadway, Pippin and No Man’s Land. Off-Broadway, Sleep No More. I want to see this Kate Tempest thing at St. Ann’s.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Well, I would play myself, of course, and it would be called Chicken-Fried Ciccone: A Twangy True Tale Of Transformation, wouldn’t it?

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?:
Madonna. Obviously.

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: See above. No, it’s actually "Know Your Rights" by The Clash. But the Sticky & Sweet live recording of "Borderline" is a very close second.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Dead or in jail.

What’s up next?: I’m writing some new stuff with Theatre 167 and then I’m going up to Maine for a couple of shows at Stonington Opera House where I’ll return to the role of Friar Laurence in Romeo & Juliet twenty-eight years after I first played it. I’m also Mercutio in the play’s sequel, Romeo & Juliet & Zombies by Melody Bates. Seriously - undead cannibals, Elizabethan verse. Theater really is more fun than drugs.

Spotlight On...David Mogolov

Name: David Mogolov

Hometown: Kansas City

Education: Boston University, Philosophy and Journalism

Favorite Credits: I can't help looking forward to the newest one. I learned so much from my last two comedies, There Is No Good News and Dumber Faster. I'm a far better writer and performer because of them. They got a great response, and I loved performing them, but my favorite is always the new one. I can't wait to start Eating My Garbage. It really is my favorite.

Why theater?: As a writer who performs his own work, it forces a certain intensity of focus. Knowing where I'm going to be (looking right into the audience's eyes) keeps me from cutting corners when I'm writing. I know what it's like to sit in an audience and not be swept up in the vision and humor of the show, and I don't want to be on the other end of that. Theater keeps me honest, and virtually, I write from that seat on stage now. I want to surprise and delight. I want people to be laughing. I love it.

Tell us about Eating My Garbage: A political pollster asked me about the future of America, and Eating My Garbage is an hour-long search for a reason to be optimistic. My gut response is a pretty negative one, but I can't quite bring myself to doom us on account of our current situation. What unfolds over an hour includes surprisingly relevant reflections on dental hygiene, home improvement, tribalism, and my longstanding fixation on the Subway sandwich chain.

What inspired you to create Eating My Garbage?:
I fear an honest answer will keep people away, but here goes: I became fixated on the economic concept of externalities, the parts of our transactions that we don't pay for. Things like pollution, which are the result of specific activities, but which society at large picks up the tab for. It's such a fascinating topic, and one that, once you start thinking about it, turns up in a lot of places in American society. Ultimately, the show isn't about externalities, but it was a long reflection on the topic that got me started. It always seems to be that way with me: I'm convinced I'm writing about one thing, and then midway through, I realize, "Oh god. The heart of this thing is something else entirely."

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I like to be surprised, and that can come from any type of theater, from children's theater to opera. Two examples, both coincidentally from Chicago. Years ago, I remember seeing this dance piece in Chicago that I had no expectations for. Literally, none: I sat down without any knowledge. And it was an amazing piece of satire. It's been a decade, at least, and I think of it regularly. It was the last thing I was expecting: gut-bustingly funny dance satire. Niki Lingren. She killed me. The other is an amazing puppeteer and playwright who I saw at a previous FRIGID festival, Joe Mazza. Funny, fascinating, utterly his own. To do something so idiosyncratic and smart and perfect as what Joe does would be a reward in itself. I strive for that.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I would love to work with David Byrne.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: I live in Boston, so my answers reflect that. Theater on Fire's Exit, Pursued By a Bear, most recently. A couple years ago, I was really struck by Actors' Shakespeare Project's Hotel Nepenthe.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Alan Tudyk would play me in "I'm Sorry, I Meant That To Turn Out Differently"

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Cheez-Its. My family eats so well. I cook good food from good ingredients. I love real food. I also love Cheez-Its. I hope if I'm not cremated, my casket is filled with Cheez-Its.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: Girl Talk's "Smash Your Head." Makes sense: it's the first on my running mix and the first on my gym mix. Not at all what I was expecting to take the top spot!

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Podcasting, probably. As much as I'm a writer, there's something about performance where I know I'd be talking with my audience, not just giving them text.

What’s up next?: I'd really like to work with neuroscientists on the next show. I'd love to build a show around a full imaging of my brain. I've become fascinated with the complexity of the brain, and the limits of our knowledge around the organ that makes our knowledge. I don't know if it's the next step, but I'd love to do it.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Spotlight On...Emily Tuckman

Name: Emily Tuckman

Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts

Education: Masters degree in Theatre Education

Favorite Credits: House of Yes (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), The Hamlet Project (La Mama, Etc), Reach  (Theater for the New City)

Why theater?: Being on stage is the most magical, other-worldly feeling.  When the lights go down, the audience goes silent, and the actors take our places, the rest of the world is silenced, and we get to step into a completely different world/life.

Tell us about East in Red?: East in Red is a who-dunnit, horror, dark-comedy.  It is pretty unique in terms of genre.  It is simultaneously upsetting, moving, jaw-dropping, and at moments, hilarious.  Ryan Sprague, the brilliant playwright, researched the murders of "Jack the Ripper" and created this incredible play based on these events.
 
What inspired you to produce East in Red?:
Ryan Sprague is among my all time favorite playwrights.  He writes pieces that are deeply moving, highly insightful, at times uncomfortable, and that leave the audience thinking about the play long after they leave the theatre.  I produced his play Reach in the summer into the fall, and thought East in Red would be a great play for the Frigid/East village audience in the Kraine.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love edgier theatre and Shakespeare.  I like work that makes me think and inspires me after I have left the performance.  I enjoyed Lucy Thurber's Hill Town Plays for that reason, but I also really love Shakespeare, or more traditional theater that is superbly done.  The New York off and off-off broadway community really inspires me.  I feel like our community is incredibly supportive of one another-we try to help each other and connect one another with opportunities.  We challenge each other to create innovative and unique work.  That comradery and support inspires me.


If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I would really love to work with Daniel Talbott.  He directs at the Rattlestick and heads up Rising Phoenix Repertory, and I respect his work enormously.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: I’m very excited to see Antonia Lassar perform in Tina and Amy!

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Wow-this is a tough one...I think I would have Leslie Grossman play me, and the movie would be entitled, "The rest is still unwritten".

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Ice Cream, and taking myself to the movies!

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: Ingrid Michaelson's CDs...all of them.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Teaching theatre

What’s up next?: I just got called back for Colorado Shakespeare Festival, so...fingers crossed:)