As part of the Board of Directors of MTWorks I’m really proud to be involved with the National Newborn Festival. Part of my job was to help choose the Excellence in Playwriting Award (see below for the winner!) and this year I’ll be introducing one of the plays — but I won’t tell you which one!  You’ll just have to come join me at the festival.

So what is Newborn?

Now on its sixth year, The National NewBorn Festival is MTWorks playwriting competition and flagship program created to find talented emerging playwrights from across the US, introduce their work to the New York community, and open new doors to regional voices.

READINGS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

TO RESERVE YOUR SEATS CLICK HERE
(OR VISIT http://tinyurl.com/72h4jfw)

February 2-4, 2012
The City College of New York (map)
North Academic Center, 160 Convent Avenue  New York, NY
First Floor Lecture Hall (1/202)

THE 2012 PLAYS & SCHEDULE

Thursday, February 2nd at 7pm

The Tragedy of Dandelion by Duncan Pflaster, directed by Leah Bonvissuto, produced by Jessica Thornhill.

The Tragedy of Dandelion follows a Princess named Dandelion, who attempts to escape, by dressing as a boy, a forced marriage to Ratliff, a man who raped and impregnated her. She collaborates with Prince Crispin, son of Queen Alice, telling him that the baby is his, to gain a place in that kingdom and while waiting in the Queen’s orchard, meets the Queen’s daughter, Princess Cèlie, and shares a kiss with her. She gains a place in Alice’s kingdom, till Ratliff and her father King Stephano, come to Alice’s palace and point out that Dandelion is a female, and drag her away. A new lesbian verse play by Duncan Pflaster.

Friday, February 3rd at 7pm

Denny and Lila by August Schulenburg, directed by Tom Wojtunik, produced by London Griffith.

After her husband Marcus divorces her for their much younger maid Lucia, Mary turns to the con artist team of Denny, Lila and Jabber for revenge. They take the job, with Denny pretending to be the Neruda-quoting electrician ‘Fred’ to seduce Lucia; and Lila pretending to be the daffily charming British novelist ‘Mara’ to seduce Marcus. All goes well until Denny develops an unexpected connection to Nettie, Mary and Marcus’ manic-depressive daughter.

Saturday, February 4th at 5pm *Excellence in Playwriting Award Winner*

The Excellence in Playwriting Award is bestowed by the MTWorks’ Board of Directors. The board selects the winner before the festival takes place and is not influenced by the work the director and actors are achieving at the readings.

Absinthe by Joe Musso, directed by Dev Bondarin, produced by Martha Goode.

It’s July 1900, and a race riot has engulfed New Orleans, sparked by a black man killing two white policemen. At first, the violence on the streets is far removed from the genteel parlor of Grace Newman, a blind white woman cared for by her house servant, Curtis, a former slave owned by Grace’s father. Grace and Curtis’s relationship is forged by respect and compassion. However, their true feelings for each other must remain hidden from Grace’s racist brother Henry, a Civil War vet who fought for the South and who is hell-bent on bringing justice to a black man who killed two white policemen. As a race riot in the streets unfolds, Grace and Curtis’s relationship unravels.

Saturday, February 4th at 8pm *Resident Reading*

On Egdon Heath adapted by David Stallings from Thomas Hardy’s novel The Return of the Native directed by Glory Kadigan, produced by David Stallings.

Award-winning playwright David Stallings’ adapts one of the most powerful works of famed author Thomas Hardy, “The Return of the Native”. The ensemble of townspeople On Egdon Heath will take you on a journey of love, passion and folklore, centered around the beautiful and mystical Eustacia Vye. Her hunger for escape and a devastating twist of fate will affect the lives of the Yeobrights, the Wildeves and the heart of the heath.

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We’re always excited to hear that a great show is sticking around for a while.  And if you had a chance to read Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s review of Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War you know that it was a great show.  (If you DIDN’T get a chance to read it, go ahead and click the link above.  We’ll be right here when you get back).

So I’m sure Paddy would be the first in line to celebrate the announcement tha the New Ohio Theatre is extending the Manhattan Premiere of The Mad Ones’ critically acclaimed Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War for two additional weeks.

The extension runs from February 9 – 18.

Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War is a sci-fi surrealist War of the Worlds meets A Prairie Home Companion examination of American nostalgia that combines 1950s radio drama, vintage country music and Soviet science.

~~~

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Flux Theatre Ensemble’s production of Menders (written by Erin Browne and directed by Heather Cohn) currently playing at The Gym at Judson will catch you by surprise – but not all at once.  It will do so in subtle ways, often, and always differently than it did moments before.

First you will be drawn in by the simple aesthetics of the piece, which unfolds with a wisp of mystery but a promise of payoff in the end because, of course, that’s the way all good stories wrap up. Not necessarily with a good ending, or a bad ending, but a powerful ending which simply means one interlude has come to its natural conclusion.  Director Heather Cohn understands how to build the perfect scaffolding around this story, which is a story of stories — each story within it also coming to not a good ending, or a bad ending … simply a powerful one.

Next you will be moved by the poem Mending Wall by Robert Frost which is recited in part by each character in kind as they move about the stage and gather items, disappearing and reappearing from behind several substantial walls that dominate the set (beautifully and cleanly designed by Cory Rodriguez).  You’ll know what they’re reciting if you’ve read your program cover ahead of time — if not, it will come up soon enough and the elegance with which the symbolism is used is exquisite; each time lines from the verse are repeated they catch your ear differently, each iteration vibrating with a deeper meaning of what it means to keep people out, or in, or know precisely which it is that is being done.  I’m sure those who have already seen the show were quick (as I was) to sit with the poem and see it through fresh eyes.

Subsequently you will be captivated by the non-linear story telling, woven so perfectly by playwright Erin Browne, who has a talent for creating not abrupt scene changes nor cheap cliff hangers, but rather recuperative moments of contemplation between stories so that each journey has the necessary amount of time to settle with -and permeate through- the audience.

And ultimately you will be gripped by the strong performances of the actors who so deftly lay this story out to the audience in a way that has your heart beating along with theirs – in love, in fear, in sadness, in freedom, in hope … in despair.

Menders is a story about stories – real stories that have hidden gems of magic, magical stories that have heartbreaking elements of reality – all wrapped up in the bigger story of  what it means to follow your heart versus follow the rules and the consequences of doing either.

The play begins in a society not so different from — and yet completely different than — ours.  Some might say it is where we could be heading if we’re not careful.  It’s either a utopia or a dystopia, based on who you ask, but either way it’s a country that’s walled in, safe … patrolled by Menders.  Their job is to walk the wall and report any breaks or suspicious tracks.  After that their report goes to the Investigators who follow up and the Crew who do the actual mending.  When we first meet a Mender, Corey, (Sol Marina Crespo) she is pleading to an unseen panel of judges; she is broken … yet still believing in the cause, still true to her country.   She is patriotic, even as she has no idea why she is being held or questioned; still true to the system of government that she knows is ultimately right regardless of how wrongly she is being treated.

Sol Marina Crespo & Isaiah Tanenbaum in Menders (Photo credit: Justin Hoch)

A quick turn and time spins backwards; it is much earlier and Corey is in training, all energy and eagerness.  It’s the first day and she’s with her cousin Aimes (Isaiah Tanenbaum) who is also eager, but far more nervous about their new mission.  They are greeted by Drew (Matt Archambault), their trainer who – it seems – is on his last tour as he is about to pack it in for a desk job.  He blames the wear and tear all the walking has done to his feet, but subtle clues hint that there’s a deeper reason here.

Vivia Font & Mike Mihm in Menders (Photo credit: Justin Hoch)

Soon the patrolling starts and it turns out to be surprisingly … dull.  To pass the time Drew tells stories to Corey and Aimes … stories that were “something someone told him once” but Corey surmises “…it was stuff he’d learned as an Investigator – outside the Wall.”  One story is about a gentle, lonely farmer, Jeff (Mike Mihm) who finds a woman in his wheat-field one day – a woman, Lila (Vivia Font) who got there by the power of her own wings – beautiful, shimmering structures that are part of her and have brought her to him.  So entranced is he by her captivating beauty that he does whatever he can to ensure that she never leaves him – even the worst thing he could possibly do to her.  His actions wind up keeping her in a type of prison, by his side but refusing to speak to him. The story of Jeff and Lila is Aimes’ favorite.

The second story, also metered out in small parcels, is about a subway troubadour, Ash (Raushanah Simmons) who comes upon a woman one day, Tam (Ingrid Nordstrom), who never goes above ground during the day because she’s allergic to sunlight.  Ash, like Jeff in his story, is similarly captivated by this woman and boldly takes steps to win her over.  Tam, fragile, skittish, nervous, is not easily won.  Ash even goes so far as to gift Tam with a star she found in the park.  Eventually the two women come to some middle ground and the future looks bright.  This story is Corey’s favorite despite the fact that “every fiber of her being” knows that two women together in a “man/woman” way is wrong.  Like Aimes, she waits out the duller stories until “her” story is told by Drew.

In between telling these stories the action reverts back to the present day, where Corey is still defending herself in an unexplained arena.  She will often go on to explain more of the early days of training.

Criss-crossing through all these interlinked stories – some fabricated (or so we’re told), some re-envisioned, is the main theme of Menders: that every character there is a mender of one sort or another, for every one of them is broken somehow and needs to be repaired in a way that requires attention, love, respect, and diligence. Each of their stories – presented to the audience as either fiction or true account – illustrates that every one of us can be simultaneously broken and fixed — and a mender — which is perhaps why, in the end, there is no actual resolution to any of the stories – not even Corey’s.  She has been on trial for most of it, but perhaps her biggest accuser has been herself; and her biggest entreaty is not on her own behalf but on the behalf of all the broken – for all to be spared and given understanding.  Although, perhaps, even she doesn’t know that.

Matthew Archambault & Isaiah Tanenbaum in Menders (Photo credit: Justin Hoch)

Once again, Flux shows an expertise at assembling incredible actors to bring their productions to life; the team of menders (Archambault, Crespo and Tanenbaum) are the solid core of the piece with Ms. Crespo, as Corey, serving as the pinion that keeps the other stories in play.  She has the most difficult role, needing to convincingly portray fresh-faced and earnest one moment before becoming broken and discouraged the next; confused by the way her dream crumbled.  Matt Archambault (always a formidable Flux presence) as Drew is able to give a still-waters-run-deep snapshot of a man; his choices are subtle but compelling, allowing the audience to look for clues to his truth that he works hard to obscure.

Isaiah Tanenbaum (another Flux favorite) gives dimension to Aimes which elevates the character from a simple yes-man to a touching human being on the brink of discovering the power of secrets that had been heretofore hidden from him.

Vivia Font is downright beguiling as Lila – a woman who, inexplicably, has wings.  She is so believable, and so invested, that her attatchment to them is never questionable.  Moreover, as her character goes speechless for part of her scenes she does a beautiful job of emoting from a much deeper place; so fully expressing Lila’s pain, doubt, and regret with little more than a twitch of her mouth and a downcast eye.  For his part Mike Mihm is able to make Jeff endearing when all outward signs would have you dislike him for his thoughtless actions, and in the end when he pays the ultimate price he breaks your heart as he bears silent witness to his punishment.

Raushanah Simmons & Ingrid Nordstrom in Menders (Photo credit: Justin Hoch)

Raushanah Simmons as Ash and Ingrid Nordstrom as Tam prove to be the perfect yin/yang pair; where Ash is strong, forthright, determined, bold, and even a bit mischievious, Tam is anxious, unsure, quiet … yet curious.  Simmons and Nordstrom are a joy to watch as they peel back the layers of this tentative relationship, dancing a dance with awkward but insistent steps.  They not only have a terrific chemistry, but an estimable knack for getting you to root for their relationship to succeed.

When speaking with Artistic Director August Schulenburg a few weeks before seeing the show he advised “Menders is very ‘Flux’y”. I love that Flux Theatre has so strongly identified their brand that a play immediately resonates as “Fluxy”. And I love that the minute he said that to me I already had a notion of what to expect – and was excited about it.  Now that I’ve seen it not only do I agree – Fluxy! – but I’m once again awed by the talented ensemble that is Flux.  Simply put: this is a beautiful story – told beautifully.  Let it surprise and delight you … and perhaps even mend you too.

~~~

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These days, when taking a road trip of any kind — even if it’s just over the state line to New Jersey — it’s almost impossible to think about arriving safely at your destination without the use of a GPS.  The technology is so ubiquitous it’s now even an easily downloadable app for your phone.   Days of trying to stretch a huge AAA TripTik across your steering wheel as you drive and hoping it doesn’t fly out the window are over.  Unless you like getting pulled over for driving erratically, GPS is the way to go.

But what if your GPS could tell you more than which road to take, which exit is best, or which alternate route to use when you (despite its best advice) still managed to miss the turn?  What if your GPS started telling you the answers to everything ?  Especially during a time when you don’t seem to have the answers to anything?  This is the premise of Eddie Antar’s The Navigator – a show which originally was presented by The WorkShop Theater in 2010 as a Play in Process.  It was so successful that it was nominated for multiple IT awards, won 2 (for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Lighting Design) and is now being remounted February 9-March 3 as a full production.

TEASER – The Navigator: Your GPS tells you how to get where you’re going, but what if it could tell you more? Dave has fallen on hard times. He’s out of work, drowning in debt, and his wife is threatening to leave him. Then suddenly his car’s navigation system starts giving him the answers. to everything.

Eddie Antar, thank you so much for giving us some time before The Navigator opens!  I know you must be really busy right now so our readers appreciate it.  So tell us — with only a $300 budget last year The Navigator swept the NYIT Awards with eight nominations, including Outstanding Production of a Play and Outstanding Original Full-Length Script. The Navigator was the most nominated show at the 2011 New York Innovative Theatre Awards. You don’t get nominated for that many awards with a gimmick. So while the teaser sounds cute, there must be more to this story than a know-it-all GPS. Where does the true heart of this story lie?

Eddie Antar: We live in a world where information is easier and easier to obtain. You no longer have to add, spell or keep your eyes open for exit signs on the highway. The heart of the play is in the question “Are we losing anything?” What happens to the life experience when all the answers are provided for you.

How did the idea of a know-it-all GPS come to you? Were you watching Night Rider and asking your magic 8 ball questions one night and thought “hey this could be a play!”

EA: I was touring colleges with my son back in 2007 and I elected to get a GPS with my Hertz. I fully expected it to tell me when to exit or make a right turn. What I didn’t expect was it telling me to keep to the left because we were approaching a fork on the highway. I looked at my son and said “This thing knows more than I thought”. After that the jokes started coming: “What if it could give you stock picks? Or Lotto numbers? Wouldn’t it be great if it could tell you what to say to your wife in a fight? How to deal with a troubled teenager?” My son Matt suggested that I write a play about it. My first thought was “I’m lucky if I get a 20 pager out of this.” But once I hooked onto a theme, I just kept writing.

I remember, as a child, asking my father how he grew up without audio cassettes. “We didn’t miss what we didn’t have” was basically the answer. Nowadays it’s hard to remember that there wasn’t always a GPS system to help get us from point A to point B … but people had to muddle through with AAA maps for years. So — my question is — if the GPS hadn’t been invented would you have written a similar story using a different scenario?

EA: I can’t think of any other plug and play type of technology that can so guide you for hours through to whatever you’re trying to accomplish. There is a point in the play where Dave, the driver, doesn’t like what the Navigator is suggesting, so he turns it off, but he’s unable to continue driving because he can’t read the highway signs. I’ve had that experience, where I’m no longer reading signs, I’m just listening to “Approaching exit… on the right”. I can’t think of another type of technology where it assists you so fully just by turning it on. Without that, I don’t think it would be this kind of play.

These days it seems like we’re all a little lost … we’re working harder and have less to show for it. Your character, Dave, is (unfortunately) more “every-man” than “some poor guy down on his luck”. Do you think this is what accounts for the success of the first production of The Navigator? That everyone could see a little of themselves in the character?

EA: Absolutely. But I do think that he is an “every-man” who is “some poor guy down on his luck”. We’ve all been there. A few things go wrong, one right behind the other, and we can become terrified of making one more decision. At that point we just want to know. Think of how high the stakes can get in the world we live in today. A few of choices go south and you’re really up a creek. Gambling can be fun, until one more loss could means total financial (or marital) ruin. I think that’s something anyone can identify with.

Many shows dream of being remounted, few get the opportunity. So first of all, congratulations! Secondly – without giving too much away – what types of things are you changing this time around? And what are you keeping from the first production? Or is it all “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?

EA: We have more of a budget this time around and more space to work with. So this time around we’ll be playing some with production values (set, lights and sound to some degree. Our sound designer is a genius.) But we’re all mindful of the fact that the play was successful for a reason, and we don’t want to mess too much with that.

Finally, if you had a GPS that could actually tell you anything, what would you hope to learn from it?

EA: The most important thing to me is my family. These are not just words. And I do worry about things like making sure we’re always fully funded, eating, wearing clothes and can occasionally go out and enjoy ourselves. I’m an independent database applications developer (ironic, I know) and if there was one thing I’d always want direction on it would be decisions to make sure that we stay afloat. I wouldn’t mind those directions at all.

Thank you, Eddie Antar, for giving us some great answers!  I know I’ll be looking forward to seeing this show.  And for our readers – here’s everything YOU need to know about The Navigator if you want to buy a ticket.  And – even without an all-knowing GPS – I know you do!)

~~~

The Navigator

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I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the new short film by Antonia Bogdanovich — MY LEFT HAND MAN —  starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Nanny McPhee, Love Actually), Andrew Howard (Limitless, upcoming “Hatfields and McCoys”), Kevin Bigley (“The Chicago Code,” “CSI: Miami”) and Erich Wildpret, who is a Latin American star. The 18-minute dramatic short screens as part of the NJ Film Fest at Rutgers on January 28th.  Although the film clocks in at under half an hour I was captivated by the beautiful mosaic of emotions Bogdanovich was able to create both as writer and director in this film.  The story is told in a straightforward, simple manner however the situation is anything but conventional.

The Emersons are a theatrical family, of sorts – one son is a street performer who recites Shakespeare while his older brother picks pockets in the crowd. Their father, a has-been thespian, spends the take on booze and ponies. But Samuel wants to make like his comic book hero The Cardinal Comet and split; and a visit from a loan shark gives Samuel a chance at freedom.

Ms. Bogdanovich graciously allowed me to pepper her with questions, both about this amazing film and the process of making it, as well as how her impressive lineage played a part in making her who she is today.  Read on as she tells me about the challenges of creating a short film, how her own rebellious youth helped her created the character of Samuel, and exactly what a “left hand man” means to her …

Antonia Bogdanovich

Antonia! I just saw your short film, MY LEFT HAND MAN, and found it incredibly compelling. In 18 minutes you manage to tell a story which provides so much back-story yet takes place in a very short span of time.

You not only directed MY LEFT HAND MAN, but wrote it as well. Where did this idea of the story come from?

Antonia Bogdanovich: The idea came from a few places. I love Shakespeare – as an actor, I studied it a bit at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London (summer program). And I have seen quite a few very good productions on stage, as well as some of or most of the films. I really relate to his work, it has such depth yet it is so accessible. The crime elements are from my own experiences….ahem… I was a bit of a juvenile delinquent – rebelling pretty hard against my upbringing. So I basically hung out with kids that stole cause they had to (their parents didn’t have enough to finance their extracurricular activities) or because they just liked the thrill of getting away with it or both.

The comic book comes from my son – who loves superheroes – but I chose comic books because I wanted it to be clear that my character couldn’t really afford cell phones or cable TV. Then it became even more important to show that their father wouldn’t really allow it even it they could afford it.

I also really wanted to write about two brothers. And what it would be like if they had to fend for themselves. My parents were away a lot working when I was growing up, and I had to figure out a lot of stuff on my own. And I love the dynamic of brothers. It’s really fascinating how close they can be, but don’t necessarily interact the way sisters do. (I have 2 sisters).

What does the title mean to you personally? And further, what do you think the title would mean to your characters – something different?

AB: The title, as you probably gathered, is a play on “my right hand man.” So the title means having someone you can depend on, but in a real backwards kind of way. You can depend on them, but you really shouldn’t. So the father depends on his kids, but he shouldn’t. The brothers depend on themselves, but they shouldn’t have to at such a young age. And in the end, they all encounter great losses because of this. So I guess the title is really about enabling and co-dependence, familiar themes I think all families contend with, but this one worse than some others.

I think to my characters the title might mean something different for each one. The father would deny it completely. The older brother would say that no one was or is his right or left hand man. And the youngest brother, Samuel (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), would probably feel the same way I do about the title. Samuel’s brother is his left hand man. He depends on him because he really doesn’t have a choice. But in the end, he only has himself to depend on. So in a way, he’s free.

MY LEFT HAND MAN will be screening as part of the New Jersey Film Fest at Rutgers. How did you become a part of that?

AB: I submitted to the New Jersey Film Festival and they accepted the film. I really thought festivals in New York and New Jersey would respond to this story so I searched festivals in that area. Fingers crossed I get into a few more!

Thomas Brodie Sangster in a scene from "My Left Hand Man"

Thomas Brodie-Sangster is utterly amazing in this film. How did he come to this role?

AB: Thomas Brodie-Sangster is unbelievable. He made me tear up a number of times on the set. And I don’t usually cry in front of people I barely know, but one time I had to literally go outside. I was so overwhelmed with his sheer, natural talent. We would really like to work together again so I pray that happens in the future. The way I found him was I called my dear friend Sean Valla to ask if he would edit my short. He was in Louisiana at the time working on a feature film, The Baytown Disco. I told him about the script and described the main character. He said, “you should check out Sangster” – who was actually working on The Baytown Disco. I asked if he were British and if he could do an American accent to which the answers were both “yes”. Then I looked him up on IMDB and almost died because he was perfect. Then, of course, I recognized him from Love Actually and Nowhere Boy. Then I got really lucky because I sent him the script and he liked it! Sean Valla did end up being my editor so I got 2 great people with one lucky phone call.

Short films can sometimes be more challenging that full-length movies which is something most people would never consider. I’m sure you had to juggle a lot of moving parts to make this film. What’s a story you could share with our readers that’s a good example of this?

AB: On the challenges of short films, three days before we started shooting we lost the actor that was supposed to play the father, Warren. He got a recurring role on a TV show so I totally understood at that time because mine was a short with no real money. Needless to say, I was panicked. We needed an English actor, etc and as you could probably tell from the quality of the acting, I wasn’t about to use a mediocre actor. So I knew if I didn’t end up recasting it with a really talented actor, I would end up cancelling the shoot. I basically “called in” my first big favor. I actually had to call a few people I knew before I really got the favor…lol. The 1st few people I called were like….”ahhh, you say it’s for a short….yeah can’t really help there.” Then someone put me in touch with Andrew Howard, who was literally between projects in Los Angeles for one week and agreed to do it. I will never forget what he did for me or for this film. He was incredible! He is so funny too, that he had everyone on set in stitches!

The film has a beautiful aesthetic – every frame carries an emotion with it. Was that intentional? Or do you just do that intuitively?

AB: As far as the aesthetic (thanks so much for the incredible compliment), I do it intuitively. But I was an amateur photographer and also dabbled in oil painting. My grandfather was a fine artist, my father has an incredible eye, and my mother was an amazing production designer so I guess you could say it’s in the genes. However, I’ve always been an extremely visual learner. So I have to give some of the credit to myself. And when I write scripts I do see every shot in my head and every location before I write it.

Antonia on set

How hard was it for you to switch between your writing persona and your directing persona to complete this film? Was there ever a moment, directing it, that you were tempted to re-write something in order to make something flow better?

AB: Funny you ask about the writing/directing persona. I actually re-wrote up until three days before we were going to shoot. I only stopped because my 1st AD was like, “we need a shooting script now so I can send it out to the crew so stop sending me new drafts!” But on set, my actors improvised a bit – mostly the foul language and some English slang. I only actually wrote one “fuck” in the script. But as I’m sure you noticed there were many many more than that, which was perfectly fine with me because it was completely authentic to the story we were telling.

You are the product of two very talented parents whose combined success in the industry is estimable. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you were going to follow in their footsteps. My dad’s an accountant and that’s the last career I would choose. Even though you are obviously talented as a writer and filmmaker you easily could have decided to do something else to be rebellious. So, my question is – taking all that into account – was this career inevitable? Or could you see yourself doing something else just as easily?

AB: My parents…yes… are a tough act to follow. Well, I started out at a very young age wanting to be a singer. I was quite good, but I had terrible stage fright so I got as far as back-up singing and a demo tape. I also worked in production right out of high school for a number of years, but never knew quite what I wanted to end up doing. At that time, I never ever considered directing. It was too much pressure, and I didn’t have the confidence. I also studied acting and booked quite a few acting gigs. But after one really bad experience – I left acting and the business for good, swearing that it wasn’t for me and decided to become a scientist – as far removed as possible

But within a year of college, I took up writing – poems, short stories, and journalism. I kept telling myself that this was a hobby and I wasn’t an artist, dammit. Even when I wrote my second screenplay, I was still telling myself the same thing. I was in complete denial. But now, I would have to say that this was truly inevitable. Though I tried very hard at other things, none of them stuck. It’s quite a relief for me to not fight it anymore. I’m truly at peace with it. I wanted so badly to do something different than my parents. I was such a rebel. But I realized at some point that I can be different than them, but still make pictures. And now I’m so proud of their accomplishments where as when I was younger, I was intimidated. I am so thankful for everything they taught me about film-making even though when I was younger I often would roll my eyes at them when they would try to teach me something. My mother knew so very much about every aspect of film-making it still boggles my mind.

As far as directing, it was much easier for me to be a writer than to admit I wanted to be a film director. After directing some theater, I actually did the short to make sure that what I really wanted to do. And, by the second day I was so sure and so comfortable being a director it was unreal. It was a true “ahh” moment. It also felt so real and so perfect for my personality. I really feel at home on a movie set – probably because I spent more time with my parents on movie sets than I did at home. Sad as that may sound, it’s true. When I see lights and cable laid across the ground it actually reminds me of the good parts of my childhood every time. And we all know how that feels when we see something from our childhood that just makes us feel comfortable. Well, that’s how it feels like for me on a movie set.

Final question – the film ends on an open-ended note of confusion, but hope too. What do you think that says about you, as a writer?

AB: Every opportunity in life brings another challenge, not necessarily an obstacle, but another choice. So Brodie-Sangster’s character, Samuel, is not quite sure where he’s going to go next. But I do have him leave the house so the audience would know he’s not going to stay “in there” figuratively or physically. I think that traumatic events are so confusing. I’ve had a few bad ones, and some of them were at a pretty young age. But if you experience tragedy, you also have to have hope that things will improve otherwise you would literally die from grief. You actually learn that things get better after going through something difficult for the first time. In other words, you learn to have “hope” that things will get better with time and space from the actual event.

So I think as a writer I will always want to leave my audience with some hope, but also with the understanding that life can be pretty confusing with its fair share of ups and downs. And when we are first confronted with something I think there is always a time where we are confused by it or don’t quite understand what is happening to us or the people around us.

~~~

Thank you, Antonia Bogdanovich, for giving us so much background on your wonderful film!

For those of you who are interested in seeing My Left Hand Man at the festival, please click here for more information.  The screening will be held January 28th starting at 7:00pm and Antonia will be making an appearance so if you read something here that you’d like to know more about, or if something about the film brings up your own questions – get yourself over there and ask away!

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It isn’t easy to tell an entire story without one word of spoken dialogue, let alone give proper attention to two concurrent plots that run simultaneously but never intertwine, except emotionally.  Yet SEASONS does just that, and with such deep resonance that sold-out houses were sobbing as they watched the four central characters of Elaine Pechacek and Katie Hammond’s original musical live through one very specific year that, for them, was filled with love, joy, regret, confusion, despair, birth, and death.

When we first meet the four characters they are all about to experience Just One Moment that changes the trajectory of the path they’ve been on up until now – a moment which provides the basis of each character’s plot arc for this one pivotal year we are about to live through with them.

Helen (Kristyn Chalker) has just walked into her reunion and is in a mischievous mood, looking for a chance to feel like she can have any guy there. Peter (Kyle Szen), an earnest type who apparently didn’t measure up in high school, winds up being the guy that takes her home and can’t believe his good fortune.   Across town Mrs. Jones’ (Amy Arbizzani) whole life changes in just one moment as we find her reacting to the news that she has cancer.  Shocked and angry, she vows to get a second opinion.  Unaware of this new development Mrs. Jones’ daughter, Hope, (Katie Hammond) is leaving a message for her mother excitedly explaining that her boyfriend has proposed and in just one moment she has now become engaged and her world is filled with promise and possibility.  As the song progresses Helen finds she’s waking up nauseous — her one moment resulted in an unplanned pregnancy with her Mr. Right Now.  Beautifully setting the scene (as well as the tone)  we now know that this is going to be a roller-coaster of a year.

Peter is not only up for the challenge of being a father but is excited to prove that he can be the right man for Helen, so he proposes (Take You Away). Unsure of what else to do, Helen accepts, convincing herself that she can Make It Work. Making it work, in this case, includes deferring medical school and starting a life with a man she’s less than enthusiastic about.  Director Danny Williams creates a heartbreaking moment as Helen, steeling herself in the mirror, is unaware that Peter has walked in on her self-pep-talk; the look of hope that turns to hurt and then is quickly masked which dances across Kyle Szen’s face hit like a punch and layered in more subtext than any line of dialogue could have done.

As Hope prepares for her wedding, Mrs. Jones is having a harder time concealing her illness.  She convinces her daughter to Take A Walk with her and in a tumbling of words she explains her condition, but also stresses the importance of enjoying the moment … as she explains that she can fight as long as she has the support and love of her daughter. Hope is shocked and dismayed but knows can’t change what is inevitable.

Peter and Helen who have now wed (Wedding Bells) and are preparing for their child are living out marital bliss far less blissfully than Peter had hoped.  Helen, who is angry and bloated, is doing nothing to hide her resentment and bitterness, tossing aside the present Peter brings home for her. Peter, exasperated, explains that he’s been Working So Hard to make a life for her and the baby and begs her to stop shutting him out and start appreciating him for the good man he is.

Kristyn Chalker as Helen / Kyle Szen as Peter (photo by Lee Wexler/Images for Innovation)

By mid play Helen is great with child and Mrs. Jones is sinking deeper into her illness after Hope’s wedding. Each women, in a pivotal moment when the life force actually moves from one story-line to the other, gives a truly showstopping performance as they rail against what is happening to their body; Helen (Push) screams with pain and fear as Peter stands by hoping to calm her through her delivery, while Mrs. Jones (Second Opinion)  screams in anger and frustration at this disease which is overtaking her and now looks like it will defeat her.  Both of these songs are star turns for the actresses – I was mesmerized by each as I watched Kristyn Chalker and Amy Arbizzani (respectively) belt out pain and frustration and hurt and anger and fear with such deep emotional accomplishment.  I think the entire audience was out of breath watching these two powerhouses live through these life changing events.

The third act finds Helen and Mrs. Jones far calmer as they make peace with the new changes in their lives; Helen sings her new daughter a Lullaby in which she expresses how truly astonished she is at how she could feel such love for her new daughter.  As Mrs. Jones is quietly dying in her own daughter’s arms she sings a peaceful song of letting go, advising her child Don’t Take For Granted the wonderful things life has to offer, the hidden moments of pleasure that are everywhere.

Amy Arbizzani as Mrs. Jones / Katie Hammond as Hope (Lee Wexler/Images for Innovation)

The final Lullaby (Reprise) has Helen singing lovingly to her baby daughter while Hope sings to her dying mother, the cycle of birth and death completed as each woman embraces what was brought with the seasons . (Song below is from an earlier showcase.)

As a musical team Elaine Pechacek and Katie Hammond are strong; they understand how to approach a complex issue and develop it in a way that gives it a foundation of truth as well as drama.  The melodies were not just catchy, hummable, and memorable but also richly layered with flavors and nuances that delviered a vivid emotional spectrum and allowed the audience to see  each character’s faults and failures as well as their triumphs.

It’s no wonder SEASONS was sold out almost before it was announced in the festival and that a fourth show had to be added.  I see a long life for this beautiful story – and hopefully many more Seasons of success for the team of Pechacek and Hammond.

SEASONS was featured as part of the Times Square International Theater Festival at the Roy Arias Studios & Theatres located at 300 W. 43rd St, NY, NY.

~~~

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“There is failure and there is success.  What better way to measure this than the piano?”

If you were the child who spent your afternoons inside practicing the piano (or another musical instrument) while you could hear other children running around in the sunshine you no doubt have an ache in your heart when now, as an adult, you hear other people discussing their memories of playing in the streets, or even watching endless hours of after-school cartoons.  Sure,  you may have agile fingers which allow you to type an error-free 75 WPM but aside from that, are you really any better off?  Was it worth it?

Let’s take it one step further.  Imagine you are Mei (Lynn Craig), grown daughter of Lily (Satomi Hofmann), who monitors her daughter Kim’s practicing from the other room.  Distractedly tapping away on her blackberry she suddenly hears the words of her mother boom from her own lips as Kim prepares for recital day: “You will practice that piece until you can play it 20 times perfectly!” Stunned, Mei realized she has stepped up and taken on the Legacy of the Tiger Mother.

Written by Angela Chan (who also served as lyricist, composer, musical director and producer) who loosely based the story on her own childhood, it is easy to take a step back many times during the performance and evaluate what all those years of practice produced.  As you hear Chan’s expert piano playing and excellent talent for composition and musical phrasing it deeply underlines the message that yes …  all those afternoons behind the piano did well to form an accomplished musician.  But remove that meta-information for a moment and let Tiger Mother stand on its own.  You’ll find a touching, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant story about strong women who make sacrifices for their daughters because that is the legacy that is handed down, generation to generation.

Recital Day! Legacy of the Tiger Mother: Lynn Craig (Mei) and Satomi Hofmann (Lily)

Unseen, but intrinsic to the plot are granddaughter Kim (whose recital day opens and closes the play) and Lily’s own mother whom she speaks to in a moving monologue.  Co-writer Michael Manley interweaves seamlessly with Chan to create a gift of a show that celebrates the mother-daughter bond through music.

Director Lysander Abadia does an expert job with  these two strong female leads; Ms. Craig (Mei) must convincingly go from pig-tailed tween to eye-rolling teen to intrepid college girl to mother all in the span of an hour.  Similarly Abadia coaxes all the subtle and necessary nuances from Satomi Hofmann (Lily) so that the Tiger Mother does not come off as a one-note shrew but rather embodies all the complexities of a hard-working woman who insists “Sometimes a mother must choose for her daughter” and then breaks your heart as the basis for this statement is revealed.

Fans of crazed-stage-mother shows such as Toddlers & Tiaras can recognized that Lily’s admonishment “First prize in your division is NOT the Grand Prize!” sounds dangerously familiar; yet this “parading of our youth” that they sing of in “Recital Day” is not about how pretty or poised a child is, but how disciplined, how focused, how diligent … how structured.  The not-so-hidden-message is that only a child with goals can succeed in the world.

Ultimately Mei finds that she passes some of the Legacy of the Tiger Mother down to Kim … however not all of it.  The show ends with a new style of parenting being introduced, and a new version of success deemed acceptable.

So, to go back to the original question – Was it worth it?  In Angela Chan’s case I’d say the answer is: Yes it was.  Without a doubt.

Legacy of the Tiger Mother was featured as part of the Times Square International Theater Festival at the Roy Arias Studios & Theatres located at 300 W. 43rd St, NY, NY.

~~~

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There’s a great independent festival kicking off tonight – right in the heart of the theatre district at the Roy Arias Studios & Theaters. What makes The Times Square International Theater Festival special is two things – one, it’s an international festival which means there will be a great range of talents from all over reflecting cultures from around the world.  The second thing is that The Happiest Medium is the proud sponsor of this festival! In the coming week we’ll bring you Q&As with each of the production teams to get you excited about the shows, and we’ll review as many as we can get to!  In the mean time, check out the full schedule here:

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“History is written by the victors” said Winston Churchill and while that may be true, history is certainly interpreted by the artists.  History of The World, written by Judith Malina currently being performed at The Living Theatre not only illustrates this, but exemplifies it.  Filled with dramatic scenes of artists, philosophers, thinkers, and game-changers this interactive staging takes the audience through a journey where the goal is not so much to witness history as to experience it, explore it vicerally, and (ultimately) to know it in a way that the history books could never emulate.

The Living Theatre, founded by Malina (and Julian Beck) in 1947, is the oldest experimental NYC theatre still in existence.  This latest conceptual play is the perfect cocktail of experimental theatre with long roots: it simultaneously reflects the freshness of understanding the subtle nuances of contemporary themes, original ideas and developing concepts; while still being richly imbued with many years of  development in the experimental milieu. The result is an evening of everything New York underground experimental theatre should be – stirring, moving, a little unpredictable — at times a little uncomfortable.  If you give yourself over to the process, History of the World will allow you to experience moments of true fear, actual deeply moving pain, and (ultimately) invite you to raise yourself to a higher emotional plane – all in 90 minutes.

As the performance starts, the audience is led into a space by a number of black-clad “Guides”** who are there to inform and facilitate as they gently invite you to imitate, mime and mirror their movements in a way that soon makes sense.  There is a natural flow to the evening as the group of performers constantly swirl around creating different tableaux, scenarios and events.  While there might be an initial sense of “wait, what am I supposed to be doing here?” it is quickly swept away by the current of emotions  – after all, you are not there to carry the show but rather to be more vitally a part of a living history lesson.  There are no wrong moves — there are no wrong emotions.  And if there are any things that don’t feel good you are not expected to do more than you can.  (It is recommended, however, that if you have problems kneeling for periods of time … or sitting on the floor … you make that fact know to your Guide who will be more than generous about making you comfortable during the evening’s events).

A great deal of history is covered – quickly but not hastily – and some moments are made of pure poetic beauty (my favorite was the vignette of Amelia Earhart’s plane soaring into the skies) accompanied by nothing more than simple yet effective lighting and sound effects created by the ensemble.  Throughout the evening there is also music composed by Sheila Dabney which is played by Patrick Demayo on drums and Eric Olson on guitar.

As with any experience in life, the more you give during the evening the more you find yourself receiving as you bring your energy and core from the cave dwellers to the digital age.

The last ten minutes of History Of The World finds the room creating a new, next level and it’s astonishing how a group of strangers can unite under the umbrella of one thought and intensify it to a stunning roar.  Of course, in the midst of OWS (and its many rippling influences in today’s society) it’s even more poignant to note how fiercely this need to align energies drives all human beings.  Sometimes the goal is to align in order to change history.  Sometimes, as with this show, the goal is to gather in order to witness history.  Regardless of the purpose, the outcome is the same: a true sense of community, of bonding, and of uncovering something within ourselves that we didn’t see before.

By all means, take this opportunity to experience the latest chapter of The Living Theatre and of History of the World.  It will give you a stirring perspective of the world -and of your place in it- that you’ll carry with you for a long, long time.

**History of the World is performed by:   Diana Oh, Tom Walker, Sheila Dabney, Monica Hunken, Soraya Broukhim, Brad Burgess, Homa Hynes, Jay Dobkin, Kennedy Yanko, Kyle Ryan, Brent Barker, Antwan Ward, Mary Round, Miranda Rovetto, Rose Lovell, Jen Emma Hertel, Anna Agostino, Ana Holly, John Gasper, Erin Downhour, and Martin Lutz.

~~~

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Of all the things to be tempted with this holiday season, nothing is so tantalizing as Company XIV’s production of Snow White which lures audiences to 303 Bond Street with all the seduction of an evil queen extending a shiny, beautiful, apple in order to cast a magical spell.  One thing is certain – there is definitely something bewitching the spectators who walk in innocently and emerge 90 minutes later – filled to overflowing with images of exquisiteness and spectacle.  If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is.

The lights are hung, // The wires strung, // The sets are all painted and built
The make-up’s applied // And I’ll say it outright: // The gold you will see is just gilt.
The kingdom and forest is plastic and steel // But the dancing feet are real.

And so begins the narrator’s speech as Jeff Takacs (who, as with all of the Company XIV productions, is responsible for the adaptation of the work, and has written the script) welcomes the audience to Snow White, conceived, choreographed and directed by Austin McCormick. It’s the perfect way to begin a fairytale: with the truth — that all the dazzling bells and whistles which make this show shine are remarkable, but take it all away and you’d still have the amazing dancers, executing the superb steps created by McCormick.  However, between the whirling and the witchery is where the wonder lives.

I have long since left all expectations at the door when it comes to Company XIV and Austin McCormick; the only thing I can be sure of is that the show will be dazzling, delightful and richly textured in a perfect blend of media and styles.  And so it is with Snow White – which immediately beguiles the audience with a Gothic-inspired funeral scene sung beautifully by Lauren Michelle.  What follows is not just dancing but aerial silk, aerial hoop, acrobatics, and mixed media.

What I’ve come to love about McCormick (as a director) is that if a work of his is labeled “family friendly” it does not mean he has diluted his vision for the young ones; if anything, he challenges the wide-eyed tots in a way that invites them to appreciate a world of pure imagination – a world that hides nothing and therefore allows for everything.  Rather than stripping away elements so that children can grasp the story more fully, McCormick actually layers in more complexity so that a younger sensibility is served alongside that of the adults. I envy the children who are growing up with Company XIV as an example of what theatre can be; they are being given memories that will spark them to create amazing things on their own, rather than walk in the footsteps of what they see being churned out by Hollywood in order to sell more happy meals.

This Snow White hasn’t been altered much from the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale – there’s the death of the queen, mourned throughout the land, who leaves behind her sweet little girl with skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony, and lips as red as roses.  There’s the evil stepmother who is so vain that she can’t go a day without demanding that her magic mirror confirm that she’s the fairest in the land.  There’s the inevitable moment when Snow White (Gracie White) grows into her beauty and outshines the Evil Queen (Laura Careless) prompting the queen to hatch all sorts of plots which include death by hunter (hunter fails), death by suffocating corset (untied by a raven), death by poisoned hair comb (pulled out by a fox) and finally the worst of all – the poisoned apple which sends Snow White into a deep sleep.  Later she is awakened by the charmingest of Princes with a kiss, the two marry and the Evil Queen gets her comeuppance.

Gracie White as Snow White, Ashley Handel and Laura Careless as The Evil Queen

What McCormick has done is changed the focus of the piece; while the title may be “Snow White” the best moments are given to McCormick’s muse and principal dancer, the fantastic Laura Careless, who clearly sinks her teeth into the role of the Evil Queen as deeply as Snow White sinks her teeth into the poisoned apple.  Careless’ full range of talents are on display in this production, not only does she dance through each scene with an awe-inspiring  fervor but she clearly displays a wonderful gift of accents and even humor.  Having watched Ms. Careless over the last few productions I was delighted to see this side emerge – while she never fails to amaze it was wonderful to see her in a role that had so many opportunities to showcase the campier side of her (seemingly limitless) talents.

Of course, leave it to McCormick to have the audience thrilling to the darker side of such an innocent tale.

Gracie White as Snow White (photo by Steven Schreiber)

For her part Gracie White as Snow White is lovely; she has all the charm of an innocent young maiden who seems to never learn that an evil queen is out to get her.  The aerial work she does on the hoop is delicate and elegant and she often seems to defy gravity as she is hoisted and held and dropped before being caught at just the precise moment, all while smiling peacefully.

Of course, there is no one element of the piece that could exist without the other; McCormick has hit on a formula that works and employs a team that does extraordinary things with lighting effects (Gina Scherr), video projections (Corey Tatarczuk) and repeating musical themes.  So talented are they that set designer Zane Pihlstrom even make it snow — beautiful glittering bursts of sparkling snow that flutter and disappear … just like this production soon will.  So get your tickets now and give yourself the best holiday present of all.

~~~

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