Part historical odyssey, part musical, Musical Pawns centers on the career work of Russian composer David Nowakowsky, a brilliant contemporary of Tchaikovsky and Wagner, whose works have been lost for nearly 100 years. Guarding his unpublished manuscripts for decades were his Grandson and then Great-Grandson, and the play also follows their life as Jews in war-torn Nazi Germany.  When their lives were suddenly always on the line, it was difficult to protect themselves, much less protect these 2,500 + works of a musical master.

The production as a play itself is difficult to follow. Much of this is due to the fact that the narration and scenes switch back and forth between past and present – and variations in time on the past.  Combine this jumpy timeline with the case of actors playing several different roles and the result is unnecessarily complicated.  The choppy time-line is further marred by a schtick –  beginning with very verklempt generalized depictions of Jewish yentas, lawyers, and even the great-grandson of Nowakowsky (played albeit with feeling by Emanuelle Zeesman). I was confused by much of it, and I usually can figure these things out pretty quickly.

Sean Hauk

During some of these interludes, the only solace I found was in the voices of the actors on stage, which were absolutely incredible. I was honestly blown away by the vocal talent of the performers. Mostly a cappella, they brought a beauty and honesty to the works which the play was based on, that made me care – whereas I might not have before. One particular section in which I was truly taken away on a journey was during a scene when Nowakowsky’s grandson (Sean Hauk) and his wife (Meredith Zwicker) had a dance piece as they said goodbye for an unknown period of time to wait out the dangers of the war. It was moving and I wished that there were more moments such as that in the entire production.

There are many gems such as that scattered throughout the production that highlight the talents of the cast, and if they would focus more on using these as a method of storytelling, you would have more lovely music and dance, and less schtick and confusion … and maybe a better way to marry fact and fiction in a creative process.

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The 2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL will run February 22-March 4 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and Ave A). Tickets to all shows may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

Related Posts:

• Musical Pawns: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Fear Factor: Canine Edition – Puppy Love (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Scratch & Pitz Burlesque and Variety Hour – Seven Act Scratch (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• LOL: The End. : 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Aerial Allusions: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Performance art pieces, in general, can be thrilling to behold, whether they break new ground, or simply retrace the steps made by others in new and innovative (or deeply personal and fascinating) ways. The idea of combining dance, theatre, and clown with music to portray emotional journeys and the struggle of gender roles sounds so exciting! And it could be…if Aerial Allusions was a different show.

From the moment Jaz Morneau began his opening monologue/stream of consciousness (I wasn’t sure if it was improvised or written) I was worried.  His diatribe on the world at large was better set for an Occupy New York symposium for 20-somethings than an art piece on gender dynamics. What followed was a brief, entertaining moment of dance work by Azana, and it seemed that perhaps it was moving along toward something with burlesque overtones – which would have been enjoyable. In fact, most of the moments when Azana danced solo were interesting to watch, and it might have been much better production overall. Unfortunately the piece tries so hard to make a statement about the human condition and our lack of empathy for the opposite sex, that it gets in its own way via monologues/streams of consciousness that are uninteresting and without passion behind them. It ends up coming off as a pretentious piece that is a shadow of what talent Azana seems to have in her movement (as shown by the tormented dance scene that she has after being beaten, which was actually quite lovely). The rest of the production, outside of the above mentioned scene, simply mimicked the first half, with the gender roles reversed.

I wanted very much to like this show, and I know the performers were dancing their hearts out. For that I give them credit. It is the presentation of the piece, which was strangely dispassionate for dance performance art, cobbled together with the illusion that what they have said is somehow enlightening, that I question.

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The 2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL will run February 22-March 4 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and Ave A). Tickets to all shows may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

Related Posts:

• Aerial Allusions: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• The Rope In Your Hands: Katrina, In Their Own Words (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Fear Factor: Canine Edition – Puppy Love (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Musical Pawns: Lost Music And Direction, Found Voices (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Stripper Lesbians: When Baring It All Is Academic (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

When you were growing up, did you ever have characters from TV or film that you looked up to and felt that if you could be like them, you could do anything? Cyndi Freeman sure did, and she didn’t pick any run-of-the-mill hero…she picked THE woman…you know…the awesome chick in the invisible jet who could tie up any creep with her golden lasso and bounce bullets off of her groovy bracelets…all while wearing practically nothing in red, white, & blue. Wonder Woman: A How To Guide for Little Jewish Girls is part feminist hero worship and trivia; part life story of growing up more geek than hero with family dysfunction; and part tale of using the strength within to battle some of the scariest nemeses of all: life’s curve-balls.

Freeman, no stranger to one-woman shows and a regular performer on the theatre festival and burlesque circuit (the latter under the name of Cherry Pitz), opens up about everything from a gun-toting father going after an AWOL son – to the realization that our human mentors can be disappointingly human.

Insightful and heart-wrenching as well as hilarious, Freeman has a knack for making a connection with her audience and making them feel as if they’re having a private conversation with her. With each section of the show, you feel more and more intimate with Freeman; what starts out as an interesting history of one of the most iconic female figures of the 20th century slowly becomes a more introverted perspective on how Freeman’s life was shaped. Her flair for comedy and the outrageous intersperses with moments when she reveals current personal battles that can only be dealt with by sheer will, inner strength and the confidence in yourself that you learned from your TV heroes…or maybe a rejuvenating jaunt on Paradise Island of the Amazons.

If you didn’t have an opportunity to catch this wonderful show, you’re in luck! Picked as a Frigid Hangover, there is one more performance left.

Not one to miss!

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Related Posts:

• FRIGID New York Festival 2011 – Five Questions For: Wonder Woman: A How To Guide For Little Jewish Girls
• FRIGID Hangovers – I’ll Have Another Round! (FRIGID New York 2011)
• Scratch & Pitz Burlesque and Variety Hour – Seven Act Scratch (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Scratch & Pitz Burlesque And Variety Hour: 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Heidi Grumelot

A energetic and fascinating ensemble piece, Yippie! blends fact and fiction to create a behind-the-scenes look at the rise of Jerry Rubin’s Youth International Party of the 1960s. In a “what if?” take on the Chicago 1968 riots, writers/directors Randy Anderson and Harrison Williams look at the darker side of what happens when even flower children can take a life in the name of revolution, albeit perhaps unintentionally.

The play is segmented in scenes that go back and forth in time to before and after the riots, from when the freewheeling energetic men and women get stoned and talk of bringing down The Man; and afterwards, when they are all brought in for questioning/trials for the accidental death of one of their own, who the police want to blame on leader Jerry Rubin. In between there are group musical numbers, and plenty of physicality by the ensemble, who work well together.

The staging was great, as were the use of the actors in a myriad of roles including simply holding the flashlight on another and becoming the interrogator. It was these moments that stuck with me the most; Morgan Lindsey Tacho as Nancy, Jerry’s girlfriend, was most memorable and her work was simply executed and exciting to watch. TJ Roberts in the lead role made some fine choices, but the actor’s continued grabbing of his crotch became, for me, more of a distraction than a character impulse. All in all the actors took the work and had a lot of fun on stage, and that’s always a joy to see, because the enthusiasm spills over into the audience.

One of the more memorable moments involved Jane and John Doe being confronted by their aunt; who is nothing more than a dress, shoes, hat and gloves that are moved/voiced by the ensemble. It was a great device as well as a metaphor for the perceived emptiness of the minds of the previous generation by the youth of the time whose mantra of “never trust anyone over 30” was uttered by the characters in the same breath of the play’s mantra “a movement that isn’t willing to risk death isn’t for shit!”. It’s small moments like that that add up to a solid piece.

Yippie!, while pushing the envelope on provoking thought as well as audience reaction, manages to, for the most part, deliver the goods on turning history on its ear and making what could have been “just another hippie play about revolution” into a really entertaining evening.

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FRIGID New York Festival 2011 will run February 23-March 6 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1sr Ave and Ave A). Tickets ($10-$16) may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444. All shows will run 60 minutes long or less.

Related Posts:

• FRIGID New York Festival 2011 – Five Questions For: Yippie!
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Heidi Grumelot
• FRIGID Hangovers – I’ll Have Another Round! (FRIGID New York 2011)
• Scarlet Woman, Noirtastic Femmes (FRIGID New York 2011)
• The Mysterious Mystery of Mystery Street – A Little Too Much Mystery (FRIGID New York 2011)

There Is No Good News featuring David Mogolov (Photo by Daniel Van Ackere)

From the moment you hear David Mogolov utter the words: “When I was seven years old my parents bought me a bullwhip,” the ice is broken, the walls immediately come down, and you are brought into a world of a hilarious, yet serious, one-man show that is There Is No Good News. I found myself laughing – no, guffawing, loudly – many, many times as we were presented with a glorious diatribe on everything from maniacal boys gone wild to Katrina victims; meth addicts with a purpose to job interviewers that have odd ways of selecting their candidates. But it’s not just a comedic piece; it’s razor sharp in its wit and cynicism in a manner reminiscent of David Sedaris, Dennis Miller, Brian Unger, and Bill Mahr.

Mogolov enters the stage with a script, coffee, and water. He sits at a small table and chair, and I half expected him to begin a news broadcast, a la Saturday Night Live or The Daily Show. Instead, this idealist “Liberal NPR Subscriber” who felt that he could make a difference in the world despite his addiction to consumerism like any other American, weaves a tapestry of how he ended up where he is now: a new father who is questioning everything he ever thought and did because now what he’s doing really does make a difference.

The only issues I had with the show were that at times Mogolov talks so quickly that I couldn’t understand him – and I was sitting in the front row. I actually have to look to director Steve Kleinedler for this (although he’s done an overall fine job with the show) because I wondered if he used said bullwhip on Mogolov to talk as quickly as possible.

For the most part I was fully engrossed with the production and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m so glad I got to see this show; it was a ray of light in a dark tunnel. But, owing to the title and nature of the piece, one of the things that makes it so enjoyable is that the ray of light is actually an oncoming train – with Mogolov as the conductor.

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THIS SHOW HAS NOW CLOSED

FRIGID New York Festival 2011 will run February 23-March 6 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave and Ave A). Tickets ($10-$16) may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444. All shows will run 60 minutes long or less.

Related Posts:

• FRIGID New York Festival 2011 – Five Questions For: There Is No Good News
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Heidi Grumelot
• FRIGID Hangovers – I’ll Have Another Round! (FRIGID New York 2011)
• The Shorebound Swim With A One Click Kick – It’s A Tough Swim, But Worth It (FRIGID New York 2011)
• Goodnight Lovin’ Trail – What We’ll Leave Behind When We Go (FRIGID New York 2011)

My Pal Izzy - The Early Life and Music of Irving Berlin featuring Melanie Gall

Imaginative and educational, Melanie Gall’s My Pal Izzy – The Early Life And Music Of Irving Berlin combines a healthy dose of fact and fiction as we are given a panoramic view of the life of brilliant composer Irving Berlin during his early formative years through his ill-fated albeit loving marriage to Dorothy Goetz. Our narrator, Rebecca, shares small stories behind several of his songs (many of which, in this fictionalized narrative, are based on their friendship) while the character also weaves in a considerable amount of history about the famed Berlin, who was born Israel Baline, and his childhood dreams that he hustled and worked so hard for to make a reality. As she describes the songs, she also shares them – with her opera-trained voice and pianist (John Murphy). Gall’s character of Becky is quite interesting, as is her use of this fictional character to weave a story behind the legendary lyricist and his songs, through the idea of friends helping each other succeed creatively in the tough streets of New York City.

Combine with this Gall’s beautiful voice and the history lesson, and you have an evening of possibilities. Two of my favorite songs from the evening were “If You Don’t Want My Peaches” and the heart-wrenching “When I Lost You”.

My problem with the show was the actual acting. When Ms. Gall was giving a historical narrative of Berlin’s life, she had my full attention, and I felt I learned a great deal about his life. When she was singing, her voice and the songs were lovely, so her hamming it up on several songs was acceptable because it seemed fitting with the type of music she was doing.But there were the little moments when the actress was sharing her make-believe world, or when she would create people she was talking to or things she saw that I just didn’t buy, and it was troublesome for me to become as absorbed as I would have liked to have been.

Despite this, My Pal Izzy provides an interesting glimpse of a moment in time we probably take for granted – for example, Berlin had to sing songs at an early age in an opium den just for pennies a week. In doing so, it provides a charming presentation of the songs of one of the greats who paved the way for composers and lyricists today.

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FRIGID New York Festival 2011 will run February 23-March 6 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1sr Ave and Ave A). Tickets ($10-$16) may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444. All shows will run 60 minutes long or less.

Related Posts:

• FRIGID New York Festival 2011 – Five Questions For: My Pal Izzy – The Early Life And Music Of Irving Berlin
• The Extraordinary Fall of the Four-Legged Woman: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• CHALK: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
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Year of the Slut featuring Jen Lieberman (Photo by Lindsay Goldman)

Jennifer Lieberman’s one-woman show, Year of the Slut, is an odyssey through the life of a young Canadian getting her feet wet in the bright lights and big city of New York. The main things on her mind besides getting her acting career in high gear is to successfully 1) lose her virginity 2) survive the land mines of available yet dysfunctional bachelors who she finds herself involved with and 3) meet Mr. Right while opening up her horizons to channeling her sexuality through her creativity.

Playing the role of nearly ten different parts as she narrates her tale, the hour is interspersed with moments where she quotes poetry she has written throughout her life. As a whole, the show did not really work for me as much as I’d hoped it would; this started from the very top of the play when one of these poems is read aloud in complete darkness. Later, when the lighting came down to a spotlight on the actress and she quoted her writing again, it worked so much better. That said, I was sometimes thrown by the poetry, and felt it was too much at times.

Lieberman exhibits a lot of talent, but only certain characters seemed to really come to life (particularly when she plays her mother) and only certain moments seemed to really have much depth (such as her best friend who is hospital-bound back in her hometown and their relationship). I find it interesting that these moments are the ones that have the most at stake, despite the turbulent relationship with a flake Brit ex-boyfriend (taker of said virginity) or her gay cousin, who seems more of a cliché that could have gone deeper. I never really got much of a picture of these people.

Solo Performer shows are tremendously difficult to pull off, and I applaud Lieberman for sharing her story with us. Jeff Murray’s staging is more often than not, fluid. I just feel that the piece slightly overstays its welcome and at times was more of someone telling a very, very long story instead of a theatrical event; and one which didn’t quite allow me to see all the characters as vividly as I would have liked.

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FRIGID New York Festival 2011 will run February 23-March 6 at The Kraine Theater & The Red Room (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1sr Ave and Ave A). Tickets ($10-$16) may be purchased online atwww.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444. All shows will run 60 minutes long or less.

Related Posts:

• FRIGID New York Festival 2011 – Five Questions For: Year Of The Slut
• Dandy Darkly’s Trigger Happy!: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
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The National Newborn Festival has become, over the last four years, one of the premiere playwriting festivals in the country for emerging playwrights. A flagship program created and produced by MTWorks, an ever-growing, non-profit theatre company, Newborn allows playwrights to have a work never produced in New York be read in a festival setting.

Free and open to the public, this year’s festival is being sponsored by The City College of New York’s Psychology Club & Department and begins Thursday, February 3rd, and runs through Sunday, February 6th. This year we are showcasing the works of Duncan Pflaster, Rich Rubin, Marilynn Barner Anselmi, Riti Sachdeva, and Jacqueline Goldfinger.

David Stallings

The festival will kick off the first night with the reading of The ReEducation of Arizona by MTWorks’ Artistic Director and resident playwright David Stallings, and end the final evening with the Audience Favorite Award ceremony and a raffle, as well as an extra reading of the winning play. For 2011, in addition to the Audience Favorite Award which is selected by those who attend the readings, the MTWorks Board of Directors is presenting the first annual Excellence in Playwriting Award, to be announced prior to the festival.

I have directed a reading in the last two Newborn Festivals, and will be acting in this year’s, so I’m very excited about this brainchild that MTWorks has created…one that encourages playwrights, directors, and actors to come together and celebrate the artistic process. I asked the playwrights to talk a little bit about their work and their thoughts on said process.

How did you come to hear about The Newborn Festival?

Duncan Pflaster

(Duncan Pflaster – The Empress of Sex) I’ve been a fan of MTWorks for some time now, and when I saw they were accepting applications for the festival, I jumped to send in my script.

(Rich Rubin – Costa Rehab) Spotted the posting on the nyc playwrights website, probably around this time last year.

(Marilynn Barner Anselmi – Raising Ricci) The NewBorn Festival and MTWorks was one of many companies I discovered during my desperate internet searches for possible artistic avenues.

(Riti Sachdeva – Parts of Parts & Stitches) A call in the Fund for Women Artists e-newsletter.

(Jacqueline Goldfinger – Skin & Bone) My play, “Slip/Shot,” was in the Festival last year, and it was a fantastic experience. MTWorks also produced my drama, “The Oath,” in 2009.

Describe your play in one sentence.

(Duncan Pflaster – The Empress of Sex) A woman spurned in her affairs of the heart sets herself up as empress of an island where no love is allowed, only sex; all is orgies and sensual pleasure till her ex-lover comes in disguise to try to win her back.

Rich Rubin

(Rich Rubin – Costa Rehab) A very raunchy comedy with an underpinning of great sadness.

(Marilynn Barner Anselmi – Raising Ricci) After the death of their son, two women attempt to find healing and acceptance in the home of their Southern family.

(Riti Sachdeva – Parts of Parts & Stitches) In war, it is a fine line between madness and courage.

(Jacqueline Goldfinger – Skin & Bone) Skin & Bone is a dark comedy about two little old ladies who detest aging because they can’t do the things they love anymore – like eating people.

(David Stallings – The ReEducation of Arizona) The ReEducation of Arizona opens a discussion about the trickle down effect of politicians and media upon the smaller families in our country.

What makes your work, this play in particular, stand out from the rest?

(Duncan Pflaster – The Empress of Sex) It’s a romantic comedy in the tradition of Marivaux and Shakespeare that doesn’t shy away from modern expressions of sexuality.

(Rich Rubin – Costa Rehab) I’m not sure that is does. I’m hoping that audiences will find Costa Rehab irreverent and off-kilter and at times even outrageous, but I suspect that description applies to just about everything in the festival.

Marilynn Anselmi

(Marilynn Barner Anselmi – Raising Ricci) Maybe my willingness to portray raw grief as honestly as I’m capable.

(Riti Sachdeva – Parts of Parts & Stitches) The woman-centerdness of the tone, the action, the impetus. The emotional urgency of compassion and determination.

(Jacqueline Goldfinger – Skin & Bone) I think Skin & Bone is the only comedy in the Festival this year, and the only one that utilizes the more traditional elements of Southern Gothic storytelling (a la William Faulkner, Kate Chopin, etc…).

(David Stallings – The ReEducation of Arizona) As I am the only writer that has read all of the plays (lucky me), I believe that each play uniquely shows the aesthetic of MTWorks!  I think with this play, the recent events in Arizona have made it more timely now than when it was written.

Whose work do you admire and find to be an inspiration to you as a writer?

(Duncan Pflaster – The Empress of Sex) Charles Ludlam is the top (especially for this play); his combining traditional theatrical forms with comedy and sexuality has always been an inspiration.  Also love Israel Horovitz, Christopher Durang, Theresa Rebeck, Eric Overmyer, Paul Rudnick, Tony Kushner, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Tom Robbins…. and more and more…

(Rich Rubin – Costa Rehab) The list goes on and on, and includes August Wilson, Martin McDonagh, Lee Blessing and Annie Baker. I’m also a big fan of Theresa Rebeck, Lynn Nottage, Tracy Letts and Rebecca Gilman. It might be easier to ask me to list the playwrights whose work I don’t admire.

(Marilynn Barner Anselmi – Raising Ricci) Douglas Wright, Marsha Norman, Margaret Edson and, certainly, Harper Lee.

Riti Sachdeva

(Riti Sachdeva – Parts of Parts & Stitches) So many – Audre Lorde, Nilo Cruz, Malcom X, Deepa Mehtha, Natacha Atlas, Mother Nature.

(Jacqueline Goldfinger – Skin & Bone) Recently, I’ve been inspired by the work of Martin McDonagh, Enda Walsh, and Leo Butler.

(David Stallings – The ReEducation of Arizona) I always go back to Shakespeare and Shaw when I am lost.

What do you hope the audience will walk away with after this reading?

(Duncan Pflaster – The Empress of Sex) I hope they have a good time.  I hope my words touch their hearts and their erogenous zones.

(Rich Rubin – Costa Rehab) A few laughs … and at least a subliminal sense of the tragic absurdity of war.

(Marilynn Barner Anselmi – Raising Ricci) At least a glimpse at a real life, shared experience, and the germination of healing.

(Riti Sachdeva – Parts of Parts & Stitches) To think about how each one of us has an opportunity and responsibility to stand up for the “other”.

Jacquelyn Goldfinger

(Jacqueline Goldfinger – Skin & Bone) I hope they’ll walk away having laughed a lot, and it might provoke some thought about what it means to age in America’s youth culture.

(David Stallings – The ReEducation of Arizona) I always hope that the piece was entertaining first.  And then my goal is to open a discussion.  It is easy to say that because we are New Yorkers, the nonsense going on in Arizona with their offensive Immigration bill and laughable paroling of minority studies in schools does not affect us.  But it does.  And these measures are persecuting Americans who are most vulnerable.  In this play, I give facts that seem ridiculous and fiction that, while comic, has a darker undertone.

What other projects do you have lined up for 2011?

(Duncan Pflaster – The Empress of Sex) I’ll be doing my experimental play Six Silences in Three Movements in March as part of Manhattan Rep’s 2011 WinterFest; most likely doing something in the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity this Summer (though not confirmed yet); and I’ve just been commissioned to write my first screenplay, so that’s a new adventure.

(Rich Rubin – Costa Rehab) Assisted Living, a pretty mainstream comedy-drama about a family dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, will have a second production (in Oregon) this spring. I recently finished a full-length about the disintegration of Arthur Miller’s marriage to Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Misfits, and I’m currently working on another full-length about a primatologist with a complicated love-life.

(Marilynn Barner Anselmi – Raising Ricci) More mad attempts to get my work out there (wherever that is).

(Riti Sachdeva – Parts of Parts & Stitches) My MFA thesis show La Fea: A FlamenChoreoMyth, bringing together two of my great  passions: theatre and flamenco. Produced by University of New Mexico, directed by Ricky Martinez of New Theatre, Miami.

(Jacqueline Goldfinger – Skin & Bone) My dark comedy, the terrible girls, is world premiering at Azuka Theatre Company in Philadelphia and being published by Playscripts this spring. You can read more about my work online: www.jacquelinegoldfinger.com

(David Stallings – The ReEducation of Arizona) I have The Family Shakespeare here in NYC with MTWorks in April.  So I am excited for that!

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The 2011 National Newborn Festival will be held at The City College of New York, North Academic Center (NAC), 138th St at Amsterdam Avenue. The admission is free but you do need to reserve your seats as the space is limited. For a complete schedule and reservation information visit www.MTWorks.org.

Next week we’ll have a chance to talk to the directors of these readings to find out what their thoughts are on the plays that have been selected for the festival. In the meantime . . . I think the following video will also whet your appetite.

Related Posts:

• The 2012 National Newborn Festival Is Almost Here!
• MTWorks National NewBorn Festival Kicks Off Tonight
• Ever Seen A “NewBorn” Play? (Part 1)
• Delving Into DARK WATER With Diánna Martin
• The Empress of Sex (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)

Daniel McCoy, Cara Francis, Richard Gamboa, & Jill Beckman

Those who are even remotely familiar with the Off and Off-Off-Theatre scene in New York have, by this point, either heard of or seen work by the New York Neo-Futurists. The company, whose work has awarded them the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation‘s Caffe Cino Fellowship and the respect of critics and audiences alike, is known for pushing the envelope, to say the least. Thinking outside the box while creating said box is really what they do, and their latest piece (which is one of their longest, at a full hour compared to the dynamic two minute plays they are most known for) performed at The Living Theatre and incredibly well-directed by Rob Neill, is a tour of fear in a manner that most of us would never think of; but one can only be glad that they did and chose to share it with us.

Anyone who knows me (or some of my writing) knows that I absolutely adore “scary” things – books, movies . . . and theatre. So of course anything having to do with “fear” in a theatrical setting is something that I would want to see. However, what I found when I went to see (un)afraid is that the piece is more about what individuals find frightening; things that make you uncomfortable and threatened, and those fears are things that most of us share in one way or another  – be it claustrophobia, a ghost story, fear of the planet losing its resources, the fear of the concept of death (performed with such raw depth by Ricardo Gamboa)…or the fear of a woman who is running out of time to have a child. The last, which was performed by Jill Beckman and Cara Francis in monologues while the latter balanced the former on her shoulders (which blew me away alone) struck a chord with me, and reminded me that we attach the word fear to many things.

So, although I wasn’t necessarily going to see something that Goes Bump In The Night, or vignettes of the macabre nature, I was being shown personal experiences of the actors in the piece who brought up things that might be anyone’s nightmare. This was brought about with humor, live music, video and audio pieces; hats off to the technical director Lauren Parrish and all of the designers who made this minimal set become so many things for this playground of performance art.

Gamboa and McCoy Fearlessly Bringing Lyrics to Life

There are spooky and macabre aspects, don’t get me wrong.  The performance I saw started out with Daniel McCoy sticking a sewing needle and thread through his fingertips to form a spider’s web as the concept of fear is explained…and the actors used a ouija board to attempt to contact various people who have contributed to “frightening” artistic work throughout time. The choice for the show I saw was Tod Browning, director of Classics like the 1931 Dracula staring Bela Lugosi and Freaks (1932) – and apparently every show is going to be different.

What is another plus of the show is the manner in which people are drawn in to become a part of it. This is a very interactive show, so expect to participate unless you sit way in the back! One moment that stuck out for me was when I had a mask placed over my face and was led into a dance with an actor . . . and then was told in a sweet whisper “dance with each other” as I was paired with another audience member. Soon most of the audience was dancing, and what was at first fun and amusing became very creepy as the music and lighting added to the fact that I had no idea who I was dancing with. I suddenly was treated to another face of fear – well, more of being uncomfortable – but I didn’t mind it. It was enlightening. Even my friend I brought, who made it clear before the show that he did NOT want to participate (and who was, ironically, the first person pulled out of the audience) enjoyed himself because the actors were so engaging.

Francis, Gamboa, Beckman, McCoy

Calling upon a vast spectrum ranging from politics to tales of lost love; images of our favorite horror films or simply the dark with nothing but a flashlight – (un)afraid manages to make an impact on the audience on a myriad of levels. I walked out of the theatre feeling as if I’d just experienced something important -having learned something about the world . . . and myself. To me, that is the mark of stimulating and dynamic performance art and theatre – indeed, one would say it is the mark of a Neo-Futurist.

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• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Kill The Band – Mock Bottom Mockumental CD Release Experience!
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Austin Pendleton (photo by George Hartpence)

In the fourth and final installment of our Oberon Theatre Ensemble Rep Interview Series, we’ve got a treat – actor, director, and teacher Austin Pendleton. With a body of work on stage and screen that has spanned several decades, Austin is a vocal and active member of the Off-Off-Broadway community, who has championed the need to recognize the importance of theatre at all levels. Austin is the director of Order, now extended until July 3rd at Theatre Row.

Austin took some time out of his insanely busy schedule to answer some questions about his work both with Oberon and his long career.

Austin, the first time I saw you on stage was in “Doubles” back in the 80’s with my parents as a youngster. I’ve known your work and followed your career throughout the years, and one thing that always sticks out as a wonderful aspect of who you are is that you are always fighting for the little guy – in respect to theatre. You always strive to embrace the needs of the Off-Off Broadway community and promote the recognition of its importance as a lifeblood. What was something that happened in the course of your career that made you champion that cause?

I think what happened with me and off-off-Broadway was that at a place in my work when I’d sort of lost my way as an actor I found  myself asked to play some very great roles with fine actors and directors there, and with great freedom, roles I never expected to be asked to play.  Great Shakespearean roles, for example: Hamlet, Shylock, Richard III, Richard II, Claudius and the Ghost (in Hamlet).  Stuff like that.  And I realized the value and excitement of off-off-Broadway, and how that exact value and excitement could not be found anywhere else.

What is it about a play that draws you to it to the point that you feel you MUST be involved?

I have no idea what draws me to a play and what doesn’t.  I just know when I’m drawn, somehow.

Order (Brad Fryman, Ryan Tramont, Gabe Bettio)

How well did you know the members of Oberon Theatre Ensemble before coming on board? You have worked with or trained some of them before, have you not?

I’d worked with Ryan Tramont and William Laney in Richard II, at Frog and Peach.  And I’d seen (because of these guys) some Oberon shows, including Eric Parness’s beautiful staging of A Winter’s Tale.

What was it like being able to work with this stalwart of the Off-Off community, and bring your knowledge to the table?

It was wonderful working with Oberon. They are completely supportive, and they get what you’re trying to do.

What were some of the things that drew you to Order and allowed you to play and have fun with the piece?

Order is fun to play with because it’s so boldly all over the place.  It tries all these different approaches into its scorching subject matter.  You have to be very flexible with it.  I like that.  Also, it’s brilliantly written.

What do you think is the most important link between the two plays in Oberon’s Rep, Othello and Order, and how do they relate to the state of the human condition?

Both Order and Othello are about what happens to you if you meet the wrong Demon for you.

I was fortunate enough to see an earlier reading of this play, and it is quite different now. What has the collaborative process been like between you and playwright Christopher Stetson Boal?

It’s been an amazing collaboration with Chris.  It’s never felt like there were hidden agendas.

Do you see Order as more of a dark comedy or more of a tragedy about a man who is run over by everything in his life, and why?

I see it as either a dark comedy or a funny tragedy.  I like to give the audience a little room to figure which of those ways they would like to go with it.

Who are your greatest inspirations in the industry – regardless of medium?

I’ve got about a hundred inspirations in the industry.  Almost everything I’ve ever worked on has had at least one.

If you had to pick a character from a play, book, or film to be for a day, who would it be?

My God.  Who?  Whatever I’m working on at any given moment, that’s who I’d like to be.

What’s next on your agenda? Do you have a play or project brewing that we’ll be lucky enough to see? We would expect nothing less from a man who is involved with everything in the theatre industry and gives it his heart and soul.

I’m directing a new play, Detroit, by Lisa Damour at Steppenwolf, in August.  I’m playing Kroll in Ibsen’s Rosmersholm, at the Pearl Theatre here in NY, this fall, directed by Elinor Renfield.  I’m directing Three Sisters this winter at CSC here in NY with a lot of great people in it.  And I’m involved in a new musical called A Minister’s Wife, music by Josh Schmidt (Adding Machine), which was done last year at Writers’ Theatre in the Chicago area (Glencoe), a theatre that commissioned me to write the script for the show (based on Shaw’s play Candida), and which will be done next year by Lincoln Center in the Newhouse Theatre.  Also, I’m still teaching (acting) at HB Studio here in NY.

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That sounds like a great line-up. I hope we get a chance to see some of his work this coming year! Order runs through July 3rd at Theatre Row’s Kirk Theatre.

Related Posts:

• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 2
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain
• Everything Is In “Order”
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 3
• Delving Into DARK WATER With Diánna Martin