Around here, at The Happiest Medium, we’re often congratulating people on winning awards, getting their plays published or being accepted into a festival.  So it’s so nice when we can celebrate LOVE for a change – especially when it’s someone we consider one of the family.

Hollis James, creator and star of the popular web series Teachers Lounge, wed publicist Emily Owens (owner of Emily Owens PR) in a private ceremony on July 7th, 2015 in East Quogue, NY.  Emily has been a champion of The Happiest Medium since day one, and this site wouldn’t be what it is without her constant support and her great ideas.

Teachers Lounge, a YouTube series created by Hollis James and Ted Alexandro, guest stars Alec Baldwin, Janeane Garofalo, Jim Gaffigan, Lewis Black, Michael Che, Judah Friedlander, Rachel Feinstein, Judy Gold, and Dave Attell. A half hour pilot is currently in production.

Looks like Emily and Hollis are already well on the way to success, but we wish them all the joy in the world and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this happy couple.

Related Posts:

• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Emily Owens

The Happiest Medium is back, and we’ve missed you! After a long hiatus we’re excited to return, bigger and better than ever. We’re kicking things off by once again sponsoring the FRIGID New York Festival – a winter fringe festival that is always the highlight of THM’s year and a tradition we’re eager to get back to!

We’ll start things up with our signature series – bonus sized!  Starting tomorrow check out “10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go” for every Frigid act – and of course don’t forget to track how each show will be doing in the traditional Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament of DEAAAAATH!  (a yearly favorite!)

We’re back, we’re excited, and we know it’s about to be better than it’s ever been!

2 Theaters, 3 Weeks, 12 Days, 30 independent theater companies and over 150 performances… see you at FRIGID New York!!

Related Posts:

• Basic Help (2014 Frigid New York Festival)
• Confessions Of A Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2014 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Questions Of The Heart: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2014 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Almost A Genius: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2014 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• The Eyes Of Orbach: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2014 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

There’s one more chance to see some of the most exciting Fringe Shows of the 2012 festival!   Beginning September 7th, the FringeNYC Encore Series will present 19 “Best of The Festival” shows in rotating repertory at SoHo Playhouse and The Huron Club (both located at 15 Vandam Street between 6th Avenue & Varick) as well as at The Players Theater (115 MacDougal Street between Bleecker and Houston Streets). Tickets are $18, available at 212-691-1555 or www.SohoPlayhouse.com
Below is the complete list – see which ones we reviewed to help you decide which show you’ll see … or see them all!

ALL MY CHILDREN
Writer: Matt Smith / Director: Bret Fetzer.
Max Poth takes “what-might-have-been” to extremes. He tracks down the now-grown children of long-ago girlfriends, and tells them he’s their real father (knowing that he’s not). A strange lark takes on a life of its own.
Huron Club. 9/12 at 8PM; 9/14 at 7PM; 9/16 at 5PM; 9/17 at 8PM

What we said: ” …this is sophisticated, sharp, and wise comedy, delivered by an actor at the top of his game. Miss it and you lose.” [read the full review by Geoffrey Paddy Johnson]

BELOW
Writer: Tess Howsam / Director: Karyn Joy DeYoung.
“Something’s dead.” Driven into a world of uncertainty, disease, and darkness, a group of survivors dwelling beneath an abandoned toxic metropolis are suddenly threatened by the arrival of a child-like stranger. Will they survive this new assault?
SoHo Playhouse. 9/8 at 8PM; 9/15 at 3PM; 9/23 at 8PM; 9/29 at 8PM

CANON IN D MINOR*
Writer: Jessica Liadsky / Director: Rachel Slaven.
Beth is lost after her best friend takes her own life in their final year of school. She glides the bow of her violin through the music that connected them in this tender and poetic story of friendship and forgiveness.
SoHo Playhouse. 9/15 at 8PM; 9/19 at 8PM; 9/27 at 7PM; 9/29 at 5PM; 9/30 at 5PM.

DANNY VISCONTI IS HILL-BENT: MY NIGHT WITH HILLARY CLINTON
Writer: Danny Visconti with Adam Wachter / Director: Connor Gallagher.
Hillary Rodham Clinton is Danny Visconti’s idol. After a chance meeting with the Secretary of State, Danny is immediately sucked into a scandalous night of booze, strippers, and prank-calling Michele Bachmann…all set to music!!
Huron Club. 9/10 at 8PM; 9/15 at 5PM; 9/27 at 7PM; 9/29 at 3PM; 9/30 at 8PM.

5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE*
Writer: Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood / Director: Sarah Gitenstein.

It’s 1956 and the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast. Will they be able to keep their cool when Communists threaten their idyllic town? “Sharp, smart and hysterically funny.” – Time Out Chicago.
SoHo Playhouse. 9/12 at 9:30PM; 9/23 at 5PM; 9/25 @ 8PM; 9/27 at 9PM; 9/28 at 9PM; 9/30 @ 8PM.

GAY CAMP*

Writer: Philip Mutz and Susan-Kate Heaney / Director: Phillip Fazio.
It’s gay. It’s camp. It’s Gay Camp! ‘Confused’ campers Josh and Anton are sent to be ‘cured’ at Camp Acceptance. Prepare for a deliciously evil headmaster, gay Twister, Santorum surprises, and more innuendos than you can shake a dildo at!
The Players Theatre. 9/21 at 10PM; 9/22 at 10PM; 9/27 at 10PM; 9/28 at 10PM.

HAVE I GOT A GIRL FOR YOU*
Writer: Josh Mesnik / Director: Sara Sahin.
How does a newly sober gay musical theatre actor get his life on track? He gets a job running a female escort agency of course! The hilarious true story of the most unlikely new member in the oldest profession.
The Players Theatre. 9/13 at 10PM; 9/14 at 10PM; 9/15 at 7:30PM; 9/21 at 7:30PM; 9/22 at 7:30PM.

INDEPENDENTS*
Writer: Marina Keegan, Music by Stephen Feigenbaum, Lyrics by Mark Sonnenblick / Director: Charlie Polinger.
Strapped for cash, burnout crewmembers of an antique tallship become Revolutionary War reenactors. Armed with a less-than-potent combination of Wikipedia and marijuana, they face disaster in this folk musical about friendship, adulthood, and whatever those three-cornered-hats are called.
SoHo Playhouse. 9/7 at 7PM; 9/8 at 5PM; 9/11 at 8PM; 9/14 at 9PM; 9/18 at 8PM; 9/21 at 7PM.

LENNON IN DENMARK
Writer: Vibeke Hastrup & Frede Gulbrandsen / Director: Frede Gulbrandsen.
An encounter between a young woman and John Lennon in a remote part of Denmark forever changes her life. But for the better? A journey of love, forgiveness, being stuck and letting go. It’s never too late to begin again.
Huron Club. 9/15 at 3PM; 9/16 at 8PM; 9/18 at 8PM; 9/20 at 7PM

MAHMOUD*
Writer: Tara Grammy and Tom Arthur Davis / Director: Tom Arthur Davis.
One Iranian actress, three characters: an Iranian engineer-cum-taxi driver, a fabulously gay Spaniard, and a pre-teen Iranian-Canadian girl. Their stories intertwine in unexpected ways in this personal and hilarious story. Learn more about Iranians, and maybe even yourself.
Huron Club. 9/22 at 8PM; 9/23 at 3PM; 9/25 at 8PM; 9/29 at 5PM; 9/30 at 5PM.

What we said: ”The stories begin to draw together and broader themes of cultural displacement, immigration, racism, and homophobia come into focus under a wider banner of -’what price personal liberty?’ ” [read the full review by Geoffrey Paddy Johnson]

NIGHTFALL ON MIRANGA ISLAND

Writer: Justin Moran and Jonathan Roufaeal, Music by Adam and Matt Podd / Director: Justin Moran, Music Direction: Adam and Matt Podd.
Somewhere off the coast of Guatemala: our swashbuckling hero, Declan Bruntfodder, has finally tracked the legendary pirate captain Vicious Martin LaFoe to his hideout on the lawless Miranga Island in a quest to find his sister kidnapped ten years ago.
The Players Theatre. 9/8 at 7:30PM; 9/13 at 7:30PM; 9/15 at 10PM; 9/28 at 7:30PM; 9/29 at 7:30PM

PIECES*

Writer: Chris Phillips / Director: Brian Zimmer
When an openly gay Hollywood power player is brutally murdered, his body parts distributed around the city of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles Public Defender Rory Dennis is assigned the defense of Shane Holloway, the damaged young man accused of the crime. While unlocking Shane’s past, Rory is forced to confront his own scorching ambivalence about his place in a community to which he’s lost almost all connection.
SoHo Playhouse. 9/7 at 9:30PM; 9/9 at 8PM; 9/12 at 8PM; 9/13 at 7PM; 9/16 at 8PM; 9/17 at 8PM.

What we said: ” … Pieces works as entertainment and as drama with teeth. Go, for pity’s sake, while you can. You should consider yourself lucky to be so bitten.” [Read the full review by Geoffrey Paddy Johnson]

PULP SHAKESPEARE*
Writer: Ben Tallen, Aaron Greer, Brian Watson-Jones &Jordan Monsell / Director: Jordan Monsell
“This lively and imaginative re-invention” (LA Weekly) imagines what it might be like had the cult film “Pulp Fiction” been written by William Shakespeare. Set in Elizabethan England, Pulp Shakespeare weaves the story of a pair of murderers, their boss’s alluring wife, and a desperate knight, all brought to life by a cast of acclaimed Los Angeles Shakespearean actors.
SoHo Playhouse. 9/19 at 8PM, 9/20 at 9PM, 9/22 at 3PM, 9/24 at 8PM, and 9/26 at 8PM.

What we said: ” … between the smooth directing skills, the flawless cast, and a darn good script, Pulp Shakespeare was hilariously engaging, and made me want to revisit the movie. “ [read the full review by Linnea Covington]

RATED M FOR MATURE
Writer: Greg Ayers / Director: Paul Dobie
Inspired by real events. This hard-hitting dark comedy follows Eric, a troubled teen bullied to the breaking point. He’s able to find refuge in an online game but when his computer is taken away, who will pay the price?
SoHo Playhouse. 9/10 at 8PM; 9/14 at 7PM; 9/16 at 5PM; 9/20 at 7PM; 9/22 at 5PM.

SALAMANDER STARTS OVER*
Writer: Armando Merlo, Director: Leigh Ann Pedra
The words every teenage punk dreads: All-Boys Catholic School. But this isn’t your average preparatory education. Eccentric teachers. Militant coaches. Dance-fighting students. Add these with the love of a Cuban mother and see how Salamander starts over.
Huron Club. 9/7 at 7PM; 9/9 at 8PM; 9/13 at 7PM; 9/15 at 8PM; 9/19 at 8PM; 9/28 at 7PM.

STANDBY – THE MUSICAL

Writer: Book and Lyrics by Alfred Solis, Music by Keith Robinson and Amy Baer, additional book and lyrics by Mark-Eugene Garcia / Director: Marc Connor Eardley
Five travelers, haunted by troubled pasts, await the flight of their lives. Their unresolved baggage lands them on standby, where the end of the line is the beginning of a journey to redemption in the afterlife.
The Players Theatre. 9/7 at 7:30PM; 9/14 at 7:30PM; 9/20 at 7:30; 9/27 at 7:30PM; 9/29 at 10PM.

SUPER SIDEKICK: THE MUSICAL

Writer: Gregory Crafts, music and lyrics by Michael Gordon Shapiro / Director: Steve Knight, Music Director: Stephen Bent
Adventure! Romance! Ninja koalas! Sorcerer Slurm has captured the greatest hero in the kingdom! Can lowly sidekick Inky save the day? “…perfect for small children, with audience participation, a perfect hour run-time and catchy musical numbers” -L.A. Theatre Review
SoHo Playhouse. 9/8 at 1PM; 9/9 at 1PM; 9/15 at 1PM; 9/16 at 1PM; 9/22 at 1PM; 9/23 at 1PM; 9/29 at 1PM; 9/30 at 1PM.

What we said: ” … with the fast pace, audience participation, and fun characters, if you have children this play is right up their alley. But, even as a grown woman I found it humorous, saucy, and a lot of fun.  [read the full review by Linnea Covington]

THIS TOO SHALL SUCK
Writer: Matt Graham

A merry romp through performance anxiety, professional Scrabble, stand-up comedy and the psych ward, Matt Graham’s one-man traumedy reveals his transformation from drunken bum into reclusive cat lady/professional gambler. How bad can it suck?
Huron Club. 9/11 at 8PM; 9/21 at 7PM; 9/23 at 8PM; 9/24 at 8PM

THE ZEBRA SHIRT OF LONELY CHILDREN*
Writer: Matthew Trumbull / Director: Matthew Freeman
In this comic monologue, Trumbull stumbles through a world of urn catalogs and last-minute eulogies. It explores the bond between Trumbull and his useful-minded father, Jonathan, a dying Minnesota engineer who donates his cadaver to science.
SoHo Playhouse. 9/8 at 8PM; 9/16 at 3PM; 9/23 at 5PM; 9/26 at 8PM; 9/29 at 8PM.

* Denotes FringeNYC Overall Excellence Award Winner.

Related Posts:

• Mahmoud – Selected As A Fringe Encore (Fringe Festival 2012)
• Snow White Zombie: Apocalypse – The End Is Nigh In Fairy Tale Land (Fringe Festival 2012)
• Bite The Apple – To Bite Or Not To Bite? (Fringe Festival 2012)
• Pulp Shakespeare – The Bard Would Be Proud (Fringe Festival 2012)
• Super Sidekick The Musical … Pawn (Fringe Festival 2012)

It’s always a joyful celebration when Off-Off Broadway has the opportunity to commend its own worthy artists.   Throughout the year, at every show, audiences all over New York are urged to vote for their favorite shows … and all those votes culminated last night with the final nominees for the 2012 NY IT Awards.

We here at THM were lucky enough to be able to see some of the nominated shows – though our goal is to one day brag that we’ve seen every one!  But in the meanwhile, congratualtions to all those we’ve seen and those we wish we’d seen.  You are all amazing and we raise a glass and toast your nomination.  The ceremony will take place on Monday, September 24, 2012.
For a full list, see below.  For information on what we may have covered, and what we said about those productions, feel free to click on the links.

 - – -

Outstanding Ensemble

The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill: Vol. 1, Early/Lost Plays
Daniel Burnam, Brendan Donaldson, Cara Francis, Connor Kalista, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Erica Livingston, Lauren Sharpe, New York Neo-Futurists

Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant Returns in: The Mothership Landing
Justin Badger, David M. Barber, Melody Bates, Stephanie Dodd, Jeffrey Fracé, Connie Hall, Kelly Hayes, Jerusha Klemperer, Peter Lettre, Rachel Murdy, Melody Bates, Peter Richards, Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant in association with the Irondale Center

Eightythree Down
Melody Bates, Ian Holcomb, Bryan Kaplan, Brian Miskell, Hard Sparks in association with Horse Trade Theatre Group

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Homicide When the Streets Were Too Much
Loren Amos, Duane Boutte, Alexis Francisco, Anthony Gaskins, Michael Alexis Palmer, David Roberts, Robert G. Siverls, Zook, Modern-Day Griot Theatre Company

Homunculus: Reloaded
Adriana Chavez, David DeSantis, Lauren Elder, Regina Gibson, Mel House, Jennifer Luong, Eeva Semerdjiev, William Silva, Brett Teresa, Homunculus Mask Theater

Urban Odyssey
Penelope Armstead-Williams, Rocky Bostick, Ching-I Chang, Maura Donohue, Denise Greber, Alice Pasturel, Federico Restrepo, Gilbert Reyes, Kiku Sakai, Kayla Schetter,LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club in association with LOCO7

Outstanding Solo Performance

Bree Benton, Poor Baby Bree in I Am Going to Run Away, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club

Greg Oliver Bodine, Poe, Times Two, WorkShop Theater Company

Zac Jaffee, Heroes and Other Strangers, the cell theatre

Melanie Jones, Endure: A Run Woman Show, Collision Productions

Juan Francisco Villa, Empanada For A Dream, Ballybeg & terraNOVA Collective

Raïna von Waldenburg, Oysters Orgasms Obituaries, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club in association with Center for Embodied Performance

Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role

Karl Gregory, Frogs, Fault Line Theatre

Ian Holcomb, Eightythree Down, Hard Sparks in association with Horse Trade Theatre Group

Jason Howard, Advance Man, Gideon Productions

Bryan Kaplan, Eightythree Down, Hard Sparks in association with Horse Trade Theatre Group

Curry Whitmire, Christopher Marlowe’s Chloroform Dreams, Lunar Energy

Stephen Alan Wilson, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, T. Schreiber Studio

Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role

Celeste Arias, Demon Dreams (Oni No Yume), Magic Futurebox

Lauren Blumenfeld, Exit Carolyn, Sans A Productions

Teresa Kelsey, The House of Mirth, Metropolitan Playhouse

Marie Marshall, The House of Mirth, Metropolitan Playhouse

Ryan Templeton, A Hard Wall at High Speed, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Halley Wegryn Gross, Sex Good; Money Bad, Broken Watch Theatre Company

Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role

Adam Barrie, Dust, Tenement Street Workshop in association with Incubator Arts Project

Hunter Canning, Dust, Tenement Street Workshop in association with Incubator Arts Project

Karl Gregory, From White Plains, Fault Line Theatre

Greg Horton, A Man of No Importance, The Gallery Players

Brian Miskell, Eightythree Down, Hard Sparks in association with Horse Trade Theatre Group

Charlie Owens, A Man of No Importance, The Gallery Players

Aidan Redmond, The Real Thing, Boomerang Theatre Company

Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role

Melody Bates, Eightythree Down, Hard Sparks in association with Horse Trade Theatre Group

Renee Claire Bergeron, A Man of No Importance, The Gallery Players

Casandera M.J. Lollar, The Runner Stumbles, Retro Productions

Charlotte Pines, Callous Cad, Tom X. Chao in association with Kim Katzberg

Laura Ramadei, Exit Carolyn, Sans A Productions

Christina Shipp, Ajax in Iraq, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Outstanding Choreography/Movement

Jessica Isa Burns, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Homicide When the Streets Were Too Much,Modern-Day Griot Theatre Company

Lee Sunday Evans, The Deepest Play Ever: The Catharsis of Pathos, CollaborationTown

Christine O’Grady, A Man of No Importance, The Gallery Players

Joe Osheroff & Evan Zes, Homunculus: Reloaded, Homunculus Mask Theater

Lauren Sharpe, The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill: Vol. 1, Early/Lost Plays, New York Neo-Futurists

Turner Smith, Romeo and Juliet, Northwest Passage

Outstanding Director

Kevin Laibson, Demon Dreams (Oni No Yume), Magic Futurebox

Christopher Loar, The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill: Vol. 1, Early/Lost Plays, New York Neo-Futurists

Joe Osheroff, Homunculus: Reloaded, Homunculus Mask Theater

Alex Roe, The House of Mirth, Metropolitan Playhouse

Aaron Rossini, Frogs, Fault Line Theatre

August Schulenburg, Ajax in Iraq, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Outstanding Lighting Design

Nick Francone, Miranda, MirandaCo

Richard Kent Green, Poe, Times Two, WorkShop Theater Company

Ben Hagen & Joe Skowronski, LoveSick (or Things That Don’t Happen), Project Y Theatre Company

David A. Sexton, The Spring Fling: My Best/Worst Date Ever, F*It Club

Cat Tate Starmer, A Hard Wall at High Speed, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant Returns in: The Mothership Landing,Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant in association with the Irondale Center

Outstanding Costume Design

Sidney Fortner, The House of Mirth, Metropolitan Playhouse

Denise Greber, Urban Odyssey, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club in association with LOCO7

Kim Katzberg, Penetrating the Space, Kim Katzberg

Jessica Sofia Mitrani, Hypnotik: The Seer Will Doctor You Now, The New Stage Theatre Comapny

Ayanna Siverls-Streater, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Homicide When the Streets Were Too Much, Modern-Day Griot Theatre Company

David L. Zwiers, The Asphalt Christmas, Gracye Productions

Outstanding Set Design

Stephen K. Dobay, A Hard Wall at High Speed, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Kevin Judge, LoveSick (or Things That Don’t Happen), Project Y Theatre Company

Sarah E. Martin & Sara Nelson, The Spring Fling: My Best/Worst Date Ever, F*It Club

Steve O’Shea, Up To You, TADA! Youth Theater

Sean Ryan, Clowns Full-Tilt:  A Musing on Aesthetics, Clowns Ex Machina/La MaMa

Andy Yanni, Felix and the Diligence, or a Play About Fishermen in the 1940′s, Pipeline Theatre Company

Outstanding Sound Design

Martha Goode, Costa Rehab, Maieutic Theatre Works (MTWorks)

 Christopher Loar, The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill: Vol. 1, Early/Lost Plays, New York Neo-Futurists

Mark Parenti, The Spring Fling: My Best/Worst Date Ever, F*It Club

Nathan A. Roberts, A Hard Wall at High Speed, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Tim Schellenbaum, Urban Odyssey, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club in association with LOCO7

Matt Schloss, Miranda, MirandaCo

Outstanding Innovative Design

Gyda Arber & Aaron Baker, Phone & Text Design, Red Cloud Rising, The Fifth Wall in association with The Brick Theater

Maia Cruz Palileo, Animation and Sculpture, Penetrating the Space, Kim Katzberg

Elizabeth Barrett Groth & Amy Mathews, Puppet Design, We in Silence Hear a Whisper, Red Fern Theatre Company

Joe Osheroff, Mask Design, Homunculus: Reloaded, Homunculus Mask Theater

Federico Restrepo & Angela Sierra, Video Editing & Design, Urban Odyssey, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club in association with LOCO7

Suchan Vodoor, Interactive Technology Design, Endure: A Run Woman Show, Collision Productions

Outstanding Original Music

Karolyn Bethke, Kris Kukul, John Sully, Elizabeth Swados & Martin Wallace, Urban Odyssey,LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club in association with LOCO7

Sasha Bogdanowitsch, Erosion: a Fable, Loom Ensemble

Christine Owman, Endure: A Run Woman Show, Collision Productions

Jeff Raab, 12th Night, Libra Theater Company

Kamala Sankaram, Miranda, MirandaCo

Sxip Shirey, Prometheus Within, LaMaMa Experimental Theater Club in association with Skysaver Productions

Outstanding Original Short Script

Lucy Boyle, Mort, The Spring Fling: My Best/Worst Date Ever, F*It Club

Chisa Hutchinson, This is Not the Play, Mad Dog Theatre Company

Dean Imperial, The Needle Through the Arm Trick, Too Much Too Soon, Lesser America

Vincent Marano, Artistic License, What I Meant Was… The Odd, Short-Ish Of Vinnie Marano,teatro oscuro

Joe Osheroff & Evan Zes, Homunculus: Reloaded, Homunculus Mask Theater

Anna Ziegler, A Map of Broken Glass, The Spring Fling: My Best/Worst Date Ever, F*It Club

Outstanding Original Full-Length Script

Zac Jaffee, Heroes and Other Strangers, the cell theatre

Melanie Jones, Endure: A Run Woman Show, Collision Productions

Mariah MacCarthy, The Foreplay Play, Caps Lock Theatre

Michael Perlman, From White Plains, Fault Line Theatre

Mac Rogers, Advance Man, Gideon Productions

Juan Francisco Villa, Empanada For A Dream, Ballybeg & terraNOVA Collective

Outstanding Performance Art Piece

The Complete and Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill: Vol. 1, Early/Lost Plays,New York Neo-Futurists

Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant Returns in: The Mothership Landing, Conni’s Avant Garde Restaurant in association with the Irondale Center

Empanada For A Dream, Ballybeg & terraNOVA Collective

Endure: A Run Woman Show, Collision Productions

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Homicide When the Streets Were Too Much,Modern-Day Griot Theatre Company

Homunculus: Reloaded, Homunculus Mask Theater

Outstanding Production of a Musical

LoveSick (or Things That Don’t Happen), Project Y Theatre Company

A Man of No Importance, The Gallery Players

Miranda, MirandaCo

The Secret Garden, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Unville Brazil, FullStop Collective

Up To You, TADA! Youth Theater

Outstanding Premiere Production of a Play

Advance Man, Gideon Productions

Demon Dreams (Oni No Yume), Magic Futurebox

Eightythree Down, Hard Sparks in association with Horse Trade Theatre Group

The Foreplay Play, Caps Lock Theatre

From White Plains, Fault Line Theatre

A Hard Wall at High Speed, Astoria Performing Arts Center

Outstanding Production of a Remounted Play

Ajax in Iraq, Flux Theatre Ensemble

Frogs, Fault Line Theatre

The House of Mirth, Metropolitan Playhouse

Poe, Times Two, WorkShop Theater Company

The Real Thing, Boomerang Theatre Company

The Violet Hour, The Active Theater in association with Goode Productions

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

What’s in this year’s Mini-Fridge?  Some tasty treats you won’t wanna miss – and in honor of the mini-festival which highlights a small but savory platter of hors d’oeuvres made up of FRIGID and FRINGE deliciousness we here will be presenting Mini-Fridge Elevenses.  What is Elevenses?  If you were too lazy to follow that link we’ll tell you: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, elevenses is a snack that is similar to afternoon tea, but eaten in the morning. It is generally less savoury than brunch, and might consist of some cake or biscuits with a cup of coffee or tea. The name refers to the time of day that it is taken: around 11 am.

But here at The Happiest Medium Elevenses is Eleven Questions for our Mini-Fridge participants.  So, grab a snack out of your own fridge and sit back because in the next few days we’ll be featuring some great Q&As with:

Kill the Band: Mock Bottom Presented by Killy Dwyer and Kill the Band

KILL THE BAND presents a surreal, multi-media theatrical experience to celebrate the release of their triumphant second comedy rock album, MOCK BOTTOM! Part CD release party, part psychodramedy, MOCK BOTTOM mockuments the farcical cycle of the band’s breakdowns and break throughs. Free CD included with your ticket!

Thu 6/28 & Sat 6/30 @ 10pm

 ***

Bye Bye Bombay Written & Performed by Cara Yeates

A multimedia adventure to Bollywood and beyond! Join Gauri and her puppet guides as she dodges rickshaws, Russian dancers and lecherous directors. A foreigner lost in a maze of masala, will this lost traveler learn more than just the art of crossing roads in India?

Thu 6/28 @ 8:30pm, Fri 6/29 @ 7pm, & Sat 6/30 @ 7pm

 ***

Intium/Finis Presented by Theatre Reverb

A sensual tale of violence and revolution born in a futuristic metropolis. Theatre Reverb combines media, red-light cabaret, live music, Judeo-Christian and Hindu myth, and classical Indian dance-theatre to envelop spectators in a lush sci-fi noir. This unique, total theatrical experience is the result of a cross-discipline collaboration between artists from the US, Central Europe and Asia.

Sat 6/30 @ 5pm & Sun 7/1 @ 7pm

  ***

Bare. Presented by Peter Aguero

Raw stories paired with raw burlesque. Curated and hosted by Peter Aguero (The Moth, The BTK Band), Bare. will rip the heart out of your chest, place it lovingly back in, and proceed to do it all over again. This special Mini-Fridge volume stars Adam Wade, Sarah Jenness, Diana Spechler, Magdalena Fox, Francine, Amelia Bareparts, and Mary Cyn as The Kraken.

Sun 7/1 @ 9pm

  ***

Bible Burlesque Presented by Brain Melt Consortium

To raise money for the Edinburgh production of their biblical feminist burlesque-themed play, Rachel and Ali have decided to put on a night of hot, lurid bible stories – but they’ve got very different ideas about what that means. An hour of comic meta-theatrical sexy-time. In Biblical proportions. From the creators of the 2012 FRIGID hit, Daughters of Lot.

Sat 6/30 @ 8:30pm

  ***

Lord Gregory & Mademoiselle Godin’s mini XMAS Spectacular  Hosted by Gregory Levine and Michelle Leona Godin

Xmas - What an awful word, non?! And everything so shabby nowadays. Well, perhaps you’ve been going to the wrong parties… Aristocratic siblings Lord Gregory and Mademoiselle Godin — whose twisted bond of love and jealousy has only grown stronger since the terrible day their zygote split in the womb — cordially invite you to the unseasonable soiree of the year: a splendid Xmas gala showcasing the stars of the 2012 mini-FRIDGE, and featuring the marvelous musicians, comedians and performance artist of the Horse Trade family. You will be sadly gauche if you are not in attendance!

Fri 6/29 @ 10pm

  ***

Legendary: A Man-tasia Written & performed by Kevin R. Free Directed by Christopher Burris

What becomes a legend most? Is it truth? Is it fantasy? Is it a sequined gown and pearls? In Legendary: A Man-tasia three gay men explores their love affairs with each other, themselves and – of course – Jennifer Holliday.

Thu 6/28 @ 7pm, Fri 6/29 @ 8:30pm, & Mon 7/2 @ 7pm

Related Posts:

• 2nd Season Mini Fridge – Tasty, Filling And Leaving Audience Wanting More! (Jun 28, 2012 – Jul 04, 2012 )
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Bible Burlesque!
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Kill The Band – Mock Bottom Mockumental CD Release Experience!
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Lord Gregory & Mademoiselle Godin’s miniXMAS Spectacular!
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Bye Bye Bombay!

Author Howard Bloom has given audiences The Lucifer Principle, Global Brain and The Genius of The Beast.  He’s now on to The God Problem which  ”tackles the puzzle of how a godless cosmos creates; of how a universe without a bearded and bathrobed god in the sky pulls off acts of genesis.”

 Sounds interesting? Here’s more …

 “If Howard Bloom is only 10 percent right, we’ll have to drastically revise our notions of the universe. There’s no mysticism in The God Problem—no God, no religion, no incommunicable spiritual insights – just the contagious joy of a great mind set loose on the biggest intellectual puzzles humans have ever faced. Whether you’re a scientist or a hyper-curious layperson, Bloom’s argument will rock your world.” Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, National Magazine Award Winner

 Howard is currently down to the last dwindling days of his Kickstarter Campaign which will fund his media campaign.

 If this book sounds fascinating and you want to learn more click here. Oh, and don’t forget to donate while you’re there!

Related Posts:

• One Year Later – Remembering Michael (by Howard Bloom)

There are several things we love around here.  We love the terrific Kathleen Warnock whose name pops up on THM from time to time because she is an amazing playwright, a fantastic person, and someone I’m proud to know.  Kathleen has that rare talent of being able to share her spirit in words that are raw and real – not overblown or over-dramatic.  And because of that she often makes me feel I know her so much better than I do.  But that’s her gift – and that’s our present.

We also love celebrating, and women … and celebrating women.  What better way to celebrate than with The Lilly Awards – named for Lillian Hellman and started in the Spring of 2010 as a way to honor the work of women in the American Theater.

Kathleen attended the Lilly Awards and noted … “There was a delicious tension in the air as the women spoke of the need for self-recognition and celebration. The adjective “angry” was batted around, like a balloon, or a badge of honor. I’ve found that the word “angry,” depending on who is applying it, is often used as a weapon against someone who has a legitimate concern…or by someone who is frightened of what’s being said or asked.”

For the full re-cap of Kathleen’s experience continue reading at her site.  Find out all about her wonderful evening, the things she saw, the people she shared her night with … and find out who actually received an award!

To keep up with The Lilly Awards you can follow them on Facebook.

Related Posts:

• A Woman For Every Day- 365 Women A Year: A Playwriting Project
• Call For Submissions: Putting The “BLE” In Combustible
• Spring EATFest 2011 – Something For Every Taste
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Kathleen Warnock
• Cabaretion! The Innovative Theatre Foundation’s Gala Benefit Honors Christopher Durang

In 2010 The Happiest Medium was thrilled to be able to be one of the media sponsors for the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity – “a place that shelters new and experienced artists who want to use their art to make a difference”.

We’re excited to be able to sponsor the festivity once again this year! Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY.

The Planet Connections Festivity is New York’s premiere eco-friendly/socially-conscious arts festival. Fostering a diverse cross-section of performances, the Festivity seeks to inspire artists and audiences both creatively and fundamentally, in a festive atmosphere. At the heart of the Festivity are like-minded individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theatre, film, music and art while supporting organizations, which give back to the community at large.  

In the month leading up to the festivity we’ll be bringing you our fun feature “5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go” – a chance for every one of the shows to give you a taste of what they have in store for you!  We’ll also be reviewing a selection of the offerings so check back daily to see what we thought!

Just follow this link to get to the Planet Connections site.  There you’ll be able to see all the great things that are being offered … the free staged readings, the full scale productions, the special events … and don’t forget to check out what’s going on in the Festivity Lounge where there will be free entertainment such as singers, comedians, readings and art exhibits benefiting local charities. You can also buy some refreshments!   And if you join on FOURSQUARE you may win a prize!

So come be a part of the great work that’s being done by the amazing team at Planet Connections!

We’ll see you there!

Related Posts:

• What The F* Is Going On? F*It Club’s Spring Fling!
• Ye Elizabeths: Living Vicariously Because … (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• A Brief History Of Thyme (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Deuteranomaly: A One-Act in Two Parts – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Alex Bond

Every year the Frigid Festival gives us a hangover – of shows, that is!  A Frigid Hangover has nothing to do with alcohol but it has everything to do with shots!  As in — these shows get one more shot at entertaining audiences.

HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP

PRESENTS THE

2012 FRIGID HANGOVERS

THE BEST & BRIGHTEST FROM

THIS YEARS FESTIVAL

Horse Trade Theater Group (Erez Ziv, Managing Director, Heidi Grumelot, Artistic Director) is proud to present the third annual FRIGID Hangovers, March 5-10 at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave and Bowery). They’re bringing back the best and the brightest from this years festival, so don’t miss your second chance to catch standout performances of the shows below:

FRIGID Hangovers will run March 5-10 at The Kraine Theater. Tickets ($18-$20) may be purchased online at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444.

*  *  *

Stripper Lesbians

Hangover: Mon 3/5 @ 7pm

Evan, a woman’s studies major, is writing a killer senior thesis– by becoming a stripper at her favorite strip club. In between her current girlfriend, a stripper-lesbian, and her ex boyfriend, an unemployed Tisch graduate, Evan dances the line between love and betrayal. A comedy about what it really means to be ‘in love with a stripper’ and what it means to become one.

What we said: Sure, the show is sexy, shows a lot of skin, and has no problem exploring the more intimate moments of the relationship, but Rising Sun’s inherent intelligence as an ensemble ensures that your skin is served up with a side of thoughtful, though-provoking drama which explores the title rather than exploits it.

Fear Factor: Canine Edition

Hangover: Mon 3/5 @ 8:30pm

The peculiar and misguided true adventures of a man and his very trusting, very forgiving, therapy dog. An award-winning tale of true love and overcoming obstacles, while staring fear in the face.

What we said: In Fear Factor: Canine Edition Grady tells the hilarious and heartbreaking story of his life with Abby, and Abby’s last days before she had to be put down. Grady’s stories are beautiful and impassioned, but told simply, with ease and humor.

Little Lady

Hangover: Tue 3/6 @ 7pm

A physical theatre solo show that peers into the fantastical life of Little Lady.

What we said: Little Lady, is happy to hold you in a spell of fascination as she pricks away at your comfort levels, never allowing you to lapse into a passive, carefree enjoyment of her performance.

LOL: The End

Hangover: Tue 3/6 @ 8:30pm

Come to a place where tragedy meets comedy meets stupid. A funny and physical look at natural and human-made disasters through the eyes of three clowns.

What we said: By the end of the show the audience is shown a postapocalyptic world where humankind is reduced back to their primal state by a believable set of circumstances.

The Terrible Manpain of Umberto MacDougal

Hangover: Thu 3/8 @ 7pm

Umberto MacDougal allows you to look through the window of his tragic manpain. With a beard full of tears and a melancholy guitarist playing a sorrowful tune, Umberto reveals the pain that men feel.

What we said: Instead of Umberto simply being a character who is parading his troubles, he has trouble with that parade and it becomes overwhelming to him at times, adding a greater dimension to the work as a whole.

Daughters of Lot

Hangover: Thu 3/8 @ 10pm

The evening’s entertainment is a sexy and silly retelling of an ancient story, until the performers do a trick that requires more than flexibility. Arousing and agitating in Biblical proportions, this is not your daddy’s burlesque club.

What we said: Welcome to Daughters of Lot where the Bible Belt meets the Garter Belt, where Feminism has as many meanings as Eskimos have words for snow and where women run the gamut from young and innocent to young and jaded.

The Rope in Your Hands

Hangover: Fri 3/9 @ 7pm

A solo show based on the true stories of thirteen different survivors of Hurricane Katrina

What we said: O’Loughlin’s interviews span race, class, and age to bring a fully realized account of the storm and its aftermath. Morphing gracefully into each character, with specific physicality and well-practiced speech patterns, O’Loughlin is a joy to watch.

Missed Connections

Hangover: Fri 3/9 @ 8:30pm

Drawing from the sometimes touching, oftentimes torrid (and almost always grammatically incorrect) postings on craigslist’s most notorious section, Missed Connections is a collection of the best and brightest.

What we said: Whether you’re M4W, W4M, M4M, or W4W, there is something for everyone in Missed Connections: An Exploration Into The Online Postings Of Desperate Romantics.

Coosje

Hangover: Sat 3/10 @ 7pm

Coosje is the story of two artists, husband and wife, finding their playful aesthetic together and attempting to escape death. Meanwhile, the singing Pear embarks on a heroic quest to achieve immortality. Their journeys intertwine in this fantastical love story.

What we said: Coosje allows for intimate interaction with the elements of the creative process. This play highlights the notion that every piece of art is the completion of a journey for an object (real or imagined, sentient or inanimate) to get to the place where its inclusion in the art creates the context and meaning of the art itself.

Rabbit Island

Hangover: Sat 3/10 @ 8:30pm

Alex zigzags irregular relationships with an erratic therapist, his on-again off-again girlfriend, an untamed burlesque dancer and The Cleanse. But what more will it take for this verbose Canadian mime to become a Real New Yorker?

What we said: The cast of four is powerful; each embodying complex characters and finding the dualities so that the audience is able to both identify with them as well as inwardly breathe a sigh of relief at how different we are (one would hope).

Related Posts:

• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Heidi Grumelot
• 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)
• All is Fine in Sunny Florida: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Sprucehaven B: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

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.

Related Posts:

• A Day In The Life … “The Family Shakespeare” By The Numbers
• MTWorks National NewBorn Festival Kicks Off Tonight
• The National Newborn Festival: Celebrating Emerging Playwrights In Style
• Delving Into DARK WATER With Diánna Martin
• The Empress of Sex (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)