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by Karen Tortora-Lee on January 31, 2012
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.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on December 16, 2011
If Christmas in New York could be found on the map I think most people would agree that its address would be Rockefeller Center, filled as it is with the tree and the giant decorations, and the fabled City of Radio … where Rockettes dress up as reindeer and dance their little hearts out, doling out Christmas Miracles to the tourists one high kick at a time.
I’d seen the Radio City Christmas Spectacular a number of times as a child but it was never a family tradition, so therefore it wasn’t something that got scheduled into the season as much as, say, hanging the stocking by the chimney with care or riding in a one-horse open sleigh (oh what fun!). So it wasn’t till around 25 years later, when some out-of-town visitors were staying in NYC for the first 2 weeks of December (“Nothing like shopping on 5th Avenue for Christmas presents!” they cried, credit cards extended), that my family decided it was about time to get ourselves back to the show. After all, it can’t all be Coach wallets and Tiffany trinkets … you’ve gotta have a LITTLE good ole fashioned NYC theater in there somewhere. And, say what you want, WICKED is a fine, fine show, but nothing says Christmas like the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. (It’s in the ACTUAL NAME). Since that day around 5 years ago, I actually found myself back in that audience a number of times, always finding some reason to be there. It adds a little touch of holiday magic to the otherwise pushy, shove-y, where-the-heck-did-I-drop-my-glove-y midtown area.
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by Michelle Augello-Page on November 10, 2011
A benefit concert is being held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Ghar Sita Mutu - “House with a Heart” – a charity that offers a children’s home, a children’s learning center, a women’s training center, and a family outreach program to those living in extreme poverty in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Ghar Sita Mutu Benefit Concert
The Ghar Sita Mutu Benefit Concert is on Monday, November 14 at the Theatre for the New City. 155 First Ave, NYC. 8 pm – 11:30 pm. Suggested donation at the door is $15. There will be performances by musicians, actors, and comedians, including Anacoustic Mind, Khaled Dajani, Michael Birch, John Grimaldi, Mike Milazzo, Mark Normand, Sharon Jane Smith, Lord Lorax, Cathryn Lynne, and Sagar Bhatt.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on November 5, 2011
Temperatures were rising last night at the first evening of the two part celebration for Doc Wasabassco’s 7th Anniversary Extravaganza. The blazing hot belles were ravishing, revealing and resplendant as they strutted, sauntered and slowly stripped their way across the stage of The Bell House last night.
But that was only part of it.
As promised the place was crammed with every type of seductive, suggestive, steamy, spicy, slinky thing you could imagine. Lady Scoutington warmed up the crowd on the main stage with some get up and go-go dancing while out in front Peekaboo Pointe was Pole Dancing and doing things I’d only heard of whispered about in certain circles. She was mesmerizing to say the least.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on November 3, 2011
If you’re any kind of regular reader of THM then you know that around here we sure love Burlesque. Lucky us! Living in New York City as we do, there is no shortage of fantastic Burlesque performers who constantly and consistently have us hooting and hollering and calling out for more.
Doc Wasabassco by Leland Bobbe
If you, too, are a lover of Burlesque then the name Doc Wasabassco is not new to you. You’ve no doubt seen the Wasabassco name plastered across any number of posters, or perhaps have seen the man himself as he introduces one of his amazing shows.
This weekend marks the Seventh Anniversary of Wasabassco Burlesque. To celebrate, Friday, November 4th and Saturday, November 5th Brooklyn-based Wasabassco Burlesque will present over 40 of Wasabassco’s favorite performers, with over six hours of risqué entertainment guaranteed to blow the roof off The Bell House in Brooklyn.
Among other things there will be a stocking fashion show, a pole dance show-within-a-show, performances by the Outer Borough Brass Band along with striptease, hula hooping, fire eating and more.
Doc Wasabassco took some time to answer a few of my questions before I head out to the big event which begins tomorrow.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on October 9, 2011
Doric Wilson passed away May 7th of this year. Some may know him as an American playwright, director, producer, critic and gay rights activist. Others may know him as the founder of TOSOS (The Other Side Of Silence) which was the first professional gay theatre company. But to many he was much, much more … and so to honor this man A Celebration of the Life of Doric Wilson will be held on Monday, October 10th at the Lucille Lortel Theater, 121 Christopher St., New York City, from 6-8pm. The event is free and open to the public; reservations are not required.
Alex Bond was one of the many people who was able to experience Doric Wilson in a personal way. Today she shares a tribute she’d written not long after his death which highlights how the energy of this man shone over her and how privileged she felt for the few months she was able to share with him.
Dear Friends of Doric,
The first time I saw Doric Wilson was when he made his acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award at the Fresh Fruit of Distinction Awards in July 2010. He was so charming, intelligent, witty and irreverent (four of my favorite qualities in a human being) that I gathered up my courage (I am extremely shy) and emailed him. I hoped some day to meet him.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 30, 2011
Monologues! Comedy! Improv! Ukulele music!
Friday, Sept. 2nd, 7-9pm
Hosted by award-winning playwright Monica Bauer (Outstanding New Script, MITF 2008; nominee writing for Best Solo Show, Planet Connections 2010; finalist, Heideman Award).
Performers include:
- playwright Monica Bauer performing the Breast Pride Movement from the Diet Monologues
- John Fico performing a monologue from his critically acclaimed performance in Made for Each Other
- Duncan Pflaster, master of the Broadway Ukulele
- and others!
Admission $8 (includes one free raffle ticket for a $100 Amazon.com Gift Certificate that will be raffled off that evening!)
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 13, 2011
Yes, we may have Fringe on the brain, but that doesn’t mean that other things aren’t going on this weekend. And, quite fittingly one of those other things is something called The OTHERS Project. Paul Bedard, co artistic director for Theater in Asylum, took a moment to chat with me about a very exciting evening of theater, music, dance, poetry and drinks that will be going on this Sunday night. Read on as Paul explains their particular definition of “asylum”, how they’re using their themes, and what their version of Frankenstein will look like …
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on February 9, 2011
I’m always happy when I have an excuse to talk to Eric Sanders – he’s one of the most talented people I’ve run across and I love that doing what I do allows me to periodically get him to update me on what he’s doing. A quick brush up: I first met Eric when he was re-imaging Algernon Blackwood’s The Wendigo (which scared the heck out of me) and then got to see his punchier side during Fight Fest with his crowd favorite: Last Life which was resurrected more times than (wait … I think I made this joke already. Cher’s career? Well, it writes itself so you fill in the blank).
Now, Eric Sanders has teamed up with Dave Nuss to bring forth Original Innocence – a Rock Opera and they’re hosting a “Symposium on Creation Mythology” on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 7 PM at the Anthroposophical Society of New York (138 West 15th Street btwn. 6th/7th Ave.).
This symposium will feature practitioners and scholars from an array of religious traditions discussing how the creation mythology of a religion creates or reflects the context for its ethical structure.
Several songs from the show will be performed, and food from the Holy Land will be served. BYOB.
Admission will be on a sliding scale (‘pay what you wish’) from $5-$50. All proceeds from the Symposium will go towards the first workshop presentation of “Original Innocence” on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 8 PM at the Issue Project Room in Brooklyn.
I asked Eric a few questions to find out a little more about what I (and you) can expect from this symposium.
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by Antonio Miniño on February 1, 2011
Tessa LaNeve
Tessa LaNeve is the Literary Manager and Director of The Primary Stages and Anne Einhorn School of Performing Arts. She was kind enough to answer some questions in the middle of auditions for their next semester and planning DETENTION, a new performance series she will speak more of.
What is ESPA? When was it formed and with what goal?
The Primary Stages Marvin and Anne Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA) developed organically from a collection of in-house playwriting classes at Primary Stages to a formalized multidisciplinary institution with fully formed departments in acting, writing, and directing. Since its 2007 inception, the school has housed over 1100 students and boasted a faculty of award-winning professional artists. The school has refined actors who have been seen on and off-Broadway, developed writers whose work has won awards and received workshops and productions, and ultimately crafted emerging artists on their road to professional success. With the naming of the school in 2010, ESPA emerged as a leading educational institution, offering an extensive array of opportunities for students to collaborate and showcase themselves on the New York stage.
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