The Happiest Medium » Theatre

The Dirty Blondes Talk About SEX

Karen Tortora-Lee — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 22:04:57 +0000

I will take any opportunity to keep Mae West‘s memory alive here on THM - I’ve worshiped her since I was a child. Not just a film actress, West was a pioneer of the stage who didn’t wait around for parts to be written for her. Nor did she shy away from the subject matter that interested her most – sex. So it just stands to reason that she would write a vehicle for herself which she could star in – and title it bluntly.

Almost a century later, I’m absolutely ecstatic that The Dirty Blondes will present a staged reading of Mae West’s infamous stage play, SEX, for a limited engagement September 29-October 2 at UNDER St. Marks, directed by Courtney Laine Self. Written by West almost 90 years ago, SEX is about a sharp-witted prostitute from Montreal’s Red Light District looking for true love. It was initially shut down in 1927 during its Broadway run, and West was jailed for “lewdness and corrupting the youth.”

I got to chat with Ashley Jacobson, the Artistic Director of The Dirty Blondes, who took a minute out of her hectic schedule to talk about sex, SEX, how some things never change – and how the things that DO change are not always what you think.

It is SO GREAT to see someone take this great play out of the trunk, dust it off, and give it a good shine. I’ve been a Mae West fan since the age of 8, so literally grew up knowing about Mae West, her work and her mission. But why don’t you go ahead and tell us a little bit about how you came to know about SEX and what made it seem like the perfect script to do as a staged reading?

Ashley Jacobson: I always grew up knowing about Mae West as well, but mostly just about her stardom/Hollywood Fame. I came across her book of plays on Amazon one day when I was looking for plays by women, and was so confused! I had no idea she had been a playwright, let alone one that was produced on Broadway. Then I just fell down the research rabbit hole and became more and more impressed by her and excited by the play’s history. She was the patron saint bad-ass we have been looking for! As a company with the name “Dirty Blondes” we are clearly interested in playing off people’s perceptions of femininity and sexuality and challenging these notions with surprising theater. Mae West literally embodies everything we think about ourselves as a company, so it seemed like the perfect thing to explore.

We also wanted to do it as a reading because we wanted it to be presented as a conversation starter, rather than a perfectly polished piece. There is a lot of meat in her play and a LOT to talk about – in terms of the play itself and what Mae West meant by all of it. There are also some problematic elements, including the way race is discussed in the play. So we wanted to present it and make sure we had the opportunity to provide the context and conversation around it. A reading seemed like the best way to accomplish all that.

There’s a lot that’s changed in the 90 years since SEX was seen by its original audience. Obviously what was considered shocking and scandalous back then is almost yawn-inducing now. Does this script hold up? And in the parts where it may not, are you playing it straight, or giving a bit of a wink-and-nod to the audience?

Ashley: The script holds up! Not just for its salaciousness, but Mae wrote some really interesting characters in her play and good characters will always hold up. The story itself, about redemption and about this woman finding her way to a new life, is a timeless story. We’re playing the script straight, letting it speak for itself but also being completely conscious of things that might be considered problematic NOW. The play still needs a “trigger warning” – and not for the same reasons it was considered problematic 90 years ago. There is a lot of talk of violence against women, some racist language – these things were considered fine then, but they certainly aren’t now. Mae West captured a moment in time with this play, and showed us how it was for women in the 20s. We’re interested in exploring that much more than the raunchiness of the story – which, you’re right, isn’t anything to bat an eye at now.

Mae West was a pioneer – a feminist long before the feminist movement. If she was around today, what updates do you think she’d be making to her work in general? And more directly – how different would SEX be if she were to write it in 2016?

Ashley: Wow! What a question! You can see that Mae West progressed as a feminist even in her own life. By the time she reached Hollywood she was one of the biggest advocates for including people of color in her films, and when she was on Broadway she insisted on casting gay & lesbian actors, even though they weren’t allowed in the union. I don’t know if I can speculate on the type of artist she would be now – although I’m sure she would be basking, enjoying the fearlessness of some fellow female performers in the comedy and TV arena – but I honestly don’t know if SEX would be all that different. I would hope it would have a better take on race relations now, but I think it would still focus on how women are continuously reduced to the lowest common denominator. I think it would still talk about the struggle to find empowerment in female sexuality, while avoiding being defined by it. Violence against women is still a serious issue, human trafficking and unfair treatment of sex workers are all important issues now and she sheds some serious light on them in her play.

The Dirty Blondes embody so much of what Mae West was herself – a feisty, strong female doing it all – creatively – herself. Talk to me about what it would be like if you could bring her back and have her come see your staged reading. Do you think she’d be honored? Pleased? Or a little threatened even?

Ashley: Oh God, that would be incredible. (Also thank you for the very nice description!). I would hope she would be honored and excited for us. I would hope that she would see how she paved the way for us to be more fearless and unapologetic – to create the theater that we aren’t seeing anywhere else. She might be a little overwhelmed by how much we intend to dissect the work in our talkbacks but I hope she would see that we are doing that because we believe that she had so much to offer; that her play, although it was widely panned by critics during its time, is actually a full and fruitful story with so much to say about being a woman then AND now. I think Mae West, were she alive today, would be a huge proponent of sisterhood and supporting women artists. There is room for all of us, and I believe that Mae West believes that. She wrote roles for herself and then cast as many people as humanly possible in her plays – she was an artists’ artist.

Finally – staged readings are fantastic. I’ve seen some where you forget you’re not watching an actual play. However, there’s always hope for bigger and better, right? In which case I’m wondering – does The Dirty Blondes have any hopes of doing a full-out production of SEX if this reading goes well?

Ashley: I guess we’ll have to see, but I think the fact that its a reading is a really big part of what we’re doing. We have scheduled some incredible talkbacks with current and retired Sex Workers, Feminist Burlesque Dancers, and an incredible Mae West historian. We really wanted to place the play at the center of a larger conversation – and sometimes you can’t do that in a full production. So presenting the piece as kind of a work-in-progress is important to us. But who knows, if we get the lightning to hit just right, there could be room for bigger aspirations!

Thanks so much for not only answering these questions, but for bringing this back to the stage. I can’t tell you how excited I am to know that new audiences will be seeing this work – even (if only for now) as just a reading!

Ashley: Thank you for such thought-provoking questions!

~~~

For a little extra fun, I’m going to leave you with some Mae West Drunk History courtesy of The Dirty Blondes themselves. Take it away, gals …

Mae West Drunk History from The Dirty Blondes on Vimeo.

~~~

FRIGID NEW YORK @ HORSE TRADE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
THE DIRTY BLONDES

PRESENT

MAE WEST’S SEX
directed by Courtney Laine Self

September 29-October 2

UNDER St. Marks
94 St. Marks Place
(between 1 st Avenue and Avenue A)
Performances: Thursday through Sunday at 7pm
Tickets: $17
CLICK HERE to purchase

Talkback Schedule:

Kick off the opening night with some bad ass feminist poetry by Maya Osborne and guests, and stay after the show to grab a drink and talk to our amazing cast.

Friday, September 30
Native New Yorker LindaAnn Loschiavo is a journalist, dramatist and Mae West Historian.

Saturday, October 1
Juniper Fleming previously directed, produced, and performed in an all sex worker revival of SEX, at Dixon Place Theater this past June.

Sunday, October 2
Veronica Varlow is a siren born of the 1940s Fantasy of Pinup Girls and Femme Fatales. Beguiling and beautiful, Varlow weaves a spell upon her audiences like none other.

What The F* Is Going On? F*It Club’s Spring Fling!

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:44:08 +0000

When you think about it, we’re all part of the F*It Club. Oh yes we are! When was the last time you said to yourself, “Fuck it, I’m not waiting around for this to just happen on its own! I’m going to MAKE IT HAPPEN!” You know, in true Laverne and Shirley “Doin’ it our way!” spirit – that’s when you joined the F*It Club. But, you know, there’s a REAL F*It Club too. And that’s the one I’m going to tell you a little bit more about today.

It started the same way, really – Allyson Morgan was having a lot of conversations with friends of every artistic flavor who were tired of waiting for permission to get on with their careers. F*It! “We wanted to create an incubator for both theater AND film,” says Allyson. “So often in NYC, particularly, they’re seen as mutually exclusive skill sets, and we wanted to create a more accessible Sundance-like/workshop environment for creators working in both mediums on a smaller level.”

So they created a club. Not a stodgey company or a even an exclusive group. But a club where “the hope is that the audiences will find themselves enjoying the work more”. And not one of those red-velvet rope clubs however, where only the rich and attractive can get in. But a place that can serve as a home for artists. ALL artists.

Okay – can you say “fuck it” and not have a plan? “Part of the idea is just being audacious in spite of not quite knowing the exact path”, says Allyson. However, one thing F*It does do is make sure to create a new piece of programming each year. The successful ones become repeat programming, but it’s also okay if something goes away after one try. “That’s just the nature of experimentation in the arts”.

Spring Fling has become one of those repeat programs. It’s the most widely covered event – with the idea being to take the theme of “spring fling” – love and romance – and focus on just one area. This year’s theme is “Crush”.

“Playwrights take that theme and turn it on its head,” says Allyson. “I can’t wait for audiences to see how we’re playing with the theme in 2016!”

Rather than simply six 10-minute plays that are short romantic comedies, there will be everything from drama to comedy to abstract language and timelines. ”Every play is very different – and in between each play this year, instead of just standard boring transitions, we have a seventh *surprise* play running inside of the other six.”

While the playwrights are always curated by Allyson and the company they’ll come to the F*It Club in all sorts of ways. The Club has also started a fall retreat where they bring writers to the Berkshires to work with them, and for the last 3 years have been able to incorporate plays developed at that retreat.

Here’s what this year’s Spring Fling - CRUSH – holds in store for you:

Kevin Artigue – BAGEL MEETS DOOR

Give us some background about the title of your show. How did you come up with Bagel Meets Door? And does the meaning change to the audience as your play progresses?
Kevin: If you’re familiar with dating sites, you probably know “Coffee Meets Bagel”? The play is about two people who meet online and have a date that does not go according to plan. Thus the door.
For Spring Fling you’ve got 10 minutes to wow an audience, make a statement, leave an impression. How does that compare to the work you usually write?
Kevin: With short pieces, it’s hard to say too much. So I just keep it simple and playful.
This year’s Spring Fling theme is “Crush”. Great word with so many meanings! Of course we don’t want you to give away your plot but tell us … Does Bagel Meets Door deliver a crush?
Kevin: Yup. It’s about two people who fall in love, despite absurd wooden obstacles, (insert cliche here).

Stephanie Del Rosso – HE LIGHTS UP MY

Give us some background about the title of your show. How did you come up with He Lights Up My? And does the meaning change to the audience as your play progresses? 
Stephanie: I always avoid titles until the last minute. The pressure to summarize stresses me out, I think. But my general rules are: keep it simple and don’t quote a specific line from the piece. Without giving too much away, yes, the meaning evolves slightly as the play progresses.
If He Lights Up My was a real life scenario, how real would it be?
Stephanie: I’m interested in theater that is intimate and vulnerable but also strange and off-kilter in a way that surprises and invites spectacle. I always set out to tell stories earnestly, but I also always aim to necessitate why a particular story is a play and not, say, a novel. For me, the supposedly too-incredible-to-really-happen theater often ends up feeling the most true.
This year’s Spring Fling Theme is “Crush”. In terms of your writing style, how hard was it to work with this theme?
Stephanie: All of my plays explore disconnect, loneliness, and how relationships fluctuate. So “Crush” felt like a natural continuation of the things that excite and bother me most.

Catya McMullen - EPIC LIFE OF SAM WHEELER

Give us some background about the title of your show. How did you come up with Epic Life Of Sam Wheeler? And does the meaning change to the audience as your play progresses?
Catya: This one’s a bit of a personal one (I mean they are all personal, but this comes directly from my own experience and loss). I had a friend who always wanted to do a show about his adventures entitled “The Epic Life of___” (I’m keeping his name out of this interview) that was a mashup of his radical adventures and his lifelong struggle with epilepsy. He passed away unexpectedly a few years ago from epilepsy and I’ve always wanted to write the show. This short is a first attempt at wrapping my head around it and also him as a character. He’s a difficult man to stage-he was larger than life in almost every way. A sensitive, hilarious, ridiculous, loving and impulsive neanderthal who you might die on the side of a mountain with or build an ice couch with etc. He was one of the first people to believe in me as a playwright, as well. He also helped teaching me how to drive by letting me drive his family’s Benz from the NJ Turnpike in Elizabeth to Vermont one night.
And, I think the meaning of the play does transform over the course of the ten minutes-but that’s all I’ll say.
For Spring Fling you’ve got 10 minutes to wow an audience, make a statement, leave an impression. How does that compare to the work you usually write?
Catya: I write a lot of short plays. Writing ten minute plays was the first piece of professional advice I got-and I fell in love with the form. it’s a different animal than a full length-in a lot of ways it’s trickier. Part of my mission as a playwright is to write plays that maintain an equilibrium of being both funny and poignant. I want you to laugh and get punched in the gut or be faced with your own humanity in some way. In recent years as I’ve started to also write sketch comedy and also perform comedic hip hop as my rap alias “MC Chihuahua Fancy,” my short plays have become a lot funnier and almost sketch based. Initially for the prompt of “crush” I wrote a play about rapping, adolescent cockroaches discovering sexuality which ended up being produced at EST/Youngblood. The team at The F*it Club encouraged me to write something less grounded in sketch comedy and more grounded in storytelling which prompted me to revisit a story that ties into the theme of “crush” in a few different ways and is something that moves and challenges me. In many ways it is like my full lengths, it goes back and forth in time, is funny and moving (I hope) and in the blink of ten minutes shows four people grappling with their own grief, sexuality, loneliness and humanity.
This year’s Spring Fling theme is “Crush”. Great word with so many meanings! Of course we don’t want you to give away your plot but tell us … Does Epic Life of Sam Wheeler deliver a crush?
Catya: It’s “crush” a few ways. People get crushed by grief, they get literally crushed, have a cute crush and also grapple with giving up on love-being done with “crushes.”

Seth Moore – A CONVERSATION I NEVER HAD

Give us some background about the title of your show. How did you come up with A Conversation I Never Had? And does the meaning change to the audience as your play progresses?
Seth:The play has a lot to do with memory, how we perceive our own stories and alter them as time marches forward. The conversation that is had in the play is more of a device, in which a character guides another through a story, but is not necessarily real all the time. I think it’s certainly an interpretive title, can be as literal or figurative as you like, but for me has to do with the deceptiveness of memory, and the conversations that we continue – even if the other person isn’t there – because they’re not finished.

If A Conversation I Never Had was a real life scenario, how real would it be? In other words: slice of life, or too-incredible-to-really-happen?
Seth: The play is many slices of life, Sampled, chopped up and rearranged. In a way it’s all real. In a way it’s all filtered through a rambling mind. So … both?

This year’s Spring Fling Theme is “Crush”. In terms of your writing style, how hard was it to work with this theme?
Seth: Not hard at all! I think crushing lends itself well to this kind of piece.

Gregory S. Moss - CRUSH

Give us some background about the title of your show. How did you come up with Crush? And does the meaning change to the audience as your play progresses?

Gregory: The secret title (“THE NOT-CREEPY DATING EVENT FOR SIGNLES THAT WANT TO FALL IN LOVE.”) comes from a real life event a friend of mine attended in Seattle. I added the misspelling. I like the implicit hopefulness of the title – tonight might be the night! – and also the implicit desperation. The multiple meanings of crush – “a short-lived intense infatuation,” “to pulverize,” or (my favorite) “to force inwards by compressing forcefully” – all apply to the wonky cracked romanticism of the characters that attend the event in my play.

For Spring Fling you’ve got 10 minutes to wow an audience, make a statement, leave an impression. How does that compare to the work you usually write?
Gregory: A 10 minute play is the perfect form for a crush! The life of a crush is like that of a mosquito – you can fall in love, have an entire relationship, and part ways all in complete silence, while waiting in line at Starbucks.I tend to write A LOT and then winnow down – that’s how I get to know my characters. So the compression involved in the ten minute play is rough … but I find the challenges of the short form – brevity, compression, simplicity – are also quite liberating. There’s permission to try something different structurally, to zoom in on a single simple moment – or to try to complicate the brevity, to make the ten minutes feel intense and full.
This year’s Spring Fling theme is “Crush”. Great word with so many meanings! Of course we don’t want you to give away your plot but tell us … Does Crush deliver a crush?
Gregory: There’s a couple of crushes, of a couple different kinds. I’m hoping the audience feels included – crushed on and crushing – in the course of the play, too.

Ariel Stess – YOU WERE CRUSHED

Give us some background about the title of your show. How did you come up with You Were Crushed? And does the meaning change to the audience as your play progresses?
Ariel: The title of the play came from a piece of dialogue. Funny you ask that because the meaning of You Were Crushed changes within a single monologue. The play is about a patient who is struggling with a dream she had. The therapist reminds her the reason she is in therapy, which involves being “crushed” by a series of events, events both in the physical and the emotional world.
If You Were Crushed was a real life scenario, how real would it be?
Ariel: I think my play is a mix of both. The setting and the crises are slice of life, but the way the crises manifest in the space are kind of “too incredible to really happen”.
This year’s Spring Fling Theme is “Crush”. In terms of your writing style, how hard was it to work with this theme?
Ariel: Often my writing is associative. So, starting with the idea of “being crushed” helped me to generate material.

~~~

F*IT CLUB
SPRING FLING
“CRUSH”

PERFORMANCES
Thurs Apr 28th – Sun May 8th
Wednesdays – Saturdays @ 8pm / Sundays @ 2pm

IRT THEATER
154 Christopher Street
3rd Floor

Tickets are $18 and are available HERE and at the door.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

Heather Litteer Shares Some LEMONADE With Us

Karen Tortora-Lee — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 18:04:29 +0000

Heather Litteer’s Lemonade [Photo credit Steve Menendez]

Heather Litteer’s “not a hooker, but she plays one on TV” … so who better to tell the story of what it’s like to come to NYC with the same dream as so many other young women, only to find herself typecast as the hooker, the junkie and the stripper? Lemonade, the solo-show written and performed by Ms. Litteer and directed by Elena Hayman, explores her adventures as an actress who isn’t afraid to take the roles other actresses often shy away from. Any actress who has ever been typecast or felt the sting of misogyny will be nodding her head in recognition throughout this show.

Read on as Heather tells me all about the ramifications of her role of a lifetime, what it means to be a powerful sexual woman in today’s society, and how she juggled all this while remaining close to her steel magnolia of a Southern mom.

Heather! Your story sounds fascinating. Why don’t you start off by telling us what “Lemonade” means.
Heather Litteer: Lemonade started out as a poem about all the different jobs and acting roles I have had. They say your real life can mimic the kind of acting work that comes to you, and in my case it did!

Lemonade also represents my southern upbringing. I was raised in Georgia and we drank a lot of lemonade during those hot summers. I moved to NYC at 18 but I kept a close relationship with my mother over the phone and we talked almost daily. She was a pure Proper Southern Woman as well as a Steel Magnolia. She always had these southern sayings. “When life hands you lemons, you just make lemonade” was one she used constantly, so that’s where the title came from. Lemonade is the sweet and the sour in life. The play weaves in and out of my experiences with film work and how it affected my relationship with my mother. It’s about never giving up hope and to always keep pushing that envelope. If you fall down 12 times, get up 13 times.

Heather Litteer

So, your tagline’s pretty bold – you’re “not a hooker … but you play one on TV”. You’ve been cast as strippers and junkies as well. What’s wrong with that?
Heather: I don’t see anything wrong with playing strippers, junkies or hookers or even being a stripper, junkie or hooker. Except being a junkie is not so healthy! So long as no one is getting used, abused or hurt, I love and respect them all.
I was a stripper and even danced at Billy’s Topless as well as numerous nightclubs like Jackie 60 in the New York gay 90’s. I was part of the House Of Domination, and my nickname was Jessica Rabbit. It was a blast!
Junkies, hookers, and strippers are fun roles to play, but they can also be heartbreaking. When that’s the only way people perceive you, and you’re being repeatedly typecast and stereotyped, it can get old. I was the girl people called to play these roles because I was brave and I wasn’t afraid to get naked!

Your show is about how women are treated in the industry. Talk to me about when you first started seeing a pattern of misogyny.
Heather: All these roles started to come in after I did the extremely terrifying sex scene in Requiem for a Dream. That was the role that has led to me being typecast for the past 16 years. I thought working with all these amazing people, like director Darren Aronofsky and actress Jennifer Connelly, would take me to higher places. I suppose that dream was a little naïve. But I’ve always had big dreams! I just had to learn how to play the game. In Lemonade I talk about my experiences and how it makes me feel and I think this will be relatable to a lot of woman. Being treated like a piece of meat, even though I went in willingly. There are aftershocks from that. And that sex scene in Requiem is legendary!

Your show is a solo show, so you’re wearing a lot of hats. Who is your favorite character to embody? And tell us a little about one of their scenes.
Heather: Working on this show has been a real challenge with all of the different characters, but I love it!

My favorite character to play is definitely my Mom. It brings her back to me for little moments and I feel like she’s right there in the room with me. When I embody her it makes me feel close to her, and that is extremely cathartic. It makes me miss her so very much and I wish I could have just one last conversation with her. She passed away suddenly during the initial writing of Lemonade. I used to get a lot of guidance from her and I use a lot of her southern sayings in the show. This show is dedicated to my Mom, Nancy.

How hard is it for people to “get” the true issues of Lemonade? Do you have people who, when you talk casually about the show, try to explain it away with “Well, maybe that’s just your experience”, or “Maybe you just didn’t meet the right people?”
Heather: There are a lot of different issues covered in Lemonade. There is the mother/daughter relationship. It’s a struggle between two different sets of values, my mother with her southern roots, and me with my New York contemporary ideals.

Its also about how being a powerful sexual woman in society is perceived. Most people’s views are so old fashioned. It deals with the struggles of an actress who is feeling marginalized and like she is only being seen through a tiny keyhole when she has so much more to give. The through line of the show is to always have hope. To work hard, and never give up. There is something waiting for you right around the corner, always with a Lil’ Sugar Honey!

Heather, thank you so much for giving us a glance into what makes you so special. I know your mom, Nancy, would be proud of the work you’re continuing to do, and it’s lovely that the show is dedicated to her.

~~~

For the rest of you- make sure to check out the world premiere of Heather Litteer’s solo show Lemonade!

The Club at La MaMa
74A East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery
April 15-24 – with performances on Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 6pm

Tickets are $18 and can be purchased in advance here or by calling 646-430-5374

It’s A Triple Play For Natalie Menna!

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 22:46:56 +0000

For an emerging playwright there’s nothing like getting your work published on Indie Theater Now, run by the amazing Martin Denton who single-handedly does so much for the New York Theatre scene – championing plays and playwrights alike. But how about getting three of your plays published on Indie Theater Now in just one month?

Meet Natalie Menna, an award-winning playwright and actress who is celebrating the fact that three of her plays were just published and are now available for purchase. All different in scope, length, and subject they still all have Natalie’s signature brand of insight and humor:

Zen A.M.: In the wake of 9/11, Bruno abandons his lucrative Wall Street career to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a painter. After years of struggling, he finally books a once in a lifetime project, only to develop major misgivings about completing his painting. Can a marriage-minded girlfriend, greedy guru, financial folly, and one bitchy boss change Bruno’s mind?

i-POD: An artist posing as an environmentalist struggles to survive two months on an Eco-Barge in order to compete for a Guggenheim grant and come to terms with her father’s legacy.

Roberta!: At the corner of hope and delusion, meet Roberta. Join her on her journey from reality to unreality to projected reality and back again. There’s no end to Roberta’s fantasies and rants. Scary that there’s a little bit of Roberta in all of us!

Natalie chatted with me about where her comedic voice comes from, how she handles each milestone of success, and puts to rest the question of ever meeting a poor vegan.

Natalie! February was a terrific month for you! You had 3 of your plays published on Indie Theater Now. Amazing! So, first of all, congratulations.
Natalie Menna: Thanks, Karen!

Secondly—what does it feel like to now have your work out there officially? Is there a feeling of “I’ve arrived”?
Natalie: If I ever feel that way, please tie my hands to the bedpost. And not in the good way. Seriously, if I feel that way ever they’ll be no need to write anymore. I write precisely BECAUSE I’ve never thought of myself as arriving, arrived, about to arrive, or on the way to arriving. Departing, maybe, on a sinking ship …

Of course, publication isn’t the only way to ‘arrive’ right? All three of your plays have gotten acclaim by winning awards. What goes through your head when you find out that something you’ve created is not only being celebrated with a nomination, but then championed with an actual award win?
Natalie: I do like awards! Momentarily, I feel like I’m not on that sinking ship. But then I’m right back on it. Hours. Sometime minutes later. And then I keep writing.

In Roberta, I-Pod, and Zen A.M. you’ve shown you have a knack for writing, if not comedy per-se, then extremely comedic characters. When you conceive of a concept for a play do you set out for it to be funny, or is that just a part of your personality that shines through?
Natalie: This is a tough question. Requires me to analyze myself, which I hate. I only like analyzing others. Let’s see — a lot of people say this, and I wholeheartedly agree — “There’s comedy in everything.” EVERYTHING! That’s the way I’ve survived my life so far. The way we all do. I don’t think I consciously set out to write a comedy. I can be writing about a serious topic, for example, my play Committed, which deals with the last two days of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh‘s life before his murder. A regular laugh/riot, no? Believe it or not, audiences for the reading of that play were laughing steadily throughout. Humor is the ultimate coping tool, even under the worst of circumstances.

I’m also of the Larry David school of comedy – that anyone, anything, or any circumstance can be used for comedy. I think sometimes this clashes with the aesthetic of the current climate in theatre today, but I won’t let this affect my work. Comedy is life, and there’s comedy in everyone and everything on the planet.

I’ll be blunt: your main characters are very fun and interesting on the page, but they definitely come with a lot of issues! Frankly, I think if I was friends with Roberta, let’s say, I’d want to pull my hair out. And yet the play is fantastic. What’s the key to making a character likable on the stage even as you know that in person they’d be unlikable?
Natalie: Really? I feel like all of my friends, including myself, have BEEN Roberta (well maybe not to that degree!). But sure, at one point or another … I think maybe it’s about heightening the reality — I seriously have never gotten this obsession with ‘likable’ characters — sort of like what David Mamet says about the ‘polemic’ play – BORING! (Despite disagreeing with him politically, I LOVE his writing).

I love creating characters who are deeply flawed, bad examples, crazy, self-involved, etc. That’s why it’s theatre! When I am in an audience and a play has a character who ‘represents’ goodness, morality, nobility, etc. I feel so bored I want to slash my wrists. (Okay –that’s a tad dramatic– I just want to go to the restroom and never return.) Bring on the crazy! That’s entertainment. That’s theatre!

And on that note, (and this may seem obvious but you’d be surprised) just because my character is saying something does not mean I agree with it. As an example, in my solo show i-POD, the character at one point says “No coincidence I’ve never met a poor vegan”. A playwright approached me after the show and informed me that he was offended and knew many poor vegans. But of course! It’s this character’s view!

I think I may have digressed. Back to your question. I think people are responding to the uncensored truth. I try to create characters that are always speaking from their truth. Unpleasant or not. I try to avoid ‘flowery’ dialogue intended to make the character look like ‘a good person’. And I think people crave the truth. The truth of that particular character and their life.

You make a good point, Natalie. Flawed characters are speaking from a place of their own truth – and letting the audience go along for the ride means bringing them on a specific journey. Getting inside the head of someone who thinks a particular way is what innovative and audacious theatre is all about!

Now that you’ve got three published works and they can be accessed by other people, what would be your biggest dream for these shows?
Natalie: To have audience members say “That hit me. That made me laugh. That made me think differently“. That’s all. That’s nirvana.

Well, Natalie, based on what I’ve read, you’re well on your way to nirvana already! Here’s to more truth, more flaws and more productions!

~~~

For information on how to purchase any (or all!) of these plays by Natalie Menna, simply click here for more information.

~~~

NATALIE MENNA is an award-winning playwright and actress living in downtown Brooklyn. A native New Yorker, she recently won Outstanding Overall Production of a Play and Best Actor for her full-length drama Committed at Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2015. Committed, produced by Ego Actus, received six nominations, including Outstanding Production of a Staged Reading, Outstanding Playwright For A New Play in a Reading, Best Director, Best Actress, and Two Nominations for Best Actor.

She was nominated for Outstanding Writer for her full-length comedy Zen A.M. in Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2014. Her solo show Roberta! was featured in United Solo Theatre Festival, Theatre Row, in November 2014. Select previous awards include The Nettie Award for Best Solo Show for her play I-pod in the Network One-Act Festival, and Best Actress for I-pod in The Midtown International Theatre Festival. Her play Hiroshi-Me, Me, Me was a finalist in both The Strawberry Festival and The Network One-Act Festival, with two nominations for Best Actress and Winner for Best Supporting Actress.

Her work has been developed with Casey Childs, Andrew Leynse and David Caudle at Primary Stages, and Nicky Silver at The Vineyard Theatre.

~~~

INDIE THEATRE NOW is an engine for discovering new American drama — one that enables teachers, students, actors, directors, producers, and artists of every stripe, as well as those not involved in the theater, to experience the brilliance of contemporary indie theater as close to first-hand as possible.

Tell Me More! Recent Cutbacks Is At It Again With FLY, YOU FOOLS!

Karen Tortora-Lee — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 17:27:53 +0000

In 2014 Hold On To Your Butts (Recent Cutbacks’ parody of Jurrasic Park) left me so impressed that I actually advised “If you’ve never seen Jurassic Park (anyone?) then let this be your introduction to the work. Trust me, see this first and you’ll never see the movie the same way again.”

I loved how they took a CGI heavy movie and did a shot-for-shot parody in a small theatre with nothing but creative props and a crap ton of innovation. When I saw the show it had a limited engagement, but went on to have a (much deserved) year-long sold out run.

This amazing team is back again taking on Lord of The Rings with Fly, You Fools! The show starts next month, but I couldn’t wait to chat with Recent Cutbacks to find out what they’ll have in store for their audiences. Read on to find out how the team settled on what to keep and what to toss, how they came up with the fantastic title, and what they think Peter Jackson would appreciate about Fly, You Fools!

Here we go!

How did a year of Hold On To Your Butts bring you to the notion that you could tackle another CGI heavy movie like Lord of the Rings?

KYLE SCHAEFER

Kyle Schaefer (Writer/Performer): Nick really led the charge on LOTR. We haven’t talked that much about the CGI, actually. It’s a fantasy and it’s EPIC. I feel like that’s what we were drawn to. It feels even bigger than HOTYB, and that’s exciting. We added a player, but the show almost feels more sparse than HOTYB. It’s just such a big story and a big world. Mythic. And we like the challenge of attempting to create what seems impossible.

Nick Abeel (Writer/Performer): You can pretty much do anything with CGI in movies anymore. And with that, I think there’s something lost – we’re desensitized to it – it doesn’t ask as much of our imagination. So I think what we realized with HOTYB is that there’s great joy in simplicity. We’re never going to recreate the movie exactly. That’s impossible. And it allowed us to focus more on how the movie makes you feel. If you capture that, the simple but potent execution reminds people of how much they remember from the movie. They have the experience of watching us but also watching the movie in their own minds. Sounds cheesy, but CGI ain’t got nothin’ on good ol’ imagination.

Kristin McCarthy Parker (Director): We’ve been wanting to do another project for a very long time. This movie was always on the back burner, but life, work, and other commitments prevented us from diving in sooner. HOTYB was so fast and sudden, we made a lot of decisions in the room that felt right at the time, but we also didn’t have any sense of how the show would be received while we were creating it. We literally only anticipated a single performance, so certain elements of the show were created without a mind towards longevity or resources. We’re approaching FYF with a slightly different sensibility … We have a more solid sense of what works and what doesn’t, we know what we’re interested in exploring this time, and we’re aiming for something that not only builds upon but diverges from HOTYB. It’s really exciting!

Matt Zambrano (Writer/Performer): Well, I actually wasn’t apart of HOTYB, but I did see it three times! One of the things that made it such a special show was that element of creative interpretation: How do you take an epic movie and put it on a stage with just three performers? With a ton of energy, enthusiasm and innovation. I think with FYF, we’re really relying on the imagination of audience to fill in the pieces we could never create on stage…which, I believe, is true for most good pieces of art; it is always more engaging when not all the dots are connected, and not all the answers are in plain sight.

Allyson Morgan (Producer): We knew that our follow up piece from HOTYB had to keep the company and the work moving forward – LOTR seemed like both a hard and exciting challenge! Also, HOTYB taught us a lot about what was able to be accomplished with creativity and imagination, which meant that nothing was really off-limits in terms of what we could parody.

Blair Busbee (Sound/Foley): I wasn’t a part of the original creators for HOTYB. I remember seeing the show in its early days and loved it! So I came back. And then I brought my mother who cackled loudly the whole way through. And then I devilishly plotted to take over Kelsey’s foley role, and somehow that magically happened. As far as tackling CGI movies. I actually kind of find it overwhelming–but that’s when you take a step back and breathe and figure out how to simply tell a story and just try things. It’s just serious play… Dame Judi Dench says it best,”I think the trick is to take your work seriously, but not yourself seriously at all.”

One thing that was really evident was how much you all really needed to trust each other during Hold On To Your Butts. There were so many things that relied on exact timing, teamwork, and precision. Talk to me about how that makes these shows work.

Kyle: Neither show is anything if not a team effort. Everyone puts ideas into the room, everyone builds on them, and everyone chooses what to take and leave. It’s a constant process of throwing stuff out and editing, and very quickly into the process it’s hard to claim ownership of any given piece. It feels entirely created by the group mind. The trust is inherent because everyone in the group is incredibly talented and good at what they do. Everyone really cares about the process and each other. We all show up to play and takes risks equally. There’s no room for ego, and we’re all exploring together…like a Fellowship, but guided by silliness!

NICK ABEEL

Nick: Working in this collaborative way is liberating if you have the right team. It allows you to put an idea out there and let the idea sink or swim, without attaching personal stake to it. In that way, it compels us to be egoless artists, listening to each other and deciding as a group what is best for the show, rather than just what is a good idea or who had it. I have no idea who came up with what in HOTYB because we made it as a group. The writing credit is all of us, including Kristin as director. That type of room starts with trust. So in assembling the team for FYF, we chose folks that we knew could work in this way and most importantly, just have fun and play.

Kristin: Trust is huge. On a fundamental level, we trust each other as artists, which means that we value everyone’s voice and contributions in the rehearsal room. We’ve chosen each other because of our unique talents and sensibilities, so we entrust each other with our ideas and criticisms. It’s essential to this sort of ensemble show. Moreover, once the show has a chance to exist onstage, that trust allows the show to continue growing, since each actor trusts that he/she can experiment with new ideas and everyone will be there to catch them. It allows the show to be both consistent and dynamic, which matters when you’re performing it for as long as we ran HOTYB.

Matt: Working with talented people who share a common goal and vision is essential to the success of any creative venture, however I think what’s more important to us as a group is maintaining a sense of play. We as adults don’t always allow ourselves the time or space to get silly, which is unfortunate because that sense of play is vital to theater, especially comedies.

Allyson: Recent Cutbacks is truly a group effort – everyone pitches in on everything from creative decisions in the rehearsal room to how we want our marketing and branding to work. I personally have been a part of a few different theatre companies, and the success of a company always comes back to respecting one another’s opinions and intuition, and being able to listen to everyone’s point of view. We’re very lucky that in this group we communicate well with one another.

When you say “shot for shot parody” – yet the production comes in at around 1 hour, it’s clear you’re not doing EVERY shot. If you’ve removed/condensed anything how did you make that choice? Was it based on things too technically difficult to recreate, or things that just simply weren’t fun?

Kyle: We actually play a drinking game that decides what stays in. That’s what we mean by shot-for-shot. :) I think we’re more concerned with essence. What needs to stay in to tell the story, particularly the story that you remember from the film. We’re trying to put up a live version of someone’s recollection of the film. Part of that is very visual, so there is more of a focus on how to recreate certain film shots in a live format. Theater is obviously a very different way of directing attention and telling story than film. Going iconic moment to iconic moment is the fun of these little ditties.

Nick: “Shot for shot” helps people understand what we’re doing. In the room, we worked to boil down each scene down to its most essential parts and leave the rest. We wanted the show to move at a very fast pace and just under an hour felt right. We wanted to get in and get out without overstaying our welcome.

KRISTIN MCCARTHY PARKER

Kristin: Mostly we cut based on what’s not fun. We actually welcome those challenging sequences, since they’re usually what the audience wants to see us tackle. (My personal fave was the helicopter shot from HOTYB). But, yes, we’ve consciously eliminated the redundant, inactive, and non-iconic parts of the movies to hit the highlights, and trust that the audience’s internal sense of the film will carry them through the rest.

Matt: It really just sort of comes down to the essential story you’re trying to tell. I’m a huge fan of the trilogy, and I remember in one of the bonus discs Peter Jackson was discussing why they didn’t include The Scouring of the Shire in ROTK (Sorry, going to geek out for a second), or Tom Bombadil in the first film. His reasoning, which I agree with, is that ultimately this is a story about the finding and eventual destruction of the ring. It’s the same with our show; there is so much great material, but ultimately you’ve got to whittle it down to it’s most important scenes. In the slam poetry world we call it “Killing Puppies” : meaning when you write a 3:00 minute poem with someone, you’re inevitably going to have to cut some lines. And they’re probably great lines that you love, but you’ve got to come in under time. No one wants to kill puppies…

Allyson: I’ll defer to Nick, Kyle, and Kristin on most of those decisions, but ultimately it’s a combination of what do we think we can effectively communicate and what do we think the audience will get a kick out off.

Talk a little about what each one of you does, and some challenges of this production that you’re really proud of.

Kyle: It’s still very early on and we’re figuring a lot out. We all do everything. Much more in this show than the last. I can tend to be Professor Serious Poopy Pants with the “but what is the HEART of this moment” type pretentious comments at times. But otherwise it’s pretty much all hands on deck. Something people probably aren’t going to see (because we took it out of the trailer) that I really enjoyed was the forced perspective shot at the beginning where Frodo is riding in the cart with Gandalf who’s so much bigger than him. I did some nice “horse work”. My Acting MFA class and teachers would have been so proud.

Nick: I tend to be the guy who comes in every day with 20 new ideas. Kristin and I have worked together for a long long time and she is very good at sifting out the great ideas from the rest. I’m also in a Mime theater company. Mime? Yes mime. Broken Box Mime Theater. Check us out. We’re bringin’ it back. Anyways, I bring a background in physical theater that obviously shaped the way we executed HOTYB and will execute FYF.

Especially in the early part of the process, I try to push us to explore the extreme limits of what the show could be. We considered doing HOTYB entirely with puppets at one point. We’ve already scrapped some grand ideas I had for FYF involving projections, as it didn’t feel right for this show. But I think it’s important to go explore those grand visions, because often those ideas come back around. We have an extensive “maybe file” to rifle through. It looks like we’re really interested in FYF in exploring foley and music in a more full way and going even simpler with the visuals. But we’ll see! Who knows where it will go.

I think the challenging thing this time is the amount of characters that are in this story. It’s probably triple the amount from HOTYB. And the scope. The story in HOTYB exists entirely on one island. For FYF, we’ll have to create an entire world.

Kristin: As the director I keep an eye on tone, pacing, shape, and how a brilliant seed of an idea translates into something that reads clearly for the audience. We’re still building the show, so there isn’t too much to give away just yet, but I think we’ve made some interesting choices already in terms of how we’re going to further explore our lo-fi, ridiculous, and inventive aesthetic. We’ve always wanted to go full-bore with foley, even more so than we did on HOTYB, so that is something I’m excited to be exploring this time around.

MATT ZAMBRANO

Matt: I was tasked with making a sort of living draft of the script, and after we watched the film for inspiration, I went away and wrote what I thought would be a concise, comedic re-telling. I was worried that it was too long (get ready to kill those puppies), but wanted to keep everything in as it all seemed necessary. I was overjoyed when we did a read through and found not only was it not too long, it needed some scenes added!

Allyson: As the producer, I’m generally in charge of overseeing the administrative and organizational details – everything from helping to keep the budget streamlined, to running the comp list, to designing the program, to sending the press release, etc. Also, I give creative input towards the end of the process as an outside pair of eyes.

Blair: I’m tasked with mustering my best Cate Blanchett voice.

How did you settle on LOTR? Did you throw around other ideas? And in a perfect world could we expect to see those shows brought to life too?

Kyle: We have several things in our minds. This one was the most ready to go. It also feels like a good follow-up to HOTYB. Building on what we learned last time, but it’s a totally different jam. Very different movie. Much more music and epic looks. HOTYB was like, “we’re some characters…OH NO, RUN FROM THE DINOSAURS!!”

Nick: I’ve seen these movies like a million times so it helps to have a “shot for shot” memory of it in my head! That does a lot of the work of knowing what the most necessary and ‘iconic’ parts are, the things the audience will go “ah man I can’t wait to see how they do this or that sequence”. Kristin and I devised a live trailer for Game of Thrones a few years ago for a monthly 5-minute play festival called Shotz! We really loved the style we came up with for that piece and thought it could really work well for this fantasy trilogy. So it’s been at the top of my list for a while, as it is the movie I could see the clearest how we’d execute it.

Other movies: The Matrix looms pretty large for me, as I love the physical challenges it poses. I’m also really really interested to devise more trailers. We loved that even-shorter format.

Kristin: It’s been towards the top of our list for a year now, but we’ve heavily considered other iconic movies… Independence Day, Home Alone, and The Matrix, to name a few. I can’t tell you how many conversations with friends after a show have devolved into “which movie should Recent Cutbacks take on next?” We try to choose material that is fun, challenging, and that we have some sort of connection to or nostalgia for. It wouldn’t really work, I don’t think, to take on a movie that we weren’t at least a little obsessed with (or wished we had been in). I’m super-excited for FYF because the movie literally changed my life when I first saw it in theaters. My friends and I all assigned ourselves different characters in the movie and used those names as nicknames for years… We still do!

ALLYSON MORGAN

Matt: Before the gang approached me about FYF I suggested they should do Forrest Gump. Don’t know if that will every happen….

Allyson: I know other members of our team have shared additional titles we considered, that will hopefully be a part of our future canon! Kristin and Nick seemed particularly excited about this concept, so we moved forward with it.

Blair: I think it’s mostly Nick’s fault.

If Peter Jackson came to see this – what part of your show do you think he’d get the biggest kick out of?

Kyle: Single. Tear.

Nick: I think he would appreciate the reverence for for the source material with which we created the show. Like HOTYB, FYF will be part-parody, part-love letter to this wonderful movie that had such an impact on our visual and imaginative development.

Kristin: He’d probably get a kick out of watching a group of adults pay tribute to his film by running around onstage doing impressions with a bunch of household items. I think he’s got more than a bit of nerd in him, and taking on a project like this feels like the ultimate fantasy nerd endeavor.

Matt: I think he would love what we’re doing with the prologue!

Allyson: I think just the fact that we’re attempting to do something in this way should be exciting to any director/creator who values innovation!

Blair: I think he would be the most tickled in the first few moments of the show! The opening sequence is lovely.

Finally – Fly, You Fools! Great line from the movie. And a much debated issue among fans of the book and the movie (“Why didn’t Frodo just fly to Mount Doom???”) So it’s a great title for the show. What’s the story behind how you came to settle on it?

BLAIR BUSBEE

Kyle: When Nick came to my Twenty-Elevensies Birthday party he found a ring I had dropped right by the pizza oven behind the PIT bar, and though it should have burnt him it was cool to the touch. As Kristin stroked her beard nearby, he noticed the inscription that appeared only to him and it read: “Fly, You Fools!“ (Nick picked it) :p

Nick: I pushed hard for this title. First of all, we loved having the word “fools” in the title, similarly to having the word “butts” in our first title. It lets you know what kind of show to expect. Secondly, Hold On To Your Butts sounded like a tongue in cheek way to say “get ready for this silly ride”. “Fly, You Fools!” sounds like a command to do the impossible, which is in a lot of ways what we are attempting – to take (metaphorical) flight with nothing but a few props, foley, and a lot of earnest, foolish, physical play.

Kristin: The “why didn’t they take the eagles” debate is not forgotten in our show ;) We felt like the line captured the goofy, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants energy of our productions. It also is iconic enough to let people know exactly what we’re doing.

Matt: Don’t get me started on the conspiracy theories. I think it works great as a title, because it’s instantly recognizable to anyone who is familiar with the story, and it’s short and sweet. It’s also a command of action, much like “Hold On To Your Butts”, so it sounds exciting. “They Have a Cave Troll” was my 2nd favorite title choice …

~~~
Okay, so without even seeing this show I can pretty much guarantee that this will be an amazing ride … and any fan of the original LOTR will definitely want to go see this. So, what are you waiting for? Scroll down! Get your tickets!

~~~

FLY, YOU FOOLS

CREATED AND PRESENTED BY RECENT CUTBACKS

Fri, 4/1 @ 9:30pm
Fri, 4/8 @ 8pm
Fri, 4/15 @ 8pm
Fri, 4/22 @ 8pm
Fri, 4/29 @ 8pm

THE PEOPLES IMPROV THEATER
123 E 24TH ST
NEW YORK, NY 10010

Tickets: $20

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

Recent Cutbacks is a theatrical playground co-founded by Nick Abeel. Kelsey Didion, Kristin McCarthy Parker, Allyson Morgan, and Kyle Schaefer inspired by irreverence, pop culture, and high theatricality. For more information check out www.recentcutbacks.com

Set Yet in Motion: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 14:15:50 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

Set Yet in Motion

Set Yet in Motion presents ancient Greeks who must contend with the Judeo-Christian God. Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche address the intellectual and romantic tension between them. Also, there’s onstage sex!* (*Verbal, metaphorical. Some would say that’s the sexiest kind of sex.) A good time will be had by philosophers, artists, and geeks from all walks of life.

Show Info:

Thu Feb 18, 2016 | 10:30PM
Sat Feb 20, 2016 | 2:10PM
Mon Feb 22, 2016 | 10:30PM
Sat Feb 27, 2016 | 5:30PM
Fri Mar 04, 2016 | 8:50PM

UNDER St. Marks New York, NY $15/$18

Answers by Michael Bordwell
(Director)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Michael: God sends the great philosophers to kill Greek gods. That says it all. Plus there’s sex, drugs and…well…

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Michael: What happens in the woods…stays in the woods ;)

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Michael: All of the above. At first reading, I would have said the plot – but – given the amazing work the actors have done, their characters add an amazing level to drive the show with the plot.

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Michael: “This is so much fun. I haven’t done theatre in three years and I am thrilled THIS is what I am returning in.” – said by one of the performers.

5. If money and resources (and even reality) were no object what is the most lavish, luxurious, pointless prop, costume, effect – anything – that you would spend money on for this show?
Michael: Hover chair, an elaborate, real woods set complete with hacksawed tree trunks, and Greg Nicotero to design ALL my special effects.

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself?
Michael: Probably seeing friends I haven’t seen in a while. That’s what’s great festivals like this – they’re the best homecoming parties/reunions with people you actually want to catch up with after 10+ years.

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Michael: Friedrich Nietzsche…that is all.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Michael: My favorite line, without spoiling the plot… “I bumped into Jesus and he gave me booze.”

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Michael: Ummm….take my seat. :)

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Michael: My boss…how did they find out about this…hope I keep my day job.

Well, here’s hoping your boss isn’t reading this … but trust me, I won’t tell! Still, I bet no matter who that person is, they’d be really excited to see this show, and really impress with what you do in your “other” life.

Thanks so much for answering our questions, Michael!

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out Set Yet in Motion

-*-*-

Horse Trade Theater Group will present the 10th Annual FRIGID New York Festival at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4^th Street between 2^nd Avenue and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1^st Avenue and Avenue A) February 16-March 6. All shows run 60 minutes, or less. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at http://www.horsetrade.info/

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Dandy Darkly’s Trigger Happy!: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 21:33:43 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

Dandy Darkly’s Trigger Happy!

“All American Tales of Sex and Death!”

Show Info:

Tue Feb 16, 2016 | 7:10PM
Sat Feb 20, 2016 | 8:50PM
Tue Feb 23, 2016 | 5:30PM
Fri Mar 4, 2016 | 10:30PM
Sun Mar 6, 2016 | 1:50PM

UNDER St. Marks New York, NY $10/$15

Answers by Dandy Darkly
(poet, playwright, performer, pervert)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Dandy: Dandy Darkly typically explains his shows to friends via crude ransom letters. Really helps to encourage attendance!

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Dandy: I pack my storytelling performances with so much to mull over — costumes, original music, social satire. But I hope people are discussing the way I bend words around one another to spit out these perplexing paragraphs of profane (yet still incredibly pretty) poetry.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Dandy: Dandy Darkly drives his show. The nonstop pace of the spoken words set against a beautiful, hauntingly-immersive, musical soundscape pulls the audience into another world.

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Dandy: I’m proudest of my work when audience members offer a stunned, “I had no idea that’s what you do.” Expect the absolute unexpected.

5. If money and resources (and even reality) were no object what is the most lavish, luxurious, pointless prop, costume, effect – anything – that you would spend money on for this show?
Dandy: A pointless and luxurious prop I’d like for a show would be a massive, diamond encrusted, rocket propelled dildo that Dandy Darkly would ride side-saddle on to the stage. That would do nicely!

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself?
Dandy: Of the international festivals I’ve performed in, I really love the FRIGID Festival. For me, this festival epitomizes the soul of what it means to be an outsider fringe artist. This is a festival where truly emerging voices are given an opportunity to flourish. Not to mention 100% of ticket sales are paid back to the artist. There’s nothing else like it in the city. Frigid is truly a throw back to an era of “art for art’s sake” that’s sorely missing from the Downtown NYC scene. I’m thrilled to see such artists express themselves and proud to be keeping St. Marks weird!

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Dandy: There’s a pointed political call to action near the end of the show. It will be fun seeing how it plays out considering our presently passionately charged “Bernie versus Hillary” slap fight.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Dandy: “Disco roller skates on a towering Grace Joneses!”

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Dandy: One last lipstick touch up before I scare my adoring public!

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Dandy: I’d be shocked to recognize anyone in the audience. Little known showbiz secret: Dandy Darkly is blind as Helen Keller lost in a coal mine!

Well, Dandy Darkly – that explains your last name! ”Through a Theatre Darkly” — hahaha! Well, seeing as how you won’t recognize anyone in the audience, make sure you have someone tell you if anyone amazing was out there!

Thanks so much for answering our questions, Dandy Darkly!

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out Dandy Darkly’s Trigger Happy!

-*-*-

The Extraordinary Fall of the Four-Legged Woman: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 20:27:46 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

The Extraordinary Fall of the Four-Legged Woman

produced by Flights of Fantasy East

Step right up and witness a fantastical circus sideshow! In the dusty desert of Arizona, Myrtle Corbin, The Four-Legged Woman, meets her match. This experimental musical reveals the wonders of performing and navigates what it means to be “other.”

Show Info:

Thu Feb 18, 2016 | 7:10PM
Sat Feb 20, 2016 | 6:40PM
Mon Feb 22, 2016 | 8:50PM
Sat Feb 27, 2016 | 1:40PM
Wed Mar 02, 2016 | 8:50PM

Kraine Theater New York, NY $10/$12

Answers by Madeline Wall (Director)
Lily Ali-Oshatz (Book, Music, and Lyrics)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Maddie: I have always wanted to direct a project about different kinds of bodies, and this show really hits all the bases. It’s my favorite thing.
Lily: It’s the love story of Myrtle Corbin, the one and only four-legged woman, so it’s bound to be different, weird, and extraordinary!

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Maddie: Honestly, I hope they’re talking about the sweeter moments. It’s a very dark show, but there’s also a lot of joy and I hope that people leave remembering the beautiful parts. Also the music. I know that’s what will be with people after they’ve left.
Lily: I want people to be questioning how they view bodies, in terms of race, gender, and size. This show is all about the performance and presentation of identities. I hope that people are forced to think more deeply about how these identities intersect, both for the characters and for themselves. Oswald’s final scene with Myrtle really encapsulates this idea.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Maddie: Character. But maybe theme. Dammit, Lily! The characters are so influenced by the actors. But if we had to do this with a whole different cast, the show would still be about love and bodies.
Lily: Definitely character. We had a very extensive casting process and I did a lot of rewrites once we found our troupe of actors.

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Maddie: One of the panelists at Musical Theatre Factory in New York when we workshopped there last October said that the work of the team was “like honey, complex and sweet.” I love that this show is a challenge because of the way it’s written as well as the subject matter. It’s about something very complicated.
Lily: People leave remembering the music which is so crazy to me because it’s an a cappella musical! For a long time I was afraid that everyone would hate that it doesn’t use any instruments besides voices, but I felt very encouraged after the Musical Theatre Factory workshop because everyone was really onboard.

5. If money and resources (and even reality) were no object what is the most lavish, luxurious, pointless prop, costume, effect – anything – that you would spend money on for this show?
Maddie: Ugh. Well I went to school for film so even when I’m blocking for a black box theatre, I’m visualizing a three ring circus in the desert of Arizona. I think one of the key elements of the show is actually the large setting. The cast should be able to hear coyotes howling in the distance. So yes. I guess coyotes.
Lily: A real circus tent and midway!!! And a rotating stage because we have a whole onstage/offstage element to the blocking. And smell-o-vision! The audience should smell the “air heavy with carmel treats” that the ringmaster sings about.

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself (seeing other shows? meeting other folks)?
Maddie: All of the above! I’m just so excited that I’m getting to do exactly what I want. The fact that I’m in New York making theatre is such a crazy reality. It feels like I’ve won something.
Lily: The glass of wine after we open. No! Kidding. I want to hear from everyone about how this show affects them. We are definitely using this as a learning opportunity. And I’m very excited to meet the other artists at the festival and see how they’re using their experience at Frigid.

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Maddie: OH YEAH. Let’s just say it’s the fall of the “Four-Legged” woman.
Lily: For sure. The legs. That moment can go so many ways.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Maddie: I just love all of them so much! When Myrtle and the whole cast sing about being “Born as someone special.”
Lily: “The light was dark one night in Arizona. The brittle stardust sunk down low.” Those are the first lyrics I wrote for the show and it all springs from that first moment of stillness.

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Maddie: I get really calm because it’s out of my hands at that point.
Lily: I look at the cast, smile and play the first pitch.

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Maddie: Zefferelli, because he never responded to my emails.
Lily: Oskar Eustis? Artistic Director of The Public?! Why yes, I am surprised that you and your team would like to bring Extraordinary Fall to the Public. No no, drinks tonight would be fine.

Maddie, Lily, you may not have smell-o-vision in your show but this interview made me smell the midway! I can already feel the vibe of the show – sounds like this is something that would make Franco Zeffirelli and Oskar Eustis crave the front row seat of the center ring!

Thanks for answering our questions, Maddie and Lily!

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out The Extraordinary Fall of the Four-Legged Woman.

-*-*-

CHALK: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 14:54:37 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

CHALK

produced by Playpen Theatre

CHALK is a hilarious and unexpected one-man show guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages. Chalk invites audiences into a hand-drawn world where imagination is made real and anything can happen. Charlie Chaplin meets Harold and the Purple Crayon in this feel-good romantic romp sure to “Draw You In.”

Show Info:

Tue Feb 16, 2016 | 8:50PM
Sat Feb 20, 2016 | 1:40PM
Wed Feb 24, 2016 | 8:50PM
Tue Mar 01, 2016 | 5:30PM
Fri Mar 04, 2016 | 6:50PM

Kraine Theater New York, NY $5/$12/$15

Answers by Alex Curtis
(Performer & Creator)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Alex: I always struggle with this. I tell them it’s about moving on and finding your happiness. The truth is that I made this show after a breakup of a serious relationship and a few failed less serious relationships after that. So, when I was making the show I was really drawing from my own experience in the dating scene. After that breakup, I was really, really lonely. So as I started meeting new people, I kept looking for them to solve my loneliness – and that just doesn’t work. No one wants that kind of responsibility. Eventually I realized that the only person who could solve my loneliness was me. I needed to be happy with myself first, then I could meet other people. Shel Silverstein’s The Missing Piece and the Big O has a really similar message. So, anyway, I took that journey and then translated it into a one-man silent clown play. Because it’s silent and because it’s clown, all of this isn’t in there literally. Actually, I hope that it hits different people in different ways and that everyone who comes takes something from it that makes sense to them and their lives. But this is what the show is for me.

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Alex: The last third of the show. To give the quick and dirty version of the plot – the play starts with a clown, alone. Then he meets this woman (she’s invisible) who comes into his world, and really rocks it. He falls in love with her, but then she leaves. And then he has to deal with that. And it’s all the stuff after that I hope that really touches people. There’s a dance, some puppetry work. Things I think express the theme in a really lovely way. And then the ending. That’s been really hard to pin down in this new version of the play – so if people fell in love with the ending particularly – it would be hugely gratifying.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Alex: I’d say plot. As much as for me the play has a strong thematic element – since I don’t have words to just say it all outright, it gets put into the story. That makes continuously moving the story forward really important and hopefully the thematic stuff comes naturally out of that.

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Alex: There have been a lot of things…
After the first performance, a good friend of mine who had been going through a hard time rushed up to me to say how much CHALK had moved her. She was so happy. That moment, and others where my goofy clown play really connects with people, has been incredible.
Another moment, I was asking friends who’d seen it if they might write testimonials about CHALK that I could use for publicity material. One friend wrote, “…if you’ve ever had your heart strings pulled by a Pixar short, you’ll fall in love with CHALK.” I love Pixar. I think they’re really smart, and I love what they do. It’s such a magical balance of play and heart. To have something I made mentioned in the same sentence as my idols – that made me really proud.

5. If money and resources (and even reality) were no object what is the most lavish, luxurious, pointless prop, costume, effect – anything – that you would spend money on for this show?
Alex: That’s hard, since so much of the charm of clown comes from its simplicity and the room that leaves for the audiences imagination. BUT! Oh, oh, I got something…
If the invisible woman could be a hologram of Jessica Rabbit, that would be amazing. She saunters into the space… One of the big tasks of this newest draft of CHALK has been to specify this invisible person’s physical life so she stands on her own more as a character, and we can really get her place in the story. But if we could SEE that, see HER, through some kind of 3D projection, problem solved. And so cool. Things could appear as she interacts with them…which would make the world of the play even bigger… I’m spinning with ideas for what I’d do with that production… It would be really exciting.

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself?
Alex: I’m looking forward to meeting the audience. Clown isn’t a 4th wall style; in the show, I look out and connect with the audience constantly. I’ve been really fortunate to have friends coming in to watch rehearsals and I’ve been able to bounce off them in the rehearsal process. But clowns are really great at inspiring community, I think. Which is why it’s so wonderful to have programs out there like Clowns Without Borders, where clowning can bring a sense of joy and companionship to people in really difficult circumstances. I’m looking forward to sharing a theater with a bunch of strangers, and then hopefully meeting some of them at a bar and talking like we know one another.

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Alex: There’s this bit in the middle of the show where I keep trying to hang things up on my coat rack, but then everything keeps falling down. I can imagine that landing really differently depending on the audience. I’ve done this show a few times and one of my best audiences was when I performed for a kids camp. The room was two-thirds kids between six and eight, and then the other third was a mix of adults. The camp counselors were in there teens and then the camp admin people were thirties and up. That show was magic. The kids ate up all the silly parts of the play, and then the adults got the parts that were more emotional. By themselves grown ups can be sort of uptight sometimes, but kids are so free in their reactions. That’s a part of the play that’s pretty silly, so I think it will depend on how loose the audience is. (Or how young at heart!)

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Alex: The play itself doesn’t have any dialogue. But I think the curtain speech is pretty good. I like to know where the fire exits are…

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Alex: Triple check my props. If I start the show and don’t have something, there’s no going back and I’m screwed. Also, for this run my girlfriend (we’ve been together a year – she’s wonderful!) will be helping backstage. So we’ll probably have a moment for a kiss and “break legs!” before we start, which will be a great way to get the show started.

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Alex: My first thought was the ex-girlfriend I mentioned who broke my heart years ago. It wasn’t a good break up, and we don’t speak anymore. To see her in the audience would be a shock for sure.
My next thought was Harrison Ford. I love Star Wars and Indiana Jones has been a hero of mine forever. Then for him to be watching my clown show, c’mon, that’d be incredible.
I’ve also invited Bill Irwin and David Shiner, who are the famous clowns performing Old Hats at the Signature Theater right now. I love their work, and I know it’s a long shot, but I really hope they come.

Well, Alex, you never know – even a long shot is a shot! So be it Bill Irwin and David Shiner … or even Harrison Ford … there’s a chance they’ll make it out to FRIGID to see what you’ve created with CHALK.
Thanks so much for answering our questions, Alex!

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out CHALK.

-*-*-

All is Fine in Sunny Florida: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 17:54:48 +0000

Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

All is Fine in Sunny Florida

produced by Hub Theatricals

Florida is a crazy state. This play stages TRUE “#FloridaMan” stories and shows you why you should avoid it. Also 98% of this play is fully true….seriously and some have happened to the author.

Show Info:

Fri Feb 19, 2016 | 5:10PM
Mon Feb 22, 2016 | 10:30PM
Sat Feb 27, 2016 | 5:00PM
Sun Feb 28, 2016 | 1:50PM
Sat Mar 05, 2016 | 6:40PM

Kraine Theater New York, NY $18

Answers by Mark Levy
(Writer and Actor)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Mark: I always talk about how insane Florida is, this is true stories and it’s dark, honest and funny as hell.

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Mark: The Turkey and what is real (Honestly 98% is true).

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Mark: This is complicated. As the play is all based off of true stories plot is huge and so is Character. They are all hyper specific to Florida, ALL OF FLORIDA.

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Mark: “You must’ve really combed Twitter, reddit and Buzz feed for this information”.

5. If money and resources (and even reality) were no object what is the most lavish, luxurious, pointless prop, costume, effect – anything – that you would spend money on for this show?
Mark: I reference my area of the stage as a porch many times in the play. I’d want a porch and a rocking chair. Also, part of the play takes place in a carnival, would really love a dunk tank because It’s a dunk tank….they are fun.

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself?
Mark: FRIGID is known for bold and I look forward to seeing these shows. And the Mayberry show sounds funny too.

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Mark: The end of the radio station scene.

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Mark: “Florida gives you lemons, and you take those lemons and you make Orange juice.”

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Mark: I tell everyone I got their back. I have a background in improv, it’s good form.

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Mark: The unfrozen head of Walt Disney because he’s dead and the show has some dangerous Disney talk.

Wow, Mark, many people have mentioned being shocked to see a full person, but you’re the first to just get shocked by a head! Of course, since we all know the Walt-Disney-Frozen-Head story, it makes sense. THAT would make a funny #floridaman story though, right? Florida Man Attends FRIGID Show With Head Of Walt Disney!

Thanks so much for answering our questions, Mark!

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out All is Fine in Sunny Florida.

-*-*-

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