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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 20, 2010
Carl Andress
One of the first interviews I ever did as an “official” theatre reviewer was with Carl Andress who was not only charming and lovely but also heaps of fun to chat with. Back then he was directing Charles Busch and Kathleen Turner in The Third Story which was a show that highlighted the talent of everyone involved. I have nothing but enormous respect for Carl as a director.
Well, I’m happy that I have another reason to interview this wonderful gentleman because Carl Andress is at it again, teaming up with Charles Busch to do The Divine Sister. We recently sat down to talk about the fun of doing an homage to some of Hollywood’s best nuns, and the great actresses who played them.
Along the way, Carl also explains what it’s like to do theatre for the pure joy of it, he give some advice to the Fringe crowd on the smartest way to get a show produced these days, and he enlightens me about a simple little device that has changed his life . . .
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by Lina Zeldovich on August 17, 2010
Jayne Amelia Larson (Photographer: Eric Swarz)
“The worst job I ever had,” is how writer and actress Jayne Amelia Larsen describes her staggering experience of being a driver for a Saudi family on their Beverly Hills vacation. The family (along with their entourage) took up several floors in a luxury hotel, keeping one room as a tea room, and embarked on their escapade of shopping and plastic surgeries.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 13, 2010
Carol Carpenter
The Happiest Medium was honored to be a Media Partner of the 2010 Planet Connections Festivities. Not only did we, as a team, get to interview some of the most talented writers and directors than any festival (or festivity for that matter) has to offer, but we made some lasting connections. One of them is Carol Carpenter – writer of the play Good Lonely People which was also directed by our wonderful staff contributor, Diánna Martin. Carol was not only nominated for her work but also won! We were thrilled to be able to celebrate this night with her – and I’m honored that she took some time to sit down and tell us what this time in her life has been like. Surprisingly, it’s been an unexpected path . . .
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on August 12, 2010
We’re very lucky here, at The Happiest Medium, to have such talented contributors. Our very own Diánna Martin is on a roll – having just directed Good Lonely People for The Planet Connections Festivity she now is working with Jim Tierney’s gritty, gripping play, Banshee of Bainbridge, which will be part of this year’s Fringe Festival. I was lucky enough to read this script and can only say that I was amazed – and can’t wait to see the show come to life.
I got a chance to find out a little bit more about what it feels like to be a part of Fringe, what Banshees are doing in the Bronx, and why the 1980s made for a lot of waiting around . . .
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on July 30, 2010
Bill Connington as Oedipus (photo by Beau Allulli)
When looking for a quote to use as a title for this fantastic interview you’re about to read I had so many, many wonderful choices. Ultimately I went with a more benign line from the Megadeath song but I urge you to check out the Alice Cooper ode to the dark one as well as the more contemplative song brought to us by the Indigo Girls. Maybe even play it in the background to set the tone as you settle in to read my interview with Rachel Klein and Bill Connington.
If those names sound familiar it may be because Rachel Klein has done amazing work with shows like All Kinds of Shifty Villains and Go-Go Killers! while Bill Connington garnered raves in Fringe ‘08 with Zombie. Ms. Klein now teams up with Mr. Connington to not only direct a show he has written and is performing in, but to create dance and movement pieces for it as well. I got a chance to chat with Klein and Connington about their new collaboration, Princes of Darkness, and hear first hand about good and evil, how go-go dancing can still be dystopian, and how, often, a Jesuit education will lead to raising children who write shows starring Lucifer.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on July 21, 2010
In a time when full immersion is the key to any good entertainment experience Mardi-Ellen Hill has managed to create a multi media-universe that allows the participant to be drawn into a world of her creation through any number of doors. Choose your favorite: book, game, music, and let the hidden mystery that is the MEND™ Universe unfold.
I got a chance to chat with creator Mardi-Ellen Hill who could explain this multi-level, multi media project far better than I ever could . . .
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by Antonio Miniño on July 18, 2010
Never Norman Rockwell
We’ve reached our final installment of our Midtown International Theatre Festival’s Q&A. Today we chat with Kyle Baxter, writer of Never Norman Rockwell, and co-artistic director of The Collective Objective.
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by Antonio Miniño on July 16, 2010
Until We Find Each Other
We continue our Midtown International Theatre Festival Q&A and speak with not only the playwright of Until We Find Each Other (Brooke Berman), but we also asked the show’s director, David Winitsky some questions.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on July 13, 2010
If you read Stephen Tortora-Lee’s review of the multimedia show about the little puppet that could – Alvin Sputnik – then you already got a taste of one of the shows that’s happening as a part of undergroundzero - a theatre festival happening throughout July and taking place at PS 122. We’ll be covering a few more of the shows being offered, but I also had an opportunity to find out from curator Paul Bargetto exactly how this festival came about, how he finds these talented artists, and how Pinchbottom Burlesque has become the naughty crown jewel of the festival . . .
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by Antonio Miniño on July 10, 2010
The Starship Astrov
We continue our Midtown International Theatre Festival Q&A with writers Duncan Pflaster of The Starship Astrov, and Michelle Glick, writer and performer of the solo show Asian Belle.
Let us start with Duncan.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Not until about 15 years ago- I thought for a long time I was going to be an actor. There’s something really wonderful about making an audience laugh and react, which I loved as a performer… But as a writer, you get to play all the parts! Now I only act if people specifically ask me, or if there’s an emergency casting. Continue Reading…
