Chris Tyler performing in an earlier workshop at Little Theatre in February (photo credit: Knud Adams)

THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT BEING GAY

Written and Directed by Teddy Nicholas
Presented by the 2013 Fresh Fruit Festival
www.freshfruitfestival.com
All performances at The Wild Project
195 East 3rd Street New York, NY 10009
www.thewildproject.com
Ticket available for purchase by: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/924653

“A three-act experimental gay identity politics play”

Show Times:

• Tues 7/16/13 @ 7:00pm
• Wed 7/17/13 @ 7:00pm
• Sun 7/21/13 @ 12:00pm

Answers by Teddy Nicholas (playwright/director/producer)

[1] How did you come up with the title for your show?
Teddy Nicholas: I was getting to a point in my play-writing career where I realized I hadn’t written a play that addressed what it meant, for me, to identify as a gay male in our current American society.

I had also been seeing plays which painted really depressing worlds featuring this really ugly side of gay men and it pained me. It pained me because I felt I had more evidence, from these plays and from these message in media and culture, of why gay men are evil and wrong, and not enough evidence, not enough stories, not enough heroes who are gay men, even if they are fictional, to look up to.

There was a span of two weeks where I’d seen plays that featured a gay man abusing crystal meth, and featured a destructive relationship that ended in death or emotional ruin. And I’m not saying that these things don’t exist in the world because they do, and that’s obviously a problem, and I think yes, art does hold a mirror up to the audience showing the society we live in.

But I also believe that art can influence and shape and guide the way, and more often than not, work that features characters who are gay males are either victims or perpetrators of destruction, whether to themselves to the people they love; and I guess I’m getting sick of seeing that narrative played over and over again.

There’s a quote by Bertolt Brecht I love: “Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”

And so one night, I began typing furiously away at my computer and after about 10 pages, I titled it: THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT BEING GAY.

[2] Was there an unexpected discovery made during the development of this production that you’d like to share with us?
Teddy Nicholas: I began writing the play two years ago, and at first, it was sort of a one-act musical with all these songs in it and I imagined there being musicians on stage. But then I felt that the play was striving to get at something stranger, and so I took out the music and replaced them with dances, and added two more acts. Each of the three acts of the play are completely different in terms of tone, narrative and characters, but yet they are all thematically linked towards the same universe of this idea of what it is to be a gay male as I see it today.

[3] What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing your show?
Teddy Nicholas: I hope the audience takes away a new and different perspective of gay males, or at least questions their own ideas of what gay males are or how they relate to them in society. I also hope the experience is entertaining as well!

[4] How much of your show was inspired by true events?
Teddy Nicholas: A lot of the writing in the play is deeply personal and mixes in a lot of truth with slight distortions; there are stories from my childhood (including the first movie I ever saw in a movie theatre: Pet Sematary), my awkward/angsty high school experience, and even a breakup that happened to me in college that was particularly painful and raw but I felt needed to be shown. But there’s also a gay marriage proposal which is basically how I imagined my dream boyfriend proposing to me someday.

As a playwright, I don’t feel particularly comfortable with the writing unless I believe it to be honest and truthful, and so the things I write about in the play are either from my own experiences, or from experiences of those who are close to me.

[5] An anonymous donor funds your show. The one caveat is that you must use the money for a lavish set piece that’s outrageous, dazzling, fun and/or showstopping. What do you build for your show?
Teddy Nicholas: I would build a giant glass cube that surrounds the stage so that the actors looks like specimens and the audience is observing them as if they were scientists or something and the stage floor would illuminate like the music video to Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean.

~~~

Thanks Teddy!

Don’t forget to check out:

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Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall, or maybe something even more ephemeral? Like a shadow? Bubby’s Shadow by Andrew Rothkin is a ghost story, but one where the living haunt those that have already passed on.

It starts, like many ghost stories, on a dark and stormy night.

There is a green glow of eyes, strange mystical chanting, crackling thunder and lightning and then . . .

We reenter the normal world again –  a house, though still draped in the shadows of a dark and stormy night where someone is knocking at the door. Nightgown-clad Debra (Rosie Cosch) comes to the door in an obvious state of alarm in response to the pounding and screaming of brother Jonny (playwright Andrew Rothkin).  Cosch as Debra does a great job conveying both annoyance as well as concern as she hears Jonny’s tale.

Apparently Jonny got a strange phone call which (Caller ID confirmed) came from Debra’s home but all he heard was strange wailing and muttering.  They both admit that they’ve been having dreams of their dear dead Bubby who raised them in that very house, but who has been dead for 19 years.

During their childhood their father was distant, so when their mother died Bubby, their larger-than-life grandmother, brought them joy and love and gave them all the support they could ever need.  She died in their late teens, leaving them feeling somewhat alienated with a disconnected father.  Their resentment toward him grew and Bubby’s set of memorabilia was stashed in the attic.

Now 19 years later Jonny is the workaholic, whose relationship with his wife is on the rocks because of his inability to express his emotions.  Debra is a single divorced mother to Cara, searching for Mr. Right to no avail.  Cara also becomes acquainted with her Great Grandmother Bubby through dreams.

In the morning we meet the friendly and spunky Cara who is up bright and early, having met up with her friend.  She arrives back home just in in time for the phone, which has been working strangely, to begin ringing bringing the ghost of Bubby on the scene.  For a moment Bubby and Cara talk simultaneously as Cara channels her long dead great grandmother.

In the final scenes of the show we find out that Debra and Jonny’s long estranged Father (played by Jeffrey Farber) also got a call.  He arrives back at the home and brings with him a charming male nurse, Eli (played by a very genuine and friendly Isaac Elkiss) , who is “a very good boy” about Debra’s age.  Eli gives Cara some wonderful reasons to check out the great programs at her local JCC where he teaches karate.   He is very learned in Rabbinical writings as well as a freethinking spiritualist who has  looked into Buddhism, Kabbalah and many other interesting things because (he tells  Cara when no one else is around) he can sense ghosts too.  He confides that sometimes when people are angry or confused it can cause a darkness to be cast about that can be dangerous.

Related Posts:

• Bubby’s Shadow – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The American Play (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Scene/Unseen – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Coyote On A Fence – FREE Staged Reading – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
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It’s almost impossible to imagine that someone could use Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho as source material for a play and both do the original theme justice while simultaneously create something completely new that doesn’t just ape the original.  And yet Ashley Jacobson’s The American Play does just that – not only gives a nod to American Psycho but goes one further and deepens the richness of the original, heightens the irony, darkens the humor and updates the flavor to address the passing of the last 20 years.  The American Play pays homage in a way that both manages to celebrate the original work and — quite frankly — leaves it in the dust.

To say that I’m a fan of the book (and subsequent movie) American Psycho is a stretch – rather, I was a student of it … but nowhere near as dedicated as the two main characters of The American Play – Luis (Shane Jensen) and Tim (Jimmy Dailey) who meet at a critical time in both their lives.  In terms of trappings, Luis is an updated Patrick Bateman – a well dressed, caustic observer of his surroundings who makes brilliant deductions about his fellow travellers and reduces everyone to a cog in the constantly churning wheel.  Tim, however, has the soul of Bateman, which is a far scarier prospect.

The Robert Palmer Girls

Director Alexandra Siladi’s dark and moody staging deepens the jaded view of the men’s microcosm:  seeing the world through their eyes the stage is barely illuminated, the nondescript crowd is made up of seductively black-clad women who remain anonymous and interchangeable behind their ominous cellophane masks.  These women rarely speak, they often move in unison and can be reminiscent (somewhat ironically – perhaps somewhat intentionally) of the Robert Palmer girls.  They are as blank, as choreographed and as “Simply Irresistible” – though of course the ironic twist is that even the most luscious among them are dismissed as too stupid, “a five” or “the fat friend”.  In the one small moment when the crowd of women actually speak they do so in soundbites, and harshly … and as men.  It is a brilliant, if bitter, moment.

And this is where both Jacobson’s script and Alexandra Siladi’s direction shine: Ellis gave the world an American Psycho whose brutality was graphic and gruesome and indifferent, but Jacobson and Siladi give audiences a team in Luis and Tim who, 20 years later, have digested the once-terrifying images like so much top-shelf liquor and waves it away with an impatient dismissive flourish.  Weaned on the very pablum that Bateman was spewing both men idolize the text, digest the contents, and in turn serve it up in far more palatable, poisonous bites.

While Luis has the outward trappings of the perfect American psycho, it is the elusive Tim who is hiding his trailer-park upbringing and a history of peer abuse; Tim who actually cloaks a perfectly cloned inner-Bateman underneath his mismatched clothing, awkward social interaction and public misfires.  When the two meet it is like two halves of a sacred coin coming together with a crack of lightening.

TIM:  [ ...] everyone has a uniform. It’s fucking New York. Everyone has a part they’re playing. Ellis was just honest about it – he said this is what it’s like for yuppies, but you can apply it to everyone.

LUIS:  Everyone. Even this little pill with the Tom’s shoes, Those Red-for-Aids T-shirts, Starbucks cups and Smart Water. Hello dumb ass. Those are BRANDS. Those are companies. They make money. She knows exactly what they are, so that’s why she uses them. [...]she probably only fucks guys that wear Tom’s shoes too [...] tell me, how is that different than some wasp-y upper east side trash that  only fucks with guys who wear Armani? Tell me how it’s different.

And so, upon the hallowed ground of Bateman, a friendship is forged with Luis molding Tim in his image and Tim fashioning a mask of disdain and a uniform of Ralph Lauren that will gain him entry to the rarefied world that was so fleeting to him before he met Luis.

As the friendship burgeons the women of  The American Play continue to interweave among them; they silently become the mothers, the ex-girlfriends, the memories.  They are the landscape of this new America and without the choreographed movement there wouldn’t be a Luis or a Tim — because without insignificant people to dismiss and rise above there would be no measure of success.

 LUIS : See, at first, it’s simply about survival [...] Then its about success, exceeding within the parameters laid about by the rules. Becoming the perfect fit. It surpasses survival – survival is now for the homeless, figuratively and literally, the weak – they simply survive. For the strong – it’s about perfection. Self excellence.  [...] Self-control transcends to self-excellence, then pure excellence, and then it’s no longer about your own survival. You escape the animal fight to survive and sit back and impose your own criteria on others. You decide their survival.

With this  exchange Jacobson has transmuted Batemen’s actual murderous rampage – divining other’s actual survival – into Luis’ more calculated plan to become a puppet master … a killer of careers, a snuffer of opportunities, an eviscerater of self-w0rth.  In effect, this is far more chilling than serial-killing-with-a-smile; we are givin the man who maims and then leaves his prey broken, but not dead.

Through a a few uncomfortable monologues the past of both these young men is illuminated and while they couldn’t be more different from each other there is a shared road of sharp and broken tragedies which shaped who they are now, which fed this caustic and jaded psyche, and which connect the dots of exactly where they themselves were maimed, limping, and left crippled by circumstance.  Overcompensating for these past trials, Tim and Luis see nothing wrong with doing unto others.

The watershed moment occurs when the two men host a party which they blithely theme an American Psycho party.  Attendees are dressed appropriately (A sea of suits, and greased hair, and ladies with high heels) and are expected to talk the talk – though of course no one is expected to actually walk the walk (beyond “So these bitches need to shut their mouths and abide by the theme of the party. They are here for decoration and servitude.”)  It is when Shelly arrives on the scene, however, that all bets are off.  She is not only there not adhering to the dress code but she has no intention of shutting her mouth and acting as decoration.

Rachel Napoleon does a strong job of first portraying herself as seen through the eyes of Luis, then morphing into the actual Shelly who knows the trailer-park version of Tim (a dangerous adversary at a critical juncture), and finally devolving into the Shelly who withstands the exact brutality that not only echoes the Batemen of old but that is preached by Luis to Tim – the brutality of imposing “your own criteria on others”.  With hardly a thought the two men play a cat-and-mouse game with Shelly – at the end of which the mask slips and the inner Bateman takes up residence in just one of the two men.  Shelly is left broken, but by the end, everyone has been altered.  Everyone survives, but some have felt the brutality of having another’s criteria imposed upon them.

Shane Jensen as Luis and Jimmy Dailey as Tim are nothing short of remarkable here.  These characters are unlikable, uncomfortable, chilling and brash, but the actors who portray them are filled with the kind of brilliant talent that can make you lean forward in your seat, yearning to know more about what makes them tic.  Together they play off of each other with a perfect chemistry that is not only believable but entrancing.  Each actor also delivers monologues which are equally strong; Dailey breaks your heart as he recounts his brutal past and Jensen has you holding your breath as he recalls the memory of his sixteen year old girlfriend. While I look forward to watching both these fine actors in other shows I also wish I could see them re-create the magic they brought to these roles.  The work they did here is something I won’t soon forget.

 The American Play is everything an homage to American Psycho should be:  chilling, dark, bitingly funny with humor that is as black as the atmosphere.  The production is stunning from the first moment to the last, and will leave you with a much richer understanding of the original message of American Psycho, as well as gift you with an entirely brilliant message of its own.

~~~

The American Play

Produced by The Dirty Blondes
Written by Ashley J. Jacobson
Directed by Alexandra Siladi

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$18 General Admission
$9.00 for Film/Music Participants
FREE for Theatre Festivity Participants

Mon 6/4/12 – 6:00pm
Thur 6/7/12 – 10:30pm
Thur 6/14/12 – 4:00pm
Wed 6/20/12 – 8:30pm
Fri 6/22/12 – 6:00pm
Sat 6/23/12 – 6:30pm

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At Bleecker Street Theatre
45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012

Conveniently located near:
Bleecker St (4 & 6)
Broadway – Lafayette St (B, D, F, M)
Prince St (N, R)

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Click here to purchase tickets

Related Posts:

• The American Play – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Bubby’s Shadow: Whose Shadow Is It? (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Scene/Unseen – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Coyote On A Fence – FREE Staged Reading – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• (un)missed connections – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)

Scene/Unseen

Benefiting: Brooklyn/NY Public Library
Produced by Antonio Miniño’s Fab Marquee Productions in association with MidNite’s cHild Productions
Written and Performed by Riti Sachdeva
Directed by Antonio Miniño

“Through song, dance, poetry and food, a captive woman known as “Z” explores the connections between addiction and violence as she delves into a state of mental imprisonment and self-abuse. In time the path to freedom is revealed but the consequences might be deadly. A plosive new choreodrama by Riti Sachdeva.”

Show Times:

• Friday 6/1/12 – 5:00pm
• Sunday 6/3/12 – 6:00pm
• Tuesday 6/5/12 – 5:00pm
• Saturday 6/9/12 – 1:30pm
• Wednesday 6/20/12 – 10:00pm
• Saturday 6/23/12 – 8:00pm

Answers by Riti Sachdeva –

(creator/performer)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?

Riti :  Without giving away the punch line, the character’s act is a “scene” that we witness on the news occasionally; the piece explores the unseen circumstances and rituals that lead her to the final act.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?

Riti : Malcom X, Mohandas Gandhi, Cherie Moraga, Oprah, Coco Fusco – because they’re all people who have confronted, in one way or another, addiction and/or violence in their own lives and/or in the larger state. I’d want to hear what they’d contribute to the development of the piece.

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?
Riti :  Fear: of the unknown, of success, of failure, of being loved, of being ignored, of being laughed at (it’s a daily sacrifice.) Definitely worth it.
Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?
Riti :  One can bathe oneself with popcorn and if done properly, it can be quite seductive. Conversely other things can be done with popcorn that are not so seductive…come see for yourself!

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
Riti :   A willingness to look at people/ places in their lives where addiction and violence manifest and how addiction and violence don’t exist in a vacuum, they are cultivated, often through shame.

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Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

Related Posts:

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• Bubby’s Shadow: Whose Shadow Is It? (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The American Play (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Coyote On A Fence – FREE Staged Reading – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• (un)missed connections – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)

Coyote On A Fence

Benefiting: CEDARS
Produced by The In-Pulse Group
Written by Bruce Graham
Directed by Diánna Martin

Two men convicted of murder await execution in the state of Texas: one a member of the Aryan nation and the other a champion for inmates’ rights. One is considered a monster and the other an outcast of society – but what defines true guilt or innocence? In this thought provoking drama by Bruce Graham, there is no clear verdict.

Show Times:

• Wednesday, June 20th @ 1pm - FREE STAGED READING, one day only

Answers by Diánna Martin 

(Producer, Director, Actress)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?

Diánna: This is a revival of a play by Bruce Graham, a brilliant playwright with many titles to his credit. It was brought to my attention by my dear friend and fellow actor/director David Robinette four years ago…and my life has never been the same since. They call these backer’s readings…so I dearly hope someone sees it, and is moved to work with me on backing a production of this show.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?

Diánna:
You mean besides my Mom and Dad? lol

This reading is very personal to me, I produced it completely (The In-Pulse Group is my producing arm of Martin Acting Studios), and have been working on it on and off for nearly 4 years, so I am going to answer with people on a more personal level than the “if you could pick anyone” that I originally wrote that question in relation to.
~ Bruce Graham – I’d like to see what he thinks, seriously – he wrote this amazing piece and I’d love to do a production of it. We are only doing a reading – but in some ways that is much harder because you only have the actors and their work to bring the script to life.
~ Anyone who’s ever had to give the order to kill someone using capital punishment.
~ David Robinette and Robert Michaels, my original collaborators who worked on this with me over the years.
~ My Grandmother, Esther Bearden. She grew up in Texas, a state we all know has the death penalty…and I’d like to see what she thinks of this play….and also I’d love for her to see my act and direct, something she never did before she passed away.

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?
Diánna:  Sleep. I work a day job 9-5, and do all of my art in any microsecond that I can outside of that. Some days I feel like I could easily be a stand in for a zombie on “The Walking Dead” – but that would be kinda hot, so yeah, it’s totally worth it.

But seriously… totally worth it because I need to act and direct to live a fulfilled life. I cannot and will not leave those things out of my life. I was asked by the brilliant actor/director/teacher Charles Gerber (in an offhand manner, a parable, actually) if I simply WANTED to act/direct…or NEEDED to act/direct. It is, indeed, the latter.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?

Diánna:  How difficult/time consuming/expensive it is simply to produce a reading, alone (I have nobody helping me, really – to get the materials to the PCTF marketing team, booking space, money, or anything) for a live audience in a festival. It’s worth every penny, and PCTF is very generous – what you get to be a part of is amazing – but it was definitely a learning experience, because I got a taste of what it’s like for the producers of shows I’ve directed or acted in – or have been “part of the producing team” on. When you produce it by yourself…oh, yeah, and act and direct it as well, it’s a whole other enchilada. I have to thank Duncan Pflaster for creating amazing artwork for the reading/show (I think of it as a show). He captured the essence of what I wanted. He’s amazing (but we all knew that already!!! – but he’s more than just a brilliant playwright!)

I suppose one more would be that this play deals with a convict who is an Aryan – and a vocal one. During rehearsals (both the original cast I worked with, and the current one) we discussed…and dealt with what shouting anti-semitic and anti-African American slurs in rehearsal would be like…I applaud my actors for going the distance and able to fully engage in a character unflinchingly, despite their strong belief system being so removed from what is actually said. Hats off to Mark Emerson for going the distance. I also thank my Stage Manager, Adam Samtur, for allowing us to shout said slurs in his apartment he let us use for a few rehearsals. I hope his neighbors don’t start avoiding him. LOL

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
Diánna:   I hope that they walk away thinking about how there are two sides to every coin. Is Bobby the true definition of guilty, no matter how grisly and horrific his crime? Or evil?

I want them to see the multi-layered characters in this piece – all of them are, all of them – and think about what drives people to do the things they do.

I want them to think about of all these people…who is the most honest?

And then…see if it makes them question their thoughts on capital punishment. I have no answer – nor do I give an opinion. The play just simply provokes thought and enlightenment on the human condition of damaged people and their damaged lives…and why they are they way they are.

___

Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

Related Posts:

• Bubby’s Shadow: Whose Shadow Is It? (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The American Play (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Scene/Unseen – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• (un)missed connections – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Smacker And The Highway – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)

(un)missed connections

Benefiting: GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)

Produced/Written by Mark-Eugene Garcia

Directed by Rodrigo Bolanos

“(un)missed connections is a modern drama, a brief glimpse into the lives of eight strangers, brought together through chance – and Craigslist. It’s about being at the right place at the right time, or wrong time. Its about searching, online, in line, next to you, across an empty room, even on a massage table for a moment, for a connection.”

Show Times:

• Wed 6/6/12 @ 9:00pm
• Mon 6/11/12 @ 10:00pm
• Tues 6/12/12 @ 7:00pm
• Sun 6/17/12 @ 10:00pm
• Sun 6/24/12 @ 1:00pm

Answers by Mark-Eugene Garcia

(Playwright)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?

Mark-Eugene:   We actually had quite a few titles. The play is based on missed connections from Craigslist, so I originally gave it that title of Missed Connections. But the play really about isn’t missing the connection as opposed to finding them. After speaking with Rodrigo, our director, we came up with (un)missed connections.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?

Mark-Eugene:   1- Armistead Maupin- because he is probably one of the biggest influences in my writing. I love his plots. I love his books. I love that, without ever meeting me, he taught me so much about who I am and how to live my life. 2&3- Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty- It was through their music that I figured out that I wanted to write theatre. 4- Randy Brunk- a fantastic actress and mentor I knew who supported me in everything I did, pushed me in my theatrical pursuits and was the inspiration for a short play I wrote. I would LOVE to see what she would say about my endeavors now. 5- Laura Linney- She is amazing, probably my favorite actress, a huge crush of mine, and I constantly seem to be one connection away from her at all times. My friends have met her. Even my ex-friends have met her. I know people she knows…She even signed an autograph for me, through them. But I never have met her. Can someone tell Ms. Linney to come see my show and connect with me?

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?

Mark-Eugene:  I’d have to say that the biggest sacrifice has been most of the nights and weekends out that most others had in their twenties. How I found a partner without being social is a miracle. I’m kind of a homebody. I’d rather be writing, I guess. But considering that the play is opening soon I think the trade off was well worth it.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?

Mark-Eugene:  The play originally had a very different much darker ending. In a past incarnation, a producer made a quick suggestion that perhaps (blank) should happen and (blank) shouldn’t. At first I thought, “Who the hell are you? This goes against what the play stands for and what I want the audience to walk away with.” But then I took a few breaths, swallowed my pride and thought about it. The producer had a point, and so did I. So I took a night, thought about my options, found some happy mediums and I went with the happiest medium. Like what I did there?
(Karen: Yes I do, Mark! Adorbs!)

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?

Mark-Eugene:  I want the audience to take a look around and see who is standing nearby. When I sat at home and began reading the missed connections ads, I noticed something. These weren’t just people looking for sex or love. These were people, all nearby, who were reaching out and searching for some kind of connection. Whatever they saw in an eye wink, a smile, a quick exchange of conversation was what they were looking for. Those missed connections ads tell us as much about the writer as they do of the moment. We all are looking for connections. They can be anywhere. A train, a bedroom, a bar, a restaurant, and hopefully… in a theatre.

___

Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

Related Posts:

• Bubby’s Shadow: Whose Shadow Is It? (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The American Play (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Scene/Unseen – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Coyote On A Fence – FREE Staged Reading – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Smacker And The Highway – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)

See Bob Run

Benefiting: RAINN
Produced by Dancing Torero Productions
Written by Daniel MacIvor
Directed by David Gautschy

“A dark and edgy dramedy about a young woman hitchhiking across the Canadian prairies. Determined to meet her estranged Father at the water, Bob is talkative, paranoid and full of secrets. Told through direct address, monologues to unsuspecting drivers and twisted fairytales. The play is a complex portrait of the many effects of abuse.”

Show Times:

• Wed 6/6/12 – 5:00pm
• Mon 6/11/12 – 4:00pm
• Saturday 6/16/12 – 8:00pm
• Wednesday 6/20/12 – 4:00pm

Answers by Allison Plamondon
(Actor, Producer) 

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?

Allison:  Daniel MacIvor wrote the play in the 80s so he named it then.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?

Allison:  Daniel MacIvor (because he wrote it-although don’t tell me when he is there because I will forget all of my lines)
Caroline Gillis (because she originated the role in 1986 and I would love to buy her a beer after the show)
Tim Ryan (head of my theatre program-passed away in 2009. because he would be proud)
John Cameron Mitchell (because Hedwig and the Angry Inch is totally inspiring!)
Robert Downey Jr (because wouldn’t you want him at your show?)

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?
Allison:  Leaving everything I had in Toronto and moving to New York. Was it worth it? You have to ask?

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?
Allison:  In 2011, we worked on See Bob Run part-time for months and months before doing a workshop presentation in the fall. When we picked it up again (8 months later) it was amazing how quickly everything came back. Phew. So, the unexpected discovery was now that the groundwork was laid, we could take more risks and have more fun with it. Exciting!

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
Allison:  I hope the audience walks away saying “eh” at the end of every sentence like a true Canadian.

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Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

Related Posts:

• Accidental Incest: Someone For Everyone – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Bubby’s Shadow: Whose Shadow Is It? (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The American Play (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Scene/Unseen – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Coyote On A Fence – FREE Staged Reading – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)

Smacker and the Highway

Benefiting: Grand Central Neighborhood Social Services Corporation (GCNSSC)
Produced by Waving Cat Productions
Written by Hope Weiner
Directed by Molly Ballerstein

“America is undergoing a facelift, and anything that is regarded as ugly or undesirable is being put out to pasture. Internal migration has reached its highest levels as the displaced roam the highway seeking their own utopia.”

Show Times:

• Fri 6/1/12 – 5:00pm
• Sun 6/3/12 – 6:00pm
• Tues 6/5/12 – 5:00pm
• Sat 6/9/12 – 1:30pm
• Wed 6/20/12 – 10:00pm
• Sat 6/23/12 – 8:00pm

Answers by Molly Ballerstein

(Director)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?

Molly:  The title is based off the main character (Smacker) and her experiences of living on the highway.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?

Molly:  I would invite Barack Obama, Governor Cuomo, the Occupy Wall Street Protesters (I’m counting them as one!),  Oscar Wilde, and Harold Clurman. The first three people I believe would find the show relevant and a take on where America can go. The last two I would want feedback from!

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?

Molly: The biggest sacrifice I’ve made to date is a  quitting a management position at a well known corporation with a stable paycheck, benefits, and a 401K. It was absolutely worth it and since quitting said economically safe job I have never regretted or questioned my choice. Working for a corporation that does not care about people and simply cares about the money they are making is not something I would put on my worst enemy.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?

Molly: The way I take on creating the world of a project is more as a playground supervisor than a puppet master. Seeing the characters the actors developed after we established the environment they were in was a wonderful experience! What was most unexpected to me was what happens to the family structure when there is no home or safe place for them to be in.

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?

Molly: I hope they receive  how important it is that we all  participate in a nonviolent way and how dangerous it is when we do not take action and participate in what is happening with our government and the world around us. Our community is not made of buildings but of people and as such they are what matters and we should look out for the most.

___

Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

Related Posts:

• Bubby’s Shadow: Whose Shadow Is It? (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The American Play (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Scene/Unseen – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Coyote On A Fence – FREE Staged Reading – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• (un)missed connections – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)

Naked Brazilian 

Benefiting: United Nations Environment Programme
Written and Performed by Gustavo Pace
Directed by Lou Liberatore

“Struggling against his father’s wishes to become a lawyer, a young man journeys from Rio to NYC to fulfill his own dreams to become a clown.”

Show Times:

• Tues 6/5/12 – 6:00pm
• Fri 6/8/12 – 8:30pm
• Sun 6/10/12 – 4:00pm
• Sun 6/17/12 – 3:00pm

Gustavo Pace (Writer/Performer)

[Editor's Note: Gustavo - who is Brazilian - invited me to Americanize his answers, but I thought they were charming as is. I'm sure you'll agree.] 

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?

Gustavo:  Naked Brazilian have different meanings like for example the sexy naked in the car that I experienced, also to get the soul naked and some other meanings that you need to see the show to understand. If I am going to be naked? That you need to come to check what happen. This is what I can tell about the show: Dad says, be a lawyer I say, be a clown What’s a boy to do? (father doesn’t always know best).

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?

Gustavo:
My father: Because I want to know if he will still talk with me after listening to this stories. I think he would be disappointed in the son he has. Some weeks ago he asked me: What this show Naked Brazilian about? I said; sorry Dad, but I am not ready to tell what is about…

Criminal Law teacher: I think he would shoot me if he see his scene in the play, but I want to see if he maybe changes the way he deal with his students…

Bruno: I can’t say why but if you go to the show you going to understand … The only thing I can tell is: “If you have questions of your sexuality don’t look for the answers in your fathers car.”

Matt Hoverman: Because he supported me a lot with this project and he is an inspiring artist.

Marx Brothers: I talk on the show about the dream to be like them and also the desire to become a Clown and make people laugh.

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?

Gustavo: It was to give up Law School after graduating in Brazil and live now in New York only with my passion and dream to be an actor. It is worth [it]. I am happy here in New York and being able to tell stories that I am not “allowed” to do in Brazil.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?

Gustavo:  I discover that I really want to become an actor and Clown and I love entertaining people and also that it’s important to accept who you are with all the problems and prejudices that we have. I think I found more my inner voice and my true need to tell stories. My director Lou Liberatore was great on the process and essential for the play. I really admire him.

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?

Gustavo: I hope the audience will think about the importance of following their dreams and taking risks in life. The risks can be dangerous, but might lead you for a happier life than just having a security boring job. As the quote said “ Leap..and the net will appear”

___

Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

Related Posts:

• Bubby’s Shadow: Whose Shadow Is It? (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The American Play (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Scene/Unseen – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Coyote On A Fence – FREE Staged Reading – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• (un)missed connections – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)

The Closet

Benefiting: WIN [Women in Need]
Produced by LifeDream Productions
Written by Amy Gray Piper
Directed by Melissa Skirboll

“Ruth thought she buried her past, but in a series of conversations with her long-dead mother, she struggles to hold onto her illusions before being forced to remember the truth. We watch as her fragile hold on sanity slips away as she falls into the madness that gripped her mother.”

Show Times:

• Sat 6/2/12 – 8:00pm
• Mon 6/4/12 – 9:30pm
• Thur 6/7/12 – 6:00pm
• Wed 6/13/12 – 4:00pm
• Tues 6/19/12 – 6:30pm
• Sat 6/23/12 – 11:00am

Answers by Melissa Skirboll

(Producer/Director)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?
Melissa: For this question, I defer to Amy Gray Piper, the playwright. She said, “Dark closets, under the bed…these are the spaces from our childhood where the monsters live. The closet in this play is what physically connect the past and present and where Ruth’s fears still live.”

When I approached Amy about submitting this piece to the festival, she thought about changing the title. We batted around a few ideas but never came up with anything better. I think it’s perfect; both succinct and full of meaning. And as a director I love being able to play with the closet as portal into the past, into the subconscious, into memory and madness. By using the closet as the central metaphor, Amy gave the actors and director a huge creative gift.

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?
Melissa: Carl Jung – his break with Freud and his study of the human psyche, archetypes and dream analysis still influence the field of psychology today. To be able to talk about these characters and their breakdowns with him would be illuminating to say the least.

Anna Freud – similarly, her work on child psychology was seminal and it would be interesting to hear her perspective.

(I won’t fill this space up with psychologists from history, but needless to say, having an audience made up of the men and women who basically created modern psychology; Sigmund and Anna Freud, B.F. Skinner, Maslow, Ericksen, et al, and then letting them debate the play and the roots of the psychoses would be a fascinating exercise.)

Carrie Fisher – she has effectively – and publicly – chronicled her battle with bipolar disorder. While this is a very different story, I hope that it too puts a human face on mental illness.

Frances Farmer – a huge talent who pretty much lost her battle against schizophrenia. Her treatment by those in the mental health care industry was notoriously harsh and ineffective. While the facts are debated, she claims to have been brutalized in the mental hospital where she was committed against her will. That she might find solace in the story.

My mother – because I think she’d be proud of the work I’m doing and I know that she would be moved by this story!

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?
Melissa: I’ll answer the second question first; Yes. Absolutely. It was, and is, worth it.

Now as to what exactly have I sacrificed….if you ask my mother, she’d probably say I sacrificed “everything”, or at least the normal, happy life she envisioned for me. I don’t think my sacrifices are particularly noteworthy or special (and I don’t know if I even consider them sacrifices.) Anyone who chooses a career in the arts makes certain trade-offs. But you go into it – hopefully – with your eyes wide open.

My first job out of college was at an investment firm. I could have stayed there and created wealth for myself; investments, retirement fund, vacation homes and cool toys. But I chose to give it up and start acting. I might not have all the things that money can buy – but I do have a wealth of experience that I would never have gotten in a nine-to-five world. I would definitely do it again.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?
Melissa: Not yet – but I’ll let you know!

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
Melissa: I hope they are moved. That they are able to feel the pains and the joys of these characters, that it reaches them at a visceral level and opens their eyes to the humanity of this situation. I just saw a PSA about mental illness – the one with Meryl Streep and her sister (this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUaXFlANojQ) and if this play helps to “change a mind” about mental illness, I will be happy.

___

Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

Related Posts:

• Bed – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Bubby’s Shadow: Whose Shadow Is It? (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• The American Play (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Scene/Unseen – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)
• Coyote On A Fence – FREE Staged Reading – 5 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2012 Planet Connections Festivity)