The Happiest Medium » Midtown International Theatre Festival

The Starship Astrov: Best Of Both Worlds (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)

Stephen Tortora-Lee — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:02:29 +0000

I’m sure it happens to you sometimes … You’re walking down the street, pondering the inevitability of change and the hardship it’s apt to cause when you fail to adapt, and other foibles of the human condition…

Then suddenly you realize that the person beside you is reading your mind, and doesn’t like what they see, and is leveling their blaster at you to fire, when …

You get transported away.

More than likely, you’ve been transported to The Starship Astrov, a play where playwright Duncan Pflaster (see an interview we did with him earlier here) takes the best of science fiction tropes and embeds many of the themes and characters of plays such as Uncle Vanya and The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov. The result is a play (delightfully directed by Eric Parness) that will tickle your funny bone with homages that run the gamut from Star Trek to Buck Rogers, but with an over arcing sense of nostalgia for the times in your own life when you knew you had to move on to the next stage. You can’t help but smile as what seems (at first) to be corny caricatures change into ideal vehicles which transport the story not just across the galaxy, but also to a meaningful conclusion for our own lives. This is more than you would have expected from something billed as a comedy.

Like Chekhov’s plays, The Starship Astrov has a rich cast of characters whose archetypes help us see the different ways people navigate the world — all leading to different conclusions. There is the noble captain of the starship, Commander Jonas January (played by Walter Brandes) who wants to treat every personal interaction as another time to invoke his belief in the proper codes of space travel. Jenny “Sparky” Camilo (played by Christine Verleny) is the ship’s engineer who is so embedded in the life of the ship that she is a fish-out-of-water when planetside. Space has been her life for so long she almost dismisses everything which occurred before she joined the space forces. She admires the captain greatly and wishes he would notice her with something other than simply admiration for her great technicalal prowess and loyalty as a crew member.

Elizabeth A. Davis plays Celaria, a telepathic alien seductress with a mind of gold who comes from a beautiful corner of the galaxy with rich but confusing stories of trees and death and love and need that illuminate the audience, but which are often taken the wrong way by other characters. She is married to Professor Jason Cole (played by Ariel Estrada), a genius amoung geniuses who invented the “star drive” that allows all the ships to go faster than light. This invention has consequently spread humanity across the galaxy. He is being taken to a conference to announce a new discovery and the able little tug Astrov will get him there in 4 days — just long enough for everyone to get bored. The Professor knows all the secrets of science but is clueless when it comes to relationships . . . and has a mysterious illness to boot.

To help care for him is is Dr. Michael Rosy (played by Philip Emeott). Dr. Rosy is very strongly modeled on Chekhov’s character of Astrov in Uncle Vanya. The shy doctor hungers for living someplace where he can make a difference, but is afraid to leave the security of the known. He has been acquainted with the captain and his family for many years – including the captain’s daughter Ensign Ally January. Ally (played by Jennifer Gawlik) is the the little ensign that could, but oftentimes doesn’t. She works as communications officer (al la Uhura), where she often simply repeats what is already communicated across the loud speakers, but knows her craft well enough to make a difference when she needs to, though often she still is mostly worried about being a flighty happy young thing. Ally is still learning the ropes of life as a grown up; she works hard to not be taken for granted by the rest of the crew, namely the rough and rowdy First Mate Marcus Washington. Washington (played by Rafael Jordan) is rude and obnoxious and generally always on the edge of getting in trouble. He is the astrogator who is most needy of normal humanity in this super-scientific place.

Rafael Jordan and Elizabeth Davis | photo by Brad Fryman

Pflaster transplants these characters into a context subtly yet richly pulled from the plays of Anton Chekhov. The costumes by Mark Richard Caswell help complete the image of this exciting new space drama as Isabella F. Byrd’s lighting design hit the mark with intentionally cheesy and dramatic lighting effects that are the mainstay of science fiction TV throughout the ages. The musical interludes worked in by Nick Moore help draw the audeince into the nostalgia of classic space opera.

Like Chekhov’s plays Pflaster gives us lessons of how we can deal with our own personal crises in a world where change is inevitable and transformation is a necessary tool for survival. In a universe where the incredible miracle of interstellar flight has become humdrum the characters struggle to keep the armor of their once nobel professions in tact, as secrets at the heart of the galaxy threaten to unravel the only existence they know in a way that echoes the struggles Chekhov’s characters faced as the world modernized around them.

Sometimes you want a little cheesy science fiction, sometimes you want a bittersweet reflection on the human condition. Luckily in the case of The Starship Astrov you can have both. See it this week while you can as it only runs through July 31st.

~~~

The Starship Astrov

Written By Duncan Pflaster

Directed by Eric Parness

The Beckett @ Theatre Row

410 West 42nd Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues)

New York, NY 10036

Ticket Prices: $19.25

Remaining Shows:

July 29 – 7pm

July 31 – 2pm

The Gospel According To Josh – Light On The Gospel, Heavy On The Josh (Midtown International Theatre Festival)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:46:33 +0000

Gospel According To Josh

Looking to hire Josh Rivedal for your next show but can’t get a hold of his resume or reel? Look no further than The Gospel According To Josh - in one fast-moving hour you’ll see Josh run through his catalog of imitations, hear him sing songs both secular and sacred, and see him show his emotional range which starts off as lively stand up comic and ends as bereaved son. Step right up, folks, and you’ll see Josh juggle it all. Is he good at it? You betcha. Is this an entertaining hour?Undoubtedly. But the main thread of the story – Josh’s strange, complicated, ultimately heartbreaking relationship with his father – frays as it strains to contain the overflow of personalities, imitations, anecdotes and song stylings – much the way an above-ground pool buckles when presented with that one last kid hell bent on cannonballing into the deep. All of a sudden there’s just one too many pair of water wings in the pool . . . and similarly Gospel has a few too many distractions that detour from what could ultimately be a very strong piece.

Rivedal (under the direction of Josh Gaboian) scarcely takes a breath as he deftly uses ever tick-tock of his one-plus hour to take the audience on a journey which begins with his born-again Baptist childhood in New Jersey (Jersey – who knew?) and ends with the big question mark left in the wake of his father’s unnerving passing. More an amalgam of amusing anecdotes than a true dramatic arc, this show still undeniably showcases Josh’s comic timing, his smoky smooth singing voice and his knack for imitating the people we’ve all crossed paths with and recognize from our own lives. To call this (as the blurb does) A Thirty Character Twelve Song Comedic Tour de Force is a bit of a cheat however – at this rapid pace some characters stay front and center for less time than it takes to change the virtual channel.

How Rivedal’s father was responsible for – yet completely opposed to – yet also strangely proud of – his son’s acting career is the meaty bit of the show and doesn’t need the bells and whistles of Josh contorting from one supporting player into another in order to hit the mark. In fact, nothing is more compelling than when Rivedal describes how his father broke his own code to watch old Ed Sullivan shows on video tape. When Josh – stunned and mesmerized by what he saw - asked if he could watch too, his dad agreed . . . but only if they watched in silence and kept it a secret from the church.

“Through all of that, my dad and I just sat there in silence watching those brilliant performers. And after it was over we both looked up and looked at each other for a second, each of us wanting to describe how we felt about what we just saw. But nothing was said and we both looked away, got up and never spoke about it again.”

It was this revelation that made me lean forward in my seat, made me want more – driving down this path a little farther would have done wonders to peel back the layers of who Josh really is, who his father really was – and give the audience more of a hint of what this Gospel is really saying.

I applaud Rivedal’s talent. He’s got it – that’s undeniable. And he’s engaging to watch. He’s charming, likeable, and winning. But The Gospel According To Josh seems unfinished – like there’s another commandment all carved up and ready to be brought down from the mount. If Rivedal ever decides to take this show to the places he let us peek into – I’ll be the first person on my feet ready to testify. But for now, this is one gospel that’s not quite ready for the pulpit.

~~~

The Gospel According To Josh

Written and Performed by Joshua Rivedal

Directed by Josh Gaboian

Dorothy Strelsin Theatre

312 West 36th Street

2nd Floor

July 21 @ 6PM

July 24 @ 3PM

July 27 @ 8PM

Aug 1st @ 6PM

For More Information Click Here

To Purchase Tickets Click Here

Entrevista: Never Norman Rockwell (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)

Antonio Miniño — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:45:44 +0000

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.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always been interested in telling stories, but my interest in writing really blossomed after High School. I wrote my first novel then and submitted it to Del Rey. It was also my first rejection!

Kyle Baxter

What is your show about?

It’s about ninety minutes. No, really it is. Seriously, though it is essentially a romantic comedy about what happens when the best man comes out the day before the wedding. It is about the love shared by two men, only one of whom is gay, a love story about the love between friends. Not a love that dare not speak its name, but a love often overlooked.

If you had to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your project, and why?

The dialogue is the strongest quality in Never Norman Rockwell. It shapes the plot and the characters. I really love dialogue, and love using somewhat archaic words.

What is the funniest thing that has happened, and what is the most frustrating thing that has happened so far during this experience?

I can’t think of one funniest thing. The cast as a whole is a joy to work with, but probably the most interesting was taking some of them out to Gay Pride. We handed out postcards, the show is gay themed after all. Some of them had never been. Watching their expressions was priceless!

The most frustrating thing was having to recast a part last minute. It as our own fault. We cast a friend and they just weren’t able to come through for us. We gave them too many chances as well. Lesson learned: Don’t cast friends, unless you are also willing to fire them.

Name one show in the festival you are planning on checking out, and why?

Not fair, as there are so many I want to see! If I have to name only one it would be The Starship Astrov, I love Duncan Pflaster’s work. He’s a gifted actor as well as a great playwright.

—–

Never Norman Rockwell
written by Kyle Baxter
directed by Anthony Gargano

Playing July 16th through July 31st at The Becket Theatre @Theatre Row (410 W. 42th St).
Tickets are $18 (Students $15) available at www.MidtownFestival.org

Entrevista: Until We Find Each Other (Midtown International Theatre Festival)

Antonio Miniño — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:30:51 +0000

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.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer / director?

Brooke Berman: Well, I’d always written stories, from the time I was a little girl. But I thought I wanted to be an actress. And indeed, I came to New York at 18 — and then to Providence, following Anne Bogart to Trinity Rep, at 20 — pursuing an acting career. But when I started performing pieces of my own writing as monologue material, Anne pointed at me and said, “Do that.” So then I was a writer/performer for about five years until writing really took over. I’d say, playwriting found me. I resisted at first. Then I gave in.

David Winitsky: In high school and college, I was a musician and a singer, even an occasional actor. I loved the energy and the artistry, but frankly I never had the concentration and individual focus necessary to be great performer. My attention always wandered, to the visual environment, to the rhythm of the show, most importantly to the audience.

After I appeared in a small show for a friend’s company, he asked me to direct Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor. As I sat in the director’s chair for the first time, it all became clear – this is where I belonged. This is where my roving eye, care for the audience and love of all the time-based arts came together. It’s a wonderful feeling, discovering your place in the world.

What is your show about?

BB: Family and faith. And the paths we choose, that ultimately lead us home.

DW: It tells the story of three Jewish cousins who share a profound psychic gift. One of them has reached a crucial milestone in a painful journey, and calls the others home to help her take the last step.

On a larger level, though, the play is talking about the many ways that we are connected to and responsible for each other. Brooke Berman, the playwright, elevates the cousins’ bond to mythical levels to investigate how heritage, tribalism, sensuality and feeling create our sense of home and belonging.

If you had to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your project, and why?

DW: The characters are the focus in this play, the ways that they feel and respond to each other, they way they intuit each other’s thoughts. Brooke also does a wonderful job of creating supporting characters around the cousins who do not share their mystical gifts, yet are integrally connected to the unfolding of events.

What is the funniest thing that has happened, and what is the most frustrating thing that has happened so far during this experience?

DW: Well, there was the simple physical gag of a table collapsing underneath me during rehearsal, but that’s probably not it. I also remember cracking up when we went to do a run through of the show, we moved into places, started the soaring sound cue, and then Mara went up on the first line of the play. Brought the entire business to a screeching halt.

As much as I have enjoyed the festival, the limitations of resource and space have been a bit frustrating. The festival has to move 10 shows smoothly in and out of the Workshop Theatre Mainstage, and has to set a lot of restrictions to make the playing field fair for everyone. That leaves me as a director without some of the design-based story-telling tools that make theatre the multi-media spectacle that it can be. The way I’ve approached it is like yoga – I embrace the stresses and limitations of the pose and find the movement and flow within it.

Name one show in the festival you are planning on checking out, and why?

DW: Given the Jewish themes in my show, I’ve got to check out Can I Really Date a Guy Who Wears A Yamulke?

———

Until We Find Each Other
written by Brooke Berman
directed by David Winitsky

Playing July 20th through August 1st at the Main Stage Theater (312 W. 36th St., Fourth floor)
Tickets are $18 (Students $15) available at www.MidtownFestival.org

Entrevista: The Starship Astrov and Asian Belle (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)

Antonio Miniño — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:58:29 +0000

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.

What is your show about?

It’s a play written in the style of Anton Chekhov, set on a spaceship in the year 3047. Captain January and the crew of the Starship Astrov are frustrated because they’re stuck on a boring diplomatic mission, ferrying Professor Cole to a lecture conference he’s giving on a space station; meanwhile, January’s daughter Ally is in love with Dr. Rosy, Professor Cole’s private doctor, and Rosy is in love with Cole’s beautiful green-skinned alien wife, Celaria. It’s like an episode of Star Trek set on a ship that doesn’t have crazy adventures every week.

If you had to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your project, and why?

Definitely character, in keeping with Chekhov’s style. I attempted to find the same sort of archetypes that Chekhov used so often- Pretentious Professors, Doctors who yearn for more . . . The plot is in that epic stretched-out Chekhovian style, where everything and nothing happens at once. As Chekhov said, “What happens on-stage should be just as complicated and just as simple as things are in real life. People are sitting at a table having dinner, that’s all, but at the same time their happiness is being created, or their lives are being torn apart.” It’s all gorgeous character work, and the actors are really sinking their teeth into it.

Duncan Pflaster

What is the funniest thing that has happened, and what is the most frustrating thing that has happened so far during this experience?

The funniest has been dealing with how to present the character of Celaria, the alien. Her perspective on humanity has us consistently giggling, and Elizabeth A. Davis‘ choices for the character have been hilarious. Most frustrating has been finding this cast; Eric Parness, the brilliant director, went through tons of performers till he finally succeeded in finding the perfect group that would complement each others’ strengths.

Name one show in the festival you are planning on checking out, and why?

There are two big ones, created by my brilliant friends : Ten Reasons I Won’t Go Home With You, one of my favorite actresses, Kelly Nichols (who just played Helena in The Thyme of the Season, my sequel to A Midsummer Night’s Dream), has written a very funny new musical about dating life in NYC that she’s starring in. Never Norman Rockwell: Kyle Baxter, who co-wrote I Hate Love (for which I won Outstanding Supporting Actor in the MITF awards last year), has his new play about a Best Man who comes out of the closet the day before his best friend’s wedding. It stars and is directed by some of the same gang from I Hate Love.

And god, there’s a bunch of others- Closure, by Meri Wallace (in which I’m directing one of the short pieces), Layla and Harley, Together Again, by Jonathan Wallace (which stars a bunch of my friends and my brother Don), The Hyenas Got It Down, written and starring Daniel Damiano . . .

——

The Starship Astrov
written by Duncan Pflaster
directed by Eric Parness

Playing July 17th through July 31st at The Becket Theatre @Theatre Row (410 W. 42th St, 1st Floor)
Tickets are $18 (Students $15) available at www.MidtownFestival.org

* * *

Asian Belle

What about you Michelle…

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Gosh. I never really had that “ah-ha” moment, until I was already writing. For years I journaled — it was a way of expressing myself, you know venting, dreaming and all that — :) . I find it comforting. I never really thought of it as something I’d actually “do” as part of my career endeavors, it just sort of came out of needing to express myself. I have a pretty colorful family, so I started writing about them, and then when I copyrighted my first piece I looked at my husband and said “wow. I think I am a writer!” That was a pretty cool moment.

What is your show about?

My piece is about my experiences growing up 1/2 Asian in the South. I grew up in Alabama, which I love, and I am half Vietnamese. It made for an interesting childhood! It wasn’t until I got older and left the south that I realized some of the circumstances were pretty funny and endearing. The piece explores this. Its my love letter to my Asian roots – how I FINALLY came to embrace that side of myself, after years of attempting to hide it (not realizing I was doing this) and be a “typical Caucasian.” It also explores my mother’s take on this – her experiences of coming to the south and living there post Vietnam War, her experiences with my father, her hopes her dreams and whether or not they are realized. Its deeply personal, but hey, that’s the solo show for you…

If you had to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your project, and why?

Its a tough call between character and plot – its been a lot of fun working on the different characters, and challenging too. And some of them are just hilarious – they make me giggle when I think of them. And I think my show has a nice, strong message: embracing who you are — without banging you over the head with that. The character’s journey takes you through their evolution of coming to embrace this.

Michelle Glick

What is the funniest thing that has happened, and what is the most frustrating thing that has happened so far during this experience?

My rehearsal process has been the funniest thing. I have the most amazing director, Christine Renee Miller, and she’s really helped me to find the different characters in my piece and we just crack ourselves up working on them. She is also half Asian – so we both throw on our best (loving) imitations of our mothers and go nuts! The biggest challenge is definitely the juggling of all the “behind the scenes” with being a performer and the writer. It gets CRAZY sometimes!!! But that’s also part of the adrenaline rush too – and seeing just how much you can do when you are given a great opportunity. So you just have to remind yourself to breath, take your vitamins, etc……

Name one show in the festival you are planning on checking out, and why?

The Gospel According to Josh. I know Josh and I think he is hilarious and such a warm person. Super talented. And his story sounds really intriguing to me – exploring religion – which mine also touches upon – so I think I’ll really be able to relate.

——

Asian Belle
written and performed by Michelle Glick
directed by Christine Renee Miller

Playing July 15th through August 1st at The Abingdon Theatre (312 West 36th Street, Floor 2).
Tickets are $18 (Students $15) available at www.MidtownFestival.org

Entrevista: The Gospel According To Josh (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)

Antonio Miniño — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:57:50 +0000

The Gospel According To Josh

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s pretty hot outside… summer, yeah… summertime! What that also means is it’s theatre festival season. If you live on the motto that “life is like a box of chocolates,” you can easily apply the same to the festival circuit. Festivals hold lovely truffles covered with exquisite themes, filled with yummy character developments that leave you with a thought provoking aftertaste. They also have strange, oversweetened eerie stuff.

Out of the Midtown International Theatre Festival box –a festival running from July 12th through August 1st in the Big Apple– I’ve chosen a couple of possibly lovely truffles. We start our first Q&A with Joshua Rivedal, writer/performer for The Gospel According To Josh.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I think at a young age- maybe around 10 I knew. I wrote a few short historical fiction stories for a fourth grade class project and loved every minute of it. I’ve always been writing creatively but discovered I loved the art of playwriting only a few years ago.

What is your show about?

My show is about a naive boy who has dreams of Hollywood stardom, clashes with his pious religious father and goes on a journey to become a man by pursuing his dream any way possible including starring in two reality TV shows and then ultimately having to deal with his father’s suicide.

Joshua Rivedal

If you had to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your project, and why?

I would say all three are strengths of the show but since I have to choose one I would say character. I and my director took great pains to really bring to life the character that was my father and make him not just a tyrant but giving him human qualities. Not to mention the other 30 characters that are in the play from Sammy Davis Jr, to Moms Mabley, to a gaggle of silly flamboyant gay men.

What is the funniest thing that has happened, and what is the most frustrating thing that has happened so far during this experience?

The funniest thing to happen is people’s response to the show’s artwork. It’s my face with a goofy expression pasted on Jesus’ body. Everyone has a one line zinger when they see it. The most frustrating thing is managing all the hats you wear- producer, writer, actor… it’s a hell of a lot of work (But worth it).

Name one show in the festival you are planning on checking out, and why?

I am definitely going to check out Asian Belle. I think a lot of her themes and experiences are similar to mine and we also share the same writing coach Matt Hoverman. I’ve seen some of her piece in a workshop setting and really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to see the full piece.

—

The Gospel According To Josh
written, performed by Joshua Rivedal
directed by Joshua Gaboian.

Playing July 16th through August 1st at The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (312 W. 36th St, 1st Floor).
Tickets are $18 (Students $15) available at www.MidtownFestival.org

The Happiest Medium » Midtown International Theatre Festival

The Starship Astrov: Best Of Both Worlds (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)

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