Full Frontal … does the phrase alone make you curious?  Are you wondering what could possibly be going on here? Two simple words which can conjure up so many things. Does “full frontal” always need to be about nudity? In the case of Eddie Antar’s new work FULL FRONTAL – A Naked Exploration of Sex and Sexuality the answer is quite possibly no.  In this group of five short plays “that lay bare our most primal desire” Antar is more interested in exposing people’s feelings, motivations, and inner intuitions about sex and sexuality.  Settle in with this concept for a minute and it doesn’t take long to understand that sometimes it’s easier to bare your body than it is to bare your emotions.

“It’s a vertical journey through the stages of maturity,” says Antar. “It starts with two late teen fumbling through the awkwardness of “First Time” and ends with a middle aged Jewish woman musing about why she was transfixed by the site a young Latino on the subway platform.

“But it also moves horizontally: Two young office workers who kiss on impulse but refuse to be labeled, a young man who can’t sustain a marriage working overtime to cover up the real object of his desire and a sexually free bodhisattva rambling explicitly in the car back seat while a middle aged couple whose sex life has grinded to a halt sit in the front.”

I had to know more!

So, Eddie Antar – you’ve got five short plays all about sex seen through some very different eyes. Were all of these conceived of as short plays as we’ll see them at The Workshop or were some of these originally intended to be longer shows?

EA: No. All were conceived as short plays. When I get an idea I almost immediately decide whether it will be a short play or a full length.

The five scenes take us from a fumbling first time couple all the way though to an older woman who experiences sex in a new way after she’s long past menopause. In between there are a few different scenarios that deal with the fluidity of sexuality. How personal are these stories? Or are they simply universal?

EA:  Wow. I guess you’re asking me to go Full Frontal. Well, both. My own first few sexual encounters were filled with awkward scenes that included ”missing the target”, “what does this do?” and even failure to launch. I was the last of my friends to be “made” and all of them talked like sexpert Valentinos who hit it out of the park first at bat. It took years (and some therapy) to understand that they were probably stretching the truth, to say the least. As for the other stories, I think they do send universal messages in a sense because they deal with the dilemmas we encounter in the sexual arena… same sex attraction from (or to) a buddy, the friend who has no verbal filter, fear of being outed (outing having many variations) and so on.

Two of the plays deal with same-sex attraction – one male, one female. Each gender reacts quite differently to the realization that their sexuality may be more elastic than they would have others believe. Talk a little about highlighting each side of that spectrum – and do you think your plays would have worked if the genders were reversed?

EA: I think they would be very different plays if I reversed the genders of those two plays. Two dudes has a quality, a bro energy that, according to the accepted boundaries, never cross into romantic attraction. As a writer, I get aroused by those possibilities. (Yes, word chosen intentionally.)

I believe that the women deal with that fluidity easier. Same sex experimentation is more common. So I just took it beyond something fleeting to the possibility of choosing it as a life style.

With the girls’ story, I also wanted to deal with “Impulse Attraction”, straights that suddenly find themselves turned on by a same- gendered person. They’re not gay, but they’re not sure what to call it. So they refuse to label it.

As you assembled your team of actors was there any trepidation on their part to embrace their roles? Any moments of hesitation or confusion?

EA: Yes! Totally. First, trepidation on my part, especially in the first story. And especially in a very intimate space like the Jewel Box. In fact the actress we wound up casting asked “How are you going to stage this?!?” And waited for my reply before she would audition. B.T.dubs, no worries from the guys. Typical, right? Yet, I’ve seen guys freeze up with the material as well when asked to bare that much soul. (Yes, word bare chosen intentionally.)

Leslie, my director and I had many conversation about how to keep the actors safe and feeling respected, BUT also adhering to the truth of the moment. We didn’t want to pan away. Especially emotionally.

Out of the five plays, what do you like best about each one?

EA: For the kids in the car, I like how it shows a side of that act we hardly see, mixed with the expectations we tend to have.

With the two woman on the roof, the courage it takes to refuse to be labeled.

With the free spirit in the back seat, the unforeseen balm that can occur from an innocent, unplanned, unwelcomed event.

With the two guys on the train, the private moment in a public space. And, the mystery of a stranger who can read truth into a situation that those involved can’t see.

With the middle aged woman, the mental collage effect of jumping from one trajectory to another, yet ending up at the same destination by the end.

As a reviewer I often see shows where there’s flat out gratuitous nudity. Sometimes it serves the plot, other times it’s merely a device to get bigger audiences. In your plays, however, it’s obvious that your characters are getting a lot more naked – but it’s all emotional. Tell me, if done correctly, what emotions will be out there – bare – on the stage the night of your show?

EA:  Courage, awkwardness, embarrassment, fear, bravado, and balls… to name a few.

 In a similar vein, while you were putting together a show about sexuality was there any thought about writing one of the scenes as a full-frontal nude scene? Just a “let’s get this over with” kind of tactic?

EA: I wrote the pieces separately thinking that they might show up in some one act festival (which, by the way, this is not) which usually means small venues. I just wouldn’t want to do that to an actor in that setting unless it was totally justified.

Now a days there are so many more sexualities that are being discussed – even “bi-sexual” doesn’t cover it all in a world where there are those who identify as pan-sexual, gender queer and even finer gradations such as Sapiosexual and Demisexual. Do you think as you continue to write plays will you perhaps focus on these areas as well?

EA: Yes. Not that I’m aware of all the terms you’ve listed, but I do see Full Frontal growing to include more subjects. I’m currently toying with a transgender piece.

In fact, when published, the collection will contain stories not included in the current show.

Even as your characters are exploring or questioning their sexual emotions, identities and natures, overall these five plays give a rather positive message. We know that when dealing with sexuality this is not always the case – not even if the battle is within oneself. So I’m wondering – was there a play that had a darker message that didn’t make the final cut? Or do you think it would have felt out of place among these five stories?

I have one short play that is about a major league baseball star that sexually abused a mentally challenged boy when they were teenagers. It’s a play a love but it didn’t quite fit the evening format. I have other ideas that might lead to darker places, but for now I wanted to deal with stuff general public might relate to.

If you were doing an interview on a morning talk show and could magically bring one of your characters to life from the play to come sit with you and field questions, which character would you take with you – and why?

Wow. I think I would pick Ellenore, the middle aged Jewish woman who had the courage to follow her impulses without knowing why.

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Thanks, Eddie Antar!  We can’t wait to see this fantastic set of short plays.  For the rest of you – see below for more details.  See you at the show!

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FULL FRONTAL
A Naked Exploration of Sex and Sexuality
Written by: Eddie Antar
Directed by: Leslie Kincaid Burby

April 3, 2014 – April 12, 2014

WorkShop Theater Company – Jewel Box Theater
312 W. 36th Street
4th floor
New York, NY 10018

Click HERE to purchase tickets

PARENTAL ADVISORY: FULL FRONTAL contains sexually explicit language and is not recommended for anyone under 16 years of age.

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• The Navigator – Everything Becomes Clear In One Point Seven Miles
• Stay Left At The Fork: An Interview With Eddie Antar About His Play “The Navigator”
• Finding Common Ground – Liat Ron And Shelly Feldman Find Out:
• Preview Review: Next Year In Jerusalem

It’s astonishing that with all Liat Ron and Shelly Feldman have in common they haven’t met already.  They are both talented Israeli-American women working in theater in New York and happen to have shows which are opening presently.   But even though the world of Off-Off Broadway is a small one there’s still a chance to make new bonds and form new bridges.  That’s why when we added up the body of work, history, common background and upcoming shows of these two women it was almost a no-brainer – let’s have them connect!  More than connect – we thought it would be a fantastic idea for them to interview each other to see where they merge and where they diverge.

Liat Ron

First let’s meet Liat Ron, superwoman–smart, savvy, Israeli-American-New Yorker, similar to the semi-autobiographical character she created, Hellthy.

In Liat’s one-woman show, GUTS, Hellthy moves back to Israel, after an exhausting breakup, she is the center of attention for her over-bearing parents. Hellthy battles with a dangerous obsession to fit into a size 0, at any cost. Her heart never seems to be in sync with her brain and her diary is her only real confidante.

How does she overcome it all? — She has GUTS!

Liat has GUTS too–and to meet her is to love her.

Now let’s meet Shelly Feldman.

Antonio Minino, THM Contributor and part of the production team who is working with Feldman on Costa Rehab would like to personally introduce Shelly to our readers:

Shelly Feldman

“Shelly Feldman is a magnetic artist – her allure is due to her concentration, strength and no nonsense attitude towards life and the craft. As an actress she took on the role of Anaïs Nin in MTWorks’ production of Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell at the New York International Fringe Festival back in 2008 and made Nin her own. She was not trapped in research or what she should have been like, she simply was Nin. She was childlike yet assertive, sensual and powerful. She made bold choices yet portrayed them in the subtlest most fascinating ways.

“She brings that bold quality to her directing and to motherhood, a new role she has recently taken on at the same time she directs Costa Rehab. Her offspring seems to convey the same magnetism as her parents, just ask the cast who has embraced him fully in the rehearsal room as she juggles notes and rocks him to sleep.

“I read the stage directions for the reading of Costa Rehab in the National NewBorn Festival and in those rehearsals I could tell that she just got it — was it her humanity itself or the fact that she had served in the Israeli army that helped her nail it? who knows – why question theatre magic when it happens. The truth is Shelly Feldman is not a soldier, but a warrior that charges her craft with great passion. She has been able to illustrate and enrich playwright Rich Rubin’s play in ways that will never be recreated again. They now belong to Feldman’s world premiere production and I hope you get a chance to check it out.”

Liat and Shelly spent some time getting to know each other and found that they had so much to talk about from art to creating to Israel, true love, work, giving birth and so much more.  They settled on some things that they really wanted to know about each other that they thought our readers would enjoy hearing about too.

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Shelly: How did this play come to you?

Liat: GUTS was culled from diary entries during a very pivotal time in my life, not too long ago, while trying to move back to Israel where I was born and raised. When I returned to New York, I read a few lines from my diary to my mentor, Gregory Simmons, and he said to me, “A play must come out of this”. My reaction was very strong- “No way!” There was no way that I was going to share any parts of my diary with the world, since I am a very private person (and by the way, a lot of people who know me will be shocked to learn about the issues I have been hiding until now). I try to maintain my image as a superwoman, and not someone who has struggled or struggles. I know, hilarious. I take a lot of pride in how I am able to inspire others, but my tendency is to do it from a position of strength. This is new for me to try to affect the world by sharing my vulnerabilities. So…Mr. Simmons kept insisting that there is something unique about my language and the way I personalize “things”, including my own diary. Also, he argued that the themes in (what became) GUTS are very universal and can empower, inspire, educate and open many eyes…Now, a couple of years later, I finally believe in the power of GUTS. It tells a story of triumph, learning what home really means, and finding health. The name GUTS came to me one day, and made so much sense. All the associations of the word GUTS exist in the play, except for the actual word.

Shelly: As an actress, how does it feel to act in your own play?

Liat: It’s quite a ride, I’d say. Not only is it a play that I wrote, but it’s also based on my personal story. Even though a lot is fictionalized, it is theater after all, the seed is still my very personal story. I will say that the role of Hellthy is the hardest role I’ve ever worked on, but also provides the most rewarding and thrilling acting experience I’ve ever had. The autobiographical aspect of GUTS definitely added an acting challenge I’ve never faced before.

Regarding the dual role of playwright and actor, it can potentially blur boundaries during the rehearsal process, which is something I had to be mindful of throughout my intensive work with my director. It requires relinquishing control and being constantly mindful of your role as a performer in the rehearsal room. It is also an incredibly empowering experience, knowing that I have ideas, life lessons and inspiration to share with the world, and that I am able to utilize my skills as an actor and a dancer in order to do so. As an actor, I have always felt that I have more to offer artistically than performing-wise, and since I’ve always written and had “big ideas” in me, such as changing the world (call me naïve), GUTS has become the culmination of that aspiration. Acting in my own play also created comical moments during rehearsal in which I felt extremely challenged as a performer by what the playwright created, whether it was my set vision or scenes that were simply difficult to perform. And I will say that it is truly a strange phenomenon to feel angry with the playwright while performing one of the very demanding scenes in GUTS …when I am the playwright!!! You’ll know what I am referring to when you see it for yourself. All in all, I have a remarkable director to share this exhilarating ride with me.

Shelly: How does your Israeli origin manifest itself in this play? (Does it?)

Liat: I would almost risk it and say that Israel actually plays a role in GUTS. Israel is where Hellthy came from and the place she is trying to move back to. In my writing, I used my own experience, my childhood memories, the culture, the traditions. There is even a little spoken Hebrew in the play, and I feel like you can actually smell and sense Israel throughout the play, even when Hellthy is in New York. It’s where her roots are.

THE TABLES ARE TURNED …

Liat: How did this play come to you?

Shelly: I’m one of the MTWorks company actors and knowing about my experience in the Israeli army, they suggested that I direct Costa Rehab for their NewBorn stage readings festival. We got wonderful reactions from the stage reading and decided to go ahead and make a full production of the play.

Costa Rehab featuring Nicholas Urda as Wheeler and Sarah Chaney as Lewicki

Liat: Being an actress, how do you feel being on the other side as a director?

Shelly: As an actress, you have the privilege to not care about anything but the story, your partner and your character. You have the room to dive in to your character’s world and find as many ways to enrich it as you can. I find that to be extremely fun and fascinating. However, to be a director is a lot more creative and a lot more of a headache. You’re not just responsible for the acting, but for the whole piece. You have to make sure that the acting, music, lighting, set… all of that needs to come together to one story that makes sense. And it’ll be nice if you can make it entertaining while you’re at it… So it’s a lot more to think about. Totally different kinds of energy. But I truly believe that if you want to be a better director, you need to experience acting. It makes you a lot more helpful to the actors because you know exactly what they are going through and it makes it a lot easier to help them and easier for you to get what you want out of them.

Liat: How does your Israeli origin manifest itself in this play? (Does it?)

Shelly: In Israel, the army service is mandatory so I know what it means to be a soldier. I know that humor that comes from a very painful place. I understand sarcasm as a defense mechanism. I know fear and I know the ways to hide it. I know what you look like when you go in the army and what you look like when you come out. I know what’s it like to grow up real fast and I know how to laugh about it all. Even when you really want to cry.

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Thank you so much, ladies, for taking the time to interview each other as you juggle so many other important things in your life!  We can’t wait to see your shows.

Please check out GUTS and Costa Rehab … see below for details

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Tickets are $20 and are now available. They may also be purchased in-person at the Theatre Box Office, 30 minutes prior to the performance.

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Related Posts:

• The 2012 National Newborn Festival Is Almost Here!
• A Day In The Life … “The Family Shakespeare” By The Numbers
• MTWorks National NewBorn Festival Kicks Off Tonight
• The National Newborn Festival: Celebrating Emerging Playwrights In Style
• Small Town, Big Show – “Barrier Island”

Next Year In Jerusalem - Elyse Mirto and Jake Robards

Halloween is a fun time to dress up and party, but this year I am doing something WAY cooler: I’m doing what I adore, which is seeing theatre. And what makes this so special is that I am catching the final performance of Next Year In Jersusalem by award-winning playwright Dana Leslie Goldstein.

One of the things that makes me super happy about it? It’s starring Elyse Mirto, who won the award for 2009 Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards this year for her role in Any Day Now (and it was one of my favorite shows of the year – I loved her performance), and deals with how a family’s heritage and one man’s life’s struggles for a better future for his daughters can sometimes be so difficult emotionally for everyone.

Elyse Mirto and Jake Robards as Abraham and Anna Mendel

From the description:

As a young man, Abraham Mendel escaped Nazi occupied Poland and fled to Palestine, where he fought for Israeli independence, before immigrating to America to appease his pregnant wife. Now approaching retirement, Abraham wishes to leave his legacy to his two grown daughters. He offers security to his eldest, Rachel, by bestowing his successful contracting business on the loyal husband he chose for her. He also has a suitor in mind for his youngest, Faustine, an East Village bohemian with whom he is in constant conflict. As neither understands the sacrifices he has made for them, the tight grip Abraham has always exerted is shaken over Passover dinner, when his secrets and regrets become family knowledge.

I think about my father, whose family is descended from Puerto Rico and Spain, and the sacrifices they made for him…and the stories he tells me. This is about a Jewish family and life choices they make – but I think any well-told story about family sacrifices and if those sacrifices:

Although it’s nearing the end of its run, I am thrilled to be seeing it – I have a feeling that I will walk out of there having learned something … and with a cast like this, I’m like a kid two days before Christmas waiting for Santa.

Oh, wait; it’s October. Okay – the Great Pumpkin, then!

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Related Posts:

• Finding Common Ground – Liat Ron And Shelly Feldman Find Out: