by Michelle Augello-Page on February 25, 2012
Judge, Yuri, & Executioner is a simple, straightforward, character-driven play, and therein lies its brilliance. Written by Ed Malin, directed by DeLisa White, and starring Mac Rogers, this play is the work of three formidable talents. Incredibly strong writing and stellar acting carry the play forward, captivating the audience with wit, humor, and intelligence, as the character of Zach searches his past to find meaning in his present, illuminating the narrative with wonderfully told and expertly woven stories from his life.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on February 24, 2012
“This is not your father’s burlesque show,” intones host Atlanta Georgia (Marlena Kalm) to the assemblage who stare at the three preening women who are outfitted in sky-high heels, racy bodices and flirty skirts of the schoolgirl-gone-bad-kilt and tutu variety. With glittery winks and flicking hips these three women ooze dangerous sex appeal and edgy one-liners (I’m like a happy meal … I come with toys). They are daring and flirty and dirty and in control – demanding that the squeamish leave the building so that they can get on with the show. “We know how you like it …” they taunt, “And we know why you keep it a secret from Wifey.”
Welcome to Daughters of Lot (written by Alexis Roblan and directed by Rachel Kerry) where the Bible Belt meets the Garter Belt, where Feminism has as many meanings as Eskimos have words for snow and where women run the gamut from young and innocent to young and jaded. If you’re looking for a man here you’ll find him only when he’s being channelled by one of the women, when he’s being serviced (unseen) by one of his daughters backstage, or when you look to your left at the guy sitting next to you.
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by The Happiest Medium on February 24, 2012
The Happiest Medium Review by Guest Contributor Linnea Covington
If you have ever had dreams of your dolls coming to life and doing a sexy strip tease, this show is for you. Produced by two-time FringeNYC winning performer and playwright Cyndi Freeman with storyteller Brad Lawrence, both whom are burlesque performers, Scratch & Pitz Burlesque and Variety Hour proved a comical hour of pretty girls, awkward men, song, and a tantalizing strip-off between our heroine and the Devil. That’s right, the Devil. Played by Lawrence, who goes by Handsome Brad in the burlesque world, the Devil comes on stage dressed to the nines with the intention of garnering a few souls for his collection. What he didn’t reckon was facing off against Cherry Pitz, played by Freeman, a pink puffy-wigged aspiring variety show host who is a combination of Lady Gaga and Fran Drescher with just a splash of Jersey Shore.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on February 23, 2012
The characters of this show may be tiny, a little wooden, and come off as a little stiff but Poe-Dunk: A Matchbox Entertainment is anything but rigid. In fact, this innovative, charming, engaging show by Playlab NYC directed by John Pieza is a lively piece of theatre thanks to the man behind the matches – Kevin P. Hale.
Hale conceived this show which can be though of as a trip at break-neck speed along the autobahn of Edgar Allan Poe works (in the course of an hour over 30 Poe works are mentioned, performed or touched upon). Hale is also the sole performer, voicing all the characters and maneuvering scores of itty-bitty matchstick puppets around their eensy-weensy sets. Don’t worry, though, thanks to a projector every microscopic bit of theatre is visible to the audience and there’s not a bad seat in the house.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on February 21, 2012
What is “BLE”? It’s Best Lesbian Erotica of course! Simply Google the title and you’ll find nothing but praise for this anthology of steamy hot stories. This is the fourth year that friend of our site, Kathleen Warnock, is editing the anthology – and she’s looking for submissions for Best Lesbian Erotica 2013 to be published by Cleis Press in December, 2012. In addition to the $100 payment and author copies, contributors receive a 50% discount on the book purchased from Cleis.
In 2011 the edition was judged by Lea DeLaria, who contributed a story (The Elevator Man) to the 2012 edition. And those off-Broadway favorites, BETTY, were the guest judges in 2010.
So if you think you have what it takes to write something that will steam up the windows and mirrors … get to writing and get those submissions IN! Details after the jump:
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by The Happiest Medium on February 20, 2012
Five Questions. Five Answers. And One Big Decision: Rock, Paper, Or Scissors?
LOL: The End.
Keep It Movin’ Productions
Come to a place where tragedy meets comedy meets stupid. A funny and physical look at natural and human-made disasters through the eyes of three clowns. Award-winning writer/performer Una Aya Osato is joined by her family, Michi Osato and Yoshimasa Osato.
Show Times:
- Fri 2/24 @ 10:30pm
- Sat 2/25 @ 2:30pm
- Tue 2/28 @ 10:30pm
- Fri 3/2 @ 7:00pm
- Sun 3/4 @ 7:00pm
Answers by
Una Aya Osato (co-playwright/co-performer)
and Michi Ilona Osato (co-playwright/co-performer)
Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
That’s some title. How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?
The Osatos: LOL: The End is a funny and physical look at natural and human-made disasters seen through the eyes of three clowns. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of destruction we all live with, our family looked to clowns with the hope that by allowing the “idiot” to interpret for us, that we would be better able to understand disaster and find the ways that still remain to come out hopeful and laughing. LOL: The End as a title came about through a back and forth juggling of the ideas of the show between us sisters. Natural disaster, apocalypse, human created unjust catastrophes, the media, the future, hope…ultimately LOL: The End made the most sense.
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by The Happiest Medium on February 20, 2012
Five Questions. Five Answers. And One Big Decision: Rock, Paper, Or Scissors?
‘Til Love Do Us Part
High Frequency Theatre
A graveyard. Two funerals. Two strangers. Grief. An escape. And a mysterious young girl. Oddities of darkness and light come alive through intense emotion and intimacy.
Show Times:
- Wed 2/22 @6:00pm
- Fri 2/24 @ 10:30pm
- Sun 2/26 @ 5:30pm
- Thu 3/1 @ 9:00pm
- Sat 3/3 @ 4:00pm
Answers by Andrew Hall
(Playwright)
Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
That’s some title. How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?
Andrew: The title, ‘Til Love Do Us Part, comes from the legendary phrase commonly used in marriage ceremonies: ‘Til Death Do Us Part. A friend of mine read the play, which at the time was entitled The Eulogy of an Endless Marriage. She hated the title. She began to make countless suggestions. And then she said it. She meant to say it should be retitled ‘Til Death Do Us Part, but she accidentally said “Love” instead of “Death.” And it made so much sense to me. The play on words has become a dark symbol of the love/hate relationship the audience watches develop over time.
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by The Happiest Medium on February 20, 2012
Five Questions. Five Answers. And One Big Decision: Rock, Paper, Or Scissors?
Aerial Allusions
AGAWA SAPPHIRE
By Azana Productions
A journey looking into the perspective of humanity through feminine/masculine viewpoints using traditional/non-traditional movement; combining Dance, Clown and Theatre to express the emotions of two individuals. Think, Cry, Laugh, Intrigued and Entertained by the observations these introspective minds!
Show Times:
- Wed 2/22 @10:30pm
- Sat 2/25 @ 1:00pm
- Sun 2/26 @ 5:30pm
- Tue 2/28 @ 7:30pm
- Wed 2/29 @ 6:00pm
- Sat 3/3 @ 2:30pm
Answers by Azana
(Performer)
Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
That’s some title. How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?
Azana: It’s an insinuation that I’m an airhead, aerialist and air-sign. It alludes to lofty ideals but also quirky action. It suggests slightly more than acting, but confirms nothing. It’s as vaugly expressive as I am.
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by The Happiest Medium on February 19, 2012
Five Questions. Five Answers. And One Big Decision: Rock, Paper, Or Scissors?
Stripper Lesbians
Company: Rising Sun Performance Company
Evan, a woman’s studies major, is writing a killer senior thesis– by becoming a stripper at her favorite strip club. In between her current girlfriend, a stripper-lesbian, and her ex boyfriend, an unemployed Tisch graduate, Evan dances the line between love and betrayal. A comedy about what it really means to be ‘in love with a stripper’ and what it means to become one.
Show Times:
- Wed 2/22 @ 11pm
- Sat 2/25 @ 6:30pm
- Mon 2/27 @ 11pm
- Thu 3/1 @ 8pm
- Sat 3/3 @ 3:30pm
Answers by: The Whole Gang!
(Because we’re an ensemble company,
we’re gonna answer this ensemble style!
Everyone’s got a little something to say!)
Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
That’s some title. How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?
Kate Foster (The Playwright): The title was the joke that fit. When I was writing the play, I would tell interested parties I was writing about strippers and lesbians. People kept on giving me the classic double-take, so I had a feeling Stripper-Lesbians was onto something.
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by The Happiest Medium on February 18, 2012
Five Questions. Five Answers. And One Big Decision: Rock, Paper, Or Scissors?
Drowning Ophelia: A New Rock Musical
Company: The RIFF Collective
In Drowning Ophelia, we see one girl with a microphone and the story of Hamlet told through an exciting theatrical concert of sex, drowning, and rock ‘n’ roll.
Show Times:
- Sat 2/25 @ 7pm
- Sun 2/26 @ 2:30pm
- Mon 2/27 @ 10:30pm
- Thu 3/1 @ 6pm
- Fri 3/2 @ 9pm
- Sun 3/4 @ 1pm
Answers by JD Cannady
(Director and Book Writer)
Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
That’s some title. How did you come up with it – and what does it mean?
JD: Drowning Ophelia is an homage and riff off of the classic Hamlet story. After her self-proclaimed “tragic” drowning, Ophelia finds herself in purgatory with nothing to do. When the story comes back to her, four hundred years later, will she drown in the details over again or rise above?
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