by Geoffrey Paddy Johnson on January 23, 2012
Deploying a short and narrow raised, wooden platform, with a total area surface of 21 square feet, seven actors in blue spandex outfits (that’s 3 square feet each they have to work with; you do the math!), no scenery or lighting effects, and just 35 minutes, Theater Un-Speak-Able set out to tell that well-worn saga of our age, Superman, transposing it to the year 2050. No actor gets to leave the platform during the telling. All of the fantastical visual effects necessary in the elaboration of this story – illustrated comic book panels, complexly designed camera shots – must be generated solely by the actors as they shuffle, dip, duck, dodge and dive while dramatizing such a highly visual narrative. This is both extreme physical performative stagecraft and compacted theatrical story telling.
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by The Happiest Medium on January 19, 2012
Superman 2050
Theater Un-Speak-Able
Writer and designer: The Ensemble, Theater-Un-Speak-Able
Director: Marc Frost
Superman 2050 is featuring seven actors performing on a single 3’ by 7’ platform. It is an original Superman story, taking place in a fictional Metropolis in the year 2050. At no time do any actors exit the platform, instead existing as either speaking character or background object in each scene, utilizing transitional moments both within and between scenes to shift between the two. It is a fast-paced, high-energy show for all ages.
Show Times:
- Thu 1/19 @ 7:30pm
- Sat 1/21 @ 2:30pm
- Sun 1/22 @ 7:00pm
Answers by Zachary Baker-Salmon – Producer
Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
This is an international festival. What part of the world are you coming from … and will your show tantalize the NYC audience with a taste of your nation’s culture?
Zachary Baker-Salmon: Our company, like the titular character in our play, hails from the Midwestern United States. We aim higher than corn fields and tornadoes, however, for our approach to storytelling is heavily influenced by European forces. Our “Platform Style” is taught at the London International School of the Performing Arts and our mentor is Italian. Did I mention she’s teaching a three day workshop coinciding with the festival? Sign up if you want to know where the real action is.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on January 16, 2012
There’s a great independent festival kicking off tonight – right in the heart of the theatre district at the Roy Arias Studios & Theaters. What makes The Times Square International Theater Festival special is two things – one, it’s an international festival which means there will be a great range of talents from all over reflecting cultures from around the world. The second thing is that The Happiest Medium is the proud sponsor of this festival! In the coming week we’ll bring you Q&As with each of the production teams to get you excited about the shows, and we’ll review as many as we can get to! In the mean time, check out the full schedule here:
SEASONS
Two Classy Broads
Writer: Katie Hammond and Elaine Pechacek | Director: Danny Williams
Spanning the course of one year, SEASONS is a story about love. This original musical delves into the lives of two couples Poignant and touching, this story explores the characters with humor and realism, and will leave the audience wanting more.
This will be the first time the full musical has been staged.
Run time: 90 min | Country: USA | Genre: Musical
Website: www.pechacekhammond.com
Venue: Stage IV, Roy Arias Studios and Theaters
Time: Mon 16@9:30pm Thurs 19th@8:00pm Sat 21st@5:30pm
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
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Deploying a short and narrow raised, wooden platform, with a total area surface of 21 square feet, seven actors in blue spandex outfits (that’s 3 square feet each they have to work with; you do the math!), no scenery or lighting effects, and just 35 minutes, Theater Un-Speak-Able set out to tell that well-worn saga of our age, Superman, transposing it to the year 2050. No actor gets to leave the platform during the telling. All of the fantastical visual effects necessary in the elaboration of this story – illustrated comic book panels, complexly designed camera shots – must be generated solely by the actors as they shuffle, dip, duck, dodge and dive while dramatizing such a highly visual narrative. This is both extreme physical performative stagecraft and compacted theatrical story telling.
