‘The Bridge’ to Brilliance

What’s better than Varsano‘s dark chocolate?  Not a whole lot.  But, I have a feeling that The Bridge Theatre Company‘s Summer Reading Series may be a contender.  I saw last week’s brilliant reading of David Caudle’s brilliant play Damsel directed by brilliant Jenn Thompson with a stellar cast.  It simply was one of the best readings I’ve seen in 2 years.

I thoroughly expect great things from the company’s next reading — Kate Hewlett‘s Swearing Jar, directed by Rosemary Andress, one of the best directors today.  She helmed the lauded Universal Robots earlier this year.  Kate is a kinda Canadian Bekah Brunstetter, but that doesn’t do either of the women justice. I had the great joy to work on Kate’s award-winning Humans Anonymous two years ago, and I’m extremely indebted to that production because it’s the reason Rosemary directed Universal Robots in the first place.

You see back in 2007, there was a Broadway stagehand strike. Rosemary and her out-of-town friend desperately wanted to see a show, and randomly selected Humans Anonymous because (a) it sounded good and (b) it was in the theater district.  At the performance, she ran into her old friend Ridley Parson, who was there to see Esther Barlow, his castmate in the July 2007 workshop production of Universal Robots and Humans Anonymous star.  He mentioned to Rosemary that he’d just finished up UR, a loose adaptation of R.U.R. Rosemary gushed that R.U.R. is her favorite play, and mentioned that if UR was ever to be remounted, keep in her mind to direct.  The rest is history.  It’s a circuitous world, isn’t it?

Now, here are the details on the Swearing Jar reading.  Did I mention it’s free?

THE SWEARING JAR
By Kate Hewlett
Directed by Rosemary Andress

SUNDAY, August 9th 2009
2:00pm ~ PENTHOUSE 2
Shetler Studios, 244 W. 54th St, 12th fl.

“You are the love of my life, you asshole.” Simon and Carey are the perfect couple. But when Carey performs at Simon’s fortieth birthday celebration, she is forced to come to terms with the greatest lie her husband ever told. From the writer of Humans Anonymous comes a smart new comedy about marriage, music, migraines…and swearing.

Please join us for the second in an exciting series of summer readings programmed by our fabulous Head of New Play Development, Joe Tracz!
Admission is FREE!  ~ no reservations necessary.

Ladies First

Thomas Rowen & Caroline Parsons in I HAVE IT

The Lark Play Development Center announced its 2009 Playwrights Week selections, and six out of the eight playwrights are women.  I’ve had the privilege to produce short plays by two of them — Bekah Brunstetter and Natalia Naman — as part of the Estrogenius Festival over the past few years.  They are both unique, challenging writers and  two of the loveliest people in theater today.

Bekah’s quirkly plays Arms, I Have It and Dead Soap were featured in Estrogenius 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively.  Conjoined twins, venereal disease and the dying art form known as the soap opera (How prescient given Guiding Light’s upcoming demise.  Don’t get my mother started about how much she’s going to miss Reva, Joshua and Jeffrey).  Nothing is safe from Bekah’s twisted worldview.  We are richer in both laughter and heartbreak thanks to her fantastic writing.  There is truly no one quite like her. Bring on Miss Lily Gets Boned.  From the title alone, I cannot wait to hear this play.

CROSSING OVER

In 2007, Natalia’s brutal play Crossing Over left audiences shaken and stirred. FOR DAYS.  No one could forget the performances of Meaghan Prahl, Tarantino Smith and chandra thomas under Mary Hodge’s direction.  Crossing Over, which Natalia wrote as a Princeton undergrad, will be featured at EST’s Going to the River Festival this fall.  Check it out this daring play, but be warned.  It is an earth-shattering work with beautiful, haunting language.

Congratulations to Chad Beckim, Jennifer Fawcett, Laurel Haines, Ethan Lipton, Jen Silverman and Stephanie Timm.  For full details on Playwrights Week, visit here.

photos: donje’ photography

‘Universal’ly Good Night

The New York Innovative Theatre Awards Nomination Ceremony was a terrific celebration of the 2008-2009 indie theatre season.  Jason Bowcutt, Shay Gines, Nick Micozzi and everyone at NYITA have created a very special event; seeing so many of my favorite artists (and let’s admit it friends) in the same room was inspiring.

Photo credit: John Watts

I am particularly proud of Universal Robots, a play I produced at Manhattan Theatre Source earlier this year.  I believe so profoundly in this play and creative team involved with it — Mac Rogers, Rosemary Andress, Sandy Yaklin, Raul Abrego, Ashley Pridmore, Nicky Smith, Stephanie Orr, Kia Rogers, Ien DeNio, Dana Rossi, Ian Wehrle, Pete Boisvert, Tammy Oler, Ehren Gresehover, Esther Barlow, Jason Howard, David Lamberton, David Ian Lee, Michelle O’Connor, Ridley Parson, Nancy Sirianni, Tarantino Smith, Ben Sulzbach & Jennifer Gordon Thomas.  Congrats to the Robots for the four nominations it received:  Outstanding Full-Length Script (Mac Rogers), Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Ensemble,  and Outstanding Lead Actor (Jason Howard).

Kudos also to Kate Middleton and Elyse Mirto, who were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress; Nat Cassidy, who received nominations for Outstanding Full-Length Script (The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots) and Outstanding Director (Any Day Now); David Ian Lee for Outstanding Lead Actor (The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots); The Most Damaging Wound, which received two nominations; and The Gallery Players, which has two musicals vying for Outstanding Musical. 

To see a full list of nominees, visit New York Innovative Theatre Awards.  The awards ceremony will be held September 21st.  I look forward to another great night.

PENNY-Full

 

Penny Fuller (seated center) with Barefoot cast and crew

 

Penny Fuller, who starred in the original 1963 Broadway production of Barefoot in the Park, stopped by Ground UP’s revival of Neil Simon’s classic comedy.  She regaled audience members and the cast with behind-the-scenes stories from that storied production.  

Penny isn’t the only one raving about this limited engagement revival.  Here’s what the critics are saying:

  ”Critic’s Pick! Director Lon Bumgarner and his cast have found Barefoot’s sweet spot!” — Back Stage

“The cast is uniformly top-notch…a poignant and comic success!” — Show Business Weekly

 “More fun than it has any right to be!” — The Edge

 Get your tickets ($25 | $20 students and seniors with id) here or at (212) 352-3101.

‘World’ View

On stage, hope is often born out of tragedy. That is definitely the case with Spotlight On Productions’ revival of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World. The production will benefit the Patrick Michael McMurphy Memorial Foundation (PM3 Foundation), which supports the arts through scholarships and grants.

Songs for a New World, which debuted Off-Broadway in 1995, underscores the moments that determine whether someone is up for life’s challenges — those instances that define a person indefinitely.  

All net proceeds from the production will benefit The Patrick Michael McMurphy Memorial Foundation (The PM3 Foundation), which was established shortly after 23-year-old Patrick’s death from a tragic accident on August 30, 2008.  The PM3 Foundation provides scholarships and grants to support the arts, especially theater, film, and music. First seeded with Patrick’s life savings, the foundation has grown through the contributions of family, friends, and others whose life he touched.  The foundation currently funds a scholarship to the Stella Adler Conservatory, from which Patrick had graduated only a few weeks before his untimely death.

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD
Written & composed by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Ryan Gibbs
Musical Director:  Nick Williams

August 20 – 22, 2009 
Thursday & Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 2pm & 8pm

Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd St.)
Tickets: $18 | $15 students
All net proceeds benefit the Patrick Michael McMurphy Foundation

Starring: Amy Decker (National Tour, The Will Rogers Follies), EJ Griffon (National Tour, Smokey Joe’s Café), Jonathan Howard and Kim Kalish

Set Design: Steph Tucci
Lighting Design: Ryan Metzler
Sound Design: Gerry Marletta
Stage Manager: Kathleen Munroe 

Songs for a New World is presented through special arrangement through Music Theatre International (MTI).

Have you got game?

The Production Company, the thrilling theater company that promotes cultural exchange between the United States and Australia, is hosting TRIVIA NIGHT 2009 on Monday, July 20th at Common Ground (206 Avenue A).  The evening is a benefit for the company.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. You can win great prizes!

   

Last fall, The Production Company produced Blair Singer’s critically acclaimed The Most Damaging Wound, and this spring its production of Love was hailed as “something very special: An honest consideration of what it means to love another, love one’s self, and wrestle with love for love” by NYTheatre.com.

I encourage you to test your trivia skills and support this fabulous theater company.  Advance tickets are available here.