Visible Soul

People You Should Know . . . Eddie Antar

2012-01-28T15:53:00.004-05:00

EDDIE ANTAR(Playwright) began his career in theatre working with the Indie theatre company TheArt & Work Ensemble, appearing in many of its productions including JosephHeller's We Bombed in New Haven, anda stage adaptation of Dorothy Parker's TheBig Blond. Theatre studies include HB Studios and The Gene Frankel TheatreWorkshop. Currently, Eddie devotes his time to writing and is a memberPlaywright of The WorkShop Theater Company. His body of work includes elevencompleted full-length plays and many short plays and one-acts. His full lengthsIn the Face of the Enemies Child and Life On Hold were performed by theDelphi Theatre of Manhattan. His plays BeingMarried, The Navigator and First Love. Ever have all had readingsat The WorkShop Theater Company. TheNavigator received a Play in Process production by The WorkShop Theater inthe fall of 2010 and was nominated for eight New York Innovative TheaterAwards, including Outstanding Original Full-Length Script and OutstandingProduction. He is currently developing his twelfth full length, a bilingualplay about a Dominican Little League family in the Washington Heights/Inwoodsection of Manhattan.

How did you getstarted in theatre? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I've always had a deep passion for story. I went to Yeshivaall the way through high school and though I wasn't a fan of most of what went onthere, there wasalways a story. Big, deep, feeling, meaningful stories... sometimes with special effects! As I gotolder, I realized that my favorite part of stories was what was said. "So then I told herto go to hell" Oh yeah, what did she say back. "She told me that living withme was hell". My love for dialogue - it's rhythms, it's sounds, it's poetry - is why Ifocused on theater. There's not that much music with visuals in (non musical)theater, so you'd better be able to produce it with dialogue.

Congratulations on all of the New YorkInnovative Theatre Award
nominations. Tell me about THE NAVIGATOR. What inspired you to write the play?How have you approached rehearsals for the remount?

The Navigator is a story about a guy who's down on his luck-loveless marriage, out of work for months, nothing seems to be going right -who's just lost a bundle in the stock market. It's gotten to the point wherehe's afraid to make one more decision. So he gets a gift. His car navigator begins to give him the answers to everything in his life- stock picks, football bets, how to talk to his wife, what vacations to take... andother life altering stuff. What happens next is his journey as he becomes moreand morereliant on this machine and begins a life without the consequences of risk. The idea for The Navigator came from a time I wastouring colleges with myson. I elected to get the GPS with my Hertz rental and while I fully expected it to tell me when toturn or exit, it didn't expect it to tell me to veer left because there was a fork in the highway.At that point my son and Istarted making jokes about "What else does this thing know?". He said "You should write it".At the time I thought I'm lucky if I get 20 pages from this "one liner". But once a theme setin, I just kept writing. The remount has been a wonderful experience. Leslie Kincaid Burby, our award winningdirector, is at the helm once more and the incredible mountain of acting talent is back. JoeFranchini, Kelly Anne Burns, Michael Gnat and Nicole Taylor really make the material fly. Myapproach to this remounting is as before- a clarifier, re-writer and collaborator.Leslie is one of the mostgiving directors I've ever worked with.

What kind of writing inspires you?

I'm not big on novels. I keep waiting for the writing tostop describing the walls, the sky, the sea... I want to know what the characters arethinking or saying. I want the information to come through actions and words, not descriptions. Writing that makes use of the music of language always inspires me. Also, I believe that struggle is more important thanconflict. I see a lot of writing that looks like power shots going back and forthat a tennis match. I don't find that interesting. It's when the players haveto
deal with a drop shot, followed by a lob over their head, followed by a bullet backhand... that's when I start watching.

Who or what has been the biggestinfluence on your work as a playwright thus far?

Writers who develop stories through the dialogue. Mamet,Susan Lori Parks, Stephen Adly Guirgis. During that same college trip with my son Isaw a collegeproduction of Our Lady of 125th Street by Stephen Adly Guirgis. I was totally blown away. Greatwriter of language.

What else are you working on right now?

I just finished my first bi-lingual play called Papi / Flaco about a
Dominican family that lives in the northern section of Manhattan called Inwood. It's the story of a father who coaches Little League baseballand his son who plays on that team. The play explores the mores and culturesof the Latinocommunity, specifically when it comes to the roles of men and women. My short play Gifted Childabout a couple of divorced parents called into a teacher conference and discover that their child hashealing powers, has been chosen to be in The Network One Act Festival in NewYork City soI'll be working on that. I will also be having a public reading of a play called Life On Hold, which is about the game changing effects on five Jewish women from Brooklyn whore-start their weekly card game three months after 9/11.

People You Should Know . . . Leslie Kincaid Burby

2012-01-27T19:57:00.000-05:00

LESLIE KINCAIDBURBY (Director) recently received the New York Innovative Theatre Award for OutstandingDirection of the 2010 WorkShop Theater Company Play in Process production ofEddie Antar's The Navigator. She isdelighted to be re-directing the play, which received eight New York InnovativeTheatre Award nominations. Leslie cut her directorial teeth doing ambitiousexperimental theatre in unconventional spaces with the inter-arts company, TheBull Family Orchestra, which she co-founded with playwright, Katie Bull. Amongmany productions she developed with BFO, Leslie was particularly honored to beone of the directors of the 29 Questions Project which was performed nearGround Zero, and explored the pain and revelation which has arisen from thetragedy of 9/11 and the ongoing strife in the Middle East. Leslie is currentlythe resident director of The Little Apple Theater Company, a traveling companythat brings professional theater to young people of all economic and socialbackgrounds. Recent productions have toured throughout the Eastern US, withperformances in NYC at Symphony Space and the 92nd Street Y. Leslie is also afrequent director with the Delphi Theatre Company of Manhattan, where sherecently directed As You Like It, The Miracle Worker, Don Pasquale, and DieFledermaus. Also a performer,Leslie holds a BFA with honors from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Theatre Arts,and has been featured in many off-Broadway plays and musicals, as well asappearing on TV in commercials and daytime serial dramas.

How did you get startedin theatre? When did you know you wanted to be a director?

I've been doing theatreon some level since I was a little kid. Dancing, singing, staging playsin my friends' living rooms. Not too surprisingly, I ended up going to atheatre conservatory (Purchase Conservatory of Theatre Acts) for acting.However, I was always interested in directing, and tended to approach my rolesfrom the perspective of "why is my character in this play - what purposedoes my role serve. What is the big picture". After I graduated Imoved to NYC and really focused on my acting for a few years. Then Ibegan to get asked to step in and direct little projects when folks neededsomeone. For some reason they seemed to ask me a lot, maybe because I wasa good acting coach, but also pretty organized, and an enthusiastic researcherof historical/social details. Gradually, projects got bigger and morefun, and I've now sort of segued away from acting and into directing.

Congratulations on winning the New York Innovative Theatre Award forOutstanding Direction. Tell me about THE NAVIGATOR. How have you approachedrehearsals for the remount? What do you love most about the show?

It was a real thrill,and a total surprise, to win the IT award. I think one of the things thatI've been dealing with, as has the cast, is the pressure to be even"better" than last time. So, I've been trying to think of therehearsal process as a time to dig deeper, rather than a time to try to be moreimpressive. My biggest challenge is to take what was really an intimategem of a performance into a bigger space. I don't want to lose any of theintensity and electricity that existed between the cast and the audience duringthe first run. It's been fun to expand some of the sound cues, and addmore lighting effects. But I have been working carefully with the cast tobe sure that the emotional lives of the characters remain "raw" andspontaneous. The play should never become pat. I had one audiencemember tell me that he had seen the play twice, but couldn't stand to see itagain right away because it felt too much like his own life. I took thatas a great compliment.

What kind of writing inspires you?

So many kinds, really. Ijust directed "AS YOU LIKE IT" last fall, and of course, that darnedShakespeare was pretty good! But, as far as contemporary work, I'minterested in anything that has a life-changing impact on people. It canbe comedy, drama, musical. But it has to be more than entertainment. I'mvery interested in companies that are working on cutting edge material,including taking an inter-arts approach. I love the work being done byWaterWell http://www.waterwell.org/. And I'm still inspired by classic writers like Chekhov and O'Neil. And Ilike opera! I have very eclectic tastes.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work as a director thus far?

I grew up in a very artyfamily, and I was surrounded by such great theatre and music growing up, thatit's kind of hard to identify particular early influences. However, Ireally have to say that Joan Potter, who was my acting mentor (and sometimestor-mentor) for four years at Purchase, really showed me the ropes ofdirecting. Even though we were studying acting with her, she always madeus approach material in a wholistic way. We had to analyze the whole play, it'scontext, why every character was in the piece, all the historical elements. Shewas a master of her craft and an inspiration to work with. Sometimespretty terrifying, because she had x-ray vision and could detect phoniness in aheartbeat. She really taught me how to see through an actor's schtick,and look for the soul underneath. When in doubt, I often think,"What would Joan say here". She passed away several years ago,but I still imagine her over my shoulder when needed. Another greatinfluence has been my friend actress/director/singer Katie Bull, which whom Iworked for seven years in "The Bull Family Orchestra." Katiehas worked extensively with acting teacher Eric Morris, and the brilliant vocalcoach, Chuck Jones. She brought elements of these masters work into her owndirecting, and that was very inspiring and influential to me.

What else are you working on right now?

I'm very excited to beworking on a new play called The Chekhov Dreams, by John McKinney. Itis slated to run next September at the WorkShop Theater Co. It's about acharming but depressed writer who is having an ongoing relationship with hisdead girl friend through his dreams. It's a fascinating gothic comedy, and I'mreally enjoying hearing some preliminary readings. Stay tuned! Also, I'm honored to have been asked to direct areading of The Sandbox by Gino DiIorio presented by the Up TheatreCompany - a very new company bringing powerful new theatre to NorthernManhattan. http://uptheater.org/newindex.shtml Thisis a really gritty, dark piece about a U.S. Troop stationed in Iraq. SoI'm delighted to be getting a nice range of great pieces to try my hand at.

People You Should Know . . . Kelly Anne Burns

2012-01-27T19:50:00.001-05:00

Kelly Anne Burns is an actress/clown, writer,producer, & award-winning director. She most recently was nominated for a2011 New YorkInnovative Theatre Award for'Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role' for her work in The Navigator. Additionally, she won 'Best Commercial' at BurbankInternational Film Festival & Tribeca Underground Film Festival for her HBOspot "The Deal Breaker"- in which she wrote, directed, and starred.Her viral video "Highest" has over two million hits on You Tube andwas subsequently featured on the MTV comedy special THE HILLS SPOOF'D! She is aco-producer at Burning Clown Productions, is a member ofthe WorkShop Theater Company,and performs sketch & improv regularly at The UCB.

As achild, she performed internationally as a ballerina and was ranked an AllAmerican high jumper. Kelly Anne's foray into college theatre had her tradingin track spikes for character shoes . . . and the current chapter in her lifehas taken off at breakneck pace. She now can be seen and heard in commercials,TV, viral videos, feature films, voice overs, and the theatre! For more information, please visitwww.kellyanneburns.com

How did you get started in theatre?

Fortunately,I was immersed in the arts as a child; the consolation prize for being theyoungest sibling with two older brothers. I held song and dance recitalsin my living room that my family was forced to attend, so even then I waspassionate about performing. My poor brothers! I danced ballet for 18 years andloved it. Unfortunately, there weren’t many opportunities for a 5'9" primaballerina. While studying dance, I was also heavily involved in athletics;specifically track and field. I triedthe hurdles, long jump, triple jump, but maybe because of dance, I hit the jackpotwith high jumping. I ranked All-American in high school, which earned me ascholarship to college. Halfway through college, I found myself in a theatreelective and everything clicked. I auditioned for the school show Hot LBaltimore and was cast in my first role as Suzy. Two months later, I traded myOlympic dreams for a “stable” life in the theatre. Ha! After college, I was hired as a Rockette,but by then I was hooked on acting and turned it down. I ended up being cast asa Rockette on “30 Rock”, so it’s funny how everything really does come fullcircle.

When did you know you wanted to bean actor?

I alwayswanted to act, but never really knew what steps to take. In college, I majoredin Broadcast Journalism, which I figured could get me into TV journalism, whichcould somehow open the door for acting. Not impossible with all the realityshows today, but looking back, it was a ridiculous strategy. It's just as hardto break into on-air broadcasting as it is acting. I realized it’d be simplerto switch majors and focus on acting. So, my junior year, I went to theRegistrar, made a life decision, and never looked back. I was nominated for anIrene Ryan ACTF award as a senior, and booked my first film- which shot on theday I was supposed to walk in graduation. (I obviously took the job!)

Congratulations on the New YorkInnovative Theatre Award nomination
for your work in this play. Tellme about THE NAVIGATOR. How have you
approached rehearsals for the remount?

Thank you!It was such an honor being nominated. It makes me happy that I could have somuch fun working on a role and the NYIT judges could enjoy it too. It waswonderful that our little $300 budget production could be invited to the NYITparty. It felt like David and Goliath between all the huge casts and big budgetproductions. All the nominations were definitely a testament to the spectacularscript and hard work that everybody put in.

The upcomingremount of THE NAVIGATOR is a bit of an upgrade. The first production wastechnically a Play-in-Progress, which means that it had been work-shopped tothe point where the writer needed to see it on it’s feet and hear an audience’sreaction. In the early rehearsals,I think we all knew we had something special.

This time around,we wanted to stay loyal to what we were able to accomplish in the cozy JewelBox Theater at the WorkShop, but have the flexibility to make some excitingartistic choices. We’ve brought on the amazing publicist Emily Owens (www.emilyowenspr.com) to help us get the word out. Last time, inviting presswasn’t a focus. This time we know we have a great production – now we just wantto share it!

Rehearsalsare going extremely well, and it’s nice to have some extra time to explore thetext to find nuance. Last time, thescript was being developed on the fly, so you can imagine we’re terriblyexcited to have a second go at it. It’s so rare to get to work on a show again;especially one where we all had so much input. Eddie was really open to ourthoughts and concerns, and I think there are little pieces of all of us in thisplay. Even the designers are pumped.

What do you love most about doingthis play?

I LOVE the character! I get to play a supercomputer. Believeme, I am not a supercomputer in real life. My sense of direction is horrible atbest. I got the opportunity to find the humanity in a machine. Finding thequirks, exploring my lower register, being completely present. People who saw the show still ask me to deliver quotes in myNavigator voice!

What kind of writing inspires you?

I am acomedienne and clown as well as an actress, so anything witty and silly appealsto me. I love writing with sharp banter. Some writing just jumps off the pageand begs me to take it on. I’vedone my fair share of Shakespeare & Chekhov, but I love working on NEWworks of theatre. Honestly, Eddieis one of my favorite writers. He’s able to capture speech concisely and hissense of rhythm is excellent. His characters (even my computer) all have fleshedout desires and needs. I‘ve readsome of his other full-length plays and they blow me away. We did a reading last year of his playFIRST LOVE EVER, and I am dying to work on it. It’s a re-telling of the “fall of man” with a cast of Adam,Eve, God, and Lucifer...but it’s not at all what you’d expect.

Who or what has been the biggestinfluence on your work as an actor thus far?

Easyanswer. My husband and clownpartner, Mike Smith Rivera (www.mrclown.biz). We met during a show back in 2006, andhe swept me off my feet – both artistically and personally. He trained at Dell’Arte (InternationalSchool of Physical Theatre) and has been working as an actor and clown professionallysince 2000. His involvement in mylife and career has been priceless. He introduced me to clowning and helped me refine what he refers to asmy “natural gift” for physical comedy. Ha! (That’s his nice way of saying I aman absolute klutz!) I can tell you that working with him has 100% changed my approachto acting. Now- I tend tovisualize a more physical approach to character, which leads me to discoveriesthat I never would have imagined before. With the Navigator, I’m sitting in a chair the ENTIRE show – I had to createa character in almost complete stillness. The Navigator has become more thanjust a computer. Mike’smastery of physical comedy is something I aspire to, and I’m never moreconfident in a show then when he is working on it with me. He read the part of Lucifer in Eddie Antar’sFIRST LOVE EVER, and the opportunity to seduce my sexy husband every night onstage is something I am very much looking forward to!

Also, basedon our mutual love for developing new works of theatre and film, Mike and I starteda production company. BurningClown Productions Inc. (www.burningclown.tv) has officially made us co-CEO’s in both life and thearts.

What else are you working on right now?

Greatquestion! Burning ClownProductions has several projects in various stages of development! We’rewriting a screenplay for our corporate horror comedy Corporate Succubus, generatingmaterial for our clown show, Mister & Missus Clown’s Night Circus, andadapting a clown version of Taming of the Shrew. We also have a web series inthe works and have been filming a series called Naked Manhattan Minute. Additionally, we regularly performsketch and improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade, and keep busy making shortfilms and collaborating with other companies and performers.

People You Should Know . . . Evan Bergman

2012-01-26T16:49:00.002-05:00

Evan Bergman’s (director)directing credits include: the world premiere of Jack Canfora’s Jericho; The Glass House with Harris Yulin, which received three ITAward nominations including best actor and best ensemble (The Clurman atTheatre Row); the world premiere of TheTangled Skirt by Steve Braunstein (New Jersey Rep, nominated for 2011EDGAR Award for Best Mystery/Thriller); New York and Los Angeles premiereproductions of The Director starringJohn Shea; the first African American production of American Buffalo featuring Reg E. Cathey and Paul Butler(W.H.A.T.); Gryzk, (Ensemble StudioTheater Marathon); the world premiere of the musical A Girl Called Dusty (Provincetown Playhouse); the Off Broadwaypremiere of Bobbi Boland with GreggHenry; Goodnight Sister by JamesLapine and Some Counseling byJonathan Marc Sherman as well as a workshop of Ten Ex- Lovers (NY Playwrights Lab at the Cherry Lane). His filmcredits include John Ford Noonan’s Dig AHole, Find A Finger (officialselection at the Palm Springs and Newport Beach International Film Festivals)and a documentary for Warner Music Group and Edge recording artist G TomMac, which featured Roger Daltry (The Who) and Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind andFire).

How did you get started in theatre? When did you know you wanted to be a director?

I ran the Jane Street theater and was artistic director of the New Voice Theater where we produced over forty new American plays,

Tell me about POETIC LICENSE. How do you feel rehearsals are going? What do you love most about the play?

We are just heading into week two. First week was around the table and now the fun begins.

You recently directed the critically acclaimed production of Jack Canfora's play, Jericho. What do love most about directing his plays?

His lambit wit and his wonderful story telling.

What kind of writing inspires you?

Plays that make you feel the thruth.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work as a director thus far?

Not sure if that is answerable.

What else are you working on right now?

This is all I can think about at the moment.

People You Should Know . . . Liza Vann

2012-01-26T11:40:00.002-05:00

LIZA VANN. From early days at La Mama, Liza’s favorite New York creditsinclude Mary Shelley in The Frankenstein Affair, Marietta Corsiniin Machiavelli, and most recently, her much acclaimed performancein the Off Broadway hit Good Ol’ Girls. A recipient of theClarence Ross Fellowship from the American Theatre Wing, she has performedextensively in regional theatre in roles as diverse as Hermia in Dead Man’sCell Phone, Nicky /The Smell of the Kill, M’Lynn/SteelMagnolias, and Myrtle Brown/Morning’s at Seven. TheTop Of The Bottom Half: An Evening With The Keeper Of All Knowledge, isher 70-minute one-woman show which won the Silver Award in Women’s Issues inApril 2000 at Worldfest-Houston. As a live performance, The Top Of TheBottom Half has crisscrossed the U.S. and Canada, making stops attheaters, universities and various organizations. Liza’s performances oftenbenefit women’s health organizations, and she continues to accept limitedengagements nationwide. www.lizavann.com

How did you get started in theatre? When did you know you wanted to bean actor?

It’s easier if I reverse the questions! I knewfrom the age of 4; from the first time I ever walked on a stage. Years of dancelessons, voice lessons and school plays led to a degree in drama. And my firstprofessional contract was summer stock while I was still in school. A one trackmind from the age of 4: my parents were saints.

Tell me about POETIC LICENSE. How do you feel rehearsals are going?What do you love most about the play?

It’s a fabulous play, and I loved it from thefirst time Evan (Bergman) brought me in to read it. And then that Jack(Canfora) won the Abingdon Theatre Company's 2011 Christopher Brian Wolk Awardbefore we even started rehearsal! It’s a four –hander : mother /father/daughter/ boyfriend. The premise: It is the weekend before it is to beannounced that the father is the new Poet Laureate. I loved this comment afterone of our readings : “ This is Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf meets PrivateLives. Smart, funny, and a little dangerous.” I think that says it prettywell. So rehearsals are never boring! And with Geraint (Wyn Davies) in the mix,I can promise a little mischief is always on the agenda. Hmmm…what do I lovemost? Jack has a wicked way with words.

What kind of writing inspires you?

I have to confess I do like dialogue driven playsbest. A well written line can turn my head in a heartbeat.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work as an actorthus far?

That’s easy : Charles Hadley. He has been myprofessor, my director, my fellow actor, my champion, and my friend. I wish aCharles Hadley for every student, every actor.

What else are you working on right now?

Two new and very different plays are in the mix : Shemira,by Sandy Gruenwald, is the story of estranged sisters who are thrown togetherwhen sent to sit shemira which, in Jewish tradition, is the practice of sittingwith the dead until burial. It’s actually a lovely comedy about family andsurvival. And the second piece is a very special play, Iago, by the late JimMcLure. Vivian Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Peter Finch, and Noel Coward are theinspiration for this drama about love, betrayal, and slipping away.

People You Should Know . . . Doug Howe

2012-01-25T07:07:00.004-05:00

DOUG HOWE is an American theatre maker. He graduated with honors from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, where he was named an Andrew Carnegie Merit Scholar. He has trained with Peruvian master teacher Victoria Santa Cruz, the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT), Saratoga International Theatre Institute (SITI) and Yoshi Oida from Peter Brook's International Centre for Theatre Research. He began his career as a theatre director in 1997 with his original text, The Helpless Spectator: Dance of the Seven Veils. From 1998-2005, Doug Howe directed productions and taught acting as part of Northwestern University's NHSI 'Cherub' program. From 2001-2007, he was the Artistic Director of Thalatta! Theatre International, and in 2008 was the recipient of a Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) space grant. In 2009, Doug was awarded a French ‘Competence et Talents’ visa in order to create cross-cultural theatrical collaborations. In 2011, Doug was the International Liaison Officer at PlayWriting Australia in Sydney. He is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, The Fence Playwriting Network and Actors Equity. Since 2007, Doug Howe has been the Artistic Director of The Internationalists. Visit www.doug-howe.com for a full list of credits and information.

How did you get started in theatre? When did you know you wanted to be a director?

As most theatre artists, I started my life in the theatre as an actor in school plays. I was actively involved in the drama club all through middle and high school. I attended Northwestern’s ‘Cherub’ program when I was 17, and knew then for sure that I was going to spend my life in the theatre. I got a scholarship to attend the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and graduated with a BFA in acting in 1997.

During my final semester at CMSD, the seniors had a very early Friday morning class with Mladen Kiselov, the famous Bulgarian director. We were there to be actors for the graduate directing students, but one of them was out of town on a gig, so Mladen asked if any of us wanted to direct. Half asleep, my hand unconsciously went up in the air. As it happened, my first real stab at directing would be the Hamlet/Gertrude bedroom scene. During the same time, Anne Bogart’s SITI Company was in town performing The Medium, and Kelly Maurer led a Viewpoints workshop at the university. Combining the two, I mustered my very rudimentary knowledge of Viewpoints with Mladen’s brilliant guidance, and I mounted my first scene. I’d never had more fun.

Later that semester, I opted out of the final main stage production (who really dreams of doing Awake and Sing anyway?) and I did an independent study with Mladen, in which I created my first show called The Helpless Spectator based on Salome’s Dance of Seven Veils. The four actresses (and a chicken) performed only once, at midnight, outdoors in the ‘Maggie Mo’ rotunda. From that point on, I was hooked and never looked out.

Tell me about The Internationalists. Tell me about the HOTEL PROJECT. What do you love most about the work you produce? Where would you like to see the company in five years?

Founded in 2007, The Internationalists is a collective of directors from around the world whose mission is to create a more open, sustainable and interactive global theatrical community. We foster creative diplomacy in order to build bridges between artists and audiences of all nations. By developing a global network of artists, we promote the creation of contemporary performance with an emphasis on cross-cultural exchange and collaboration. We have produced over thirty events in ten countries.

Hotel Project is a collaborative, site-specific theatrical experience for one spectator at a time, performed in and inspired by a specific hotel and created by international teams of playwrights and directors. The uniqueness of the project consists in the relationship between performer and spectator. Audience members travel through several rooms revealing the unseen lives of others. In this exclusive performance, the spectator gets to be a fly on the wall. Adapted for local hotels in major cities around the world, this performance offers audiences a view of contemporary international artists and emerging theatrical forms.

What I love most about the work we produce are the people. Theatre can’t exist without the interaction of individuals. Even if it’s only one performer and one audience member, it’s still relationship, and I feel so fortunate to work with some truly gifted artists. As the work I do is international, the opportunity to collaborate with theatre makers from around the world is extra special. Too often as Americans we have a limited perspective of the world around us, and by working with artists from different cultures, traditions and methodologies, I have a unique chance to grow as an artist and expand my knowledge and experience of multiple points of view.

For instance, thanks to the generous support of Spain Culture New York, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Beatriz Cabur, one of Madrid's best playwrights, on Hotel Project. Most often, a writer will write, and provide drafts to directors/producers for comments, questions and suggestions. What made this process really wonderful for me was that Beatriz and I worked in tandem the entire time. There were days we worked for 12-16 hours until we were satisfied with the text. And even though she had to return to Spain before rehearsals began, she’s been with me on Skype the entire time I worked with the actors. The line between who wrote the play and who directed it became so blurred, that we just decided to say we both did both. It's rare to have such a creative partnership, and amidst all the wonderful outcomes of the project, I doubt I will hold one more dear that the artistic relationship I got to develop with her, because I know it will last far beyond the run of the show.

Like any artistic director, I would like to see the company expand far and wide, and have lots more funding and support to produce more projects in the coming years. In particular, I would like to be able to establish a much stronger two-way bridge (or interconnect web) between the States and locations around the world. The majority of work we produced in the first four years has been done in New York, and I would like to that expand to multiple places around the world. That goal has already begun to come to fruition, as we launched a global playwriting contest in 2011, in which the winner got his play presented in New York City, Berlin, Moscow, Bucharest and the Hague. Each year, we hope to add locations to that list and be able to offer our members more and more opportunities to travel and create. Hotel Project is one of those initiatives that will allow us to do that, and we’re developing more programs that mobile in ways that promote embrace a nomadically adventurous mindset.

What do you look for in a play that you are considering directing?

A question without an answer. I love plays that frighten and challenge me. They possess a certain content and energy that interests me, but that I don’t have a clearly mapped out plan as how to get from start to finish. Directing allows me the opportunity to explore things I have never encountered. It is as much a practical puzzle that needs solving as an emotional or philosophical journey worth embarking on. On first reading a script, if I have a strong idea about how I’d direct it, I normally put it aside. I don’t pass on them because they aren’t good plays, but because, with all the effort it takes to mount a production, if it’s something I feel I know already, then its ends up being a waste of time in terms of my growth as an artist. In contrast, if I read something that confounds me, that I have to read a second or third time to even begin grasping, then I know it’s probably something I should investigate.

What kind of writing inspires you?

Though I’ve almost exclusively directed plays in the last decade by non-American writers, I would say that, I was attracted to the work because of their universal qualities. Not to say that the plays don’t have specific cultural references and are void of particular traditions, but that they transcend the those things and speak to something much deeper. There’s a reason Shakespeare and Chekhov have lasted beyond their own times and locations, and I look for plays that do the same. I love writing that excites me and challenges me and motivates me, but most of all, I love writing that entertains me. Any great work of art has to first engage us or it can’t do anything else. If theatre doesn’t first entertain us, then nothing else is possible. Too often people forget that. Many writers try to be political and edgy and controversial, but if there isn’t a compelling story with interesting characters that I can sympathize and relate with, then I’m bored by page five. It’s been said thoughts of times, but story, story, story. That story doesn’t have to be literal or realistic, but it has to be compelling.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work as a director thus far?

When I first moved to New York after university, I lived within walking distance from BAM. At the time, with my (expired) student ID, I could get $10 tickets for day-of performances. Over the next two or three years, I took advantage of as many shows as I could get in to. I still consider the Harvey my favorite theatre venue in the city. During that time I got to see work by artists like Pina Bausch, Ingmar Bergman, Peter Brook, Peter Stein and the RSC. Each had a profound effect on me as a young artist, and has clearly led me down the international path, but if there is one director and performance that I can pinpoint, it would be Ivo van Hove and his version of A Streetcar Named Desire at New York Theatre Workshop. As an American, I’d seen at least a dozen versions of Streetcar, and each one was so polluted by Kazan’s version. If I saw another actor imitate Brando, I was going to storm the stage. Never once did the play mean anything to me. It had always been a boring museum piece that was once great, but held no relevance to the contemporary, and then Ivo came to town. After I saw his production with the stunning Elizabeth Marvel, I was so angry. I left the theatre shaken and upset. In my limited view at the time, I couldn’t let go of my feeling of rage. The production haunted me for well over a week before I realize, “Oh, that’s how the play is supposed to make me feel.” Van Hove stripped the play of its stereotypical, Southern gentility and exposed its raw nerves. At its core it is an Apollonian/Dionysian battle to the death, and that particular production cut right to the heart of it. Ever since, if I were in town, I’ve done everything in my power to catch van Hove’s work when he was in town, and he’s yet to disappoint.

What else are you working on right now?

After the Hotel Project: New Jersey (January 27-29) and Hotel Project: New York (Feb 3-5), I will jump right into our Global Playwriting Contest. We had more than 165 submissions from 26 countries, so I’ll be settling for some good reads. I’ll also be working on World Theatre Day events, which will take place on March 27 in New York City and elsewhere around the world. After that, I will head to Italy for a ‘Fence’ conference, which is a network of international playwrights and cultural operators. And if all goes according to plan, I’ll spend some time in Spain for some necessary rest and relaxation.

Susan Ferrara got a lovely mention in the New York Times.

2012-01-23T17:04:00.001-05:00

". . . Susan Ferrara nonetheless delivers a textured and moving performance as the family’s prickly matriarch. The characters may be resigned to the hands they’ve been dealt, but the actors who play them still manage to power on."

-Catherine Rampell, New York Times

Bridesburg continues through Sunday at the Gene Frankel Theater, 24 Bond Street, East Village; brownpapertickets.com, (800) 838-3006.

People You Should Know . . . Brianne Moncrief

2012-01-19T09:40:00.001-05:00

Brianne Moncrief trained atFordham University, Lincoln Center and The London Dramatic Academy. Sheis best known for her portrayal of Colby Chandler on All My Children. Other favorites include the films: The Other Guys, How WeGot Away With It and The Talk Man, the plays: RoseColored Glass and The Audition and the television show:Onion Sports Dome.

How did you getstarted in theatre? What compelled you to become an actor?

I was in my first play in second grade, I played the doll in thestage version of the children's book TheLittle Engine That Could. While I enjoyed performing via dance andother school activities, I was mainly focused on sports while I was growing up. It wasn't until I was 17 and took a theatre class at a community collegefor summer school that I decided that this might be something I really want topursue. I knew that to be a great actor, you should be trained - so Iworked with a woman on audition pieces and decided to audition for colleges. I got into some theatre programs and decided I would go ahead and studytheatre in college and see if I liked it. Starting my theatre training abit later than most was a bit tricky at first - but in a lot of ways I feel Ihad the advantage of avoiding developing some bad habits. So in short, Isort of fell into the world of theatre - looking back now, I can see the signswere always there (it should have been a clue when my mom made me an Annie costumeand I wore a wig and sang along with the vhs tape!) but it still feels like I"happened into it".

Tell me aboutBRIDESBURG. How do you feel rehearsals are going? What do you love most aboutthe play?

I really enjoyed rehearsing Bridesburg. Our playwright, Victor Kaufold was extremely flexible as we spent a fewweeks working on the script. And our director, Jack Young, was verysupportive. Jack gave me the support and freedom to play and experimentwith Cat in a new way, each and every time we worked a scene. The mainthing that I love about the play is how tangible the characters feel to me. I feel like Victor is a genius at capturing the essence as well asbelievable dialogue for each of the five characters. Cat, Matt, Janet,Kay and Mitchell feel and sound very real to me.

What kind ofwriting inspires you?

I'll be honest, I am a sucker for dark comedies that center around afamily.  But in a broad sense, writing that is human inspires me. Writingthat reveals something new about the human experience - shows me a new way tolook at the world inspires me. Writing that keeps me talking about it for a fewdays inspires me. Writing that makes me cry inspires me. Writing that makes melaugh until I cry inspires me.

Who or what hasbeen the biggest influence on your work as an actor thus far?

Teachers have had the biggest impact on my work. I alwaysenjoy seeing plays, movies, or a well-scripted TV show - but actually workingon some great material, in the safe environment of a classroom, with theinsight of an exceptional teacher is where I have grown the most.  My mom, myvery first teacher first opened the doors for me to believe I was an artist. And the second teacher I think of, is my current teacher/coach/mentor,Karl Bury. I have learned a ton about myself and my work in my time withKarl - but lately, he has taught me the immense amount of detailed work ittakes to be a truly excellent actor.

What else are youworking on right now?

Right now, we are finishing up a film I shot last summer with Jeff Barry (who plays Matt in Bridesburg)called How We Got Away With It. I am forever enrolled in an excellent scene study class - so I am usuallyworking on some Chekhov or Tennessee Williams. I set The Seagull aside for a while as we began to rehearse Bridesburg, but I look forward tojumping back into class with another great play in the next 2 weeks. Also, myhusband and I shot a short film in December, and are looking to cook up a fewmore of those before the summer is here!

People You Should Know . . . Daryl Eisenberg

2012-01-17T20:27:00.000-05:00

Daryl Eisenberg, CSA is owner of DarylEisenberg Casting, a full service casting office for film, theatre, TV,commercials, new media. Theatre credits include: Son of Captain Blood, Garage Band, White's Lies, My Big Gay ItalianWedding, Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage, Odyssey: TheEpic Musical, Little Shop of Horrors at The Gallery Players, Gay Bride OfFrankenstein, Coming: A Musical of Biblical Proportions, Women and Guns, TalesFrom The Tunnel, Veritas, My First Time, The Awesome 80s Prom, VOTE! A NewMusical, Street Lights, Altar Boyz, F#@king Up Everything, DavenportReading Series, Gotham Stage Company. Film credits include: Sleep, FollowingChase, The Last/First Kiss, You Can't Fix Her, S.O.L., Coffee & Pie, TheBook of Caleb, Cut, Tabitha's Aquarium. TV credits include: CastingAssociate on GOSSIP GIRL (Warner Bros/The CW) and CASHMERE MAFIA (Sony/ABC). Web: Pipture: Characters, Guard of Dagmar, TheBatterysDown.com, JoeyAndDavid.com,Simon&Schuster's 'The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer' trailer, Standard Deviants. Daryl is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Member of CastingSociety of America. www.decasting.com andwww.castingclass.com

How did you getinvolved in the arts? When did you know you wanted to be a casting director?

I grew up singing and dancing. Baby June, Anne Frank, thelike. I knew I would end up behind the scenes somehow. I was a goodperformer, but not great. I tried my hand at directing as a teen, butonly wanted to pick who got to sing "Day By Day," not actually stage it. Someone said "that's what a casting director does". And I said"that's what I'll be". It wasn't until my first internship incasting that I realized it really WAS what I wanted to be!

How do you feeladvances in technology (i.e. websites, YouTube, and email) have influenced yourcasting process?

What used to take weeks now takes days. What used to take daysnow takes hours. What used to take hours now takes seconds. I havethe ability to be more hands on with more projects at any given time. Ican multi-task, work from out of the office, and make an 8 pm curtain withouthaving to wait for a fax, or a messenger, or a phone call. At my veryfirst internship, I didn't even have a computer on my desk. Now, I don'tknow WHAT I would do without my interns having access to the web! I havethe ability to learn more about actors before they step in to the auditionroom. I....well, I could go on for days. The industry is entirelydifferent now.

What do you thinkis the biggest misconception about what you do?

I hear constantly "how do I get on your roster" or"would you consider me for representation". Even the New YorkTimes and Dance Moms (both very reputable institutions) refer to CastingDirectors as Casting Agents. There are agents. There are castingdirectors. There are NO casting agents. I don't represent a small pool ofactors. I work on behalf of the production to fill available roles. Casting is much more similar to a human resources department than to an agency.

Who or what hasbeen the biggest influence on your work thus far?

I always try to look at what the start-up world is doing and seewhat can apply to our industry. Each production is essentially amini-start-up.

What are youworking on right now?

A whole bunch of exciting projects! Ken Davenport's new musicalGARAGE BAND! An exciting, yet-to-be-announced Broadway revival! Aslew of films! I always post new breakdowns to my website (and Twitterand Facebook and Backstage and and and and and). Check out www.decasting.comfor the latest news!

People You Should Know . . . Seth Numrich

2012-01-16T23:24:00.002-05:00

Seth Numrich - Broadway: WarHorse (Lincoln Center, Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence, Drama LeagueAward Nom, Outer Critics Circle Award Nom), The Merchant of Venice (ThePublic Theater). Off-Broadway: Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature), Blind (Rattlestick), Too MuchMemory, Slipping (Rising Phoenix Rep/Piece by Piece Productions), Gatesof Gold (59E59), Dutch Masters (LAByrinth). Regional: The HistoryBoys (Ahmanson Theatre), The Cure at Troy (Seattle Rep), Measure forMeasure (Chautauqua Theatre Co.). International: The Judgment of Paris(NYC and Edinburgh Fringe Festival). Television: Gravity (Starz, SeriesRegular). Film: Private Romeo. Teaching artist: Artists Striving to EndPoverty (ASTEPonline.org),2005-2012. Training: the Juilliard School.

How did you getstarted in theatre? Did you always know that you wanted to be an actor?

My dad (Charles Numrich) is also an actor, he works all the timeback in Minnesota where I grew up. When I was a kid he didn't do a lot ofacting, but he was a storyteller and would go in to schools and tell storiesand give workshops for kids. My brother and I would come along most ofthe time and help out, or act out the stories that my dad was telling. Iguess I got the inspiration to tell stories from him. When I was around11 I started doing theatre, and one of my first experiences was in a productionat the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. At some point I realized all ofthe adults in the play actually made their livings and support their familiesby doing theatre. Once I knew that was possible, I was pretty muchhooked.

Tell meabout Yosemite. Whatwas the rehearsal process like? What do you love most about the play?

Yosemite is Daniel Talbott's new play that deals with a very dark moment in the life of a familywho live in a trailer park near in the foothills of the Sierra mountains innorthern California. I am in love with this play and am so happy to beinvolved in it. I think it is a bold and daring piece of theatre and I'mvery excited about sharing it with audiences at Rattlestick. Therehearsal process has been pretty short and very intense. We've foundthat since the subject of the matter is very heavy we all need to keep therehearsal room light while we're working. There is a lot of silliness.But when it comes to the work everyone has been extremely committed and I am soproud of what we are creating together.

You worked withDaniel Talbott before. What do you love most about his writing?

Daniel and I worked together on his play Slipping in 2009 as well asother readings and workshops. I am inspired by Daniel in so many was thatit would be hard to list them all here. I consider him one of my closestfriends, a mentor, and an enormous force for good in the theatre. Specifically in regards to his writing I am always inspired by the challenge ofhis work. His words never let the actors off the hook, and the playitself is always asking us go deeper and face our fears in order to give thework everything we can. I also admire Daniel's sense of collaboration asa writer. His plays demand that the actors bring all of themselves into theprocess, and he allows for growth and change to happen within the text. He is never precious with his work, but rather extremely generous with it and Ifeel that's a rare and wonderful thing to encounter.

What kind ofwriting inspires you?

I am inspired by so many different kinds of writing and differentstyles so it's hard to pinpoint exactly, but I think when it comes down to it Iam inspired by stories that are told truthfully. I appreciate when apiece of writing dares to be unapologetic, and when it attempts to honestlyexplore an aspect of the human condition. I'm in to that kind of art, whatevershape or form it might come in.

Who or what hasbeen the biggest influence on your work as a actor thus far?

As hard as it is to think of one thing or person that has influencedmy work as an actor, it is almost as hard to think of something or someone inmy life who hasn't influenced me. I feel so blessed to have come incontact with incredible artists and incredible people throughout my life whoinspire me. I always try to stay open to inspiration, wherever it mightcome from. For example I just saw TheArtist and I'm feeling pretty inspired.

What else are youworking on right now?

Well speaking of inspiration, I have never really had the notion ofdoing anything artistically outside of acting, but recently I've had somerandom inspirations that I might try to write down. One I think is ashort play and the other I'm not sure yet, but I'm going to take a stab atit. I also will be running a 12 mile race in the spring, so I'm workingon training for that. Pray for me.

People You Should Know . . . Libby Woodbridge

2012-01-16T17:03:00.002-05:00

LibbyWoodbridge is currently working on Yosemite at theRattlestick Playwrights Theater. Her other credits include Jerusalem(Broadway, u/s), Gabriel (Atlantic Theater Company), Bossa Nova(Yale Repertory Theatre), Moonlight (Studio Theatre, DC), Rock'n' Roll (Wilma Theater), and Third (u/s, Huntington TheatreCompany). Libby also participated in the 2010 National Playwrights Conferenceat the O’Neill Theater Center. Film: King Kelly (SeeThink Films), and SomeoneElse’s Heart. She holds a BFA from Boston University.

How did you get started in theatre? Did you alwaysknow you wanted to be an actor?

While I've loved theatre asfar back as my memory serves me, an acting class in my freshman year of highschool made me realize I wanted to act professionally.

Tell me about Yosemite.What was the rehearsal process like? What do you love most about the play?

Yosemite is a new playthat will be at the Rattlestick, written by the remarkable Daniel Talbott. It’sa play with three siblings and their mother stuck in a purgatory of sorts inthe wintery woods of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. An event hastaken place that haunts them all, and the characters are reaching a collectivepoint of crisis trying to move forward together. Daniel talks about it being a playso much about love. The characters are bonded to each other by love, for betteror worse. I enjoy exploring the sheer human will and endurance explored withinthe terrifying circumstances of the play. The material is challenging andintense… but the rehearsal process is such a joyful one! It’s a warm andlively group of theatre artists. I am so fortunate to be in the room with them.Pedro Pascal is directing, Seth Numrich and Noah Galvin play my brothers, andKathryn Erbe plays my mother. They are extraordinary performers and I look upto their work so much. I’m really happy to be at the Rattlestick. Daniel tookthat photo of me (above) in a Yosemite tech rehearsal. We recently had a crazytrip to the woods where we worked on parts of the play together outdoors. Thatwas a lot of fun.

What kind of writing inspires you?

Anything that makes me feelALIVE when I read it or when I experience it in a performance. Writing thatstirs or changes me, makes me feel a heightened awareness of time and the worldand the experiences of being human; writing that connects or reconnects me in aconscious way with the small details of life. I like writing that posesquestions that I have to grapple with, too. I also appreciate great stories,humor, and entertaining pieces. New plays are especially exciting to me rightnow.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work asan actor thus far?

Seeing a performance thatmoves, alters, or entertains me in a meaningful way is inspiring because I wantto be able to do that for other people someday. I’ve also been so fortunate towork with many kind, wise, and talented people. They have been the most activeand immediate daily influences on me as an actor. I’ve also had someexceptional teachers. Generally speaking, though, anyone who inspires me tocreate, to have more curiosity, to work harder, and to have more fun whiledoing all of these things is very influential.

What else are you working on right now?

We’re in our Yosemite tech period, so that’s what I’mfully immersed in right now. Recently I worked on a movie that I’m enormouslyproud to be a part of, though. It’s not out yet, but it’s called King Kelly and is shot as if filmed fromthe perspective of two girls’ iPhones on an especially wild 4^th of July.Louisa Krause plays Kelly, one of the perpetually recording girls, and I playthe other. It’s by SeeThink Films and their work is amazing.

Please come see Yosemite!

People You Should Know . . . Tatiana Pavela

2012-01-14T08:30:00.001-05:00

Tatiana Pavela – Drama of Works: Leakey’s Ladies (Dixon Place), Puppet Kafka(HERE), Warhol (Valve Cultural Center, Finland) and Sleepy Hollow(Valve Cultural Center, Finland). Theatre of a Two-Headed Calf: Roomfor Cream (LaMama ETC), Drum of the Waves of Horikawa (2008 ObieGrant, HERE), Panic (PS 122), Major Barbara (LaMama ETC)and The Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great (LaMama ETC). Sightline: that time, and the time before that, and (Dixon Place)and Sound Proof (Figment NYC, Battery Park). Her original play, Buttercream& Scotch (created & performed in collaboration with PaigeCollette), recently premiered at The People’s Center Theater inMinneapolis. Other credits include working as a puppeteer in the MabouMines/Basil Twist production of Red Beads (Skirball Center for the Arts)& Michael Rau’s Rag Fur Blood Bone (Tribeca Performing Arts Center). Training: BFA in Theatre from NYU, additional training with LondonAcademy of Performing Arts and Dah Theatre (Belgrade).

How did you get started in theatre?What compelled you to become an actor?

Well, I think the quick answer is “Ihave absolutely no clue.” I come from a family that, whileamazing/crazy/great, has very little interest in artistic pursuit and I wasnever raised on theatre.

Thinking about that a bit further,I’m a middle child and am only a year apart from my brother and sister (whowere both much cooler than I was in high school). I started going to aseparate arts high school to study theatre (ECA, New Haven, CT) and reallyloved that it was a place where I was Tatiana, the girl with the facialpiercings and red hair who studied theatre – not the sister of so-and-so. Also, we called our teachers by their first name. Going there, I finallyhad a group of people (both teachers and friends) who saw what I was reallylike and thought it was hilarious and awesome – I still keep in touch with abunch of those people to this day.

Tell me about LEAKEY'S LADIES. Howdo you feel rehearsals are going? What do you love most about the role you areplaying?

Rehearsals finally ended and wejust opened, thank god! After developing this show for almost two years,it feels great to finally do this and fully inhabit the world that we allcreated.

Rehearsals terrified me because thiswas the first time I was playing a person who actually existed (DianFossey). Oh yeah, and SIGNOURNEY WEAVER played her. No pressureright? I was terrified that people were going to think “That’s notDian! I know Dian, and that’s not her!” and that I wasn’t going to gether walk/talk/age/hair/whatever and that I wasn’t going to be able to representthe gravity of who this woman was and the weight of what she did and what wasdone to her. And then those insecurities just became exhausting, and I realizedthat I’m not playing the Dian of National Geographic lore or Gorillas in theMist fame – I’m playing this very specific character that was written on theseparticular pages (thanks, Crystal Skillman!). Who is this woman whosays these words and follows these actions on these pages in front of me? You finally connect the dots, and then something happens.

The most liberating thing about thischaracter is that Dian just does not have to care about what the audience(which she addresses as her students) thinks of her. She is at this pointin her life where she has energy for one thing, and it is not another’sperception of her. Screw it. This is amazing because usually when Iplay a role, I want to be liked. I want the audience to side with mycharacter, to be attracted to the character. To finally not care iswonderful.

What kind of writing inspires you?

Hmmmmmm…it changes. Havingdone a good amount of collaborative devised theatre, for a long time I didn’tthink about script. Horrible, right? I thought about movement andpictures on stage and video and music – all things that made amazing theatre,but the words were just a small part of everything else.

And then you reach a point of, “CanI even act anymore? I mean, I know I can paint myself in purple frostingand do this character as a shadow puppet and time my words to the drum scoreunderneath – but can I act? Oh my god, I think I kind of want to doShakespeare!” I wanted to focus on the words again.

So, at this point in my life, it’s allabout the language that trips off the tongue and falls out of your mouth andyou scramble to keep up with it. Enda Walsh. Enda Walsh. Enda Walsh. B.Walker Sampson, who creates these beautiful tragic awkward hilariousworlds. Paige Collette, who writes what you know you thought and wish youhad written. And many books where you just have to reread that sentenceout loud again to hear it. I did that often with Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte), SomethingWicked this Way Comes (Ray Bradbury), Inthe Woods (Tana French), ObservatoryMansions (Edward Carey), poems by Ellen Bass.

Who or what has been the biggestinfluence on your work as an actor thus far?

Teachers: Steve Wangh, Raina vonWaldenburg, Peter Loffredo. Performers: Tina Shepard & Kate Valk (formaking long amazing careers without doing the headshot/audition thing). Oldclassmates/Current amazing artists: Paige Collette, Laryssa Husiak, ChrisGiarmo, Jess Barbagallo, Mike Mikos. Companies/People: Theatre of a Two-HeadedCalf, Dah Theatre Company, National Theatre of the United States of America,Elevator Repair Service, Geoff Sobelle and the work he does with and outside ofPig Iron, Witness Relocation, Drama of Works, Sightline, the cashew puppeteeron the train to Rovniemi, all the women who worked on Leakey’s Ladies – we area crazy, passionate group.

What else are you working on rightnow?

Not to be “that girl”, but I’m working onwriting my wedding vows and planning a kick-ass trip to Bali for a fewweeks. Also working on learning the harmonica, how to make a beurre blancsauce without separating, another collaboration with Paige Collette (maybeabout money? Or prostitution in Five Points?), and maybe expanding ashort script written in collaboration with B. Walker Sampson. I’m tryingto travel more with theatre, so I’m trying to create ways to do that – findingfestivals, creating awesome shows that travel well, and thinking about money.

People You Should Know . . . Victor Kaufold

2012-01-14T08:23:00.000-05:00

Victor Kaufold has had productions with The Hudson Theatre (Los Angeles), TheAvery Theatre (Annandale), Simpatico Theater (Philadelphia), The Yale Cabaret,and Gorilla Rep (New York). His full-length plays include The Why, Tethered, The Special Interest Case of Special Agent EstebanMartinez, Muke the Inquisitive, The Death of Milton Hubbell, Bridesburg, SocialServices, Brick, and Nervous Persons.The Why was originally produced byThe Blank Theatre in Los Angeles in ‘00 and went on to be nominated for anOvation award for best new play. Victor has had readings at New York TheatreWorkshop, The Flea Theater, Ars Nova, La MaMa, and The Lark. He currentlyteaches theater and English classes at Medgar Evers College, Borough ofManhattan Community College, and Fordham University. He holds an MFA from theYale School of Drama.

How did you get started in theatre? Whatcompelled you to start writing plays?

I might never hadwritten a play if it wasn’t for The Philadelphia Young Playwrights artseducation program which was part of my high school creative writing class. Assoon as I gave it a try, it seemed to be a type of writing that I was naturallydrawn to. I saw playwriting as away to record truths that I felt were often ignored.

Tell me about BRIDESBURG. What inspired you towrite the play? How do you feel rehearsals are going?

BRIDESBURG was very muchinspired by the families I grew up around in Philadelphia. Growing up, I feltthere was a disconnect between the people I knew and those I saw depicted invarious forms of entertainment. I thought that the theater community inparticular was in need of more contemporary depictions of the working classsince they make up such a large majority of the country. I wanted to illustrate how people canmistake their surroundings for their potential since it was something that Isaw happening often in the neighborhoods I spent time in. With the character ofCat in particular, I wanted to display the forces that might inspire anintelligent person to drop out of school, figuring that many people might notunderstand this mindset. When I set out to write the play, I noticed more youngmarried couples living in a parent’s home, so this became part of it. Now theeconomy has made this trend of home sharing all the more common. I think itwould be good for us to think more about what this living situation is like. Ihope all the characters in the play present new things for our audiences toconsider, and I hope it helps them better understand the daily lives of manyAmericans.

The play has benefitedgreatly from a very smart cast and director, who helped me streamline andhighlight the story I wanted to tell. I’m very happy with the changes thescript has under gone. I don’t think all playwriting can happen alone at a computer,and I’m grateful for the chance to shape this piece with such talentedcollaborators.

What kind of writing inspires you?

I have a specialinterest in plays that admit uncomfortable truths about the human experience,and do so with a touch of humor. I want to be entertained while in a theater,but I also want to be confronted with reality and made to think.

Do you have a certain ritual or routine when youwrite? If so, what is it?

I will write any time ofday or night regardless of mood. Once the writing starts happening, mood andtime of day don’t matter. I’m happiest when I can really get lost in my workfor hours at a time. Of course, doing this while also teaching a number ofcollege classes does present a challenge. But what would life be withoutchallenges?

Who or what has been the biggest influence onyour work as a writer thus far?

I think the mosttruthful answer to this question is to say that my history, family, and friendsshaped my world view. I’ m glad I’ve had the pleasure of knowing so manyinteresting people.

What else are you working on right now?

I recently finished aplay about a nineteenth century doctor who is simultaneously repulsed andattracted to a young “hysterical” woman he endeavors to cure with his famoussystem of rest and over feeding. He has near absolute faith in science we nowknow to be false, and this leads to some surprising results. I think havingfaith in false beliefs is a significant part of our human experience.

People You Should Know . . . Jordana Williams

2012-01-11T17:35:00.001-05:00

Jordana Williams (Director) directed Mac Rogers’ Hail Satan for FringeNYC 2007, which garnered a Backstage Top Performances of the Year nod for actor Laura Perloe. She recently directed an episodic workshop of Rogers’ new spy thriller Asymmetric for the Vampire Cowboys’ Saturday Night Saloon. Other directing credits include two incarnations of The First Annual St. Ignatius Chanukah Pageant, Impetuous Theater Group's PS666, Gideon's The Blueprint Project, Continuing Occupation for the Production Company's The Australia Project, Mac Rogers' Roll at manhattan theatresource, The U.S.-ification of America Conference, four years with the Estrogenius Festival and several stints with The 24 Hour Plays. Jordana is the lyricist portion of Williams/Rogers/Williams (Fleet Week, Air Guitar, The…Chanukah Pageant and Love Story: A Story of Love). She is a founding member of Gideon Productions.

How did you getstarted in theatre? What compelled you to become a director?

I started as an actor (you and I were in Boomerang's Henry IV together

back in 2003!). I loved connecting the emotional dots of acharacter,

but never felt like I had the physical ease and facility I soadmired

in others. I started directing and thought, "Wow! This iseverything I

love about acting, with none of the stuff I hate!"

Tell me aboutADVANCE MAN. How are rehearsals going? What do you

love most aboutthe play?

It's been such a joy. This script is like a playground for theactors

and me. It's a rich, nuanced family drama, but it’s also an epic

sci-fi thriller. In some ways, it’s a superhero/supervillain origin

story, but I suspect audiences will be split as to which characteris

which. I love that Advance Man doesn't take sides. It just asks some

really fascinating, difficult questions, sets a bunch of passionate

characters at odds with each other, and just lets some crazy bidness

go down.

Tell me aboutGideon Productions. What compelled you to found the

company? Wherewould you like to see the company in five years?

We basically formed the company because we wanted to do Mac's plays.

He has a singular voice and comes at complex issues from unexpected

(often hilarious and/or unsettling) angles. We try to build productions that

are like a good meal: substantive, but surprisingand fun.

I’d love to be a bigger part of the cultural conversation five years

from now, but I also just feel really lucky right now. I get todirect

plays by my favorite playwright with many of my favorite actors. It

doesn’t pay my bills, but I have a job that does. I also have two

kids, so life is a little crazy, but it’s my kind of crazy.

You've worked withMac Rogers on several occasions. How did you

meet? What do youlove most about his writing? What kind of shorthand

do you feel youhave?

I acted in a play Mac wrote my Freshman year of college, so we goway

back. One of the things I adore about Mac's work is that he never

writes characters that he can't find a way to humanize. Initially,the

joke was that Mac wrote really dark stuff and I injected some

gentleness and levity, but I think we've both matured enough to see

that grace and darkness go hand in hand, and you can't have acomplete

story without both. There's so much shorthand, it's almost like

cheating at this point. We really trust each other, which is great.

What kind ofwriting inspires you?

Well-crafted science fiction and speculative fiction (NealStephenson,

for instance) really thrill me. There's something about when awriter

is creating a world from the ground up--when it's completely and

ingeniously imagined--that involves me like nothing else.

Who or what hasbeen the biggest influence on your work as a

director thus far?

Probably the NY Indie Theater community as a whole. There areartists

and companies whose work I've been following for years, and who’ve

been following mine as well. We can talk about what we're doing witha

ton of context behind it. It starts to feel like the work we do is

part of an ongoing conversation, which is really heartening. Doing

three years of the Vampire Cowboys’ Saturday Night Saloon was

particularly helpful in that regard. We also just entered into theBFG

Collective with Boomerang Theatre Company, and Flux Theatre Ensemble,

sharing a 6-month residency at the Secret Theatre in LIC, supporting

one another and sharing resources. I think we all benefit from

cross-pollination like that.

What else are youworking on right now?

Advance Man is the first partof a trilogy. I'll be directing parts 2

and 3 (also at the Secret Theatre) March 29-April 15 and June14-July

1. I'll also be directing a show for Retro Productions--a companyI've

admired for years!

People You Should Know . . . Jeff Barry

2012-01-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

Jeff Barry Miscreant creditsinclude: Ivanov, Hostages, Cherry Orchard,and The Creditors. Other theatrecredits include: The Huntington Theatre Company, Dorset Theatre Festival,Gorilla Rep, Yale Rep, La MaMa Etc., The Guthrie Theater. Film & TV creditsinclude: Date Night, The Company Men,Carter, Liberty, The Last Harbor, Guiding Light. Jeff can also beseen in the upcoming film How We Got Away With It. BA Fordham UniversityTheatre Company. MFA Yale School of Drama.

Howdid you get started in theatre? What compelled you to become an actor?

Given my love of and pursuit of the craft ofacting I should have a deeper answer than Iʼm about to give. Well, here goes:

I went to a public high school that happened tohave a fantastic performing arts department. being a jock, playing soccer inthe fall, skiing in the winter and golf in the spring, I didnʼt really knowmuch about all that.

In the beginning of my junior year an electivethat I had chosen, some high level math class, got canceled. (I was on track togo to school for mechanical engineering at that point.) So, I suddenly had anopen class that I had to fill. As I was trying to figure out what to take agirl who was in the theatre department, but also in my group of friends,recommended that I take a ceramics class, that she was taking and loving, withMr. Howell. Never having taken ceramics, I have no idea why I went into thatclass, but I fell in love with the work. Throwing and altering pottery became ahuge love of mine for years to come as I went to my first college on ascholarship for visual and performing arts. In this class, that I was quicklybecoming obsessed with, there were two other girls in the performing artsprogram. And they were hot.

I remember saying to my best friend Craig, allthese girls in the performing arts department were hot and we needed to try toget in to this untapped resource. He responded “youʼre an idiot, why do youthink Iʼve been playing saxophone in the pit for the musicals.” Not having anymusical talents, I decided to sign up for backstage crew on the upcomingproduction of Phantom, the Maury Yeston, Arthur Kopit version.

A couple days later I, embarrassingly, gotcalled over the school PA to report to the drama office. When I got there I meta fascinating woman named Judith Ranaletta, who, in that moment, had no idea ofthe affect she would have on my life. Neither of us did.

As is often the case, she was looking for guysfor the choir and wanted me to come to some rehearsals. I had never sang at anypoint in my life so I politely declined which Judith laughed off and said “Iʼllsee you at rehearsal.” For whatever reason, I went to the choir rehearsals;they were getting ready for a performance of Carmina Burana. I had never heardmusic like that before. I was blown away. After about two weeks of rehearsal weperformed at a large benefit for Bausch and Lomb; I was completely throttled.One hundred percent taken by the experience of performing.

From there on I did as much as I could over myjunior and senior year of high school. As an actor I was very raw, but equallyas willing. I fell in love with the challenge and the self discovery that comeswith looking into yourself and then stepping out in front of an audience. Thatpursuit, and therein felling, pulled me into acting, leaving behind any plansto become a mechanical engineer.

Tellme about BRIDESBURG. How do you feel rehearsals are going? What do you lovemost about the role you are playing?

I remember seeing BRIDESBURG while I was ingrad school, it was Victorʼs thesis, and being pissed that I hadnʼt been castas Matt. I really liked the show, and I really loved the role. Matt is not thetype of character I get cast as. I usually end up playing high status ratherthan low, which is where Matt is.

The thing I love most about Matt is that heʼsalways right. In his mind, at least. And even if heʼs wrong, he still thinks hewas right about something within the fact he was wrong. No compromises. Nofilters. And, Matt has a torrent of emotion running through him. He feelseverything, but tries to show nothing. That is very fun to play as anactor.

Rehearsalʼs have been very productive and Iʼmextremely pleased with how the play has taken shape as Victor has beenrewriting. Iʼve actually been blogging daily through the process, keeping a“Rehearsal Journal”. You can check out my day to day experience all the waythrough performance at http://jeffbarryfilms.wordpress.com/

Tellme about Miscreant Theatre. What compelled you to start the company? Wherewould you like to see the company in five years?

Jacob Knoll, one of my classmates from YaleSchool of Drama, and I started the company with the goal in mind to make it aplace where actors truly own their work. We are constantly playing with therole of the director in our productions; sometimes there is no director,sometimes we co-direct, and we hire actor-directors. We have yet to hire a puredirector to do a show and doubt we will. All of this is with the aim to haveactors with more responsibility in their role than they traditionally do; morecontrol of your choices, of what you wear, how you sound, how you look.

The goal of the company, content wise, is toreinvigorate classics and to premiere new plays. At least at this point, weʼrenot interested in doing Angels in Americaor something like that. Itʼs a great play, but itʼs done enough by othercompanies.

As far as the goal five years from now, Iʼm notsure. Right now weʼve got a plan taking us through the next year. Weʼll seewhere the work takes us over that year and then access for the year after that.

Whatkind of writing inspires you?

Pretty much across the board, whether intheatre, film, television, or books Iʼm attracted to character driven pieces.If I think of my favorite films they have great characters in them: Good Will Hunting, Magnolia, Chinatown.Plays: Hamlet, Long Days Journey IntoNight, and all of Stephen Adly Guirgisʼ work. Television: Sons of Anarchy, The Wire, Friday NightLights. Books: Tales of the Otori,The Wolf of Wall Street, and all of Michael Chabon.

Whoor what has been the biggest influence on your work as a actor thus far?

My biggest influence as an actor? Thats a toughone. Iʼm gonna say Evan Yionoulis and Ron Van Lieu. My main two acting teachersin grad school. Still figuring out things they told me five years ago.

Whatelse are you working on right now?

Right now Iʼm working on two other projects. Iʼvegot a film in post production called HowWe Got Away With It. I wrote the film with a couple friends and it was shotthis past summer over the month of August. Iʼm in the film as well as being aproducer on it.

Obviously my acting duties on it are done, butweʼre in the heat of post production about to lock the cut before we go tosound and color.

The other project Iʼm working on is the film version of BRIDESBURG.Weʼre in very early pre-production. Locations have been secured and scouted andIʼm in the process of securing a DP. Itʼs looking like weʼll be shooting inearly spring.

People You Should Know . . . Mizuo Peck

2012-01-08T00:56:00.001-05:00

Mizuo Peck was born and raised in NYC. Hertheater credits include The Model at the Incubator Arts Project, All’sWell that End’s Well as a company member of the Public Theater ShakespeareLab, 365 Days/365Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks, and Burning Botticelli forthe NY International Fringe Festival. Her Film and Television work includes AllMy Children, Law & Order: Criminal Intent; the German film NichtHeulen Husky, Scenes of the Crime, and the 20th Century Fox Films Night at theMuseum and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian as therole of Sacajawea. For more go to Mizuopeck.com

How did you getstarted in theatre? What compelled you to become an actor?

When I was eleven I auditioned for the children’s theater company TADA!by singing Frank Sinatra’s “The Lady is a Tramp.” I still can’t believe I chosethat song! For years I did original musical theater productions and developedmy love for the stage. Being part of such a professional company growing up wasan important experience and really shaped who I am today. I learned how to workhard and strive for my goals. I went on to be a Drama major at the LaGuardiaHigh School of the Arts and then received a BFA in Theater from the TheatreConservatory at SUNY Purchase.

Tell me aboutBRIDESBURG. How do you feel rehearsals are going? What do you love most aboutthe play?

Rehearsals have been great and now we are up and running! We were luckyto have had the time in the beginning to comb through the script together andtalk about our characters. We discussed their backgrounds, their values, theirstereotypes, their slang, and the history of Bridesburg in Northeast Philly. Ilove how raw and real this play is. It has been a wonderfully collaborativeexperience. With the insights of our director Jack Young and the writer VictorKaufold, I feel we have created a very unique world.

What kind of writinginspires you?

I’ve always been equally attracted to and afraid of the works ofShakespeare. To uncover all the nuances and layers within one line is always amystifying challenge. However, once you can breathe in and articulate all thestunning complex imagery there is no greater satisfaction. It is so elevatingwhen the words become your own and you realize how relatable and timeless theycan be.

Who or what has beenthe biggest influence on your work as an actor thus far?

In the Summer of 2010, I was part of the Public Theater’s ShakespeareLab Program. It was great for me to be back in a training atmosphere afterbeing out of school for so long. One day, an acting teacher, Lisa Benevides,pulled me aside and said, “You have an entire mansion of life and emotioninside you and you seem to be satisfied staying in the foyer.” That was a veryinfluential statement that I think about often.

What else are youworking on right now?

I’ve been taking an on screen audition class and I’m a regular at NakedAngel’s Tuesdays at 9 cold reading series. It’s a great way to meet actors andwriters and to read work aloud that’s still in the developmental stage. ThisSpring I look forward to shooting an Indie Feature written by Joshua Cody.

BRIDESBURG got a mention in the NY Daily News

2012-01-06T20:10:00.003-05:00

People You Should Know . . . Jessica Myhr

2012-01-06T20:01:00.001-05:00

Jessica Myhr is a versatile actress whohas been seen in various stage and on camera projects. She had a recurring roleas a sassy nurse on "All My Children" and starred in a short filmabout speed dating, "Speedof Love". In addition, Jessica recently finished a series of shortfilms, "Julia" and "Henry," (also a PBS Special) that arenow being turned into a feature film entitled “Causal Encounters”.

Her recent theatre credits include Doubt (Sister James) at the NYU Tischalumni festival of summer plays, the NY premiere of A Shot Away with the Red Fern Theatre Company, Shaw’s Caesar & Cleopatra in New York City(went on for Cleopatra) with ResonanceEnsemble and the world premiere of Logomaniacswith the Actors Shakespeare Company, whereshe was reviewed as being “genuinely hilarious” by the Jersey Journal. You mayalso have seen her recently in a NationalPictionary commercial. Jessica earned her MFA in Acting from RutgersUniversity, Mason Gross School of the Arts under William Esper and DeborahHedwall. www.jessicamyhr.com

How didyou get started in theatre? What compelled you to become an actor?

I actually have no clear memory of when I began in thetheatre – I was on stage before I could say my name. My mother and stepfather were both actors in Minneapoliswhen I was very young and my first performance (at age 4) was actually a jokebeing played on my stepfather, who was in some preshow antics before themusical “Diamond Studs” – he was on stage, playing a drunk passed out at thebar – I entered (wearing the cutest navy sailor dress) saying “Where’smy daddy?” Looking around, the bartender said “There’s nobody here but that oledrunk.” My response, “That’s my daddy!” After that moment, the theatre and theworld that went with it, were always home.

I actually never wanted to be an actor, I just always wasone. My real passion lies in thecollaboration of sharing great stories and breathing life into characters. I see every acting opportunity as achallenge to grow as an artist.

Tell meabout THE LONDON MERCHANT. How do you feel rehearsals are going? What do youlove most about the role you are playing?

“The London Merchant” is such a dense, delicious play.George Lillo was writing this about a hundred years after Shakespeare, yet muchof the verse structure and punctuation is similar. It has been an honor to work on the North American premiere. I have been describing it as a sort ofShakespeare-morality play hybrid. What is most interesting are the class statusand religious themes Lillo tackles, which must have been shocking at the timeit was produced. In addition tothat, the strong point of view on gender issues, involving position in societyand power, ought to prompt some heated debate - Who really is “the Londonmerchant” and who is really “guilty” at the end of the play?

I could not turn down the play, because the role of Millwood,the cunning courtesan who sets the events in motion, was just too darn juicy. Thegreatest challenge and thrill of creating her has been carving out the dualityof character and plotting her act of seduction.

You'vedone several shows with the Storm Theatre Company in the past. What do you lovemost about the company? What keeps you coming back?

I’ve auditioned regularly for Storm Theatre (www.stormtheatre.com), but only workedon one other production, “House of Desires” a few years ago. I enjoy workingwith Storm because they are very loyal to their actors, and often choose rare, unknownplays for their season. When Peter Dobbins (artistic director) approached meabout auditioning for the role of Millwood he was genuinely excited about thediscovery of this play and you can’t help being drawn into that kind ofenthusiasm.

“House of Desires” became one of those growingexperiences as an actress, because the play and my portrayal of Dona Anareceived mixed reviews. One reviewer actually described me as a “Susan LucciVampira” which devastated me at the time, and now I find a humorous compliment,especially after working with her on several episodes of “All My Children”. Saywhat you will about Susan, but she is stunning, a consummate professional andnever misses a take. And hey, there’s a lot of work for vampires right now.

Whatkind of writing inspires you?

I feel that all good writing steals in some way fromother writers. Even in “The London Merchant” you can hear traces of Shakespeare’sinfluence, even similar lines…Isabella from "Measure for Measure," Lady M, Paulina from “AWinter’s Tale”. Great plays survive and we are fortunate enough to learn fromthem. Being a bit of a theatre history nerd, I admire the Greeks for their epicpassionate plots and Shakespeare for the sheer beauty of language, but I aminspired by all writers.

It takes a huge degree of vulnerability (or ego) to putpen to paper, which is why I believe in developing new work as strongly asembracing the classics.

Who orwhat has been the biggest influence on your work as a actor thus far?

I cannot deny the impact of being surrounded by artistsmy entire life. My mother and stepfathergave me my artistic sensibility from the earliest age and my entire family isloaded with talent – from actors, to painters, to musicians, even someconsidered local celebrities by Minnesota standards, my amazing uncle Kevin (www.kevinkling.com). He inspires me daily,to tell great stories, laugh when you can, and never take anything for granted.

As an actor, studying under great teachers like WilliamEsper and Deborah Hedwall at Mason Gross (Rutgers Univ) for my MFA, forever changedmy acting and my life. The hard worker was always in me, but I found a deeperauthentic self to draw from and solid craft to back it up.

Whatelse are you working on right now?

I will be focusing on expanding my business, InherentStyle (www.inherentstyle.com) whichencourages actors to authentically communicate their unique image and essence,from the inside…out. I currently am developing curriculum to teach an imageclass with Tony Nation at Actors Connection in the spring and plan to approach universitieswith special image/branding packages for graduating acting students.

I also continue my work as a resident image consultantfor the students of Maggie Flanigan Studio. Oh yeah…and training to be a ninjaat Mark Fisher Fitness (www.markfisherfitness.com). 2012 is gonna be a good one!

Go see BRIDESBURG by Victor Kaufold

2012-01-05T22:47:00.001-05:00

BRIDESBURG
A NEW AMERICAN PLAY
BY VICTOR KAUFOLD
OPENS AT THE GENE FRANKEL THEATRE
Monday, January 9th

PREVIEWS BEGIN Thursday, January 5th

BRIDESBURG, a new play Victor Kaufold, about the growing American problem of economic decline and its effect on a young couple, will open Monday, January 9th at The Gene Frankel Theater (24 Bond Street). Previews begin Thursday, January 5th. Presented by the Miscreant Theatre, BRIDESBURG is directed by Jack Young.

BRIDESBURG is a darkly comic and intense look at five working-class American’s struggling to maintain their sanity, while battling the hostilities of today’s economic environment. Philadelphian’s Matt and Kay are young parents-to-be living in the basement of Matt’s mother’s house. The impending adult responsibility, coupled with the familial stresses of tight living quarters prompts their battle against family, the job market and each other.

The cast of BRIDESBURG features Jeff Barry (“Date Night,” “The Company Men”), Susan Ferrara (The Indie hit, “Then We Got Help!”), Julian Joseph (“Blue Bloods”), Brianne Moncrief (“The Sopranos,” “All My Children”) and Mizo Peck (“Night At The Museum" and “Night At The Museum ll,”).

Victor Kaufold has had productions at the Hudson Theater (Los Angeles), The Avery Theater (Annandale), and the Yale Cabaret. He is the youngest person ever to be nominated for an Ovation Award for best new play The Why that starred Fred Savage, Noah Wiley and James Marsters. The Blank Theatre in Los Angeles originally produced his play in 2000 as the winner of a young playwrights festival. Victor has had readings of other works at New York Theater Workshop, The Flea Theater, Ars Nova, La Mama and the Lark. Victor currently teaches theater at Medgar Evans College and English at Borough of Manhattan Community College and Fordham University. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. Kaufold grew up in a working class community in Philadelphia and his writing displays a true understanding of the complexity of family relationships and working class neighborhoods.

Jack Young is head of the University of Houston's Professional Actor Training Program. This past year he directed Comedy of Errors for Virginia Shakespeare Festival, directed Taming of the Shrew and played Iago in Othello for Houston Shakespeare Festival, and directed Arcadia for the UH-PATP. He has worked with new plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Duke Stage Company, Primary Stages, Pioneer Square Theatre (Seattle), The Warehouse Theatre (SC), and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. He directed Yussef El-Guindi's Hostages for The Miscreants in January 2010.

Miscreant Theatre, which was founded in 2008, is a circle of artists committed to creating theatre that is fresh and gritty, mounting productions that make use of various theatrical techniques that allow for avenues of discovery in to the human experience. Previous productions include Strindberg’s The Creditors, Chekhov's Ivanov and The Cherry Orchard, and Yussef El-Guindi's Hostages. BRIDESBURG is Miscreant's first world premiere.

The playing schedule for BRIDESBURG is as follows: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, with a matinee on Sundays at 2PM. Opening night is Monday, January 9th at 7PM. Tickets are $18. The production runs through January 28th.

For tickets visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/216443 or
www.miscreanttheatre.org

People You Should Know . . . Kelley Nicole Girod

2012-01-04T18:21:00.000-05:00

KelleyNicole Girod is a 2008 graduate of Columbia's MFA playwritingprogram where she was named the Stein and Liberace scholar as well as the JohnGolden fellow for her artistic merit. Kelley hails from Louisiana where sheattended Louisiana State University and works extensively with the artisticcommunity of Baton Rouge, most recently serving as a panel judge forLouisiana's artist in residency program. She has had plays produced in LosAngeles, New York, New Orleans, and Columbus, Ohio and has had readings atPrimary Stages, the Labyrinth Studio, and Horse Trade Theater Group (NYC),which produced her play Parabolas, Phases of Matter andmost recently Ambrosia. Kelley was named one ofnytheatre.com's 2011 "People of the Year" for her contribution to NYCtheatre. She is the founder and executive producer of The Fire This TimeFestival www.firethistimefestival.com

How did you get started in theatre?What compelled you to start
writing plays?

I startedwriting plays purely for the challenge of the art form. To me, it is themost unique form of storytelling that we have.

Tell me about The Fire This TimeFestival. What inspired you produce this festival? How has the festival grownand blossomed from year to year? Where would you like to see it in five years?

I started The Fire This Time because I felt that there was a standard in blacktheatre that myself and many others in the community did not adhere to, meaningthat there seems to be a model of what constitutes a "black" playbased on theme, language, structure, content etc. We were not writing theseplays and felt that there was a big part of the black experience that wasgetting overlooked by the theatre industry. The Fire This Time seeks tosupport all the voices and stories that illuminate the black experience. At theend of the day, if a play is written by a black person, even if it's a storyabout two white people in love, it is still a black expression.

We knew that this festival was not only necessary but desired by audiences whenwe completely sold out performances before we even opened in our first year.The audience was so diverse and they spoke back to the plays on stage. We wentway over seating capacity every evening to accommodate all who came to see theshows. When we couldn't fit anyone else in the theater space we had toput a gate up to keep people out. People jumped the gate and came in anyway.

Every year the festival grows by leaps and bounds. We now do not only shortplays but the playwrights who move into our second year get an evening to havea staged reading of a full length play. Our playwrights who move into thethird year can now have the opportunity to have a fully realized production andrun of a play. Pia Wilson who was a playwright in our inaugural year is havingher play "The Flower Thief" produced this August! We also have panelswhere we can provide a forum to talk about hot button issues in theatre. Inaddition, we will be doing an event with Atlantic Theatre this year.

My fellow producers and I, Derek Lee McPhatter and Germono Toussaint as well asHorse Trade Theater Group, are looking forward to the growth of thefestival. It would be really nice to have more of our brilliantplaywrights produced on other stages as well as ours in the future.

What kind of writing inspires you?

I likeanything new and original.

Do you have a certain ritual orroutine when you write? If so, what is it?

Before Ican write a word of a play I have to find an image that embodies the metaphorof the piece. Because I see a play as a poem, I have to have the metaphorbefore anything can go on paper. This usually takes some time, looking atpictures, looking up the meaning of words...

Who or what has been the biggestinfluence on your work as a writer thus far?

Mymother. She is like every other Louisiana Creole woman I know- beautiful, mysterious and strong. I feel with every play that I writethere is something about the Southern woman that I am trying to figure out.

What are you working on right now?

A play about my family. I am one of ten children. Enoughsaid. :)

People You Should Know . . . John Clancy

2012-01-04T18:11:00.000-05:00

John Clancy is an OBIE award winningdirector and Executive Artistic Director of Clancy Productions, Inc. He is thefounding Artistic Director of Present Company and a founding Artistic Directorof The New York International Fringe Festival. He has been honored with six ScotsmanFringe Firsts at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, two Best of the Festivals atthe Adelaide Fringe Festival, a Glasgow Herald Angel Award for direction and aNew York Magazine Award for “creativity, enterprise and vision”. In 2007, hiscompany was awarded the inaugural Edinburgh Festival Award by the EdinburghInternational Festival. Heserves as the Executive Director of The League of Independent Theater, theadvocacy organization for Off-Off Broadway.

How did you getstarted in theatre? When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I got kicked out of high-school in the middle of my junior year andwas ineligible to play football at the new school. They had a “ringer” rule where you had to be enrolled for atleast a year to be able to play, so I was looking for something to do after school and they were havingauditions for the play. I triedout, got a role and never looked back. I studied as an actor in college but when we got to New York in 1990 Ididn’t like the roles I was trying out for, so I started writing stuff I foundmore interesting. No one wanted todirect them, so I started directing as well.

What led youco-found the New York International Fringe Festival? How did your experiencewith FringeNYC inform your later work?

In 1996, when we first got the idea for the New York InternationalFringe Festival, the Lower East Side was absolutely exploding with venues,shows, companies and new American theater. We just wanted to corral all of that energy for two weeksand shine a big spotlight on it. Everything was there, we just wanted to focus it and put it ondisplay. The experience of runningthat festival, especially in the early days, was invaluable in showing me themany, many possibilities and paths of experimentation I could take in my ownwork. Also, I never take forgranted any producer or presenter’s work or time. Having been on the other side of the desk, I know how hard mostof those people are working.

What kind of writing inspires you?

I like fearless, borderline crazy writing. We used to tell playwrights to send us their craziest shit,the thing that they know will never be staged. The great cancer of American theater, in my opinion, issubtlety. That careful, layered,deep work of genius out there is the thing that makes me want to rush the stageand tackle people. I like playsthat start at full speed and full volume and kick it up from there. And there’s nothing wrong with beingfunny.

You've had quite abit of success across the pond at the Edinburgh festival. What do you love mostabout putting up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe?

There’s truly nothing like the Edinburgh Fringe. For us, it’s become like a Bedouingathering where we see friends and colleagues once a year and compare notes andstories from the Road. Also, thelevel of thoughtful and informed criticism makes you up your game eachyear. Your show has to not only begood and ready, but it has to be better than your show last year, or someone issure to call you on it. And it’s abeautiful, beautiful city.

Do you have acertain ritual or routine when you write? If so, what is it?

Depends on what I’m writing. Usually it starts with a pencil and a yellow legal pad and classical orjazz playing in the background. Itry to write fast, just get it down. Being a little older, I know now that the important work will be done inthe second or third rewrite. Theimportant thing is to not think or analyze too much at the beginning, just tryto catch the spirit of the words or thoughts or images as they tumble out.

Who or what has beenthe biggest influence on your work as a theatre artist thus far?

Most of the influences aren’t theatrical, except maybe ThorntonWilder. The energy and directnessof punk rock is always a goal. Also, early Penn and Teller, when they were reacting against the bigproduction numbers of David Copperfield and those guys. You had these serious, straight-facedmagicians prancing and prowling around a stage, making Bengal tigers andbuildings disappear and then you had these two strange-looking guys explainingto you, point-by-point how thetrick works and then blowing your mind anyway. That’s where the theater needs to go. That’s neo-Brechtian brilliance in itssimplest form.

What are you workingon right now?

We’re doing three of my earliest plays at Barrow Street for twoshows at the end of January. Comeon down and see me onstage, first time in about eight years. Should be a hoot.

People You Should Know . . . Nancy Walsh

2012-01-04T18:02:00.002-05:00

Nancy Walsh has been a professional actorfor the last 21 years. Performingin the United States, Australia and the U.K. she has won awards for many of theproductions in which she performed. She is the president of Clancy Productions.

How did youget started in theatre? When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I was in the 4th grade and taskedwith playing a version of Scrooge. My mom gave me a pair of wire rimmedglasses with no lenses. So when it came my turn to play the old coot Igot out on stage and something happened so I was left out there killing time infront of the whole school. I had to think fast and so I took off theglasses to clean them and put my finger through them. I was staring atthe glasses in disbelief and horror and the entire auditorium was convulsed inlaughter. Now I will grant you this had nothing to do with AChristmas Carol, but still it remains one of the clearest and best memoriesof loving being in front of an audience.

What was themost challenging part you've ever played? What did you love most about playingthe part?

Ebenezer Scrooge, of course. Seriously,I believe that playing Maura Brown in C.J. Hopkins screwmachine/eyecandyor How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Big Bob, was one of the morechallenging roles I have ever played. She watches her husband get beatento death on stage in front of her. That was pretty challenging.

There was also Susan from DonNigro's one-hander Cincinnati. I ended up loving to play her. Butthe first time I went on stage with Susan was just a month after brain surgery. I went to Edinburgh with Clancy Productions. The tumor was veryclose to the executive speech center, I couldn't speak, my neurosurgeon assuredme that I would be able to generate language but that it could take a littlewhile. I could understand everything but not too sharp at responding. Wow. What the hell was I thinking? They (Assembly Rooms staff) allowedme to begin in the second week. Everyone was placing bets on whether Iwould go home or go on. I wanted to go home so desperately but between mystubborn Irish personality and the love of a truly caring man, I stayed andwent on. This remains my most challenging performances and naturally, oneof the most rewarding.

What kind ofwriting inspires you?

Excellentwriting. The kind of writing that is about something more than it seems. Universal,relevant, immediate and entertaining. That is really the kindof writing I love is at its base: ENTERTAINING. Has to be,otherwise, you have made demands on people's time with no regard for them.Believe me if they are anything like me they will think long and hard beforethey waste their time getting dressed and leaving the soft sofa and getting themselvesto a theater to watch your boring ass.

You've hadquite a bit of success across the pond at the Edinburgh festival. What do youlove most about putting up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe?

There is nothing else for you todo but the work. It has a way of making me single focused andclear-headed. No distractions, just working to get the show open and stayinghealthy for the all 29 or so performances.

Who or whathas been the biggest influence on your work as a actor thus far?

John Clancy.

What are youworking on right now?

Three short pieces John wrote 20plus years ago. We will perform them together as we did at the Piano Store in1994. The performances are scheduled for 2 nights at The Barrow StreetTheater toward the end of January. I wanted to get some of John's earlywork on Martin Denton's Indietheaternow.com. I was literally typing them into thecomputer and was thinking these are really terrific. Synchronicity maybe,but I am very eager to perform with John in the same plays. One of thepieces is called Falling Outand that is what happens to the couple. Fun,fun, fun.

THEN WE GOT HELP! nominated for 5 Indie Soap Awards!

2011-12-24T22:34:00.001-05:00

Then we got HELP! got nominated for 5 Indie Soap Awards:

BEST WEB SERIES (COMEDY)
BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY) JULIE ANN EMERY
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (COMEDY) BLAKE HAMMOND
BEST ENSEMBLE (COMEDY)
BEST GUEST APPEARANCE (COMEDY) SAM MACMURRAY

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!!!!

2011-12-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

People You Should Know . . . Julian Joseph

2011-12-22T19:13:00.000-05:00

JULIAN JOSEPH is aNew York native. Most recently, he guest starred in The Philanthropist on NBC. Other credits include Law & Order and Blue Bloods.

How did you get started in theatre? What compelled you tobecome an actor?

I got started in theatre at a youngage, at around 8, bouncing between "TADA" and "Neighborhood Playhouse".At around 12 I stopped and didn't take an interest in acting again until I was18.

Tell me about BRIDESBURG. How do you feel rehearsals aregoing? What do you love most about the play?

Bridesburg is aninteresting play dealing with class struggle and family.

Rehearsals are going great and movingfast which I love. Acting under different circumstance whether it be puttingon a show in 1 week or working with re-writes until showtime or anything isgood because it makes you a stronger actor prepared for anything. It makes youa pro.

What drew me to the play is the topicbut also the roller coaster ride of drama and comedy.

What kind of writing inspires you?

The kind of writing that inspires me isthe kind that shows the story of people we rarely get to see on a stage but canrepresent them in a way that allows different kinds of people to connect withthem. It's writing like that that changes the way we see certain social issues.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work as aactor thus far?

I guess my family has been my greatestinfluence, although they are musicians, seeing their talent and dedication isconstantly making me want to be a better artist.

What else are you working on right now?

Right now, I'm working on a short film(Maybe She's Born With It) that Iwrote and produced about a fleeting actress and her bumbling manager. It’s beenan amazing experience so far.

People You Should Know . . . Erin Browne

2011-12-22T07:38:00.001-05:00

ERIN BROWNE has written the full-length plays AMeth Play, Coffee/Lovelorn, Devil to Pay, Hence, Menders, Narrator 1, Not As of Yet, Projects, Return, and Trying. Return was awinner of the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center inaugural Play Reading SeriesContest and will have a staged reading in December 2011. Erin’s play Narrator 1 was produced by Iron JawCompany at Theater Row. Trying wasproduced at the Bushwick Starr and a radio play version of Trying was the winner of the BBC World Service International RadioPlay Contest and was broadcast on BBC World Service. It was also shortlistedfor the Richard Imison Award from the Writers’ Guild of Great Brittan. A Meth Play was the winner of theNational Student Drama Fest’s International Playscript Award and received areading at NSDF. Erin’s full-length plays have been read and developed with thehelp of Flux Theatre Ensemble, the Saltbox Theatre, Iron Jaw Company, TheForge, At Hand Theatre Company, Hip Obscurity, Potluck Plays, RattlestickPlaywrights Theatre, The Flea, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, America in Play,Abingdon Theatre, Columbia University, and New York University. Erin’s shortplays and collaborative texts have been produced by MadShag, The Forge, PACEUniversity, The Slant Theater Project, Poliglot Theater, Spork Fest, BrooklynPlaywrights Collective, Sticky, Adelphi University, Columbia University, andBrooklyn College. Her screenplays have been award finalists and her poetrywidely published. Erin primarily works in television documentaries and lives inBrooklyn.

How did you get started in theatre? Whatcompelled you to start writing plays?

I started dance at age two and loved dressing up and performingstories.

I wrote poetry as soon as I learned to write words because my momhad been reading it to me since I was born, and likely before. Plus, myparents had taken me to see A ChristmasCarol, so I kind of understood what theater was. I still remember thatproduction, and I saw it when I was maybe four, so, I never really had a chanceto not be into theater. But the deal was finally sealedwhen in the first grade my Dad bought me two tapes - the cast recordings of Annie and Really Rosie, two musicals about kids and their problems. I figuredI could definitely write plays about kids, so started doing that and making myneighborhood friends be in them because it was free to do and we could saythings we normally couldn’t say as “characters” in a play. And Ijust have written plays and worked in theater ever since.

Tell meabout MENDERS. What inspired you to write the play? How do you feel rehearsals are going? What do you love most aboutworking with Flux?

I was inspired by soooo many things to write Menders. It's a mélange (I love thatword). I grew up with fairy tales, myths, magical realism, and tons ofsci-fi. I'd been reading about The Disappeared in Argentina and themothers who still grieved for them. Then a couple of friends and I -actor Vivia Font, director Donya Washington, and I - had a space to do areading so I needed to write a play for it. We combed the papers and talkedabout what was important to us at the time, over Cuban food and drinks onenight. There was the second Bush presidency, there was political discussionover whether ‘Don't Ask Don't Tell’ should be repealed, there had been scandalover the treatment and markedly sexual hazing of female cadets at West Point,Parisian youth were protesting their work week getting longer and a loss ofexpected job security, and there was a wall being built between the US andMexico. The absurdity that this wall would change the issue of illegalimmigration at all really hit me hard, having grown up in Southern California.It basically seemed like a symbolic thing that was a huge waste of resources toplacate a group of people who have very different values than mine. Plus,Vivia said she had always wanted to play a character with wings – so there waswriting that in for her...I left that meeting with my head spinning. How couldI find story and structure for a play about so many things? So, I went tomy meditations, my bibles, the books that calm me and keep me on my path - Istarted reaching for my poetry books. Robert Frost's idyllic and concrete worldof everyday things guided all of those ideas into the first draft of Menders.

Rehearsals are going great! It’s always stunning to me when thisthing that has lived in my head for so long means something to other people.Heather Cohn, the director, literally surprises me everyday with how amazinglygood she is. And the actors, design, and production team are beyond my wildestexpectations.

The thing I like most about working with Flux - is a lot. Ithink they are brave and loyal and smart and beautiful. I wish I could dateFlux, I guess maybe I am dating Flux right now. But more than anything they feellike my family now. I care about them and love them and trust them both as agroup and individuals. From my first contact with them, it was evident theyfostered this environment in which there was support and not competition. Somany situations in the arts and in theater can be competitive, and I reallydon't like that, that's not why I make theater - Flux has a refreshing absenceof that. It feels a little bit like the way it did making plays with my friendsin elementary school, just really really good.

What kindof writing inspires you?

Mmm poetry. Fiction. The news. Comedy. More than otherwriting - things that inspire me are life, being in other people's homes,observing big families, found families, dance and music and studio art- artwith no words. Also, nature and deadlines.

Who orwhat has been the biggest influence on your work as a writer thus far?

I don't think there is one biggest thing. There are a lotof writers who've influenced me - Maria Irene Fornes, Sarah Kane, TennesseeWilliams, and Christopher Marlowe are probably the biggies. WheneverI get totally lost, I reread Mud andit seems to help.

What elseare you working on right now?

Too much. I need to work on a vacation.

People You Should Know . . . Kelly McAllister

2011-12-19T22:24:00.000-05:00

Kelly McAllister- Plays include: Burning the Old Man,which won the 2005 NYIT award for Outstanding Full Length Script and isfeatured in One on One- Best Men’s Monologues for the 21^stCentury and Duo! The BestScenes for Two for the 21^st Century (Applause Books),Best Men’s Monologue’s 2005 (Smith & Kraus), and Plays andPlaywrights 2006 (NYTE); Hela and Troy, finalist 2011 Humana Festival at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville,published by Playscripts, inc.; Last Call, 2002 FringeNYC Excellence in Playwritingaward, featured in Best Stage Scenes 2002 (Smith & Kraus) and theanthology Plays and Playwrights 2003 (NYTE); Muse of Fire; TheMorons, winner 2005 Ten by Ten one act contest at Triangle Theatre Company,NC; Some Unfortunate Hour; The Rembrandt section of The Heist Project,in collaboration with Art House Productions; and Fenway: Last of theBohemians. He had his first international production in May 2009, whenDivadlo na Zabradli of Prague opened Cesta Horiciho Muze, the Czechtranslation of Burning the Old Man- where it is still performing to sold outhouses. He is currently working onhis first film, a short called Strong Tea. His plays have been produced and/orworkshopped by many fine theatres, including Boomerang Theatre Company, OregonShakespeare Festival, hope theatre, inc., Impetuous Theatre Group, Gravity andGlass Productions, the Playwrights Collective of Seattle, Children’s TheatreWorkshop, and The Other Theatre of Denver. In 2003, San Jose State University named him Graduate of theLast Decade for the School of Humanities. He was also a senior reviewer for nytheatre.com for 2003-2005. You can read his blog atrkmcallister.blogspot.com.

How did you getstarted in theatre? What compelled you to start writing plays?

I first got into theatre when I was in 7th grade. My olderbrother and sister had both been cast in the hight school show, and I would tagalong to rehearsals, and sort of became the unofficial mascot of the highschool drama program- I watched productions of All My Sons and Harvey andA Midsummer Night's Dream and fell inlove with the whole process. In college, I was an undeclared major for myfirst two years at San Jose State University, then my third year, I suddenlyplunged into theatre and did all sorts of things- mostly acting, but also stagemanaging and directing. I dabbled with writing here and there, but itwasn't until my first play, Last Call,got accepted into FringeNYC that I really got serious about writing. After that first run- hearing people react to what I had written, gettingpublished, etc.- I was hooked. It was like something sort of clickedinside, and I thought "oh, this is what I need to do with myself."

Congrats on yourplays getting published on Indie Theater Now. Tell me about your new play,RIDDLE LOST (which I saw in the Boomerang First Flight Reading Series)What inspired you to write the piece?

Riddle Lost, my latest play,is the result of a long fascination death, sorrow, guilt, and unresolvedissues. It also has a lot of theatrical devices, which I love. I startedout trying to tell the true story of the Modoc War of 1872, but came acrossthis guy- Jefferson Davis Riddle, who was a real life survivor of that war. His mother was Modoc, his father a white settler. He was ten at thetime of the war, and at that time was named Charka. After the whiteskilled off and/or removed the Modoc, his parents renamed him Jefferson DavisRiddle. When Riddle grew up, he wrote a book about the war, and died ina car crash just before America entered the second world war. So the playbecame more about Riddle, and how to deal with the pride and shame of beingAmerican, and how to deal with the pride and shame of being native American. I think we all have unresolved issues with the past- both our own, ourfamilies, and our cultures. And there are lots of mythological figures-another life long fascination. In the play, there are mostly figures fromEuropean and native American mythology- along with a cigar store Indian.

What kind ofwriting inspires you?

I am inspired by all sorts of writing- from classics like The Illiad to The X-files. I love writers who surprise me not so much withcleverness, but by making me suspend my disbelief. Chekhov, Shakespeare,and Williams are among my heroes, along with Stoppard, O'Neill, Wes Anderson,Shepard, Albee, Ionesco, Beckett, Churchill- the list is long of writers Ilove, and I notice a lot of dead old honkeys on my list- oh, and Tony Kushnerfor Angels in America. Love that piece- sort of freed up a lot of people,I think.

Do you have acertain ritual or routine when you write? If so, what is it?

When I write, I usually turn on some music, make a cup of coffee,and hopefully forget about both of them before the first page is done. Later, if things have gone well, I'll notice the coffee is cold and themusic stopped playing hours ago. Also, I usually journal when working ona project. Keeps the writing muscles in shape.

Who or what hasbeen the biggest influence on your work as a writer thus far?

There have been several big influences on my work- first off, theNew York International Fringe Festival gave my work life- being a part of thatmadness, meeting so many artists, seeing so many plays in such a short time,really had a gigantic effect on me. Also, Martin and Rochelle Denton havebeen fantastic supporters, co-conspirators, and friends. And I've hadseveral teachers who taught me so much, about both life and theatre- JoAnnaBeckson, Hal J. Todd, David Kahn, and Taft Miller, just to name a few.

What are youworking on right now?

Right now, I'm working on a screenplay- I can't say more than it'sbased on the Scottish play, sort of, and has lots of sex, drugs, androck-n-roll. Also working on RiddleLost, and I'm making a short film called Strong Tea, which is about murder at Thanksgiving. Fun forthe whole family.

People You Should Know . . . Brian Silliman

2011-12-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

Brian Silliman Recent credits include H4 (Falstaff) at Theatre Row, Much Ado About Nothing (Dogberry) with American Globe, thenational tours of The Comedy ofErrors (Egeon, Nell, Courtesan, Officer) and The Iliad: Book One (Agamemnon) with Aquila, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bottom), Twelfth Night (Sir Toby), The Taming of the Shrew (Gremio), Henry IV (Falstaff) and Carousel (Starkeeper) with the Summer Theatre of New Canaan,and many projects with New York's independent theatre scene. Original playsinclude Savior (Comic BookTheatre Festival, 2011) The Magic ofMrs. Crowling (Kraine Theatre, 2007, published by Original WorksPublishing), The Colonel's Holiday (PoorArtists, 2005), The Birth, Adoption,and Death of Dorothy Dutchess (NY Fringe, 2003), and the books to Jonestown the Musical (NY Fringe 2004), 16 Days, and the upcoming Wonder Pig. He is a graduate ofIthaca College.

How didyou get started in theatre? When did you know that you wanted to be an actor?

I started my senior yearof high school because I couldn't get cast before that. My first play wasBrighton Beach Memoirs, playing the father. I had never gotten so close with agroup of people before, and had never loved doing something so much. At the endof that run I pretty much knew I was doomed.

Tell me about ADVANCE MAN. How arerehearsals going? What do you love most about the play?

I haven't rehearsed toomuch yet, but I always love the professionalism, intelligence, and moraleJordana Williams brings into the rehearsal room. She's definitely spoiled medirector-wise. What I love about the play is how Mac mixes genres- its partfamily dramedy, part sci-fi intrigue. It's August: Osage County meets Alien.

You've worked with Mac Rogers on severaloccasions. What do you love most about his writing?

Mac has a dark,eccentric, and whimsical sense of humor that I really gravitate to. Hischaracters are funny, but often deeply flawed. That kind of depth gives anactor an insane amount to work with. His dialogue is heightened, yet natural atthe same time.

What kind of writing inspires you?

Dark comedy has alwaysbeen a huge inspiration for me. Christopher Durang in particular was the reasonI started writing, before reading him I didn't know those types of playsexisted. I also think Steven Moffat is one of the best writers working today,in any medium.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work as an actor thus far?

Shakespeare has been ahuge influence, once I started working on those plays much of my techniquechanged. But at the end of the day my biggest acting influence has come fromwatching, talking, and working with other actors. Being in the moment withanother actor, whether in film or theatre, can't help but inspire and changeyou. Sometimes it's a subtle thing, but it's always there.

What else are you working on right now?

I have some filmprojects in development, I'm working on a new play that deals with a soap operabeing suddenly cancelled, and I continue to work on a new musical called"Wonder Pig" that I write with my collaborators Larry Lees and AmandaMorton. Aside from that I'm always looking for my next acting job.

People You Should Know . . . Amanda Duarte

2011-12-15T18:38:00.003-05:00

Amanda Duarte is a writer, actor anddirector who lives in Brooklyn. Recent acting work includes How To Pray at Centenary Stage Company, JackGoes Boating at Aurora Theatre Company, Slavey at Clubbed Thumb,endoftheworldlovesong at The Flea, The Seagull at Columbia University. Her solo play Lucky Pink Wonderlandenjoyed a critically acclaimed, twice-extended run at the PIT in NYC. TV: Law & Order: CI. Recent directing work includes Kathyand Emily Are: Total Sweethearts at the PIT, Dominate Yourself! at the Fringe,UCB NY and UCB LA, Jewish Enough at the Magnet and the web short "NoDenying Love", which made Funny or Die's home page and can also be seen onYouTube. She is a regular atcomedy, variety and storytelling events around the city, and can be heardselling you lots of wonderful and useful products on television and radio. Eventually, she will get off her assand finish her book, screenplay and play, and when she does, you will be ableto read all about it at www.amandaduarte.com

How did you getstarted in theatre? When did you know that you wanted to be an actor?

I started acting when Iwas a child- my parents divorced when I was young and I didn't feel like I wasgetting enough attention, so I decided to make that the world's problem. Through the years I have failed to pickup any additional life or job skills, for which I also blame the world.

Tell me about ADVANCEMAN. How are rehearsals going?What do you love most about the play?

Well, so far inrehearsal I have been groped, grabbed, thrown to the ground and flirted with bymarried men in front of their wives- and I have only been called for tworehearsals. I have been with myhusband a long time, and things can become... routine, so this kind of thing istremendously exciting to me. WhatI love most about the play is that all of this inappropriate touching iswritten into the script, so I don't have to beg for it like some sad old cougar.

What kind of writinginspires you?

Anything with a part forme in it.

Who or what has beenthe biggest influence on your work as an actor thus far?

Elaine Stritch. My life, career and talents do notresemble hers in the slightest, but her unapologetic intelligence, utteroriginality and raw lioness beauty inspire me as a human every day. I have a picture of her in my bathroom.

What else are youworking on right now?

I've been writing a lotof prose pieces and personal essays, and performing at several storytellingevents around the city, so I'm trying to figure out the next step withthat. I also have a solo play thathas been trying to crawl out of me for about a year, and it's nearcompletion. Most importantly, I'mtrying to lose my Thanksgiving weight before I go home for Christmas, becausemy mom always notices, and the comments are not kind.

People You Should Know . . . Doug Strassler

2011-12-15T18:33:00.000-05:00

Doug Strassler is a Manhattan native who took a few sidetours growing up in New Jersey and Virginia before returning to the Big Apple.When not daylighting at a corporate gig at WebMD, Doug writes about theentertainment industry. Last year he caught almost 300 plays, 200 movies andover 100 different TV shows, watching them all so you don’t have to. He is theeditor at OffOffOnline.comand of the New York IT Awards newsletter, and was editor-at-large at ShowBusiness magazine. His writing can also be found on New York Press, BackStage, Broadway Direct, TheaterMania, Our Town Downtown, West Side Spirit,TailSlate, and The Critical Condition. Last year he served on the specialnominating committee for the Drama Desk. His loves wonton soup and hates having hispicture taken.

How did you get started in theatre? What compelled you tostart writing about it?

I started in theaterbecause I wanted to act. I knew from a young age, before there were words toarticulate it, that I wanted to be in movies. Only later on did I realize thatyou could make a living and be defined by such a life – and that it wasdesirable to anyone else for those reasons. But I had no access to theater. Iremember watching the Tonys in 1990 and thinking “Who the hell are thesepeople?” But I made it a mission to find out what these plays were, who thesetheaters were named after, who these performers were and why they were deemedgood. And decided, since growing up in the sleepy suburbs of northern Virginiaoffered few opportunities to dive into TV or the movies, that acting on stagewould be the next step. So I nursed my show business jones by acting, which Idid a lot of, but pretty much only in school.

And in order to findout more about what made the good good and the bad bad, I read as much as Icould in a pre-Internet age, which in my house meant The Washington Post and TheNew York Times. Every morning. Since I was 10. I never had a chance to benormal. Suddenly, getting to have a say seemed just as appealing as the actingthing did. I decided I wanted to act and write. But with equal passion. And Ibecame the entertainment editor of the paper at every one of my schools,straight through college. I stopped acting when I went to college (Universityof Virginia). But I kept writing.

Do you have a writing routine? If so, what is it?

It depends on howmuch time I have. I never take notes during a show, or even a movie. I think it’srude and distracting, and takes me out of the work itself as well. Ideally, I’dwrite some notes down later that night after seeing something, and then thefollowing day piece together a review. Usually the spine of the review – thetone, the order of things – forms itself then as I go along. And then I’d likeone more day to look it over and finish it. There are definitely things that Iforget – more turns of phrase that had come to mind earlier than actual ideasabout a work – but I look at it as throwing spaghetti against a wall. The stuffthat sticks is the stuff that was meant to comprise a given review.

Having said that, Inever have that much time.

How do you feel the New York theatre scene has changed overthe last 5 years?

You know, I’m notsure that it has. I’ve seen shows here for over two decades, and lived here foralmost one, but I’ve only been thoroughly enmeshed for the last four or five.Has it changed? There are obvious observations, like the number offilm-to-stage adaptations or how expensive it is to mount a show, and not juston Broadway. I think the actual shifts you can see cover all forms ofentertainment. People speak in a sort of shorthand now that can affect thepacing, the tone, and the actual language used in a show, a movie or a series.And it’s a double-edged sword that can make a work sound fresh or lazy. There’smore integration, of course, of multimedia elements, which can sometimes work,and sometimes feel redundant. Just because people largely communicate throughtexting and Facebook doesn’t mean I always need to see that kind of shorthandon display in play format.

One thing I don’tlike? Site-specific theater. I am not a big fan of gimmicks in general, so theidea that a show is special because it takes place somewhere other than atraditional stage doesn’t really do it for me. How about you make a show sogood that it’s unlike anything I’ve seen onstage before? Then I’m in.

What kind of writing inspires you?

A lot. This is goingto have to be a long answer, because no matter how much I write, read or see, I’mstill the little kid who got excited by the movies. You know why? Because I hadawesome, open-minded parents who sat their children down in front of a TV setand a movie screen and taught them that it was a way of expanding their worldrather than escaping it. So I am a fan of any kind of storytelling that’s ableto transport you somehow. I also love anything that forces you to feel, whichis why my two favorites genres are romances and thrillers. What scares us themost? Dying and telling someone we love them. Or someone else dying and someoneelse not telling us they love us. And I love stories that are rich, no matterhow they are told. Doesn’t matter the genre or length. I’ve argued that theBest Picture Oscar (I talk about the Oscars a lot; I’m a big Hollywood awardaficionado) could have easily gone to non-traditional movies like Alien, Back to the Future, or DieHard. Because they’re all clever movies that are about something. That hook you in and never let go.

So there is a litanyof writers that I love who tap into the most basic yet deepest of humanemotions: Alice Munro, Richard Russo, Pat Conroy, Joan Didion, Jonathan Franzen,Stephen King. Jonathan Tropper kills me. No other writer thinks as close to meas that man does. And writers who’ve shaped my outlook on life, on work, onwriting are some of the greats: Paddy Chayefsky, Billy Wilder, Larry Gelbart,Neil Simon, Terrence McNally, Richard LaGravanese, Sondheim, Robert Benton,Nora Ephron, Naomi Foner, Anna Hamilton Phelan, John Sayles. And there’s anewer generation of great, accomplished writers that fascinate me by what theyare able to create: Adam Szymkowicz, Crystal Skillman, Bekah Brunstetter, CaseyWimpee, Kirsten Palmer, Blair Singer, Samuel Hunter, Stephen Dietz, GusSchulenberg, Stephen Belber, Adam Bock, Sheila Callaghan, Rachel Axler,Courtney Baron, Stephen Karam, Daniel Talbott, Michael Zam, Adam Mathias.

And my favoritereviewers may be critics, but theyhave the same grasp on how wonderful storytelling can be: Stephen Hunter,Stephen Holden, Mark Harris, Keith Uhlich, Stephanie Zacharek, Mark Peikert allwrite about the art of making art exquisitely. Joel Stein, for example, wrote acolumn on suffering nearly a decade ago that I’ve never forgotten. It’simportant to me that critics aren’t looked at as savage beasts who just look totear something down. I hate whenever someone says “You had to see that? I’m sosorry.” No matter how bad a show might be, it’s still a privilege to be part ofa group that comes together to see something in which we all share an interest.I never ever want to take that for granted, nor have my writing appear that Ido. Coming to NYC was great because I found myself in the same town as peoplewho I had grown up agreeing with and respecting from afar. And you know what’sawesome. Now I’m even friends with a few of them.

I find that the mostfrustrating thing in the world to me are people. And I also find that the mostfascinating thing in the world are people. Right? People are so complex! Whatthey want, what they endure, how navigate lives, how they make mistakes and howthey recover from them. You know how when you hear a song that you know come onyour brain goes through all these revolutions? Within just a couple of seconds,you’re able to process what the song is, who sings it, where else you may haveheard it, and a number of memories it might evoke. That’s an immense amount ofthought for virtually no time at all. So multiply that out over the course of alifetime, and you realize just how much thinking and feeling all people can dowithout even realizing it. People have such amazing stories to tell! Everyperson, even if you don’t like him or her. Growing up, I always thought theperfect name for my autobiography would be “Tell me a story.” And apparently, Iwasn’t alone, because that’s exactly what Lesley Stahl entitled herautobiography. Thanks, Lesley Stahl. Thanks a lot.

Was there a show or performance in the last 12 months thatcompletely surprised you? If so, what was it and why?

I think I amsurprised fairly often by how good something is, even if there is just oneelement that strikes me. But a show I fell in love with last year that I stilltalk about, and which I believe is now performed regionally, is Samuel Hunter’sA Bright New Boise. Just a perfect,rich, original show given a totally polished production.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work as awriter thus far?

Other writers Iadmire. The thought that any of them might read something of mine and not likeit terrifies me and pushes me.

What else are you working on right now?

Well, I’mcontributing to about ten different outlets right now, and would like that tocontinue. But I also want to write more creative stuff, which I did a lot of inmy teens. In my mind there are several other stories at play, a couple screenplayideas, several pilots, also an idea for a play. Between being busy, being lazyand being scared to death of failure, I haven’t put much down in print, butthese are ideas that have running through my mind for upwards of a decade. Somy resolution for 2012 is to get over it and get to work.

People You Should Know . . . Sean Williams

2011-12-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

SeanWilliams is currently theexecutive producer for Gideon Productions, although he is toying around withchanging his title to "Viscount". Over the last 12 years, withGideon, he has produced Viral, UniversalRobots, Hail Satan, Fleet Week The Musical, three episodic adventures withThe Vampire Cowboys and a whole stack of things that he's just as proud of butyou probably didn't see. He also served as the executive producer of TheSoundtrack Series from it's inception through November of 2011. His day jobconsists of working for different publishing companies as a music educator, andparenting his two small children like Captain Von Trapp - except the CaptainVon Trapp at the end when he's very nice. While he has acted in some four dozenproductions, man and boy, he held a press conference in 2005 announcing hisretirement and he would like people to *respect* that, if you please. Needlessto say, he will be acting in Gideon's upcoming production of Advance Man running at The Secret Theaterin January.

How did you get started in theatre? Whatcompelled you to become an actor?

Growing up, I wentthrough a thousand daydreams about all the people I wanted to be, all thedifferent careers I wanted to have. I was a musician from very young, so theidea of performance was always looming in the back of my mind, but Idesperately wanted to be a teacher and an athlete and even crazy shit, like Ihad hoped when I grew up I could be an elephant or a lion or something. At somepoint in early high school, I realized that I wanted to be all these thingsbecause I really wanted to tell my friends what it was like to be all thesethings - I was far more interested in a response to the narrative than I was inexisting within these insane disparate lives. I would much rather sit and swapstories with someone than do just about anything else, and my understanding wasthat you got to do that if you live your life as an actor. I've actually foundit *more* true as a producer, it turns out.

Tell me about ADVANCEMAN. How are rehearsals going?What do you love most about the play?

Have you seen the cast?It's insane. It's unlike anything I've been able to do before. We walked intorehearsal and every single person has come in with a set of intensely smart,intensely small, intensely crafted decisions, and then they throw everything atJordana and let her either fine-tune moments or radically changeinterpretations in order to give the entire piece the shape and scope that sheand Mac are looking for. We're early in the process, but right now it has beenthe most quickly rewarding process I've ever been involved in.

The play is pure MacRogers. If you look at the body of his work, he is always telling GIGANTICstories by telling very, very small stories. If you look at the script, onfirst read you can tell it's a sci-fi adventure about an impending alieninvasion of earth, and then if you think about it more you can see it's a storyabout two families and the way we respond to those we are born to love andthose we choose for our life's work. But it's also a backstager - a play aboutthe one thousand negotiations we make to crawl our way toward that one momentthat changes everything. And, at its heart, it's about a brother and a sister,and how they become either the savior or the destroyer of our world, dependingon how you look at it. All of this, and we laugh all the way through everyrehearsal and read through.

Tell me about Gideon Productions. What compelled you to found the company? Where would you like tosee the company in five years?

Y'know, I sometimes lookat the people around me and marvel at their good fortune, because they got tobe born wealthy or they get to be really tall and beautiful or something, butthen I realize that my own great good fortune - having met Jordana and Mac whenwe were all still in college, is really something I wouldn't trade foranything. We actually started this company when we realized that we wereexactly as inspired as we were cagey. We had no doubt that any of a handful ofcompanies that already existed would be happy to work with us, but ... I don'tknow. We have a way that we want to do things, the three of us, and we thoughtwe could do it right. A decade later, I think we were right.

A five-year goalincludes a lot of things that we have no control over. We would like to grow ina number of ways, but we don't want to risk where we are right now. When we doa play, we get to talk to Matt Freeman and James Comtois and J Holtham and awhole slew of great minds that are actually interested and invested in ourplays... so do we want to sell out a six month run? I guess, but I'm happyright now selling out a three week run to a group of invested and energizedpeople who really want to be there. I would love to be reviewed by all themajor arts media publications, but only if they're reviewing what we alreadydo, I'd hate to change our programming just to court the Times.

You've worked with Mac Rogers on several occasions. How did you meet? What do you love most about hiswriting?

Mac was working as agarbage man and I breezed into town needing a place to stay while I worked onmy epic poem "Confessions". I moved into Mac's basement, where he wasliving with Jordana, and I inspired him to start keeping a journal. Mac startedposting bits of his journal online and got a huge following, eventually beingpublished and winning the Nobel Prize. I got Mac's roommate pregnant, so we hadto get married, but my criminal past eventually caught up to me and I had toflee the country with Mac and Jordana's help. My poem "Confessions"is terrible.

Look, he was the bestman at my wedding, I was the officiate at his. I can't really tell you abouthis writing, other than to say this - I wish every single one of his plays wastwice as long as it is. The worst thing he's ever written, the thing that makeshim cringe with embarrassment - to watch that play, for me, is like taking abath at a spa.

What kind of writinginspires you?

I'm horrible withfiction. I really am. Almost all the fiction I read, I keep thinking,"wait... but... this didn't happen, right?" It's stupid. But I lovesci-fi, I love novels and plays that are set in alternate realities or in aremoved enough world from ours that I'm not bogged down in details. I loveheightened language, I love it when the people speak in a way that requires mytranslations. I loved Dog Act, I love Clockwork Orange. I love Neil Stephenson and Jonathan Safran Foer - anything where either thecircumstances are invented analogs for our world, or the language requireshearing the music of the writer.

Who or what has beenthe biggest influence on your work as a theatre maker thus far?

As a producer, I'minspired by Amanda Feldman and Tim Errickson. Amanda has one of the mostelectrifying minds in the indie theater world, she can quote chapter and verseon almost anything you've got questions about, and if even *half* of her ideashad the traction and people power behind them that she needs, we'd be living ina much better artistic world. Tim's heart is bigger than you can imagine. Hisinvestment in his own work is staggering, but it's nothing compared to howdeeply he cares about our community, and how hard he's willing to work. Thereis nobody too small that he won't go to bat for them, and nobody too big forhim to inspire.

I should say, I'minspired by these guys, but so far that inspiration hasn't led to a whole lotof *influence*. They are both completely amazing, and I don't have NEARLYenough energy to be that awesome.

What else are youworking on right now?

I got babies, man. I gottwo kids, that's it, that's my life. Honestly, all this talk about theater,this all - all of this - fits into the 45 cumulative minutes a day I have whenI'm not being driven insane by my kids.

Although - we are doingthree shows this spring (Advance Man in January, Blast Radius inMarch and Sovereign in June) and we would very much like to producea piece we've got our eyes on in the Fringe Festival. Beyond that, next year, Iknow there are a number of shows we've been talking about, but for now I'm justgonna keep changing diapers and running lines and try to see the December sunwhen I can.

People You Should Know . . . Juliet Jeske

2011-12-15T08:16:00.000-05:00

Juliet Jeske has appeared innumerous theater productions in Chicago and New York, her most recent wasOff-Broadway production of "Cut to the Chase" which was nominated fora Drama Desk award, In which she was not only a cast member but also thecostume designer. She has performed musical and non-musical roles ineverything from children's theater to opera. She wrote her first scriptfor the stage at age 27 and her last play PrincessSunshine's Bitter Pill of Truth Funhouse nearly sold out its run andreceived overwhelming positive press in the 2007 NY International FringeFestival. Juliet also plays the accordion and ukulele andwrites songs for her various alter egos. Recently she started bloggingfor the Huffington Post. Her articles have gotten her so much attentionthat she decided to write a memoir about being married to a closet caseclown. At night she works as an emcee and host in the burlesque andvariety circuit and you can sometimes catch her doing her stand-up at variousclubs. By day pays her rent working as a clown or face painter atbirthday parties all over the New York Metro area. www.julietjeske.com

How did you get started in theatre?

I was 11 years old. It wasn't theater as much as a talentshow. I wrote a sketch of a fast food chain commercial called"Johnny's!" It was basically me trying to imitate SCTV. Peoplecouldn't believe I wrote it myself, but I did. I played a man, and wore atie! It was ridiculous. I tended to get cast in small roles intheater when I was young mostly because I was LOUD! I never got the bigroles, always the character parts...and I still do now!

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I have no idea. I have been performing so long, it is allblurry. I just loved performing but I also love creating. I am muchhappier now as more of a comedian than I was as an actor. I like thecreativity of writing my own material and coming up with my own characterswithout someone else's script or a director telling me what to do. Plus Idon't fit nicely into a box, as I am a bit of a character actor who looks verystraight and leading lady, yet I rarely play those kind of roles. So Iidentify now as a comedian more than as actor. The reality of the life ofmost actors is bleak, I kind of hate the industry but I love performing. It is an incredibly tough business as there are so many brilliant talentedpeople yet so few jobs.

Tell me about how being married to a gay clown changed your life.

There is too much to write to answer that question. Theclowning world is very strange and very snobby and I am glad I am no longerneck deep in it. I could honestly write a book, so I won't do ithere! Joel is a larger than life personality it was hard not to getsucked into his world.

The gay issue has messed me up pretty bad. I have troubledating now and trusting people. He hid a lot of me, and the lies anddeception damaged me, I am not going to lie about it. We are friends butit took some time and space before that could happen. The plight ofstraight spouses is really heavy, the only people who really understand it areother straight spouses. One day I hope that being gay will be viewed asjust another way of being human, and men and women can fulfill their whitepicket fence dreams and still live an open and gay life. The closet is ahorrible place to live, and it is a real tragedy that our society still has somuch fear of homosexuality.

What made you decide to write about your ex-husband?

The editors of the Huffington Post divorce section kind of beggedme. I didn't want to do it, for a number of reasons. For me hisprofession just became like any other job, it really wasn't that strange. But apparently everyone else is fascinated by it! Who knew? Thatone little article resulted in a literary agent contacting me and asking me towrite a memoir. I am currently working on it and it is the hardest thingI have done in entire life!

What has surprised you most about the media response?

I find the whole thing a bit shocking. But I seem to have my15 minutes of fame in tiny little 5 second increments. I have had videosthat I made in my living room end up on CNN, and another article I wrote got mepress in Canada and Australia. That article called "Dating afterDivorce in a City of Sluts" was liked about 7,000 times on Facebook and Igot hundreds of new twitter followers, and emails from all over theworld. I had no idea I was a writer until I started doing it. Idon't know why people get so worked up about what I write, the whole thing israther mind-blowing.

Tell me about your burlesque work.

I am an emcee in Burlesque, not a dancer. It was another happyaccident. About five years ago I did my first show at a tiny dive bar inBrooklyn called Lucky 13. The show was called Original Cyn and they still do it twice a month. I thought itwould be my only time performing in burlesque and that night people came up tome and said...you are a host I want to book you for my show. I love themedium because I come up with songs, characters, and costumes on my own andimprovise nearly everything in the moment while on stage. It is awonderful feeling of being held out over a cliff and not dying! I loveit. I also love the creativity and the DIY energy of the wholescene. It is mostly women but men also come up with these insane costumesand acts, it is more performance art than stripping, at least in New York.

How did you create your alter ego?

I actually have about nine that I do on a regular basis. Butmy best known and oldest character is Princess Sunshine, a total self-parody ofa children's performer who should have hung it up a long time ago. She issort of my worst nightmare--being in her fifties and still trying to pull off aprincess character, bitter, angry and no prospects other than doing birthdayparties. I made her so I wouldn't become her. Some of myother characters are a European Pop Star, an Old Jewish Burlesque dancer fromthe Minsky Days, a thirteen year old goth poet, a happy-go-lucky dominatrixfrom Minnesota, a drunken 1950's closeted housewife, and there are more...butthose are my favorites.

What do you love most about her?

Princess Sunshine has no filter whatsoever and will say whatever thehell she wants. She can also destroy a heckler. The othercharacters are also quite extreme, I love playing women on the edge and peoplethat don't act anything like me.

What kind of writing inspires you?

I don't really know. I like a lot of different types ofwriting. I love comics like Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Margaret Cho,Lewis Black, David Cross, Lee Camp and many more...I basically like people whoaren't afraid to say things that might upset people. They also speaktruth to power. I try to make the things I write accessible. Idon't like it when people are writing to a tiny audience of over-educatedsnobs. I get the feedback a lot that my writing is very conversational andstraight forward, and I don't want to change that. I am totally anaccidental writer though, as I barely know what I am doing.

Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work as an actorthus far?

I don't really consider myself much of an actor anymore, but I wouldsay Tracey Ullman or Amy Sedairs. They are more than just actors, theycreate these insanely over the top characters and they are so damn funny. Ullman is a total chameleon, she really is breathtaking to watch, shecompletely becomes other people. I also love Amy Poehler andKristen Wiig as they are also great with character work and timing. Thenthere was the absolutely brilliant Lucille Ball who is still one of the mostsuccessful women in television. Another legend would be CarolBurnett. And one of the best writer/actors has got to be JenniferSaunders. Her scripts for Absolutely Fabulous are flawless, the writingis just so good. Basically I like women who create their own work, theydon't just fill a role. Gracie Allen was a comic genius! Watchingher old work is something to see, she is subtle yet so wickedly funny!

What else are you working on right now?

I have a show on the 22nd of December at Parkside Lounge in which Iam not only singing with a band, but also playing accordion and ukulele. I have been working on it for months. The name of my band is The VelvetPocket Band! But pretty much all of my other effort is going into thismemoir. I have never written anything like before in my life and it is reallygoing to take everything I have got to pull it off. So I am actuallycutting back on performances until I get a handle on it. Hopefully I willget a book deal, but if not I will probably turn it into a one-womanshow. And if I do get a book deal, I will probably turn it into aone-woman show anyway!

People You Should Know . . . Zishan Ugurlu

2011-12-15T08:06:00.003-05:00

Zishan Ugurlu - has been workingin New York as a theater artist since 1995. She is a resident actress anddirector at legendary theater at La MaMa and member of the Great JonesRepertory Company in NewYork City. With the company, she performed in numerous productions includingthe The Trojan Woman, directed byAndrei Serban and composed by Elizabeth Swados, in which she was featured asHelen of Troy. She toured Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Italy, Austria and Greecewith the production. Under the direction of Ellen Stewart she performed asDraupadi in Draupadi, as well asJocasta in Oedipus Rex and Yunus’wife in Yunus. She playedCarmen in Robert Wooduff’s Godard-Distantand Right, which was awarded the Grand Prix at the Festival Des Jeunes ofthe Theatre des Amandiers Nanterre in Paris. Other recent roles include theworld premier of Dario Fo’s one-woman-show Peasants’Bible, Dante in Dante and Calibanin Caliban Remembers,(Balinese version of Tempest). She also featured in Antigone in Antigone by J. Watanabe, Desdomona in Othello by W. Shakespeare, Monique in Koltes’ West Pier, Medea in The Medeaby H.Mueller, Bettina in Women DreamtHorses by D. Veronese, A Whore fromOhio by H. Levine.Ayline in Ibsen’s Master Builder, Masha in ThreeSisters by A. Chekhov and Featured Singer in Musica Alla Turca.

She has been featured in two international films: The Letter, which was shown at theCannes, Argentina, and Calcutta Film Festivals; and Dog Race, which was awarded the Martin Scorsese, Grand Marnier andW. Johnson Awards at the New York Film Festival.

She has recently directed OystersOrgasms Obituaries by R. Waldenburg, TheLaw of Remains by R.Abdoh, Purge byS. Oksanen, Mady Baby.edu by G.Carbunariu, TheRealm of Darkness by L. Tolstoy, BaghdadiBath by J.All Assadi, The Father by A. Strindberg, Temptation by V. Havel, Blood on the Cat’sNeck by R.W.Fassbinder, Request Programme by F. Kroetz, The Last Supper by L.Norèn , Operetta by W.Gombrowicz, Until theNext Whirl by Rumi, Watershed andSerious At All by T. Soper, Blood Wedding by Lorca and Big Love by C. Mee.

She is thefounding artistic director of “Actors without Borders-ITONY” and upholds itsmission to introduce international writers to American audiences. The companies’ works involve playswhich are well known and highly regarded but rarely produced in the UnitedStates. She graduated fromColumbia University with an MFA degree and holds a PhD in Theater. She is an Associate Professor at Eugene LangCollege The New School for Liberal Arts and she is the recipient of prestigiousFox Foundation Actor Fellowship, bestowed by Theater Communication Group.

How did you get startedin theatre? When did you know you wanted to be a director?

Iam trained as an actor and director. Both of them are very close to me. As anactor I would love to work with directors who are inspiring and challenging. Ialways knew I wanted to direct when I began falling in love with plays. Whilereading a play, the visions I have are very strong and compel me to share themwith an audience.

Tell meabout OYSTERS ORGASMS OBITUARIES. What were rehearsals like? What do youlove most about the play?

Therehearsals were very inspiring and challenging. I had an artist with me in thecreative room who was the writer and the performer. I already knew her verywell as a fantastic performer as she has been my leading actress for the lastseven years, but I didn’t know her as a writer. So I decided to communicatewith them separately. I did not have a question for the performer until the rehearsalsstarted. We had a very intense dramaturgical process with the writer, Ms. VonWaldenburg. We formed the play keeping in mind the words of Andrey Tarkovsky,my artistic master whom I like to believe I am in the same artistic family treeof. He writes, “When thought isexpressed as an artistic image, it means that an exact form has been found forit, the form that comes nearest to conveying the author’s world, to makingincarnate him/her longing for the idea. What I want to attempt here is to define the perimeters of a possiblesystem of what are generally termed images, a system within which I can feel spontaneousand free. Anyone at all subtlewill always distinguish in people’s behavior.” What I love most about this play is her ability to questionvery intimate and taboo subjects, while at the same time being able to remainvery honest and transparent about these things we all deal with.

What do you look for ina play that you are considering directing?

Ilook for plays that liberate my imagination. I also look for play that are inspirational, rich, andcomplex. I like plays that aredark, yet poetic, and those that illuminate mental precision and intention. Ialso believe that as a director my job is to make the invisible visible, thefamiliar unfamiliar. The imagesshould be arranged with the text in a certain fashion to allow the audience tosee the invisible and the unfamiliar and to have a glimpse of truth. I alsolook for a play that brings light to the historical and contemporary world,which is larger than life, but at the same time reveals life.

What kind of writinginspires you?

Ilike writers who write plays using a sfumato technique, like master painters,applying and overlaying translucent layers of colors to create a sense of depthand volume in the work. The writer’s thinking must be original and demandattention.

Who or what has beenthe biggest influence on your work as a director thus far?

Jean-LucGodard, Ingmar Bergman, Frank Castorf, Haruki Murakami, Anne Carson, AlanFletcher, Alexander Kluge, Leonard Cohen, architecture, and neuroscience.

What else are youworking on right now?

Iam working on a Bergman Trilogy for the stage and Bertold Brecht’s newlydiscovered play The Judith of Shimoda.