The Life of DB » Theatre

Are You There Zeus? It’s Me, Electra!!!

DB — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:52:48 +0000

I’m in a show!!! Come check it out!! It’s called “Are You There Zeus? It’s Me, Electra” and is a fun and silly farce based on the Greek tragedy Electra, set to 90s grunge rock. We’ve already had three performances, but have three performances left and I’d love to see you there.

On The Fritz Productions Presents
ARE YOU THERE ZEUS? IT’S ME, ELECTRA

A new tragicomedy by Aliza Shane

June 6 – June 27, 2010
LIMITED ENGAGEMENT – 6 PERFORMANCES ONLY!
Sunday June 6th at 9:30pm
Tuesday June 8th at 4:30 pm
Sunday, June 13th at 9:30 pm
Wednesday, June 16th at 10:30pm
Sunday, June 20th at 9:30pm
Sunday, June 27th at 9:30pm
The run time is 90 minutes with no intermission.

The Bleecker Street Theater, 45 Bleecker Street, NYC

Benefiting the Children’s Cancer and Blood Foundation

Part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity:
http://www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com/shows/are-you-there-zeus-it-s-me-electra

***

A hip, 90s grunge take on the classic starring: Sierra Marcks (Sonnets For An Old Century), Cas Marino (Torch Song Trilogy), James David Larson, David Michael Brown (Brink!), Tim Mele, Kerri Ford (Psych), Carley Colbert, Felicia Blum, Ashley Lovell, and Kate Dickinson.

About the show
Electra is angry, ruthless, and hell-bent on revenge. Too bad she’s only 16…. Electra is determined to avenge her father Agamemnon’s death. Unfortunately, she’s powerless – a teenager stuck at home with nothing but a Greek chorus that just won’t go away. She will need to band together with her long-lost brother, their dim-witted sister, their trusted friend, and a torrent of raging hormones to set her plot for revenge in motion. But will vengeance lead to happiness? And why does puberty have to be so tragic?
This new tragicomedy based on the classic Greek tragedy of Electra. Electra is an odd Greek tragedy, in that it appears to be about a central female character, but Electra spends the entire time waiting for a man to show up on his proverbial white horse and make things happen. The story has always been about the one true heir Orestes; he is the conquering hero, returning home to save the day and all Electra can do is wait and lament…and then lament some more. But what if the story really was Electra’s? What if she grew to believe in her own power and gained the strength to fight back on her own terms? This new show examines the story from Electra’s perspective and mixes it with 90’s grunge rock for an authentic, angst-ridden, teenage experience.

Playwright/Director Aliza Shane is the 2008 New York Innovative Theatre Award recipient for Outstanding Short Script for her play The Three Sillies, which she also directed. Aliza Shane wrote and directed Are You There Zeus? It’s Me, Electra in its premiere at Looking Glass Theatre. Most recently, she received the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Award for Outstanding Overall Production of a Revival/Adaptation for writing/directing/producing The Imaginary Invalid: By Prescription Only (which also earned a nomination for Best Direction). She also wrote and directed The Spanish Wives, A Groovy Tale of Peace, Love, and Restoration at Looking Glass Theatre. An artistic associate of Looking Glass, as well as the producer of the Looking Glass Writer/Director Forum, she also directed four new works as part of the Forum, garnering multiple artistic awards. Other directing experience includes: The Acoustic Nerve (Groove Mama Ink) at the Gene Frankel Theatre, Hamlet, The First Quarto at Genesis Repertory, and Cabaret: A New World (Towards Truth Prod.). Ms. Shane also co-directed The Bacchae (Cypreco Theatre Co.), which was performed at the Cyprus Consulate and the HBO Summer Stage in Bryant Park. Born and raised in New York, she earned a BA in Theatre from Queens College.

On the Fritz Productions is a company for artists by artists. Formerly known as Aliza Shane Productions, On The Fritz most recently produced The Imaginary Invalid: By Prescription Only, which received the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Award for Outstanding Overall Production of a Revival/Adaptation. On The Fritz is proud to feature work that’s quirky, on the edge and always wickedly entertaining.

The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York‘s premiere eco-friendly/socially-conscious theatre festival. Fostering a diverse cross-section of performances, the festival seeks to inspire artists and audiences both creatively and fundamentally, in a festive atmosphere. At the heart of the festivity are like-minded individuals striving to create professional, meaningful theatre, while supporting organizations, which give back to the community at large. The Festivity will take place June 3rd through the 27th at Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond Street), The Robert Moss Theater at 440 Studios (440 Lafayette Street) and The Bleecker Street Theatre and Green Room at 45 Bleecker (45 Bleecker Street) in New York City. www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com.

Tickets are $18 and can be purchased by visiting http://www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com/shows/are-you-there-zeus-it-s-me-electra.

Humana Festival!!!

DB — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:11:55 +0000

Since moving to New York, I’ve found the most exhausting aspect of my life is summoning the motivation to pursue my artistic goals. I alone am responsible for gathering auditions and contacts, improving my work, and keeping my creative self alive. It is a huge change from the life I held last year at The Actors Theatre of Louisville where, in the nine months I served as an Acting Apprentice, the majority of my days were structured by our amazing program directors. While at Actors I had much less free time and performed much more grunt labor, but I was in an environment which fostered a safe creative home by cherishing the contributions of each of its members. It felt like four years of college rolled into one, and I emerged with a second family who has become my greatest support network since moving to New York.

It’s no wonder that I took the opportunity to go back. This past weekend was the closing weekend of the 34th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays, and I, along with eight other apprentices from my year and numerous apprentice/interns from years prior, descended upon the festival for a weekend of theatre and debauchery. We weren’t disappointed.

I won’t go into detail about each of the shows in the festival (although I will give a shout out to my favorite plays Phoenix and The Method Gun). What I will do is applaud the foundation upon which all the work was built. This, of course, includes the Humana Foundation, without whose financial support the festival wouldn’t happen, but it also includes the amazing staff who have made significant sacrifices over the past 34 years to preserve the vision of a theatre festival which produces all new work each and every year. I heard that this year Actors surpassed the 400 play mark. That’s 400 new plays which were given life through the efforts of a single theatre. That’s amazing.

A couple of the ensemble shows (Fissures and The Method Gun) were just featured on NPR as well. Check it out!

Come see my wacky show!

DB — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:32:08 +0000

I’ve been spending the last month working on this wild play called The Asshole Differential Continues (& we carry on). I’m playing the Leader, a part that I never would thought I’d be cast in, but one which has been a fantastic challenge. We go up this Wednesday through Monday and I’d love to have your support. Fair warning: It’s a weird, challenging, and possibly offensive script. So don’t bring your 5 year old brother unless you want him asking uncomfortable questions after the show, but do bring your slightly off but artistically minded friends and be prepared have a mind-melting experience!

Our writer/director Moira Cutler came up with this great little blurb so please read on if you’re interested!

The Asshole Differential is the story of three prisoners, Monkey, Dog and Banana incarcerated indefinitely on a boat moored in an unknown sea. They held in captivity without charge of any specific crimes. The prisoners engage in power games with the closeted guard in an attempt to survive and eventually escape. The guard serves a despotic leader seeking to regain his empire on the profit earned from prison snuff films. The only contact the prison boat has with civilization is via the supply rig operated by Molly, a schizophrenic sandwich maker, and Rupert, a sea dog and grunt, who makes and deliver mysterious meat sandwiches to the prison occupants.

The Asshole Differential explores the attitudes that underlie prison torture and the sexuality and violence inherent in fraternity initiation rights of organizations like Skull and Bones (of which both Kerry and Bush belonged). In the age of family values and sex scandals amidst the righteous, of Guantanamo, and black sites, The Asshole Differential Continues (& we carry on) explores the intersection between the repressed desires of the power elite and the banality of torture in prison where abuse is part of the vernacular.

The Asshole Differential Continues (& we carry on) is a political satire and thriller, a wild and comic visual ride via a mixture of manga, karaoke, crappy podcasts, sock puppets and Chekhov through a cultural wasteland into the darker zones of the dispossessed and disappeared.

Written and Devised by Moira Cutler
Direction Moira Cutler & Jody Person
Cast: Stacy Osei-Kuffour, David Brown, Miriam Eusebio, Nhut Le, Michael Freeman, *Stephanie Taylor, *Rahti Gorfien, & Perri Yaniv

* Appears Courtesy of Actors Equity Association

Performance Dates: February 20th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th

March 1
All shows to start at 8PM There will be an additional matinee performance at 2:00PM on the 28th as well as an 8PM Show
Tickets $15, $10 Students Call 212-777-4280 for reservations or buy your tickets at the FAB site: http://www.fabnyc.org/calendar.php

Location:
Wow Cafe Theater
59-61 E. 4th st
buzzer #6
4th floor

Things that are hard.

DB — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:43:45 +0000

I think my desk clock is broken. It’s a really nice clock I received for having “consistently demonstrated excellence in acting” by the culmination of my four year stint at Centre. Funny story, I was actually tore up about it when I received it because I didn’t get the award given to the person “judged to have contributed most to the Dramatic Arts Program over a period of four years.” Whatever. Perspective is everything. Now I just want my clock to work. I changed the batteries and it’s still slow. Feels like my acting career.

I did have my call back for the New Georges’ production of Milk this morning, though! I thought it went well enough. Through a mixup, I didn’t receive the new audition material, but I’d read the entire play in order to prepare, so with a couple minutes of work out in the hall I was able to put forth a decent enough effort I suppose, certainly my best under the circumstances. Anna called afterwards to tell me I did a good job, which was super sweet, but I think we’d both be surprised if I got the part. Once you get to call backs, there’s just so much that is out of your hands. A lot of it comes down to looks, and who they think will work well with each other. Telling myself that booking the call back is just as important as booking the job is a skill I haven’t quite mastered, but I’m trying. It’s hard.

Then my birthday is tomorrow. I always feel weird about planning my own party, but I invited anyone/everyone to join me at the Double Windsor, a sweet little bar here in Brooklyn tomorrow night. It’s low-key and I thought it would be nice to have an easy night with Mike and Moy’s wedding this Thursday (congrats!). Of course, I found out today that some of my friends won’t be able to come because it conflicts with Mike’s bachelor party, and now I feel bad. But if I have to be surrounded by the ladies on my birthday, I suppose that isn’t too terrible either Joking aside, I don’t like the date of my birthday putting my friends in a tough spot. Like casting, it’s nothing I have control over. Ugh.

And then there’s the fact I’m about to get past the age where I can joke about whether or not I’m qualified to be an adult. I work, pay rent, buy groceries, cook, try to find happiness. I feel that maybe %10 of the things I do with my time are worth noting. I’m not old, but I don’t feel young.

So to recap: My Birthday is tomorrow, my friends are wonderful, and I did a good job at my call back. So why do I feel so down?

Called Back!

DB — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:30:07 +0000

Well, I felt great about the audition today for Milk. I was having fun and the room was super friendly. And apparently I’m not the only one who felt this way because I just got a call from Paul Davis at Calleri Casting, and I’m called back in on Monday morning for round 2. Success!

Audition Today!

DB — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:12 +0000

I mentioned last week that I went to an EPA for New Georges’ upcoming production of Milk in which my fellow apprentice-friend, Anna, has already been cast. Well, I’ve been invited to attend an audition (this time by appointment!) with the director, Jessica Bauman, producer, Susan Bernfield, and playwright, Emily DeVoti. And apparently, it just so happens that Anna will be my reader, which makes my day. I’m super excited. Wish me good thoughts around 10am!

Productive Morning! A series of mundanities.

DB — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:15:48 +0000

Well I’m back at it. This morning I revisited the Equity building for my first EPA in a few months. The auditions were for the play Milk, in which my dear friend Anna is already cast. But a part was available for an adult male who could play 15, and I was carded last year at a movie theatre, so that has to count for something right?

Anyways, the morning went well. I was able to wake up at 6:00, get to the building a few minutes before 8:00, and audition by 10:30. Not only that, but while waiting for my audition, I ran into my old Shakespeare teacher from Berkshire Theatre Festival, Johnny Epstein. He’s pretty much exactly as I remember him, which is how it should be.

On the way home I dropped off my library books – A Collection of Kafka essays and Tolkien’s The Return on the King, the second of which, I sadly did not find the time to read before it was due back. Yet, despite this fact, I felt my pro-active behavior of the morning merited a reward and thus treated myself to a blueberry muffin from The Oak & Iris, my favorite local coffee shop. Finally I bought stamps from my post office, which, despite the wait, was an overall neutral experience and, along with risen rate of found vs. lost mail, leads me to believe that postal code 11218 may be deserving of a rank above the worst post office as determined by Google. Good Job 11218!

I’m in a show!

DB — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:53:04 +0000

Some (ok, most) of you may have heard by now that I will be appearing in a workshop production of the 1980’s Broadway musical Starmites! If you haven’t, then consider this your official invitation. We’ll be doing four songs (complete with dancing, and dare I say, beat-boxing) with small scenes in between. Also if you want to invite your producer friends, we’re hoping to generate interest for a possible full production in the future.

When: Saturday, January 16, 2010 @ 8pm
Where: Under St. Mark’s Theatre (94 St. Mark’s btwn. 1st Ave. and Ave. A)
Tickets: It’s free, although a donation is appreciated. Get there early if you want a seat!

Hope to see you there!

- DB