Georgia Clark's Arts Mixtape
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| THE
WEASEL FESTIVAL--In Corina Copp's "Waltz," a woman
is falsely accused, so an angel stands ready to cut judges in
two: so goes divine justice. Photo by Jamie Siegel. |
Bring
A Weasel And A Pint Of Your Own Blood
Mac Wellman's groundbreaking Brooklyn College MFA Playwrights adapt
stories from The Apocrypha. Written and produced by playwrights
from Mac Wellman's groundbreaking Brooklyn College MFA program,
the Weasel festival is fast becoming an exciting platform for America's
rising playwrights to create experimental, irreverent and explosive
new work. Each playwright will riff off the stories of The Apocrypha
– the infamous religious texts that didn't make the Bible's
cut. Not decreed to be divinely inspired, the Apocrypha books are
ancient Greek texts that were ripped and pasted back into the Bible
throughout history. Filled with luminous stories of prophets, angels,
intrigue and heresy, the off-the-record Apocrypha is the perfect
inspiration for a festival of peculiar plays by playwrights working
outside the canon. We talk to playwright Corina Copp about her play
"Waltz." By Georgia Clark.
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THE
STARSHIP ASTROV--at The Beckett Theatre |
"The
Starship Astrov"
The year is 3047. A diplomatic mission brings a professor, his lovely
alien wife and his faithful doctor aboard "The Starship Astrov"…
Asking the question, will humanity stay the same, or will the future
change us, award-winning playwright Duncan Pflaster ("Prince
Trevor Amongst The Elephants") returns to the Midtown International
Theatre Festival with another classic-bender fantasy: a mashup of
Chekhovian comedy and science fiction! We spoke to the playwright
about this mixed genre madness he's bringing to the famed MITF.
By Georgia Clark.
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| CLUBBED
THUMB'S SUMMERWORK SERIES--15th annual Summerworks festival
at The Ohio Theatre. |
"Clubbed
Thumb's Summerwork series"
The Obie-award winning Clubbed Thumb is gearing up to launch their
quirky off-Broadway summer series in Soho. It's their 15th annual
Summerworks festival, a selection of new work that's known for being,
well, a little odd. This year sees "Dot" by Kate E. Ryan,
"Five Genocides" by Samuel D. Hunter and "The Small"
by Anne Washburn find their feet at the Ohio Theater. We spoke to
Artistic Director Maria Striar about this year's plays, imagination
as theme, and why the pipeline between the underground and the mainstream
is "kind of broken." By Georgia Clark.
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| RED
MOTHER--Muriel Miguel. "Red Mother" blends poetry,
personal memory, and traditional Native stories, often in a
cyclical presentation, full of searing wit and boisterous humor.
Photo by Tim Matheson. |
"Red
Mother"
"Red Mother," featuring the co-founder of Obie-award-winning
Spiderwoman Theater collective, Muriel Miguel, is the tale of Belle,
an old Native woman who, with her horse Blue Fred, travels across
what was once the people's land. Inspired by "Mother Courage,"
this one-woman show weaves Brechtian themes with Kuna demon tales
and traditional stories with a contemporary soundscape. Featuring
multimedia projections, fabric hangings, and music, "Red Mother"
is a unique expression of the Native American community, told from
a woman's perspective. We spoke to the Off-Broadway veteran about
what led her to create this bold new work. By Georgia Clark.
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| THE
IRISH CURSE--Martin Casella's new comedy explores big personalities
and small appendages. Photo by Carol Rosegg. |
"The
Irish Curse"
Size matters to the Irish-American guys who meet every Wednesday
night in a support group... for men with very small penises. Martin
Casella's new comedy "The Irish Curse" at The Soho Playhouse
examines the fundamental question on the minds of men since the
beginning of time: "How do I measure up to the next guy?"
By Georgia Clark.
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SYNESTHESIA
2010--The Mayhem Poets join the game of interpreting, and being
interpretated.
Photo by Carolyn Dentz of Dentz Design. |
"Synesthesia
2010"
I have an idea. I show you this idea. That gives you an idea. You
show someone your idea, they show someone, they show someone, and
so on. Thus forms the basis of Electric Pear Productions unique
new show, "Synesthesia 2010." In October 2009, a composer/lyricist
team was asked to select a fortune cookie. They created a musical
theatre piece based on the fortune. Two weeks later, they presented
their work to another artist. This artist then had two weeks to
create a piece based on the work shown to him (never having seen
the fortune), and then presented his art to the next artist in the
series. She then created a piece…and then another artist,
and then another artist… eventually, eleven in all. We spoke
to a handful of the multi-disciplinary artists involved in this
year's production. By Georgia Clark.
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| UP
IN THE AIR--Jennie MaryTai Liu's experimental new dance work,
"Lands and Peoples", explores the concept of heartbreak.
Photo by Iam Douglas. |
"Up
in the Air"
For the past year, four experimental artists have been exploring
and crafting innovative new work as Artists-in-Residence at BAX/
Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Each resident is awarded 200 hours of prioritised
rehearsal space, a $1,000 stipend, and ongoing meetings and open
rehearsals with BAX staff. As a result, the four perfromers had
the luxury of both time and space to take risks, explore intuitive
ideas, and work outside their comfort zones, all within a structured
year of ongoing support. Now, over April and May, they present their
work to the public in the Air Festival 2010. We spoke to the four
artists about this highly supportive program and the new work they
ended up creating.
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| BASS
FOR PICASSO--"I love writing comedy. I love making an
audience laugh" - Playwright, Kate Moira Ryan. Photo
by Dixie Sheridan |
"Bass
for Picasso"
In Kate Moira Ryan's new play, a food writer for the NY Times is
recreating the recipes of Alice B Toklas for story, and invites
over some of her friends for dinner. Comedy ensues. We spoke to
Kate about writing for differently abled people, and what it's like
working with actresses who threaten to "take their leg off
and chase the other characters around the room with it." By
Georgia Clark.
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| SOJOURN
AT ARARAT -- Nora Armani and Gerald Papasian in "Sojourn
at Ararat" at Joe's Pub at the Public Theater. Photo: Jonathan
Slaff. |
"Sojourn at Ararat"
It's been called 'timely and timeless': "Sojourn at Ararat"
is the unheard voice of an unknown people and the telling of their
unknown story through poetry. Based on the English translations
of Armenian poetry spanning 2000 years, the message it conveys is
universal: love, human tragedy, the futility of war and violence,
but ultimately, hope. "Sojourn at Ararat" finally comes
to New York after first coming to life in the late 1980s, so we
spoke to co-creator performer Nora Armani about this moving and
much acclaimed piece of theater. By Georgia Clark.
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| "We
love to mime swordfight… a lot." The ISC kick it
ye olde style. Photo care of the Improvised Shakespeare Company. |
The Bard, From Scratch,
For Laughs.
This January New York plays host to Chicago's hugely entertaining
Improvised Shakespeare Company. The title says it all: Shakespeare,
sans the script. Sound impossible? We spoke to the group's founder
Blaine Swen about the ins and the outs of their hey nonny nonnies.
By Georgia Clark.
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| "There
are 30 actors in this play. The intricacies of finding a physical
score for all the bodies up there have been awesome." Photo
care of Melissa Chambers. |
"Auto Da Fe"
The always-ambitious International WOW kicks off the new year with
"Auto Da Fe", a realization of the classic Odysseus story.
With a 30-strong cast onstage, the tale is told as if the hero of
Homer's epic poem has returned to his homeland but it's been replaced
by an industrial wasteland called the Memory Pit, that's being run
by the History Processing Operation. The play, originally produced
in Kyoto and Tokyo, is a dreamscape of collective amnesia, life
during wartime, the self-conscious erasure of history and national
identity, and a search for meaning and beauty. We spoke to ensemble
member Melissa Chambers about the creation of this adventurous new
work. By Georgia Clark.
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| "MORTAL
ENGINE" -- Light drenches, becoming a dancer itself in
"Mortal Engine." Photo by Andrew Curtis. |
"Mortal Engine"
Contemporary Australian dance company Chunky Move returns to New
York this December with a new show, "Mortal Engine." The
performance uses movement-and-sound-responsive visual projections
to portray an ever-shifting, shimmering world. We chatted with director
and choreographer Gideon Obarzanek about the process of creating
this compelling new work. By Georgia Clark.
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| "HIGHLY
EVOLVED HUMAN" -- After being diagnosed with cancer at
age 26, comedian Nick Ross explores the experience in new show,
"Highly Evolved Human." Photo by Allan Schoening. |
"Highly Evolved
Human"
Nick Ross turns his experience with cancer into an underground comedy
hit with "Highly Evolved Human" at Upright Citizen's Brigade
Theater. By Georgia Clark.
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"Halt!"
finds beauty in the mundane and the chaotic, at the Whitehall
Ferry Terminal. Photo by Megan Green. |
An Ocean of
Longing: "Halt!"
"Halt!" is a free dance piece for the Whitehall Ferry
Terminal where you might find yourself part of the action. By Georgia
Clark.
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| "
As soon as a moment passes it is a memory, a time and place
I cannot return to except through fantasy or projection."
– Marina Libel in "She Turned On The Light"
by Wendy Woodson. Photo by Eric Poggenpohl. |
And Then There
Was Light.
A new interdisciplinary work, "She Turned
on the Light," finds connections between memory, and different
generations. Georgia Clark delves into the inspiration for Wendy
Woodson's production in this interview.
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| Jane
Bowles' play delves into aspects of our human enmeshment with
intelligence and humor. Add puppets, and the result? "The
theatre of the impossible." |
Not
Your Average Punch and Judy
When is the last time you saw a good puppet show?
The characters in "A Quarreling Pair" are far more than
your average Punch and Judy. Drawing from boho American writer Jane
Bowles' great literary work, this unique show proves that this art
form isn't strictly for children. We spoke to Cynthia Troup, writer
and a founding member of the always intriguing Aphids Arts Company
from Australia, who are bringing the production to La MaMa.
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| Sabrina
and her divided Hungarian kin struggle violently against the
infiltration of fast food, designer clothing, infidelity, assimilation
and uncompromising youth. Photo by Biz Urban. |
Balaton
There's nothing like good family drama. Throw in multiple generations,
death, and a rich culture and you've got "Balaton", the
world premiere play by Ashlin Halfnight. Directed by Kristjan Thor,
"Balaton" jumpstarts the new season at Electric Pear Productions.
We spoke with playwright Ashlin Halfnight for a behind-the-scenes
look at this show.
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| "And
Sophie Comes Too" returns as part of the NYC Fringe Encore
Series. Photo by Care of Shirley Hertz Associates. |
Ladies in Crisis
. . . .
Following a sold-out run at the NY International Fringe Festival,
a cracking new comedy of a mother and her three daughters in transition,
"And Sophie Comes Too" returns to NYC for a five-date
encore performance. By Georgia Clark.
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| The
cast of The Cure get their game faces on in preparation to prove
modern day vampires can be sexy AND sing. Photo by Nick Gaswirth. |
Good For
What Ails Ya
Sexy rock 'n' roll vampire musical "The Cure" debuts as
part of the New York Musical Theater Festival.
Get
Your Groovaloo On
"Groovaloo" weaves dancer's real-life stories
into a hot new hip-hop show.
Where Too Much
Improv Is Barely Enough
The Del Close Marathon brings together hundreds of funny people
for three days of wild and wonderful improv. By Georgia Clark.
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| Finish
this sentence: You'll f*cking love this play if you f*cking
love… "A mash-up of "A Mighty Wind" and
"Lost Highway"". "We Are Being Held"
explores intriguing new territory. Photo byDelaney Britt Brewer. |
Connection in
Unlikely Places
"Awakened without his memory on a lone subway car, one man’s
past is conjured by two seemingly innocuous passengers who begin
to unravel with him. Yes, it is an original piece of theater about
human connection. Yes, it began as a subway play. Yes, we will go
off the rails." Delaney Britt Brewer is a playwright, book
writer and lyricist living in New York. Georgia Clark sat down with
her to discuss her newest work, "We Are Being Held."
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| Innovative
dance company Pilobolus draw their inspiration from "sex,
death, and the rest of it. In the fields of art, everything
is grist for the mill." Catch them this summer at Joyce
Theater. Photo courtesy of the Joyce Theater |
We Think They
Can Dance
Wildly innovative dance company Pilobolus returns
to the Joyce Theater for three new shows of genre-defining movement.
Jazz Through the Ages
The history-spanning Generations Band brings jazz players together
with their mentors to create an ensemble that sounds like "lighting
in a bottle"
Clothing Optional
"Naked Boys Singing" celebrate ten long years of pants-off
fun; a show which comically pays tribute to nudity and the male
form in all its glory. They're boys, they sing and they're naked.
Sound like a fad? Nuh-uh: this July 25th, the lads celebrate their
ten-year anniversary of doing what they do. Which is belt them out
in their birthday suits. "People often think that the title
is misleading – NOPE!" laughs Dance Captain, Craig Lowry.
"It's a really fun, fluffy musical review that celebrates nudity
in all the different areas where it might occur." By Georgia
Clark.
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| "We
used to do a piece called the Brady Bunch Massacre. Let’s
just say it wasn’t pretty." The Umbilical Brothers
keep it risqué this summer. Photo courtesy of CAMI
Spectrum. |
Comedy on
Speed
Zany, crazy and very, very clever: The Umbilical Brothers create
a unique warped world in a new adults-only show. Jay Leno described
them as "odd". Dave Letterman went with "kinda
cute". They are the Umbilical Brothers; a dynamic comedy
duo who, for better or worse, defy explanation. From June 29 through
July 11 at The Joyce Theater. By Georgia Clark.
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|
Want a bite? Kendra MacDevitt and Diana Harkin get down ‘n’
dirty, vampire style. Photo courtesy of ONEtime Productions. |
Theater…
With Bite
You just can’t keep a good vampire down. From "Twilight"
to "Buffy" to "True Blood," our fascination
with the undead needs no introduction. But for those of you who
thought our dalliance with the dark lords was a relatively new
phenomenon, you obviously weren’t at the opening night of
"Vampire Lesbians of Sodom." This campy, satirical production
first graced Off-Broadway in 1984, and went on to become one of
the longest running OB performances in history. One of the treasures
of the scene, drag performer Charles Busch wrote, directed, produced
and acted in the cult hit. And now the adults-only sexy spectacle
is back, ready to terrify and titillate. It's being revived by
ONEtime Productions at Baruch Performing Arts Center through June
26, 2009. By Georgia Clark
