Horse Trade Theater Group (Heidi Grumelot, Artistic Director, Erez Ziv, Executive Director) and Less Than Rent Theatre will present the World Premiere of WORDS, RAZORS, AND THE WOUNDED HEART by James Presson. The production will be directed by Jake Ahlquist (Fringe Excellence Award Winner ’10) and star Sean Patrick Monahan (Charles Busch’s Time Square Angel) and Emma March Barash (Stop the Virgins at St. Anne’s Warehouse). The show will also feature Dean Acree (New York Dream at The Pearl), Cory Asinofsky (Puppet Hamlet), Amanda Brooklyn (HBO’s Girls), Ben Diserens (the upcoming Wolf of Wall Street), Patrick Dooley, Jenna Grossano, Jackie Hansen, Jacob Presson, Tom Sanchez (Independents), and RJ Vaillancourt (Healthy Start by Gilad Cohen). Designs will feature sets by Grace Laubacher (Convergence at soloNOVA), lights by Gary Slootskiy (Independents), and costumes by Samantha Jacobsen.
WORDS, RAZORS, AND THE WOUNDED HEART is a tell-all chronicling an adolescence spent in Connecticut High School Hell. It tells the story of two star-crossed teenagers whose love faces many obstacles not the least of which being that they’re siblings. When their friends get involved, it’s only a matter of time until their suburban powder keg explodes and sets the whole world on fire.
WORDS, RAZORS, AND THE WOUNDED HEARTis a contemporary response to Jacobean Revenge Tragedies such as ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, The Duchess of Malfi, and The Spanish Tragedy. The title is drawn from a line in the opening scene of Titus Andronicus. It is one of a number of adaptations produced by Less Than Rent Theatre, including Little Town Blues (inspired by Chekhov’s Three Sisters), Friends Don’t Let Friends (inspired by Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler), and Songs and Julie (based on Strindberg’s Miss Julie).
About the Company: Horse Trade Theater Group
HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP is a self-sustaining theater development group; with a focus on new work that has produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. Horse Trade’s Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. It is also the home of FRIGID New York – the first and only festival of its kind in New York City. In 2011 Horse Trade received the New York Innovative Theatre Ellen Stewart Stewardship Award for demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership.
In this fringe festival favorite, the mustachioed Professor Penelope Vindlevoss discovers Edward the Zombie on her recent anthropological expedition, and takes it upon herself to domesticate him. What is Edward’s final lesson? To put on a circus, of course! Physical comedy and undead logic collide in this quirky fable about how to be truly human...
“Edward the Zombie is a brilliant and comical creation. The Professor’s mustache is almost a character by itself …”
Washington City Paper
“With all the charm of a flea circus, The Vindlevoss Family Circus Spectacular! creates big smiles and laughs that will leave you itching for more!”
Maryland Theatre Guide
About the Company: Animal Engine
Animal Engine Theatre Company is a performance ensemble devoted to creating original devised theatre.
Since 2010 we have created 2 works: The Vindlevoss Family Circus Spectacular! (a 2 person zombie circus fable) andIt’s a 10 Minute Life (a 5 person breakneck version of “It’s a Wonderful Life”). We have performed on the Off-Off Broadway stages of New York City (Dixon Place, tinyDANGEROUSfun, The Brick Theater, The Downtown Clown Revue), and at the Fringe Festivals of greater America (Cincy Fringe, Capital Fringe).
Our work is offbeat, committed to the relationship between the performer and the audience, and regularly tiptoes the line between silliness and tragedy.
Animal Engine is led by artistic directors Carrie Brown and Karim Muasher, and makes its home in New York City.
After the acclaimed success of her solo show at the Fringe, I Married a Nun (she did), D'yan Forest is back. She's seventy-eight, still sexy, and still searching. From her first sexual stirrings at Camp Takawalananakiki, swinging across the Atlantic to the smoke-filled clubs of gay Paris, D’yan dances with many a partner. Searching for love and led by lust, she uncovers the truth about the lies we tell, for the sex we long and settle for, that does not settle our souls. Storyteller, chanteuse and comedienne, D’yan’s tale is told through song, dance and a glockenspiel.
Fed up yet inspired by the trending “love to hate” mentality of an increasingly cynical society lost in a technology coma, Killy personalizes pop culture shock and earnestly explores a botoxicated community communicating in carefully edited tweets and meaningless memes. This one-of-a-kind dark comedy musical incorporates non-traditional instruments, toys and (ironically) modern sound technology, combined with performance art and projection/video submitted from artists around the world. This revolution will not be televised. It will evolve live in My BoX - please think outside…
Featured as part of the Gotham Storytelling Festival:
Featured as part of the Gotham Storytelling Festival: Folk music had the 60s in NYC, punk and performance art owned the 70s and 80s, and improv and alternative comedy ruled the 90s and 00s. Today... it's live storytelling. Dozens of story shows take place at big and small theaters around the city, with new ones popping up every month. Horse Trade Theater Group (Heidi Grumelot, Artistic Director, Erez Ziv, Managing Director) is proud to present the First Annual Gotham Storytelling Festival; collecting some of the best shows curated and produced by Horse Trade Artistic Director Heidi Grumelot and resident hosts Peter Aguero, Seth Lind and Adam Wade.
About the Company: Horse Trade Theater Group
HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP is a self-sustaining theater development group; with a focus on new work that has produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. Horse Trade’s Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. It is also the home of FRIGID New York – the first and only festival of its kind in New York City. In 2011 Horse Trade received the New York Innovative Theatre Ellen Stewart Stewardship Award for demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership.
About the Company: Rising Sun Performance Company
Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Rising Sun Performance Company's mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships, and contributing new works and revitalized pre-existing work to the national canon. Rising Sun Performance Company realizes this goal by providing a safe artistic home which stimulates risk-taking without limits of genre or agenda. Our seasons are unique because our work is not genre or message specific. The productions represent the ensemble, how it exists in the moment and the Rising Sun Performance Company selects work that speaks to those artistic voices in its current state of being.
Never ask a lost boy for directions!
New York – Music, magic mushrooms, Fairy Dust Beer? If Wendy Darling wanted an escape from her life in Jason Hookman’s office, she certainly found it with Pete and his band. Don’t judge her too much – working for the infamous art collector of Jolly Roger Publishing is no easy existence! For a nice girl who grew up too fast, with too much responsibility, a step back might be just the step forward she needs. Join Wendy as she explores her wild side on this journey of self-discovery that goes “straight-on till morning!”
The play – complete with original rock score - performed live - will make you laugh till you think!
The cast features Yasmeen Jawhar, Joe Yoga, Jen Perney, Bill Chambers, Brian (Beezy) Douglas, Marlon (Marbar) Kaltenborn, Sonseray Reed, Ben Williams, and Debby Bell. (Ben Williams appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association). Ms. Underwood directs this world premiere. Simona Berman and Debby Bell, stage management; Maurice Williams; lighting and audio; Brooke McGowan, photography; Jake Thomas; graphic art and promotional design.
WHO: Sanity Island presents
WHAT: the world premiere of A Wendy Story
WHERE: Under St. Mark’s Theater - 94 St. Mark’s Place - New York City
WHEN: Thursday, Friday, Saturday: July 19, 20, 21 and July 26, 27, 28. All shows: 8:00 p.m.
WHY: Because it’s time for Wendy’s side of things!
HOW MUCH: $18 www.smarttix.com or at the door
Here’s what the critics have to say about Natalie Underwood’s play, Buckle Up, which also premiered at Under St. Mark’s:
“A stunning drama … This play will bring you too the edge of your seat, make you cry, break your heart, and then cause you to cheer in the end… Natalie Underwood does an amazing job of acting and storytelling.” – Calvin Roy
"Buckle Up is a play that pushes it's performers and it's audience. Part narrative and part confessional, Natalie Underwood brings unflinching honesty to a subject which is still sadly a cultural taboo. If you're ready to see an actress and writer bare her soul, then Buckle Up, because this is the play for you." - Brenton Lengel, Examiner.com
NATALIE UNDERWOOD (Playwright/Director/Bianca) is a writer, actor, magna cum laude graduate of Columbia University and happily employed Executive Assistant. Her body of work includes Ms. Claws in “Santa Goes South,” an animated stop-motion short produced by Peter Wallach and featured in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, and the role of the Transman's girlfriend in “The Crab,” an official selection of the Hoboken International Film Festival 2012. She was one of three women in the ensemble showcase of new work, Amusing Lies and Lullabies, in 2008. She performed in Joe Yoga’s Scratch (2009) and John Murdock’s Ramblings of a Gentleman Scumbag (Donor’s Choice Award at 2010 Frigid Festival). She wrote, produced and starred in the drama, Buckle Up: The Journey of a Ride Home, in 2010. She hopes A Wendy Story makes you laugh as much as Buckle Up made you cry.
About the Company: WrightGroupNY Communications
The Backstory
WrightGroupNY began in 2001 as the in-house public relations firm of Genesis Repertory. Under the leadership of Michael Wright, a then-retired public relations executive, and member of the board of directors of Genesis, Mr. Wright guided Jay Michaels, Mary Elizabeth MiCari, and Martin West on the mechanics of running a successful promotion campaign – from press deadlines to essential design issues. After his passing, WrightGroupNY continued to raise Genesis Repertory’s visibility. The company now fosters new plays and independent films as well as remaining a leading classical theater.
WrightGroupNY began to have a life of its own. As early as 2003, WrightGroupNY, then under the direction of Martin West, created campaigns for various festivals in and around New York. By the end of 2003, WGNY mounted successful campaigns for three other off-off Broadway companies, two independent films, an art exhibition, and a series of fashions shows.
WrightGroupNY – through an aggressive ad and marketing campaign – expanded Kingsborough College’s drama club into a full-scale theatrical group called The Performing Arts Society. The Society went on to perform off-off Broadway. From there, WGNY opened its doors to more organizations until today it boasts a client list that includesThe Bronx Opera, The Active Theater, The Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble, Joanne de Simone, Test Tube Productions, White Rabbit Theater, The Magic Apothecary ltd, College Now, None of the Above Theater, Jules Libellus Art Collections, and productions from the Fringe Festival, Samuel French New Plays Festival, Midtown International Festival, Frigid Fest, Spotlight-On Productions, and many others. WrightGroupNY had photographs and articles appear in The New York Times, the Daily News, the New York Post, Newsday, UsTownHall, OuterStage, NYTheater, and on NY1.
Martin West now resides in California and is creating WrightGroupLA. Meanwhile the New York office is now run by Jay Michaels. The organization still maintains the same sliding scale fee structure and artistic point of view started by Michael K. Wright in 2001 to help create visibility for the off-off Broadway and independent film communities.
About the Company: Horse Trade Theater Group
HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP is a self-sustaining theater development group; with a focus on new work that has produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. Horse Trade’s Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. It is also the home of FRIGID New York – the first and only festival of its kind in New York City. In 2011 Horse Trade received the New York Innovative Theatre Ellen Stewart Stewardship Award for demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership.
The production will feature Brett Dameron as John, Ashley Dilard as Marcy, Kelvin Osaze Ehigie as Jimmy, and Steven Solomon as Kurt. The creative team will include Lighting Design by Lauren Arneson, Costume Design by Alicia Oas, and Set Design by Emily Suzanne Sumner.
About the Company: Horse Trade Theater Group
HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP is a self-sustaining theater development group; with a focus on new work that has produced a massive quantity of stimulating downtown theater. Horse Trade’s Resident Artist Program offers a home to a select group of Independent theater artists, pooling together a great deal of talent and energy. It is also the home of FRIGID New York – the first and only festival of its kind in New York City. In 2011 Horse Trade received the New York Innovative Theatre Ellen Stewart Stewardship Award for demonstrating a significant contribution to the Off-Off-Broadway community through service, support and leadership.
Written and Conceived by Bricken Sparacino* with her friends Courtenay Harrington-Bailey*, Rebecca Chiappone and Maureen Van Trease*.
4 different women lost 4 different fathers. Hear their true, diverse, moving and sometimes funny stories. This play will do for death what the Vagina Monologues did for vaginas.
The writers will perform in the show and The Tuesday and Wednesday shows will also feature Tiffany May McRae.
*This is an equity approved showcase and these actor appear courtesy of the Actor's Equity Association.
About the Company: Bricken & Birch Productions
Honest, funny, truthful; B&B Productions brings to light new solo shows and story telling shows and pumps new life into the classics.
Umberto MacDougal allows you to look through the window of his tragic manpain. With a beard full of tears and a melancholy guitarist playing a sorrowful tune, Umberto reveals the pain that men feel.
Umberto MacDougal first reached the New York stage at Under St. Marks Theater at Penny's Open Mic. Since then, he's been around the city at Comedy Period, Sketch Block, Soul Glo, Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting's Daddy's Basement, The Trachtenburg Variety Hour, and several other comedy and variety shows. He's still unsure why he continues to be booked for comedy shows.
This original production sends modern-day New York City to hell. As Dante, a foreigner, makes his way across a bizarro urban landscape with the help of his hipster guide Virgil, he finds that not everything is as it seems. Over the course of 24 hours, Dante and Virgil encounter dozens of the peculiar creatures that populate this nightmarish city and eventually come face to face with Lucifer herself.
INFERNO is rewarding for fans of the classic poem and new-comers alike. Whole scenes and characters are transplanted directly to the stage with a unique, very American twist. Like Dante's original, it is a political satire that calls out specific, recognizable individuals and assigns them a grotesque punishment in their own circle of hell.
Moran believes the classic is a perfect fit for our modern-day political, religious and social turmoil. “What if what is already bad became worse?” Moran said. “As we get deeper into hell, the images become more and more grotesque and disturbing—yet funny. We hope that you laugh and then go home and have a few nightmares.”
INFERNO stars Robbie Baum, Danielle Devine, Sarah Knittel, Whit Leyenberger, Kamelle Mills, Clint Okayama, Nicole Roberts, Christina Stone, Terence Stone and Marchelle Thurman playing over 50 characters. The creative team includes Executive Producer Nathan Zebedeo, Producer Katie Chambers, Set/Props Designer Ali Goldaper, Lighting Desigern Taylor Tobin, Costume Designer Erin Frumet, Sound Designer Anthony Jones, and Graphic Designer Miranda Leiggi.
About the Company: Broken Glass Theatre Company
BROKEN GLASS is a new company comprised of determined and innovative theatre artists. In a world full of mindless escapist entertainment, we strive to create exciting, imaginative theatrical experiences that confront the immediate issues of our society.