The Giant Hoax is recommended for ages six and up.Marking the 150th anniversary of “the biggest hoax in history,†The Giant Hoax is a new musical recommended for ages six and up based upon the true(?) story of New York’s famous Cardiff Giant, with book, music and lyrics by Kit Goldstein Grant.
Do you want to see a world of wonder? Travel back to 1869 with Emily, "Stub", P.T. Barnum, and a prehistoric petrified giant on a musical journey you won't soon forget! Emily, a bright young girl with an overactive imagination, has run away from home to prove that there are wonderful things in the world out there! Before long, she finds herself in the employ of a shady showman, William "Stub" Newell, the owner of a prehistoric, petrified giant! She and the Giant become instant “imaginary friends,†but all is not well. When the unscrupulous circus impresario, P.T. Barnum, offers a hefty sum to buy Newell’s profitable, prehistoric attraction and is refused, he comes up with a scheme to steal Stub's business right out from under his nose forcing Emily to sort through what is fact, what is fiction, and what's all in her imagination.
Kit Goldstein Grant’s new musical, based on the true story of New York's famed Cardiff Giant, features a strong female protagonist, and a catchy score packed with wonderfully whimsical music and clever lyrics. The Giant Hoax is a fun, family musical that bursts with excitement – and even a bit of history – as a cast of colorful characters takes you on a journey to the past by way of a young girl’s imagination.
The runtime is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.
NOT EVEN THE GOOD THINGS, a new play by rising playwright Joseph Scott Ford will play a limited run July 10th - July 27th at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Kelsey Claire directs a cast of seven in this high-octane, heartfelt and delightfully bizarre production.
NOT EVEN THE GOOD THINGS is a dark comedy where a millennial getaway falls apart in the presence of the ghost of a young girl that only one character -- despite his best efforts -- is able to see. The play deals with a group of six 20-something-year-old friends who gather in a mountain cabin to enjoy a well-deserved vacation. It’s just that they can’t seem to enjoy anything, really. What is supposed to be a fun and carefree evening evolves into a drunken circus of attempted infidelity, nonsense, and weird religion. This all takes place under the watchful gaze of a young girl who only shows herself to one person, while he steadily and hilariously loses his grip on reality in the company of his oblivious friends. The nature of shame, sexuality, loyalty, intoxication, privilege and faith are all explored in this achingly funny new play.
Tickets are $35, (which includes a $2.50 facility fee). For tickets and further information visit noteventhegoodthings.com, or call (212) 239-6200.
Featured in the cast are Collette Astle (Hysterical Women), Victoria Janicki (Fun Home), Sea McHale (Marvin’s Room), Serena Parrish (Fun Home), Stephon Pettway (Ollie and Molly Can't Get Arrested, Mickey Roberts (debut) and Allie Trimm (“30 Rock”/13, the Musical).
After being married, divorced, arrested, kidnapped and thrown from a moving hovercraft, occasionally sober entertainer Randy has just written his first novel and he wants to share a staged reading of it with you. Cursed with stage fright, he begins rambling and ends up sharing a memorable – and very funny, not to mention very adult – discourse on everything from Buddhist thought to the wisdom of McDonald’s home delivery service to whether Hemingway’s artistic genius was enough to compensates for him being a terrible human being. Randy may share the complexion of Barney the Dinosaur, but RANDY WRITES A NOVEL promises to leave you questioning the meaning of life.
“An amusing, profanity-laden existential crisis.” Time Out NY
“It’s an absolutely hilarious comedy show, and is worthy of all the praise it’s received in the years leading up to this Off-Broadway production. It’s one of the funniest events I’ve attended over the past year or so, and strongly encourage you to attend, interact, and be prepared to laugh!” – On Stage Blog
“This is cheek sore, solar plexus spasm funny. This is laughter therapy that exfoliates grumpy out of your psychological wardrobe…I loved every single second of it.” – Stage Biz
★★★★ “A daring experiment that subtly reinvents the entire notion of stand-up comedy.” – The Skinny
RACHEL CALOF, a play with music, based on the life of Rachel Calof, a Jewish picture bride who was a homesteader on the Great Plains from 1894-1904, was chosen to be highlighted in the United Solo Theatre Festival. RACHEL CALOF will play four performances only: Sunday, November 15th at 7:30 pm, Monday, November 16th, Wednesday, November 18 at 9pm and Saturday, November 21 at 2pm. Based on the memoir, Rachel Calof's Story: Jewish Homesteader on the Northern Plains, the show features critically acclaimed television and stage actress Kate Fuglei in the title role. The play is directed by Ellen S. Pressman and features original music and lyrics by Leslie Steinweiss. The book was adapted for the stage by Ken LaZebnik. Tickets are $19.25 and can be purchased by visiting www.telecharge.com or by calling (212-239-6200).RACHEL CALOF is based on a pragmatic memoir, written completely in Yiddish by Rachel Calof. It tells the story of her brave adventure across the ocean as a Jewish picture bride from Russia to North Dakota in 1894 to marry a man she had never met before. Kate Fuglei powerfully enacts Calof’s courage to come to a new land, her sense of humor, her capacity to endure brutal hardships and her quest for a home of her own. RACHEL CALOF takes the audience on a journey filled with challenges and pleasant surprises with Calof’s transformative spirit and a genuine love for life.
2010 Season | Open: 07/12/10 Close: 08/01/10
The Festival accepts submissions in all genres – any sort of stage play, musical or otherwise, new or classic, mainstream or specifically focused on an ethnic or cultural niche. To be eligible, each show must have a producer and production team attached to the project.
Application forms for the 2010 Midtown International Theatre Festival will be available online at www.midtownfestival.org beginning August 7, 2009. Completed applications, scripts, production materials and a non-refundable reading fee of $30 must be mailed to: The Midtown International Theatre Festival, 347 W. 36th Street, 13th Floor, New York, New York 10018. There will be an early discount for applications submitted before September 14, 2009.
The 2010 Festival will also take place at the June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the MainStage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor; the Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor; and Where Eagles Dare Studio Blackbird, 347 W. 36th Street, 13th floor, NYC.
For more information, visit www.midtownfestival.org.
The MITF’s 2010 Season runs from July 12 – August 1, 2010 at the Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd Street, NYC; the June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor; and the Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor.
The Midtown International Theatre Festival,　now in its eleventh year, celebrates the diversity of theatre. The MITF welcomes theatrical storytelling across a broad spectrum of genres, forms, identities, cultures, and appetites. The MITF seeks to nurture these　new ideas, perspectives, and stories on its stages,　with an eye set on guiding these productions toward future success and longevity. 　The festival, traditionally　held in summer, represents a fantastic, often　paradoxical, adventurous and intriguing cross-section of the forefront of the theatre world.　 The MITF proudly hosts production companies from across the country and around the globe, uniting talent in one of the biggest theatre capitals in the world.
Mr. Chatterton created the MITF, a Midtown alternative to other theatre festivals, in 2000 as a way to present the finest off-off Broadway talent in convenience, comfort, and safety. In 2008, the Festival added two 99-seat theatres and inaugurated the Commercial Division for upwardly mobile shows with commercial ambitions. The MITF’s artistic emphasis is on the script itself and therefore the Festival requests minimal production values.
For more information, visit www.midtownfestival.org.
2010 SEASON - SHORT SUBJECTS
The Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC
"A Sweet Word of Advice", by Sophia Romma, directed by Leslie Lee
Thursday, July 22 at 9pm; Saturday, July 24 at 4pm; Sunday, July 25 at 2:30pm
She’ll reel you in, she’ll get under you skin, and she’ll never relinquish the bet, that’s that!
"All Folked Up", written and directed by Joshua R. Pangborn
Tuesday, July 13 at 7:30pm; Saturday, July 17 at 1pm; Sunday, July 18 at 7pm
The classic tales as they weren’t meant to be told…
"An Ode to the Washermen", by Andre Richardson Hogan II, directed by Charles Weldon
Wednesday, July 21 at 9pm; Saturday, July 24 at 5:30pm; Sunday, July 25 at 4pm
Two men are hired, rather forcibly, as janitors, and are trying their best to drift from these responsibilities.
"Blow by Blow", by Jean Bergantini Grillo, directed by Jen Forcino
Wednesday, July 21 at 6pm; Saturday, July 24 at 7pm; Sunday, July 25 at 1pm
Blow by Blow is based on the life and wit of Isabella Blow, style icon and confirmed bitch who captivated the international fashion world before her suicide in London at 48 in 2007.
"The Burning", by Lori Fischer, directed by Carlos Armesto
Friday, July 16 at 7:30pm; Saturday, July 17 at 5:30pm; Sunday, July 18 at 5:30pm
Two sisters test the meaning of "family" as they guard their house against a neighborhood arsonist.
"Fete", by Raquel Cion, directed by Cynthia Cahill
Wednesday, July 28 at 6pm; Friday, July 30 at 6pm; Saturday, July 31 at 1:30pm
Instructing us on how to throw a flawless party our hostess, Minday, rummages through stories of childhood and how frightening living among other people can be.
"Hey Mary!", by Bella Poynton
Monday, July 26 at 6pm; Saturday, July 31 at 3pm; Sunday, August 1 at 5:30pm
What really happened in Mary’s room that night?
"Hot Mama Mahatma", by Karen Fitzgerald, directed by Matt Hoverman
Tuesday, July 20 at 6pm; Saturday, July 24 at 2:30pm; Sunday, July 25 at 7pm
I went to India to get Enlightened, but got Turned On Instead!
"How I Became an Astronaut", by Fara Greenbaum, directed by Matt Hoverman
Wednesday, July 14 at 6pm; Thursday, July 15 at 9pm; Sunday, July 18 at 1pm
It ain’t easy becoming the world's premiere metaphorical astronaut.
"How Many Goodbyes Must I Say?", by Raymond Jones
Thursday, July 15 at 6pm; Friday, July 16 at 9pm; Saturday, July 17 at 2:30pm
A story of love and hope in which two people struggle to recapture the common ground they once shared.
"The Hyenas Got It Down", by Daniel Damiano, directed by Aaron Gonzalez
Wednesday, July 21 at 7:30pm; Friday, July 23 at 6pm; Sunday, July 25 at 5:30pm
A solo depiction of 4 disparate (and desperate) individuals who outrageously convey their triumphs and breakdowns in a jungle of a world.
"Inside Voices at the Girl Aquarium", written and directed by Gina Inzunza
Wednesday, July 14 at 7:30pm; Saturday, July 17 at 8:30pm; Sunday, July 18 at 4pm
Hear what teen magazines don't want you to know - the real voices of teenage girls.
"Julia & Buddy", written and directed by N.G. McClernan
Tuesday, July 13 at 6pm; Saturday, July 17 at 7pm; Sunday, July 18 at 2:30pm
Can a frustrated maintenance man and a stressed-out philosophy professor find common ground – and mutual desire?
"Love Stinks", by Kate Rader, directed by Harry Shiffman
Monday, July 26 at 7:30pm; Thursday, July 29 at 7:30pm; Sunday, August 1 at 4pm
When love can drive you mad, literally.
"Magdelena’s Crossing", by Carolyn Nur Wistrand, directed by Elena Araoz
Wednesday, July 28 at 7:30pm; Thursday, July 29 at 6pm; Saturday, July 31 at 9pm
The guarded secret of a Mexican prostitute leads to murder in a seedy American lounge on the Southwest border.
"Once Upon a Mama", by　Monifa Brown and Annie Guetti, directed by Dean Nolen
Monday, July 19 at 7:30pm; Thursday, July 22 at 7:30pm; Saturday, July 24 at 8:30pm
Two comic and heartfelt shows: 　First, an alcoholic mother must choose between her two greatest loves. 　Then four young women pee on a stick and pray.
"The Reunion Plays", by J. Boyett
Monday, July 19 at 6pm; Tuesday, July 20 at 7:30pm; Friday, July 23 at 9pm
The one thing that stays the same about people: they're always different from what you remembered…
"Searching for Soula", by Marisa Petsakos, directed by Drew DeCorleto
Thursday, July 22 at 6pm; Friday, July 23 at 7:30pm; Saturday, July 24 at 1pm
Two Astoria, Queens, childhood friends learn love ain’t easy but friendship trumps it all.
"StoneWall", by Jase Egan, directed by Brett Miro
Tuesday, July 27 at 7:30pm; Wednesday, July 28 at 9pm; Saturday, July 31 at 6pm
What happens when an unstoppable force runs into an unmovable object?
"That Color Blind Kind of Love", by Rebekah L. Pie, directed by Gene Hughes
Thursday, July 29 at 9pm; Saturday, July 31 at 7:30pm; Sunday, August 1 at 2:30pm
When Love transcends Time and Race, things are bound to get explosive!
"Til Death Do Us Part?", by Daniel Jean, directed by Fulton C. Hodges
Friday, July 30 at 9pm; Saturday, July 31 at 4:30pm; Sunday, August 1 at 7pm
Til Death Do Us Part? is a two-character play that chronicles the tumultuous post-wedding relationship of a young African-American couple.
"Visionaries", by Vivian Vertes, directed by Dina Epshteyn
Tuesday, July 27 at 6pm; Friday, July 30 at 7:30pm; Sunday, August 1 at 1pm
An elementary teacher gets an education in the NYC public schools!
The MITF’s 2010 Season runs from July 12 – August 1, 2010 at the Beckett Theatre, Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd Street, NYC; the June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor; the Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor; and the Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor.
The MITF expands to The Beckett and The Clurman Theatres, Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd Street, NYC, in addition to current theatres on 36th Street, for its eleventh season, to run from July 12 – August 1, 2010.
Shows submitted to the festival for summer 2010 by November 13, 2009 will be guaranteed adjudication before December 31, 2009. Accepted shows will be assigned a theatre upon notification of acceptance, will be able to pay fees before prices go up in January 2010, and will have the opportunity to perform at an MITF event in December 2009. Applications received before November 13 will also receive priority for assignment to Theatre Row theatres.
The Festival accepts submissions in all genres – any sort of stage play, musical or otherwise, new or classic, mainstream or specifically focused on an ethnic or cultural niche. To be eligible, each show must have a producer and production team attached to the project.
Application forms for the 2010 Midtown International Theatre Festival are available online at www.midtownfestival.org. Completed applications, scripts, production materials and a non-refundable reading fee of $30 must be mailed to: The Midtown International Theatre Festival, 347 W. 36th Street, 13th Floor, New York, New York 10018.
Jealously, revenge, lust and longing are at the core of Mourning Becomes Electra, Eugene O’Neill’s epic retelling of the Greek myth of Orestes. When General Ezra Mannon and his son Orin return home following years of fighting in the Civil War, they find their family in strife and the home they’ve been pining for torn apart. Matriarch Christine is engaged in a battle of schemes with her daughter Lavina, whose loyalty to her father drives her to protect him at any cost, while a web of secrets, deception and unsavory actions threaten to consume the family. A classic tragedy laced with Freudian themes, Mourning Becomes Electra is an unparalleled tale of adultery, obsession, murder and madness. 
What happens when outwardly “normal” people snap? Joyce Carol Oates’ ZOMBIE sheds insight into this question by taking you inside the mind of a sexual psychopath. In ZOMBIE, a Jeffrey Dahmer-esque serial killer by the name of “Quentin P__” describes the murder, torture and rape of his young male victims. A sexual psychopath, he aspires to create zombie slaves to meet his every need. ZOMBIE received the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel and was awarded the Lilla Risk Rand fiction prize by the Boston Book Review. Warning: ZOMBIE is not appropriate for those under the age of 17 due to adult situations.
Subsequent to its run at The 2008 NY International Fringe Festival, ZOMBIE received the FringeNYC Overall Excellence Award for Outstanding Solo Show, Talkin’ Broadway granted Connington the Outstanding Actor (Male) Award, and OffOffOff.com honored the play as a Fringe Festival Favorite in the categories of Best Overall Show, Best Lead Actor, Best Direction and Best Design. Samuel French Publishers will be releasing Connington’s adaptation in February 2009 to coincide with the play’s opening.
Michael Goliad is stuck!He is stuck in his life, stuck on himself, and now...
He's stuck in the Navy!
As the US revs up for the first Gulf War, Mexican-American, Michael Goliad joins the Armed Forces to pay for college, but soon realizes what it really means to become Property of the U.S. Navy. Now Goliad must fight for love, life and the pursuit of manhood as he is shipped off to his first duty station in the Philippines. All he wants is to be his own man, but the Navy and a certain gorgeous Filipina have other plans. With the help of female recruit Jeri Lewis, his fun-loving bunk mate Schotz and a pair of tyrannical Company Commanders, Goliad is bound to be haze gray and underway.
STARRING
Bryan Close, Helen Coxe, Andrew Eisenman,
Laura Hall, Kyle Masteller, Banaue Miclat,
Raushanah Simmons, Renaldy Smith, Kristin Villanueva
Set ELISHA SCHAEFER Lights WILBURN O. BONNELL
Costumes KIM WALKER Sound GEOFFREY ROECKER
Stage Manager JAY KOEPKE Graphic Design JAY BALLESTEROS
Producer/Artistic Director PETER MARSH
Production Supervisor/Executive Director MIA VACULIK
Associate Producer KENDRA DOLTON TYLER PENFIELD
Press Representative LANIE ZIPOY
From the neuroses of New York to the lyrical wit of truck drivers, HOW TO LOSE YOUR LOVER will tell you just what not to do to save your relationship