You meet a producer at a party and have two minutes to interest him in your work. Do you have the skill to sell yourself? Here's a chance to practice your pitching with real producers who are open to and interested in meeting you. Okay, they probably won't option you on the spot, but they'll give you valuable feedback about your work and your ability to talk about it. And you'll have the opportunity to start developing a relationship. And that's what this business is all about. Relationships.
"The Speed Date is the only event I know of that gives writers the chance to meet high level producers one-on-one in a room. To me, that's what makes the Speed-Dates so valuable. And you do it with kindness, which I value in life," says writer Vincent Amelio (How Alfo Learned to Love).
Go to https://truonline.org/events/speed-date-03-01-20/ for the application. Please fill out and email to TRUStaff1@gmail.com. All works will be considered, traditional and non-traditional, including works in development. The first 10 applicants will be accepted automatically, and after that submissions will be evaluated for genre, subject matter, production size, uniqueness and level of development to maximize the variety and scope of works presented in the evening.
We'll have eleven producers lined up, from both the commercial and not-for-profit worlds, all with an interest in new projects; we also may have eleven aspiring producers from our Producer Development program. So you'll be pitching to as many as 22 producers in total! Come with a willingness to learn, because the real value is the chance to practice your pitching. And you'll be getting invaluable coaching from experts, as well. And did we mention the wine and snacks afterwards?
Confirmed producers include:
-
Evan Bernardin, producer/general manager, Evan Bernardin Productions (We Are The Tigers, Afterglow, Counting Sheep; National tours
Million Dollar Quartet, Charlie Brown Christmas)
-
Cate Cammarata, dramaturg, director, producer (My Life Is a Musical, The Assignment, My Father's Daughter), Associate Artistic Director for Rhymes Over Beats Hip Hop Theater Collective
-
Rashad Chambers, producer (Ain't Too Proud, American Son, It Happened in Key West, Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting, the world premiere of The Erlkings)
-
Jane Dubin, producer (The Prom, Tony winning The Norman Conquests, An American in Paris, Farinelli and the King, Bandstand, Peter and the Starcatcher, Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, The 39 Steps, Ann)
-
William Franzblau, producer (Rocktopia, Tony Award-nominated
Say Goodnight Gracie, American Buffalo and Wonderland on Broadway; tour of
Little House on the Prairie the Musical; off-Broadway Sistas, Jewtopia, Evil Dead the Musical, Respect, Illuminate)
-
Lorca Peress, aritstic director of MultiStages
-
Anita Waxman (unconfirmed), producer (Marie the Little Dancer, Slave Play, Escape to Margaritaville, 1984, Hello Dolly!, Doctor Zhivago, Rocky, Bombay Dreams, Enron)
-
Shela Xoregos, artistic director Xoregos Performing Company
-
Claudia Zahn, former managing director Malibu Playhouse
-
Frank Zuback, producer (Taking Leave, American Soldier, Roof of the World)
Coaches:
Diana Calderazzo, Alison Sheff, Bailie Slevin
Trailing Producers:
Ina Chadwick*, Hal Diamond*, Stephanie Grayson, Adam Gregory*, Lori Mannette, Sanford Silverberg*, David Stamps*, others TBD
[*members and alumni of TRU's Producer Development program]
I participated in TRU's Writer's Speed Date Pitch session last year, and got a LOT out of it! I found it so motivating to have a deadline to create production assets and prepare myself for meeting producers. My partner and I worked tirelessly for days before the event to make sure we were in top form before presenting (as writers) to the "producers" on hand. My experience was one of the rare occasions where several producers expressed real interest in my work. Later, one attended my reading, and followed up with a coffee meeting to talk financing. We're still in touch. Again, this is never promised, but it does happen for some of us. In my opinion, the price of $85 for all that value is a BARGAIN! ~Ed Zareh (Long Lost John)
I've had follow-up meetings with two people I met from the event. and provided scripts to three others. I also met some fellow playwrights, and through a chain of introductions coming out of that, I'm now working on a possible film deal in Los Angeles. If you have a project where you'd like to practice and receive feedback on your pitch; potentially make some connections that would be useful for script development or early production; and meet some other playwrights - this is an ideal opportunity.~William Roetzheim
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, a twenty-seven-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of the arts. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.
TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught by prominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop business skills. TRU serves writers through a Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab; programs for actors include the Annual Combined Audition.
Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, as well as the Montage Foundation and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation.
For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit www.truonline.org.
You meet a producer at a party and have two minutes to interest him in your work. Do you have the skill to sell yourself? Here's a chance to practice your pitching with real producers who are open to and interested in meeting you. Okay, they probably won't option you on the spot, but they'll give you valuable feedback about your work and your ability to talk about it. And you'll have the opportunity to start developing a relationship. And that's what this business is all about. Relationships.
“The Speed Date is the only event I know of that gives writers the chance to meet high level producers one-on-one in a room. To me, that's what makes the Speed-Dates so valuable. And you do it with kindness, which I value in life,” says writer Vincent Amelio (How Alfo Learned to Love).
Go to https://truonline.org/events/speed-date-03-01-20/ for application. Please fill out and email to TRUStaff1@gmail.com. All works will be considered, traditional and non-traditional, including works in development. The first 10 applicants will be accepted automatically, and after that submissions will be evaluated for genre, subject matter, production size, uniqueness and level of development to maximize the variety and scope of works presented in the evening.
We'll have eleven producers lined up, from both the commercial and not-for-profit worlds, all with an interest in new projects; we also may have eleven aspiring producers from our Producer Development program. So you'll be pitching to as many as 22 producers in total! Come with a willingness to learn, because the real value is the chance to practice your pitching. And you'll be getting invaluable coaching from experts, as well. And did we mention the wine and snacks afterwards?
Confirmed producers include:
-
Evan Bernardin, producer/general manager, Evan Bernardin Productions (We Are The Tigers, Afterglow, Counting Sheep; National tours Million Dollar Quartet, Charlie Brown Christmas);
-
Cate Cammarata, dramaturg, director, producer (My Life Is a Musical, The Assignment, My Father's Daughter), Associate Artistic Director for Rhymes Over Beats Hip Hop Theater Collective;
-
Rashad Chambers, producer (Ain't Too Proud, American Son, It Happened in Key West, Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting, the world premiere of The Erlkings);
-
Jane Dubin, producer (The Prom, Tony winning The Norman Conquests, An American in Paris, Farinelli and the King, Bandstand, Peter and the Starcatcher, Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, The 39 Steps, Ann);
-
William Franzblau, producer (Rocktopia, Tony Award-nominated Say Goodnight Gracie, American Buffalo and Wonderland on Broadway; tour of Little House on the Prairie the Musical; off-Broadway Sistas, Jewtopia, Evil Dead the Musical, Respect, Illuminate);
-
Lorca Peress, aritstic director of MultiStages;
-
Anita Waxman (unconfirmed), producer (Marie the Little Dancer, Slave Play, Escape to Margaritaville, 1984, Hello Dolly!, Doctor Zhivago, Rocky, Bombay Dreams, Enron);
-
Shela Xoregos, artistic director Xoregos Performing Company;
-
Claudia Zahn, former managing director Malibu Playhouse;
-
Frank Zuback, producer (Taking Leave, American Soldier, Roof of the World).
Coaches: Diana Calderazzo, Alison Sheff, Bailie Slevin
Trailing Producers: Ina Chadwick*, Hal Diamond*, Stephanie Grayson, Adam Gregory*, Lori Mannette, Sanford Silverberg*, David Stamps*, others tbd
[*members and alumni of TRU's Producer Development program]
I participated in TRU's Writer's Speed Date Pitch session last year, and got a LOT out of it! I found it so motivating to have a deadline to create production assets and prepare myself for meeting producers. My partner and I worked tirelessly for days before the event to make sure we were in top form before presenting (as writers) to the "producers" on hand. My experience was one of the rare occasions where several producers expressed real interest in my work. Later, one attended my reading, and followed up with a coffee meeting to talk financing. We're still in touch. Again, this is never promised, but it does happen for some of us. In my opinion, the price of $85 for all that value is a BARGAIN! ~Ed Zareh (Long Lost John)
I've had follow-up meetings with two people I met from the event. and provided scripts to three others. I also met some fellow playwrights, and through a chain of introductions coming out of that, I'm now working on a possible film deal in Los Angeles. If you have a project where you'd like to practice and receive feedback on your pitch; potentially make some connections that would be useful for script development or early production; and meet some other playwrights – this is an ideal opportunity. ~William Roetzheim
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, a twenty-seven-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of the arts. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.
TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught by prominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop business skills. TRU serves writers through a Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab; programs for actors include the Annual Combined Audition.
Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, as well as the Montage Foundation and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation.
For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit www.truonline.org.
Getting writers and directors on the same page ...
Theater Resources Unlimited
presents
Writer-Director Communications Lab 2019
Saturday, April 13, 2019
10am-6pm
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents a Writer-Director Communications Lab on Saturday, April 13, 2019 from 10:00am - 6:00pm at Shetler Studios, 244 W 54th Street PH1, New York, NY 10019. This Lab focuses on facilitating communication between writers and directors to ensure that collaborations run as smoothly as possible. For writers and directors, there is a $75 fee for TRU members and an $85 fee for non-members. Observers are also welcome to come watch and learn. Please reserve using the bright red reservation box at https://truonline.org/events/communications-lab-19/ or e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com.
One of the most important - and most sensitive - relationships in theater is that between playwright and director. In some ways, the entire success of a show can hinge on the shared understanding, trust and mutual respect between these two artists. They need to see the show with the same eyes, otherwise their collaboration won't work. TRU has created a new, experimental program that will train theater artists in the crucial skills of communication. "It is led by commercial producers," explains TRU executive director Bob Ost, "since the producer is generally the real-world mediator in writer-director disagreements, and has the best overview of a production."
Feedback will be given by commercial producers Jennifer Manocherian(Meteor Shower, Dead Accounts, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Mountaintop, War Horse, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, August: Osage County) and Ric Wanetik producer (Tony nominated Twilight Los Angeles: 1992, Broadway's Marlene, Off-Broadway's Jolson and Company) and senior advisor for America to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC); and entertainment attorney/mediator Eric Goldman. TRU executive director Bob Ost will co-facilitate the day.
Confirmed directors include Cate Cammarata, Andi Lee Carter, Dennis Corsi, Miriam Eusebio, Stephen Lloyd Helper (assistant to Jerome Robbins on Fiddler revival, conceiver of Smokey Joe's Café), Anthony Inneo, Katherine Ray, James A. Rocco (former AD of Ordway Theatre), Laurie Rae Waugh.
Writers can submit to the lab at https://truonline.org/events/communications-lab-19/ before the deadline of Wednesday April 3rd. Download application and email to TRUStaff1@gmail.com with "Writer Lab Submission" in your subject line.
Directors may send an email to TRUnltd@aol.com with their resume to inquire about availability. There are currently nine director slots filled, with room for one more. And we also welcome observers to come a watch the workshop interactions.
HOW IT WORKS:
Up to ten directors will be teamed up with up to ten writers prior to the Lab itself. Playwrights will email a synopsis, pitch and production history, plus 5-10 sample pages of a script; directors will select a project that interests them from those submitted, request and read the script and prepare for a preliminary director-writer discussion about the play, which will be guided by producers. The goals for writers and directors in this Lab include:
* Discovering their personal communication style
* Learning to identify the style of the person they are with, and adjust to it for maximum mutual understanding
* Exploring non-threatening ways of discussing text, communicating and listening
* Identifying their domain of authority, and determining protocols
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, atwenty-six year old 501c3 nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theatercompanies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of the arts. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.
TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions; presents the TRU VOICES Annual New Play Reading Series and Annual New Musicals Reading Series, two new works series in which TRU underwrites developmental readings to nurture new shows as well as new producers for theater; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught byprominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop business skills. TRU serves writers through a Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab; programs for actors include the Annual Combined Audition, soon to be announced.
Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, as well as the Montage Foundation and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation. For more information about TRU membership and programs, visitwww.truonline.org or email inquiries to TRUStaff1@gmail.com
Theater Resources Unlimited
Writer-Director Communications Lab 2019
Writer Submission Deadline: 4/3
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents a Writer-Director Communications Lab on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Shetler Studios, 244 W. 54 Street PH1, New York, NY 10019. Writers, are you comfortable talking to directors? Do you get defensive? Desperate to have someone like your work? Let's change that conversation.
The lab focuses on facilitating early discussions between writers and directors to ensure that collaborations run as smoothly as possible. TRU has created this experimental program to train theater artists in the crucial skills of constructive communication. "It is led by commercial producers," explains TRU executive director Bob Ost, "since the producer is generally the real-world mediator in writer-director disagreements, and has the best overview of a production."
Feedback will be given by Broadway producers Jennifer Manocherian(Meteor Shower, Dead Accounts, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Mountaintop, War Horse, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, August: Osage County) and Ric Wanetik producer (Tony nominated Twilight Los Angeles: 1992, Broadway's Marlene, Off-Broadway's Jolson and Company) and senior advisor for America to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC); with the added expertise of entertainment attorney/mediator Eric Goldman. TRU executive director Bob Ost will co-facilitate the day.
TRU has 10 GREAT directors on board. Now they need 10 GREAT writers. These guys are looking for scripts to fall in love with. Maybe yours? Matches have been made, so start sending your submissions. The directors pick the scripts that intrigue them, so TRU can't promise you'll be picked. Still it doesn't cost anything to submit. Writers can submit to the lab at https://truonline.org/events/communications-lab-19/ before the deadline of midnight on Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Download application and email to TRUStaff1@gmail.com with "Writer Lab Submission" in the subject line.
For writers and directors selected, there is a $75 fee for TRU members and an $85 fee for non-members. Observers are also welcome to come watch and learn. Please reserve using the bright red reservation box at https://truonline.org/events/communications-lab-19/ or e-mail TRUStaff1@gmail.com.
Confirmed directors include Cate Cammarata, Dennis Corsi (2-time Fresh Fruit Festival winner Best Production for Phillie Trilogy and The Fierce Urgency of Now, Off-Bway Alliance Award for Ragtag Cinderella, Winterfest Best Director for Nell Dash), Miriam Eusebio, Stephen Lloyd Helper (assistant to Jerome Robbins for Fiddler revival, creator of Smokey Joe's Café), Anthony Inneo, Christopher Michaels (winner Best Director in the Strawberry Theatre Festival, 2016), Katherine Ray, James A. Rocco (former AD of Ordway Theatre), Laurie Rae Waugh.
HOW IT WORKS: up to ten directors will be teamed up with up to ten writers prior to the Lab itself. Playwrights will email a synopsis, pitch and production history, plus 5-10 sample pages of a script; directors will select a project that interests them from those submitted, request and read the script and prepare for a preliminary director-writer discussion about the play, which will be guided by producers.
The goals for writers and directors in this Lab include:
* Discovering their personal communication style
* Learning to identify the style of the person they are with, and adjust to it for maximum mutual understanding
* Exploring non-threatening ways of discussing text, communicating and listening
* Identifying their domain of authority, and determining protocols
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, atwenty-six year old 501c3 nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theatercompanies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of the arts. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.
TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions; presents the TRU VOICES Annual New Play Reading Series and Annual New Musicals Reading Series, two new works series in which TRU underwrites developmental readings to nurture new shows as well as new producers for theater; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught byprominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop business skills. TRU serves writers through a Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab; programs for actors include the Annual Combined Audition, soon to be announced.
Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, as well as the Montage Foundation and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation.
For more information about TRU membership and programs, visitwww.truonline.org or email inquiries to TRUStaff1@gmail.com.
Pitch your work to a roomful of interested producers...
Theater Resources Unlimited
announces the Networking Event
Writer-Producer Speed Date
(The Art of the Pitch)
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) presents a Networking Event to help writers talk more effectively about their work. Announcing the next Writer-Producer Speed Date: The Art of the Pitch on Sunday, March 3, 2019 starting at 4:30pm at Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th St., 12th fl. (PH1).
Submission deadline for applicants is February 23, 2019. Submission is free; if accepted tickets are $75.00 for TRU members and $85.00 for non-members. Please apply to purchase your spot through the WriterSpeedDateApp-85-75 form at https://truonline.org/events/speed-date-03-03-19/.
Speed Date is an opportunity for writers to pitch their shows to commercial and indie producers, beginning with professional coaching sessions that culminate in effective "elevator pitches." 22 writers chosen through the application process at https://truonline.org/tru-event-category/speed-date/ will present their work to 11 producers, including Evan Bernardin, producer, general manager (Afterglow), Rashad V. Chambers, producer (American Son), Nolan Doran, producer (Head Over Heels), William Franzblau, producer (Sistas, Wonderland, Say Goodnight Gracie), John Lant, indie producer (Frankenstein the musical), Ken Waissman, producer (Grease), Frank Zuback, producer (Taking Leave); plus four more tba.
Session 1 begins with coaching at 4:30pm and pitches to producers at 5:30, and Session 2 begins with coaching at 5:30pm and pitches to producers at 6:30pm. These one-on-one sessions prepare writers to successfully pitch their work to commercial and non-commercial producers, all interested in new projects. In addition to these 11 producers, additional producers from TRU's Producer Development program and other new producers may be present, giving the opportunity to pitch to as many as 22 different producers.
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is the leading network for developing theater professionals, a twenty-six year old 501c3 nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of the arts. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.
TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions; presents the TRU VOICES Annual New Play Reading Series and Annual New Musicals Reading Series, two new works series in which TRU underwrites developmental readings to nurture new shows as well as new producers for theater; offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program taught by prominent producers and general managers in New York theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop business skills. TRU serves writers through a Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop, How to Write a Musical That Works and a Director-Writer Communications Lab.
Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, as well as the Montage Foundation and the Leibowitz Greenway Foundation.
For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit www.truonline.org.
It’s a freezing Catskill winter outside on Gladstone Farms and pretty frosty inside the farmhouse kitchen too, as 3 generations of women debate the fate of their matriarch. A holiday weekend with family becomes a fulcrum for change, as recently widowed Elizabeth Gladstone (Dorothy Lyman) faces old age and the loss of her home. Betsy, her daughter, (Abigail Hawk) and granddaughter Liz, (Jeanne Lauren Smith) each have their own ideas about what should happen. Betsy wants to cash out, Liz wants to try to hang on to the farm. Tempers are as short as the winter days. But for Elizabeth, the only real question is can the third act of her life really be the best one yet?
Written by Dorothy Lyman
Directed by Katie McHugh
Produced by Stuffed Olive Inc.
Starring Dorothy Lyman (All My Children & Mama’s Family) and Abigail Hawk (Blue Bloods)
The cast includes Tim Bohn (Friends/NBC & Quantico/ABC), Abigail Hawk, Brennan Lowery (Happily Ever After/59E/59), Dorothy Lyman (Mama’s Family/All My Children/The Nanny), Jeanne Lauren Smith (Conquest of the Universe or When Queens Collide, directed by Everett Quinton/La MaMa), and Shannon Stowe (Medea/New School for Drama).
Performances take place at Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street (between Broadway & 8th Avenue), 12th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Subways: A/B/C/D/1 to Columbus Circle, N/Q/R/W to 57th Street
In This Is Storybox, the audience members choose whether to watch life on the stage or experience it for themselves. Three stories, inspired by three different audience members, will be played each unforgettable evening. Five uniquely-trained actors guide the three audience members on this mesmerizing journey. This Is Storybox offers a rare opportunity for audience members to play as the protagonist of a new story.Directed by Shea Elmore, This Is Storybox’s cast includes Carolyn McCandlish, Amanda Miller, Sarah-Doe Osborne and Julio Peña.
About the Company: Ignited States Production Company
IGNITED STATES PRODUCTION COMPANY, is dedicated to the production of new work that has a focus on the political, the social, and the emotional. Our goal is to bring artists of from all disciplines together, in order to tell smart stories that look at the world in new and interesting ways. We are interested in theater that tackles major issues, from politics to religion, from society at large to the inner workings of the human heart. We want our plays to be the spark of great conversation, and perhaps even greater change. Ignited States begins with a question.
What do Buddhist Monks, a shark and a lesbian wedding have in common? The answer can be found in Adam Bock’s Swimming in the Shallows. Barb, Carla Carla, Donna and Nick are each searching for the thing that will bring them peace and happiness. The comedy follows them on their quests through yard sales, dumps, recovery groups and aquariums. Will they be brave enough to tear down the barriers that they have perhaps constructed themselves?
THE MAIDEN’S PRAYER opens at the wedding of Taylor and Cynthia. Libby, Cynthia’s hard-drinking sister is in love with Taylor herself and she can take it no longer. Libby then meets Taylor’s best friend, Paul, who, since childhood, has harbored a secret love for the groom himself. As Libby and Paul are forced to deal with unrequited love, their lives change dramatically. Paul finds himself pursued by a young man, Andrew, who seems at first less interested in true love than in available real estate. THE MAIDEN’S PRAYER follows this quintet as they struggle to learn the difference between loving someone and needing them.
Chekhov’s The Bear, and original works Shakespeare Lives! and Mayor Eddie P. Rex will be performed as Classically Skewed for two weekends in July. The hilarious evening is based on a love for the classics - followed closely by a desire to give the classics a wet willy, purple nurple, or possibly a swirly - illiterately speaking of course. We only play because we love!
The Bear: Written by Anton Chekhov. Directed by Karen Raphaeli. The classic Russian comedy that plays with the minimal distance between anger and passion; between wanting to fight and wanting to... do something else. Starring Doug Rossi, Abe Lebovic, and Melissa Villain.
Shakespeare Lives!: Written by Brett Hursey. Directed by Marielle Duke. An unsuspecting actress is tossed into a bizarre audition with a director who wants to “drag Shakespeare out of his moldy old grave” and give him a “cutting edge.” It’s Avant-Garde for the Avant-Bard. There might even be a sock puppet involved. Starring Megan Melnyk, Thomas Rowen, Megan McKenna, and Kris Mordecai.
Mayor Eddie P. Rex: Written by Melissa Faye Villain. Directed by Shauna Horn. An interpretation of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex; loose, modern, and set on a day-time talk show. The Sophie Cleese show, specifically. Starring Sarah Chemerys, Michael Sadler, Christine D’Amato, Tom Lacey, Hailey McCarty, and Kris Mordecai.
ORANGE FLOWER WATER tells the story of David and Cathy Larson and Brad and Beth Younquist who live with their children in the relatively peaceful town of Pine City, Minnesota. David and Beth, after years of maintaining a platonic friendship, begin an adulterous affair with disastrous consequences. Through a series of scenes which all take place around a single bed, we see the painfully intense unraveling of both marriages and, eventually, the construction of a very fragile but authentic new beginning for everyone concerned. 
Homeward Bound is the story of three GI’s wounded in the Iraqi War, stuck in a hospital in Germany, waiting to go home. When two wounded Iraqi civilians are temporarily housed in the same ward, they all share the same nightmare. They have been irredeemably changed by their wounds and experiences, and now they must re-imagine their lives if they want to save themselves – and get back home, not as they left it, but as they have become.
Homeward Bound is the final play in Armen Pandola’s trilogy exploring different facets of post-9/11 America. The first of the series, Terror at the White House, which follows the story of a First Family torn apart by political dissension, intrigue and betrayal premiered in June 2004 and was a Stanley Drama Award Finalist. The second play of the series, Devils Also Believe, premiered in May 2006 and was a Smith Prize Finalist for Best New American Play.
HENRI GABLER is the son of great American President Charles Gabler and the CEO of the Daily Gabler, a popular political science blog. Having spent the majority of his life in his father’s shadow, Henri ignites a media firestorm when he announces his marriage to George Truman, a celebrated Harvard anthropologist. Returning from his honeymoon, Henri realizes that despite his marriage he is still paralyzed by depression and a feeling of inequality and impotence. Henri's world is turned upside down when an old high school friend crashes back into his life.
HEDDA GABLER was written in 1890 by Henrik Ibsen. This modern adaptation by Alexander Burns reimagines Ibsen's 19th-century, heterosexual Hedda as a 21st-century, homosexual Henri. HENRI GABLER echoes Ibsen’s groundbreaking social critique and explores such contemporary issues as homophobia, modern technology blurring the line between private and public life, the complexities of marriage and the prevalence of suicide among the homosexual community.
HENRI GABLER will feature sets by Eliza Brown, costumes by Colleen Kesterson, lighting by Michael Billings and sound by Phillip Scott Peglow.
HENRI GABLER will feature Billy Wheelan*, Vince Nappo*, John Keabler*, Elizabeth Ingram Maurer*, William Otterson, James Jackson Jr.* and Chris Yonan*
When Dan convinces Eric to audition for their high school's production of Romeo and Juliet, their destinies become inextricably linked. The two friends move to New York to pursue their common goal: to "make it" as an actor. When Eric lands a role on a television show, Dan is consumed by jealousy, but when Eric becomes a bona fide movie star, Dan is driven over the edge. This ever-changing dynamic in their relationship is the basis for NEMESIS, a new comedy by Michael Buckley. NEMESIS is not simply a play about "the business" but an exploration of competition, friendship and the American definition of success. Written by Michael Buckley
Directed by Chad M. Brinkman
Starring Michael Buckley & Will Poston
Lighting Designer: Robin A. Paterson
Presented by Stepstone Media
Knife Edge Productions presents a bold new staging of Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter, the haunting tale of two former college buddies teetering on the edge of emotional destruction. As they find themselves thrown into a bizarre erotic love triangle with a gorgeous young prostitute in Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District, they struggle with their own disastrous falsehoods they have each intricately created for themselves. Red Light Winter examines the human spirit in its most melancholy state. For mature audiences only. Bob and Sam work for the same corporation, but have not seen each other for three years since Sam has been heading the company\'s new operation in Italy. Sam and his wife, Molly, return for a visit to the United States and invite Bob and his wife Lily to spend a weekend with them at the country inn where fifteen years ago the two couples honeymooned together. Through the course of the weekend, it becomes apparent that Bob and Sam have grown to have very different ideas about business, success, honesty and marriage, yet both feel a pressure to ignore these differences, and to somehow find ways to celebrate their friendship.
Starring: John DeSilvestri, Tom Lacey, Michael Micalizzi, Caroline Eckman, Brianna Packen, and Mike Satow.
From critically acclaimed The Bridge Theatre Company comes Humans Anonymous, winner of the Best of Toronto Fringe, Best Ensemble and Best Director Awards. One is afraid of loneliness; two is afraid of happiness; three is afraid of ignorance; four is afraid of judgment; five is afraid of gremlins...even the nice ones. One loves four; three loves two; five loves cats. Can five over-caffeinated humans stumble their way to a fear-free future?
When an uptight businesswoman who prefers lattes to love meets a sexually-experimental young genius looking for Mrs. Perfect, there is more than just coffee brewing. With the assistance of a dry-witted best friend, his feline-obsessed sister and five addictive personalities, happiness is only twelve steps away. Humans Anonymous is a heartbreaking new comedy about friendship, fear, love...and caffeine.
Robin A. Paterson directs.
Set in a sexy, gritty underworld where men and women are equal in their ability to deceive, Second Hand Smoke follows Donna, a tough, yet worn out diner waitress caught among four men. One late evening, her shady past comes to light when she brings a handsome, down-on-his-luck stranger, Liam, home with her. What begins as a one night stand turns into something much more sinister when her ex-con husband shows up unexpectedly. The provocative thriller proves there are three sides to the truth: his, hers and what really happened.Playwright Renee Flemings* stars as Donna. Michael Jones (365 Plays/365 Days), Joe Capozzi (The Long Ride Home at the Cherry Lane Theater), Josh Casaubon* (The American Pilot at Manhattan Theatre Club) and Scott Venters round out the cast. Kate Place directs.
THE SANITATION CHRONICLES is a "slice of life" play, taking place in a New York City Sanitation garage. The characters, most of them Sanmen, confront daily prejudices, anger and violence. Everything comes to a boil when one of the men appears dressed as a woman... Although the language and material are sometimes raw, the overall impression is one of the characters' humanity, and an ultimate hopefulness. 
Alzheimers, Adolescence and ...Aliens? The darkly funny story of a normal family that comes together only to fall apart as Grandpa becomes increasingly disabled by Alzheimers. And then the Aliens show up.............A comedy, a tour through the middle of America, a look at our feeble attempts to connect to each other, a meditation on becoming 'dis' -abled and losing your mind - its just another day in the good old U.S.A.
The NYC revival of TALES OF THE LOST FORMICANS explores an estranged family who come together only to fall apart when Grandpa becomes increasingly disabled due to Alzheimers. And then the aliens show up......................Alzheimers, Adolescence and Aliens? Just another day in the U.S.A.Starring Rebecca Challis, Brian Coffey, Nick Linnehand, Lindsay Goranson, William Huntely III, Jovinna Chan, Russell Waldman, Celia Bressak, Michael Hartney
Mina has a lump in her breast and it's resisting the chemo therapy. Her doctor recommends she have a mastectomy, but she's only 28 years old. She has two weeks to decide whether keeping her breast is worth risking her life. Will Mina's parents have the right answer? Will her best friend know what to do? How about her local stripper or porn shop employee? The fact of the matter is that everyone has an opinion about breasts, and Mina is determined to examine as many sides as she can before making a decision that will change her life forever. Jackie Rosenfeld's play is a touching and deeply funny exploration of one woman's journey to define her breasts and herself. 
Fantasy and actuality merge, as more than 30 actors imagine to be various characters in this fast paced industry showcase. The Cast: Eric Talon, Charity Bess, Blythe Miller, David Demato, Michelle Czar, Rose Constanzo, Benjamin Sulds, Jane Hagerty, Danette Riso, Ben Rathbun, Pat Cesar, Josh Macuga, Bonita Hope, Jean Ann Garrish, Christopher Batyr, Stephen Lemay, Nicole Serra, Lara Starr Sutton, Natasha Kotovsky, Elizabeth Phillipp, Susanne Traub, Sara Rosenzweig, Joe Iozzi, Brandon Abel, Nancy Guzman, Allison Bloch, Rodney Ladino, Tiffany Clown, Merridith Banker, Jessica Maria Smith, Danika Hendrickson, Jason Barker, Fernando Estrella, Regan Flynn, Joscelyn Wilmouth, Danielle Asman, Jessica Stasulis, and Fran DeCesare
A sassy southern belle inherits a bunch of money and decides to go to Manhattan where she's greeted by a flamboyant front-desk manager and a cast of over-the-top characters that send her on an emotional rollercoaster. This short play feels like a cross between an episode of Designing Women and a funny episode of Will & Grace.Cast:
Elizabeth Phillipp, Joe Iozzi, Michelle Czar, David Demato, Ben Rathbun, Eric Talon, Mercedes Vasquez, Richard Schwartz, Rodney Ladino, Charity Bess, Pat Ceasar, Murat Ekici, Elizabeth Izzo, Deborah Gross, Corinne Lee, and Danette Riso
A new adaptation of one of the bard's most famous comedies played in cyclical seasons around the audience to forward time and action. It emphasizes realism through the catharsis of the early Renaissance discovering an important influence, Francis Petrarch.This version follows characters making some of the most pivotal decisions of there lives about love, religion, status, tradition, and happiness.
In Zarathustra Said Some Things, No? Adrienne and Ricky, a young Canadian couple living in Paris, have entered into a suicide plot. Today is their chosen time to die. True, this is the fourth consecutive day designated as their last alive, yet all the elements are now in place, as Adrienne's conditions to leap from their high balcony at sunset have been met. Under the burden of their decision, they relive their lives through storytelling, elaborate mind-games of their own invention, mock group therapy sessions, personal attacks, shared secrets, and intimate, sexual, cruel and even humorous moments. As critical truths surface, so does a tenacious life-force, a willingness to live despite themselves; yet each revealed truth evokes a correspondingly provocative tale.
Grievances, sexual and drug addictions, recurring mistakes, the acknowledgement of their psychic rifts and the damage done, spins them out of control. They alternate between light and shadow and edge closer to the precipice as the sun sets, when they will choose to live or die.
Actors will thrive in this theatrical showcase where boundaries do not exist.Expect nothing and everything as you walk through the theatre doors and take your seat in a room that is alive each and every moment. This is a short, diverse, theatrical showcase of monologues, scenes, music, drama, comedy, and dance.
THE CAST: Brandon Abel, Tom Ashton, Ayo, Danielle Asman, Charity Bess, Michael Blanc, Carole Boniece, Maureen Chandler, Patrick Colabella, Michelle Czar, David Demato, Brett Davidson, Claysey Everett, Nancy Guzman, Danika Hendrickson, Richard Hymes-Esposito, Elizabeth Izzo, Jodi Jacobs, Colleen Jason, Nick Mazza, Carrie Moretti, Christina Petroni, Elizabeth Phillipp, Danette Riso, Kelly Scanlon, Nicole Serra, Kenan Wei, and Corrine Wu.
Monday January 30th at 8pm.Journey to Manhattan Part One- A Theatrical Evening will be held at Shetler Theatre 54. Part One is a tread through the nerve-racking Manhattan Acting Experience with a cast chock-full of skillful, able performers- each with a passion for theatre, each with an artistic drive that allows them to endeavor as New York Actors. An evening of polished monologues, diverse scenes, smooth dancing, and moving music.
Tuesday January 31st at 7pm.
Journey to Manhattan Part Two- A Night at the Cabaret will be held across the street at Dillon's Cabaret Theatre. Part Two is a dash and a stagger through the comedic chaos of actors struggling to perform on any stage they can! The music flows, the scripts are all over the place, the glamour is present, and yet never quite there- this cabaret is alive with gifted, comedic professionals.
Theatrical Showcase held at Shetler Theatre 54, 244 West 54th Street, on the 12th Floor.
Cabaret Showcase held at Dillon's Restaurant and Lounge, 245 West 54th Street.
Playwrights/Actors Contemporary Theater.
Original Music, Stories and Short Plays dealing with contemporary social issues: connecting... or not being able to connect... with each other in today's world.
Don Juan in Chicago by David Ives follows the adventures of Don Juan from 16th century Spain to present-day Chicago as he is blessed and cursed with eternal life – provided he sleeps with a different woman every day and never sleeps with the same woman twice. The complications of this quest get more and more difficult as the Don must grapple with modern sexual mores, the return of two previous lovers, his long-lost daughter and the Devil himself. The perfect blend of a high IQ and lowbrow comedy, filled with hysterical verbal gymnastics, much door-slamming and serious questions about the consequences and implications of endless sex, this comedy begs the question, "How much is too much of a good thing?" 
Down the Road is a story of a husband and wife team who are writing a book about a serial killer. As they are drawn further into his world they question whether their book will help society by uncovering why he murdered 19 women, or if they are simply making a celebrity out of him and inspiring others to do the same