Madshag Performance Group

MadShag is now THE FORGE!

2010-08-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you who've wondered where and what the heck MadShag has been up to, today is an exciting day! Today several longtime MadShag collaborators are launching The Forge, a new arts production company based in New York.

Our brand spanking new site has more information if you're interested (please update your bookmarks!). Our first two projects -- SINNER TO WINNER (a one-night art party on September 10) and IMMORTAL: THE GILGAMESH VARIATIONS (opening in NYC January 2011) -- involve dozens of exciting artists. I hope you’ll plan to attend. I think you’ll enjoy both of these events, so stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

The Forge features some of the greatest artists I've ever worked with, and I'm incredibly excited about the group's future. If you'd like to keep up with our activities, I hope you'll:

Join The E-Forge List: http://theforgenow.com/?page_id=33

"Like" Us On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Forge/135160143180567

Follow The ForgeBlog: http://wwwtheforgenow.com/?feed=rss2

Follow Us On Twitter: http://twitter.com/theforgenyc

Coming Soon: Forge Photos on our Flickr Photostream
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/52224611@N04/) and Videos on our You
Tube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/TheForgeNYC)

And one other thing...please spread the word! Like any new endeavor, The Forge will only be as successful as those who know about it. Forward this to everyone you think might like to know about us! Thanks for your help (and more Forgery ahead!).

Casting For GILGAMESH VARIATIONS Coming Up Soon!

2009-06-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

We're looking for the six most talented, most physical, most thoughtful performer-artists in New York City to join the company of THE GILGAMESH VARIATIONS. Rehearsals begin in September 2009 in preparation for our 2010 premiere. If you, or someone you know, fits the breakdown below, please send a resume/headshot to madshag@gmail.com.

THE GILGAMESH VARIATIONS
4 male roles, 2 female roles, collectively playing 30+ speaking parts
Ages: 20-50
Actors and actresses of color, especially African or African-American, Latino/a, Native American, and actors of Middle Eastern heritage, encouraged to submit.
Physical movement and/or dance training a plus but not required

Not Her (And Other Exiles)...Coming To A Town Near You!

2009-03-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who packed the rafters of the beautiful new Dixon Place to see the world premiere of NOT HER (AND OTHER EXILES)! The waves of excellent feedback from audiences and the evening's stellar reception has us a bit giddy, and very appreciative for everyone out there who has become a part of the MadShag Nation. Superb performances by Roger Calderon, Cindy Kawasaki, Christopher Michael McLamb, Catherine Porter and Mary Ann Walsh made this "odd duck" theatre experience a joy, both to work on in rehearsal and to watch in performance. Thanks gang!

Due to the excellent response, MadShag has begun planning for a national tour of NOT HER (AND OTHER EXILES), so watch this space. Details to follow soon!

NOT HER Opens March 10th!

2009-02-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

We're thrilled to formally invite all MadShaggers to NOT HER (AND OTHER EXILES), a new 50-minute evening of short plays we're producing at the beautiful, new multi-million dollar theatre complex at Dixon Place. The cast is extraordinary, the designers are on the top of their game, and the plays are stunning glimpses at what it means to be an outsider in America.

Reservations are easily made at http://www.dixonplace.org for either of our two performances. Let us know you'll be attending, so we can make sure to find you there!

The Gilgamesh Variations...A First Look!

2009-01-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

After almost a year of planning, six months of intensive collaboration by our eleven playwrights, the first public experience of THE GILGAMESH VARIATIONS is upon us. Seating is limited, so if you'd like to see what all the hubbub has been about, email us and reserve your spot for February 7th!

Stage Fright: Open Reading

2009-01-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

The Gilgamesh Variations: Creative Team Announced

2008-07-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

We're happy to announce the playwrights and creative artists who will be working to adapt the Epic of Gilgamesh into MadShag's 2009 project, THE GILGAMESH VARIATIONS:

Charles Borkhuis, NYC
Erin Browne, NYC
Jane Ann Crum, NYC
Jeffrey James Keyes, NYC
Barb Lanciers, NYC
Leonard Madrid, Albuquerque
Gretchen Michelfeld,NYC
Kay Mitchell,NYC
Juanita Rockwell, Baltimore
Barry Rowell, NYC
Gabriel Shanks, NYC

Some of the names you may recognize from previous collaborations -- Ms. Michelfeld is the author of our upcoming production Not Her, while Mr. Keyes, Mr. Rowell and Ms. Rockwell had works in our 2006 reading series. The other creatives on board are:

Lead Dramaturge: Kay Mitchell
Director: Gabriel Shanks
Scenic Design: Allen Cutler, Hartford
Costume Design: Shannon Maddox, Baltimore
Lighting Design: Erik C. Bruce, Los Angeles

More details to follow soon!

MadShag Announces Two New Projects!

2008-07-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to announce two new projects currently in development at MadShag, both of which will be making their premieres in the months to come. One is an adaptation, one an inspiration...and both firmly rooted in the collaborative ethos of MPG.

Having just experienced the extraordinary presidential campaign of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, playwright Gretchen Michelfeld uses the lens of Samuel Beckett to explore the struggles of her candidacy, defeat, and the implications for women who rail daily against the barriers of gender. This solo performance is currently in development, and will be staged in 2009...when the electoral frenzy will have given way to some serious contemplation.

Twelve playwrights from around the country will join forces to adapt the earliest masterpiece of creative fiction -- The Epic of Gilgamesh, the legendary series of Sumerian and Babylonian poems about the magnificent hero-king, who may have been an actual ruler in the 27th century BC. THE SLEEPING AND THE DEAD is a massive collaboration project shared among two dozen amazing artists in total, who together will explore the themes of gender, friendship, ritual and power – and the humanity that persists when ambition exceeds its grasp. This piece is being developed and workshopped for an early 2009 production, conceived and directed by Gabriel Shanks with lead dramaturg Kay Mitchell.

Present Tense at The Brick!

2008-05-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

We're thrilled to finally share with the MadShaggers the new premiere that Gabriel has been directing this month -- Charles Borkhuis' PRESENT TENSE, May 23rd and 24th at The Brick Theater. It's a clever and mind-stretching new play; we'd love to get your feedback and thoughts on this multiple-dimension, wormhole-stretching new work about actors, audiences, and the infinite space between the two. It's part of the Tiny Theatre Festival, co-produced by the Ontological-Hysteric and The Brick; there are six short plays in total, 90 nonstop minutes. Come enjoy!

In PRESENT TENSE, two characters find themselves slipping in and out of parallel lives through "wormholes" in the space-time of the play. One believes he has dozed off at home with a book on his lap and the play is a curiously lucid dream. The other is convinced that their performances in front of a live audience are desperately real. Panic starts to set in as the play's complications and reversals become increasingly fascinating and frightening. C'mon, admit it...you're intrigued, aren't you?

PRESENT TENSE
by Charles Borkhuis
directed by Gabriel Shanks
featuring Frank Blocker & Ben Trawick-Smith
Stage Manager: Jeni Shanks
Design: Allen Cutler
May 24 and 25 | 8pm | $15
at The Brick Theater, 575 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg
(L Train, 1/2 block from Lorimer Stop)
RESERVATIONS: 866-811-4111 or Theatermania

Free MadShag MP3 Download!

2008-03-05T21:28:00.001-08:00

The premiere of Dennis Blackwell and Jason Hart: In Concert is less than a week away at The Metropolitan Room, and we couldn't be more excited that so many of you are coming to see it! As a special treat, Dennis and Jason recently went into the studio and recorded one of the songs, the unforgettable Lerner/Lane classic "Come Back To Me", just for the blog listeners! You can now hear and download the track for FREE for a limited time.

And if you haven't made your reservations yet, call (212) 206-0440 right away (no credit card necessary). Seats are going very rapidly for both performances. I can't wait to see you there!

In Concert at the Metropolitan Room

2008-02-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

MadShag has been hard at work on a series of first-ever events: our first-ever musical project, our first-ever cabaret performance piece, our-first ever appearance at New York City's vaunted Metropolitan Room. The fully-staged cabaret piece is for our friends Dennis Blackwell and Jason Hart; Gabriel is directing, while Kay is writing text and helping with the staging. It's an incredibly exciting project...what a thrill to work on songs by Elvis Costello, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Billy Joel, and more! With a few weeks of rehearsal left to go, we can already tell it's turning out better than our wildest dreams.

Reservations are now open, so please call (212) 206-0440 and come enjoy our night of music, laughter, and drama. We promise you'll leave humming!

Have Another with Flux Theatre Ensemble Tonight!

2008-01-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

Join us tonight at Jimmy's No. 43 (43 E. 7th St.) for Flux Theatre Ensemble's 2nd Have Another reading series. Kay has directed a scene from Godsbreath, by Johnna Adams. There will also be scenes from Un Plugged In by Brian Pracht and Icarus of Ohio by Rob Ackerman. There's no cover and a one-drink minimum. Stop in for a drink, stay for the chicken resurrection, and be sure to say hi if you do!

Slogging Through The Winter Months...

2007-12-13T17:48:00.001-08:00

It's surprisingly looking like a hiatus around the MadShag HQ...trust us, we didn't plan it that way, it just happened! We just closed Nomi Tichman's solo performance piece at Dixon Place, In Ithaca, When Physics Saved My Life...a wonderful experience with one of NYC's most wonderful actresses. Now we're looking to 2008, where we'll stick our first toe into the murky waters of cabaret (at the Metropolitan Room, no less!) and continue developing our new projects. And if things work out, we'll be reviving our award-winning, sold-out smash 2004 hit adaptation of Poe's Fall of the House of Usher...this time in our "second city", Baltimore. Just in time for Halloween! Keep watching this space, we'll be back to full speed soon!

Hay Fever: This Saturday!

2007-08-04T22:24:00.001-07:00

MadShag Celebrates Summer in the Garden!

2007-07-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

We're proud to finally announce our casts for SUMMER IN THE GARDEN, our staged reading series happening next month. MadShag is presenting two classic British comedies that break out of their rooms and hurl themselves headlong into their well-manicured lawns -- comedy so big, it can't stay in the living room! Both plays are celebrations of wit, laughter, and family dysfunction...a most entertaining afternoon, wouldn't you say? Gabriel and Kay are directing, and best of all, they're FREE! Plus drinks and nibbles! Put it on your calendar now, and remember to RSVP by phone (646-220-2520) or by e-mail, because seating is limited.

The Universe Is Ours!

2007-07-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Conquest of the Universe (at the OFF STAGE Festival) closed last night, and if you missed it...you really missed out! Each night, on the corner of Bowery and 4th in the East Village, our intrepid group of interstellar drag queens, kabuki maids and glitter kings -- Madshag veterans Oscar Castillo (Stealing Pears) and Lars Preece (The Madness of Lady Bright), along with newcomers Jason Martin and Matthew Cummings -- held court on the streets of New York, battling the equally fabulous Barbarella-meets-Xena cast of Chris Mirto's version (Trish, LeShay, Jesse and Carter rock!). In addition to across-the-board rave reviews for the event, we enjoyed the Bowery's gawking tour buses, overly sexual homeless people, threats of rain, Canadian honeymooners, tranny chasers, Gay Pride celebrants, and more drunk NYU frat boys than one should ever see in one lifetime. But we also had over 1,000 enthusiastic audience members who laughed, screamed, and clapped along with our zany street theatre. Thanks to our producers, Peculiar Works Project, for the unforgettable experience. (But now, we'd like to do a play inside a theatre again, thanks!)

OBIE Award Grants...and Colliding Queens!

2007-05-22T11:00:00.001-07:00

We're thrilled to note that our frequent producers and longtime artistic collaborators, Peculiar Works Project, received an OBIE Award Grant yesterday in honor of last October's The Village Fragments. We're doubly thrilled, because the Fragments included a MadShag play, The Madness of Lady Bright by Lanford Wilson, in its run. Which means we kinda, sorta, halfway-won an OBIE too! Huzzah for us, huzzah for Peculiar Works, and huzzah to Gretchen, Steve, Lars, Kay and Gabriel, who created such an marvelous (and apparently, award-worthy) piece of theatre!

MadShag is gearing up for a second run in The Village Fragments next month, in the East Village this time...where we'll be presenting Charles Ludlam's whacked-out intergalactic drag comedy Conquest of the Universe or When Queens Collide. Director Gabriel Shanks will be collaborating with our talented buddy Christopher Mirto to bring two totally different productions to life...and then have the two ensembles throwdown in a theatrical street brawl! It's all loosely inspired by historical facts from the 1960's, and will be a lot of fun. The event begins on June 14th (and Kay is directing a separate piece, too!). For tickets and other info, check out Peculiar Works' website next week.

Don't Miss The BANG!

2007-05-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

MadShag's great friends and sometime producers, Peculiar Works Project, are throwing their first-ever benefit, BANG!...and it's a star-studded lineup of downtown performance art legends, including Penny Arcade and Judith Malina. This is a must for everyone who supports quality theatre...and it's a great night of entertainment, too!

A Big Month

2007-04-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a month since we've updated, but we've had a big month at MadShag. First off is that our planned production of Perestroika had to be canceled due to serious family illness. The health of our loved ones comes first, as it should, but the severity of the illness made it simply impossible for MadShag to continue its involvement with the Baltimore production. The good news is that Spotlighters, our producing partner, plans to forge ahead with local artists to complete the production...and we are cheering them on. Go team!

We also put together a reading for Peculiar Works Project of Charles Ludlam's Conquest of the Universe, or, When Queens Collide, which was ridiculously good fun. Since the play has an absolutely enormous cast, we got to work with some regulars of the MadShag family (Gabriel, Shannon, Catherine Porter, Mary Ann Walsh, Melissa House, Helen Bessette), some of our new friends from Baltimore (David Gregory, Richard Goldberg), and a bevy of talented folk who were MadShaggin' for the first time: Brian Gonzalez, Ryan Jensen, Chris Mirto, Wil Reyes, Nathaniel Rogers, Shannan Shaughnessy, Nomi Tichman, and Jason Verga. It was a ball, and we hope to revisit the play in June as part of PWP's Off Stage: The East Village Fragments, which is the follow-up event to the West Village event we did last year.

We're still working on our 2008 original piece, Dragging The Day (Behind You), and we're currently cooking up a fun summer project here in NYC. We'll keep you posted!

A Post About Nothing...

2007-03-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

I'm such a bad mom! Shoot, if I was the real mom of this blog, child services would have taken it and given it to a nice white family in the suburbs before I could pull myself up off the kitchen floor after a week of vodka, cigarettes and crack cocaine. I tell ya, I have a new respect for those that can come up with not only something to write about on their blogs each day but some of them even come up with several new and interesting posts all at the same time. What's up with that?!

Oh sure, I've sat down to write on several occasions. Maybe something about a show I've seen or a piece I'm working on or at the very least one of the several hundred Netflix movies I've watched, but nothing ever seemed important enough. For instance, I saw a show a couple of weeks ago at a new-ish space here in Baltimore called The Patterson. Actually, I believe the entire title is The Creative Alliance at the Patterson. Anyway, I went down there not knowing anything about the space except what I had read on their website, WHICH, by the by, I thought sounded totally groovy and a place that Madshag might be able to mount less traditional work in the future i.e. the work we prefer to do. But I digress...I LOVE THIS SPACE. It's a totallytotallytotally, great and beautiful artistic and creative space. So why didn't I write about that? And the piece. I saw an original performance/multimedia extravaganza, Air Heart, written and performed by a Towson MFA alum Mara Neimanis, an aerial performer amongst other things, who did the whole piece while climbing and swinging around on a 25' steel sculpture of a plane. Now that sounds like that could be something...good or bad...
It was good.

I just don't know?! I mean, what constitutes an interesting blog worthy post? Listen, I have read some really uninteresting crap. And even worse, I have left comments on these posts like this will somehow ease my guilty conscience for thinking it was crap in the first place. So what makes me think I'm any better than anybody else. Like I can conjure from deep down and write something that will entertain, educate and inspire you all to great things...if I just wait, it will come.

What the hell was I waiting for. Well, I have learned my lesson. No more waiting for interesting subjects, inspirational words, great/bad art or as Allan Kaprow put it: happenings. I hear by promise to write all kinds of crap all the time. No matter what it is or how I'm feeling I will allow the proverbial diarrhea of the extremities to expound all kinds of deep, dark, smelly dookie. This my friends is my solemn promise.

Just to show you how dedicated I am, I don't have a damn thing to say to close this thing...
Up next time: A cheesy slide show from my vacation to Mexico. You won't want to miss this one. Several shots of the same thing, pics of people you don't know or care about and I have found some spirited Mariachi music to use as underscoring. Can't wait...ole!

The First Rule of Write Club Is...

2007-01-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

Sometime MadShag collaborator Jeffrey James Keyes (who performed in our production of Edward II, and whose play Orange Alert we developed in our reading series in December '05) is part of the playwright's collective Write Club NYC, and they are throwing a mixer for any and all artists who work in New York theatre...especially those of us at the fringes in Off-Off-Broadway. We'll be there, and you should be too! It's a chance to exchange ideas and information, to network, and to socialize with fellow off-off-Broadway artists.

Write Club NYC Mixer

When: Monday, January 29, 2007 @ 8PM
Where: Upstairs at The Irish Rogue, 356 W 44th Street

Admission is free! So come drink your face off.

Elsewhere: Going To St. Ives

2007-01-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Baltimoreans, be sure to catch Going To St. Ives, directed by MadShag guru Juanita Rockwell. It got great reviews, and is running through February 25th at Everyman Theatre. Juanita seems very happy with the production, and the actresses are reputed to be marvelous. If you go, let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Going, Going, GONE

2007-01-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

The premiere of Charles L. Mee's latest play, GONE, begins February 1st at 59E59 Theatres, under the direction of MadShag buddy Kenn Watt and co-produced by Kenn's company The Fifth Floor. Mee is one of the most interesting playwrights of our era, and this piece, featuring Proust, Ginsberg, obituaries and made-for-TV movies, promises to be truly exceptional. They've put up a You Tube trailer for the play (so cool!); watch it and grab tickets at TicketCentral.

More Best of 2006 Honors

2007-01-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

BroadwayWorld has given a bouquet full of plaudits to MadShag's production of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches in their Best of Baltimore 2006 Awards. They include:

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play - Richard Goldberg, Patrick Kilpatrick
Outstanding Costume Design - Shannon Maddox

Honorable Mentions:
Outstanding Production of a Play
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Towanda Underdue

We're also happy that two of the Angels family were notated for another great show this season, Southern Baptist Sissies. Our assistant stage manager, Andrew Syropoulos was named Outstanding Supporting Actor for that play, and Terry Long, who played our Roy Cohn, was singled out for his direction of it. Congrats to all!

Lady Bright Photos

2006-12-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Finally, we've got pictures to share of our incredibly fun, site-specific, outdoor production of Lanford Wilson's The Madness of Lady Bright from last fall (part of Off Stage: The West Village Fragments, produced by Peculiar Works Project). For those of you who didn't get a chance to see the performances, you can relive the cold weather, the street traffic, and the yellow pasty street lamps lining Cornelia Street. (And to the resilient, dedicated cast -- Steve Hauck, Gretchen Michelfeld, and Lars Preece -- we miss you very much!)

More photos, reviews, and other goodies about Lady Bright can be found on our Productions page. Seeing these images again, we can't wait to start working on the East Village Fragments, coming in June 2007.

We're #1!

2006-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

Great news: the MadShag production of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches has been named by Baltimore Out Loud as the Best Local Theatre Production of 2006! In addition, they awarded Best Ensemble to our astonishing company of actors -- Richard Goldberg, David Gregory, Patrick Kilpatrick, Suzanne Knapik, Terry J. Long, Shannon Maddox, Don Mullins, and Towanda Underdue. We couldn't be prouder, and can't wait to start Part Two!

A Different Angel...

2006-12-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

American Repertory Theatre in Boston just opened a stage adapation of Wim Wenders' exquisite movie Wings of Desire, and I can't imagine a more beautiful idea for a stage transfer. The video above is a 10-minute documentary on the production, which is directed by one of the most exciting new directors on the global scene right now, Ola Mafaalani. The show is a co-production with Toneelgroep Amsterdam , which is led by Ivo van Hove, who directed that utterly magnificent experimental version of Hedda Gabler two seasons ago in New York. (Wings of Desire was, coincidentally, reviewed by the New York Times today, and surprise surprise, they didn't get it.)

The images are stunning -- beautiful ways to reinterpret the idea of "angel." Very inspiring for Perestroika, methinks. (And if you haven't seen the movie, you really should.) It's also amazing what you can do with a massive budget, isn't it? ;-)

$30 boo-fey, Angels, and Masturbation

2006-12-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to appease the blogger gods... Today's meeting and festivities before and after were fantastic and really made me feel creative (really, I can be creative) again.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy having some free time for the first time in months, but I do miss the amazing talent (and company) of the entire Angels crew.

How was Little Dog Laughed? Two words: Shannon. Maddox.

Show was great, dinner was great, even standing in line for TKTS for almost two hours was great.

It was great to see Gabriel, Allen and Chris again (it's seemed way too long) and to meet Kay.

Great.

Obviously bedtime.

But, I have a question... :)

xoxx,
sh

The Gang's All Here...

2006-12-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

The creative core of MadShag, flung far and wide up and down the Eastern Seaboard, reunited today in New York City for a day of pre-planning and holiday cheer. The designers, the directors, and the stage managers who will create Angels in America: Part Two: Perestroika next July had their first big meeting, and started to hash out details. There's a lot MORE to figure out, and critical questions remain unanswered...but at least we're started.

We also had the first discussion for Dragging The Day (Behind You), our first original piece since Stealing Pears in 2004. There's a lot of excitement about the ideas that make up the foundation for the project, and of course we're excited about possibly returning to Europe in 2008 and have our first through-composed piece by company member Chris Meade. But we should have a rehearsal or two first before we get all excited. ;-)

And finally, most of us ended the day by doing something completely unexpected for an experimental performance ensemble...we went to a Broadway show. The Sunday matinee of The Little Dog Laughed, to be specific, which was as funny as could be. When I grow up, I want to be Julie White.

the end of Part I

2006-11-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

Well, Angels in America has closed. I am very sad. I will miss everyone next weekend I am sure. It was too quick rehearsal period, but I enjoyed the run very much. I was dissappointed in Baltimore--and my friends--not coming out to see it. And the gay papers late review! I think a little nagging is in order for Part II!!! Take care till July. . .

The Messenger Has Flown the Coop

2006-11-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

It's over. Put it in the archives.

This has been one of the most incredible theatre experiences of my career, despite not being in it. Everyone worked so hard on this beast. It showed. "One of the best shows this year" claims Out Loud Magazine. Definitely right.

Time has a funny way of passing. The time between our first read through and closing seems so long ago according to the calendar, yet it seems like only yesterday we were all hauling our asses up to Towson and rehearsing for 9 hours a day while Shannon Hunt screams "We've been here for so long!" That may have been about the time I started watching the boys walking to the Towson football game half naked. All those weekends kind of squished together.

There's really not much I have to say. I'm looking forward to my weekends and football. I'm looking forward to NYC starting in January. I'm looking forward to Part 2. I've enjoyed so much of this process, it's hard to find anything negative about it. I'm sure I could elaborate, but that isn't polite to do on something so public, and those "in the know" know exactly what I'm talking about.
I'll miss my cast. I'm glad I've made some new friends and strengthened bonds with others.
Too much fun. Not enough time. Finite. Finite. Terribly, terribly.
The Angel will come again to Baltimore. I'll be here when it happens; welcoming Part 2 with an open heart and mind and soul, waiting for the immense richness of Kushnerisms to come flowing freely at me.
Perpare for the parting of the air. The breath, the ascent. Glory to...

New Photos in the Archives

2006-11-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

On the "past" tab above, we've updated our production pages to include photos from Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, as well as new, never-before-seen shots from Edward II, Fall of the House of Usher, and Stealing Pears. Hopefully, we'll have photos of last month's The Madness of Lady Bright to put up soon.

A Little Early, But...

2006-11-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Review Roundup

2006-11-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

Even on its final weekend, reviews are still coming in for Angels. Uniformly raves!

Towson Towerlight
Broadway World
City Paper
Baltimore Sun
Baltimore Out Loud

WAIT!! Before we move on...

2006-11-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

I understand...humans want to move on. We are always looking for the next thing. And while I can't deny that I am excited about the next part, I feel as though we are leaving our old friend behind. Like most things old in our society she is being put to rest before her time. Four days left, four opportunities to do our best work yet.

I watched the DVD of our performance. Now I've watched myself before and as per usual I began judging IMMEDIATELY! The usual suspects turned up..."grrrlll stand up straight"..."I should start doing push-ups"..."I need to revisit that diet"...and so on. Then there was the quality of the DVD. It was SO dark- you could barely see the slides, no close-ups so no facial expressions and the sound...I can't even get it out. Let's just say everything was recorded through the one video camera mic and it has two volumes: really soft and really really loud. I could only sit through part of Act I. But since I've been away from it for a few days, I realize that there are things that I haven't done and can still do for Harper, Angels and myself. This has been quite and experience. I've felt very off balance and when I think I've got it under control that's when it back fires on me the biggest.

I can't help but question if that is when we perform our best, when we are trying to be the best we can be. Now, when I say perform I don't just mean on the legitimate stage. I mean the performance space we call our lives. I mean when we are trying to figure things out, discovering and committing and energy and love for the work and each other. I mentioned in an earlier post that I always like the process more than the performance because once we open I feel as though my "work" is done. As I sit here trying to figure all this out I've come to the realization that my work is far from done and that I've been cheating myself out of perfection. That the search for faultlessness (WHAT! it's a word) is what drives our best work. Once we feel as though we've done what we can, we no longer try. At best, we simply maintain.

This weekend I will be sad. I'll miss doing what I love with the people I love. Not just the love of theater but Angles In America and not just any people but Gabriel and Shannon, Andrew, Allen, Chris and Robby and Pete, ma' PKP, Richard and David, Terry, Suzanne, Towanda and Don. I'll be trying to get every last breath of life out of our ol' girl. I'll mourn her when she's gone and remember her fondly when I hear our song on the radio. And on Sunday at around 4:59 like most things in life I'll take what I can and move on...but not a second before. xo

Between The Halves...

2006-11-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

As the ensemble in Baltimore begins its final week of Millennium Approaches (get tickets now!), the MadShag design team is already been hard at work on the next half of Tony Kushner's Angels in America diptych, Perestroika, coming next July. It's a very different work from Millennium, of course, and as such requires a totally different feel and style in all areas.

Today, set designer Allen Cutler gives us a sneak peek at his creations for Perestroika with this rendering of the mappa mundi, an ancient map of the world that he has freehanded. This gorgeous, Latin-inspired map will be painted with a multi-layer technique in mammoth scale across the entire playing surface of the stage, gilded on the edges with gold. The actors will literally cross the world and back in each scene!

This is only one of the really great elements we've already chosen for Perestroika. How's this for some tantalizing hints: the major color element is gladiator red, Prior will climb to heaven on a moving ladder, and yes...this time, the angel will fly!

The Panel That Never Was

2006-11-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

Ok... I was disappointed last Sunday when my Panel Discussion on AIDS didn't fan out the way it should have. And by that, I mean "never happened at all."
I had 8 very distinguished and highly respected panelists and no audience, save for the wonderful cast, who looked very much like they wanted to stay.
This is the problem with AIDS: nobody wants to discuss it, and therefore people get more ignorant about it. For example: That moderately large group from Loyola College that was there... none of them stayed for the discussion. The entire reason behind the Panel was to gear AIDS awareness towards that demographic; 18-22 year olds living in Baltimore.
It's sad, really; turning a blind eye to something that could potentially kill you. Not smart, college kids, not smart at all.

Anyway... I've been a little more than useless when I'm at the shows now, due to not being able to lift anything over 10 pounds (how do I go to the bathroom?) I'm there for moral support. And to help the Wonderful Octopus of the Booth, Shannon Hunt, with the highly technical aspect of clicking the slides and the chaser lights. She makes me feel important and needed even though I'm on Percocet and need to be told to go sit down.

I can't believe it almost over. Seems like a short time between driving up to Towson and now. A lot has happened, though. I'm upset I didn't get to see my wonderful director and props man this past Saturday, but I wasn't up to it at all.

I'll see everyone tonight!! I'll be on drugs, but I'll be there. Go Team!

Still Flying....

2006-11-02T12:32:00.001-08:00

So here we are - with just two weekends left until we close. I am actually surprised that there haven' t been more comments posted throughout the run of the show, but it's understandable that many of us have other things to attend to during the week. Yeah, who needs a life anyways?

Well, for those of you that don't have the pleasure of being with us throughout our run, here are a couple of fun highlights since we've opened:

- getting busted Mr. Director Shanks for talking about Paris Hilton and brown socks during our pre-show discussions. (I swear that those two topics have plenty to do with the show!)

- having way too much fun at the cast party that lasted until around 5am.

- 2 readings of the entire play that we had for Free Fall Baltimore at Mica and University of Baltimore. It was basically a staged reading of the entire show, since we were missing original cast members for other conflicts. But I think that Shannon H, Andrew, Robbie, David Allen, and the rest of us did a phenomenal job at covering. Some scenes were a sight to be seen...me as the homeless woman for instance.

- and of course, our rave reviews!

Anyways, I can definitely say it's been a challenge to keep the material fresh once we continued with the run. You have to be careful not to fall into the rut of just saying lines - it's easy to do, trust me! I guess the trick is to make it feel as exciting as the day we opened.

I must say, I find it more and more enjoyable to go and do the show with people that I genuinely adore. They make my job easier and more fun....and in fact, it never feels like it's a chore. And all I can say is that I have heard some preliminary discussions on Perestroika: Part II of Angels in America, and I am sooooo excited. Let's get this thing started already. Look at me, this show is not even over and I am trying to move onto the next installment! hehehee.

That's it for now - and I hope that if you haven't come out to see our show, you are truly missing out on a wonderful masterpiece, both artistically and literally.

For now,

David (Belize)
PS. Shannon, I am lovlier than Kurt - I see how you are...easily swayed by a couple of martinis (7 to be exact), 3 sangria cups, 4 chicken skewers, 1/2 lb. of crab dip, chips, 4 snickers bars, and countless cigarettes. Are you really that predictable? :)

The First Review!

2006-10-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

From Broadway World, and it is a rave...enjoy!

Production Photos (Millennium Approaches)

2006-10-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here are the first shots of what we've been working so hard on. Audiences were very healthy this first weekend, and we feel cautiously optimistic about next week's reviews. So if you're planning to come see it, book your seats now. As you can see, it's not an enormous theatre, and it fills up quickly.

Although the New York team is back in our respective burbs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Connecticut, we'll all be returning to Baltimore for the weekend of October 28th, if you'd like to join us for the after-parties and such. And by popular request (again), here's a reprint of one of the projections we use in the show to introduce the character of Belize, played to the hilt by David Gregory. The truly fab makeup design is by Eddie.

Opening Night

2006-10-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

There are now confirmed, definite sightings of angels in America, right now as I report to you live from Baltimore, Maryland...eight of them, to be precise, who did marvelous performances in incredibly difficult roles last night. Or maybe there are ten, because Shannon Hunt and Andrew Syropoulos, our intrepid stage managers, worked themselves into a frenzy to make the complex video, set, light, and sound elements coalesce.

Last night was the official end of my journey with Angels in America: Millennium Approaches...as the director, my job finishes the moment the play opens. So as I made the metaphoric journey from being a private member of the backstage crew to being a public member of the enthusiastic audience, I was able to sit back and really look at the play for the first time in days, to really SEE it the way an audience does. And I was one incredibly proud papa. There are moments so funny that the audience stopped the show with laughter or applause; other tiny bits where my heart smashed to bits; others, where I was simply in awe of Kushner and the actors and my incredible designers (Allen, Chris, Shannon...beautiful art, you three) the talent assembled. It was a special moment in my career, one I'll treasure for a very long time.

I'm off on a train back to New York this weekend, to start preparing for Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika, which will continue this journey next spring. It's a very different play, with a very different look and a very different sensibility. And if I learned anything this week, it's this: pre-production preparation is the key.

But for now...thank you, Angels. I miss you already.

[Photo: Richard Goldberg as Louis Ironson, under the angels' wings. Credit: Robbie Heacock]

MILLENNIUM IS HERE!!

2006-10-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write a short note to say how much I am truely grateful for everyone in this process. From the start there were problems but that's to be expected. Standard stuff...rehearsal time and space, money, casting, tech...problems we all expect. But it's the way that we have all come together to make this happen that makes me so proud to be working with these people on this project. I have always thought I was a lucky girl because I've been able to keep theater so present in my life, but now I feel like I've been given too much. Again I say thank you to the cast and crew for being the most incredible and supportive group of friends. I pray that you all have gotten as much out of this as I have. See you tonight, x.

The Messenger is SO close to arriving....

2006-10-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

OH MY GOD IM SO TIRED!!
This entire week, this thing we call TECH WEEK - has been eternal!
I don't know if I'm coming or going.

As I listen to our director give notes, and hear his praise and grumbles
it makes one (well, me ) pause to think.
I am so blessed to have this... this.. Opportunity, this
piece of work to bring to life, the honor to share the stage with these
actors. It also makes me think, HOW POWERFUL THEATRE IS. How something as tragic and heroic and funny as life, can become thoughtful pieces of art.
So, I ask all who read this post - think about your own gifts and marvel in their
glory -

Also on this day October 12 - pause to think about a young man MATTHEW SHEPARD, who was beaten and left for dead on a fence in Laramie Wyoming, for being different.
(The year was 1998)BE DIFFERENT!!!

To quote the man I'm playing "DON'T BE AFRAID! People are so afraid, don't be afraid, to live in the raw wind, naked and alone. Learn this at least - What you are capable of - let NOTHING stand in your way!"

Know this folks - the Messenger is on her way.....

Under Pressure All Is Revealed...

2006-10-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

3 Days until opening...one learns a lot about your castmates in the pressure cooker of TECH Rehearsals.
The smooth parafin of our public personas is tested under the "heat" of lights, stopping & starting, adding in costumes and props.
I grow more appreciative of those who have the ability to produce consistent performances ( and cover my flubs ) even when tired and nerves are rattled.
And looking up at this post, I find myself talking more and more like Prior everyday. "smooth parafin" indeed.

Here We Come!

2006-10-05T00:17:00.000-07:00

Angels In America: Millennium Approaches
by Tony Kushner
directed by Gabriel Shanks

Richard Goldberg as Louis Ironson
David Gregory as Belize
Patrick Kilpatrick as Joe Pitt
Suzanne Knapik as Hannah Pitt
Terry J. Long as Roy Cohn
Shannon Maddox as Harper Pitt
Don Mullins as Prior Walter
Towanda Underdue as The Angel

Stage Manager: Shannon Hunt
Dramaturg/ASM: Andrew Syropoulos
Set Design: Allen Cutler
Costume Design: Shannon Maddox
Original Score: Chris Meade and Pete Fonda
Sound Design: Chris Meade and Robbie Heacock
Lighting Design: Jody Ratti

Opening: Friday, October 13, 2006 @ 8:00pm

LordyLordy

2006-10-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

Oh for Christ's sake! I have about 20 minutes before the day before the day before tech starts and I would just like to note that I am spending them with you instead of finishing off a nap that included Johnny Depp, chocolate cake and a pair of roller skates. Heh! Anyway, so my partner in crime has been away and I've been here just trying to get caught up, so that we can be on schedule to fall behind later...But I digress...I don't think I've ever worked on a play when over half the scenes are in danger of being over rehearsed this early in the game. I was watching the "Prior 1 and 2" scenes last night and I really had nothing to say. They had energy, timing, the actors knew there blocking it was clear...I mean really folks, I'm trying to get in some directing time here and you're really making it hard for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the actors have clearly been working very hard to make our limited rehearsal time work and deserve all the credit in the work when this show crushes. PS as a side note...I was talking with the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (inside joke) of the theater last night and he was spreading a rumor that we already have several group reservations on the books...groups?...groups!...groups of people. I'm tellin' ya make your reservation now or you may just miss the greatest thing to hit Baltimore since...Cal Ripkin! x.

Coincidence

2006-10-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

Check this out. I found it on postsecretecret.com. Thought it seemed relevant.

Sheer Madness

2006-09-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Madness of Lady Bright got a great mention in the NYTheatre.com review today, which I want to share. (I'm a proud papa, both of our piece and of the entire OFF STAGE event!) Steve's work in the show is truly extraordinary, and Gretchen and Lars, in smaller roles, find nuances that break my heart every time. The performances are almost completely sold out for the entire run, so grab your tickets now!

As one might expect from a show of this magnitude, there are many highlights. For me, they include Steve Hauck's powerhouse rendering of the title character from Wilson's The Madness of Lady Bright (which earned a well-earned round of applause from the outdoor diners at the Cornelia Street Café, seated nearby); Michael Tomlinson's haunting turn as Fred Herko from Monuments: Freddie's Monologue by Diane di Prima (I actually thought he was a homeless guy laying in a puddle of his own urine until he rose and started speaking); and a tribute to Dames at Sea, featuring Kristen Lewis and Joel Newman tap-dancing their hearts out on the corner of Bleecker and Cornelia Streets. Truth be told, though, the entire cast is spectacular, and all the directors do a splendid job.

Read the entire review here...

Two Weeks. The Tension Mounts.

2006-09-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

As the cast rehearses, we're all starting to focus on the task at hand. However, I'm here in New York taking care of The Madness of Lady Bright (we're a hit, by the way...sold out all weekend!), while the Angels cast does some pick-up rehearsals under the guidance of my MadShag co-captain, Shannon Maddox. She's helping them get off-book (lines are pesky things, and difficult to boot) and focusing some of the physicality of the piece.

What's interesting about the process happening this way is that I'm doing a lot of directing via e-mail; four of the eight actors have sent me their questions, compliments, concerns and fears this week about the work they're doing. It's a new experience for me, because I'm usually right there in the room and can address their needs in person. But with me having to care for Lady Bright (and an Angels cast member's wedding, and other assorted cast conflicts), I'm worried that some of them feel a bit abandoned...Angels is a 500-pound beast of a play, and it probably comes as no surprise to readers here that actors might be intimidated by the text. Also, the Baltimore cast wants so desperately to do justice to Kushner's script...they are working overtime to make it a success, both in rehearsal and in their home study. The consequence is that we run the risk of getting obsessed and a little fixated...a potentially damaging situation for some actors, because most things that seem like obstacles or readblocks are really just paper tigers. (And yes, Eddie, I used "paper tigers" just for you.) ;-)

I LOVE these actors. They are brilliant people, working so hard; as the man standing back watching it all, I can tell you that they are on track to perform a truly phenomenal production. However, we can't rush it...we need to be ready on October 13th, and not a day before. Hopefully e-mail and the internet can help us along the way.

Mr. Lies....In Spain?

2006-09-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

That's right...rather than freezing my ass off in Antartica with Harper, I decided to take a little break and head to sunny Spain...until Harper summons me again sometime next week. Those delusions - they keep me working all the time!

No seriously, Mr. Lies..aka Belize...aka David...is now in Spain for a cousin's wedding. I know, I know, I am making it sound like a chore. But truth be told, it kind of freaks me to leave the rehearsal process for so long. I feel like the more we are rehearsing, the more I am able to establish more of a connection with my castmates, and thus, create those connections on stage. However, my castmates are all so fabulous, and I love them dearly, that I am not worried about not having that chemistry when I get back.

I was wandering around Madrid today and I am not sure if it's becuase of this play that I notice more or not, but everywhere I see different types of angels. Cherubs on frescoes, angles on fountains, demonic angels in bars, angels on buildings, and there was even (I AM NOT KIDDING) a person dressed as an angel walking down the street promoting some "heavenly party"...ok, not heavenly, but more like Fiesta en el Cielo. That kind of thing.

There may be "no angels in america" according to some of our characters, but there are plenty here! I saw them all - even the clubbing angel. Except his wings are not as stupendous as ours!

Anyways, I will leave you with a final thought that I am not sure I could necessarily answer. But I did think about it. If these characters in Angels were from Spain and in the same situations, would it even play out the same? We talk so much about the specific politics of America during that time period, but is there not an element of similarity in most cultures when it comes to something like AIDS? The same intolerances, prejedices, stereotypes? Just a thought.

But for now, bye, bye. Now Belize is getting ready to hit the sack, since she's been out and about in Madrid and it's now 3am here.

A Bien Tot Ma Cherie!

The Panel Discussion

2006-09-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have heard that there will be a Panel Discussion following the October 29th matinee of Angels. I am very excited about this. We've got doctors and nurses and patients coming to talk in the aptly titled "HIV in Baltimore - What's Next?" discussion.
The need for this discussion (and it is exactly that; open dialogue) was incredibly apparent after the first week of rehearsal. While talking with The Shannons and Gabriel during our post-rehearsal drinkies, we discovered a huge disconnect between the generations regarding how one looks at the HIV/AIDS virus.
Shannon H. and I are the youngins. We didn't grow up in the 80s, during the time of huge fear and homophobia tied to this virus. By the time I knew what the hell it was, there was already a pretty reasonable treatment in place; the virus wasn't a "death sentence" anymore. It could be dealt with, it could be corralled, and the medical community knew better with what they were dealing with.
However, this is posing a problem for my generation and those younger than me. For those aforementioned reasons, the "young" kids today are not taking care of themselves, not practicing safe sex, and, in one particular, horrible, group, trying to catch the disease, thinking it's a gift. The "Bug Catchers" they're called. I haven't heard anything recently about them, but I'm sure they still haven't come to their senses.
Now, I'm the first one to admit being totally complacent about this virus. It was an 80's disease, an ancient plague. The Multiple Priors scene is exactly what I'm talking about. I've had the un-safe sex. Many times. I think I was tested once before I went to college.
With all the research I've done in the past months, it pains and scares the poop out of me that I was so stupid. Psychosomatic thoughts rushed through my head every time I read something about virus. Luckily, the most recent blood test was negative. Bullet dodged.
The Panel is being used as a device to reach the younger crowd. To say, "Yes, the perception and the treatments have gotten better, less expensive, and you can live with this for many many years. But please, please don't be stupid. I can happen to you. Get tested. Respect yourself enough to say, 'Put the rubber on honey,' or, 'Let me do it.'"
Baltimore is 5th on the list in new cases every year. I've never known that. With all the guys I've met and had sex with in this city, that kinda scares me. Are they being just as stupid as I was? A study estimated that about 1/4 of those living with the virus have no idea they're infected. Not a pleasant thought.
Anyway, enough with the preaching. Come and see this Panel Discussion, with speakers from the University of Maryland Institute for Human Virology, the Evelyn Jordon Center, Planned Parenthood, and Chase Brexton. It should be very informative. Tell your friends!!

Can we go to your parent's house?

2006-09-25T00:49:00.000-07:00

It's almost 4am after another long weekend of rehearsals and feather making and I can't get to sleep.
After our seventeen hours of rehearsal and five hours of production meetings (give or take a few minutes for coffee and puppies) over the last three days, instead of going home and relaxing I went to the fabric store with Shannon Maddox and we ended up going back to her house to work on costumes because we open in less than twenty days.
While that scares me for so many reasons, I am now getting to the reason for this post.
At some point during the evening she and I were talking about the show and rehashing the weekend and after a few seconds of silence I turned to her and said, "This show is really going to be great, isn't it?" Her response: "Yeah, I really think it is."
While there has been bickering and issues and roadblocks and seeming insurmountable problems, and while I know as sure as I'm sitting here there will be many more to come, I am so excited about October 13th I am about to shit in my crib.
It really is going to be awesome.
I am so proud of and excited by each of my actors and designers and ASM (I really do thank God for you everyday, Andrew) and am giddy at the idea of the finished product.
I know, I know, I'm a big dork, but what can I say?
That's just the way I roll.
xox,
Shannon H.

(Kind Of) Capturing The Moment

2006-09-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

We've finally gotten the first publicity photos of Angels in America. Press photos are cheesy by their very nature -- they don't really look anything like the production (productions shots come much later, and are muuuuch better), and they can do little except hint at the relationships. But here the are, and they are certainly pretty. Clockwise from upper left: Don Mullins (Prior) and Richard Goldberg (Louis); Patrick Kilpatrick (Joe) and Shannon Maddox (Harper); Maddox and Kilpatrick, in what I like to call the "Fabio romance novel pose"; and Goldberg and Kilpatrick, who seem to be looking at a pimple on Patrick's wrist. Now THAT's drama.

Building Wings

2006-09-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

If you've followed MadShag for the last few years, you know how brilliant Allen Cutler is; our resident set and prop designer, Allen has given us the spooky confines of the House of Usher and the bombed-out war shelters hiding Edward II. The propmaster of Hartford Stage Company, he's designed for many of America's leading theatre companies, including the Berkshire Theatre Festival, George Street Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Repertory Theatre, as well as the Anne Meara’s Off-Broadway hit comedy Down The Garden Paths.

Allen is doing double duty at the moment -- he's building our enormous, 12-foot angel wings while ALSO designing the latest show for nationally-renowned drag performer Varla Jean Merman. Previously, Allen and Varla have collaborated on her national tours of Girl With A Pearl Necklace, I'm Not Paying For This and Anatomically Incorrect. The latest, Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte!, has just finished a run in San Francisco and will open soon in New Orleans. We thought we'd share some glamour shots of Varla Jean, and wish Allen the best on his other show!

Oh my...

2006-09-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Tony Kushner. There are some playwrights that I read that make me want to sit down and write plays. When I read Tom Stoppard, or Edward Albee, I think, "Damn. I want to do that." After reading Kushner's adaptation of Corneille's The Illusion recently I sat back and thought, "Fuck it. Why does anybody even try? Nobody can do that."

Kushner's use of the language is absolutely unparalleled. I have often been heard to utter the statement that Millennium Approaches is the greatest play written since Shakespeare died. A bold statement, I know. I said this to Gabriel the other night and he got a funny look on his face and said, "Well... at least since Williams died." But I really believe it. This play isn't about gay or straight; it's not about AIDS; it's not about religion; it's not about politics; it's not about relationships; it's about EVERYTHING. And that's the way Shakespeare wrote. Plays about the entire world.

And this is the play I get to be a small part of. I got a call two weekends ago from Shannon Maddox saying they had lost their Joe and asking if I was available. And by the way, rehearsals start on Thursday. The answer was, "No." I'm currently directing a production of The Importance of Being Earnest for a local college. If I were to take on Angels it would mean a work/rehearsal schedule of 8 am to 10:30 pm Monday through Friday with rehearsals Saturday from 10-6 and Sunday from 9-3:30. From now until December 4th. Of course, the answer I gave was "Hell, yes!". This my my last chance to play Joe, and I'm not missing it.

Last weekend's rehearsals only served to confirm that I made the correct decision. Gabriel's intelligence and real understanding of the script, the cast's professionalism and ability, stage management's organization and humor, all give me confidence that the show will be everything I hoped working on Angels would be.

Big thanks to Mary Ann Walsh for recommending me, Shannon Maddox for remembering me, and especially to Gabriel for trusting those two wierdos about me. I won't disappoint you!

I'll see all of you opening weekend.

THE ROY THEME

2006-09-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

When our director ask each of us to find a "theme" song for our character, I quickly went to the "Green Book" (this by the way is a resouce book that lists 1000's of song titles to match themes). But I found nothing that really said, "ROY". Untill, my partner said, "Listen to this",
holy s****. This is indeed the theme of Roy.

"Been there, done that"
by Jon Astley

I stand accused, a social climber
But in truth is i'm not social at all.
Im staying put at the top of the ladder
I'll tread on your hands and make you fall.

Did I ever need to be put to the test?
My heart bleeds behind the cards held so
close to my chest.

Are you still unimpresed 'cos I've been there,
done that, what's next.......

ROY Is......

2006-09-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

"In all my years of the theatre" I have never had the oportunity to play such a diverse character. What is Roy, who is Roy? Roy Cohn is the most disgusting man that lived. Really? He was the man that aided Joseph McCarthy, the man that took the credit for having Ethel Rosenberg and her husband Julis put to death - well they were communist and traitors. He was a man that knew NO rules and showed passion for his wants, needs and life. He was a man that denined his deadly battle with AIDS, calling it "liver cancer". This was a man, who loved his father and feard his mother, this man adored the SUN and lothed social gathering, his office was full of stuffed animals, this was a man, that NO puzzle maker could complete, this man is ........

Look Out Baltimore – An Angel Approaches!

2006-09-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Four weeks and counting. Opening approaches. This is David and I am ecstatic to be playing the role of Belize in Angels. Thank you Gabriel and Shannon! Before we started the rehearsal process, I thought the whole idea of mounting such a complex show in just a month – weekends only nonetheless – was a pretty much insane idea. I still think it’s completely insane! However, after the first full weekend of rehearsals, I have just as much, if not more, confidence than shows I’ve rehearsed for months on end.

I think, actually I KNOW, my confidence stems from my deep admiration for everyone that is making this happen. First, there’s the kick-ass production team. We’ve got a director (Gabriel) who is so insightful, prepared, devoted, passionate, professional, knowledgeable, and excited that it shows at each and every rehearsal. Our costume designer (Shannon) is just overflowing with creative ideas– color palettes, accessories, etc – all while working with Gabriel on production AND learning the ever-so-difficult role of Harper. Our very own dramaturg, Andrew, helps us make sense of the small details– after all, some of us were wee babies in the years Angels took place and need some help looking into the culture of that time. ☺ And to top it all off – we’ve got an SM (Shannon H.) that knows how to keep us in our place! When we add the talented light and sound designers to the mix, we’ve got a formula that is bound to be a sensation.

Then of course, there’s the extremely talent cast. I can’t say enough about how excited we all are to be working on this together. We know we have a challenge ahead of us, but it’s clear that we are all committed 200% to make this happen. I don’t want to repeat what people have said but we are so diverse in our acting backgrounds, I think it only adds to the quality of the shows you will see. We’re learning from each other, we’re helping each other, and above all, I think that we are all growing professionally. It was so inspiring to watch people work on their scenes at rehearsals – it made you want to work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life. This is such an ensemble show and I think a close-knit group of actors is a must. And just after the first weekend, I think we’ve quickly adjusted to one another.

I think I have blabbed enough for now, so I will spare you the Belize characterization comments for a future entry. Plus, I am writing this at my day job…so I have to get back to work. I have plenty of fabulous things to say about my fellow actors ¬– and those will become clear as you journey with us through the rehearsal process. Read on my friends because it only gets better from here! David (Belize)

Squaring The Circle: Angels Rehearsal

2006-09-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

A glimpse into our first weekend of rehearsals: the first block-through of the Act Two split scene with our two disintegrating couples -- Harper (Shannon Maddox) and Joe (Patrick Kilpatrick), and Louis (Richard Goldberg) and Prior (Don Mullins). You can see spatially how little room we have to play with in Spotlighters Theatre. (The purple chairs represent the first row of audience seats.) The intimacy, however, has helped us to make more creative choices than we might have otherwise, resulting in (I think) a more resilient and provocative production.

The entire show is now blocked; soon, we start coloring in the dramatic frame with nuance, complexity, sophistication and energy. It really FEELS like a painting sometimes, to be working on this show...which is why I probably find myself gravitating towards visual metaphors. Thank God it's not Sunday in the Park with George, or I'd never shut up.

BLOCKING REHEARSALS

2006-09-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who enjoy insights into the "nuts & bolts" of the process of mounting a production: Over the weekend we did the basic blocking for all three acts. As an actor I'm appreciative that Gabriel came to rehearsals with lots of specific ideas and themes for our stage movement. I find it is actually easier to develop the fine points when someone else super-imposes some confines on me.
The process is also helped along by working with the other cast members. Things that never occurred to me reading the script, become obvious choices when responding to the choices of other actors. Harper leans in and says "I'm a Mormon", it just makes sense to mirror her action and say "I'm a homosexual". This is the joy of working with people secure in their abilities and who embrace the creative process, many of the details just fall into place.
Blocking in the round is it's own evil mistress and trying to remember your orientation is a challenge, however it also gives you the freedom to move more naturally instead of trying to "cheat" everything within a 3/4 turn-out.
Don Mullins (Prior)

Guest Stars

2006-09-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

The only and only Damion, aka Queering The Apparatus, made a stop by our rehearsals tonight for Angels in America, and he was a breath of fresh air...sharing his queer academic views on the Kushner aesthetic, the historical implications of the play, and coming up with great ways to think about the play for a contemporary audience. It would be a tragic mistake on our part to think of Angels as a period piece; the social and sexual politics of the drama are still very much in play in George Bush's America, a land very much in need of angels. He also held court at our after-rehearsal drinkathon (already a crew ritual), where the discussion ran from the semitiocs of crystal meth to Project Runway, the scatology on display in Flavor of Love, and the race war brewing in the new edition of Survivor. (C'mon, we can't be serious all the time.)

Artistic Point of View

2006-09-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

As I said last night at the first (wonderful!) read-through, I'm very excited to be working on this show, finally.
All of my experience with this show has been from a purely acedemic view point, i.e. analyzing the structure, characters, what works, what doesn't, and why. I've written many papers on this show, some of which even got an "A". Joking. None of them did. All "B"s.
What? I was in college. Shows and friends came first, then school work. Still got a 3.25 GPA though, kids.
Anyway, I'm thrilled that I finally get to work on this show from an artistic point of view now. I get to actually watch people say the lines and move and think and feel and listen. The play is finally a living, breathing, albeit young, creature. This is opposed to studying what felt like an ancient artifact. Like the Rossetta Stone. A big, giant intimidating rock.
But now, it's beginning to come to life. It's shaping and coloring and grabbing us, as I'm sure you felt last night. (BTW: Don and Maddox- The Prior/Harper dream/hallucination was AMAZING!)
That's what I'm feeling. That and total bordom here at work. I wish I could work on Angels for 40 hours a week and get paid for it...
See you all for the 1st night of blocking. Bring pencils and erasers!!!

Melding of Acting Styles

2006-09-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

One thing I noticed during our first rehearsal was the wide variety of acting styles.
Some people are very natualistic, almost acting for camera; while others have a broader stage style. This worries me a little because I don't want to stick out from the other characters too much. I knew early on that this would be a challenge as the space in Spotlighter's is so intimate, and in the round, there's not room for "telephoning" in your performance like when the first row is 40 feet away.
I was also appreciative of how honest everyone was about tackling such a great piece of work in such a short time frame. This took away the pressure for me to try to pretend I "have it all together" and now I feel more free to explore and make mistakes
Don Mullins ( Prior)

One Day Down

2006-09-08T00:27:00.000-07:00

Reporting live from Baltimore: it's 3:30 in the morning after the first rehearsal, and without causing me to miss my beauty rest, I'll just say that the cast here is so freaking talented it's scary. We have a Prior with an almost Oscar Wildean wit, a Louis who nails the monologue-from-hell on the first day, and a Roy Cohn that is so smokingly fiery he could start a bonfire. More later as we get into our first day (including posts from all eight amazing cast members), but for now...a truly terrific start.

The Great Work Begins...

2006-09-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

First rehearsal is tonight! Angels in America is officially underway. Over the next few weeks, we'll introduce you to more of our cast and crew, share in our discoveries and challenges, and give you a ringside seat for any catfights or hair-pulling that may occur. (For those who still have hair.)

First things first, though: the designer presentations, the meet-and-greet, and a mad dash to rough-block all three acts in just three days. (For those of you not in the biz, that's telling all these talented actors where to stand. The acting brilliance comes later.) More reports soon!

"It should be the questions and shape of a life, its total complexity gathered, arranged and considered, which matters in the end." - Tony Kushner

Lady Bright Has Her Day

2006-09-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

So we've found a truly stellar cast for our production of The Madness of Lady Bright...and just in time, since we open on September 21st. Steve Hauck, Gretchen Michelfeld and Lars Preece will star as the lonely queen and the matching His and Her hallucinations. Gabriel is co-directing the Butoh-inspired production (yes, Virginia, we said Butoh) with Kay Mitchell; this team are also collaborating with MadShag on Significant Blur in 2007, so we're keeping it in the family! For tickets to the Off Stage Festival event (which runs through October 7th), visit Peculiar Works and sign up...in just over 2 hours, you can experience the history of Off-Broadway and the work of over 150 artists!

The Kushner Walking Tour

2006-09-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

While this Brooklyn building may not look like much, it in fact plays a very central role in Angels In America -- Borough Hall is the actual site where, in the play, Joe and Louis first meet and decide to begin their fateful affair (and even share a hot dog on the granite steps outside). Like most of the locations in Tony Kushner's play, those steps are a real, actual place in the universe. So last week, continuing our research for the projection design, Shannon and I spent a day wandering all over New York City photographing the sights and neighborhoods where the Angels characters lived and worked. Or where they would have, if they had existed.

From the beginning, we didn't plan to be slavish to reality; it is, after all, a gay fantasia, and literal documentary is the farthest thing from the play's intent. But after climbing the rocky crags of The Ramble in Central Park (where Louis searches for anonymous sex), strolling down East 87th Street (where Roy Cohn lives when Ethel Rosenberg's ghost crashes the party), and visiting Brooklyn (the home of Prior, Louis, Harper, and Joe), I have to admit that I am relating to the play in a different way. Sure, it's a fantasy of Kushner's invention...but the world of the play is very real, and its foundations lay squarely in our own lives. Joe and Louis never shared a hot dog on these steps, but the steps nevertheless are there. (Profound? Probably not, but it did affect me. I'm a sucker for contrivance.)

It also helped that we had an absolute ball doing this day-long project; amateur photographers that we are, you would have thought we were Diane Arbus. (I have to admit that the hills of Central Park kicked my ass, and by the end of our eight-hour jaunt, I was ready to sit and think about anything besides the play!)

All hot and bothered

2006-08-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

So about a week ago I realized that soon, VERY soon we were going to begin rehearsals. I believe it was the day I went to NY to take photos for the afore mentioned slide show. Mr. Modfab and I were saying goodbye and he said, "see ya a week from Thursday." I was like, "OK yea! SO siked!" But what I really meant was "Oh shit! Really?! That soon huh?" Not that I haven't been working my ass off to get ready for what seems like a Broadway size production on a 12 foot square stage. But, this whole thing got started because I HAD to play Harper. And now it looks like I'm gonna get my wish and haven't really given her any time. Sorry Girl. Of course she'll look great in a "mentally deranged, sex starved, pill-popping housewife" sort of way but, looking good only gets you good reviews in the Miss USA pageant. I ain't gonna win no Oscar lookin' pretty...Just ask Haley.
Anyway, (my point is coming I promise) this show is loooong. And knowing my director friend the way I do, he'll have me standing on my head in the corner while I'm not actually in the scene. Not to mention, I'll bet I'm running from one side of backstage to the other helping with changes and tech. What I'm trying to say is that even when I'm not physically on stage, I am. I'm just sayin' that being that focused for three hours a night 4 nights a week will definitely kick my ass.
I began to consider some things I should do as a performer to get ready. Now, I've done yoga for a long time but never really "practiced" it. Coincidently, they opened a Bikram (hot) yoga place up the street from me so I figured I'd give it a go. Lord have mercy! It's freakin' hot. Like, the room is 105 degrees! Yes, there are ceiling fans but that just moves the hot air around. First thing I thought was NO WAY! I'll never make it and that's when I thought the class was only 50 minutes. No people, it's 90 minutes! And to top it all off, before we begin the instructor announces that if you feel sick or light headed just move to the floor but try not to leave the room. SICK!? LIGHT HEADED am I going to faint!? What the hell, what the hell!? But I can't leave now, I've got my pride. I can do anything...Right?
So, the first section is standing/balancing poses. Now, I try not to ever look in a mirror, even at home, because I just start judging and this was definitely not the place for that. But I caught a glimpse of my big, fat, RED tomato face and wondered how it just hadn't spontaneously combusted as I stood there balancing on one leg with the other someplace behind me and my arms flailing around trying not to take out my neighbor who was probably terrified I would decapitate him. Then finally we were allowed to take a short 15 sec break to take a sip of our water which had heated up to the temperature of piss. Yes, I said piss. Then we did several more impossible poses on the floor and it felt like Christmas when she said we only had 3 more to go. After it was over she suggested we lay there on the floor... Ya know, to meditate, or relax, or bring ourselves back into the room and I was like, "HELL and NO, I'm outta here". OK I lied, I stayed, but only for about 2 minutes MAX!
After it was all over and I was walking home I caught myself trying to figure out when I could make it back and how many times a week I would go. I discovered that what I had just experienced was exactly what I needed and will need. Now, I REALLY hate to get all rainbows and unicorns on ya'll but I've been three times and each time I have discovered something about this exercise that helps me relate how I approach living my life and in turn to Harper and the Angels process. As an example, when I'm in a balancing pose (pick any one, I suck at them all) I find that when I start to wobble I have to tell myself to calm down and relax, even sometimes I move almost out of the pose to save myself from falling instead of just letting go. I get so frustrated that I never get it back. What I should have done is simply let go and approached it again, movin' on sista. Allowing myself permission not to hold the pose. Another example is the heat in the room. I feel like I should be pushing myself harder to get deep into these poses but all I can do is think about how freakin' hot it is and how I can't wait to get to my bottle of piss water. Until last Wednesday's class. I realized that that IS the practice. Truthfully, I've done (or not done) much harder poses but being able accept the struggle of the heat and move through it is the trick. Talk about and exercise in focus!
In my next class, the only thing I'm going to work on is accepting the heat. That it is just a factor that I can't change and that to progress I can't let it let it hold me back. I'm not going to put a time limit on myself and there will be no outward signs of progress but I look forward to the day when all I have to think about is getting by legs up over my head...the hard way. xo

Drag Angels

2006-08-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

One might look at this picture of David Gregory, the madly talented actor playing Belize in Angels in America, and worry that our vision of the play has gone horribly, horribly awry. (Weimar Germany by way of Alan Cumming, right?) Sadly, you'd be mistaken. David is indeed all gussied up for our production, but it's merely for our slide and video projections.

To eliminate the need for enormous sets and to keep more in line with Kushner's stage directions (which call for a metaphoric and theatrical atmosphere), we've designed the play using a series of projections on each of the four walls surrounding our in-the-round stage. Anywhere the audience looks, they'll see the world of the play behind the actors.

We're also occasionally using the projections as transitional devices, to get us from one scene to another. This shot will be part of a very quick (like 5-second) montage introducing Belize in Act Two...it's one of a series of shots, definitely the most in-your-face. We love David for being such a good sport, and our fab makeup and photo designer, Eddie, for kicking it all up a notch (or three).

Getting Started...

2006-08-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

So this is pretty cool. I'm just hangin' out, looking around our new blog. I have to tell you that if you told me last year that I would be here I would have thought you were...and I'm not saying you're not...CRAZY! I remember not too long ago being TOTALLY opposed to even email. OK so enough about my lack of techno knowledge. None the less, I have DEFINITELY bitten off more than I can chew. As you know by now, I have agreed to produce, costume, act in and be all around den mother to a little ditty called Angels In F*^&in' America. What the H E double toothpicks was I thinking. And truthfully I have no one to blame but ModFab himself. He knew I couldn't handle this but he let me talk him into it anyway. Some crap about me and him together and for the love of art...blahblahblah. WELL, I'LL SHOW HIM.

OK, all kidding aside, I can't tell you how numb I feel. I can't really even speak about the process. Something to do with trial and error. If there's one thing I've learned from years of costuming is that all you can do, is all you can do. I just keep my head down and move forward. I had set very lofty goals for myself at the beginning of this so I could really focus on the rehearsal process when we get there. I always enjoy the rehearsal/planning process more than I look forward to the actual performance itself. The journey really turns me on. I guess I feel as though, even as an actor, that my job is done once we open. I've done the work. Did I mention I haven't been this excited about a project...in like...EVER! And I've been apart of some cool a#& sh*t! (sorry about the punctuation I don't know if I can cuss yet) At this point it's not even about the actual play itself. It's about showing the world this really cool thing we've created. xo,s.

Casting a Mr. Bright

2006-08-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

We're having some trouble finding just the right actor for The Madness of Lady Bright, the play we've been commissioned to stage a section of for OFF Stage at Peculiar Works in September. Looking for a 40-plus male actor who can be effeminate without heading into caricature. If you're interested in auditioning, or know of a non-Eq actor in the NYC area looking for a great way to showcase their abilities for a three-week run, email us.

What Gets Started

2006-08-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals for Angels begin on September 7th...three weeks, and we're in it. I feel barely recovered from the Significant Blur workshop, but there's no breaks in art, right? I'm pre-blocking Act I and II; stunned by the mastery of Kushner's construction. I mean, we always knew he had a flair with words, but he even makes the character entrances and exits make sense for you. It's such a powerful experience, to take this script apart and look at its insides. A glorious machination.

The actress playing our Angel, Tawanda, was on Court TV the other night. Had a part in one of their "Forensic Files". She was on talking for all of seven seconds, covered by the narrator's voice over. Welcome to the business of show.

September 7th. The great work begins.

The Messenger Has Arrived...

2006-08-11T15:37:00.000-07:00