Category: Beyond Broadway

NY New Works Theatre Festival: Meet Mark Adrian Ford & Toothpicks VII: Khazouk

Name: Mark Adrian Ford

What is your current project?

Toothpicks VII: Khazouk

Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

The Elektra Theatre as part of the New York New Works Theatre Festival. It’s a beautiful space in a vivacious Midtown location.

What’s next for you?

I’ve finished writing a series of limerick fables for my Nephew, which I am hoping to have illustrated and published before the year’s end. My second full-length stage play “Moulten Isle” is currently being reviewed by my mentors for potential production. I’ll also be acting in a tribute film directed by my friend Rachael Silberman in North Carolina later this summer.

Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?

My Gran, Gloria. She’s a legend and always puts things into the most brilliant perspective for me. I feel peaceful and motivated by her whenever I see her or hear her speak.

Want More?

Website: MarkFord.ca

Mark Adrian Ford was born in southern Alberta and has been involved in theatre since the age of 8. He graduated with Honours from the Hartt School Actor Training program in 2012. From his hometown Okotoks to Calgary, Stratford, Hartford, New York, Los Angeles, Shizuoka, Toronto and Birmingham, Mark has been keenly studying his surroundings, collaborating with inspirationally creative people in a variety of disciplines and styles. Along with acting and writing his interests include makin’ friends, going dancing, video gaming and adventuring outdoors.

Show information (venue, dates, ticket info)

‘Toothpicks VII: Khazouk’ will be presented at The Elektra Theatre (300 W 43rd Street New York, NY) / September 13, 2016 / tickets available at the door or online at: nynwTheatreFestival.com

TIMES SQUARE ARTS CENTRE
300 W 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 – 2nd Floor
AT 7PM sharp.

*Disclaimer: Please be aware shows performing after 8:30pm may not be suitable for younger audiences. No children under the age of 4 are permitted.

** Please note that tickets can be purchased after 3pm the day of the show at the door are $25.

Click HERE for tickets and other festival participants

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , , Leave a comment

NY New Works Theatre Festival: Meet Adrian Miranda & A Chronic Line

Name: Adrian Miranda

What is your current project?

A Chronic Line: A new musical about chronic pain

Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

New York New Works Theater Festival. It is a great place to showcase new work to industry experts.

What’s next for you?

NYNW at the Elektra Theatre

Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?

Lin Manuel, we grew up in the same neighborhood. And, well, the rest is obvious.

Want More?

Website: www.adrianmiranda.net
Twitter: @adrianmpt
Facebook: facebook.com/adrianmpt

Adrian Miranda graduated Ithaca College in 2006 with a degree in physical therapy. Adrian grew up in Washington Heights playing and loving sports but fell into the arts accidentally in college where he started dancing. Then in 2012 he found theater. He performs with a group called the Heights Players in Brooklyn, NY. After learning a lot on stage and learning more about voice he realized he had so many stories to share from his patients in the clinic that he could share with the rest of the world in order to help people improve their physical health.

SHOW INFO:

TIMES SQUARE ARTS CENTRE
300 W 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 – 2nd Floor
AT 7PM sharp.

*Disclaimer: Please be aware shows performing after 8:30pm may not be suitable for younger audiences. No children under the age of 4 are permitted.

** Please note that tickets can be purchased after 3pm the day of the show at the door are $25.

Click HERE for tickets and other festival participants

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, New York New Works Theatre Festival, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , , Leave a comment

NY New Works Theatre Festival: Meet Marissa Kohn & Blindsided Date

13876478_1859832470911427_6194512369714231947_nName: Marissa Kohn

What is your current project? Blindsided Date

Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

The NYNW Theater Festival. It’s a topical piece about gun control and Tinder dating that this audience will appreciate.

What’s next for you? 

I have a few projects in the works. One is an expansion of this play as a musical with Zack Redler (Memory Play). Another is an animated “text” book titled, Sex Cults of the 1800’s.

Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?

My year old son. I feel like I’m a more confident well rounded artist since surviving the first year of his life. He’s taught me how to be present and enjoy the moments I’m in.

Want More?

Twitter: @blindsided_date
Instagram @blindsided_date

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blindsideddate/

Marissa Kohn is Utah native now living in New York City. She’s married and has an adorable, hilarious, one year old boy who gives her endless material as a standup comedian and playwright here in the city. Most recently her play Do Me A Little, which she also starred in, was performed at the 16th annual New York International Fringe Festival. Do Me A Little is a will-they-won’t-they marriage-consummation-comedy-tragedy about two wide-eyed virgin Mormons on their wedding night. She is currently working on a musical about an elementary school teacher and mass shooting survivor who, while running a marathon, lets her mind entertain itself and examines why she’s always running.

Show information (venue, dates, ticket info)

NAME OF SHOW: Blindsided Date

NAME OF WRITER: Marissa Kohn

CAST MEMBERS: Autumn Hurlbert, Devon Goffman

PRODUCED BY: Jack Lane, Judy Kent, Karen Nielson

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Carter Thompson

An elementary school teacher, Karen, and an accountant, Mack, meet up for a seemingly innocuous Tinder date. A simple question, “Where are you from?” launches them both into a passionate conversation about gun reform. Can this mass shooting survivor and this card carrying NRA member find common ground?

TIMES SQUARE ARTS CENTRE
300 W 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 – 2nd Floor
AT 7PM sharp.

*Disclaimer: Please be aware shows performing after 8:30pm may not be suitable for younger audiences. No children under the age of 4 are permitted.

** Please note that tickets can be purchased after 3pm the day of the show at the door are $25.

Click HERE for tickets and other festival participants

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, New York New Works Theatre Festival, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , , Leave a comment

NY New Works Theatre Festival: Meet Tasha Nicole Partee & In a Vision, or in None

Name: Tasha Nicole Partee

What is your current project?

A new drama with comedy called In a Vision, or in None

Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

The play is making its world premiere at the New York New Works Theatre Festival on August 31st! I am really excited for the piece to take its first steps with the amazingly supportive and talented artists involved in this festival. In fact, it was the positive experiences of past participants that initially inspired me to submit to NYNWTF. Ultimately, I’d like to expand this short play into a full-length piece, but my hope is that it will provide a thought-provoking, meaningful experience to NYNW Theatre Festival audiences in its current form.

What’s next for you?
 
It has been an exciting and busy summer. I am about to wrap up a run of my first full-length play, Mrs. Schrodinger’s Cat, in the New York International Fringe Festival, while at the same time preparing In a Vision, or in None for its debut with NYNWTF. I am really looking forward to setting some time aside for processing the tremendous learning that has taken place through these experiences. I would like to think the end of the festivals does not mean the end of the road for the work. I plan to seek a mentor in playwriting and continue developing them!
Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?

My husband Peter is my biggest inspiration. He has been the greatest supporter of my work and dreams and encourages me every day. He is always the first person with whom I share an idea or draft, and he even reads them aloud with me, taking on every role from a valley girl to a grandmother. He is a trooper! I am also greatly inspired by all the people who have joined me on my journey as a writer: the actors who have given of themselves so completely in lifting my characters from the page, the friends and family who have lent their hearts and wisdom to the development of my plays, and the many, many people who have taught me throughout my life.

Want More?
Website: https://inavisionplay.squarespace.com
Twitter: @Mrs_S_Cat_Play

Tasha Nicole Partee’s writing has been featured by the Hudson Guild Theatre Company and Manhattan Repertory Theatre, and her first full-length play, Mrs. Schrodinger’s Cat, is currently running in the 2016 New York International Fringe Festival. A native of Richmond, Virginia, she was a founding member of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Women’s Project, providing opportunities for women in theater since 1997. A former NFL cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens, she has danced in New York productions of Romeo and Juliet and The Sleeping Beauty and choreographed productions of Midsummer Night’s Dream with Onomatopoeia Theatre Company and Frankenstein with Hudson Guild Company, where she also recently played the role of Cora in The Iceman Cometh. She has directed over thirty plays and musicals and currently serves as Director of Upper School Theatre at Lawrence Woodmere Academy. She holds an MA in Educational Theater from NYU and a BFA in Theatre Education (VCU). Tasha is thrilled for it to be part of the 2016 New York New Works Theatre Festival!

SHOW INFO:

TIMES SQUARE ARTS CENTRE
300 W 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 – 2nd Floor
AT 7PM sharp.

*Disclaimer: Please be aware shows performing after 8:30pm may not be suitable for younger audiences. No children under the age of 4 are permitted.

** Please note that tickets can be purchased after 3pm the day of the show at the door are $25.

Click HERE for tickets and other festival participants

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, New York New Works Theatre Festival, NYC Theatre, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , , Leave a comment

fringeNYC 2016 Recap #2

553272_863360677035887_7659492564249936570_n.jpg

Houseless in Paradise by Dr. Mark Tjarks; Directed by Dennis Gleason

Houseless in Paradise exposes the homelessness problem in tropical Hawaii. The Aloha  State has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the United States. The playwright, Dr. Mark Tjarks compiled more than 60 stories from the “houseless” community as well as city and state officials to create a play about hope.

The program included a bonus feature called The Unsalable Thing also written by Dr. Tjarks about a bidding war for a storage locker with a twist.
After a short pause there’s a transition into Houseless in Paradise. However, the location of the piece was unclear at the beginning. The ensemble wonderfully shared the many stories that reflect painful childhoods, addiction, abuse, prostitution, economic downfall, and illness as a basis of the loss of homes. However, it was unclear to whom they were talking.
Though emotional and thought provoking, it was missing an element that would connect this audience to Hawaii. The piece began with the use of projection and wasn’t used again until the end. Since the play is performed in New York City, where homelessness is also a widespread issue, the lack of photos from Hawaii didn’t transport the audience to the locations mentioned in the script. It also didn’t give us the element needed to forget what’s right outside the theater. Therefore, if one hasn’t been to Hawaii (like me), it was hard to connect to being homeless in paradise. Regardless, I was able to hear the stories and be empathetic.
Show Info:
WED 8/17 @ 4:30
FRI 8/19 @ 4:45
SAT 8/20 @ NOON
VENUE #1: Teatro SEA at The Clemente
107 Suffolk Street (between Rivington & Delancey)
Click HERE for more info.

 

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, Reviews, TheaterTags: , , , , Leave a comment

Meet Megan Minutillo & H

Photo by Tiffany FarleyName: Megan Minutillo

What is your current project?  H…

Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

I wrote this play, and will be directing it as part of the JTD Lab at Guild Hall of East Hampton.

What’s next for you?

H at Guild Hall. After that? I can’t say YET, but it’ll be great!

Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?

Lin Manuel Miranda. He too started as a substitute teacher, but didn’t give up on his dream of creating. He expands and pushes the limits of theatre in a way that inspires generations of the past, present, and future.

Want More?

Website: www.meganminutillo.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/meganminutillo

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/meganminutillo

Megan Minutillo is a director, producer, writer, arts educator and founder of thewriteteachers.com. She studied theatre, political science, philosophy, and law at Binghamton University, and received an M.A. from NYU in Educational Theatre and English Education. Megan has directed and produced numerous productions in the tri-state area at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Guild Hall of East Hampton, Birdland Jazz, (le) poisson rouge, and Bay Street Theater. Additionally, she is a proud recipient of a Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation Observership – this past November she had the pleasure of working at the Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City. Her writing can be found on I AM THAT GIRL, HelloGiggles.com, So Worth Loving, Glass Heel, and megan minutillo.com.

Show information (venue, dates, ticket info)

Guild Hall of East Hampton, September 13th at 7:30pm, tickets are free!

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , Leave a comment

Meet Laura Cetti & Imaginary

Laura Cetti (2)Name: Laura Cetti

What is your current project?

A selection from my good friend Nick Radu’s play “Imaginary” in the New York New Works Festival

Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

We will be performing at The Elektra Theater in midtown. This festival is a great fit for me and Imaginary because it gives us the oppourtunity to show our work to industry professionals in hopes of getting their support and feedback.

What’s next for you?

I will be singing at Broadway Artists Connection at The Laurie Beechman Theatre on September 12th!

Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?
My biggest inspiration now, as always, are my fellow actors. I just finished a new play in the Thespis Festival and I was so struck by the hard work and dedication of my castmates. We were putting in 7 hour days for 3 plus weeks and each and every one of these actors showed up ready to work and collaborate. Not one received any compensation for their time. They were all there for the satisfaction of the work and the growth and the art. That is what it’s all about and what inspires me to work hard every day.

Want More?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.cetti.5

Laura is a New York based Singer and Actor. Recent credits include: ‘We Were Children/ Thespis Festival Hudson Guild Theater, ‘Lady Parts’/ The AlphaNYC, ‘Pieces’/ Planet Connections Theater Festivity(Best Supporting Actress in a Musical).

Imaginary:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2589068
Broadway Artists Connection:  http://www.broadwayconnects.org/

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , Leave a comment

Meet Heidi Russell and the International Women Artist’s Salon

Name: Heidi Russell

What is your current project?
International Women Artists’ Salon
Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

All over – the world is our oyster – always looking for partner venues anywhere in world.

What’s next for you?

Continuing current series and starting a film/video festival and building our custom designed web platform.

Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?

Women artists all over the world, all disciplines, doing amazing work

Want More?
Website: internationalwomenartistssalon.wordpress.com
Twitter: @womenartsalon
YouTube: International Women Artists Salon; womenartsalon.blogspot.com

Heidi Russell is a life-long, self-taught fine art photographer specializing in capturing the intersection of the various dimensions of cultural environs through full-frame, non-manipulated, in-camera technique using existing lighting. Russell is also an independent curator, publisher and founder of International Women Artists’ Salon. http://www.heidirussell.com (I have longer versions if needed)
Show information (venue, dates, ticket info)

Salon Lounge at Dixon Place – monthly multi-disciplinary showcase at Dixon Place,161A Chrystie Street (Rivington/Delancey), NYC, 7:30-8:30pm FREE – next up Aug 20th, Revolution curated by Marcina Zaccaria (Intl. Committee co-chair of LPTW) Salon Radio on City World Radio network, Thursdays 8-8:55pm EST – live listening on TuneIn.com or TuneIn app for smartphones – all shows archived on http://www.CityWorldRadio.com for on-demand listening.

Heidi Russell Headshot CWRN
by Categories: Beyond Broadway, International Women Artist Salon, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , Leave a comment

Meet Abby Judd and the New York New Works Theatre Festival

NYNW 2016 POSTERName: Abby Judd

What is your current project?

General Manager – The New York New Works Theatre Festival 2016

Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

The New York New Works Theatre Festival takes center stage from August 29th – October 5th, at the Times Square Arts Center. Exposing talented writers to enthralled audiences, and a panel of Broadway Producers, Emmy and Tony Award Winners, it was only natural to choose an Off-Broadway theatre in the heart of New York’s Theatre District, the theatre capital of the world!

What’s next for you?

My agency, Bear In Mind Creative, is working with an multi-award winning film writer to produce and brand his latest project!

Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?

I have two: My business partner, Melissa Gordon. Every time I present her with a challenge she comes back with something which exceeds anything I could have imagined. Her mind works beautifully. She is so creative and loving, it delights me every day. Kenny Bell, the booking manager at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. He genuinely cares about every performer who walks through his doors, and is so supportive of developing great art and talent. He’s made his theatre a home. Working with him is an honor.

Want More?

Website: http://www.nynwtheatrefestival.com/
Twitter: @NYNWTheatreFest
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nynwtheatrefestival/

Abby Judd is a partner in Bear In Mind Creative, a boutique agency operating in both the USA and UK, specializing in branding, web design and marketing, as well as General Management and Production for Theatre, TV and Film: http://www.bearinmindcreative.com Abby is also the resident light/sound designer at the Laurie Beechman theatre on 42nd Street. She has stage managed and designed for numerous productions and festivals internationally, and was recently nominated for the MAC award for ‘Outstanding Technical Direction’. Some of her favorite projects include: Multiple events with the charity Lady Parts Justice; The Puppet Shakespeare Players ‘Titus Andronicus’; and ‘Hotel California’ at New York New Works Theatre Festival 2015.

Show information

PRELIMINARY ROUND: AUG 29, 30, 31 & SEP 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 | SEMI FINALS: SEP 19, 20, 21, 22, 26 | FINALS GALA: OCT 5 2016 Book Tickets Here – http://www.nynwtheatrefestival.com/book-tickets

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, Independent Theatre, New York New Works Theatre Festival, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , Leave a comment

Meet Ali Kennedy Scott & Let Them Eat Cake

Ali Kennedy Scott Headshot 04 (digital) (1280x844)Name: Ali Kennedy Scott

What is your current project?

Let Them Eat Cake: An American Love Story It is a new immersive adaptation of the Greek Tragedy, Oedipus.

Where are you performing it and why is it the right fit for your piece?

We’ll be doing 5 performances in Oklahoma City in October 2017, followed up by a longer season in NYC in May & June 2017. Locations are currently secret to add to the mystery and intrigue of the piece. Spaces have been chosen for their ability to convey opulence and decay. Living in NYC, excess and degradation are constantly found side by side and this is at the core of the play.

What’s next for you?

I’ll be playing the Prince of Darkness in Calderon’s Two Dreams at La Mama Theatre in February 2017. I’m also in the process of writing my new solo show examining women in leadership.

Who is your biggest inspiration right at this moment and why?

Right now in the wake of the Democratic Convention the people inspiring me are Hilary Clinton and Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama for giving the greatest speech I have ever heard. What an incredible and inspiring women! Listening to her made me excited to be alive at this time, hopeful for the future and proud to be part of the human race. And Hilary Clinton for incredible strength, tenacity, intelligence and ability to get things done. Her ability to take the knocks and keep going is something that all artists aspire to. A creative life is not necessarily an easy road, it’s a passion, it’s a calling. And it takes bravery and courage to follow it. And my goodness has Hilary Clinton been an example of bravery and courage. It staggers me that 50% of the population have never seen their gender in that level of leadership.The impact of Hilary’s nomination will be felt around the world for generations. She is changing what is possible for all of us.

WANT MORE?

Website: www.alikennedyscott.com
Twitter: @AliKennedyScott

Ali Kennedy Scott is an Australian actor, writer and theatre maker based in New York. She is a graduate of Anne Bogart’s SITI Company Conservatory and is a member of the SITI Company Board of Directors. She is also a member of Magis Theatre Company and recently performed in the Sara Copia Sulam Project alongside former Poet Laureate, Rita Dove. She is an associate of immersive theatre group ‘This is Not a Theatre Company’ where her work has included Gertrude Stein in A Serious Banquet, Pool Play, Ferry Play (a New York Times critics pick) & ReadyMade Cabaret. Ali has performed at a host of venues across New York including New York Theatre Workshop, Judson Church, the SoHo Playhouse, and The Barrow Group. Other credits include: Kennedy Scott’s award winning solo show The Day the Sky Turned Black, which toured throughout Australia, to Edinburgh and New York. Called “Enthralling” by The New York Times, Kennedy Scott’s accolades include ‘Excellence in Solo Performance’ at the New York International Fringe & Sydney Fringe Festivals, as well as People’s Choice for Best Play of the Sydney Fringe.

Kennedy Scott is an experienced puppeteer playing Blanche in the sold out season of the Avenue Q styled Thank You For Being A Friend (Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney). Further international credits include: Agent 1 in Dream Plays- It Ended working alongside David Greig (Traverse Edinburgh), Sally Forth in Poppy (Factory Space), Japanese Waitress with a Mysterious Past in Playing the Victim (Tap Gallery). In 2013, Kennedy Scott created an artist-in residence program in Western Sydney in conjunction with the Australian Business and Community Network. Funded by JP Morgan, the program has seen her work with over 200 high school students in Western Sydney to create & direct 11 new theatre works inspired by the students’ lives and stories. The work entitled Parramatta Now has been nominated for a Zest award. Kennedy Scott holds a First Class Honors Degree in Economics from the University of Sydney and is a grateful recipient of grants from The Ian Potter Cultural Trust, Dame Joan Sutherland Fund, Cybec Foundation, ArtsNSW and the Australia Council. Training: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School UK.

Show information: http://www.marshallexperimental.org/

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , Leave a comment