Category: Theater

Meet Amy Oestreicher & Gutless & Grateful

AmyOestreicher-1024x576.jpgName: Amy Oestreicher

What is your current project? Gutless & Grateful

Where are you performing your show and why is it a good fit for your production?

I’m so excited to be bringing this to Feinstein’s/54 Below. It’s a beautiful venue and I thought it’s especially fitting since the food is amazing…and this is a musical (comedy) about how my stomach exploded and I couldn’t eat or drink for six years! Spoiler alert – I can eat and drink now. So let’s just say I am REALLY looking forward to grabbing a meal afterwards!

What’s next for you?

A lot of great projects! I’m always touring Gutless & Grateful, not only to theatres, but to colleges, conferences, organization, military support groups, temples advocacy groups – you name it – as a mental health, PTSD, disability, sexual assault and leadership program, so this show is always in my heart…but more exciting for me, I’m developing plenty of new shows at once! . I’m developing a musical, LEFTOVERS with director and dramaturge Susan Einhorn, which is a musicalized version of my “Musical chair-like” transition out of the surgical ICU. Other projects include a multidisciplinary solo play, “Trust/In Development,” based on my most recent TEDx Talk, using Joseph Campbell’s archetypal hero’s journey to portray the “heroic adventures” in recovery, and after completing a residency at Art Kibbutz, I created a documentary drama based on 300 pages of transcribed oral histories from my grandmother and her nine siblings, after surviving Auschwitz. Judaism has been an overflowing source of playwriting inspiration, and its resilient stories have also inspired two short plays, “Factory Treasures” and “We Re-Member,” based on the garment factory that my grandparents established after immigrating to New York.

What is the name of the last show you saw?

I just saw “Soot and Spit” directed by Kim Weild, Written by Charles Mee at New Ohio Factory Theatre – I had the privilege of writing up an interview I did with Kim on the show for Huffington Post and BroadwayWorld. I left simply speechless. I still am. AMAZING!

Any advice for your peers?

Start from anywhere. Don’t compare yourself and work with what you have. But don’t accept what you start with. Visualize what you’d like to be and manifest it – will it. The most important thing is to really tune into your passion and work from there – wherever it may lead you – no matter how crazy. If it is authentic, it’s real. And with a bit of dedication, it will happen.

Want More?

Website: www.amyoes.com
Facebook: facebook.com/amyoestr
Twitter: @amyoes
Instagram: @amyoes70
You Tube: youtube.com/amyoes70

Amy Oestreicher is a PTSD peer-to-peer specialist, artist, author, writer for Huffington Post, speaker for TEDx and RAINN, health advocate, survivor, award-winning actress, and playwright, sharing the lessons learned from trauma through her writing, mixed media art, performance and inspirational speaking. As the creator of “Gutless & Grateful,” her BroadwayWorld-nominated one-woman autobiographical musical, she’s toured theatres nationwide, along with a program combining mental health advocacy, sexual assault awareness and Broadway Theatre for college campuses and international conferences. She has studied as a playwright and performance artist in the National Musical Theatre Institute at the world-renowned Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Her original, full-length drama, Imprints, premiered at the NYC Producer’s Club in May 2016, exploring how trauma affects the family as well as the individual. To celebrate her own “beautiful detour”, Amy created the #LoveMyDetour campaign, to help others cope in the face of unexpected events. “Detourism” is also the subject of her TEDx and upcoming book, My Beautiful Detour, available December 2017. As Eastern Regional Recipient of Convatec’s Great Comebacks Award, she’s spoken to hundreds of healthcare professionals at national WOCN conferences, and her presentations on diversity, leadership and trauma have been featured at National Mental Health America Conference, New England Educational Opportunity Association’s 40 Anniversary Conference, and have been keynotes at the Pacific Rim Conference of Diversity and Disability in Hawaii, the Eating Recovery Foundation First Annual Benefit in Colorado. She’s contributed to over 70 notable online and print publications, and her story has appeared on NBC’s TODAY, CBS, Cosmopolitan, among others. Learn more: amyoes.com.

Show Information: 

When: June 30th at 9:30pm

Where: Feinstein’s/54 Below (254 West 54th Street)

Use the discount code AMY35 but only if you make reservations beforehand!

Buy tickets at https://54below.com/events/amy-oestreicher-gutless-grateful/

There is a $25-$35 cover charge and $25 food and beverage minimum.

Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.com.

Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00 are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

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Meet Sara Rademacher

IMG_9967Name: Sara Rademacher

What is your current project?

“Caught Dreaming,” is a passion project straight from the mind of brand new playwright Ryan Dancho

Where are you performing your show and why is it a good fit for your production?

The show is at the New York Theeaterfest Summerfest playing on July 27, 29 and 30th. Ryan Dancho, the playwright, is immensely talented and has a unique voice that comes across in the play by bringing a non-voyeuristic perspective to mental health. Because he has such a fresh new voice, this playwright-focused festival provides the perfect venue to introduce him to New York. You can hear Ryan talk about personal connection to mental health issues and his impetuous for writing this important play from his Kickstarter video. (You’ll also get a sense of his off-beat sense of humor that is certainly not lacking in the script)! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2000611737/caught-dreaming-the-play

What’s next for you?

I’m actually working in four New Play festivals this summer! Before “Caught Dreaming,” you can see “Forever Young” by Judd Lear Silverman at The Gallery Players Black Box Fest (June 16 – 18), “Appetizers,” by Scott C. Sickles at The Greenhouse Ensemble’s 10 Minute Play Soiree (June 23 -25)

What is the name of the last show you saw?

“Composure,” by Scott Sickles at The Workshop Theatre

Any advice for your peers?

Schedule at least an hour every day where you are not allowed to think about your schedule.

Want more?

Website: SaraRademacher.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.rademacher.9

Twitter: https://twitter.com/saradrads

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saradrad/?hl=en

Sara Rademacher is the Co-Founder and former Artistic Director of Elements Theatre Collective, whose mission is to bring professional quality theatre free of charge to audiences with limited access. Sara is dedicated to creating theatre to engage her community both locally and globally. She holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University in New York City, where she currently lives and works. Some Favorite directing credits include The Last Five Years, Gruesome Playground Injuries, The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and boom. Before forming Elements, she studied theatre in South Africa, and earned her BA in Dramatic Arts at UCSB. She has worked in Casting, Assistant Directing, Dramaturgy and other internships regional theaters including The Guthrie, Seattle Repertory, Mixed Blood, Marin Theatre, and more. Sara currently works at The National Theatre Conference. She continues to serve on the Board at Elements.

Show Information:

When: Caught Dreaming at The New York Theaterfest Summerfest plays July 27th at 9pm, July 29th at 1pm and July 30th at 6pm.

Tickets are $24.80
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2944738

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I’m on a PANEL! Broadway Bound Festival

A  fun announcement: Yours truly is a panelist for the upcoming Broadway Bound Festival, listed as one of the fifteen summer theater festivals to check out this summer by the New York Times. The opportunity to be a part of a program that turns playwrights into producers has been part of my world. One of the first pieces I produced, directed and acted in was written my friend in undergrad. I was president of the theatre club and we had a very large budget of $300. We decided to invest in lights and use everything in the costume and prop room. Good times. Different times. However, a useful experience a million years later. I look forward to seeing these 19 pieces which I will be  offering my two cents. Hopefully it will be worth more than that.

Visit www.broadwayboundfestival.com/ to learn more! And stay tuned for my upcoming podcast interview with founder, Lenore Skomal.

 

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Meet Robert and Cristina Farruggia & On the Air

Name: Robert & Cristina Farruggia

What is your current project?

A homage to the golden age of musical theatre, On the Air is an original new musical inspired by the lives of Jack and Loretta Clemens, a real life Vaudeville sibling duo that went on to star on Radio and TV. It’s a story that deals with major changes in society/entertainment through the early half the twentieth century, but at its heart, focuses on two siblings and the balance of their opposing dreams. The musical has gone through a number of prominent theatres/festivals, most recently presented as a reading at The York Theatre Company directed by Tony Nominee Hunter Foster. It was a semifinalist for NAMT and FWD Theatre Project, as well as a finalist for the Santa Fe Musical Theatre Festival and the Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat. On the Air was also presented at the PiTCH Series as part of the Finger Lakes MT Festival. For the first time, On the Air will be produced as a fully staged workshop production at The Gallery Players.

Where are you performing your show and why is it a good fit for your production?

On the Air will be presented at The Gallery Players. 199th 14th St. Brooklyn, NY. The show will have a total of 5 performances, May 18th at 8pm, May 19th at 8pm, May 20th at 2 & 8pm, and May 21st at 3pm. This is the first time The Gallery Players will be mounting a fully staged workshop production and it is the first new musical the theatre has produced at this level since the successful Off Broadway hit Yank! This 99-seat theatre is the perfect venue for On the Air, allowing the audience to feel the nostalgia and joy of the golden era of Radio, while also focusing in on an intimidate story about family and dreams.

What’s next for you?

Now that On the Air has been put up on its feet, the next stage of development would be a regional premiere production. In addition to On the Air, we are readying for an industry reading our second musical, The Store Under the Portico, which takes place in WWII Italy. Aside from our musical work, we have a number of original pieces which we hope to showcase in upcoming cabarets/songwriter events. Please check out our social media pages for the latest news on our projects.

What is the name of the last show you saw?

The last show we saw was The Play That Goes Wrong. It was hysterical, and it was great to see a company come together like that to create such great art!

Any advice for your peers?

Our greatest advice is to stay true to your voice. We feel very passionate about the golden age of musical theatre and our writing voices naturally fit that time period. While we initially thought this to be a weakness, we soon found it was our greatest strength. People will resonate most with an original voice that is compelling and true, rather than an imitation of something you think people want to hear. While the music harks back to another time, the themes are still very relevant to today. We like to think of our show as a golden age musical for a modern age audience.

Want More?

Website: www.ontheairthemusical.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ontheairthemusical/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OntheAirMusical
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8p3tAdIBz0
Robert & Cristina Farruggia are both professional actors/playwrights. As actors, they performed in the closing performance of Les Miserables on Broadway and starred in a number of prominent regional productions. As writers, their work has been featured/finalists for NAMT, FWD Theatre Project, Writer’s Rhinebeck Retreat, 54 Below, Santa Fe Musical Theatre Festival, etc.

Show Information:

When: Thursday, May 18th to Sunday May 21st
Where: The Gallery Players
Address: 199 14th Street, Park Slope
Website: For tickets visit  http://galleryplayers.com/event/overtures-on-the-air/

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Meet Laura Vogels & Quotidian

QuotidianPoster4.25v3Name: Laura Vogels

What is your current project?

Our newest show, Quotidian, features 12 original stories crafted by the ensemble about some of the most defining and pivotal moments of their lives. A tapestry of sight and soundscapes, Quotidian is a tribute to the company’s diversity and how the past has shaped our identity.

Where are you performing your show and why is it a good fit for your production?

We are performing in a very unique space at the Alchemical Theatre Laboratory. It is an all white room with catwalk style seating. The show is interweaved with shadow play, projections and live music. We love it!

What’s next for you?

We are continuing to develop original works and exploring established works that have that magical factor- Lorca´s concept of “DUENDE”. We want to produce plays infused with a Primitive Grace in order to shift the audience´s paradigm so they will experience reality in a new, profound life altering way.

What is the name of the last show you saw?

Spill at EST. It was a moving and excellent piece of journalistic theatre.

Any advice for your peers?

Surround yourself with people who are generous of spirit and on the same mission as you. Collaborators are the soul of this business. Together you are unstoppable. And in the spirit of the show: Don’t wait. Do it now.

Want More?

Website: primitivegrace.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrimitiveGraceEnsemble/
Instagram: @theprimitivegrace

Laura is a actor, co-writer and producer of the upcoming show Quotidian with the Primitive Grace Theatre Ensemble (Artistic directors David Zayas- Bloodline, Dexter, Oz and Paul Calderon – Bosch, Fear the Walking Dead, Pulp Fiction). Recent works include short films Laura, Furlough and Greener, which have all gathered laurels on the festival circuit. She can also be seen on the Discovery Channel in shows such as Shadow of Doubt and Deadly Sins. Laura studied acting, physical theatre and European theatre at British Drama Schools: the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, LAMDA, RADA. Her training continued in NY in comedy & improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade, Meisner Technique at MCS and more. She is also the founder and artistic director of THE AVIARY, a production company that produces film and theatrical events that entertain, educate and elevate the audience. Laura’s short film “A Woman Walks Into A Bar” is currently in consideration at several film festivals.

You can find her at @LauraVogels on Instagram and Twitter, on Facebook, or at http://www.LauraVogels.com.

Show Information:

When: Friday, May 19 at 8:00pm to Sunday May 21st at 3:00pm and 8:00pm
Where: The Alchemical Theatre Laboratory
Address: 104 W.14th St, 3rd FL Studio A Theater
Website: For tickets visit http://quotidian.brownpapertickets.com and check us out at www.primitivegrace.org

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Meet Phil Williams & #bitchdrinks

Name: Phil Williams

What is your current project?

“#bitchdrinks”, a social commentary on the misconceptions of women in today’s society, using poetry and spoken word to dissect, and debunk some of their myths and myriads, as well as address obstacles they inexplicably face.

Where are you performing your show and why is it a good fit for your production?

Friends and Lovers, located on 641 Classon Avenue in Brooklyn. It’s aesthetic and atmosphere fit with the production’s overall feel and setting.

What’s next for you?

A new play called “Between The Lines” written by our playwright-in-residence, Chris Patterson, to premiere this fall.

What is the name of the last show you saw?

HARAM! IRAN!

Any advice for your peers?

Never stop listening to others. If you are collaborating with other artists, leave no stone unturned and always be open to absolutely anything.

Want More?

Website: http://minefieldtheatre.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phil.williams.3762
Twitter: @mrphilliams
Instagram:  @mrphilliams / @minefieldtheatregroup
You Tube: Minefield Theatre Group

Phil Williams is the founder and artistic director of the Minefield Theatre Group. A proud alumnus of York College of the City University of New York, he earned his B.A. in Speech Communication & Theatre Arts in 2012, and was honored with the Barbara Nickolich Award for Theatre Excellence. As an actor, Phil has performed at the Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center, The Living Theatre, and the Black Spectrum Theatre. As a director, he has staged productions for York College, Manhattan Repertory Theatre, Cabrini Repertory Theatre, Roy Arias Stages, The Tank NYC, and the Davenport Theatre. He is a member of the Harlem Camerata, an organization for artists to read and workshop classic and contemporary plays, and is a hip-hop artist with Bizzy Bee Productions, under the stage name Scorpio P.

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Broadway Artists Connection on May 22, 2017

BAC5-22-17Flyer (1)

The Broadway Artists Connection is a charitable non-profit that nurtures artists of all levels (Broadway, aspiring, re-entering & under-served) by providing opportunities to perform, make industry connections and participate in mentoring programs.

SEEKING TALENT

Come perform in a one of a kind Broadway Artists Connection (BAC) variety show.
Share the stage with Broadway performers, make meaningful industry connections and be in the running for “future of Broadway” crowned by a NYC Casting Director.

2017 PERFORMANCE DATES:

  • Mon. April 17th
  • Mon. May 22nd
  • Mon. June 19th
  • Mon. Sept. 18th
  • Mon. Oct. 23rd
  • Mon. Nov. 20th (All Stars)

How it works:
● Submit a video & resume to info@broadwayconnects.org
● Ages 16 & up (some exceptions are made on a case by case basis)
● If you are selected, you will be booked for one of our first 5 events
(please note that there is a $20 participation fee which is your ticket to the event)
About the Event:
● Events are held at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in the heart of Times Square
● Hosted by a Broadway Veteran;
● Kicked off by several Broadway artists;
● Features 12-15 selected artists (that can be YOU)
● Attended by a casting director who will crown an aspiring artist “future of Broadway.” Those crowned will be featured on our Facebook page and invited to sing in our All Stars Benefit on Nov. 20th
● Includes time to mingle with each other, make connections and support each other

For more information visit: www.broadwayconnects.org
Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bwayconnects

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Meet Dominique Salerno & The Box Show

Capture
Name: Dominique Salerno

What is your current project?  The Box Show

Where are you performing your show and why is it a good fit for your production?

I am performing this show at The People’s Improv Theater, which is a venue that celebrates creative comedy. It’s a great fit for my wacky little show, and the PIT has a great artistic and administrative team. The Box Show is a one woman show in which I perform over 25 characters from inside a cupboard. The cupboard opens to reveal: a drunken couple mid-fight in Las Vegas, the entire Greek army inside the Trojan Horse, a lonely giantess, a lost pope and so much more! The space is limited, but the comedic possibilities are endless. The New York Times hailed it as “the most purely delicious production …relentlessly inventive…a paragon of Fringe form”, and we won the Overall Excellence for Solo Performance from FringeNYC and Best Comedic Script from the United Solo Theatre Festival. Come check it out!

What’s next for you?
 
I am writing a couple of new pieces (top secret), and I am excited to act in other people’s projects again!

What is the name of the last show you saw?

“Diva: Live From Hell” by Sean Patrick Monahan. It was great!

Any advice for your peers?

Come see the show! 🙂 Also, never stop hustling.
 
Want More?

Website: http://www.theboxshow.org, http://www.dominiquesalerno.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boxshowtime/
Twitter: @The_Box_Show
Instagram: @the_box_show
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d-jPIYzv0U

Dominique is an NY based actor, director, improvisor, and playwright. She received her MFA in Acting from American Conservatory Theater, and B.A. from Princeton University. Recent credits include: PUSSYSLUDGE (Here Arts Center), Love and Information (A.C.T.), A Christmas Carol (A.C.T.), Mr. Burns (u/s A.C.T.), and Lysistrata (Faux-Real Theatre, NYC). Dominique performs sketch with “Feminarchy”, musical improv with her duo “The Moustache Apologies”, and long-form improv with her Armory house team “Bad People.” Her recent solo-show “THE BOX SHOW” won “The Overall Excellence Award for Solo Performance” in FringeNYC and “Best Comedic Script” in the United Solo Theatre Festival. It also was selected as one of the ‘Top 10 shows out of 200’ for the Fringe Encore Series.

Show Information:

When: Sundays: 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 6/4, 6/11 at 8:30 pm
Where:  The PIT
Address: 123 East 24th Street, NYC
Website: Check out http://www.dominiquesalerno.com or http://www.theboxshow.org

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Join Me for Queens Writes Weekend/May 19-21

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Newtown Literary published my poem Catamarans. That was the first thing I ever had published. That gave this secret poet the confidence to continuing writing, create a blog, write for other sites and support others. I was at the first Queens Writes Weekend where I sat in front of the Unisphere in Flushing Meadow and wrote two poems. Those two poems kicked off my NYC poems.

When my friend, Valerie G. Keane, asked me to consider being a site captain, an old idea emerged. So where are my playwrights?  You are the one writing in a vacuum. You are ready to produce their first play. You have already produced a bunch of shows. I want all of you! I am hosting in Kew Gardens on May 20th from 11 – 1pm. Prompts will be given to inspire your writing and every Queens Writes Weekend site has a different theme.  Add your name by clicking HERE – I promise not to spam you. This is strictly for this project.

Click HERE for more information and the full schedule of events.

The fifth annual Queens Writes Weekend will be presented by Newtown Literary Alliance on May 19-21 at various locations around the borough where participants are inspired to come write for a few hours in a community setting. Whether you’re a first-time writer or have been writing for years, this event is for you! 

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