Performance Schedule

I just got the performance schedule for Twin Towers, which will be at the Robert Moss Theater in 440 Studios at Astor Place and Lafayette.
THIS SCHEDULE HAS BEEN UPDATED!!!

Here are the dates and showtimes:

• Friday, June 12th, 5:30pm
• Sunday, June 14th, 9:00pm
• Wednesday, June 17th, 4:0pm
• Friday, June 18th, 4:00pm
• Friday, June 19th, 7:30pm
  
• Sunday, June 28th, 1:00ppm
  

New Talent

You might remember that last fall I did a reading of Twin Towers to help me get an idea as to what the play sounded like out loud. It was there that I met a few new faces, and the reading was a huge success. For their efforts I promised them free head shots, and Rob took advantage of this. A good head shot costs just under $1,000, so this is not a casual event. I shot more than 300 pictures, built a gallery of the shoot and then edited and retouched the final 20 images he selected. Editing the photos takes quite a lot of time and talent, something that people not familiar with digital just can't understand. If it takes me all day to edit photos, that's a day of work that digital photographers expect to get paid for. I made a mock up comp card to give you all an idea as to what this might look like when put together. Overall the images came out great. I love portraits as you know from my website and blog. Faces are fascinating to me, and I love how people look completely different from one photo to the next on a contact sheet. I try to find the image that represents who I think that person really is. Rob has a great personality and I hope he launches a stellar acting career, thanks to my photos. He really helped me out with my play so I'm happy to help him. If anyone else is interested in head shots, please contact me to make an appointment.

Upgrade and Contract

I just had my first meeting with the Planet Connections Theater Festivity tonight, signed my contract, bought into the festival and looked at the space at the newly renovated theaters at 440 Theaters at Astor Place and Lafayette. The people are really wonderful to work with, the space is beautiful and their vision, to make an eco-friendly, non-profit friendly theater festival is a great fit for me, the eternal volunteer. Below is a floor plan of the space. I can't stress enough how beautiful the theater is. And large. That is because on Friday I got a phone call from Planet Connections saying that someone else had dropped out and they wanted to put me in the larger of the two spaces. If I was excited before about being accepted into the festival (see earlier post) now I'm even more excited.

Important note: Over the next few weeks I'll be looking for a director, production manager, sound technician, publicist, musician, dance coreographer and who knows who else. Please check this site often for updates on what I need. Thanks!

Letting Go

A few weeks ago I was asked to entertain the idea of removing one of my characters from my play Twin Towers. OK, not just entertain- it was a prerequisite for consideration by a producer. And not just any character but one who is central to the story and also my favorite character- the Devil. The potential producer and director of the play said that the character didn't fit, was too vulgarr (it IS the Devil) and should be removed altogether. I wrestled with this idea for many nights, not wanting to let go. In Amy's class on Tuesday, we discussed the work of our fellow classmates and suggested that they too cut certain features out of their work. And not just small, inconsequential features, but major ones. For example, we suggested that Judith stop shooting flowers, for which she is well known and established, and suggested to David that he remove his macro shots, which are his bread and butter. Asking Judith to stop shooting flowers is like 'now I have to think of a great metaphor' but you get the picture. We are pushing ourselves in this class. And in writing I have to do the same. So the Devil has to go. And I have to let go of those things that are easy, comfortable, effortless, and push the envelope.

Update on the Prodution

As well as sending my play to festivals I have also been showing it to directors and producers. Sending a script to a producer is very frustrating- you never know if they actually read your work. Without a personal reference, your work probably ends up in the garbage. I did however get my play to a director who liked the show, and he passed it on to a producer, who is considering producing my play in May provided I change the script. This is a major change and I have a lot of options in front of me. The options are,

• Change the script and produce a show in a larger venue in Midtown Manhattan.
• Keep the script as it is and self produce 6 shows in the festival in a small venue.
• Do both shows, changing the script for both shows, and paying a lot of money for the second run in the festival.

All these options have their benefits and drawbacks. Financially, I can't afford to produce the show in two different venues, the second run will probably loose money. But artistically I want to keep the show as close to my vision as possible. I am open to rewriting- there is a benefit to an experienced producer telling you what elements of your work will resonate with audiences and what will sink the show. But at the same time, I there are some fundamental parts of the play that just can't change. Or, to put it bluntly, I won't change them. I have a lot of decisions to make this week, so stay tuned to learn the fate of the production of Twin Towers!

New Show

I just got an e-mail from my friend James about a new show called Soul Samurai. James is my former roomate from college, an accomplished playwright and an avid theater blogger. Check out his blog, Jamespeak, for news about new plays that aren't boring (a category I've created).
Soul Samurai is sure to fit that description. If you haven't seen anything by Qui, run to see this show. His work is highly entertaining and insightful, hijacking popular genres to tell great stories. Soul Samurai starts this week. Get info and buy tickets here.

After catching my breath...

I've finally calmed down enough to write a coherent post. On Sunday I got an e-mail accepting me into the Planet Connections Theater Festivity. Twin Towers will get six shows in a theater on Astor Place and Lafayette in the East Village. The festival will run from June 11- June 28th. You can get more info here.
While a great deal of work was put into Twin Towers up to this point, the real work is just beginning. Although I stripped down the script considerably, it is still a large production- a comfortable cast of 9, a variety of recorded sounds, a fake gun, a few military uniforms, a tango, 2 fight scenes, several songs... and that's just the first act! Suddenly, for my dream to become a reality, I need a lot of help. And probably some rewriting. And a lot of people who are willing to put in long hard hours for little or no money. This is crazy. I can't wait!

Planet Connections Festivity

Twin Towers is going to happen!! In the fall of last year and in January of this year I applied to pretty much every festival I could, and I just got offered to be a part of the Planet Connections Festivity, which runs for three weeks in June. Twin Towers will get six shows! Yeaaaaaah.

Now that that's over with. Wait... yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Wow. Let me post later when I catch my breath. Oh, one more thing.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!