The Fab Interview- Desiree Burch of 52 Man Pickup (FringeNYC)

The Fab Marquee Interview by Antonio Miniño.

In the sea of shows that is The New York International Fringe Festival, there is a woman that is bearing it all; Writer, Performer Desiree Burch exposes her wonderfully juicy list of sexcapades and experiences mastered over her very “active” years. She uses stand-up, sex toys and cleavage in 52 Man Pick-Up. Desiree answered some questions for The Fab Marquee, “nc-17” style.

Lets start by the name of your show 52 Man Pickup. Where did the title come from?
When I started this show, it was just a piece that I did at a reading/performance series I used to host at Galapagos called SMUT. Lots of the city’s best writers, performers, comedians, musicians, etc. would bring their odd, uncategorized, raw, nc-17 material out to the stage to perform, and I would host with jokes, poems, etc.

I had been concurrently collecting notes from a slut phase I’d been going through… because I was running through men like tissue at one point in my life, I wanted to take notes. I felt it was important to remember the people I’d been with, so I’d started making a list of their names, and what I could remember about the experiences…trying to keep tabs on what I was doing really. Trying to account for what I’d done if you will…count the numbers…etc. Women love to make lists of shit, and also have an idea of their “number” as well. And I counted everything. Kept everything accurate and accountable.

At some point I’d amassed enough people that I just thought, why not share these stories at SMUT. Some of them were quite funny and engaging…all of them were interesting to me. So I put each on an index card and pulled them out of a hat. That was my hat trick.

From the index cards and the hat and all of the sexual puns that could come of that…really lent itself to a good gimmick that would bring out the randomness and countless possibilities. Also, in the performance of pulling these cards out of the hat, I was kind of spitting them… like spitting a poem as is done in slam (and a lot of the cards have a poetic nature to the writing… I try to find the lyricism with each), and spitting the cards as is done in the card game “spit.” So putting the show on a deck of playing cards really came from utilizing the feeling of that game to just get rid of all of the cards I’d been dealt as quickly as possible, and also finding a way to epitomize the randomness, the chance, the playing of “the game.” etc.

So of course, I had to name the show after a card game or something to indicate that. I used 52 pickup cause it’s not really a game–it’s more of a trick, a gag; and it’s really a big fucking mess in about 3 seconds, and that was kind of reminiscent of my feelings on sex, and in particular my sexual experience in NYC. Plus, at that point, my number was in the 30s, and I figured it would give me a chance to really enumerate everyone using the whole deck and talk about “the number” again, etc.

What has been the most thrilling and hardest part about putting your personal life and escapades on-stage?

The most thrilling is really connecting openly with the audience. It’s getting to fuck the audience nightly. Some people are not feeling the show, and you can see it on their face. Other people are nodding and totally into it. Others are laughing, others are scared, others are crying. And it’s amazing to be a part of theater that is really getting intimate with people in a way that is somewhat uncharted (speaking somewhat of the format of the show, and mainly of the content).

The hardest part is rehearsal, when I am tired and lonely and trying to fix my own fucking life, and I have to look at a “3″ with some loser on it that I let inside me, and think…I don’t want to talk about this fucking loser anymore. I don’t even really remember fucking him. That experience, that person feels so distant to me (both him and myself), and I’m just not there anymore and I don’t want to go back. And that was really kind of the point in me turning this into a show. I needed to do my own work out loud, for people (because it’s the only way that I really do my best, most confrontational work with myself and the world) in order to come to terms with what I was doing in my life, to confess it if you will. To start figuring out my own patterns, demons, insights about others and myself sexually. I needed empathy from the universe. I needed to feel like this physical, sexual part of me was connected to a web of bodies in the universe, all trying to figure out the same shit, all on our own. It’s a shame to me that that is what we do to sexuality… because we really could evolve if we started being open about the fact that, beyond the procreative and the provocative, there is something about sex that connects lower and higher parts of ourselves.

The hardest part of the show is trying to stay true all of the time. Trying to keep the show up to my current perspectives on life… allowing it to be a growing, alive being, while I am working on the same for myself. Allowing it to be in the awkward phases, as I would allow myself, and showing the audience that, even if I feel like I might not be ready. My director, Isaac Byrne and I are constantly making adjustments that allow the audience into the show–allow them into my experience to draw out their own… and we have to find just the right nudge/trick that is going to do that, and be interesting for those watching and participating, and, above all, be honest. Because that’s the only reason anyone gives a damn about this dirty little show I do. It’s not just doing it for the sake of being sexy and selling shit like everything else on the planet these days. It’s because the show is true that it matters.

Has your fringe experience been exactly what you thought it would be?
Only had one show so far, and I don’t know what I thought it would be. But different people who I don’t know and didn’t invite personally have come out, and press is interested, and that is all good, because I just want to share this show a bit more with the world, and use it to connect with and help other people… and as always, myself too, cause that’s the point of making art. I want to do that before I outgrow the show and need to move on to a different part of myself.

What comes next?
Hopefully this show will get a longer run at some point in the not-too-distant future. I am also working on a women’s comedy festival for October called “The Hysterical Festival” which is going to feature a lot of amazing local and touring comedians, and it’s going to be a blast. More info at www.thehystericalfestival.com

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Working Man’s Clothes Productions &
FringeNYC present
Desiree Burch’s
52 Man Pickup
Venue #6: The Jazz Gallery
4 performances left: Mon 18 @ 9:15pm; Wed 20 @ 5:30pm; Thur 21 @10pm and Sat 23 @ 3pm
Tickets are $15.00, available at www.fringenyc.org.
Venue #6: The Jazz Gallery | 290 Hudson Street | Manhattan.

Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell Follows The Age-Old Tradition of The Show Must Go On

The Fab Marquee News Desk.

August 13, 2008, New York, NY–MAIEUTIC THEATRE WORKS’ (MTWorks) production of David Stallings’ Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell, received horrific news on Sunday, 4 hours prior to the performance. After premiering their latest work on Friday, to a sold-out house, Maggie Benedict, who played Cleopatra, lost her father; she was to fly out to South Africa immediately to be with her family and would not be able to continue with the run. MTWorks sympathies were with the family and their immediate response was to cancel the show.

This type of sudden predicament happens in the theater world, and the answer has always been “The Show Must Go On”, but for a small and fresh theater company that has only been around for three years, this was a first. Fortunately Kristina Kohl, a company actress, and David Stallings’ original inspiration for the role of Cleopatra, jumped right in, grabbed a script, scribbled down stage directions and saved the night.

Kristina Kohl & Shelly Feldman (Anaïs Nin)

Duncan Pfaster of Broadway World who was in the audience said, “on the night I attended, Ms. Benedict had a death in the family, and Kristina Kohl, another actress from Maieutic Theatre Works, took over her role with 4 hours notice, on book, and gave a fine performance.”

MTWorks, the cast and crew of Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell would like to dedicate the remaining 3 performances to Maggie Benedict and the memory of her father.

“When Maggie told us that she lost her father and had to go back to South Africa, I was devastated. Devastated for her loss of her father so suddenly-I can’t imagine the pain of that and I feel terrible that she has to go through that. I was also devastated to lose her in the show. She played the role of Cleopatra so beautifully and brought so much fire and individuality to the part that I knew that losing her would change the effect of the play. I of course understood the situation and agreed there was no question about her having to leave and take care of her family. She will be missed.” Said Cristina Alicea, director of Anais Nin Goes to Hell.

Kristina Kohl will be finishing out the run starring as Cleopatra in the final three performances of ANAÏS NIN GOES TO HELL. This limited engagement is part of the 12th annual New York International Fringe Festival-FringeNYC at The Connelly Theater (Venue # 17; 220 East 4th Street-between Avenue A & Avenue B).

Stallings immediately thought of Kohl as the replacement because she was the actress who had told him Cleopatra belonged in the play. Even with their history, Stallings was amazed at her ability to step into the role. He remarked, “When we lost Maggie, Kristina did not hesitate to save us–she has nerves of steel. It was a blessing for us to find an actress who implicitly understood the character and was able to walk seamlessly in her shoes. I have never met an actress with the ability to enter stage with not even a full day rehearsal, with a script in hand, and then wink at me when it was over.”

What reviewers are saying about ANAÏS NIN GOES TO HELL:

“For a play about woman, but written by a man, it tapped into the greater female psyche…”
-NY Press

“[Shelly] Feldman is a gleeful delight as Nin- owning every moment she’s onstage with stylish grace and power- one really believes her as the catalyst for all the change her character inspires.”
–Broadway World

“It’s nice to see a play that relies on strong women.”
–NY Theatre.com

“Cristina Alicea’s direction is wonderful- she brings the most out of the talented cast.”
–Broadway World

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Anaïs Nin Goes to Hell only has 3 performances remaining in FringeNYC:

Sunday, August 17th at 7:15 pm
Thursday, August 21st at 5:15 pm
Sunday, August 24th at 2:45 pm

Tickets are $15.00. $10 senior citizens (65 years or older), and for those who purchase groups of 20 or more tickets to a single performance. Tickets can be purchased at www.FringeNYC.org or 866.468.7619. Tickets may also be purchased in person at FringeCENTRAL, the main box office for the Festival, up until 24 hours before the actual performance. On the day of the performance, tickets must be purchased at the venue where the show is playing. Venue box office opens 15 minutes before the performance. (Cash only.)

Please check www.fringenyc.org and www.mtworks.org for updates.
Promo Photos are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/kampfirefilms/AnaSNinGoesToHellFringeNYC2008

Opa! (Midtown International Theater Festival)

The Fab Marquee Review by David Stallings.

The Midtown International Theater Festival this year chose three productions that they considered to have the most commercial viability and showcased them as a highlight of the festival. One of the three was the musical, Opa! The plot follows a small community on a tiny island off the coast of Greece that has been left off of maps. No one really knows that the island exists and the inhabitants yearn to not only get on the map—but leave their peaceful abode and fulfill their dreams. The lively townsfolk also tremendous flavor to the colorful musical comedy. In fact, for the sections that soar, the audience feels like they are seeing a Greek Fiddler on the Roof—only lighter.

The Cast of Opa!
photo credit: Erica Parise

The plot follows the town’s mayor, Costa (Joseph Callari), as he anticipates the arrival of a boat. He discovers that they have finally made it onto a globe! His wife, Sophia (Carolee Goodgold) , becomes hopeful that she can finally break out of the town and reunite with a long lost lover. Costa fights for his wife’s affections and realizes that being off the map may not have been a bad thing after all. The subplot revolves around their daughter, Elani (Abigail Hardin), and a triangle where she is torn between the narcissist Nicos (Michael D. Dionissiou) whom she loves and the fisherman Stavros (Demetrios Bonaros) who loves her. Mari Carras and Laurel Ollstein have crafted a charming book. Their plot is endearing and retains the cultural charm necessary for the musical to work. What should still be developed are the side characters that engage the audience so wonderfully. With more development of the old Grandmother Xenia (Jan Leslie Harding), the saucy coffee reader Soula (Natasha Tabandera), or the every day fisherman Stavros (Demetrios Bonaros)—the play will really have potential to be unforgettable. As it stands now, the piece is slightly too predictable and sparsely written characters—like the priest—are filled out too late in the game to make sense.

The score proved to be more troublesome than the book. Nicholas Carras and Donald Carl Eugster have a good start with a fantastic theme song that stays with you after the curtain. The problem is that the theme is not really repeated often enough or played upon to serve the rest of the score. The songs from Act 1 are especially tiresome, as they do not use the up-tempo expected for the plot—but rather seem to be forgettable ballad after forgettable ballad. Act 2 fairs much better—the audience relaxes as they hear a myriad of fun numbers and are curious as to why more were not in the first half. The audience also wonders why they do not hear more from the side characters—a fun song for Stavros would have been delightful.

Joseph Callari & Carolee Goodgold
photo credit: Erica Parise

As for the acting, Joseph Callari, and, Carolee Goodgold, were the standouts of the evening. Their chemistry was believable and truly carried the play. The biggest let down was at the climax, when the disagreeable Sophia finally realizes she has always loved Costa, and director Spiro Veloudos has staged them to hug. The audience felt robbed of a kiss. The refreshing breath of the writing, to have leads over forty, was muted by the director’s staging. There were many similar let downs from Veloudos throughout the play. Other standouts include: Demetrios Bonaros in a lively turn as Stavros and Natasha Tabandera as the sultry Soula. A big kudos goes out to Jan Leslie Harding in her fiery turn as Xenia.

Finally, fantastic choreography from Wendy Waring that brought spice to many moments and a simple yet gorgeous set from Anne Allen Goelz, add to a lovely evening. Everyone leaves happy—and hopeful that with further development, Opa! will have audiences cheering “Encore!” in the near future.

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MITF is now closed.
For more information on OPA! visit their website at www.opathemusical.com

Review- Elizabeth Rex (Nicu’s Spoon)

The Fab Marquee review by David Stallings.

Nicu’s Spoon Theatre Company is an inspiring group with a unique message all theatergoers in NYC should learn from. They pride themselves in working with talent of varying “colors, ages, genders, abilities, and talent.” The diversity of the company is literally heart-warming as the casting always seems organic to the piece and never forced. That being said, I attended Nicu’s Spoon’s production of Elizabeth Rex by Timothy Findley this past week. The play fits into the mission perfectly as it explores gender roles in a surprising context. Unfortunately, the charismatic ensemble could not save the piece from its unfocused overwriting and inattentive direction.

Findley’s play has a fascinating premise. It set’s us in the England of Elizabeth I and Shakespeare, and supposes what would happen if the two spent an evening together. The evening is filled with drama, as it is the night before Elizabeth executes her former lover, Essex. She chooses to find the company of Shakespeare and his players rather than dance the evening away with her obsequious court. What Elizabeth finds is a hostile bunch of actors who challenge her decision to execute her lover, claiming that Elizabeth has forgotten how to be a woman in assuming the role of a man. Her primary opposition is actor Ned Lowenscroft who plays all the female leads in Shakespeare’s plays. He contrarily seems to have forgotten how to be a man in affecting always the part of a woman.

The world of the play is marvelous, ingenious, and delightful in concept and synopsis. In execution, Findley fails. From the moment Elizabeth enters the stage, the actors are blatantly rude to her. It is not the charming difference of class, but a violent seeming attack on her from the start. This immediately takes the viewer out of the piece. No one can understand why Elizabeth would allow such an attack. If the opposition only came from one character—Lowenscroft—then the play would make sense. Lowenscoft is dying and has nothing to lose. To the viewer’s dismay, Findley chooses that everyone has a beef with the queen and makes little to no attempt to hide it. Shakespeare doesn’t like her because she put his lover—according to this play anyway—in the tower. Beddoes doesn’t like her seemingly because he doesn’t like anyone. Jack Edmond doesn’t like her because he is Irish and of course opens up that can of worms as well. After half an hour, the play turns into a screaming match that lasts for another two… When Findley finally focuses on the main argument between Elizabeth and Lowenscroft, he gets caught up in a conversation that seems extremely repetitive and never ending—not allowing a single statement to stand on its own.

The leading actors took their rich and layered historic roles and made the best of them. Stephanie Barton-Farcas delivers with her Elizabeth. She has created a woman who is believable as a queen, and yet we understand why she would be drinking ale in a barn. Ms. Farcas is genuine in her grief for Essex and her meltdown at the end of the piece is honest, vulnerable, and human. Ms. Farcas does everything right in a role that seems impossible to play. It is not her fault that Findley has the character talk in circles. She attempts to make sense of the writing with beautiful acting choices.

Likewise, Michael DiGiogia is a vision in the role of Ned Lowenscroft. From entrance to curtain, Mr. DiGiogia captures the stage and the heart of everyone in the room; then never lets go. His ability to play the diva-like character with genuine realism is commendable.

Kudos should also be given to Bill Galarno as the light of the play in his portrayal of aging actor Percy Gower, Merle Louise as the marvelously stoic Lady Henslow, Andrew Hutchenson as the brooding Jack Edmund, and Melanie Horton for her subtlety as Lady Stanley. Fitting in with the mission of Nicu’s Spoon, actor Sammy Mena plays the character of an abused bear taken in by Lowenscroft in a lovely moment of metaphor. Each time Mena entered as the bear, his honesty brought tears to my eyes. The way both Ms. Farcas and Mr. DiGiogia treated the bear proved to be the standout moments of the evening.

Director Joanne Zipay failed in unifying the text and making sense of the problem spots. She focused each character’s argument in a bold way rather than allowing one argument to stand on it’s own. If she had directed her cast to be more honestly reverent to their queen and let their frustrations be a bubbling undercurrent, the play would have faired better. Attacking the play’s arguments too early and with such force abandoned her actors and highlighted the textual faults.

The aesthetic of the set (John Trevellini), costumes (Rien Schlect), and lighting design (Steven Wolf) were all of the highest quality, truly unified in their world.

A play with several beautiful moments, I do not wish to leave unsaid that Findley’s use of language is mesmerizing and his concept unique. The cast fares well and the company is commendable. I would be a bitter man indeed to not say that I leave Nicu’s Spoon always learning a powerful lesson in humanity.

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Nicu’s Spoon presents
Timothy Findley’s
Elizabeth Rex
April 2nd-19th, 2008
The Spoon Theatre

Tickets are $18 and are now available online at www.theatermania.com or by calling 212-352-3101. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Spoon Theatre Box Office, 1 hour prior to showtime.

The Spoon Theatre | 38 West 38th St, 5th Floor | Manhattan.