David Of All Trades-Staff Writer Directs at FringeNYC

The Fab Marquee Interview by Antonio Minino.

In the entertainment world, specially and specifically in Off-Off Broadway theatre, you will find that artists work in all aspects of the craft. Whether it is a desire to experiment with their creativity in different ways, or more of a "step up to the plate" situation, this practice is not uncommon. When all the hats are worn by one person in the same production (Producer-Writer-Performer-Director) it can sometimes lead to disastrous results, seldom are the success stories of this all-in-one venture. In this case we have a hat collector, without the faux pas of wearing more than one at a time: David Stallings, a playwright, staff writer (The Fab Marquee), and Arististic Director (MTWorks), directing one of the opening shows of The New York International Fringe Festival. Not new to the festival, as one of his most applauded plays, Anaïs Nin Goes To Hell, premiered at FringeNYC last summer, I asked him a couple of questions about Look After You written by Louise Flory.

David Stallings | ©stallingwrites.com

 A.  Tell us a little about the show you are directing at this year's New York International Fringe Festival, Look After You.  

D. Look After You is an intimate piece that follows Hannah, a young woman recovering from a brain aneurysm. More immediate and urgent than her physical recovery--she is primarily suffering from memory loss--is her struggle with the relationships in her life.

A. You also worked as a dramaturg on the piece. Has your vision of the play in the workshop writing process with playwright Louise Flory changed as a director?  

D. Actually, my vision has maintained the same focus throughout. It's all about telling a story and the approach to the story. We decided early on what the primary plot and theme elements were and cut out the rest.  As a director my goal was to tell the story with hope and positivity.  That was also my advice to Louise as her dramaturg.

Jason Altman (Jake) and Louise Flory (Hannah) in Look After You

©LookAfterYouThePlay.com

A. Mainly known as a playwright, how does directing diverge from playwriting and how is it the same.

D. Well, both are storytellers.  But playwriting gives birth to characters and circumstances that are always yours--no matter what actor or director comes along. And as others add to it, that part of you grows and is strengthened. Directing however is coming to a foreign work and giving your life's blood to it to bring it to life.  Finding your own truths and rhythms in a preexisting story if you will. 

A. Being a reviewer for The Fab Marquee yourself, how do you feel about others reviewing your work, and what advice do you give young playwrights and directors on how to handle reviews (favorable or not), including ones written by you. 

D. In reading a review, you learn more about the reviewer than anything else. Figure out their taste and see if it fits your own.  Do not accept a good review if the reviewer missed major themes or ideas. Figure out if their distaste is a style question or a storytelling question.  Most importantly, see shows these reviewers have seen and come up with your own opinion. That is how best to evaluate their worth when judging you. Remember, reviewers are not gods--they have bad days--days they do not want to work, and often enter a play with preconceived ideas. Find what you can take from their review that is useful and then walk away.

Look After You will play at The SoHo Playhouse from August 14th through the 29th as part of The New York International Fringe Festival. 5 Performances Only. For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, visit www.LookAfterYouThePlay.com .

To learn more about David Stallings, visit www.StallingsWrites.com.

This year, the New York International Fringe Festival will offer performances by 201 of the world's best emerging theatre troupes and dance companies hosted by 18 of New York City's most prominent downtown performance venues. Invited performers represent 7 countries (including Spain, Italy, China, Japan, and Australia) and 20 U.S. states (including Iowa, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Washington, Texas, Wisconsin, Nevada and Missouri). The festival presents works covering a wide range of disciplines including drama, comedy, dance, performance art, children's theater (FringeJr), outdoor theater (FringeAlFrecso), spoken word, puppetry, improv, and multimedia. In November 2007, Michael Bloomberg presented FringeNYC with the prestigious Mayor's Award for Arts and Culture. For more information on the festival, visit www.FringeNYC.org .

Interview- Playwright Nastaran Ahmadi (Strangers)

The Fab Marquee interview by Antonio Minino.

Film noir, green card marriages, movie musical fantasies, and the romance of escapism. This is how the Shalimar theatre company describes Nastaran Ahmadi's new play Strangers, created in collaboration with Shalimar, incorporating interviews to green card marriages, expatriots and immigration lawyers. We wanted to ask Nastaran a couple of questions before her play opens May 28th at The Ontological Theatre.

• Talk to us about Strangers:

Strangers is a play about a small group of friends and foreigners who gather at a party to celebrate a marriage. On the day leading up to the party, doubts arise on the part of the wedded couple about their future, and spread like a virus through the invite list. But the invite list is small, and the way the virus spreads seems convenient--kinda like in "the movies." Strangers is a uniquely American tale, punctuated with song, a little dance and some film; it's about the obsessive American pursuit of the way life could be, how it ought to be - as opposed to what it is.

• Have you been involved with The Shalimar Theatre Company before?

The Shalimar has previously commissioned two short plays from me, both of which were produced in ther annual short play festival. For Art, inspired by Susan Sontag's On Photography, was seen in 'Seven Short plays On Photography' in 2006, and Splinter, which was a Finalist for the Actors Theatre of Lousiville 2008 Heideman Award, was seen in their festival 'You People' in 2007.

• Playwriting has always been your calling.

I am a storyteller, and I knew at a fairly early age that theatre would be my chosen medium. But truth be told, I thought I wanted to be an actor for a long time. In fact, I met most of the members of The Shalimar in September 2000, when we were all members of the Acting Apprentice Company at The Actors Theatre of Louisville. During that season, I submitted a ten-minute play to the In-House Playwriting Competition and won first prize, which resulted in my first production as a playwright. I was hooked after that, and a year later found myself applying to graduate schools for Playwriting rather than Acting.

• The show description says this play is based on real people and interviews. How did you go about finding green card marriages- it's not necessarily a situation that is flaunted.

I can't take the credit for finding the interviewees. Part of the reason the company wanted to commission a work based on this topic is because they have close relationships with people who have dealt with this issue. I brought my own research to the table, but the company members did all the interviews. Some of these interviews are incredible; you'd be surprised at how willing people are to open up about their experiences once asked. Sometimes, just the presence of an eager audience in the form of an interviewer is enough for a person to reveal a part of her life story that she rarely has the opportunity to tell. It's incredible.

• Film Noir & multi-media, unconventional ways to share realistic stories. How did you come about mixing this concoction of elements?

At some point during the workshop process, we came across an interview in which someone juxtaposed his impression of America, which was created through the lens of films he'd seen, with his actual experience of the place once he got here. So, in the interviews that had yet to be conducted, we decided to end with some form of the question "What do you think is an iconic American film?" And as we moved forward with the workshop process, we found that in fact, we were curious about our own relationship to film - and how the movies dictate our own impression of contemporary culture. And I specifically became really curious about how much (if at all) we allow movies to dictate what we want an how we live. And, in the end, this element of desire vs. reality has become the crux of the play--Film Noir and multi-media are really used in this piece to underscore, highlight and intensify that core conflict.

• What is the most important thing you hope the audience takes away from Strangers?

Laughter, tears and a tune in their heads to hum to as they leave the theatre - what else is there?

Show runs through June 6th

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The Shalimar presents
Nastaran Ahmadi's
Strangers
May 28-June 6, 2009
The Ontological Theatre

Tickets: $17 adults/$12 students; To purchase click here or by calling TheaterMania at 212-352-3101


The Ontological Theater | St. Mark’s Church, 131 East 10th Street (at 2nd Ave.) | Manhattan.

NewBorn Festival Opened Last Night & We Interviewed The Playwrights

The Fab Marquee interview by Antonio Miniño.

New York based non-profit theatre company, Maieutic Theatre Works, has been presenting a reading series for three years now. They call it The NewBorn Festival as it “births” new works and fosters relationships with directors and actors.
They opened last night with The Exile by Mark Krause, followed by an Opening Party. The Fab Marquee asked the 5 playwrights involved in the series 5 questions, and this is what they had to say:

1-How did you hear about The NewBorn Festival?
(Jacob Appel-Woodpecker) Doesn't everybody know about the NewBorn Festival? Seriously, I can't even remember where I parked my car at the mall...

(Mark Krause-The Exile) To tell you the truth, I can't quite remember. Maybe from the Dramatist Guild newsletter, or perhaps the NYC Playwrights website.

(Kay Rhoads-A Simple Matter of Fear) I was looking for one more step in development for "A Simple Matter of Fear" and my internet research led me to the NewBorn Festival. It seems to "fit the bill".

(Kimberly Del Busto-Hurricane In A Glass) I believe I read about it in Gary Garrison's LOOP.

(Carol Carpenter-Wild Dogs) I'm an alum of David's alma mater, the College of Santa Fe. While doing research on our theatre alums, I came across MTWorks and emailed my play to David. He read it and suggested I submit it to the NewBorn.

2- Describe your play in one sentence:
(Jacob Appel-Woodpecker) Four desperate women searching for the last of the ivory-billed woodpeckers confront a secretive swamp-dweller equally determined to put and end to their search.

(Mark Krause-The Exile) If no one sees you how you see yourself, can you be the person you think you are?

(Kay Rhoads-A Simple Matter of Fear) There is sometimes a very fine line between being a coward or a hero and as the line is stretched people can react in unexpected ways.

(Kimberly Del Busto-Hurricane In A Glass) A tale of Cuban-American exile, Alzheimer's and aging that allows an audience to laugh while considering these sensitive issues.

(Carol Carpenter-Wild Dogs) Small town radicals sabotage a Disney movie production.

3-What makes your work stand out from the rest?
(Jacob Appel-Woodpecker) Woodpeckers. More woodpeckers than all the plays on Broadway combined.

(Mark Krause- The Exile) Its total anonymity.

(Kay Rhoads-A Simple Matter of Fear) Although "A Simple Matter of Fear" is set in WWII the issues are still timely. Passage of time can wear away at the edges of history. We think of WWII as a time when all young men marched off to war in lock step, singing patriotic songs. This true story sheds a different light. A father embarrassed by his son's fear struggles with indecision; will he be complicit in his son's desertion from the army or will he live his ideals and report his son to the FBI. "What's a man to do?" William Wainwright.

(Kimberly Del Busto-Hurricane In A Glass) Strong investigations of intergenerational and bi-ethnic perspectives; a mix of both classical and modern tones.

(Carol Carpenter-Wild Dogs) A classically structured farce with a radical heart.

4-Whose work do you admire-inspires you?
(Jacob Appel-Woodpecker) Tina Howe is the standard by which all other playwrights should be judged.

(Mark Krause-The Exile) I try very hard to take away something from everything I read, see or hear -- whether it's brilliant, boring or even forgettable. The real trick, at least for me, is being able to glean from anything.

(Kay Rhoads-A Simple Matter of Fear) Edward Albee continues to create work that engages me, sometimes shocks me, and always enlightens me.

(Kimberly Del Busto-Hurricane In A Glass) García Lorca, Alejandro Sieveking, Nilo Cruz, Irene Fornés, Jason Ramírez, María Brito.

(Carol Carpenter-Wild Dogs) Playwright: Sam Shepard. Screenwriter: James L. Brooks. Non-Fiction: Gore Vidal. Fiction: Graham Greene.

5-What do you hope the audience will walk away with after this reading?
(Jacob Appel-Woodpecker) I'm hoping that many couples spend hours arguing over the meaning of the play, but that no marriages end as a result.

(Mark Krause-The Exile) [no comment]

(Kay Rhoads- A Simple Matter Of Fear) Sometimes true tragedy lies just below the surface.

(Kimberly Del Busto-Hurricane In A Glass) I hope a diverse audience will be intrigued by the play's "specific" focus on Cuban-Americans while at the same time relating to its more "universal" themes.

(Carol Carpenter-Wild Dogs) A desire to smoke a big fatty in Madrid. The recognition that we're all sellouts, so shut the f*ck up.

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The readings are completely free, and although you are too late to catch The Exile, you can still catch the rest of the plays this weekend. Sunday is a special treat, as they have an “audience favorite”, so you can vote for your favorite play or playwright on the MTWorks blog (http://www.mtworks.blogspot.com) and they will be read for a second time that day that day, and they have a “resident reading” by playwright-Artistic Director David Stallings.

Friday, January 23 at 6pm- A Simple Matter of Fear
Friday at 8:30pm-Woodpecker
Saturday, January 24 at 6pm-Hurricane In A Glass
Saturday at 8:30pm-Wild Dogs
Sunday, January 25 at 6pm-Audience Vote
Sunday at 8:30pm-Barrier Island

The Arclight Theater (152 West 71 St, Manhattan [btwn Amsterdam & Columbus])

Interview- Danny O'Connor (Zero)

The Fab Marquee interview by Dianna Martin.

I was so moved by Danny O'Connor's performance in Zero and so interested in the script, that I thought it would be a treat for all of us to find out what inspired this one-man show, which was co-written by his deceased brother Robert. Fortunately for us, Danny was happy to answer a few questions about his family, his work, and what Zero means to him.


Tell me a little bit about your theatrical background, particularly how you think living in Chicago and Dallas effected you. What was it like going from Boston to there, are you originally from Boston?

I'm actually originally from Dallas, but I knew Emerson was a fantastic acting school, so I was ecstatic to be allowed to study there. After Beantown I made my way to Chi-rock, where I acted for three years, but I would definitely say that seeing the Chicago scene greatly affected the creation of the show. I found myself slowly getting burned out, especially with some of the larger, more well known theatre companies out there. I won't say any names, but there was definitely some shady stuff going on. One couldn't get an audition unless you took their class, which cost a couple thousand dollars. Then, after taking the class, maybe they'd look at you. Us blue collar actors couldn't afford that, being waiters, temps, etc...therefore as usual, ya know, the rich get richer... so the trust fund kids could afford to pay for the auditions, while the rest of us were trapped. I would see the shows, and the guy with a million in the bank from daddy was up there, not doing a very tremendous job, while my friend with ten times his talent was barely paying his rent and not being allowed to even audition! I found it very disheartening, and it was then that I decided, 'screw these guys, I'm doing my own thing.' And here I am!

I know that Zero was written by both you and your brother Robert. How much did he have to do with the playwriting? Was a lot that involved his hand in it coming from overseas? When did you start writing and working on this?

My brother and I began work on this in the fall of 2005. He was already in the Army by then, and I was still living in Chicago. We had written a one man show before, while I was in college, and when I decided to have another go at it, I knew he was the man to call. Unfortunately, we only got to have one face to face conversation about it, during Christmas of '05. Everything else was written via emails while he was at Fort Drum in New York, or by good old hand written letters while he was overseas in Iraq. He was flattered that I wanted to involve him in the show, yet I was far more flattered he cared enough to write lines while sitting in a humvee in the middle of the desert. Then, by pure luck, he got a break at the exact same time that we opened for the first time in Dallas, TX, so he was able to see the show. He loved it; and looking back it makes me so happy knowing I didn't totally screw up all his hard work.

Was this originally intended to be a one-man show, or was Robert going to be in it? Was he also motivated to be a performer?

Oh, it was always going to be a one man. Robert was never the performance oriented type. He was always the poet, the literary giant. I knew I couldn't write this on my own. The comedy I could handle, but the moments of poetic vulnerability he had a much finer touch for. I guess all great poets have to meet a tragic end, right?

You both graduated the same year, were you two twins?

Actually, we were step brothers. We had a very Brady Bunch house, my Dad married his Mom, but my Mom and his Mom are good friends, and there's our sister who was born via my Dad and his Mom....it's all very confusing. We're a sitcom really. However, our parents got together when we were very young, so I don't have a memory where he wasn't my brother.

Are your characters based on real people?

Yes and No, really. I know, great answer right? The Alex character is the most definite, as he is based on my brother. But the other characters aren't completely based on specific individuals. They're mostly conglomerations of folks I've worked with, acted with, and gotten drunk with. Most people want to know which character I am. The best answer I can give: all of them, yet none of them, thank God!

Do you think that these characters bring about a sense of self exploration for the audience?

I certainly hope so! I've definitely met a lot of people who can relate to the idea that their dreams are slipping away from them, or the conundrum of whether or not to keep trying. Yet there are others who have told me they find comfort and solace in the fact that maybe it's okay to be happy with who they are, and not have to feel the pressure of 'making it big' in order to feel satisfied with who they are. I try not to spoon feed the audience about what answer is right. I find it much more interesting to present the question and let the audience member decide for themselves. But yes, there are definitely people who have told me the show hits close to home, for some a little too close.

What made you decide to go the route of creating a cast ensemble that are all in dialogue with one another at the same time?

Probably because I'm crazy. Ha! No, the first time I attempted a one man show in college days I took a previously written play and decided to try it myself. It was very artsy fartsy pompousness really. I mean, who the hell did I think I was?! But I realized in the process, that with a lot of hard work I could really convey multiple people talking at the same time and not lose the audience. It's unique theatre, and there's actually a lot one can do with this format that can't be done in a basic full cast show. Here I can decide which face the audience sees, much like a movie. The editor decides which character is seen grimacing or laughing. In a full cast show, the entire cast is visible so you have no control over that. But here, I can cut to one character, switch to another, and it's a totally different and unique experience! If this show were done by a full cast, though I still think it'd be great, the laughter would come at completely different moments. I think it's a fun twist on the one-man format, which is usually one character talking or a string of monologues. Of course, there are some people with no imagination who sit there befuddled and have no clue what the hell I'm doing, and think I'm totally batshit insane. And that's fair too.

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Octaviar Productions presents
Danny & Robert O'Connor's
ZERO
Nov 15-Dec 30, 2008 (Mon-Sat @8:15pm)
Roy Arias Theatre II

Tickets are $29, students/seniors are $24, active military are $19. For tickets please visit www.theatermania.com or call 866-811-4111. Tickets may also be purchased in person half-hour prior to the performance at Roy Arias Theatre II. For more information visit www.zerotheplay.com

Roy Arias Theatre II | 616 9th Avenue | Manhattan.

The Fab Marquee's Antonio Miniño on "A Woman's Perspective"

The Fab Marquee's Antonio Miniño was recently with Andrea Marie Smith and Jacqueline Van Biene of T. Schreiber's Twelfth Night on Virginia Reed's radio show "A Woman's Perspective" on Progressive Radio Net.

Click Here to listen after the jump.

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.

The Fab Bachelor- ERIC C. BAILEY

photo credit: www.eric-bailey.com

Eric C. Bailey has been acting in NYC almost 10 years now. He moved to New York the day before Princess Diana died, although he doesn’t think the two were related. His first acting job was doing Children’s Theatre a few weeks later at the Grove Street Playhouse-which no longer exists. He also doesn’t think those two events are related. Eric is starring in Duncan Pflaster’s Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants at The Midtown International Theatre Festival this July.

Do you consider yourself a native New Yorker?

I don’t consider myself a native. I wasn’t born here, I was born in Central, PA. Though I don’t consider myself a native of Central, PA. either. NY is home to me now, but I still haven’t acquired the swagger nor the accent of a native New Yorker.

Most memorable performance-show experience?

My most memorable theatrical experience is still my first national tour. It was a year long contract touring 3 shows with a cast of 4 and no set travel plans. As long as we made it to the next venue on time the company wasn’t concerned how we got there. So I saw a lot of the Midwest, including the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, MO. So basically I took a year long vacation across the country while doing some random dinner theatre along the way.

photo credit: www.eric-bailey.com

You are an available bachelor. Do you think being a working actor has anything to do with your being single at the moment?

I am an available bachelor. I think being a working actor can make it difficult to date because my schedule can be kind of wonky- but on the whole I think being an actor actually makes me more fun to hang out with… and on.

Eric C. Bailey as King Kartofflepuffen &
Daniel Luke Strandquist as Grumbelino.
photo credit: Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants

You are involved right know in Duncan Pflaster’s Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants-what a title!

Prince Trevor is a satire of Contemporary Politics, as reflected in the magic mirror of Fairy Tales, injected with 42ccs of Shakespearean Poetry, and dissected through the Ridiculous style of Charles Ludlam. At least that’s what the post card says.

Is this your first time collaboration with Duncan?

This is the first time I’ve collaborated with Duncan as director and actor. I did a production of Twelfth Night last year and had the pleasure of playing Sir Toby opposite Duncan’s Andrew Aguecheek.

I hear something about Nudity amongst the Elephants. What will you be wearing?

There is nudity galore in Prince Trevor and though I am never nude on stage, I am often near the nudity- if not the cause of it. So once you’re done looking at a stranger’s genitals please look up and to the left and I’ll probably be there, I’m the not naked one with the beard. I have no idea what my costume is at the moment, perhaps it’s a burka, in which case you should look for the guy with the beard in the burka.

When can I catch Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants, and where can I get tickets?

Prince Trevor performs: July 16th @ 9pm; July 19th @6:15pm; July 22 @6:30pm; July 25th @9:30pm; July 28th @8:30pm and August 2nd @9:30pm.

All performances are at the June Havoc Theatre (321 West 36th St 1st Floor). Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketcentral.com or by calling 212-279-4200

The Fab Bachelorette- JANE MONTOSI

Jane Montosi was born and raised in Pembroke, Massachusetts where she made her debut at age 8 as “Ophelia” in Hamlet in the elementary school cafeteria. She found it such a fulfilling experience that she has been acting ever since. She has a BA in Theater from Connecticut College, trained at The Moscow Art Theater, The Eugene O’Neil Center and The Michael Howard Studios Conservatory Program.

What show are you a part of right now?
-Zebra Crossing (Wikipedia Brown & The Accidental Occidental), which is helmed by Drayton Hiers and Chloe Bass, who have written, produced and directed the show.

I understand Zebra Crossing is not just a play, but a collective of work, and you are part of Wikipedia Brown & The Accidental Occidental.
-This is episode #7 of a 10 part series, only two of which are plays. Some are/will be comic books, cartoons, live action movies, and perhaps short stories or music videos. They are all in a pulp meets Scooby-Doo style however, and inspired by the kids books “Encyclopedia Brown”. The characters have grown up, and now instead of worrying about ethics in the classroom, they are fighting crime on a global level.

What can we expect in this episode?
-At the start of this episode, Wikipedia Brown and his Girl Sidekick (”SK”) have suffered a rift and are each heading out on their own. They each get their own “assistants”, Wiki gets a craigslist intern “Matt”, and SK chooses two “Angels”. That’s where I come in! We are brilliantly incapable in the beginning, but as all our circumstances get dire, things change. The villain? A 600 year old Chinese Eunuch most believe to be only legend with an evil plan to save the world.

What else am I taking with me?
-Its a great show with a fun style, and lots of action. It also asks a lot of important questions about the state of the world to day and what’s to be done. Good is as strong and inspiring as ever, and Evil has rarely looked so complicated!

I’m sold! When & where can I see you?
-June 18th & 19th and July 2nd & 3rd at 9:30pm, at The Tank at Collective:Unconscious (279 Church Street, Tribeca). Tickets are only $10.00; For more information you can visit http://www.thetanknyc.org/theater

Interview- Paul Adams (Artistic Director, Emerging Artists Theatre)

The Fab Marquee interview by Antonio Miniño.

Paul Adams founded Emerging Artists in 1993 and has been Artistic Director for the life of the company these past 15 years. He previously was the Treasurer at the WPA for several years, along with Assistant Treasurer at the Orpheum Theatre. As Artistic Director, he reads all submissions, is responsible for overseeing all creative aspects of all productions and is also responsible for budgeting and day-to-day accounting of the company. He is also a playwright, director, and actor.

We caught Paul between shows at EAT’s SpringFest ’08 taking place right now at The Roy Arias Theatre Center through May 4, 2008.

How does it feel for EAT to be celebrating their “Quinceañera” (sweet 15) ?

• I am amazed that 15 years have gone by in such a short time. I am so happy that Emerging Artists has moved to an Off Broadway Contract and that we now have 125 company members. Our next big goal is to find a permanent home with a theatre, office and rehearsal space. Hopefully that will materialize in the next 3 years.

Pretty amazing that we always talk about “emerging artists”, yet you were smart enough to snatch the name for your theatre co.

• I felt that this company was always going to be dedicated to those “emerging artists”. I think that all artists keep emerging as they go through life and it is great to be able to provide an opportunity for the first time artists to see their work on a New York stage. But even more important is to be there as a home for artists who may have been working in their craft for years, but have never been given a chance to see their work developed and produced. I say every artist keeps emerging or I would hope they do as their life goes on.

Hunter Gilmore* & Jason Alan Griffin* in Break.
Photo credit: Erica Parise

You have a pretty action packed season, Spring EATfest going on right now at the Roy Arias Theatre Center, and the Developmental Series around the corner, what differentiates these?

• The Eatfest is a new one act festival. The Fall is for pieces up to 20 minutes and the Spring for pieces up to 50 minutes. The Developmental Series is a unique opportunity for a diverse array of artists in all different mediums. It is a chance for them to workshop their work before an audience and then sit with the audience afterwards and ask them questions and get feedback on what the audience just experienced. There are 5 components that each last a week - one woman shows, one man shows(new this year), clown work and puppetry, cabaret performers, and new ensemble musicals. The artists can bring and present their work in whatever stage they are at in their process. EAT provides the performance space, prints the flyers and programs and gives them rehearsal space. There is no cost to the artists involved and the admission fee for audience is a simple $10. EAT is unique in that no other theatre company offers this kind of platform in such a varied scheme of work for artists to present their creativity to the public.

So your going to Ireland with Tom Cruise, and who else…

• Well our Tom Cruise is a speaking dog that belongs to his gay owner. Yes EAT was very lucky and is headed to Ireland on May 10th to be part of the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival It will be the first international appearance for Emerging Artists. EAT will be performing 3 one act plays from last years Eatfests: Emily Breathes by Matt Casarino, Some Are People by Kathleen Warnock, and Tom Cruise Get Off the Couch by Kevin Brofsky. It will be a great experience to be one of 2 companies that will represent New York in the festival.

Your company members seem to be a very involved core with EAT, how do you keep the family lovingly together? A family of actors no less.

• Actually it is a family of playwrights, directors, actors, designers, and technicians. When Istarted this company, I had 2 main rules - that it had to be enjoyable to work on developing/producing new work because no one is paid what they are worth and so it better be fun even if you’re working on a drama and second was that no one would ever raise their voice to another individual - respect for each other as artists and a true shared belief in new work. I really feel that you can see when work is presented where the artists involved really care for the material and each other. EAT is a collaborative creative family where artists are encouraged to explore different sides of themselves and feel supported in those attempts. It is a family and as with all families there are unique dynamics to keeping the family happy. But EAT also has an open door policy for company members because life is always here and can take hold of you at times. So a member can be active or go inactive and come back when their life permits them to. But I must say that I am incredibly lucky to have each and every member bring their own unique creativity to the Emerging Artists family.

For more information on EAT’s Season, visit www.eatheatre.org

Interview- David “D.W.” Withrow, Costume Designer.

The Fab Marquee interview by Antonio Miniño.

“When you’re in trouble, you call D.W.” This is what companies such as Emerging Artists, The Gallery Players, The Looking Glass Theatre and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids have done when it comes to trusting someone with their costume designs. Winner of the 2007 Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Costume Design in The Looking Glass Theatre’s production of Bug Boy Blues, and working non-stop since the age of 8. David “D.W.” Withrow answers a couple of questions for The Fab Marquee.

David “D.W.” Withrow

• Should I start by calling you DW or David Withrow?

I go by DW professionally because when I first moved to the city I assisted several designers named David and three of my professors shared my name, so I started going by my initials… I first got it as a nickname in middle school after Dark Wing Duck the Disney cartoon… “When you’re in trouble, you call D. W.” It fits.

• How did you get started in this business?

I grew up with theatre. My grandparents started and were part of theatre companies their whole lives. I started working in the costume shop at age 8 as a junior intern at Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina. I used to say that I wanted to be an actor and a fashion designer, it wasn’t until I was like 13 that I realized what that really was and I haven’t stopped since.

Urinetown
The Gallery Players

• What has been your greatest achievement as a costume designer?

I won the New York Innovative Theatre Award for outstanding costume design last year… that was cool… but my favorite job to date was as Isaac Mizrahi’s assistant on Three Penny Opera… It was the most amazing cast and was so much fun for me. I got to hand paint almost all of the clothes and felt really trusted and supported… He is such a riot.

• What has been your most intricate project?

I worked on this awful project that had the most bazaar script and all of these effects… I got to make an actress’ costume burst into flames, make a wig that moved like it was underwater, and make three dresses that magically tore off and disappeared into the floor of the set… I love magnets and fire, so I had a blast, but it was totally the most challenging thing I have ever done.

• Is it easier for a fashion designer to leap into the world of costume design, or do you think it’s the total opposite?

I think seeing how award-winning designers dress when they accept answers that question… I feel like what we do is more psychology of character and research of the period where fashion is all trend forecasting and bowing to the corporations that pay your bills… I find both to be art and hard to do and completely valid. For me the world of fashion is limiting and mainstream and the world of Theatre Opera and Dance provides endless opportunity to create and forces me to think outside the box and constantly adapt to the space and the actor.

Broadway Bares ‘07
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids

• What’s next for DW?

I am spending the summer designing regional theatre and doing Broadway Bares like every summer… I am shooting a movie in the middle of all of that which is always fun.

• On what stage can I see your work right now?

This month I have up: The Story of Herr Rath at Manhattan Theatre Source, Hoist the Colors at Manhattan Rep, Bordertown with (re:)Directions Theatre Co. at 14th Street Theater and Man of La Mancha at The Gallery Players in Brooklyn, which I am thrilled about and elbow deep in right now. I am building most of the costumes from scratch and painting the whole thing down and dirty. I get to do puppets and mask work and all of the things I love. The director, Tom Wojtunik, is really great with me and we have this trust and rapport that just makes doing a show this size on a budget this big a lot less daunting.