So, I started this blog on my website as part of an assignment and I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep it up after graduation or not. At this point, I think I'm gonna keep it going! Who knows though, maybe I'll delete this page here in the next few weeks. I know, you're waiting on the edge of your seat to see what I'm going to do.
It's been about a month and a half since I last updated this blog and MY quite a bit has happened! As you can see in my "work" page I've been able to work on a couple of staged readings: Curing Olives and Spirit Journeyz.
You can read a description for Curing Olives on that project's page, but it was part of a night of staged readings called Blue Balls: a night of unfinished plays with After-School Special Theatre Company. My totally punk rock friend, Chloé Hayat brought me on to that project and I had such an incredible time being a part of this female-driven company. Gabriella Sprenkle's comedic piece was such a joy to work on, we were able to explore female sexuality in a unique and fun narrative with a really fun group of actors!
I initially met Chloé because she was a former intern at New Dramatists and after I got to work with her on Blue Balls she recruited me again to stage manage for her play Spirit Journeyz! Chloé is a member of the Clubbed Thumb Early Career Writers Group and every summer these artists get to have an industry reading of their work. Chloé chose her piece Spirit Journeyz, (which was also a part of Blue Balls) you can find a description of the piece on the project's page. Chloé's ability to explore masculinity, trauma and the exploitive nature of media through a parody of Ghost Adventures is literally MIND BLOWING. I'm so happy I got to be a part of the team as their stage manager and quasi-dramaturge!
I've gotten to see some pretty incredible theatre over the past month and a half as well! Signature Theatre's production of Our Lady of 121st Street by Stephen Aldy Guirgis was poignant and heartbreaking but the real marvel of the show was the impeccably designed set. The story took place in a funeral home, a bar and a Catholic Church. The set effortlessly and seamlessly transitioned between these three spaces, all the while reminding us of our larger location, Harlem. The only thing that left me wanting more was the clear lack of arch for the most interesting female character, Norca, who wasn't even included in the second act.
I also got to see The Gentleman Caller by Phillip Dawkins at Cherry Lane Theater which was visually, emotionally and intellectually THRILLING. I hadn't come into contact with Dawkins' work since I read Charm when I was interning at Mosaic Theater Company a few years ago. I've always been struck by the poetic nature of his work and his ability to fold in lengthy monologues into his scenes without breaking the natural flow of the dialogue. The piece explores the romantic encounters between Tennessee Williams and William Inge right as The Glass Menagerie opened in Chicago. He was able to format the play similar to Menagerie's "memory play" set up, with Tennessee narrating the beginning of scenes. It was breathtaking and the set was equally stunning!
Just last night I got to see a night of short plays by Matthew Freeman at the Brick Theater in Brooklyn titled The Hollow. Each of the three pieces were linguistically breathtaking, challenged my concept of storytelling in an innovative way and were staged to near perfection. I can't recommend the show highly enough and, if you're in the city and have $15 burning a hole in your pocket, you can still see the show tonight and tomorrow night.
It's been a fun month of theatre-going! AND I've got some super exciting projects coming up! I'm stage managing a play for Andres Osorio at Dixon Place in July, you can buy tickets now!! (http://dixonplace.org/performances/lucianlucien/) I'm directing two shorter pieces for our intern reading at New Dramatists next week (June 7th @ 3PM) and I'm directing a short play by my friend Ashley Hutchinson later this fall. I'm also working as an assistant/scribe/psuedo-dramaturg/rehearsal stage manager for a project that one of my advisors at New Dramatists (Connie Hall) invited me to work on!
So there are a lot of exciting things going on for me in the next couple months, and next week I'm heading back to Virginia for the first time this year to see THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND with my family and friends! (I'm only dying of excitement over this)
I'll try to keep this page updated more regularly, or maybe I won't! I'm sure very few people have even read this far, so we'll see what happens. Until then, ~~