tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90730330650238797942024-03-12T22:18:46.741-04:00B(rick)logThe official new media presence of Brooklyn's prime purveyor of audacious, high-quality theatrical experience.Jeffrey Alexander Lewonczykhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06272384041684735863noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-30749223255135835502016-06-06T14:29:00.002-04:002016-06-06T14:29:16.092-04:00Trans-forming the stageRead the feature article about The Trans Theatre Festival from Time Out New York!<br />
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Trans characters have become a growing presence in the arts
over the past few years, from award-winning television shows like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Transparent</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Orange is the New Black</i> to cinematic Oscar bait like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Danish Girl</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dallas Buyers Club</i> to big Broadway productions like the recent
revival of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hedwig and the Angry Inch</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But increased visibility doesn’t always
translate to more accurate representation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, sometimes it can do the opposite, an issue Trans Theatre
Festival cofounder MJ Kaufman and Maybe Burke hope to address with the
pioneering fest at Williamsburg’s Brick Theater. </div>
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“Right now, a lot of writers are writing trans characters,”
says Burke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But sometimes the writing
can have a lot of assumptions and problematic stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My last four auditions, I’ve been told to act
more timid and shy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a huge need
for trans people to be authors of our own work.”</div>
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The Trans Theatre Festival includes 12 live productions, a
documentary, visual art displayed in the theater’s lobby and even a brand-new
web series debuting during its run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There will also be a live panel discussion on trans experiences and a
workshop on gender pronouns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the
work either features trans artists, is produced by them or both.</div>
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“We wanted to showcase a whole range of trans talent and
address a whole gamut of questions relating to the trans experience,” says
Kaufman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The show topics vary: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pass/Fail</i> takes on the idea of passing
and the privilege of that, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Queer
Heartache</i> explores questions of love and family, and Maybe’s show, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love Letters to Nobody, or Insignificant
Others</i>, looks at desire, sex and trauma.”</div>
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The festival launches with a free cabaret preview that
features short works from trans artists—excerpts from this year’s shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shows, Burke is quick to note, that are meant
to tell specific truths to wide audiences.</div>
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“It’s important to see yourself represented accurately
onstage and that there’s not just one way to be trans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s also important for cisgendered
people an allies to look outside of their own lived experience, which they’ll
be able to do at this festival.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Will
Pulos</i></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-34440616062415423182015-12-30T16:02:00.000-05:002015-12-30T16:10:15.964-05:00Q&A with Myth Keeper's writer/performer Katharine ScarboroughNow playing at The Brick through January 9th! Click <a href="http://bricktheater.com/?type=show&id=1224" target="_blank">here</a> for more! <br />
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Q: What is it
like to look back at 20 years of family letters?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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A: These letters were often written during difficult times
between me and my Dad, so on the one hand it's painful to relive some of that,
but with that amount of distance, I've been able to also recognize the humor
and absurdity in them, and even the wisdom. And I can also see how much he
wanted to connect with me, and there's guilt there. And some of them are just
funny. Rediscovering the letter he wrote to me and my brother about learning to
drive was hilarious. His advice to assume that everyone else on the road is
drunk, jerking off, and smoking dope all at the same time was a particular gem,
and actually, it has served me well! I'm a very defensive driver!</div>
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Q: Tell us about your father.<br />
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A: I truly don't know anyone like my Dad. He is a true misanthrope. He shuns social convention, and he acts irrationally on purpose for his own amusement. He used to let me and my brother loose in shops or public places, let us misbehave, and then pretend to be our grandfather so he wouldn't be held responsible for our terrible behavior. He's also very smart, and witty, and he's very giving. He's nearly 80, but he drives a motorcycle around the country and camps in campgrounds, he's got bear spray and everything. It's always an adventure with him.<br />
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Q: What would he think of this play?<br />
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A: I think he would like it, he was thrilled with the idea of me immortalizing him, and I think it would be hard for him to see. We tried to protect him from the panic we felt when he was in jail. It was all positivity, you know? We felt like we had to keep his spirits up. I think it would also be hard for him to relive the difficulties we had in our relationship. We kind of have a "the past is the past" thing in our family, we don't talk about it a lot, at least directly. But I do know he's proud of me, and he's happy that I've written it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzo-2K3wCzoeCLWpaSsMuEq5KywZ8AfXy29PlZCW_CiG29pHmDJ5lx7inQt2eMHm3LxQohRHqzsJqb2sG21LuTYEzsXD2uRWBuBemVX_vVjGJhyiSJMlW32kHtBDmtLO9pr1jQ9vUBRQ/s1600/mythkeper321c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzo-2K3wCzoeCLWpaSsMuEq5KywZ8AfXy29PlZCW_CiG29pHmDJ5lx7inQt2eMHm3LxQohRHqzsJqb2sG21LuTYEzsXD2uRWBuBemVX_vVjGJhyiSJMlW32kHtBDmtLO9pr1jQ9vUBRQ/s400/mythkeper321c.jpg" width="266" /></a><br /><br />Click <a href="http://bricktheater.com/?type=show&id=1224" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more!<br /> </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-57737959249826636092014-12-19T15:04:00.003-05:002015-01-28T08:19:08.160-05:002015 at The Brick! <div style="text-align: center;">
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Resident Artists</u></span></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKfZ-kOBOUV8xH7__7rBOG8cqJowtuZ7cBH_jqTxApoldSf5b8s3wHeKzM0hWljTYuLgg3P8hXMzGfxj3fFxEUYD0Xdvaq0g9i1NPrE7lXfp_L0rtvfZW5izchwJoWsE3n_AsJQXJWk8/s1600/civility12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKfZ-kOBOUV8xH7__7rBOG8cqJowtuZ7cBH_jqTxApoldSf5b8s3wHeKzM0hWljTYuLgg3P8hXMzGfxj3fFxEUYD0Xdvaq0g9i1NPrE7lXfp_L0rtvfZW5izchwJoWsE3n_AsJQXJWk8/s1600/civility12.jpg" height="193" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Civility!</span></em></strong><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/syndicatetheater"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Syndicate</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written and performed by The Syndicate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Emily Spalding</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">January 8 - 17, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">The Listeners</span></em></strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Brick Theater, Inc.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.matthewfreemanwriter.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">matthewfreemanwriter.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Matt Freeman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Michael Gardner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">February 1 – February 14, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>The Temple, or, Lebensraum</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo by Nat Cassidy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tin Drum Productions</span><br />
<a href="http://natcassidy.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">natcassidy.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written & Directed by Nat Cassidy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">February 15 – February 28, 2015</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5NYMcaooafM8Whhj2zgkCswxbmMqRyZWPlZq_CC5r-4KSYSLcBNsDQYdJ7Bua5OuerzH6grjgOLxxIRCObPEErA5n-2ZnvvTqHxPjQpHy9WeYK2ur0Cm3ZTnHKmvB1neH_mJNGYuWdc/s1600/bambi123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5NYMcaooafM8Whhj2zgkCswxbmMqRyZWPlZq_CC5r-4KSYSLcBNsDQYdJ7Bua5OuerzH6grjgOLxxIRCObPEErA5n-2ZnvvTqHxPjQpHy9WeYK2ur0Cm3ZTnHKmvB1neH_mJNGYuWdc/s1600/bambi123.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">BAMBIF*CKER/KAFFEHAUS</span></em></strong> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo by Hunter Canning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Lord</span><br />
<a href="http://littlelord.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">littlelord.org</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Michael Levinton & Laura von Holt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Michael Levinton </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 1 – March 21, 2015</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkSuUVIDajucDky7xGby4LCxzGVpUrY486oJBWrGNHFRzOZHz7g0VLqwzLQvNwAX_GT80spQE5boop3RRloyRpOKy54ezgFQ7ygzEkGw0z1Z4BwiSC4KwzO9MR8ZGQ1ByuKRQ5jIDM-I/s1600/seafraud123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkSuUVIDajucDky7xGby4LCxzGVpUrY486oJBWrGNHFRzOZHz7g0VLqwzLQvNwAX_GT80spQE5boop3RRloyRpOKy54ezgFQ7ygzEkGw0z1Z4BwiSC4KwzO9MR8ZGQ1ByuKRQ5jIDM-I/s1600/seafraud123.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Sea Fraud</span></em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo by Hunter Canning</span><br />
<a href="http://zoegeltman.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">zoegeltman.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Zoë Geltman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Julia Sirna-Frest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 5 – April 11, 2015</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFwU5COsOvi_e9PC7Ic3MZG7HMnJiEqhacMsNv2YENF06-OPQ0g5S5By2mX717VYTH2zn7BPTJxDitn1dBlr8Hzgu5FUH_WNKVdSKLRXi_UyjA0DCx-1TVR38lEnRof96WEw5_ENffJY/s1600/emilyclimbs121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFwU5COsOvi_e9PC7Ic3MZG7HMnJiEqhacMsNv2YENF06-OPQ0g5S5By2mX717VYTH2zn7BPTJxDitn1dBlr8Hzgu5FUH_WNKVdSKLRXi_UyjA0DCx-1TVR38lEnRof96WEw5_ENffJY/s1600/emilyclimbs121.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>Emily Climbs (Machine M<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold Italic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">é</span>chant)</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo by Matt Andrade</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nellie Tinder</span><br />
<a href="http://nellietinder.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nellietinder.org</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written & Directed by Julia May Jonas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 12 – May 2, 2015</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMQyQV28rrlfp4HHzMipDR_TopRWGa01WFB2Pp_FrX59Y8sFNMwWpZ1Iyccxo58ZPbv2H7ZuAHfmYKTTgsuuBKjzxzEcPuTA0_CIkZ_FNrehP_tFTHrkV7t2uSlppGJovyqPvE6oHrbY/s1600/mammoth123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMQyQV28rrlfp4HHzMipDR_TopRWGa01WFB2Pp_FrX59Y8sFNMwWpZ1Iyccxo58ZPbv2H7ZuAHfmYKTTgsuuBKjzxzEcPuTA0_CIkZ_FNrehP_tFTHrkV7t2uSlppGJovyqPvE6oHrbY/s1600/mammoth123.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>MAMMOTH: A De-Extinction Love Story</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buran Theatre</span><br />
<a href="http://burantheatre.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">burantheatre.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written & Directed by Adam R. Burnett</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May 3 – May 23, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86cxNlTIdKg32b-ichbeWh9dvjD2c0TgRrZettVv4G50gKKkj7BhA3Wds2A9TEBEbIRXkF6wWdFyshcE8_Jjt5Z-WPrayvTuGmaMhnCrfN_fQ58sB-tCPtQdEdKrGUU9CcdPkqWI9NcM/s1600/poorsailor123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86cxNlTIdKg32b-ichbeWh9dvjD2c0TgRrZettVv4G50gKKkj7BhA3Wds2A9TEBEbIRXkF6wWdFyshcE8_Jjt5Z-WPrayvTuGmaMhnCrfN_fQ58sB-tCPtQdEdKrGUU9CcdPkqWI9NcM/s1600/poorsailor123.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>Poor Sailor</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">photo by Hunter Canning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tugboat Collective</span><br />
<a href="http://tugboatcollective.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tugboatcollective.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Based on the comic book by Sammy Harkham</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the short story “At Sea” by Guy de Maupassant</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Chloe C. Brown and Tugboat Collective</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Eben Hoffer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May 24 - June 6, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Slumber Party '84</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bruise Colors</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written and Directed by Joshua Conkel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Never Odd or Even</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Title:Point</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Theresa Bucheister</span><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 2015</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MacCarthyism</span></em></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Mariah MacCarthy</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October 2015</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<!--EndFragment--></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>Mainstage and Festivals</u></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58L_Zh7DgtPlEISszaZQQ3-FQU59kjL_ByjWhjt9SgOIv90usElRUTLX_e0Df-IQxjnJPLianM0yrLZG7mgY_4roPJN-3hdRCHA4HLH4kLedyeVEKhs79YLOoZWvO0k-BGWWgQlKcQl4/s1600/bonedive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58L_Zh7DgtPlEISszaZQQ3-FQU59kjL_ByjWhjt9SgOIv90usElRUTLX_e0Df-IQxjnJPLianM0yrLZG7mgY_4roPJN-3hdRCHA4HLH4kLedyeVEKhs79YLOoZWvO0k-BGWWgQlKcQl4/s1600/bonedive.jpg" height="200" width="191" /></span></a><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Bonedive Scrounger</span></em></strong><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/315927998595327/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obvious Volcano</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written by Fred Backus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Maggie Cino</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">January 22 - 31, 2015</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanhUj902Lw9RZRxaYXdCKmLBFc24pDTWCQFeYaJ-KlAY90SZtwRHIF14Via0di38BYjUfirzpBc7g7cV4jQHV5-SeowjLZn8X_PhUqKeUoZRkCPFmuqthD80kK-YPjV8QWIjpqzZW9l8/s1600/star+has+burnt+my+eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanhUj902Lw9RZRxaYXdCKmLBFc24pDTWCQFeYaJ-KlAY90SZtwRHIF14Via0di38BYjUfirzpBc7g7cV4jQHV5-SeowjLZn8X_PhUqKeUoZRkCPFmuqthD80kK-YPjV8QWIjpqzZW9l8/s1600/star+has+burnt+my+eye.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></span></a><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">A Star Has Burnt My Eye: <br />
The Strange Case of Connie Converse</span></em></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.howardfishman.com/projs/a-star-has-burnt-my-eye-the-strange-case-of-connie-converse.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">howardfishman.com/projs/a-star-has-burnt-my-eye-the-strange-case-of-connie-converse.html</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Written and Performed by Howard Fishman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Sarah Huges</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 26 - April 3</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRFsR0t2pHT86Lozk5-TS_Nu_2_MzBne_r5z464PrJPNRLdkRCGgew6yKBT_TYCyIxqekI63RVu4XZGIDeNSZL3-xbuqtK04pyUrndkDYXa1I6FA5We7FQENoK7heM9f2pk_D_gRH-Tk/s1600/obscenicongrawlix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRFsR0t2pHT86Lozk5-TS_Nu_2_MzBne_r5z464PrJPNRLdkRCGgew6yKBT_TYCyIxqekI63RVu4XZGIDeNSZL3-xbuqtK04pyUrndkDYXa1I6FA5We7FQENoK7heM9f2pk_D_gRH-Tk/s1600/obscenicongrawlix.jpg" height="155" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>F*ckfest</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a sextival</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more, visit </span><a href="http://www.bricktheater.com/applications"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bricktheater.com/applications</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">June 2015 </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YcaiNcgF7qW2qSABtch9rVQtw0xPFPY8yyp-vorsmk60mNsNnLVgZwjH_ROTzRTe3BHShEQI6TyXA8BKZgHdTBJPwrbPdnjG7B6FDvjzPjhHZTaSH5gKIGrrsESP0Tk2hjlRQACgDkw/s1600/Game-Play-Logo-350.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YcaiNcgF7qW2qSABtch9rVQtw0xPFPY8yyp-vorsmk60mNsNnLVgZwjH_ROTzRTe3BHShEQI6TyXA8BKZgHdTBJPwrbPdnjG7B6FDvjzPjhHZTaSH5gKIGrrsESP0Tk2hjlRQACgDkw/s1600/Game-Play-Logo-350.gif" height="165" width="200" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>Game Play 2015</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more, visit </span><a href="http://www.bricktheater.com/applications"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bricktheater.com/applications</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 2015 </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan0ZDZM3Y-2hPVVdK6L4LLIWs5hv1A5ohmkjKmRpt4wyTdlfb3UURqqdkRZyo-jbj41zO8ZB8MlSIz4-vd0x0_2-AbYrGcdtoyUJVgLK8a_Kjwg4wfjFot9vrXbqhNwrYqee8RyQWUX4/s1600/gemini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan0ZDZM3Y-2hPVVdK6L4LLIWs5hv1A5ohmkjKmRpt4wyTdlfb3UURqqdkRZyo-jbj41zO8ZB8MlSIz4-vd0x0_2-AbYrGcdtoyUJVgLK8a_Kjwg4wfjFot9vrXbqhNwrYqee8RyQWUX4/s1600/gemini.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>The Collisionworks 2015</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEEQFjAG&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FGemini-CollisionWorks%2F115107985169561&ei=732UVOXfLubnsASfiIHAAw&usg=AFQjCNHmf-2EcK2013Ax96jDJLi_YHx1Sw&sig2=WBtH23LV4N6Wx8Yz4Sr44g&bvm=bv.82001339,d.cWc">Gemini Collision Works</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 2015</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And more to be announced!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-12883805099707009662014-05-06T18:48:00.000-04:002014-05-06T18:48:01.757-04:00Intoducing The Brick Resident Artist Program<b>The Brick Resident Artist Program</b> offers new and established
experimental theater artists <em><span style="color: red;"><strong>exclusive use of The Brick</strong></span></em> for one or more
weeks and the encouragement to reinvent the theater space with surprising
environments. A BRAP Residency also includes full staff support, full use of The
Brick's non-profit umbrella for The Costume Collection and Materials for the
Arts, active press representation, ticketing services, free space for fundraising
events, a pre-Residency photo & video shoot at the theater, audience
development support, a dedicated production intern and a production grant
fundraising advisor. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-YhKBrQpo9iBqUUcVfOVU3zFPNdHe5EAY8RU_zHTOuDSOeD_zKErou619gs99SIg-u5TyXg5gvGLrrRL20MSYZ9lkZKgVe14wI_gTkq114q8fRG6hyphenhyphenQGYtERQ0-EaPfmsfTWfeVTvsI/s1600/residencypicture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-YhKBrQpo9iBqUUcVfOVU3zFPNdHe5EAY8RU_zHTOuDSOeD_zKErou619gs99SIg-u5TyXg5gvGLrrRL20MSYZ9lkZKgVe14wI_gTkq114q8fRG6hyphenhyphenQGYtERQ0-EaPfmsfTWfeVTvsI/s1600/residencypicture.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The Brick is currently adjudicating applications for Residencies from March 2015 through May
2015. <br />
<br />
BRAP artists will be marketed as part of The Brick's first Spring Residency
Season. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
The Brick is also adjudicating applications for months and years beyond May
(with the exception of June, July and November months). <br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: red;"><strong>Applications for Spring 2015 are due by July 7th.</strong></span></em><br />
<br />
Lineup will be announced July 14th. Early application is encouraged. Some
applicants will be chosen prior to July.<br />
<br />
To apply and to learn more, please<b> <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zdq7fFCuCnMZXomJTlHDeVSwcGjWP7tdPblp9M5e5I8/viewform?sid&c=0&w=1&token&usp=mail_form_link">click on the application page</a></b>.<br />
<br />
For more information, please contact info [at] bricktheater.com.<br />
<br />
See below for examples:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="224" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/35951281" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/35951281">The Tremendous Tremendous @ THE BRICK</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/themadones"><b>The Mad Ones</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/8016817" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://vimeo.com/8016817">A Thought About Raya @ THE BRICK</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/thedebatesociety"><b>The Debate Society</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="293" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/60762823" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://vimeo.com/60762823">L'amour Fou @ THE BRICK</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3149058"><b>Dangerous Ground</b></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/81891029" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://vimeo.com/81891029">Paris Belongs to Us @ THE BRICK</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3149058"><b>Dangerous Ground</b></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="224" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/93096650" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://vimeo.com/93096650">I'm Miserable But Change Scares Me @ THE BRICK</a> from <b><a href="http://newsaloon.org/">New Saloon</a></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="213" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/60928454" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://vimeo.com/60928454">Nightmares @ THE BRICK</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/burantheatre"><b>Buran Theatre</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-13604813933511517862013-04-29T14:09:00.002-04:002013-05-30T15:22:44.718-04:00In Beck We Trust<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few months ago The Brick <a href="http://bricktheater.blogspot.com/2013/01/sprechen-sie-deutches-baby.html" target="_blank">hosted a night of Beck songs</a> with artists performing selections form <a href="http://www.songreader.net/" target="_blank">Song Reader</a>, Beck's sheet-music-only album he released back in December 2012.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a magical night filled with laughs and melodies from wide variety of artists, many friends of The Brick and some new to the space and community.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll let the videos below speak for the night. I'll update this page as new videos trickle in. Or jump over to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL05msXvP8-A5mFN8ExEGflUha1zOYs9K7" target="_blank">The Brick's YouTube page</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: x-large;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just Noise:</span></div>
<div style="font-size: x-large;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Concert Recording Session for Beck's Song Reader</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">January 11, 2013</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trav S.D. performing "Old Shanghai"</span>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1xKmXzpi1uY" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Supermajor performs "Don't Act Like Your Heart Isn't Hard"</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6TbBe0E9b2Q" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ben Williams performs "I'm Down"</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6BzyOYaeSSc" width="560"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Killy "Mockstar" Dwyer & Joe Yoga perform "Do We? We Do!"</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VvdmLztdz04" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maria Dessena performs "Eyes That Say 'I Love You'" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bobby Oahu performs "Last Night You Were a Dream"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Starr Kendall Experiment performs "Saint Dude"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Roly Polys perform "The Last Polka"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More to come...</span>Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-73728375759801503972013-04-12T14:23:00.001-04:002013-04-12T14:59:13.246-04:00Massive!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to draw. I used to draw a lot as a child. Anytime something was delivered to the house in a cardboard box, I'd flatten it out and go crazy. My characters and scene-scapes were always impressions of my surroundings. People had big, round heads and really long feet. My grandmother would laugh because I always drew a cat's paw off to the side. You never saw the full cat, just the paw entering frame as it walked by. Even with that enthusiasm and fun, I never thought to become an artist. I was just a kid who enjoyed interpreting my world through color and lines (which, yes I guess, is an artist). But I never had the opportunity to develop into one. My East Texas school didn't offer an art program, which was a shame because several people in my class had a knack for drawing. Yet a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nother reason I wish there was more money for the arts in public schools. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so when I was older, my grandmother asked why I stopped drawing. I blamed it mainly on not having that art program. Sure I could have kept at it trying to improve the rudimentary skills I had, but after a while I couldn't paint or draw with the detail that I could see in my head. And so my attention wandered to other things like music or theater or what out-of-town girl I could make out with on a school field trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I did eventually become an "artist". Instead of canvas I chose the bare stage to paint with my intentions and body movement. Although I tend not to call myself an artist because it's usually a little confusing to the outside observer. "Oh, you mean you're an actor?" Kind of like how I wouldn't raise my hand if someone asked if there was a doctor in the house even if I had a Ph.D in theatre. But yes, I'm an artist in the grand sense. And I like to think that I am contributing to the many artful dialogues that play out in bar discussions, social media and my own head.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what makes an artist? What makes art? Is it the physical thing or simply the idea? Do you have to create something to be an artist? Or could I just brood around a gallery telling people that I'm still "working" on something? "Something BIG!" Those questions seem to never have a straight forward answer (especially if you're talking to artists). But all that has once again lead me to The Brick and the upcoming performances of <b><i>Mass</i></b>, the new rock opera from writer and Brick co-founder Robert Honeywell and directed by the wonderful Leah Bonvissuto. I sat down with them recently to discuss the show which goes into previews Saturday April 13th and opens Friday April 19th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, they wanted to definitely say that this musical is very loosely based on the life events of Vincent Van Gogh, his brother Theo and contemporary Paul Gauguin. Especially since it stars an all-female cast and is set between 2015-18 in New York, Vancouver and Shanghai. Go figure. Ultimately, <i>Mass</i> is a love story of two artists. Because if art alone wasn't confusing enough, adding love into the mix makes it even messier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making sense of this mess of love and art are three very gifted artists of the stage: Esther Crow (Francoise/Gauguin), Moira Stone (Mary/Vincent) and Rebecca Gray Davis (Kate/Theo).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by Joe Kolbow, triptych by Sarah Lippmann</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inspired by themes of their real life counterparts <i>Mass</i> throws us into the passionate tale of two artists (Francoise and Mary) and questions if two artists can be together if their art differs. And what effect does a relationship do to the artist's view of reality? What effects do money, family (Kate) and religion have on the creative process? What happens when the ones you love pull away? And in the process of artistic breakthroughs, does the mass of these questions hold you back or cause you to go off the deep end? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Questions I ask myself every day and am unable (and sometimes unwilling) to answer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh#Gauguin.27s_visit" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Wiki rumors of the time between Van Gogh and Gaugin are true</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I fear for what </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mass</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> has in store for Francoise, Mary and Kate. And with the talent behind Crow, Stone and Davis I know I won't be disappointed when the lights go down at the end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And making this show even more massive is the rock band backing up our artful ladies, lead by the wonderful Maria Dessena, who was musical director for Honeywell's </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ich Liebe Jesus</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> this past December, and comprises an awesome rhythm section that includes </span><a href="http://www.theelectricmess.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Electric Mess</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> bassist Derek Davidson and </span><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/autobonfire" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Auto Bonfire</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> drummer Sparkie Sandler, both bands fronted by Crow, and which you may have seen providing psychedelic overtones in the Piper McKenzie/Trav S.D. Charles Manson inspired musical </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pipermckenzie/page17/" target="_blank">Willy Nilly</a></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Fringe Festival 2009). But all this isn't just for show, the creators have been careful to make sure that the songs are tied to the emotions and thoughts as the characters experience it and helps to express the the ideas instead of just telling. As a professor in college once told me, songs should be reserved for when you can no longer express what you're feeling with words. The music must burst out of you in a flurry of emotion. So I look forward to seeing this tale of love and strife burst forth from these wonderful artists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, a story about art wouldn't be complete without a little art as well. You may walk into a blank, white canvas by set designer Lianne Arnold but you'll be dazzled by video projections by Daniel McKleinfeld and lights by Joe Levasseur, with some stylish costumes provided by the lovely Iracel Rivero.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if you want to convert this into more scientific terms let's take the mass (m) of talent in this ensemble of actors, singers, musicians, writer, director and design team, multiplied by the square of electrical transmission of ideas/light in their brains (c<span style="line-height: 115%;"><sup>2</sup></span>) and the energy (E) released will surely blow people out of their seats at The Brick and prove <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picasso_at_the_Lapin_Agile" target="_blank">Steve Martin's</a> theory between <a href="http://www.geocities.ws/gavinstarrkendall/img/Einstein_Warehouse.jpg" target="_blank">art and science</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mass</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 13 – 30, 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bricktheater.com/" target="_blank">The Brick</a>, 579 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11211</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Music, book and lyrics by Robert Honeywell </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Leah Bonvissuto </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Music direction by Maria Dessena </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set design by Lianne Arnold </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lighting design by Joe Levasseur </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Video design by Daniel McKleinfeld </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sound design by Emma Wilk </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Costume design by Iracel Rivero </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Choreography by Sarah Doudna </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Special effects by Stephanie Cox-Williams and Melissa Roth </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assistant Dir. & Stage Management by Raffaela Vergata</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Featuring: Esther Crow, Rebecca Gray Davis, Melissa DeLancey, Kaitlan Emery, Amanda LaPergola, Tracy Shar, Phoebe Silva,* and Moira Stone*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the band of: Derek Davidson, Maria Dessena, Ryan Ferreira, Michael Rafalowich and Sparkie Sandler</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tues & Thurs–Sat @ 8 pm; Sun @ 3 pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$18 ($10 for previews on Apr 13, 14, 16, 18)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tickets: <a href="http://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/913059">web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/913059</a></span><br />
<br />Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-84449592091781731082013-02-12T15:54:00.000-05:002013-02-12T15:59:50.783-05:00Fool for Love<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tend to stay away from "show" relationships. I convince myself that I should keep things "professional." The "work" comes first and my "feelings" a distant second or third place even if one of my cast mates is so beautiful that my heart melts every time I see her. Maybe I'm afraid that something "weird" might happen during the dating process and we have to deal with all that awkwardness for the rest of the run. Maybe I'm waiting for the show to end to make my "move," using all that rehearsal time and performance to see if a) she's available in the first place and b) interested in me in the slightest. Most times this approach backfires on me and that special someone starts seeing someone else, completely unaware of my affection. And maybe I'm afraid of the rejection. Maybe I just don't want to get burned again. I once asked a cast mate out and her only response was, "Ooohh, that's cute..." After a few seconds of silence waiting for a more concrete answer from her I walked off embarrassed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many questions that we artists face throughout our life and times. The last couple of shows this year at The Brick have tried to answer some of those questions. Dealing with plagiarism (Buran Theatre's <i><a href="http://www.burantheatre.com/#!nightmares-an-artful-demonstration/cs7e" target="_blank">Nightmares</a></i>), government/artistic entitlements (Lamb Lays with Lion's <i><a href="http://www.lamblayswithlion.org/entitlement.html" target="_blank">Entitlement</a></i>) and the love/hate relationship our families have with our artful career choices (New Saloon's <i><a href="http://newsaloon.org/William-Shakespeare-s-Mom" target="_blank">William Shakespeare's Mom</a></i>). And now <a href="http://www.dangerousgroundproductions.com/" target="_blank">Dangerous Ground</a> will expand this unintentional theme and explore the questions of love that arise with on-stage/screen relationships with <i>L’Amour Fou</i>, a stage adaptation of the Jacques Rivette's </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'amour_fou_(1969_film)" target="_blank">1969 film</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(not to be confused with the 2010 <a href="http://youtu.be/g65Qyau1078" target="_blank">Yves Saint-Laurent documentary</a> of the same name)</span>. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacques Rivette and Bulle Ogier on the set of L'Amour fou, photo by Pierre Zucca</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The movie/play centers around the production of Racine's </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromaque" target="_blank">Andromaque</a></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with the lead actress and director's marriage falling apart while a film crew documents both the rehearsal process and a crazy love-chain that rivals the Greeks. Thanks to Dangerous Ground and director/designer Doris Mirescu, this play within a movie is now a play within a play within a movie within a multi-media landscape, dramatically altering The Brick's stage, that looks to explore the dialogue between the original movie and this adaptation. Where Rivette switches between 16 and 35mm film to capture his saga, Mirescu switches between live staging and video projection. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This dialogue exchange is very timely, given the circumstances of when the movie was shot. Filmed in the wake of the failed 60s revolutions, Mirescu sees plenty of parallels between then and some of the failed revolutions we've recently experienced in the last few years like the Occupy movement. But the hope is still there to make those things happen (we hope). And with this production, Mirescu hopes to continue the questions of what it means to be an artist/creator. Are we allowed to be free and be innovators? And how does love interfere with all of it? And so, where Rivette left off, Dangerous Ground looks to pick up and run with it, in what Mirescu hopes to be the beginning of a trilogy</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i>L’Amour Fou</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">February 14 – March 10, 2013</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Written by Jacques Rivette and Marilù Parolini</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conceived, designed and directed by Doris Mirescu</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set/Clothes/Art Direction: Doris Mirescu</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lights: Kira Davies</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set & Technical Supervision/Video & sound installation: Marshall Miller</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Live Cameras: Craig Newman, Doron Bloomfield, Suzannah Hoffman</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Live Guitar: Gabriel Stranahan</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assistant to the Director: Doron Bloomfield</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With: Sarah Baskin*, Brooke Bell, Kira Davies, Penny Folger, Gayle Greene*, Susannah Hoffman*, Melissa Hudson, Bree Merkwan, Craig Newman, David Skeist*, Mickey Solis*, William Paul Smith, Gabriel Stranahan</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For tickets visit <a href="http://www.bricktheater.com/" target="_blank">www.bricktheater.com</a> or <a href="https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/920705" target="_blank">OvationTix</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time...choo, choo, choose me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-21170832450780864832013-01-16T13:28:00.001-05:002013-01-16T13:28:12.687-05:00Meet the President<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During last summer's <a href="http://bricktheater.blogspot.com/2012/03/democracy-faqs.html" target="_blank">Democracy Festival</a>, The Brick asked their audience to help them elect the President...of The Brick. Each show was considered a candidate in the running and on the last day of the fest everyone was invited to come to the theater (or go online) and vote for their favorite show. And whoever won this election would be crowned President and receive a performance slot in January 2013. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now Inauguration Day is here so meet your new president: Jeremey Catterton and his company <a href="http://www.lamblayswithlion.org/" target="_blank">Lamb Lays with Lion</a>.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hail to the Chief: President Catterton</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll take a little credit with helping this happen. I first met Jeremey last February. The company was fairly new to the city and Jeremey was excited to learn more and work with The Brick. I told him the best and easiest way to get onstage was to submit to one the many festivals, which is how a lot of companies "audition" for a main-stage slot. He applied to Democracy, was accepted and come Election Day campaigned like Mitt Romney on a milk bender earning enough votes to crown them king. He did this by stating his case to strangers on the street who then came into the theater (probably for the first and only time) and voted for his show, <i><a href="http://www.lamblayswithlion.org/ignorance.html" target="_blank"><b>Ignorance</b></a></i>. Some of the other candidates found this a little suspicious and corrupt but The Brick wanted to see how far festival participants would go to get elected. It was part of the experiment. Only one other festival candidate picked up on Jeremey's cue and did the same. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as promised, they were granted a two week term on the main-stage. Their new show, <a href="http://bricktheater.com/?type=show&id=870" target="_blank"><i><b>Entitlement</b></i></a>, opens Jan. 17th and is the third and final installment of their American Trilogy series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The show centers around entitlements and the bitter discussions surrounding their usage from the rantings of people from the right to the left of the political spectrum and how the center seems to maybe be the most reserved. But this show won't just involve government checks to poor folks but also the technological entitlements that our enlightened generation is so accustomed to. You faithful readers might not have to worry about your assistance check arriving late in the mail but how often have you yelled out in anger when you can't update your Facebook status? Are these entitlements one and the same? The show isn't looking to preach to you but instead engage those who are willing to listen to both sides of the debate as we eek out our existence amongst the diverse set of voices that is America. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Zer7PwK5LoC3SHiTotsSym1f1LYGICJcIJmmtObx3jQaASUXRzaVdsP_mTkEp-9SM4ZrY0aCAJYc4wHavi6tjDQGgtnU1ag0l2irZLnLq6evWBXErIGU3yhZP9a85k4iejiOMswJJwM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Zer7PwK5LoC3SHiTotsSym1f1LYGICJcIJmmtObx3jQaASUXRzaVdsP_mTkEp-9SM4ZrY0aCAJYc4wHavi6tjDQGgtnU1ag0l2irZLnLq6evWBXErIGU3yhZP9a85k4iejiOMswJJwM/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And similar to presidential candidates picking their running mates, Jeremey and Co. brought </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on board Brooklyn-based, Bard College-born theater collective <a href="http://newsaloon.org/" target="_blank">New Saloon</a> and their production of <b style="font-style: italic;">William Shakespeare's Mom </b>to split the bill.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSohaZ88LdgPEIDwRiru9XfuKIBlS8JctzOzrAezSPbGuLr7BRhmdW73IWiiAh4KzwTX6zKWTY2YB_YCsQMhoZzsIPjKFN-cj3LDBeWpxAW9WbV4-In3JVnsb_cpNqKLKUSfas17z7jRM/s1600/DSC_0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSohaZ88LdgPEIDwRiru9XfuKIBlS8JctzOzrAezSPbGuLr7BRhmdW73IWiiAh4KzwTX6zKWTY2YB_YCsQMhoZzsIPjKFN-cj3LDBeWpxAW9WbV4-In3JVnsb_cpNqKLKUSfas17z7jRM/s1600/DSC_0201.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their show centers around <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/articles/Shakespeare-Day" target="_blank">William Shakespeare</a>, his mother, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rs69w/profiles/vincent-van-gogh" target="_blank">Vincent van Gogh</a> and the struggles of being an artist. With one, you have a successful writer entertaining the Queen and the other, a depressed painter who shot himself before ever knowing his greatness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This isn't a biopic, but more really about the struggles of artists being artists. Especially that moment between school and the "real" world. We may be taught by excellent teachers, but sometimes, those teachers are so removed from their professional paths that the advice they give is no longer valid for the current, changing times. And with the inclusion of Shakespeare's mother, the play also takes on the themes of how our parents influence and shape our artistic careers. A simple little thing like enrolling a child in a summer theater camp might be what creates the next award winning writer. But then how many of us were encouraged to get a "real degree" in something like Business? Maybe not because parents are against something artistic but they just want to make sure we can pay the bills and take care of ourselves. And can we survive without that support, either financially or emotionally, from them? Sometimes I wish I had listened to my grandmother and become a lawyer. But most times I happy I chose this life for myself. I'd rather deal with the rejection of casting directors then spend every waking and sleeping hour trying to make partner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personally I identify here with van Gogh (my <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/gavinstarrkendall/home/van-gogh-wallet" target="_blank">current wallet</a> is his Skeleton Smoking a Cig painting). I have yet to curry favor with anyone at Court. Most times I can barely get a reviewer to notice me as an actor. And as a student at the University of Oklahoma, and later at The Warehouse Theater, I was spoiled on the excesses of the main-stage theaters that were prepping me for the real world. Then I stepped out into that world and found most places where I would perform were black-box, found spaces which I've actually come to prefer over lush prosceniums. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I'm looking forward to the questions and answers both shows present about our political and artistic societies. And I recommend you checking out what they have to offer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lamb Lays with Lion's </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Entitlement (part 3 of The American Trilogy)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conceived, Written, and Directed by Jeremey Catterton. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set, Costumes, and Choreography by Company. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Company: Jeremey Catterton, Julia Mae Fairbanks and Breese Pickel</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Appearing on a double bill with...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New Saloon's </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">William Shakespeare’s Mom</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Milo Cramer </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directed by Morgan Green</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With Madeline Wise, Noah Schechter and Caitlin Morris</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thursday, 1/17 8pm </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday, 1/18 8pm </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday, 1/19 8pm </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday, 1/20 3pm & 8pm </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thursday 1/24 8pm </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday, 1/25 8pm </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday, 1/26 8pm</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">General Admission: $20</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For tickets visit <a href="https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/919957" target="_blank">OvationTix</a> or <a href="http://bricktheater.com/">bricktheater.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time...give me more!</span></div>
Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-68138348442055855022013-01-10T20:26:00.002-05:002013-01-10T23:59:17.043-05:00Sprechen sie Deutches, baby?<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIbKJsJJ-bL-vJryiTRkfH0GoEY3gD_QHC2aCiVe-wIzZRGFjsalErUeyYqwkloD-O2EVBIOs_E7L2TxbuAXSwtysJFHdr7FviR4A3B20je8m9aFmbbxH-i3oct1UXpD_YxLdiuyGEh4/s1600/Beck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIbKJsJJ-bL-vJryiTRkfH0GoEY3gD_QHC2aCiVe-wIzZRGFjsalErUeyYqwkloD-O2EVBIOs_E7L2TxbuAXSwtysJFHdr7FviR4A3B20je8m9aFmbbxH-i3oct1UXpD_YxLdiuyGEh4/s1600/Beck.jpg" height="386" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a decent Beck fan. "Loser" was my first introduction after a friend saw the <a href="http://youtu.be/YgSPaXgAdzE" target="_blank">video</a> on MTV. Later that same friend drew "Soy un Perdedor" on a piece of paper that I tacked to the door of my room back home (where it still hangs to this day). And since then I've seen him in concert a couple different times and most of his full albums are always on my iPod. I love how he embraces musical elements from all spectrums: anti-folk, punk, rap, sampling, rock, hip-hop, Latin, country, funk and blues to name a few. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I once wanted to kill myself from listening to Beck. It's a long story so find me at a bar one night and I'll fill you. All I will say is that if you're going through a bad break-up avoid listening to <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Change_(album)" target="_blank">Sea Change</a></i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beck hasn't released a studio album since 2008's </span><a href="http://www.beck.com/videotheque/index.php/modern-guilt-acoustic-volcano" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Modern Guilt</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. He's stayed busy </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/7703592#at=0" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">producing</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> other artists, releasing a song or two for </span><a href="http://youtu.be/6GQ4s4Qc3O8" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">movie soundtracks</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and getting together with friends and playing </span><a href="http://www.beck.com/recordclub/index.php/category/inxs" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">cover songs</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then this past December Beck released his latest album...as sheet music. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like how music used to be distributed and played in the days before our grandparents.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://songreader.net/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Song Reader</a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">has never before been released or recorded by Beck. And he encourages anyone to read, play, record, even rearrange these new songs and upload them to the internet. Check out the </span><a href="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/a-qa-with-beck-hansen-author-of-song-reader/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">McSweeney's Q&A</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for more on how it came about.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegPi8AwdIJ9bGstO6AgGmYNkIKGEUmNiqbHoJgD8T72NrVy7dNNyvD1ECo3gL_8Wi8mB3b8iTuao7gpPDYcjJ_h0K7PCAj36SHvLf3nRN6_voOBQKUrT4JXiFIHK28onNJqr9saOINz8/s1600/band+nerd+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegPi8AwdIJ9bGstO6AgGmYNkIKGEUmNiqbHoJgD8T72NrVy7dNNyvD1ECo3gL_8Wi8mB3b8iTuao7gpPDYcjJ_h0K7PCAj36SHvLf3nRN6_voOBQKUrT4JXiFIHK28onNJqr9saOINz8/s1600/band+nerd+001.jpg" height="320" width="196" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a band nerd I was really excited to hear about this. The flagship song "Old Shanghai" is available to download without purchasing the entire collection and I was pretty happy checking out the parts for tuba and trumpet along with the piano score. I was mulling the idea of recording that song on my own when I heard The Brick was gathering artists for a concert recording of the entire set of songs. I signed up. I taught myself guitar in high school and a couple of years ago I bought a vintage </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danelectro_Amp-in-case" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Danelectro Silvertone</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and have been reliving my college rock band past (<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/gavinstarrkendall/home/leggett-and-the-lesbians/taste-like-chicken" target="_blank">Taste Like Chicken</a>, 1996; <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/gavinstarrkendall/home/leggett-and-the-lesbians" target="_blank">Leggett and the Lesbians</a>, 1998). And yes, one of the reasons I bought this guitar was after seeing Beck play one in concert. I can read music. I spent about 10 years throughout school playing trumpet but I never learned to play guitar music (<span style="font-size: x-small;">little old three-chord me</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). Luckily the chords to "Saint Dude" are on the sheets. I've cheated a bit by listening to other bands and performers who have already recorded the song. But I found my own sound over the last few days coming up with my own arrangement, pulling inspiration from <a href="http://youtu.be/qtMEgu_5aHM" target="_blank">Jay Reatard</a>, <a href="http://youtu.be/AAnNNvCmSpI" target="_blank">Elliott Smith</a> and Beck himself who, if you've seen him in concert, never plays a song the same way </span><a href="http://youtu.be/WRxbaxYqRwc" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">twice</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so this Friday at 10:30pm The Brick presents <b>Just Noise</b>, a concert recording of these songs. The line-up is impressive. Not only will you hear me (performing as the </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/starr-kendall-experiment" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Starr Kendall Experiment</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">), but also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/supermajor" target="_blank">Supermajor</a>, <a href="http://www.kellybdwyer.com/" target="_blank">Mockstar Killy Dwyer</a>, <a href="http://youtu.be/apzLrxTT3MI" target="_blank">Trav SD</a>, Gyda Arber and Steve Sabaugh, Lord Ian Hill, Lady Berit Johnson, <a href="http://www.jenniferharder.com/bathtub.html" target="_blank">Bathtub Jen and the Henchmen</a>, <a href="http://www.deaconbishoprevival.com/home.cfm" target="_blank">Deacon Bishop Revival</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Alexisthomason1" target="_blank">Alexis Thomason</a>, <a href="http://themoosethatroared.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Patrice Miller & Chris Chappell</a> and a few more. It's free so come rock out with us. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more information check out </span><a href="http://www.bricktheater.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">www.bricktheater.com</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time...get crazy with the Cheese Whiz.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-25560730500591254622013-01-02T11:06:00.002-05:002013-01-03T16:27:40.087-05:00Dream/Scream<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The earliest dream I remember was a nightmare. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was around three, in real life and in the dream. It was Christmas and I was in the den of the home where I grew up with my grandparents. The den was warmed by a Williams vent-free gas heater. It was a good warm<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">–</span>like you feel during Christmas<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">–</span>surrounded by family. I was playing with some toys on the circular rug. And then my grandfather entered from the living room. Black smoke coughed from his lungs. My grandmother went to help hold him, patting his back as more soot billowed from his lungs. The temperature rose in the den. I went to the door and peered into the living room. A wave of heat engulfed me and my fear shot up to 11. There was a low hum and I looked over to the twinkling Christmas tree where I saw a toy Volkswagen Beetle slowly rolling across the carpeted room spewing fire from its tailpipe! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Years later I found that when I overheat, I have nightmares. I now, always, as best I can, keep myself cool at night with the breeze of a fan. Even during winter. Because I'd rather dream than scream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sitting in at a rehearsal of </span><a href="http://burantheatreco.weebly.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buran Theatre's</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> next show </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nightmares: a demonstration of the Sublime</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which opens at The Brick tonight. After the success of their last Brick main-stage show, </span><a href="http://www.indietheaternow.com/Play/house-of-fitzcarraldo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The House of Fitzcarraldo</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I was happy to see what they were cooking up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1816 Mt. Tambora erupted in Indonesia and helped </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">global temperatures drop and bring about the "<a href="http://io9.com/5885668/the-year-without-a-summer-and-how-it-spawned-frankenstein">Year without a Summer</a>." That summer a power group of romantics were trapped on a Swiss holiday and as a contest produced the stories of Frankenstein and The Vamprye, which predated Stoker's </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dracula</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> by 80 years. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now add in some Marx Brothers and you'll get a small taste of what the company is brewing at The Brick this new year. I'll let writer and co-director Adam Burnett clue you in a little better: </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/52314301?title=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="400"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This video is from their <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/burantheatre">Indiegogo campaign</a>. After premiering at The Brick this January, they will take the show on the road to a series of theaters across the United States. Consider making a small donation if you can. And for a show about to tour, preparation is key. The cast and crew were very happy with their progress on re-crafting the script from previous workshops and presentations and "having keys" to The Brick helps too. From experience I know that making The Brick your "home" for a couple of weeks prior to opening helps keep those real nightmares away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Nightmares: a demonstration of the Sublime</span></b> opens January 2, 2012 and runs through January 12th. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tickets are on sale now at </span><a href="http://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/122" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/122</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> or </span><a href="http://bricktheater.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bricktheater.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written & co-directed by Adam R. Burnett and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">performed by Caitlin Bebb, Arla Berman, Brady Blevins, Adam R. Burnett, Sarah Graalman, Marlowe Holden, Jud Knudsen, Catrin Lloyd-Bollard, C.S. Luxem, Geraldo Mercado, and Curry Whitmire.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The creative team includes Theresa Buchheister (co-director/co-producer/co-choreographer), CS Luxem (composer), Nick Kostner (scenic designer), Geraldo Mercado (media designer), Ann Sitzman (lighting designer), and Lara Thomas Ducey (dramaturg)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time...Happy Nü Year!</span>Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-73784853664316087112012-12-27T21:52:00.001-05:002012-12-27T21:59:52.005-05:00The Year in Brick: 2012<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
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<span style="font-size: small;">In 2012, The Brick celebrated its 10-year anniversary and was incinerated into dust during the Mayan Apocalypse! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Also, we got new curtains. And mind-blowing performances occurred. Read all about it in </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span">The Year in Brick: 2012!</span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>AMTRAK ANNOUNCES THE BRICK'S ARRIVAL</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Amtrak Arrive Magazine in their Feature Article “Springtime for Brooklyn: Surveying the theater scene across the river from Broadway” boasts “For a night of sheer joy, don’t miss the opportunity to stop by The Brick Theater, hipster Williamsburg’s most fertile breeding ground for theatrical innovation.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.arrive-digital.com/arrive/20120304#pg27"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">www.arrive-digital.com/arrive/20120304#pg27</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>BUNNY LAKE FOUND BACKSTAGE SMOKING, READING GLOWING NY TIMES REVIEW</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In the first Mainstage of the season, the new noir classic adaptation <i>Bunny Lake Is Missing</i> was hailed as "metronomically propulsive" by the <i>New York Times.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>WILLIAMSBURG REZONED EXCLUSIVELY FOR PUPPETS IN ACCORDANCE WITH STRANGE CITY ORDINANCE</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Williamsburg became <i>Puppetsburg</i> at The Brick on Thursday mornings at The Brick for the entertainment and education of local babies and toddlers. No hipsters were harmed during the incident and irony returned to daily life shortly thereafter. Asked for comment, mommypoppins.com explained "<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-family: Arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">The enthusiastic performers really keep the mood lively, and their puppets even sport tattoos! Funky and fun!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>MAINSTAGE TRIUMPHS, FESTIVAL SUCCESSES & CAMPAIGN PROMISES ABOUND!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In addition to <i>Bunny Lake,</i> 8 bold, beautiful, strange and exciting Mainstage productions collided at The Brick in 2012. The Brick welcomed Everywhere Theater Company's controversial <i>Flying Snakes in 3D!,</i> Old Kent Road Theater's <i>All the Indifferent Children of the Earth,</i> Nosedive Productions' <i>Monkeys</i> and <i>Blood Brothers present…Raw Feed, </i>Glasswork Productions' <i>The Collected Rules of Sleepaway Camp,</i> Buran Theater Company's <i>House of Fitzcarraldo</i> and Target Margin Theater's TMT LAB's festival of Yiddish plays Beyond the Pale! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>GAME PLAY, CLOWN PLAY, COLLISION PLAY & THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The election of 2012 was tight, but in the end, the winner was clear: political theater. In anticipation, The Brick hosted Democracy, a festival of theatrical candidates who campaigned for President of The Brick in 2013. The winner, Lamb Lays with Lions, will begin its Presidency this January! Also returning were Brick classic feasts Game Play, The NY Clown Theatre Festival and Gemini CollisionWorks annual repertory!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>THE BRICK JOINS INSTAGRAM, GOES RETRO, BRINGS BACK BELLBOTTOMS</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In a month of remembrance, The Brick Retro brought back 4 classic Brick productions from its 10-year history. The soundtrack will be available on 8-track stereophonic sound in the new year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>WHEN BROOKLYN NEEDS, THE BRICK OFFERS A HAND</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Brick postponed its long-gestating 10th anniversary gala after Hurricane Sandy visited our friends and neighbors. In its place, we were blessed with the opportunity to raise funds for The Brooklyn Recovery Fund with <i>The Brick Benefits Brooklyn: A Hurricane Sandy Benefit.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>PLUS DID WE MENTION</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Dainty Cadaver, Tiny Theater,<span style="font-size: small;"><u><b> </b></u></span><i>Mother Tongue<span style="font-size: small;">, </span>Dick & Gina, VCR Love,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Antigone: The Lost Translation,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Feiffer’s People,</i> The Oven, Graffiti and new curtains!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>TEN YEARS OMG!!!!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For its 10th year of existence, The Brick asked for a pony and, instead, got a beautiful community of insane theatrical talent, love and inspiration. Dammit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING ANY AMOUNT TO THE BRICK'S NEW DECADE!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">By donating to The Brick theater you are ensuring that new theater work has a home where the artists are free and encouraged to experiment. And, The Brick is a registered 501(c)3! So, if you donate by December 31, 2012, you will be able to deduct your donation from your taxes in accordance with IRS standards. Donation information is on our website: <a href="http://www.bricktheater.com/donate">www.bricktheater.com/donate </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We remain grateful for all you do for us. It has been a wonderful decade and we anticipate another one with you in our seats and on our stage! </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-28159096111794608782012-12-17T11:59:00.000-05:002012-12-19T01:00:25.286-05:00Meet a Master Mason Monday - Gavin Starr Kendall<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My grandfather was a real Mason. So I guess this honors his memory?</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Tells us about the first person you met at The Brick.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came into contact with a hodgepodge of Brick regulars during the 2nd Baby Jesus One-Act Jubillee in Dec. 2007.<a href="http://www.pipermckenzie.com/"> Jeff Lewonczyk and Hope Cartelli</a> were preforming together. <a href="http://collisionwork.livejournal.com/">Ian Hill and Berit Johnson</a> were in a piece by <a href="http://cavigliascabinetofcuriosities.blogspot.com/">Carolyn Raship</a> that <a href="http://vimeo.com/mckleinfeld">Daniel McKleinfeld</a> directed. <a href="http://oneminuteplays.wordpress.com/">Dominic D'Andrea</a> directed something. Got my first tastes for works by <a href="http://www.nytesmallpress.com/pp09/pp09int_bland.php">Eric Bland</a>, <a href="http://www.vampirecowboys.com/">Qui Nguyen</a> and <a href="http://matthewfreeman.blogspot.com/">Matt Freeman</a>. <a href="http://www.tendirections.net/">Audrey Crabtree</a> was working box office one night. I thought everyone was pretty cool but it wasn't until the opening night party for Notes from Underground in the new year that I got to know some of them a little better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Tell us about your first show at The Brick.</span></b><br /><a href="http://www.theinternationalists.org/profile_jake_witlen.html">Jake Witlen</a> (director) and <a href="http://funintrouble.com/">Eric Sanders</a> (playwright) asked me to be in Hollow Hallow for the 2nd Baby Jesus One-Act Jubillee. I think the only way it fit the theme of the fest was that it was set during Christmas. I played an </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abu Ghraib </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">soldier a little reluctant to carry out my orders from my commanding officer. It starts out sweetly with me talking to my daughter on the phone wishing her and my wife a Merry Christmas and ends with me freaking out, pulling the tooth out of a planted audience member and then dragging that person backstage and electrocuting him as screams rang out through the theater. I remember Hope had this slightly scared look in her eyes when I first met her in the dressing room after one performance. The Brick was a little nervous too because we had some audience participation where we brought people to the stage, hood them and verbally abuse them. Luckily no one reacted too badly. I certainly left my mark on the place thanks to Jake and Eric. The play really disturb some people. So much so that it became the worst thing they'd seen in awhile. But then later, those same people reversed their opinions saying it was the best thing they had seen for that same reason.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">How did you first get involved with The Brick?</span></b><br />After the 2nd Baby Jesus One-Act Jubillee I knew I needed to hang out at The </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brick more. In February 2008 I ran into Moira Stone on the subway on a Monday. We had been in a festival together years ago and she was opening </span><a href="http://www.bricktheater.com/notesfromunderground/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notes from Underground</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that Friday. I promised her that I'd be there. There was an opening night party and I was able to talk with some of the regulars in more depth that night. Jeff Lewonczyk cast me in </span><a href="http://www.pipermckenzie.com/babylon/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Babylon, Babylon</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> based on what he'd seen in the festival and rest is history. Most of my professional and personal Brick relationships started at that opening night party.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What aspect of The Brick do you love?</span></b><br />I like some of the ordered chaos that keeps the place running.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>What is your favorite show you've seen at The Brick?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notes from Underground has always stuck with me. It was confined to a small portion of the back stage and only lit by candle light. I still remember the shadows cast by the candles and the way it illuminated the cast. It certainly got me excited about working at The Brick.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>What are your thoughts on Williamsburg? How has the art scene changed over the years?</b></span><br />I don't know. I mean, it's a cool place to hang out but I really don't care what the pulse of Williamsburg is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">How has gentrification affected your personal life?</span></b><br />I'm all for revitalizing a neighborhood so people can raise families and hang out with their friends in peace and harmony but instead of creating affordable places to live, it invites Yuppie bullshit-artists to take over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">If you could move The Brick anywhere where would you put it?</span></b><br />I don't think The Brick should move. But a second space would come in handy. Someplace with a bigger backstage, dressing rooms, etc. Where if a production wants to build a set there's room for that. Maybe some office space for our dedicated staff. Or we should move to Broadway and play our rock music real loud, leave empty beers cans all over the sidewalk and throw water balloons at all the Tony nominees.</span><br />
<b style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In your opinion, what makes The Brick an incubator of emerging theater artists?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It takes a certain type of artist to create theatre here. Nothing is spoon fed to you. It's a punk rock world of theater. The staff is creating the same type of experiments and challenging shows so they know what's it like the first time you're putting up something new and creative. It may fail. And they're standing there with a beer for you. It may succeed beyond your wildest dreams. And they are again standing there with a beer for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What have you gained from your experience at The Brick?</span></b><br />Friends. And a "No Holds Barred" way to making theater. Sometimes this place leaves with you with a bloody nose and a few bruises after a production. But it certainly makes you stronger for the next one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What’s the best benefit of being a Master Mason?</span></b><br />Mentioning it in my program bio.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What’s something unknown about you that you want your fellow Master Masons to know?</span></b><br />I'm a cheap date and an easy lay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What do you think about a production of Ibsen’s The Master Builder done solely by Master Masons?</span></b><br />Cliched and unnecessary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">What is one thing you would change about The Brick?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They need a kegerator that serves Brick Brew!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Would you send your children to The Brick?</b></span><br />Yes. (Who wants to make some with me?) We need to pass on our ways to the next generation. We're doing that with Eddie Kim's students from Game Play (the Video Game Festival). I love the opportunity they have with exposure to an emerging theater genre and being on the cutting edge of it. The kids are alright.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">What do you see in The Brick’s future?</span></b><br />I wouldn't say I'm qualified to answer this. I gave up forecasting the future years ago. I never ended up where I thought I would. Change is happening constantly at the Brick. The ebb and flow of running a theater. After hearing a little about some of the upcoming plans they have I think they'll be alright.</span><br />
<b style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would make a good premise for a Brick-based video game?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something like Pac-Man with the staff running around the space trying to locate power pill grants while the ghosts of shitty reviewers, audience late-comers and people who leave their cell phones on chase after them. The couch floats around so you can sit on it or take a nap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>If you could commission any playwright, living or dead, to create a </b></span></span><b style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">new work for The Brick, who would it be, and what would they write?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sam Shepard could do some damage here. John Patrick Shanley would probably groove pretty well. But celebrities are a dime a dozen. I want to see more work by previous Brick writers like Bland, Freeman, <a href="http://jamespeak.blogspot.com/">Comtois</a>, Lewonczyk, <a href="http://www.charredoakfilms.com/Charred_Oak_Films/About.html">Lovejoy</a>, <a href="http://ericjohnmeyer.com/">Meyer</a>, Nguyen, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jody-christopherson/cutting-up-the-wild-a-fil_b_1593424.html">Skillman</a> with room for some new blood.</span><br />
<b style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anything you want to plug?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am co-founder of the <a href="http://www.badtheaterfest.com/home/bad-theater-fest/">Bad Theater Fest</a> with Shawn Wickens. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've all made bad theater so why not celebrate it! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our first set of shows were at </span><a href="http://www.thetanknyc.org/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Tank</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. We had a strange, crazy line-up and I remounted The Lone Starr of Texas with my sock puppet group Afternoon Playland that I wrote and premiered for Tiny Theater at The Brick in 2010. We got some great international press from </span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-features/9640579/Bad-Theater-Fest-a-million-miles-from-Broadway.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Telegraph</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and on the heels of that success we're organizing the </span><a href="http://badtheaterfest.com/badfilmfest.htm" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bad Film Fest</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Currently taking </span><a href="http://www.badtheaterfest.com/home/submit/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">submissions</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Please follow us on Twitter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/badtheaterfest" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">@badtheaterfest</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. And you can follow me </span><a href="https://twitter.com/thestarrkendall" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">@thestarrkendall</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. And this is a picture of my knees.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Peter Hapak for The New York Times Magazine</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-7166622400792326282012-12-16T22:02:00.002-05:002012-12-17T01:09:48.286-05:00Greetings and salutations...You a Heather?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello Brick aficionados!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My name is Gavin Starr Kendall. Call me Gavin or <a href="https://twitter.com/thestarrkendall">Starr</a> or at
the very least, Mr. Kendall. You’ve probably (hopefully) seen me in various
Brick shows. From Old Kent Road to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pipermckenzie/7587781318/in/photostream">Piper McKenzie</a> to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/geminicollisionworks/3794998873/">Gemini CollisionWorks</a> to my own sock puppet narratives with <a href="http://youtu.be/Smld8hKdquk">Afternoon Playland</a>. And if not, please introduce yourself next time you see me working box office in my
black Ray-Bans®.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked, and was graciously given permission, to start
blogging for The Brick. I look forward to keeping you up to date on goings-on
at The Brick, from shows to parties and beyond. The Brick has just finished
their 10</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Year Anniversary and looks like we’ll all be wearing
shades because the future's so bright.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will admit that I’m a much better actor than writer. The
second time I took the SATs my verbal score dropped 50 points where my maths went up 100. And my only published writing credit is the high school
column I wrote for my hometown paper in Texas. Letters to the
Editor were mailed complaining of my laziness, selfishness and personal pleasure in only reporting events I was involved in or using the column to talk about out-of-town weekend adventures with my friends. But apparently readership went up due to the
controversies I stirred. I have promised Artistic Director Michael Gardner that
I will be a better reporter, but who knows what my pen will yield. At most I hope to keep Your, You’re and Yer straight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy.</span></div>
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Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-54851779271007031522012-12-13T11:39:00.001-05:002012-12-14T12:38:50.589-05:00Meet a Master Mason - Ivanna Cullinan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we're back with our <i>Meet a Master Mason</i> series. Meet Actor, Director and NYIT Award Nominee <b>Ivanna Cullinan</b>! Not a season goes by where you won't see her handiwork somewhere on The Brick stage. She's a pleasure to work with and an even greater pleasure to know as a friend. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">NYIT Nominee Ivanna Cullinan as Ssussu in Piper McKenzie's The Granduncle Quadrilogy.<span style="color: white;"> <span style="background-color: black;">Photo credit: <span style="line-height: 15px; text-align: left;">Ken Stein/Runs With Scissors Photography</span> </span></span></span></td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tell us about the first person you met at The Brick.</b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Yawney introduced me to David Cote who introduced me to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Gardner... I think...it was a long time ago in another </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">century.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Tell us about your first show at The Brick.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael's <i>In a Strange Room</i> as the Mother. An </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">amazing production with a gorgeous cast that was set entirely within a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">small wooden house that the audience sat within as we came at them </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from all sides. ALL SIDES. But they did get coffee on break.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>How did you first get involved with The Brick?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The theater being absurdly close to my home, once I was aware of it I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">went in to see most every show on offer. The generosity of spirit and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">theatrical styles was astonishing.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>What aspect of The Brick do you love?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a neighborhood and yet worldly. Not so insular that there is no </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">connection to new ideas and yet does provide a home.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What is a favorite show you've seen at The Brick?</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One favorite? That is absurd. A few favorites: <i>The Ninja Cherry </i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orchard, Babylon Babylon, Greed, Jeannine's Abortion, World Gone Wrong </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and the NY Clown Theatre Festival.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What are your thoughts on Williamsburg? How has the art scene changed </b></span><b style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">over the years?</b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It used to be cheap and easy but routinely screwed by the MTA putting </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the L under construction. Now it is expensive and problematic and the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L still goes off schedule when someone looks at it wrong. Seriously, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Williamsburg still has a lot of wonderful things and our spot is more </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">accessible than other indie spaces but I do not know how we'll survive </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">without stronger resources and a bigger neighborhood profile. Not to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">contradict what I said above, but many of our neighbors don't know </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we're here—that is both the newbies and the old guard.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How has gentrification affected your personal life?</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The gentrification is a problem—most of our current residents simply </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">want a chic view of Manhattan or are visiting for a "cool" bar where </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">they can get loaded. Actually contributing to the neighborhood does not </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">seem part of their consciousness. But to me, more importantly there </span></span></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">are older neighborhood folks who don't necessarily see theater as </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">including them. But I live here and am strongly biased about the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">changes.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>If you could move The Brick anywhere where would you put it?</b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Same area, better space with two stages and a proper lobby.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>In your opinion, what makes The Brick an incubator of emerging theater artists?</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We curate lightly and allow a lot of projects to try out works that </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">would not be possible otherwise. I think we're genuinely interested </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in new voices and modes of expression over what is "hot" or trendy.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What have you gained from your experience at The Brick?</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A community, relationships with a broad range of artists whose work I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">respect and company I enjoy. An artistic home.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What’s the best benefit of being a Master Mason?</b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It recognizes the strength of my relationship with this theater, not </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">just as a jobbed in actor but as an artist. It recognizes that this </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is the place that invited me to direct and challenged me to work </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">collaboratively with writers.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What’s something unknown about you that you want your fellow Master </b></span><b style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Masons to know?</b></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please don't ever make me go up a ladder again in </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">show. I will vomit.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: black;">What do you think about a production of Ibsen’s The Master Builder </span></b></span><b style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">done solely by Master Masons?</b><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not much. Ibsen is wildly under-produced but I don't know that is the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">show that would be best—isn't the ultimate message there "dream but </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not too high and now you're too old anyway"</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What is one thing you would change about The Brick?</b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facilities upgrade and perhaps create a system whereby volunteerism </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">earns you a show or show case night.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Would you send your children to The Brick? Why (not)?</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never had any, so difficult to send and frankly don't think the cats </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">would enjoy it. But other children would and we need to develop </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">future audiences with short and engaging works.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What do you see in The Brick’s future?</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More new works, more new voices.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>If The Brick had its own superhero team, what would it be called and </b></span><b style="background-color: black; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">what heroes would be in it?</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't they have one already? Isn't that all of us making indie theater happen?</span>Starrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251834454570464684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-43854433656852401282012-07-23T10:05:00.000-04:002012-07-23T10:05:00.502-04:00Meet a Master Mason Monday: Lindsey Carter<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KKFQ5ItUg4M/UAWaT7biqyI/AAAAAAAAAEw/VvXZqPRzjwg/s1600/lindsey_final-2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KKFQ5ItUg4M/UAWaT7biqyI/AAAAAAAAAEw/VvXZqPRzjwg/s200/lindsey_final-2a.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tells us about the first person you met at The Brick.</b> I came to know about The Brick through Edward Einhorn, and it was Gyda Arber who was the first brave soul to cast me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Tell us about your first show at The Brick.</b> Gyda,
Maggie Cino and I worked on a Tiny Theatre piece by Callie Kimball
called <i>Crash/Splash</i> in 2010. It was my New York stage debut, and I
played a little boy named Michael. It will always be one of the things I
am most proud of doing in New York.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>How did you first get involved with The Brick?</b> After
meeting Gyda and working with her, I was fortunate enough to be noticed
by other artists in The Brick's extensive network and continue working
on shows there, building relationships and making strange and
interesting theatre.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>What aspect of The Brick do you love?</b> The amazing support! The Brick really strives to encourage artists to test the boundaries and make new and interesting choices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>If you could move The Brick anywhere where would you put it? </b>I
would make The Brick portable, and take it on tour. Like the entire
building. Of course, I would fill it up with lovely Bricklayers (and
snacks) also. </span><br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>In your opinion, what makes The Brick an incubator of emerging theater artists?</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"> The support that we give one another to explore. That exploration, and its results, I think creates better art and artists. </span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>What have you gained from your experience at The Brick?</b> I
am more comfortable with the unknown as it happens onstage, but I also
feel that my time at The Brick has helped me be a better friend as well
as a more curious person and actor. It's really opened my mind to just
what theatre, (and all art, really) can be. </span> </div>
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</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-19972570002389084262012-07-19T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-19T10:00:06.164-04:00GAME Play Artist Interview: Brian Davis ("Right Thing")<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0CDa408KXjA/UARKBF-tyZI/AAAAAAAAAEc/I4jZQ6AIYps/s1600/davis+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0CDa408KXjA/UARKBF-tyZI/AAAAAAAAAEc/I4jZQ6AIYps/s320/davis+001.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My piece explores the intersection of art and gaming
by</b> simply stripping away all the superfluous information and distilling
the experience of gaming down to a simple question that has many
interpretations. I am interested in economy in both art and gaming.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br />Obstacles
in the general acceptance of video games as an art form</b> <b>are</b> the same
obstacles that every new medium has faced gaining acceptance. Good
artists and game developers don't care, though, and will continue to
make interesting things.<br /><br /><b>My most emotional reaction elicited by a
game was</b> my disappointment when, after playing all the way through
Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PS3, I missed the climactic ending scene
because I had to pee.<br /><b><br />True or False: video games are now more culturally important than they were in the past.</b> True.<br /><br /><b>I
discovered the merit of video games as an artistic medium </b>after putting
in over 100 hours into GTA: San Andreas and realizing how incredibly
immersive and reward-driven the experience was.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-60734921101626594572012-07-18T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-18T14:33:08.268-04:00GAME PLAY Artist Interview: Raphael Arar ("Synth-a-Sketch")<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WdYAozdLgvI/T_HXGo1sEuI/AAAAAAAAAEM/2XBvOlYqNg0/s1600/HoneyBadgerRaph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WdYAozdLgvI/T_HXGo1sEuI/AAAAAAAAAEM/2XBvOlYqNg0/s200/HoneyBadgerRaph.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">My piece explores the intersection of art and gaming by</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> re-imagining
a classic game from the 50s to the present day as a reflection on the
current state of digital culture. SYNTH-A-SKETCH is similar to the Etch A
Sketch in its basic gameplay and interface; however, there are more
conceptual themes at play. On the most basic plane, we now have a game
that bridges the physical and digital divide—an aspect that our current
culture struggles with. The piece also presents players with an influx
of multi-sensory content. We experience so much digital noise in our
day-to-day lives, and the installation serves to exploit this by
transforming the line into one of shape, color, dimension and by the
creation of interactive sound as a byproduct of gameplay. Despite all of
this multi-sensory material, players are left with little control over
the parameters, and the installation ultimately highlights major
frustrations we experience daily.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><br />When people say video games aren’t art I tend to</b> say it
depends. Some games purely exist to hook people and make money. Others
serve to highlight aspects of culture and reflect upon them.<br /><br /><b>My most emotional reaction elicited by a game was</b>
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">euphoria, but there may have been other external factors involved...<br /><b><br />True or False: video games are now more culturally important than they were in the past.</b> True—but
this really extends to the emergence of technology as an artistic
medium. Artists just have another material to leverage to express
whatever they want.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /><br /><b>Why should people view your piece?</b> First
off, it's interactive. You won't just want to view it, you'll want to
experience it. The installation can be interpreted on many different
levels. At its most basic, it's fun, suitable for children to childish
adults. Once you start thinking about it and really interacting with it,
themes emerge that reflect on digital media today.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-49477347008360942912012-07-17T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-19T12:28:03.792-04:00GAME PLAY Artist Interview: Josh Bricker ("Deterrence Machine")<style>
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<span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">When people say
video games aren’t art I tend to </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">agree. As a medium I think they have great potential to become art,
but video games out of the box are not art. They may be artful or even
beautiful, but most games never go beyond simple aesthetic pleasure. Culturally
we tend to needlessly attach the term ‘Art’ capitol ‘A’ to something whenever
we want to imbue an object or thing with value or prestige. I have never
understood why a thing/object not traditionally considered art needs to be re-categorized
as such. Like with video games, why do we feel the need to make them fit into
the ‘ART’ box? Why can’t video games just stay video games and be judged as
shitty or amazing, or beautiful video games? I mean aren’t video games fucking
awesome for the very reasons that they are not art? For the most part, art is
stuffy, boring and pretentious. Oscar Wilde famously said about art:</span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Art is useless
because its aim is simply to create a mood. It is not meant to instruct, or to
influence action in any way. It is superbly sterile, and the note of its
pleasure is sterility. If the contemplation of a work of art is followed by
activity of any kind, the work is either of a very second-rate order, or the
spectator has failed to realise the complete artistic impression.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In contrast video games are activity based fun; pure entertainment
of the highest order. For the sake of fun, capitol ‘F’ and the future of the
industry I hope the two worlds continue to exist separately. For me to regard a
video game as a piece of art it needs to transcend the purely superficial and
visceral joy associated with the vast majority of video games and game play. I
want art to tell me something new about the world, try and expand my
understanding of something and tackle the existential. It’s a very narrow view
of how art can operate and probably signifies an over reliance on pragmatic,
rational thinking, but looking at and making art in this way wards off the
persistent feeling of nihilism I get when I make and look. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">An obstacle in
the general acceptance of video games as an art form is </span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">video games rarely if ever
provide any insights or values. Most games are usually nothing more than crass
(but extremely entertaining) exercises in the spectacular. Generally the gate
keepers of the art world demand more from its art then pure experience, but as
the old guard is replaced by the new, meaning once our generation becomes the
old guard, we’ll see that change and video game art will eventually become
absorbed into the mainstream (my guess is it’ll probably get twisted and
commercialized- similar to the way graffiti and street culture have been
legitimized- into a marketing tool so corporate America can sell Mt. Dew and
Red Bull). In fact you could make the case that the stigmas surrounding video
games as art have already started to disappear. As gallerists have discovered
ways to commodify game art, artists like Corey Arcangel have begun to show at
institutions like The Whitney, opening doors for the future legitimization of
video game art and artists.</span></span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span"><b>My most
emotional reaction elicited by a game was </b></span></span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">when I beat the original Medal of Honor I strutted around like a
proud peacock for about a week solid. I played non-stop for four days straight.
To this day it’s the only game I have ever beaten.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span class="apple-style-span"><b>True or
False: video games are now more culturally important than they</b></span><b><br />
<span class="apple-style-span">were in the past.</span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> True. In recent years the gaming industry has become one of the
leading forms of entertainment in terms of revenue, often going toe to toe with
or outright beating Hollywood for the almighty entertainment dollar. Highly
anticipated game titles routinely gross more in the first 24hrs of release then
the most anticipated films during an opening weekend. Stratospheric earning
power, combined with shadowy funding from military/government sources and the
pervasive, global reach of the gaming industry make gaming one of the most
important mediums in contemporary culture to understand and critically engage. </span></span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">While the connection between violence
and video games may be tenuous, there’s clearly a connection between video
games and propaganda. Games like Call of Duty raise interest and support for
the U.S. military and have become a part of the militarization of society. A
recent Call of Duty commercial reinforced this point with the tag line “There’s
a soldier in all of us” and gun battles being fought by people (presumably
Americans) in work attire. Additionally in 2010, the U.S. military spent $50
million dollars developing combat training games and even developed a first-class
shooter of its own, similar to Call of Duty, called “America’s Army” which is
openly used as a recruiting device and is free to download from the internet. As
a medium, video games pose a danger in that their often violent natures are
rarely, if ever, reflected upon meaningfully by users. Video games require
active participation unlike other media such as music or movies, which raises
their potential to distance user associations between violent actions and
possible consequences. I see this is getting convoluted so I’ll end it here.
But it’s a big question that deserves more critical analysis then I am capable
of. So to summarize: yeah, shit is real important.<br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span"><b>Why should
people view your piece?</b></span></span><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Cool generic explosions.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-8399036144550486672012-07-03T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-03T10:00:07.101-04:00GAME PLAY Artist Interview: James Carter ("NY_Hearts:LES")<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bpav0Y37eXw/T-y4N5vJRoI/AAAAAAAAAEA/zKbtS80mgRc/s1600/jdfaceweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bpav0Y37eXw/T-y4N5vJRoI/AAAAAAAAAEA/zKbtS80mgRc/s200/jdfaceweb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://ny-hearts.com/" target="_blank"><i><b>NY_Hearts: LES</b></i></a> <b>explores
the intersection of theater and gaming by</b> putting you in the shoes of
one of the main characters of a love story and sending you on a
scavenger hunt of sorts through the Lower East Side. The entire
experience unfolds in site specific locations while you listen to Jill,
Sal’s girlfriend, recount their relationship on an iPhone app, <a href="http://mvabl.com/" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Moveable Feast</a>.
Businesses are featured in the story, and at each location you get
items Jill talks about, including a yoga class, lunch and many other
surprise goodies.<br /><br /><b>When people say video games aren’t art I tend
to</b> talk about how the NEA is now funding video games. I also emphasize
how story is essential to practically every video game. Story is the
place where theater and video games intersect. I have a friend who plays
games just for the story. Game Play offers artists a chance to explore
new ways of telling story, going outside comfort zones; theater artists
explore games, and gamers bring their narratives to the theater. The
convergence of the two is thrilling.<br /><br /><b>An obstacle in the general
acceptance of video games as an art form is</b> sometimes people think video
games are a waste of time. It’s something kids do. It’s something
unemployed thirtysomethings do while sitting in their underwear. It’s
just play. It’s not art. Wait. Did I just say it’s play? Funny. That’s
what we do in theater. Play. On stage. In site specific locations.
Playing is what theater is. Another convergence of themes.<br /><br /><b>My
most emotional reaction elicited by a game was:</b> Lots of swearing,
console throwing, and teeth gritting. Damn TMJ. But video games can also
give me a Zen feeling. In the zone, one can relax, release and
recharge. Just like flower arranging or motorcycle maintenance, there is
a Zen and the Art of Gaming. Oh, snap. Did I just call gaming an art,
again?<br /><br /><b>True or False: video games are now more culturally
important than they were in the past.</b> True. They didn’t exist for much
of the past, so now they’re pretty important. As far as the recent past,
their importance is rising in graphic capabilities, storytelling, and
money making. It’s no wonder Hollywood is playing a big part in the
evolution of games. It’s big money. The more realistic and social these
virtual worlds become, the more culturally important they will be.<br /><br /><b>I discovered the merit of video games as an artistic/theatrical medium after</b> I became involved with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmedia_storytelling" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">transmedia storytelling</a>,
or telling many small stories to create one large story over many media
platforms. So many of the creators I know are not just video game
makers, but they are game designers in all mediums. Alternate Reality
Games (ARG) is a form of storytelling on the rise over the past ten
years. This is where reality and fiction intersect, and players
influence and sometimes create portions of the story. Interactivity and
engagement are words repeated as mantras in the transmedia world, and
invariably, whenever I see them done well, some game mechanics are
involved.<br /><br /><b>What video games in performance can provide that traditional media cannot is</b> the interaction and audience influence.<br /><br /><b>Why
should people see your Game Play show?</b> It may be unlike anything you’ve
ever experienced. If you’ve never played with the Moveable Feast app,
it certainly will be new to you. If you’ve never stepped into a
character’s shoes (don’t worry no one will pull you up on stage), then
this will be new to you. Haven’t seen a show in a site specific location
only to receive a present when you visit? You will discover a new
experience. Have you ever gone to a theater show and taken a yoga class?
You can at <b><i><a href="http://www.ny-hearts.com/" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">NY_Hearts: LES</a></i></b>.
I’m very happy to be taking many digital and traditional storytelling
tools and mashing them up to offer a unique theater experience. Oh,
yeah…and it’s going to be tons of fun!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-69999238531459678212012-07-02T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-02T10:00:07.274-04:00Meet a Master Mason Monday: Amy Overman<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYd_PQ2Nxoo/T-DF64DSMcI/AAAAAAAAACs/w-NuoBdu6Uw/s1600/Amy+Overman+2+w.o+name.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYd_PQ2Nxoo/T-DF64DSMcI/AAAAAAAAACs/w-NuoBdu6Uw/s200/Amy+Overman+2+w.o+name.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Tell us about your first show at The Brick. </b>My friend Pete Schuyler was in <i>Strom Thurmond Is Not a Racist/Cleansed</i>
in 2007. And I remember we gave him a lot of crap about going out to
Williamsburg. They had curtains down and the space open all the way to
the back wall and I loved the bricks and how huge it was. I then
promptly forgot it existed. I'm not sure I even realized what the name
of the theater was.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>How did you first get involved with The Brick? </b>I auditioned for Ian and Berit and was cast as the Model in <i>Blood
on the Cat's Neck</i> in 2009. I was the only newbie in this cast of Brick
regulars. I remember Roger Nasser telling me that the whole cast would
immediately Facebook friend me. And they did. Also, there was a lot of
blood and I wore a really fabulous dress. I think that dress is still
how a lot of people know who I am. <br />
<br />
<b>What aspect of The Brick do you love? </b>I love that the Brick is a group of experienced indie theatre
artists who are doing this because it's what they love. People who have
had shows succeed and had shows fail and who aren't doing this as a
stepping stone to Broadway or Hollywood, but are making theater for its
own sake.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">If you could move The Brick anywhere where would you put it? </span></b><span style="font-size: small;">There's actually an old movie theater at around 100th &
Broadway that's been shut down for years. I'd put the Brick there. The
fact that this is walking distance from my house is purely
coincidental. (<a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/287" target="_blank">http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/287</a>)</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>What have you gained from your experience at The Brick?</b> I have met
so many talented people. Dysfunctional Theatre's last show, <i>Unlicensed</i>,
never would have happened without the Brick. The playwright, a lot of
the actors, directors, and audience were all people I either met at the
Brick or met through Brick connections. Also a lot of these people are
now my friends, which is nice. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>What’s the best benefit of being a Master Mason?</b> An overall feeling of superiority.</span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>What is one thing you would change about The Brick?</b> Some way to
get from backstage to the back of house that doesn't involve climbing
out a window and cutting through the back of the pizza parlor. Or a
transporter. Actually, I'd really like a transporter.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Show to plug?</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> Yes! <i>Of Dice & Men</i>, which is Dysfunctional Theatre
Company's first show at the Brick opens on July 7th as part of <a href="http://www.bricktheater.com/gameplay">Game Play</a>. An awesome comedy about a group of 30-something D&D players
and what happens to their group when one of the members decides to
enlist in the Marines. No previous knowledge of D&D required, but
if you like D&D, you will find it extra awesome. I'm directing and
it stars Master Masons Gyda Arber & Adam Swiderski. 3 Master Masons
for the price of 1!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-25526007254182504502012-06-29T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-01T15:20:54.546-04:00GAME PLAY Artist Interview: Richard Lovejoy ("Rock, Paper, Scissors")<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bT3E5_c1TTM/T-S9bYdHgwI/AAAAAAAAADQ/VBYH0nxIrFc/s1600/_DSC5918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bT3E5_c1TTM/T-S9bYdHgwI/AAAAAAAAADQ/VBYH0nxIrFc/s320/_DSC5918.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>When people say video games aren’t art I</b> tend to refer them to <i><a href="http://www.molleindustria.org/everydaythesamedream/everydaythesamedream.html" target="_blank">Every Day the Same Dream</a></i> if
I'm in a good mood. If I'm not in a good mood I usually mutter to
myself, often tripping and spilling whatever beverage is in my hand.
(Note, I always have a beverage in hand for just such occasions.) </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>An obstacle in the general acceptance of video games as an art form is</b>
that they are often thought of as toys. Actually, I think the big
thing holding them back from being accepted as art is that there is an
assumption from a lot of mainstream gaming companies that the only
people who play video games are young men. As a result, the video game
market gets deluged with sexist, childish crap that isn't anything close
to art at all (this is something comic books also struggle with.)
Which is a shame, because there is so much you can do with a game that
you can't do with any other art form. When you think about early games
like Adventure or even Pong, people would gather around and watch
someone playing these games (in the case of Adventure, large groups of
people would be working out the puzzles together, and telling the person
manning the keyboard what to type down.) That was a promising start,
and I don't know what happened or why video games got as derailed as
they did, but the mainstream did go astray. And now, rather than "video
games are art" being a generally accepted statement, you have to make
an argument. Which is a shame, because all that energy you spend making
an argument about why video games are art could be better spent
creating or playing a video game that is art.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>My most emotional reaction elicited by a game was</b>
the sheer excitement of pulling the cloth map out of the Ultima V
box... Or the sadistic glee I felt after finally figuring out how to turn Mannanan into a cat (you can bet I kicked him plenty of times.)
It might have also been the sadness I felt after watching the Kilrathi
blow up the Tiger's Claw in Wing Commander II, or even the sense of
accomplishment I felt after I united both sides of Xeen. I think I have
a lot of more. Do you want to hear them? Hey, where are you going!
Get back here! I wasn't done reminiscing. GET OFF MY DAMN LAWN! Oh,
wait, I just told you to keep running. Sigh.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>I discovered the merit of video games as a theatrical medium after</b>
writing a play in the style of an old Sierra adventure game. Chris
Chappell and I were drunk, reminiscing about those old EGA adventure
titles, and how bizarre their plot structures were when you thought
about the events as literally occuring. <i>Adventure Quest</i> (which was in the inaugural Game Play Festival) was born out of that. It is currently published here: <a href="http://www.indietheaternow.com/Play/PlayDetail/195" target="_blank">http://www.indietheaternow.com/Play/PlayDetail/195</a>. (cough, cough.)<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>True or False: video games are now more culturally important than they were in the past.</b>
I think this is actually a deceptive question. The answer is obviously
true, but it is more complicated than that. Video games are more
prevalent than they were in the past, but I don't know if they're
necessarily more "culturally important" now. It really depends on what
you mean by "cultural importance." I think in the late 70s, early 80s,
they were very cutting edge and new (and thus important.) I feel as
though a lot of video games today are the creation of large firms (as
opposed to passionate individuals) and as a result they're marketed,
focus group'd and committee'd to death. To me this makes them less
"culturally important" than they could be, in the same way that new
sitcom with a tired premise is probably less culturally important than,
say, the latest Soderbergh film. Of course, that could just be my own
bias interpreting "cultural importance" as being something with an
attempt at substence when, in fact, you could make the case that
something like Friends is more culturally important than The Honeycomb
Trilogy (even though the Honeycomb Trilogy was brilliant and Friends was
arguably rubbish, it still affected society and culture 'at large' more
than the Honeycomb Trilogy.) It depends on whether or not you think
things that are cotton candy entertainment are "cultural." Which, I
suppose, they are... Maybe I'm overthinking this. I mean, heck,
McDonalds could be considered "cultural" since it is, in fact, part of
our culture. Now, to focus back on video games, Brian Fargo's Wasteland
2, which was crowd sourced is, to me, culturally important on multiple
levels. We're definitely in a transitory moment, and the old business
models are crumbling. I think there's a real opportunity for video
games to be "cultural pioneers" again and it starts with wresting
control of the medium from corporations and putting it back in the hands
of the actual artists. Don't get me wrong - corporations SHOULD have a
hand in art. When big companies provide corporate assistance to things
like the NEA, or donate money to theaters to keep them running and
capable of paying artists for their work: that's a good thing.
Patronage is great for the arts. But video games aren't treated like
part of the arts, they're treated like commodity. And that holds them
back from being culturally important in the way that only art can be. I
don't want video games to be culturally important in the same manner
that bottled water or summer blockbusters are. I want them to be
culturally important in the same manner that theater, film, and
television is culturally important. And when I say theater, I mean
everything from Broadway to Indy theater. When I say film, I mean
everything from the aforementioned summer blockbuster to the microbudget
mumblecore art house flick. I want video game companies to be
patrons for video game artists - the Brian Fargo's and Roberta
Williams's of the world. So, yes, TRUE. I mean, this festival exists,
right?<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Richard Lovejoy is the author of </i>Rock, Paper, Scissors<i>. The show runs July 7 </i>–<i> 28, 2012. Tickets can be purchased <a href="https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/914692" target="_blank">here</a>.</i> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-13710840801180606472012-06-28T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-01T15:20:37.108-04:00GAME PLAY Artist Interview: Charles Battersby ("That Cute Radioactive Couple")<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C7TumBAInnI/T-NMaUf0tVI/AAAAAAAAADE/WQkyp_r_vvY/s1600/senator+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C7TumBAInnI/T-NMaUf0tVI/AAAAAAAAADE/WQkyp_r_vvY/s320/senator+copy.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>My piece explores the intersection of theatre and gaming by</b> starting the story as a play, then continuing it as a video game. After the show, the audience can download a custom mod for a game
called Fallout: New Vegas. In the mod, players can visit locations seen
in the play and meet the characters to find out what happens to them
after the events in the play. The actors from the show voice the
characters in-game too.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>When people say video games
aren’t art I tend to</b> name 100 games that are. Have you played The
Longest Journey? No? Go play it right now. Seriously, why are you
still reading this?</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #144fae;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>
An obstacle in the general acceptance of video games as an art form is</b> all the terrible games your mom plays on Facebook. Buy your mom a
copy of Ico.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>My most emotional reaction elicited by a
game was</b> sheer terror when Psycho Mantis moved my Playstation
controller with only the POWER OF HIS MIND! How did he know I like
Eternal Darkness? HOW!<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>True or False: video games are now more culturally important than they were in the past.</b> True. A whole generation of consumers has been raised with Playstations.
They have their own cultural references that non-gamers just don't get.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #144fae;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>I discovered the merit of video games as an artistic/theatrical medium after</b> making
my first Neverwinter Nights mod. I could make the video game
characters say whatever I wanted, just like actors in a play.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>What
video games in performance can provide that traditional media cannot
is</b> interactivity! What is Skyrim but a story that the Player gets to
tell?</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>Why should people see your
Game Play show?</b> Aside from the game aspect, it's the funniest play about
the apocalypse you'll see this summer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Charles Battersby is the author of </i>That Cute Radioactive Couple<i>. The show runs July 7 </i>–<i> 28, 2012. Tickets can be purchased <a href="https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/914692" target="_blank">here</a>.</i> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-2151361645416599122012-06-27T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-01T15:20:22.573-04:00GAME PLAY Artist Interview: Kathryn Funkhouser ("The Sequel")<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dt1wrozMt14/T-NJ5K2dR4I/AAAAAAAAAC4/VqxJJtwYugk/s1600/Photo+on+2012-06-20+at+18.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dt1wrozMt14/T-NJ5K2dR4I/AAAAAAAAAC4/VqxJJtwYugk/s200/Photo+on+2012-06-20+at+18.48.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>My piece explores the intersection between theater and gaming</b> by
making the characters who inhabit the game just as "real" as the
characters playing the game.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>When people say video games aren't art I tend</b> to point to comics.
Like video games, people considered comics to be just violent stories
for kids, but the genre evolved into something sophisticated enough that
people now take it seriously. When video games find their equivalent of <i>Watchmen</i>, I think they'll start getting more respect.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<b>An obstacle to the general acceptance of games as an art form is</b> the
focus on mindless violence in a lot of popular games. However, if you
made the argument that all movies are not art because of the existence
and popularity of <i>Transformers</i>, people would think you were
crazy, so hopefully video games can travel a similar path to movies,
where crowd-pleasing violence exists but so does more thought-provoking
fare.</div>
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<b>My most emotional reaction elicited by a game is</b> probably how
nostalgic I get for growing up with my brother when I play Mario Kart.
We were (and are) a spectacular DoubleDash!! team.</div>
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<b>What video games in performance provide that traditional media cannot
is</b> connecting us to the human side of gaming. People put a lot of
themselves into games: when your avatar gets shot, no one says "my
character died." You say, "I'm dead." Having the human experience you
have playing a game represented by other humans in a theater piece helps
you think about that experience. That may or may not make sense...</div>
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<b>People should see my Game Play show because</b> our team is determined
that you'll have as much fun watching it as we're having doing it. Also,
zombies!<br />
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<i>Kathryn Funkhouser is the author of </i>The Sequel<i>. The show runs July 7 </i>–<i> 28, 2012. Tickets can be purchased <a href="https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/914692" target="_blank">here</a>. </i> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-28048185971452759002012-06-26T10:00:00.000-04:002012-07-01T15:20:05.006-04:00GAME PLAY Artist Interview: Cameron McNary ("Of Dice and Men")<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A5d6hkc9PhU/T-TVb7NbRaI/AAAAAAAAADc/8KDN7vgb3C0/s1600/4231_87040177730_2944914_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A5d6hkc9PhU/T-TVb7NbRaI/AAAAAAAAADc/8KDN7vgb3C0/s320/4231_87040177730_2944914_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<i>Of Dice and Men</i> deals with the world of tabletop roleplaying games rather than that of video games, although the issues of why we game, what it means to be a gamer, and how gaming impacts peoples' lives are much the same whether you're rolling dice or working a controller.</div>
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<b>My piece explores the intersection of theatre and gaming by</b>
presenting the act of running a tabletop RPG as theatre: giving the uninitiated an accurate picture of what roleplaying is, what it looks like, what it feels like, and (most importantly) why people do it. I used to be mystified that anyone would ever want to watch other people play D&D... until I realized TRPGs are just a form of participatory improv where the players are (usually) the only audience. It was a pretty short leap from there to putting a game session up on stage. In a broader sense, the play toys with the line between the game and the play itself... the character of John Francis is the Dungeon Master for the game within the play, but he's also the DM for the play itself. Similarly, presenting each of the Player Characters as they are perceived by their player (often in completely stylistically different ways), and then showing how that comes together into a common play experience is something I think you could only do on stage. The ability to play with stage conventions allows you to comments on the player, their character, and the relationship between in a way I don't think any other medium could quite pull off... putting a cheap fake beard on a woman in her forties, giving her a hammer and letting her tell Dwarven dick jokes directly to the audience would be awful hard to make work on film.</div>
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<b>When people say gaming isn't art I tend to</b> want to smack them, hard, because this is such a settled issue at this point. Games exist to generate narrative, and anybody that says a medium that can generate narrative can't be art has no idea what they're talking about.</div>
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<b>My most emotional reaction elicited by a game was</b>... there are too many to count at the tabletop. You kinda had to be there for just about all of them. In terms of video games, it was when SHODAN killed Dr. Polito and finally showed her stupid face in System Shock 2. Hands down. I was so hurt and furious and betrayed at being denied the only human companionship I had known for so long that I emptied two clips into SHODAN's face even when I knew it wouldn't do anything, and that ammo was incredibly precious in that game. I didn't reload my save, either; Polito deserved that much.</div>
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<b>True or False: games are now more culturally important than they were in the past.</b> Resoundingly, triumphantly true. We now have two or three generations who grew up knowing what hit points, mana and leveling up are.</div>
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<b>Why should people see your Game Play show?</b> Because it's a really good play. If you're a gamer, this play speaks for our tribe; you'll see yourself in it. If you're not, you'll get who we are and why we do what we do. Also there's a dragon.<br />
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<i>Cameron McNary is the author of </i>Of Dice and Men<i>. The show runs July 7 </i>–<i> 27, 2012. Tickets can be purchased <a href="https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/914695" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073033065023879794.post-45556801621917969762012-06-25T10:00:00.000-04:002012-06-25T10:00:02.008-04:00Meet a Master Mason Monday: Michael Criscuolo<style>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tell us about the first person you
met at The Brick. </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
first Brick person I met was Gyda Arber, but this was long before either of us
was ever connected with The Brick. We met about 10 years ago through a mutual
friend, and became pretty fast friends ourselves. A few years after that, she
started telling me about this place in Williamsburg that she’d discovered and
totally loved, and for a while after that it seemed like every time I saw her
she would say something like, “You’ve got to come do a show at The Brick.
You’ve got to come meet the people there. They’re awesome.” Eventually she wore
me down. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tell us about your first show at
The Brick. </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
first show I saw at The Brick was <i>An
Evening with Roberta Combs</i> at the Moral Values Festival in 2005. It starred
another mutual friend of mine and Gyda’s, Cathy McNelis, and was directed by
yet another mutual colleague of ours, Tim Haskell. I remember liking it quite a
bit, and thinking to myself afterwards, “Ah, so <i>this</i> is what Gyda’s been talking about.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">How did you first get involved
with The Brick? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In my
own roundabout, heel-dragging way. For many years I reviewed shows and
interviewed indie theater artists for nytheatre.com, and one of my favorite
interviews I ever did for them was with Kevin Doyle, the artistic director of Sponsored
By Nobody. I remember thinking that I really liked where Kevin was coming from,
and I liked his sense of humor. Definitely the kind of guy I’d go have a beer
and shoot the shit with. Fast forward about a year and a half after said
interview: I happened to find out that Kevin was having auditions for his next
show, <i>FOX(y) Friends</i>, which was going
up at The Brick’s Pretentious Festival in 2007, and I figured “What the hell?”
So I sent in my picture and resume, and a brief letter reminding him about our
interview. Next thing I knew I was auditioning for the show, and before I knew
what else was happening Kevin had cast me. And, suddenly, there I was on stage
at The Brick. The rest, as they say, is history. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What aspect of The Brick do you
love? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
community, hands down. The people that gravitate towards and orbit The Brick
are big-hearted, loyal, compassionate, generous, and just all-around awesome. They
work hard, play hard, and love hard. They’re fearless, inventive, and infinitely
resourceful. They trust and like each other, and embrace newcomers with open
arms. They did that with me way back when, and they have been great friends to
me in about a million different ways ever since. I cannot ever thank them
enough for that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What is your favorite show you’ve
seen at The Brick? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’ve
seen dozens and dozens of shows at The Brick that I’ve loved, but the two that
have stayed with me the most are Robert Honeywell’s <i>Greed: A Musical Love Story</i>, and Michael Gardner’s production of <i>Mountain Hotel</i> by Vaclav Havel. Both were
truly brilliant, and I still think about them quite often. They tuned me in to
the full power of all things Brick. Plus, the day I saw <i>Mountain Hotel</i> was the same day Havel himself came to see it, and
he stood behind me in the bathroom line. I mean, come the fuck on!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you could move The Brick
anywhere where would you put it? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’m
not sure I would put it anywhere else. Part of its identity is its location: in
Williamsburg, in that particular former auto garage/yoga
studio/whatever-the-heck-else-it-was. But if they did eventually move
elsewhere, it would obviously have to be somewhere that had lots of bricks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In your opinion, what makes The
Brick an incubator of emerging theater artists? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">They
encourage ambition. That’s the kind of atmosphere they cultivate. They want
people to walk in there and take huge risks. If you’ve ever dreamed of starring
in the same play you’ve written and directed, The Brick is the place to do it.
They want <i>auteurs</i> there, for lack of
a better word.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What have you gained from your
experience at The Brick? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Oh
Lord, where should I start? A lot of things. Like a lot of great friends. And
the kinds of opportunities to grow and challenge myself artistically that I
probably wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. And enough magical, wonderful,
memorable theatergoing experiences to last a lifetime. And a chance to fulfill
my lifelong dream of performing at The Public Theater. (Big up to the <i>365 Plays</i>!) I even got a survival job
from a friend there. So I owe them a great deal.<b> </b>And that’s just the stuff I remember. Did I mention the kick-ass
parties? The Brick is always an adventure.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What’s the best benefit of being a
Master Mason? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The
free spankings, for sure. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What’s something unknown about you
that you want your fellow Master Masons to know? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’m
already kind of an open book. If I reveal anything else publicly, I may end up
sleeping with the fishes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What is one thing you would change
about The Brick? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I’d
make sure there was hot running water in the sink. Number one priority. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What do you see in The Brick’s
future? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">More
of the good stuff, and then some. The sky is really the limit for The Brick.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anything you want to plug? </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Oh yeah. I will be Fringe-ing this summer with two of my fellow Master Masons. I'm going to be appearing in Maggie Cino's terrific new play, <i>Decompression</i>, directed by Patrice Miller. Maggie and I have acted together many times before (which is always a blast, by the way), but this is the first time we'll be working together as writer and actor, so that's an extra special treat. And this will be my first time working with Patrice, even though we've been friends for a while. So, I guess you could say that this will be a show of many firsts. Totally Brick-style, in other words.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span><br />
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