NO SECOND ACTS Interview: Crystal Skillman (“Cheer,” Bill A)

My one-act play provides a definitive American experience by giving you lady teachers in love! Only way to get through the crazy life - and educational system - is to move on, and Cheer discovers the answer is indeed love! And giving Bloomberg a kick in his butt over his educational choices wouldn't hurt ... hmmmm.

I am proud to be an American because I am - wait am I proud to be an American? Well we did pioneer the musical ...
 

For me the defining moment in American history is 1776 the musical! 

True or False: Theater will save America. (sung to American the Beaut!)

America!

America!

Less Revivals Shall There Be!

Please produce More New Plays!

To Make Us Happy for Days!
Then our audience could truly be ... FREE!

AMERICA!!

NO SECOND ACTS Interview: Justin Maxwell (“I’m in Al-Qaeda,” Bill A)

My one-act play provides a definitive American experience by causing a man of deep devotion to want to blow himself up.

I am proud to be an American because as a guy who is overweight and out of shape, I fit in well.

For me the defining moment in American history is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand--okay, so that's world history, but the sooner we figure out we live in the world, the better.

True or False: Theater will save America. False. Too many Americans believe God will save us by divine fiat, and there aren't enough of us in theater to pull it off alone.

NO SECOND ACTS Interview: James Comtois (“Moving Forward,” Bill B)

My one-act play provides a definitive American experience by reminding you why sometimes, it doesn't pay to show up to the polls early.

I am proud to be an American because none of yer goddamned business, that's why. Now get the hell offa my lawn. FREEDOM!

For me the defining moment in American history is this upcoming Democracy festival. No, wait. That's not history. That's the future. I keep getting those mixed up.

True or False: Theater will save America. That's insane. False. I always thought that theatre is to America as what Woodrow Wilson was to Henry Cabot Lodge. Are they laughing?  Did it get a laugh?  I can't hear the Internet from here. I heard that historic US political rivalry jokes play like gangbusters here.

The Next Steps for DEMOCRACY

American Democracy has been called a “great experiment,” and the Democracy project at The Brick was created with that idea in mind. This means that, as with all experiments, the conclusion was not foretold – it was a leap into the unknown that has, in the end, landed us in an unexpected but promising place.

We’re very excited about the applications we’ve received, and, based on the number of shows that registered, it will be possible for us to accommodate all of them without asking the public to vote for which ones we feature. As such, we’re canceling the scheduled Primary Election event on Tuesday, April 3, at which time we will announce the General Election Candidates (i.e., shows) en masse and share the campaign videos that they created for your entertainment.

After this, the rest of Democracy will proceed as planned. In June, the shows will go on to compete for the title of President of The Brick. There will be much grandstanding and high drama and cunning oratory on display – both in and out of the plays. We’re sure that democracy will be even more fun in the theater than it is on the news shows and in the voting booths that clutter up this great nation of ours, from sea to shining sea. We hope you’ll join us.

[Insert name of deity or higher power] Bless America,

The Brick

DEMOCRACY FAQs

The Brick recently simplified the process and extended the deadline to apply for its upcoming DEMOCRACY performance festival in June. In order to prevent confusion, we’ve put together this FAQ in three categories: GENERAL, FOR CANDIDATES (aka ARTISTS) and for VOTERS (aka AUDIENCES). If you have any more questions, write democracy@bricktheater.com.

GENERAL

Q: So seriously – the shows in this year’s summer festival are going to be decided by popular vote?
A: Yes. For the most part.

Q: What does that mean?
A: The 12 shows that receive the most votes will each be guaranteed a slot of four performances during June.

Q: And what about the shows that don’t get voted in?
A: Well, they’ll have to take their lumps – the people have spoken. Look at it this way: It’s no more arbitrary than a more traditional taste-based artistic curation process.

Q: So no exceptions?
A: Well, The Brick is a powerful lobby – it might be able to pull some strings in order to feature a small number of additional worthy shows.

Q: Isn’t that corrupt?
A: Did the Supreme Court basically elect George W. Bush president – despite losing the popular vote – by making a politically-motivated end run around the Constitution?

Q: Just because corruption exists doesn’t mean it’s an excuse for other people to be corrupt.
A: No, but a massive history-changing judicial decision isn’t equivalent to the programming decisions of a 50-seat theater space in Brooklyn.

Q: If you’re willing to be critical of the U.S. government, don’t you think you should hold yourself to a higher standard of responsibility?
A: We’ll try to remember that the next time we deposit a $500,000 grant check from the NEA. (Or from anyone, for that matter.) Until then, we’re comfortable bending our own rules for the greater good.

FOR CANDIDATES (aka ARTISTS)

Q: So me and/or my company wants to “run for office” on behalf of our show. All we need to do is fill in a registration form and create a short video “campaign ad?”
A: That’s right.

Q: When you first announced this project, you included a form to collect 50 signatures and a live “candidate debate” was scheduled. What happened?
A: Well, the people spoke. We received feedback that the original system was too complicated, so we streamlined it.

Q: Uh, thanks. I guess. So the form is pretty self-explanatory, but what about this video: What should be in it?
A: It’s an opportunity to sell your show to the public. So it can be anything that would be acceptable to post on YouTube (i.e., no full-frontal). You can earnestly explain your show, you can directly beg for votes, you can run a smear campaign against the other shows, you can indict Broadway for war crimes – it’s up to you. Just make it short, and make it appealing.

Q: How should I get you the video?
A: You should send the raw video file to democracy@bricktheater.com via YouSendIt or a similar service, at the same time you send your registration form. We’ll process it and upload it to our YouTube page, so the public will see all of the videos together.

Q: What if I can’t make a video?
A: If neither you nor any of your friends have a smartphone or a Flipcam or whatever the kids are using these days, you can come to The Brick on the evening of Wednesday, March 14, and The Brick will help you. Write to democracy@bricktheater.com to make an appointment.

Q: When do I need to get all of this done by?
A: By 11:59pm on Friday, March 30. The “primary election” will be held one week later, on Tuesday, April 3 – plenty of time for you to get out the vote among your friends and family on behalf of your show.

Q: And what do I get if I’m “voted in” to the festival?
A: You will get no fewer than four performances of your show, a tech rehearsal, 50% of all the show’s box office proceeds, free publicity/press representation and a chance to run against the other shows for the office of President of The Brick.

Q: So what does it mean to run for President of The Brick?
A: All of the shows in the festival will be competing for this title throughout the month of June, culminating in a vote at the beginning of July in which the show with the most votes will be declared the victor. The run of your show and the publicity surrounding it will be your “campaign,” and you can use every trick in the book (dirty or otherwise) to get out the vote on behalf of your show – attack videos, stumping outside of the theater between shows, campaign buttons – whatever crazy stuff you can think of.

Q: What are the perks of being President of The Brick?
A: The President of The Brick is sworn in for a two-week term of office during the month of January 2013, coinciding with the inauguration of the winner of this year’s U.S. presidential election. The President will have full jurisdiction over The Brick’s programming for that period, to mount whatever show or shows the producing company wishes (within the reasonable strictures of The Brick’s by-laws).

Q: Okay, that’s pretty cool. I have a Wagnerian multimedia reimagining of the iconic first season of Clarissa Explains It All that I’ve always wanted to put up.
A: Sounds great.

Q: So how exactly does the voting work? Both to get into the festival and to be elected president?
A: Let’s open a new section for that.

FOR VOTERS (aka AUDIENCES)

Q: I’m interested in voting in the “primary election” to decide what shows get selected for the Democracy festival in June. How can I do that?
A: Visit bricktheater.com on Tuesday, April 3 and click on the link to the voting site. (You can also get there by following us on Facebook or Twitter.) Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm. You’ll be asked to vote for one show that you’d like to see in the festival – choose wisely.

Q: How can I be sure that the voting will be fair?
A: We’ll be using surveymonkey.com as our voting software – it records whenever a particular IP address has voted, and prevents it from being used to vote a second time.

Q: But what if I have two computers in my home? Does that mean I can vote twice?
A: Shush.

Q: Um… okay. And what about the voting for President of The Brick in June? Will that be online too?
A: No. Primary voting calls out all the yahoos and weirdos (no offense), so it makes sense to do it online. For the far more important and respectable presidential election, we need the most solid, committed stock of voter available. For that reason, voting will be held live at The Brick itself, all day on Sunday, July 1.

Q: So I need to show up in person on that day if I want to cast my ballot?
A: Yes. And to show you how seriously we’re taking this civic duty, the ballot box will be onstage.

Q: So everyone can watch me vote? That’s awful.
A: There will be a privacy curtain.

Q: That still feels creepy.
A: That’s your opinion.

Q: Okay, Democracy is weird.
A: Do you mean in terms of the actual U.S. government, or The Brick’s project that we’re discussing?

Q: Well, I dunno. Both, I guess.
A: Well, that’s satire for you.

Q: That’s what you’re calling it? Satire?
A: Maybe.

Q: Well, I at least hope it’s entertaining.
A: Oh, don’t worry – so do we.

Introducing The Brick's Next Summer Festival...

In recent history, the integrity of our election process, the functionality of the U.S. government and the basis of the American Dream have been frequently questioned. Can the Supreme Court elect The President? Can the Executive Branch commence a war without Congressional approval? Can the Congress filibuster Federal agencies out of existence? If corporations are people and money is speech, is power for sale and can my Super PAC buy it? Can my bank foreclose on it and bet on its future? Can the 1% loan it to the 99% at 100% interest?

The elite protects power the way The Brick chooses artists: selfishly and privately, with the outward illusion of fairness and the inside politics of appeasement.

But not any more.

This year, The Brick will return the country to its foundational roots with a social experiment entirely free from oppression, cronyism, and the influence of money.

We, the producers, of The Brick Theater, Inc.,

present

A summer theater election of the people, by the people, for the people.

Vote early and often.

_______________________________________________________

HOW IT WORKS

In an election year, it is important for all U.S. citizens to do their patriotic duty. For that reason, The Brick is extending its annual Summer Theme Festival Series with DEMOCRACY, an experiment in civic curation that asks audiences to vote for the shows that will participate in our traditional June festival. From there, they will compete with each other during a runoff election cycle in June to determine who will win the title of President of The Brick.

Interested candidates must fill out a Campaign Registration Form at bricktheater.com in order to be eligible for the Primary Election, which will be held on Tuesday, March 20. Candidates are also required to create a campaign ad (to be hosted on The Brick's YouTube page) and send a representative to The Brick for a live Primary Debate on Sunday, March 18, where they will be allowed to plead their case before the public. Primary voting will take place online and be open to everyone on the Internet. The 12 shows with the most votes will be invited to take part in the General Election in June, where they will compete with each other to be elected President of The Brick, for a term beginning in January 2013.

Over the course of June, the candidates involved in the General Election will each have no fewer than four Public Appearances (i.e., performances) at which to bring their case directly to the voters, along with multiple other events and online campaigns that leverage social media, endorsements from prominent political and artistic figures, etc. The General Election cycle will conclude on Sunday, July 1, with live voting that will take place exclusively in-person at The Brick, at the end of which the winner will be announced prior to a gala celebration.

While the open election process forbids us from declining candidates based on race, creed, sexual orientation, subject matter, etc., we do encourage candidates whose Public Appearances will be most concerned with the themes of Democracy - its history, its process, our great country's past, present and future, and all related subject matter and ideas pertaining to the word itself and the concept of popular government.

Interested candidates must provide the following materials to democracy@bricktheater.com by Friday, March 16:

• A Campaign Registration Form filled out to the satisfaction of the Brick Election Committee
• A Campaign Ad of no less than 30 seconds and no more than one minute in length, which will be housed at The Brick's YouTube page
• A scanned and emailed Campaign Petition of no fewer than 50 signatures to ensure the popular support of the Candidate
• Confirmation that a representative of the Candidate will be appearing at the Primary Debate on Sunday, March 18 (remote appearances via Skype will be acceptable for out-of-town Candidates)

For more information, visit bricktheater.com or write to democracy@bricktheater.com.

We appreciate your eagerness to submit to the Democratic Process that has made this Country so Great.*

__________________________________________________________

* Paid for by Citizens Win of The Brick Theater, Inc. www.citizenswin.com Not authorized by The Brick Theater, Inc. or The Brick Theater, Inc.'s committee. Citizens Win of The Brick Theater, Inc. will only be possible with contributions and involvement with citizens who believe The Brick Theater, Inc. and its ideas and solutions make sense for the country. We need patriots to participate in these efforts to propel The Brick Theater, Inc. to the future where it can effectively contrast our vision for America with that of the developing theater world. We hope you will join us at this important and crucial time in our history by making a gift and by being involved. Citizens Win of The Brick Theater, Inc. is an independent expenditure-only committee. Citizens Win of The Brick Theater, Inc. may accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations.

Aaron Baker

Aaron Baker was our Clint Eastwood. He rode into town one day from out of nowhere and with his signature cocked-double-eyebrow expression, said nothing.

Nobody knew who he was. Tall, stocky, bald, chain smoker. Looking like he was ready to deliver a message from your bookie. Then, mysteriously, and again almost without a word, he volunteered to help you strike your set, build your complicated website, edit your feature film, perform the supporting part in your play, copyedit your promotional literature, buy a seat to every show you ever perform, orchestrate your multi-platform interactive cell phone environmental theater experience from a remote location, and cook you a gourmet dinner.

When he did speak, it was short and to the point. A few syllables in that trademarked smoky, understated, throaty bass voice of his. It was so spare you often worried you weren’t getting the whole picture. Why doesn’t he say anything? Is he angry? Depressed? Lulling me into a false sense of security until he has the opportunity to kill me? He can’t truly be the open-hearted artist trapped inside the exterior of a fierce gun-for-hire, traveling from town to town, dispensing gratuitous kindness wherever he roamed that he appeared to be, can he?

He could. And much more. He was an illustrator. And a musician. And a graphic designer. And a software engineer. And a grammar Nazi. And a television producer. And a writer. And a filmmaker. And a clown. And an actor. And a director. And a photographer. And a fanatic. And a nerd. And a fiancé. And a friend.

He was a jack of all trades and master of all.

He was a master ninja of life.

He was the man with no name.

To many among us, he was known simply as Walkup, Walkup.

Brick staff members will recognize that nom de plume from the theater’s ticketing system, which requires a first and last name to enter a sale into the computer. If a theatergoer refuses, or if the box office staffer forgets, the system records Walkup, Walkup as the patron’s name. Aaron was always Walkup Walkup. He absolutely insisted. Everyone knew his name. And everyone knew when he was in attendance. But no one could prove it.

Well Aaron, my friend? I have bad news for you. I can prove it. Today a packed house of your friends and loved ones bears irrefutable witness that you were here. Today, this jury of your peers will take in a wealth of video, still photography and testimonial evidence that will go to prove, beyond all reasonable doubt, that Aaron Baker was here. Future accountants and Ticketing Managers of The Brick will pour over the hundreds of performances we host for years to come and from years past and see listed on the presale register of nearly every show, that eternal smoking gun: Walkup, Walkup. You were here, Aaron Baker. And you will always be here. Ninja, cowboy, spaceman, chupacabra, brick. Ride on, Aaron. Ride on.