Arts Independent

Playful Substance joins
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, Israeli Artists Project, Kairos Italy Theater, New Heritage Theatre Group/Impact Repertory Theatre, New York Classical Theatre, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, Repertorio Español, and Turkish American Repertory Theater & Entertainment

 
A historic reading of Sinclair Lewis’ 1936 classic “It Can’t Happen Here,” adapted for the stage by John C. Moffitt and Sinclair Lewis; unprecedented collaboration in Yiddish, English, Spanish, Italian, Turkish and Hebrew. Viewable at 1 PM at https://nytf.org/live and only available until November 1.

Initiated and hosted by National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, nine prestigious theatre companies will come together on Wednesday, October 28 to present an unprecedented virtual play reading – in Yiddish, English, Spanish, Italian, Turkish and Hebrew – of “It Can’t Happen Here”, a dramatization of the 1935 novel by Sinclair Lewis imagining the rise of fascism in America. More than 60 actors with Israeli Artists Project, Kairos Italy Theater, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, New Heritage Theatre Group/Impact Repertory Theatre, New York Classical Theatre, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, Playful Substance, Repertorio Español and Turkish American Repertory Theater & Entertainment will participate in this one-time event.
 
Adapted for the stage by John C. Moffitt and Sinclair Lewis in 1936, “It Can’t Happen Here” was presented simultaneously by 21 theater companies under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Theater Project as fascism was on the rise in Europe. The work chronicles the rise of a demagogue who is elected President of the United States after fomenting fear and promising sweeping economic and social reforms while promoting a return to patriotism and “traditional” values.
 
The organizations are presenting the multi-lingual reading of this landmark play to bring attention to the need for greater support of the theater industry, which has been impacted in a dramatic way during the COVID-19 pandemic (and on the heels of the announcement that Broadway will not raise its curtain again until after May 2021). “It Can’t Happen Here” is a benefit, through permission from Theatre Authority, Inc. for the nine participating theater companies.
 
The reading will take place on Wednesday, October 28 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time, and then only be available for viewing until Sunday, November 1 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. The event will be presented on National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s website at https://nytf.org/live.
 
“We got hold of the script for ‘It Can’t Happen Here’ about a year ago, already knowing of its history with the Yiddish WPA theater. We had been planning to present a staged reading of this play before the pandemic struck,” said Motl Didner, Associate Director of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. “The idea to present this in several languages with many other theater companies came out of a conversation that we had with our friends at New Heritage Theatre Group / IMPACT Repertory Theatre about the need for a new Works Progress Administration to help artists and cultural organizations get through these times when we have seen the devastation of our entire industry. We are all in this together.”
 
“A powerful necessary voice from the 30s talking about today. It did happen in Italy, it can’t happen here?,” said Laura Caparrotti, President and Artistic Director of Kairos Italy Theater.
 
“The creation, history and significance of the 1930’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Theater Project, established during the great depression under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, placed a spotlight on the importance of the role of arts and culture in the United States,” said Voza Rivers, Executive Producer, and Jamal Joseph, Senior Artistic Director, at the New Heritage Theatre Group/ Impact Repertory Theatre. “Not only did the Federal Theatre Project program employ tens of thousands of workers in theater, music. arts, etc., it also supported racial integration of black and white Americans. Significant theatrical presentations were produced and presented. Because of the challenging times we are now living in today, COVID-19, systemic racism, and civil unrest, we applaud the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene for selecting the 1936 play ‘It Can’t Happen Here’ by John C. Moffitt and Sinclair Lewis. A play that brings to light a message for today that “it can happen again” if our country and citizens can’t find a way of living together peacefully and in harmony. New Heritage Theatre Group believes that the positive power of theater, music, and art can break down any and all barriers of misunderstanding.”

“Since our inception in 1977, Pan Asian Rep has promoted stories seldom told and voices seldom heard. Our productions have focused on stories of probing social justice issues, making ‘It Can’t Happen Here’ a project that aligns directly with Pan Asian’s values. We are thrilled to join this roster of change-makers in the American Theater to tell this timely tale,” said Tisa Chang, Artistic Producing Director at Pan Asian Repertory Theater.
 
“The authoritarian playbook is neat, trim and oh so effective. It takes hold so quickly, so quietly, using predictable, repeatable steps that make it easy to just follow along. Stories can be disruptive. That’s part of their power,” said Bree O’Connor, Artistic Director at Playful Substance. “It may be disheartening to hear how familiar It Can’t Happen Here sounds to our 2020 ears, but what a gift it is to have voices from 1936 reach out to disrupt THIS moment. To disrupt us.”
 
“We are all in this thing together for sure. We want to move forward as a human race not backwards. We see a lot of similarities between now and then and we need to act smarter and be better and fix our mistakes. I am so happy to be a part of a multicultural, multinational project with my friends,” added Ayse Eldek Richardson, Turkish American Repertory Theater & Entertainment’s founder.

The event is part of National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s ongoing virtual programming, Folksbiene! LIVE, an online celebration of Yiddish culture, featuring live-streamed theater, American Jewish performers, concerts, lectures, talks, and other events. Programming provides inspirational and entertaining experiences as cultural and arts venues across the country and the world remain closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
 
All Folksbiene! LIVE programs are presented at 1:00 PM. Stay in the loop and get reminders about new episodes by subscribing to Folksbiene’s newsletter, and catch up on past episodes on-demand, at nytf.org/live.
 
Prior to the presentation, Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at New York University will hold a virtual discussion (in English) between Laura Caparrotti, Artistic Director at Kairos Italy Theater, and Motl Didner, Associate Artistic Director at National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, on Thursday, October 22 at 5:00 PM. The event is free, and will be aired on Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò’s Facebook page and website.

The special event features more than five dozen actors affiliated with participating theatrical organizations. You can view the full list of participants and directors on Folksbiene’s website here and at www.nytf.org/itcanthappenhere.

About the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
 Now entering its 106th season, Tony Award-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) is the longest consecutively producing theatre in the U.S. and the world’s oldest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company. NYTF, which presented the award-winning Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, directed by Joel Grey, to sold-out audiences before it moved to Off-Broadway uptown, is in residence at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Zalmen Mlotek and Executive Director Dominick Balletta, NYTF is dedicated to creating a living legacy through the arts, connecting generations, and bridging communities. NYTF aims to bring history to life by reviving and restoring lost and forgotten work, commissioning new work, and adapting pre-existing work for the 21st Century. Serving a diverse audience comprised of performing arts patrons, cultural enthusiasts, Yiddish-language aficionados, and the general public, the company presents plays, musicals, concerts, lectures, interactive educational workshops, and community-building activities in English and Yiddish, with English and Russian supertitles accompanying performances. NYTF provides access to a century-old cultural legacy and inspires the imaginations of the next generation to contribute to this valuable body of work. Learn more at www.nytf.org.

About Playful Substance
Playful Substance is a New York based theater company dedicated to fostering new works through our Writers Groups, developmental workshops, community events and fully staged productions. We believe that lifelong artist development, work-life balance, and the vitality of an inclusive creative space are integral to the artist’s practice. “Playful Substance” is the mission; substantive work approached with joy, cooperation, sensitivity and humor. We all deserve to be seen. We also have the responsibility to see. www.playfulsubstance.com

About the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is New York’s contribution to the global responsibility to never forget. The Museum is committed to the crucial mission of educating diverse visitors about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The third-largest Holocaust museum in the world and the second largest in North America, the Museum of Jewish Heritage anchors the southernmost tip of Manhattan, completing the cultural and educational landscape it shares with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage maintains a collection of more than 40,000 artifacts, photographs, documentary films, and survivor testimonies and contains classrooms, a 375-seat theater (Edmond J. Safra Hall), special exhibition galleries, a resource center for educators, and a memorial art installation, Garden of Stones, designed by internationally acclaimed sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. The Museum is the home of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.

Currently on view is the acclaimed exhibition Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. This is the most comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the history of Auschwitz and its role in the Holocaust ever presented in North America, bringing together more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs from over 20 institutions and museums around the world. Also on view are Ordinary Treasures: Highlights from the Museum of Jewish Heritage Collection and Rendering Witness: Holocaust-Era Art as Testimony. 
 
The Museum receives general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts.  The Museum has reopened to the public with timed ticketing and limited capacity. For more information on health and safety measures, visit mjhnyc.org.

About the Israeli Artists Project
The Israeli Artists Project is a NYC based organization that promotes and presents Israeli theater, music and art. www.israeliartistsproject.org

About the Kairos Italy Theater
Kairos Italy Theater is internationally recognized as the Italian Theater Company in New York. KIT’s mission is to spread Italian Culture and to create an Italian/International Culture Network in the United States (and abroad). KIT produces plays, events, lectures, and workshops. KIT is the co-creator of In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY, that takes place in all five New York City boroughs and of OnStage!, the first American Theater Festival in Italy. KIT is the Theater Company in residence at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ at NYU. www.kitheater.com
 
About New Heritage Theatre Group/Impact Repertory Theatre
New Heritage Theatre Group (NHTG) is celebrating its 56th anniversary and is the oldest Black nonprofit theater company in New York (est. 1964). NHTG’s original mission was to present entertaining, informative, educational and first-class productions at affordable prices and preserve and institutionalize classic works by established and emerging black playwrights, authors, and artists of color. Our mission has expanded from local to global, placing an additional emphasis on international issues that impact on people of color. In 1997, playwright/director Jamal Joseph joined as Executive Artistic Director. In the same year Rivers, Joseph, Joyce Joseph, and Alice Arlen, created a NHTG youth division IMPACT Repertory Theatre a creative development leadership training program for young people that encourages members to create and marry activism with their artistic works. It combines a performing arts program, with training in the creative arts (spoken word, musical theater, dance, poetry, and songwriting) and youth leadership development, through the concept of “art-ivism”—using art and activism to change the world. www.newheritagetheatre.org and www.impactreptheatre.org

About New York Classical Theatre
New York Classical Theatre’s mission is to create and reinvigorate audiences by presenting free performances in open public spaces. Since 2000, we have produced over 40 interpretations, translations, and adaptations of timeless masterpieces for more than 250,000 people. By producing at no direct cost to our audiences, we engage neighbors from all walks of life. We activate beautiful, accessible places including: Central Park at West 103rd Street, Castle Clinton National Monument, Carl Schurz Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the Tata Innovation Center on Roosevelt Island. NY Classical offers audiences the opportunity to enjoy professional classical theatre together as a community. www.nyclassical.org

About Pan Asian Repertory Theatre
Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is the most veteran pioneer, award-winning Asian American theatre company on the East Coast. Founded by Tisa Chang and core artists in 1977 with the vision that Asian American artists can equally contribute to the excellence of American Theater with stories seldom told to promote social justice and access. Our live theatre will return with CAMBODIA AGONISTES in 2021. www.panasianrep.org
 
About Repertorio Español
Founded in 1968 by stage director René Buch and the late producer Gilberto Zaldívar, and joined by Robert Weber Federico in 1971, who now serves as Executive Producer, REPERTORIO has presented an unparalleled body of theater that promotes and divulges the rich heritage of Hispanic theater. Spanish masters like Calderón, Lope de Vega and García Lorca, renowned playwrights from Latin America and the growing body of American writers who capture the Latino experience in the U.S.—from New York City to Portland, and in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Texas, Denver and Chicago—are all at home in REPERTORIO’s programming. Also, the company has presented acclaimed translations of plays by Edward Albee, Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Gian Carlo Menotti, Eduardo De Filippo and Noel Coward.
 
The Company presents a rotating repertory of 13 different plays, musicals and dance concerts with over 300 performances every year. Its productions are seen by over 50,000 people annually at its home, the historic Gramercy Arts Theatre and on tour. Every year, approximately 20,000 students are introduced to the heritage of Spanish language theatre through its education program, ¡DIGNIDAD! www.repertorio.nyc
 
About Turkish American Repertory Theater & Entertainment
Turkish American Repertory Theater & Entertainment—TARTE—is a unique performance institution established by Ayse Eldek-Richardson in May of 2010. The productions explore aspects of Turkish identity that may be unfamiliar or unknown to many in the United States. Turkish culture developed over many centuries and each work we produce has its own related signature and design reflecting a past or current aspect of that cultural development. We hope to broaden the perception of what Turkish culture is.
 
While the company’s primary emphasis is on performing Turkish classics and original works by Turkish and American writers, plays and musical submissions with Turkish or Middle-Eastern themes are considered from American and international writers as well so as to present a repertoire of quality works to a wide range of Western audiences.

Turkish American Repertory Theater & Entertainment works on producing original plays, cabarets, and musicals by TARTE’s honorary writers and multi-ethnic writers group. TARTE also organizes educational workshops called “Drama Club” aimed at younger members every year. www.tarteusa.com

Review by Lew Antonie

Martin Basile has smacked us in the face with a film having very little dialogue and just a lot of walking around.

BLAME takes a concept you might find in a grade school project and turned it into a startling commentary about what shapes the tener of our world.

Marie Solimena stars as a young girl oppressed by her alcoholic father. This is all done through Marie’s stunning use of facial expression and body language. We see, not how her father ends up shaping the world around them, but how Marie’s reactions do. Without giving away the highly simplistic but truly imaginative plot point, we were handed a parable of how one person’s misery can truly erode an entire world. Again, without giving away the ending, the simplest move brought this reviewer to tears.

Strong characteriszation and transitions supplied by Basile and Solimena (her masterful inner dialogue sets us up for all that followed) as well as Hugo Santoro, Guiliana Sanchini, and Silvia Magnolo. The ensemble, which included Christian Mangione, Alberto Bologna, and Amedeo Pagella all delivered the message with subtle power.

One can imagine what Martin Basile could do with a bigger budget and more time.

“Through My Eyes” Tells Four Immigrant Women’s Stories of Reflection and Revolution Amid the Covid Era

Article by Alex Simmons

Obie Award-winning Off-Off-Broadway company Rattlestick Playwrights Theater,  along with and New York Theatre Salon, proudly presented Through My Eyes for their Global Forms Theater Festival, a festival committed to international and immigrant theater artists, Through My Eyes was conceived by Ines Braun and presents four solo monologues by four women performers. Each piece is the performer’s autobiographical account of lockdowns and social distancing and the emotions and introspection that comes with it. 

Vongai Shava’s Quarantine Is takes an unfiltered look at the actresses’ experience in self isolation in the wake of the pandemic, civil unrest over the death of George Floyd, and anti-immigration rhetoric from the Commander in Chief. Where, by Dorothea Gloria, recounts the performer’s escape from poverty and violence in the Philippines’ capital city of Manila. Chrysi Sylaidi infuses longing and powerlessness into Distance, a pensive speech about human contact, and the devastating feelings evoked when absent. In The Silence, Ines Braun reflects on the namesake’s association with loneliness, separation, and childhood memories of Argentina.

Each monologue is presented as voiceover with mood setting footage, performance footage of the actress, and quick editing between. The simple production values allowed the words and experiences of these four very different artists to take center stage. Despite their differences, these women all hone in on the same feelings from different perspectives. Through My Eyes gives an intimate look at the experience of artists amid a global health crisis and social upheaval, compounded with the shades of otherization felt by people of color and immigrants in the United States.

Rattlestick can be followed at @RattlestickNY on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and their eponymous Youtube channel. More information can be found at http://www.rattlestick.org.

Jay Michaels interviews Anthony Laura and Casey Hartnett

Many off-off and independent companies provide services. It’s part of being nonprofit but few keep the audience in mind as well. Many companies offer training, scholarships, internships, even housing to cast an crew on productions, but few are there when the show ends.

Face to Face Films inaugurates The Julia Initiative in honor of philanthropist, Julia Patanella, who passed away in 2004. The Initiative creates a “safe space” within Face to Face for cast, crew, and audience, who find themselves in situations of mental or physical harm.

When the world was business-as-usual maintaining a schedule of life, work, art was difficult. But now, that tribulation has been increased – in some case, almost unbearably. Producing partners, Anthony Laura and Casey Hartnett have created this initiative to help their actors, the crew, and even their patrons find a place to talk, to ask for help, and have a friendly hand and voice to assist them in getting it. A member of Face to Face is available to help find services to assist individuals in solving or at least alleviating the situation.

I sat down with Casey and Anthony about the initiative and what made them want to open their hearts this wide and go that extra mile.

This is a wonderful thing you’re doing. What brought you to create this initiative? 

CASEY: A lot of our work, stage and film productions, tells stories dealing with mental illness. Our company members are all such strong advocates for mental health, so we only felt it appropriate to give audiences and followers of our work a space to feel like they can safely reach out to us if they feel inspired to talk about their own mental health. From there we can direct them to appropriate resources and programs.

ANTHONY:  We wanted to create our initiative to provide a safe space for people who interact with our company and productions.  It was important for us to find a way to give resources to people who may be suffering and may not know where to look.  By comprising a list of phone numbers, websites and individual recommendations, our company can point people in the direction of hope for whatever they’re struggling through.  It’s important to note that this isn’t only for depression or anxiety, but other illnesses and situations that can lead to mental health decline, such as domestic violence, sexual assault and bullying.

If it’s not too personal to ask… was there anything in your life that made you decide to undertake such a program? 

ANTHONY:  I suffered with depression and anxiety from a very young age, and though I had a very supportive family, sometimes the help I needed wasn’t easy to find.  I would find myself coming across road blocks of websites that were inaccurate or phone numbers no longer in service.  I wanted to help provide a clearer path of resources.  The Julia Initiative is named after my Aunt Julia who was a nurse and someone who was always willing to lend a hand.  She was one of the many women who raised me growing up and helped support me creatively and personally with my development as an artist and a person.  She taught me that a life spent serving others and helping others is the only way to live a successful life.  She passed away in 2004.  The initiative is named after her and dedicated to her memory.

CASEY: Mental illness is so common, I’ve certainly had some sort of relationship with it and have seen friends and family suffering and working through their own mental illnesses, so I think it’s something that affects so many people but is still so stigmatized to share and talk about. So we want to open the conversation and allow people to talk about it safely.

Have you thought about how this could blossom? How do you see this project growing? 

CASEY: Hopefully the initiative will grow as the company grows and as we expand on our body of work being produced, reaching more people. I think over time it will give a greater meaning to our company of Face to Face Films and help solidify others’ understanding of who we are as artists and creators and what we believe in.

ANTHONY:  Casey and I hope, as our company grows, our initiative continues to grow to eventually be able to employ therapists and maybe even our own hotline with trained professionals who can provide assistance.  Overall, we would love for the initiative to not only help people in the United States but all over the world who are suffering.

This IS a strong undertaking… Do you have any major concerns regarding it? 

CASEY: I suppose, I just hope that we can successfully help guide those who need some direction of where to go for help and resources. People who feel very alone in working through their mental illness.

ANTHONY:  I don’t currently have any concerns.  I’m very excited to see it start up!

How can someone reach you? And what do they need to employ your services? 

CASEY: We will have an email address set up where they can email us and someone will reply with either resources or programs that they can look into. We are here to listen to their stories if they feel like sharing and need a place to vent and then guide them from there.

ANTHONY:  People can reach us on Instagram @facetofacefilms and DM us.  Or by e-mailing us at facetofacefilms2020@gmail.com.  All responses can take up to 48 hours to return which is why we urge anyone suffering and needing immediate assistance to call a hotline or 911.

Artistic Director ANTHONY LAURA with his aunt JULIA PATANELLA

Shakespeare from the American Point of View

A discussion of the book, Shakespeare in a Divided America written by James Shapiro, published by Penguin Press, 2020

Article reprinted by permission from its author, Domenick Danza, from his blog, https://morethantheplay.blogspot.com/

I have not written a blog post since March 7, before the pandemic became our norm.  It was a strange day when theatres in New York closed.  We all know the bad luck associated with using the work “closed” or “shutdown” when talking about theatre.  We say the theatre is “dark.”  And it is definitely a dark period.  I enjoy writing for my blog because I share my experiences.  Live theatre, which I miss terribly, is all about the experience.  I usually attend alone, meaning I go by myself, but I have a shared experience with anywhere from two hundred to two thousand people.  We commune.  Then, when I share that experience here on this blog, I commune again.  That is what I most value in about live theatre.

What I’ve been doing these past few weeks, aside from teaching remotely, is reading.  I’ve been reading fiction, which is rare for me, as well as plays and non-fiction, which, as a grad student in the Goddard MFA Creative Writing low residency program with a focus on playwriting, is where most of my time is spent.  Sharing books and thoughts about what I’ve been reading is much more a personal/intellectual conversation than sharing a communal theatre experience, but I’d like to give it a try.  I will keep the topics focused on theatre.  Let’s start with Shakespeare in a Divided America by James Shapiro.  It is a truly fascinating read.

I am a late bloomer to Shakespeare.  Reading his works have always been difficult for me.  My experience seeing numerous productions of the Drilling Company’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, which I have written about on this blog, opened the door for me to understand and enjoy the world of William Shakespeare.  Mr. Shapiro’s many books have provided me a frame for Shakespeare’s work, both historically and socially.  His latest book, Shakespeare in a Divided America, focuses this frame directly on our American culture, right up to the present day.  He writes about John Quincy Adams’ documented response to the character of Desdemona in Othello, illustrating how this well-known abolitionist harbored a racist perspective.  This reinforces what we have come to know about the detrimental effects of implicit bias today.  Mr. Shapiro also takes a very close look at how Prospero’s treatment and attempt at educating Caliban in The Tempest heightened the debate around the immigrant experience in the early 20^th century, and carries forward to the present.  And yes, there are some very steamy chapters about marriage, adultery, and same sex love as reflected in the The Taming of the Shrew and the development of the 1999 Academy Award winning movie, Shakespeare in Love.

My favorite chapter was about Macbeth and the connection between Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth’s knowledge and understanding of this tragic character.  Since I teach this play with my 5th Grades classes, it is the Shakespeare work that is most familiar to me.  The complexity of the characters and the subtlety in Shakespeare’s political commentary on England under the reign of King James are brilliant and fascinating.  Finding out how these complexities were appreciated and quoted by both Lincoln and Booth illuminate the magnitude and universality in Shakespeare’s writing.

These historic debates become relevant as Mr. Shapiro writes from this personal experience of the political and threatening response to The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park 2017 production of Julius Caesar.  These stories all link together to reveal how the responses to Shakespeare in this country illustrates how we have been a very divided nation throughout our history.  Whether you are a Shakespeare fan or a history buff, this book is an enlightening read.

Domenick Danza

Infinite Variety Productions broke new ground earlier this year with Nellie and the Women of Blackwell. This immersive piece based on the true story of a reporter going undercover to expose the truth behind 19th Century mental institutions, garnered great reviews and visibility from TimeOutNY and others for its new style and unusual – but timely topic. 

Now immersive is a bad word. 

Infinite Variety Productions presented a video of the trip around the building turned asylum and then created an engaging Q&A for all those that saw it and wanted to learn more and those that didn’t get the chance as it ended abruptly for reasons known around the world. 

The engaging hour, hosted by Jay Michaels, featured commentary by Jessica Schechter (Director); Ashley Adelman (Playwright, Tillie, Mrs. Standard); Kate Szekely (Nellie); Janessa Floyd (Mrs. Caine, Nurse Grupe); Nicole Orabona (Editor, Police Officer, Nurse Scott, Carrie, Jane, and DA Vernon); Joe Helmreich (The Doctor voiceover); Andrew Dunn(voice overs, sound, and scenic design); Cassandra Jeffries(House Manager); Hadley Katherine David Todoran (Stage Manager). 

The realistic trip through what famed reporter Nellie Bly went through to uncover the truth about how women, the mentally challenged and even immigrants were treated in the late 19th century was filled with stunning theatrical touches. Andrew Dunn constructed then deconstructed a haunted house for the setting, allowing for unsettling effects to become real in a unique way while the concept of the doctors being puppets of the nurses was handled by the doctor – ready for this – being played by a puppet with a creepy and humorous voiceover by Joe Helmreich. Jessica Schechter, Ashley Adelman, and star,  Kate Szekely, gave stunning accounts of the creation of this piece. One can easily grasp their fount of knowledge on, not only, the topic, but the art of theatre as well. Nicole Orabona brough great wisdom to the technique being a veretan of the burgeoning immersive theatre. And one could only open their heart to stage manager Hadley Todoran as they described being in a box with endless equipment operating the multitude of rooms and effects the immersive building offered. All artists came away from the experience with a  deeper dimension of being an actor as each night brought another audience that was as alien to the setting as Nellie Bly may have been herself. One night, a patron decided to assuage his fears by heckling. He was quieted without the rest of the crowd figuring it wasn’t part of the show. 

IVP tells true stories. It’s original work and even revivals are human exploitation. The open discussion – no matter how electronic – was just as much a human experience.   

Follow them on Facebook and view the video and talkback

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N0j7Yl9LzE&fbclid=IwAR2z2U9ZbDPUnDhRzk6JPBOoNFU8draUgMxb-A7mH4jWqj6JUzmcA7HlA4Y

https://www.facebook.com/IVPNYC

Jay Michaels continues his exploration through the current uncertainty of the arts. 

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. A time when you step outside in your finest and – if you are an stage or film artists – a time to present your wares at festivals and production houses.

Well, this year looks a lot different.

In speaking with many artists, I’ve heard joyous “I’m getting ready to burst [back] on the scene” to “I’m going to tread lightly” to “I’m speaking to you from my parents’ home … where I shall stay.”

Granville Wyche Burgess has been a member of the stage, screen, and television universe for half a century. Award-winning and recognized, Granville was promoting his new musical, COMMON GROUND when the ground was pulled out from under him. Maybe it was his many years in the biz, but he is looking at the newbies before himself:

“I can’t imagine a vaccine being ready before at least one year, and that seems to mean that people may not gather together before then.  I write that sentence well-knowing that I can’t imagine what that world would look like.  I am at the back end of my career. I keep thinking about those who are just starting their careers or are currently in theatre programs.” In terms of health, he’s family first, “I wake up every morning praying for the health of all those I love and thanking God for those who are on the front lines, praying that they can be safe.”

Finally, when looking at the other side of change, it is here that his faith takes the wheel again, “Humans are adaptable: once we have the vaccine we will be able to resume a life that looks almost like it did before coronavirus.  The fear will fade. If there is a silver lining in all this, it will be that leaders will understand that we must cooperate across nationalities in upgrading our public health readiness or we will suffer more pandemics, more deaths, more disruption, and more despair.”

In a career of equal length, writer/reviewer Robert Viagas is holding on tight, “I was on the verge of bringing four major projects to fruition, one of which included a contract that was supposed to be signed the day they closed all the theatres. Conversely, there was a book project that I had set aside when all these other projects cropped up. I’m now deep into work on finishing that one. Perhaps all will come through.”

He sees both sides of the future and again, will simply wait-in-the-wings, “Live theatre has been in a wonderful Renaissance over the last two decades. I’m worried that the world economy will crawl out of this plague only to plunge into an economic Depression.”

That brought up in him his own great fear, “I’m concerned that people will have gotten so used to separation and so fearful of gathering together that the love of community so necessary to live theatre will be lost or compromised.”

But again, both sides are there in Mr. Viagas’ mind, “On the other hand, perhaps people will miss it so much that they will flock together again—but protected by vaccines and effective treatments that are being developed. I fear the former scenario and hope for the latter.”

Laurie (center) with the last Steve Silver and Thomas J. Kane at Sardis

“I am not changing my career as a Director.  If I plan to change anything, I may consider acting more in the future.  I recently had a very challenging experience acting in a play called AFTER THE HANGING.  The play took place in the South in 1927 and the subject matter was rather difficult and disturbing to me personally. I had to do research into that time period.  Another avenue I would like to explore next is playwriting.” Laurie Rae Waugh, one of the leading directors at the American Theatre of Actors, is looking at this like Robert Viagas. She has time, so she will fill her arsenal with art and be ready to explore all new avenues when we can again, walk the avenues. She is doing this to help her friends and to be part of a new off-off Broadway movement.

“Because many actors work in these fields to pay the rent and make ends meet, this may stop some truly gifted actors from pursuing their passion which is acting” she says wearily, but she imagines indie being in charge when this all ends … at least for a little while, “I believe that due to social distancing and the current economic climate we are in, theatre goers are going to flock and embrace smaller and more affordable theater companies in the future.”

And speaking of the ATA, “I plan to continue acting, directing, designing sets, sound & lights, and playing music,” said Ken Coughlin a repertory member of Laurie Rae Waugh and technical director of the landmark American Theater of Actors, but, I hear a “but” … “BUT I’m most afraid of the affect this will have on others. I have already lost several friends, with the unfortunate expectation of losing others. I also know some who will not recover financially. In addition, I’m afraid of the affect this will have on the children, how their family units will be affected, and how this interruption will change their education.” Ken is hopeful thanks to open hearts around him but cynical due to closed minds, “While I see some evidence of good will and charity during this crisis, which I sincerely hope will continue, I see little evidence of a closing of  the Left – Right political divide.”

Nannette (second from the right, just above husband and fellow improv’r, Robert Baumgardner) with her IRTE-TEAM

For nearly a decade, the Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble has led the charge bringing quality entertainment to audiences hungry for imaginative and unique products. Combining theatrical structure with improvisational skilling has made them a household name, but now, Nannette Deasy, the artistic director is in a quandary – how do you lead a charge when you are sheltering in place?

“We have a very supportive community that really came through during our recent fundraiser,” Nannette said enthusiastically, “Because of their support, we hope to pick back up again when we’re given the all clear and resume the season in September or October or ?” She fears what Robert feared and, in a way, even Granville expressed the same concern, although this counters Laurie’s bright(er) hopes.

“I’m afraid that a lot of the smaller indie theatre companies may not be able to afford to produce at the level they were used to and that the ones who do manage to weather the storm, may not find available spaces. Affordable theater rentals and entertainment venues in NYC were at risk before the current crisis. Many more will probably disappear in the year to come. I’m also afraid that many of our artists may no longer be able to afford living and creating in New York.”

Remember the guy who called me from his parents’ home?

Ashley Adelman of Infinite Variety Productions allowed inspiration to take her over instead of depression. And speaking of the depression … “there was a great article I read that mentioned the Federal Theatre Project. I started a thesis about them. After the Great Depression this was funded by the WPA. It led to so many great pieces of art. And even though the government eventually shut it down, it pushed the limits and gave artists money that was needed. And is how we ended up with regional theatre.”

It also was the unofficial birth place of off and off-off Broadway thanks to “the Cradle will Rock.”

“The arts will be needed when this is over. And like the Federal Theatre – it should be ‘free, adult and uncensored” she said with great enthusiasm.

Known for her immersive works, Ashley is looking below for her next event,

“I am interviewing the underground astronauts. I have two interviews and will be working on my third. This was to be a documentary immersive piece, but I am now rethinking. I still want to do documentary immersive theatre. However, the immersive part will have to be rethought. The type of theatre I was looking to took away the 4th wall from actor and artist and since it was based on actual events and people – it placed people nowadays in that time period and given circumstances. History could come out of a book. An audience member could walk in person’s shoes and have a better understanding of someone else from another time, place or circumstance.

The last show IVP did before Covid- 19 was an immersive documentary piece based on the expose Nellie Bly wrote. Audience members got to see what it was like to be called “insane” when you were simply, different, acts out against the establishment or without family and resources. It led to further conversations of how this relates to institutions nowadays, journalism in the present and other conversations of how things have or have not changed since Nellie’s time. It was inspiring. Then the world changed. I am not sure how to proceed as I still want people to feel for each other, to understand each other. To take the hand of a patient from the late 1800s and be able to ask them questions. But how? And will we be able to bring theatre back to a place of a small black box there? To intimate settings? I do not know.” 

“I do want to help the theatre community. That I know,” she said, “What we are seeing with Covid is how important the arts are during these hard times. Not just to divert our attention to happier times or even to absorb oneself in a great piece of art but to make sure artists are treated with the respect they deserve. When this is over, and artists are able to convene again – we should not go back to fighting for theatre space. We should be helping each other to convert any space into an environment for art. To work on petitions that treat artists as workers and not unpaid interns. But as I sit on my computer and type this up, I am unsure of how to do that. Until the world opens again, I can only talk to other artists and see how I can help from behind a screen.”

Seems Ashley, like Nannette is ready to lead the charge – once she can simply move!

Like Ken, Ashley looks at the future with hope but a bit of fear, “…once we are allowed to be out in the world again we won’t come together in taking steps forward but instead let competition or fear pave the way.”

An indie resurgence? An artistic evacuation from NYC? More plays, less spaces, more money to pay but less money to give?

Lots of articles, lots of opinions and only one things is for sure …

We know nothing for sure.

See you on the other side.