0 Comments
Rehearsals are underway for the revival of Natalie Menna's "Occasionally Nothing" directed by Ivette Dumeng and Produced by Robert Greer. This award winning production is a an example of Theatre of the Absurd, set in a dismal futuristic landscape and examining the rituals that either keep us sane or make us mad. It goes up at The Theater for the New City's DREAM UP FESTIVAL September 8-16 and stars Brad Fryman, Sean Hoagland and myself.
Critic Anthony P. Penning (The Modernist Beat) praised "Menna's sure command of the tools of the Theatre of the Absurd," writing, "Menna focuses not on political polemics but on the spiritual and emotional devastation that our less-than-brave new world is wreaking. The writing here is spare, brutal, and emotionally resonant." He praised the dialogue as crackling with energy and wit, and concluded, "Most artists have game-changing works, a piece that catapults them to the next level of their medium; 'Occasionally Nothing' is that work for Menna. The play clearly belongs to the same tradition of Beckett's 'End Game,' which does not rob it of its importance or necessity. It speaks to the dark shadows of the 21st-century in a vibrant and yes comic voice. It should be seen." Critic Edmond Malin (Outer Stage) compares the characters' speech to the denial of truth in our present political dialogue. They talk, he writes, "only in a captivating double speak which they have presumably needed to adopt because of bad political developments. 'Is something ever nothing?' they ask. 'Sometimes.' If this sounds like splitting hairs, just remember who got elected last year and keep reading. Such discourse and the 'endgame' which the men fear is approaching bring to mind the great Samuel Beckett. His work seems to work best in dark times. But when are we? Clay enjoys listening to 80s music, even during the apocalypse using his last battery. At one point, he suggests listening to the band New Order, which had been banned by the New World Order. What I mean to say is, pay attention and enjoy the dark humor." He quotes direct allusions to our present political situation that are, well, chilling. Under the "Grumpf" administration, the characters declare, "we've moved from discourse to dissent to verbal threats to violence...to silence."  THE ENCOUNTER OPENED THIS PAST THURSDAY NIGHT!
...as part of "The Best of This Round's On Us" a compilation of the best plays of the past six years of the short play festival. The Encounter by Michael Panes is directed by Janet Bentley with Alex C Ferrill and ME! Maiken Wiese! Vote for our play to become Nylon Fusion's next season’s full length production! I am in GROUP B- The Best of This Round’s On Us! Featuring John Patrick Shanley & Don Nigro Get your tickets today -- Buy one ticket for $20 or both groups for $30! $25.00 at door. Comes with a "Round On Us" Tickets on sale! www.nylonfusion.org Group B Dates & Times: - Week 1 -- Thursday June 28th at 8PM Saturday June 30th 8PM Sunday July 1st 5PM* (LAST MINUTE CHANGE) - Week 2 — Monday July 2nd at 8PM Friday July 6th at 8PM Saturday July 7th at 3PM Sunday July 8th 5PM - Week 3 -- Thursday July 12th at 8PM Saturday July 14th 8PM Sunday July 15th 2PM The show is running in rotation with another set of great shows, so don't miss those either! Dates and times also listed at www.nylonfusion.org  Thanks to all who came out this past weekend to see Nylon Fusion's THIS ROUND'S ON US! It was great getting to act in Michael Panes' THE ENCOUNTER with Alex Ferrill, directed by Janet Bentley! Don't miss me in the next Nylon Fusion's "This Round's On Us: Redacted Festival - The C Word" I'll be acting in THE ENCOUNTER by Michael Panes, directed by the phenomenal Janet Bentley and acting with the very talented Alex Ferrill. December 1- 2 at 9PM Playing at TADA! 15 W 28th. TICKETS ON SALE (OPEN BAR INCLUDED) https://redactedfest.brownpapertickets.com/ $20 advance tickets sale ($25 at door)   Playwright, Natalie Menna, director, Ivette Dumeng and myself after the awards ceremony. I'm super grateful to be awarded Outstanding Supporting Actress last night for playing Luella in "Occasionally Nothing" during this summer's Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. There are a lot of lean times in this field so it's really nice when you get a chance to shine. Thank you Glory Kadigan and Planet Connections! Thank you Natalie Menna, who wrote and produced an insane and wonderful female role and play. Thanks for your amazing directorial vision and lunacy, Ivette Dumeng. Thanks to Sean Hoagland and David Triacca for dealing with Luella over and over and over again and being such wonderful actors! Thanks Andy Evan Cohen for sound design and Charles C Casano for keeping us all in line. Thanks to my husband, Paco Lozano-Wiese for putting up with my nonstop Brit dialect for a month and making sure all our incredible friends came out to see the show and above all, thanks Mom, you know for all those times you supported me ruining my life by being in the theater 😉 and for sitting through it all. Much love and congratulations to all the nominees and winner's of last night's event!
 If you missed The Other Kids Ran Away, or Leni & Joseph, don't worry -- just don't miss the next Shelter show! Subscribe to their mailing list at www.theshelternyc.org and I look forward to seeing you at the next event! For now, you'll have to content yourself with the photos in the Gallery. Until next time...
This past Sunday evening was the Planet Connections Festivity's performance of Playwrights for a Cause, a collection of five protest plays, protesting everything from age and death to gentrification to institutionalized racism. It was great work all around, thought provoking pieces, well acted and directed. The performance culminated in a talk back with the playwrights and a representative from the ACLU, to whom the proceeds of tonight's event went. At the after party, Planet Connections announced nominations for their Festivity Award Show and Occasionally Nothing garnered three nominations including Outstanding Production, Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress.  The Shelter announces the Threshold Playwright Fellowship! Over the course of the past two years, The Shelter has been helping me develop my first full length play through the Sunday workshop and developmental readings. This August my play, The Other Kids Ran Away will go up in a workshop performance directed by Kat Yen in repertory with Jacob Marx Rice's play, Leni & Joseph, and two free readings of Morgan McGuire's play, tselem. If you're interested in coming to see the play, bookmark this page and I'll be updating with ticket information. If you'd like to contribute please click here to learn more about the fellowship and where you can donate!
|
NEWS
LINKSArchives
August 2018
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
