x
We are so excited to introduce a new program. Each week we will invite a member of our community to be a guest blogger. They will post at least one blog (but they can post as many as they like) and respond to your comments and questions.
Our very first guest blogger will be Jeffrey Keenan. A prolific theatre artist and good friend, Jeffrey has seen it all and done it all.
In the seven years between 1997 and 2004, Jeffrey Keenan wrote, directed, produced and/or acted in over 30 professional theatrical productions in and around Washington D.C., including The Shakespeare Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Olney Theater Center, and the Woolly Mammoth Theater Company in addition to refounding and leading in 1997 The Actors’ Theater of Washington (currently Ganymede Arts), to explore and investigate the American GLBT experience. In those seven years, Mr. Keenan’s productions, actors and designers were nominated for numerous Helen Hayes Awards and national Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Awards. His productions grossed more than $1,000,000 dollars in theaters never larger than 125 seats. The Washington Post once called him “perfection.” In the summer of 2004, he tired of consistent poverty so he sold out. He now works for a Manhattan law firm making more money than he’s ever made before in his entire life. He had the great good fortune to move to Manhattan three years ago and was honored to be asked to write the 2006-2008 New York Innovative Theater Awards shows. Mr. Keenan is thankful every day that he lives in a city with so many incredibly diverse and creative theater artists and he wants some of them to hire him to direct again for those moments when he's not rolling around in his piles and piles of cash.
Jeffrey will be blogging about year-end funding concerns, a topic that affects us all.
Please check back January 4 - 9 to read Jeffrey's blog(s), join the conversation, share your thoughts and maybe discover something new.
x
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
x
Happy Holidays everyone.
We are wishing you all full houses, loads of excellent reviews and many fulfilling OOB creations this year.
Happy New Year!
x
Happy Holidays everyone.
We are wishing you all full houses, loads of excellent reviews and many fulfilling OOB creations this year.
Happy New Year!
x
Friday, December 11, 2009
Support us with Letters from Santa
x
Do you have nieces, nephews, children of your own or friends with kids?
If so…. The IT Awards needs you.
We know it is a tough year and most folks don’t have $100 or even $20 to donate. That’s why this year we decided on a fundraiser that is fun, in the holiday spirit and creates so much joy for such a small price.
PERSONALIZED LETTERS FROM SANTA TO YOUR CHILD
Personalized, Addressed to your Child and Postmarked from the North Pole
$5 Personalized typeset letter to your child
$10 Personalized handwritten letter to your child
During this magical and exciting time of year, every child is anticipating their visit from Santa and the joys and surprises of Christmas morning. Enhance their Christmas experience with a handwritten, personalized letter from Santa, addressed to your child and postmarked from the North Pole. Even the most skeptical child will believe the authenticity of this special keepsake.
And if you are really in the holiday spirit, you can really help out by helping us spread the word about this service.
x
Sunday, December 6, 2009
New Housing for Actors
x
Crain's Business reported that the Actors Fund will be opening a new 160-unit residential building in Newark, NJ specifically for low income performing and entertainment professionals. The fund is looking for additional real estate in NYC to continue its goal of providing affordable housing for actors.
If you haven't checked it out, the Actors Fund, it is a fabulous organization that understands the difficulties of being a performing artist and provides some really important services. Their mission is to "help all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition." They provide all kinds of financial, health care and housing programs.
All OOB actors should be aware of this organization and the kinds of services that they have available. Check out their website for more information.
x
Crain's Business reported that the Actors Fund will be opening a new 160-unit residential building in Newark, NJ specifically for low income performing and entertainment professionals. The fund is looking for additional real estate in NYC to continue its goal of providing affordable housing for actors.
If you haven't checked it out, the Actors Fund, it is a fabulous organization that understands the difficulties of being a performing artist and provides some really important services. Their mission is to "help all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition." They provide all kinds of financial, health care and housing programs.
All OOB actors should be aware of this organization and the kinds of services that they have available. Check out their website for more information.
x
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Shop to help the NYIT Foundation!!
If you're avoiding department stores and heading straight to Amazon.com for your 2010 holiday shopping, think of your favorite (and only) New York Innovative Theatre Foundation!
By following the Amazon.com logo via this link on our website to make your purchases, 10% of your purchase is donated to the New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, at no cost to you! It's the simplest way to help the Off-Off Broadway community this holiday season. Spread the word!
2010 holds promising things for all of us - we are so proud to celebrate this community year round, and we thank you for celebrating us!!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Where is the New Young Audience for Indie Theatre?
x
Last month, Isaac Butler posted a provocative column on his website, Parabasis, entitled No-Brainer Secrets Revealed!, about the best ways for theatre to reach younger audiences. Butler surmised that the best way to bring them in is to do uncompromising work and offer it at a reasonable price. The work will speak for itself. If you build it, Butler said, the audience will come.
Easier said than done? Doug Strassler followed up on this topic, digging further into the topic of where the new young audience is for Off-Off-Broadway. Doug asked for opinions and here is one sent to us from John Patrick Bray.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think at last we've found an area where academia can respond to these concerns. I'm a PhD student at Louisiana State University. I produced a night of one-act plays during the week of Halloween: "It's Scary, Y'all! Horror Fest 2009." As part of my funding, I teach an Intro to Theatre course to non-majors. I presently have 96 students in my class. There are about 7 or 8 of these sections, each averaging about 95 students per class. Half of the Intro classes were assigned to see the show.
Horror Fest aimed to be gory, scary, and fun. During the course of the evening, one character had their face ripped off; one had their eyes gouged out; one had 6-inch screws power-drilled into his torso; a strange lizard women crawled through the audience. Audience members actually leaped, hid their faces, etc.
For the next couple of weeks, students approached various cast members, directors, and me saying stuff like "I never knew you could do that in the theatre!" That's just the point. Because commercial American theatre has allowed itself to fall into the trap of producing plays that have no more than 6 characters (or 6 actors), a unit-set, and a generally middle-America-friendly theme, it has become obsolete. It is as if American Theatre is singing its own eulogy, pretending to be dead when it is far from, and boring young audiences in the name of being non-offensive. Unfortunately, for many potential audience members, commerical theatre IS theatre, and Indie theatre remains on the, to wit, Fringe.
I believe Off-Off Broadway invites the kind of experimentation and revitalization of American drama that our theatre desperately needs. I've seen a number of productions OOBR over the years with troupes such as The Vampire Cowboys, The Rising Sun Performance Company (I am a member), and others that have renewed my faith in live performance. OOBR is also American Drama's best kept secret.
I just said that OOBR renews my faith in American theatre. While I'm certainly the choir being preached to by articles such as Butler's, I argue the reaffirmation of faith is just as important as attracted new members of the proverbial congregation of theatre.
And what about "new members?" How do we get the young audiences to OOBR theatre? Tell them about it. Like college football over professional football (pardon the sports metaphor; LSU is home of The Tigers), the stakes are so much higher, the passions run deeper, the successes are much greater, and the failures that much more beautiful. I, personally, would rather see a beautiful failure OOBR than a moderate success in any commercial theatre. Is it possible to get Young Audiences to feel this way, too? Absolutely. How? Just by getting them to our theatres by any means possible, Beer Pong included!
What's your opinion?
John Patrick Bray is a PhD Student of Theatre at Louisiana State University. He earned an MFA in Playwriting from the Actors Studio Drama School at New School University. His plays include Hound, Trickster at the Gate, Liner Notes, As We Speak, and the one-acts "Goodnight Lovin' Trail" and "Southern Werewolf." He lives in Baton Rouge with his wife and son.
x
Last month, Isaac Butler posted a provocative column on his website, Parabasis, entitled No-Brainer Secrets Revealed!, about the best ways for theatre to reach younger audiences. Butler surmised that the best way to bring them in is to do uncompromising work and offer it at a reasonable price. The work will speak for itself. If you build it, Butler said, the audience will come.
Easier said than done? Doug Strassler followed up on this topic, digging further into the topic of where the new young audience is for Off-Off-Broadway. Doug asked for opinions and here is one sent to us from John Patrick Bray.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think at last we've found an area where academia can respond to these concerns. I'm a PhD student at Louisiana State University. I produced a night of one-act plays during the week of Halloween: "It's Scary, Y'all! Horror Fest 2009." As part of my funding, I teach an Intro to Theatre course to non-majors. I presently have 96 students in my class. There are about 7 or 8 of these sections, each averaging about 95 students per class. Half of the Intro classes were assigned to see the show.
Horror Fest aimed to be gory, scary, and fun. During the course of the evening, one character had their face ripped off; one had their eyes gouged out; one had 6-inch screws power-drilled into his torso; a strange lizard women crawled through the audience. Audience members actually leaped, hid their faces, etc.
For the next couple of weeks, students approached various cast members, directors, and me saying stuff like "I never knew you could do that in the theatre!" That's just the point. Because commercial American theatre has allowed itself to fall into the trap of producing plays that have no more than 6 characters (or 6 actors), a unit-set, and a generally middle-America-friendly theme, it has become obsolete. It is as if American Theatre is singing its own eulogy, pretending to be dead when it is far from, and boring young audiences in the name of being non-offensive. Unfortunately, for many potential audience members, commerical theatre IS theatre, and Indie theatre remains on the, to wit, Fringe.
I believe Off-Off Broadway invites the kind of experimentation and revitalization of American drama that our theatre desperately needs. I've seen a number of productions OOBR over the years with troupes such as The Vampire Cowboys, The Rising Sun Performance Company (I am a member), and others that have renewed my faith in live performance. OOBR is also American Drama's best kept secret.
I just said that OOBR renews my faith in American theatre. While I'm certainly the choir being preached to by articles such as Butler's, I argue the reaffirmation of faith is just as important as attracted new members of the proverbial congregation of theatre.
And what about "new members?" How do we get the young audiences to OOBR theatre? Tell them about it. Like college football over professional football (pardon the sports metaphor; LSU is home of The Tigers), the stakes are so much higher, the passions run deeper, the successes are much greater, and the failures that much more beautiful. I, personally, would rather see a beautiful failure OOBR than a moderate success in any commercial theatre. Is it possible to get Young Audiences to feel this way, too? Absolutely. How? Just by getting them to our theatres by any means possible, Beer Pong included!
What's your opinion?
John Patrick Bray is a PhD Student of Theatre at Louisiana State University. He earned an MFA in Playwriting from the Actors Studio Drama School at New School University. His plays include Hound, Trickster at the Gate, Liner Notes, As We Speak, and the one-acts "Goodnight Lovin' Trail" and "Southern Werewolf." He lives in Baton Rouge with his wife and son.
x
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Two New Theatre Sites Are Born
In this economic climate, it's inspiring to see colleagues focus on their passions, both on stage and off. In a time when the arts have to struggle to keep themselves in the news, I caught up with two innovative entrepreneurs who have recently launched theatre websites that make it a point to include Off-Off Broadway in their coverage. Read on as Molly Marinik from Theatre is Easy and Karen Tortora-Lee of The Happiest Medium talk about what inspires them to help keep Off-Off Broadway talked about.
Read the full story...
Contributed by Morgan Lindsey Tachco
Read the full story...
Contributed by Morgan Lindsey Tachco
Monday, November 16, 2009
How does OOB use technology?
x
How do you use new technology to produce and promote your productions? What technology do you want to learn about?
The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation will be hosting 3-4 technology events over the course of 2010. We'd like to hear your ideas on potential topics of conversation. Examples include: using technology to market your show, greening your theatrical production, tools for internal company communication and production planning, using technology in your theatrical design ...
We have posted a questionnaire to collect your ideas and suggestions.
The deadline to complete this very brief form is December 4, 2009.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The first event will be January 31st 2010 at 6pm at The Players Theater Loft (115 MacDougal Street) and live-streamed at nyitawards.com.
x
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Does the Health Care Bill work for OOB?
x
On November 7th, the House of Representatives passed the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” which is actually the amalgamation of three different health care bills. The bill passed by a vote of 240-194, which included 1 Republican. (A fact that Speaker Nancy Pelosi used to proclaim the bill to be bi-partisan.)
The bill’s purpose is to “provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending.” President Obama called the passage of the bill “courageous” while many detractors are decrying it as “fiscally irresponsible.”
At a reported 2,000 pages there is plenty in the bill to support and plenty to question. For example, I have a medical condition that I have to manage on a day-to-day basis. It is of the utmost importance to me that there is no pre-existing condition clause for my health insurance. This fact has a major effect on what job(s) I choose and God forbid if I were to lose my job and the health insurance that goes with it. So making it illegal to deny coverage due to a pre-existing condition is something that I strongly support.
As artists we may not get health insurance through our jobs. So providing health insurance that is actually affordable would be a very empowering thing for our community. It could provide the opportunity for us to cut ties with unwanted day jobs and allow us to pursue our artistic aspirations while still caring for our health.
On the other hand, there are items in the bill that don’t quite add up for me, such as requiring everyone to have health insurance and if they don’t they are fined. So what happens to the poor folks that can’t afford food, let alone health insurance? Would the government seriously add to their financial woes by levying a fine upon them?
The bill still needs to pass the Senate, where changes will undoubtedly be made. Assuming it passes the Senate, a committee will have to reconcile the bill that the House passed and the bill passed by the Senate. Then both the House and the Senate will have to vote on and pass the reconciled bill again before it will make it to Obama’s desk. So, we have a long way yet to go.
Granted I have not read the bill in detail – although I’ve downloaded it and have started reviewing it.
I am wondering, what are your health care concerns? As an independent artist, what parts of this bill work for you and your family and what parts don’t?
x
On November 7th, the House of Representatives passed the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” which is actually the amalgamation of three different health care bills. The bill passed by a vote of 240-194, which included 1 Republican. (A fact that Speaker Nancy Pelosi used to proclaim the bill to be bi-partisan.)
The bill’s purpose is to “provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending.” President Obama called the passage of the bill “courageous” while many detractors are decrying it as “fiscally irresponsible.”
At a reported 2,000 pages there is plenty in the bill to support and plenty to question. For example, I have a medical condition that I have to manage on a day-to-day basis. It is of the utmost importance to me that there is no pre-existing condition clause for my health insurance. This fact has a major effect on what job(s) I choose and God forbid if I were to lose my job and the health insurance that goes with it. So making it illegal to deny coverage due to a pre-existing condition is something that I strongly support.
As artists we may not get health insurance through our jobs. So providing health insurance that is actually affordable would be a very empowering thing for our community. It could provide the opportunity for us to cut ties with unwanted day jobs and allow us to pursue our artistic aspirations while still caring for our health.
On the other hand, there are items in the bill that don’t quite add up for me, such as requiring everyone to have health insurance and if they don’t they are fined. So what happens to the poor folks that can’t afford food, let alone health insurance? Would the government seriously add to their financial woes by levying a fine upon them?
The bill still needs to pass the Senate, where changes will undoubtedly be made. Assuming it passes the Senate, a committee will have to reconcile the bill that the House passed and the bill passed by the Senate. Then both the House and the Senate will have to vote on and pass the reconciled bill again before it will make it to Obama’s desk. So, we have a long way yet to go.
Granted I have not read the bill in detail – although I’ve downloaded it and have started reviewing it.
I am wondering, what are your health care concerns? As an independent artist, what parts of this bill work for you and your family and what parts don’t?
x
Friday, November 6, 2009
Will the committee serve the Arts?
x
x
On November 2, the White House announced the selection of 25 new members to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. These individuals join 12 federal members of the committee, whose agencies have cultural programs. First Lady, Michelle Obama will serve as the Honorary Chairman of the committee.
This committee will work with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and
Included in the new members of the committee are: actors Sarah Jessica Parker, Kerry Washington, Forest Whitaker, Alfre Woodard and Edward Norton; cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Senator John Kerry; director George C. Wolfe; CAA partner and managing director Bryan Lourd; independent film producer Liz Manne; publicist Andy Spahn. and Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue magazine.
Some critics say that the committee resembles a
What is your opinion? Will raising the profile of the committee with movie stars and fashion icons help garner support for the arts or are these celebrities too far removed from the realities of cash strapped arts organizations to be effective?
x
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Election Day!
x
Today is Election Day (or "Vote Day" as Shay calls it). We here at the IT Awards encourage all OOB artists to exercise your Constitutional right by casting a vote for our city officials.
Check out the NYC Voters Guide before you head to the polls.
x
Today is Election Day (or "Vote Day" as Shay calls it). We here at the IT Awards encourage all OOB artists to exercise your Constitutional right by casting a vote for our city officials.
Check out the NYC Voters Guide before you head to the polls.
x
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Top 5 Reasons to Join a Community Board
x
Community Boards throughout the 5 boroughs make resolutions that effect their neighborhoods. They make recommendations to local and civic leaders about how they want their community to run. Often land use & zoning decisions, city budgets, and many other programs must begin by getting approval from the community boards. Their voices resonate deeply with elected officials and their input is felt in profound ways.
Members of these boards have a birds eye view of important civic activities long before they are making headlines. It is very important for those of us in the OOB community to be in touch with our colleagues on the community boards. It is important for us to be aware of what is being presented to these boards. It is perhaps even more important for us to become members of these community boards.
To that end, here is Shay's Top 5 Reasons to Join a Community Board
2010 Applications for Manhattan Community Boards Membership is now available at Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer's website.
x
Community Boards throughout the 5 boroughs make resolutions that effect their neighborhoods. They make recommendations to local and civic leaders about how they want their community to run. Often land use & zoning decisions, city budgets, and many other programs must begin by getting approval from the community boards. Their voices resonate deeply with elected officials and their input is felt in profound ways.
Members of these boards have a birds eye view of important civic activities long before they are making headlines. It is very important for those of us in the OOB community to be in touch with our colleagues on the community boards. It is important for us to be aware of what is being presented to these boards. It is perhaps even more important for us to become members of these community boards.
To that end, here is Shay's Top 5 Reasons to Join a Community Board
- It is an opportunity for us to educate the members of the community board about the challenges and needs of OOB on a personal level
- You can act as a conduit to help inform the OOB community about important activities and opportunities
- You can network on behalf of the OOB community, make connections and act as a contact for OOB
- You will have insights into how your community board works and what is important to those neighborhoods
- You get to vote. You will get to help make the decisions and recommendations that shape New York City
2010 Applications for Manhattan Community Boards Membership is now available at Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer's website.
x
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Artists need to be counted!
x
The United States Department of Commerce will be conducting the 2010 Census, which will find out how many people live in New York City, how many elected representatives we will have in Congress, determine who will represent you in the City Council and in the New York State Legislature, determine how much funding we will receive from the federal government for education, healthcare, job training, transportation, senior services, and other critical services important to all New Yorkers.
It is important for NYC artists to be counted.
New York City artists need to participate to ensure that we get our fair share of funding from the federal government to improve schools and healthcare, fight crime, repair roads, and support other critical City services for all New Yorkers.
Take a moment now to complete the Census form.
Do you think it is important for artists to take the census? Why?
x
The United States Department of Commerce will be conducting the 2010 Census, which will find out how many people live in New York City, how many elected representatives we will have in Congress, determine who will represent you in the City Council and in the New York State Legislature, determine how much funding we will receive from the federal government for education, healthcare, job training, transportation, senior services, and other critical services important to all New Yorkers.
It is important for NYC artists to be counted.
New York City artists need to participate to ensure that we get our fair share of funding from the federal government to improve schools and healthcare, fight crime, repair roads, and support other critical City services for all New Yorkers.
Take a moment now to complete the Census form.
Do you think it is important for artists to take the census? Why?
x
Monday, October 12, 2009
ActorFest - lots of free stuff for actors
x
REGISTER NOW!
for
Actorfest
October 24th
at the Hammerstein Ballroom
Free Open Casting Calls with Nickelodeon, Teen Nick, NBC, Telemundo and more....
Free Exhibit Hall, Networking Cafe, Headshot Drop Boxes and Meet & Greet Sessions.
Don't miss the exciting line-up of workshops with top casting directors, agents, mangers, and instructors.
Get more information and register now before things sell out at www.actorfest.com.
x
Friday, October 9, 2009
National Arts and Humanities Month
x
On October 2nd, President Obama made a proclamation declaring October 2009 National Arts and Humanities Month. He called upon Americans to observe this month by participating in activities, programs and ceremonies that celebrate the arts.
The press release from the White House reads: “Throughout our Nation's history, the power of the arts and humanities to move people has built bridges and enriched lives, bringing individuals and communities together through the resonance of creative expression.”
According to Americans for the Arts, this proclamation is significant because “by issuing this historic public statement in his first year in office, President Obama has taken this opportunity to recognize the contributions that our cultural assets make to America's diversity, humanity, and economic health. “
Perhaps this show of support from the highest level of government will create a trickle down effect encouraging State and local leadership to follow suit by investing in and supporting arts related events and programs in their communities.
x
On October 2nd, President Obama made a proclamation declaring October 2009 National Arts and Humanities Month. He called upon Americans to observe this month by participating in activities, programs and ceremonies that celebrate the arts.
The press release from the White House reads: “Throughout our Nation's history, the power of the arts and humanities to move people has built bridges and enriched lives, bringing individuals and communities together through the resonance of creative expression.”
According to Americans for the Arts, this proclamation is significant because “by issuing this historic public statement in his first year in office, President Obama has taken this opportunity to recognize the contributions that our cultural assets make to America's diversity, humanity, and economic health. “
Perhaps this show of support from the highest level of government will create a trickle down effect encouraging State and local leadership to follow suit by investing in and supporting arts related events and programs in their communities.
x
Monday, October 5, 2009
City Hall unveils effort to support artists
x
As reported by Daniel Massey at Crain's Business.
"Artists in the five boroughs could gain access to new exhibition and performance space and receive entrepreneurial training as part of a series of five initiatives city officials unveiled Wednesday to bolster the cultural sector in the five boroughs."
"The initiatives announced Wednesday are the latest in a series of moves by the city's Economic Development Corp. to support specific sectors of the city economy during the downturn, with many of the programs focused on entrepreneurialism. Other sectors where programs have been launched include media, fashion and financial services."
Well, that sounds like OOB to me.
The five programs are:
Curate New York City
New York City Performs
JumpStart for the Arts
Artists as Entrepreneurs
Arts Clusters Promotion Program
For information about these programs or the related RFPs, visit www.nycedc.com.
“A thriving cultural sector is critical to New York City’s economy, identity and quality of
life,” - NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin.
x
As reported by Daniel Massey at Crain's Business.
"Artists in the five boroughs could gain access to new exhibition and performance space and receive entrepreneurial training as part of a series of five initiatives city officials unveiled Wednesday to bolster the cultural sector in the five boroughs."
"The initiatives announced Wednesday are the latest in a series of moves by the city's Economic Development Corp. to support specific sectors of the city economy during the downturn, with many of the programs focused on entrepreneurialism. Other sectors where programs have been launched include media, fashion and financial services."
Well, that sounds like OOB to me.
The five programs are:
Curate New York City
New York City Performs
JumpStart for the Arts
Artists as Entrepreneurs
Arts Clusters Promotion Program
For information about these programs or the related RFPs, visit www.nycedc.com.
“A thriving cultural sector is critical to New York City’s economy, identity and quality of
life,” - NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin.
x
Monday, September 21, 2009
AWARDS CEREMONY TODAY
The 5th Annual
New York Innovative Theatre Awards
HOSTED BY JULIE HALSTON
Monday September 21, 2009 at 7:00pm
House opens at 6:15pm
Ceremony begins at 7:00pm
New World Stages
340 West 50th Street
between 8th and 9th Avenues
New World Stages
340 West 50th Street
between 8th and 9th Avenues
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
BUT YOU CAN STILL JOIN US
Even though tickets are now sold out for this event, you can still join us from the comfort of your own home - and you can even be a part of the celebration.
We will have online coverage of the event with live blogging by That Sounds Kul's own Aaron Riccio. Live twitter, interactive blogging and live coverage!
Join us at on Monday at 7pm at www.nyitawards.com/live.
We will have online coverage of the event with live blogging by That Sounds Kul's own Aaron Riccio. Live twitter, interactive blogging and live coverage!
Join us at on Monday at 7pm at www.nyitawards.com/live.
AFTER PARTY
If you couldn't make it to the event because of rehearsals or other activities, you can still join us for the after party:
Gossip Bar & Restaurant
is happy to celebrate Off – Off Broadway
&
The New York Innovative Theatre Awards
Monday September 21, 2009
10:00pm til ???
Drink Specials All Night
$ 4 Selected Draft & Bottled Beers
$5 Classic Cosmos & Wild Berry Martini’s….
$5 Any Smirnoff Mixed Drinks, plus many more……
Monday September 21, 2009
10:00pm til ???
Drink Specials All Night
$ 4 Selected Draft & Bottled Beers
$5 Classic Cosmos & Wild Berry Martini’s….
$5 Any Smirnoff Mixed Drinks, plus many more……
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
OOB theatre needs idea bank
The New York IT Awards is collecting needs and suggestions from the NYC theatre community to the City of New York, and asks for your contributions.
It is our hope to collect the community's needs as a whole, and put together a master list of items when making presentations to community boards, arts task forces, and city officials.
If you are inclined (even one suggestion), copy and paste the following information into the comments below. If you prefer anonymity, email your suggestions to community@nyitawards.com.
COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING TEXT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:
Organization:
Email:
Date:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUGGESTIONS:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Thank you for your participation, and don't forget to spread the word!
It is our hope to collect the community's needs as a whole, and put together a master list of items when making presentations to community boards, arts task forces, and city officials.
If you are inclined (even one suggestion), copy and paste the following information into the comments below. If you prefer anonymity, email your suggestions to community@nyitawards.com.
COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING TEXT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name:
Organization:
Email:
Date:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUGGESTIONS:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Thank you for your participation, and don't forget to spread the word!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Innovation in Theatre -- Not Just for the Artistic Departments Anymore!
As the NYTimes writes today, a private Chicago philanthropic institution recently made an innovative gift to the Collaboraction production company. Patrons dissatisfied with Migdalia Cruz’s darkly magical play “El Grito del Bronx” were offered their money back.
I love this acknowledgement of performing arts administrators and chartiable organization officers working hard to advance business operations. Literary, design, and artistic departments are always moving their efforts forward in creative directions. This kind of non-traditional thought is both common and valuable on the management side, as well.
A lot has been made of the next generation of live theater audiences. We worry, as a community, if we will have the kinds of loyal ticket purchases and patronships Greatest Generation and Baby Boom artists enjoyed. I think we will. We will just establish those relationships in new, previously unexpected ways. Imagine it with me: box office revenue from fans who've never stood in line at a physical box office. Consider this and consider having a fun brainstorming, Writers' Workshop-style chat with your favorite Arts Administrator about the possibilities it presents.
Full disclosure: My good friends at Teatro Vista are prominently featured in the article. You can check out the full story at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/theater/01refund.html.
I love this acknowledgement of performing arts administrators and chartiable organization officers working hard to advance business operations. Literary, design, and artistic departments are always moving their efforts forward in creative directions. This kind of non-traditional thought is both common and valuable on the management side, as well.
A lot has been made of the next generation of live theater audiences. We worry, as a community, if we will have the kinds of loyal ticket purchases and patronships Greatest Generation and Baby Boom artists enjoyed. I think we will. We will just establish those relationships in new, previously unexpected ways. Imagine it with me: box office revenue from fans who've never stood in line at a physical box office. Consider this and consider having a fun brainstorming, Writers' Workshop-style chat with your favorite Arts Administrator about the possibilities it presents.
Full disclosure: My good friends at Teatro Vista are prominently featured in the article. You can check out the full story at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/theater/01refund.html.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Join Free Night of Theatre
x
The 2009 TCG Free Night of Theater program is fast approaching. We are encouraging everyone who has a show in Independent/Off-Off community during the last three weeks of October to consider joining the program (October 8 - November 1). It is a great way to expose your work to a new audience and if you join this week (deadline Thursday) you will get your company or venue's name in all of the advance marketing.
In addition there will be a major all day event celebrating the start of Free Night in Union Square on October 15 that is open to the entire community. Companies and Artists from across New York City are being invited to gather in a great celebration with performance, music, presentations, and speeches. Individual booths are also available for companies and organizations interested in showcasing their work. The Mayor has been invited and we are hoping for a huge turnout in the square as he declares October 15th Theater Day.
If you are interested in participating in the Union Square kick off event please contact
Paul Bargetto at paulbargetto@litny.org or
Jennifer Conley Darling at jcd@litny.org
We need volunteers too, so if you can help with the event let us know!
x
The 2009 TCG Free Night of Theater program is fast approaching. We are encouraging everyone who has a show in Independent/Off-Off community during the last three weeks of October to consider joining the program (October 8 - November 1). It is a great way to expose your work to a new audience and if you join this week (deadline Thursday) you will get your company or venue's name in all of the advance marketing.
In addition there will be a major all day event celebrating the start of Free Night in Union Square on October 15 that is open to the entire community. Companies and Artists from across New York City are being invited to gather in a great celebration with performance, music, presentations, and speeches. Individual booths are also available for companies and organizations interested in showcasing their work. The Mayor has been invited and we are hoping for a huge turnout in the square as he declares October 15th Theater Day.
If you are interested in participating in the Union Square kick off event please contact
Paul Bargetto at paulbargetto@litny.org or
Jennifer Conley Darling at jcd@litny.org
We need volunteers too, so if you can help with the event let us know!
| ||
|
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Let's hear it for Brooklyn
x
We are so excited that 60 Brooklyn-based artists and 7 Brooklyn productions are among the nominees for the 2009 New York Innovative Theatre Awards. More and more we are seeing OOB productions on Brooklyn stages. So what is so great about Brooklyn? We asked our nominees and here is what they said:
How is doing theatre in Brooklyn different than anywhere else?
Joe Galan: Being only a few stops off the "L," we were able to maintain most of our original fan-base, while at the same time opening ourselves up to an entirely fresh audience looking to have a great time.
Katie Adams: I think Brooklyn has a wonderful sense of community - so there's a great sense of support.
Heather Siobhan Curran: Because it's only 3 blocks from my house!
Neal Freeman: There's a sense of neighborhood pride to Brooklyn that you don't find in Manhattan. I can't count how many actors have come to audition for The Gallery Players wanting to do a show in "their home borough.”
Gia Forakis: The audience is more multi-cultural than anywhere I've directed in the country.
Alanna Medlock: A lot of theatre artists live in Brooklyn, so if you're lucky you can walk home. Or ride your bike.
Nat Cassidy: Quality-wise, there's not a single difference. There's a wealth of great spaces and talented people in Brooklyn, and they produce top-notch work in a great number of the borough's neighborhoods. The main difference is, as hard as it can be to get audiences to a show in Manhattan, it's doubly hard to get them to Brooklyn (or Queens, for that matter--don't get me started on trying to get people to the Bronx or Staten Island), despite the fact that seemingly everyone lives there these days.
Why should audiences go to Brooklyn to see theatre?
Katie Adams: Brooklyn is REALLY not that far! There are so many things to explore - make a night of it. See some great theatre, go to a new restaurant or a new bar. Continue to explore this great city of ours.
Neal Freeman: It's a great excuse to check out some neighborhoods you're probably not familiar with unless you've lived in them. Plus with the sky-high rents and tiny OOB theatres in Manhattan, you're getting much more bang for your buck in Brooklyn.
Nat Cassidy: Brooklyn is exploding-- it's been the place to move to over the past 10 years or so (no offense, Queens), and so even just as far as numbers go, there's a staggering amount of hungry, creative, unique artists doing what they do best: keeping the commercial world on its toes and making exciting, bizarre, intelligent new works wherever they can find the space. And, thankfully, there's space aplenty in Brooklyn.
Joe Galan: Because of the (generally) cheaper costs of maintaining a Brooklyn show, you can sometimes catch a show in Brooklyn that is able to incorporate higher production values.
Gia Forakis: Because it's important to reestablish what theatre is and revitalize a theater-going public for a younger demographic. By supporting theater in Brooklyn there is a sense that the art form has an opportunity to re-evaluate itself and the terms under which it has been created over the last 50 years, and look ahead to a theater fro the 21st century.
Who is your favorite Brooklyn artist or group?
Nedra McClyde: Game Rebellion, all the way. An all black rock band...they're amazing.
Erica Livingston: Cynthia Hopkins, who works very closely with St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn is really inspiring to me. I never leave one of her shows without feeling overwhelmed with new ideas. Her work is truly innovative.
Gia Forakis: Target Margin and I have to give a shout out to Bone Orchard who is doing risky things in the heart of Brooklyn.
Heather Siobhan Curran & Neal Freeman: The Gallery Players, of course!
Joe Galan: The House of Yes. Maybe this answer is cheating since that is the space where we performed our show, but this space/group is amazing. You never know what is happening at the House of Yes.
What is your favorite Brooklyn bar or restaurant and why?
Katie Adams: I love Sidecar which is right near The Gallery Players. Fantastic food, great environment and really tasty, amazing cocktails!
Nat Cassidy: I live in Bay Ridge, which is full of what my girlfriend calls "Old Man Bars," and those can be a lot of fun, given the ambiance and occasional John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band on the jukebox, but back when I was living in Williamsburg (in my hipper days), I had three bars/restaurants that I frequented at least once a week: Pete's Candy Store, Moto, and Planet Thailand. There's also an amazing little coffee shop in south Park Slope called Roots Cafe that everyone should check out. Plus more here.
Erica Livingston: My favorite restaurant in Brooklyn is definitely Dumont. I love their food but the atmosphere is also wonderful. I have been going there for years and it's never let me down.
My favorite bar is probably Spuyten Duyvil. They have an amazing beer and wine selection with the options changing all the time. They also serve cheese and meat plates with things like fresh boiled eggs, homemade pickles and olives.
Nedra McClyde: Red Bamboo! It's a vegetarian spot on Adelphi Street. I'm slightly addicted to their soul chicken and chocolate cake. So much better than their slaughtered and manufactured counterparts.
Gia Forakis: Gosh-- there are just so many new ones popping up al the time it's difficult to say only one. In my neighborhood, LOKAL in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on the edge of McCarren Park is a nice place with great food, service, atmosphere, and like I say, it's on the park!
Joe Galan: my personal favorite bar/restaurant is Jamie Lynn's Kitchen. Great food, and one of the longest Happy Hours I have ever seen (12pm-7pm every day).
Alanna Medlock: 68 Jay is a great spot in Dumbo.
Neal Freeman: We frequent Rachel's which is a Mexican joint on 5th Avenue between 7th and 8th Street in Park Slope, and Cantina on 4th Avenue at 12th Street. For drinks there's Harry Boland's on 9th Street between 4th and 5th Avenues.
Heather Siobhan Curran: Al di la. Best Italian food and great prices. Even Frank Bruni broke down and reviewed though they don't take reservations.
What was your favorite part of the production you were nominated for?
Joe Galan: Closing night. Sold-out and Standing Room Only. Watching people literally climb and stand on cabinets, rather than risk missing a moment of the show.
Katie Adams: I enjoyed rocking Gallery Players with amplified sound for the first time! Our production was the first time they did wireless, amplified microphones for the performers, and we worked incredibly hard to make it happen because we thought artistically it was important. I think audiences got to enjoy The Who's music as it should be enjoyed and realized how important sound is to theatre, especially for a rock musical.
Heather Siobhan Curran: Seeing everyone dance at the Mall (for Like You Like It). And meeting the star of tomorrow- Alison Luff.
Neal Freeman: We were reluctant to produce a period piece (Elizabethan) with no name recognition, and we were trying out a new model of repertory production which strained our resources and artistic teams. Taking these risks and being recognized for them is very rewarding.
Nat Cassidy: I got two words for you: horse costume.
Erica Livingston: My favorite part of 'Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind' is that it is always changing. As the plays change every week, I find it stimulating to keep current and express what is happening in our own lives as they change as well.
Nedra McClyde: It was pretty nice being the only female in the cast. Nothing can make you feel more like a supported woman than being surrounded by amazing men.
Gia Forakis: The multi-media, Interlude sequences-- and a super cast that jumped in fearlessly to mix a naturalistic acting style with these more expressionist performance gestures.
Alanna Medlock: I like when the argument in the final Producer scene gets out of hand and finally explodes into a different universe - suddenly you're like wtf is going on?? And it looks great with the lit-up floor and the rotating wall.
Why do you work Off-Off-Broadway?
Katie Adams: I work Off-Off-Broadway to continue to learn - Even though I've now produced 5 shows Off-Off-Broadway, with each show I learn something new that I didn't know before. I also really like the balance of not doing something commercial and just for money, but still trying to attain the highest quality I can on a very low budget. I'm constantly astounded by the work that surrounds me - whether it's hard working casts or amazing designers. It's very inspirational.
Alanna Medlock: I get excited by new work, new plays, and people who are interested in playing with form and aesthetic, new ways of telling stories and creating events.
Joe Galan: Off-Off Broadway gives us the opportunity to create without the limitations.
Nat Cassidy: You mean, besides the money? Well, let's just take a quick look at the IT-nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play: we've got an interactive Zune noir, Czechoslovakian robot Armageddon, a metaphysical buddy comedy about Caligula and Christopher Marlowe, corpse-kidnappers, pregnant runaway hitchhikers, the FBI investigation of the Kingsmen, and Bruce Lee. And a rundown of any of the other IT categories would produce as eclectic and just plain awesome a list. So, to put it succinctly: suck it, commercial theatre (and by "suck it," I mean give us all jobs so we can make you better and cooler).
Gia Forakis: Off-Off Broadway is the only place that offers me, as a director, the opportunities to share and explore a more experimental aesthetic--by which I mean, a forum for expanding the ways we tell stories on stage and challenge form and style in the theater.
Erica Livingston: As a New York Neofuturist, a company that is historically, consistently hard to categorize, I feel that the home we've made in the Off-Off-Broadway scene is one that is accepting of new ideas and has a broader sense of inclusion of what theater truly is.
Neal Freeman: There's a sense of being in it for the greater good - and not for paychecks or Broadway transfers - that permeates every OOB show I've done. When people gather for love of the work, the art tends to flourish.
Heather Siobhan Curran: Because of the amazing talent and heart of all involved.
We are so excited that 60 Brooklyn-based artists and 7 Brooklyn productions are among the nominees for the 2009 New York Innovative Theatre Awards. More and more we are seeing OOB productions on Brooklyn stages. So what is so great about Brooklyn? We asked our nominees and here is what they said:
How is doing theatre in Brooklyn different than anywhere else?
Joe Galan: Being only a few stops off the "L," we were able to maintain most of our original fan-base, while at the same time opening ourselves up to an entirely fresh audience looking to have a great time.
Katie Adams: I think Brooklyn has a wonderful sense of community - so there's a great sense of support.
Heather Siobhan Curran: Because it's only 3 blocks from my house!
Neal Freeman: There's a sense of neighborhood pride to Brooklyn that you don't find in Manhattan. I can't count how many actors have come to audition for The Gallery Players wanting to do a show in "their home borough.”
Gia Forakis: The audience is more multi-cultural than anywhere I've directed in the country.
Alanna Medlock: A lot of theatre artists live in Brooklyn, so if you're lucky you can walk home. Or ride your bike.
Nat Cassidy: Quality-wise, there's not a single difference. There's a wealth of great spaces and talented people in Brooklyn, and they produce top-notch work in a great number of the borough's neighborhoods. The main difference is, as hard as it can be to get audiences to a show in Manhattan, it's doubly hard to get them to Brooklyn (or Queens, for that matter--don't get me started on trying to get people to the Bronx or Staten Island), despite the fact that seemingly everyone lives there these days.
Why should audiences go to Brooklyn to see theatre?
Katie Adams: Brooklyn is REALLY not that far! There are so many things to explore - make a night of it. See some great theatre, go to a new restaurant or a new bar. Continue to explore this great city of ours.
Neal Freeman: It's a great excuse to check out some neighborhoods you're probably not familiar with unless you've lived in them. Plus with the sky-high rents and tiny OOB theatres in Manhattan, you're getting much more bang for your buck in Brooklyn.
Nat Cassidy: Brooklyn is exploding-- it's been the place to move to over the past 10 years or so (no offense, Queens), and so even just as far as numbers go, there's a staggering amount of hungry, creative, unique artists doing what they do best: keeping the commercial world on its toes and making exciting, bizarre, intelligent new works wherever they can find the space. And, thankfully, there's space aplenty in Brooklyn.
Joe Galan: Because of the (generally) cheaper costs of maintaining a Brooklyn show, you can sometimes catch a show in Brooklyn that is able to incorporate higher production values.
Gia Forakis: Because it's important to reestablish what theatre is and revitalize a theater-going public for a younger demographic. By supporting theater in Brooklyn there is a sense that the art form has an opportunity to re-evaluate itself and the terms under which it has been created over the last 50 years, and look ahead to a theater fro the 21st century.
Who is your favorite Brooklyn artist or group?
Nedra McClyde: Game Rebellion, all the way. An all black rock band...they're amazing.
Erica Livingston: Cynthia Hopkins, who works very closely with St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn is really inspiring to me. I never leave one of her shows without feeling overwhelmed with new ideas. Her work is truly innovative.
Gia Forakis: Target Margin and I have to give a shout out to Bone Orchard who is doing risky things in the heart of Brooklyn.
Heather Siobhan Curran & Neal Freeman: The Gallery Players, of course!
Joe Galan: The House of Yes. Maybe this answer is cheating since that is the space where we performed our show, but this space/group is amazing. You never know what is happening at the House of Yes.
What is your favorite Brooklyn bar or restaurant and why?
Katie Adams: I love Sidecar which is right near The Gallery Players. Fantastic food, great environment and really tasty, amazing cocktails!
Nat Cassidy: I live in Bay Ridge, which is full of what my girlfriend calls "Old Man Bars," and those can be a lot of fun, given the ambiance and occasional John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band on the jukebox, but back when I was living in Williamsburg (in my hipper days), I had three bars/restaurants that I frequented at least once a week: Pete's Candy Store, Moto, and Planet Thailand. There's also an amazing little coffee shop in south Park Slope called Roots Cafe that everyone should check out. Plus more here.
Erica Livingston: My favorite restaurant in Brooklyn is definitely Dumont. I love their food but the atmosphere is also wonderful. I have been going there for years and it's never let me down.
My favorite bar is probably Spuyten Duyvil. They have an amazing beer and wine selection with the options changing all the time. They also serve cheese and meat plates with things like fresh boiled eggs, homemade pickles and olives.
Nedra McClyde: Red Bamboo! It's a vegetarian spot on Adelphi Street. I'm slightly addicted to their soul chicken and chocolate cake. So much better than their slaughtered and manufactured counterparts.
Gia Forakis: Gosh-- there are just so many new ones popping up al the time it's difficult to say only one. In my neighborhood, LOKAL in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on the edge of McCarren Park is a nice place with great food, service, atmosphere, and like I say, it's on the park!
Joe Galan: my personal favorite bar/restaurant is Jamie Lynn's Kitchen. Great food, and one of the longest Happy Hours I have ever seen (12pm-7pm every day).
Alanna Medlock: 68 Jay is a great spot in Dumbo.
Neal Freeman: We frequent Rachel's which is a Mexican joint on 5th Avenue between 7th and 8th Street in Park Slope, and Cantina on 4th Avenue at 12th Street. For drinks there's Harry Boland's on 9th Street between 4th and 5th Avenues.
Heather Siobhan Curran: Al di la. Best Italian food and great prices. Even Frank Bruni broke down and reviewed though they don't take reservations.
What was your favorite part of the production you were nominated for?
Joe Galan: Closing night. Sold-out and Standing Room Only. Watching people literally climb and stand on cabinets, rather than risk missing a moment of the show.
Katie Adams: I enjoyed rocking Gallery Players with amplified sound for the first time! Our production was the first time they did wireless, amplified microphones for the performers, and we worked incredibly hard to make it happen because we thought artistically it was important. I think audiences got to enjoy The Who's music as it should be enjoyed and realized how important sound is to theatre, especially for a rock musical.
Heather Siobhan Curran: Seeing everyone dance at the Mall (for Like You Like It). And meeting the star of tomorrow- Alison Luff.
Neal Freeman: We were reluctant to produce a period piece (Elizabethan) with no name recognition, and we were trying out a new model of repertory production which strained our resources and artistic teams. Taking these risks and being recognized for them is very rewarding.
Nat Cassidy: I got two words for you: horse costume.
Erica Livingston: My favorite part of 'Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind' is that it is always changing. As the plays change every week, I find it stimulating to keep current and express what is happening in our own lives as they change as well.
Nedra McClyde: It was pretty nice being the only female in the cast. Nothing can make you feel more like a supported woman than being surrounded by amazing men.
Gia Forakis: The multi-media, Interlude sequences-- and a super cast that jumped in fearlessly to mix a naturalistic acting style with these more expressionist performance gestures.
Alanna Medlock: I like when the argument in the final Producer scene gets out of hand and finally explodes into a different universe - suddenly you're like wtf is going on?? And it looks great with the lit-up floor and the rotating wall.
Why do you work Off-Off-Broadway?
Katie Adams: I work Off-Off-Broadway to continue to learn - Even though I've now produced 5 shows Off-Off-Broadway, with each show I learn something new that I didn't know before. I also really like the balance of not doing something commercial and just for money, but still trying to attain the highest quality I can on a very low budget. I'm constantly astounded by the work that surrounds me - whether it's hard working casts or amazing designers. It's very inspirational.
Alanna Medlock: I get excited by new work, new plays, and people who are interested in playing with form and aesthetic, new ways of telling stories and creating events.
Joe Galan: Off-Off Broadway gives us the opportunity to create without the limitations.
Nat Cassidy: You mean, besides the money? Well, let's just take a quick look at the IT-nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play: we've got an interactive Zune noir, Czechoslovakian robot Armageddon, a metaphysical buddy comedy about Caligula and Christopher Marlowe, corpse-kidnappers, pregnant runaway hitchhikers, the FBI investigation of the Kingsmen, and Bruce Lee. And a rundown of any of the other IT categories would produce as eclectic and just plain awesome a list. So, to put it succinctly: suck it, commercial theatre (and by "suck it," I mean give us all jobs so we can make you better and cooler).
Gia Forakis: Off-Off Broadway is the only place that offers me, as a director, the opportunities to share and explore a more experimental aesthetic--by which I mean, a forum for expanding the ways we tell stories on stage and challenge form and style in the theater.
Erica Livingston: As a New York Neofuturist, a company that is historically, consistently hard to categorize, I feel that the home we've made in the Off-Off-Broadway scene is one that is accepting of new ideas and has a broader sense of inclusion of what theater truly is.
Neal Freeman: There's a sense of being in it for the greater good - and not for paychecks or Broadway transfers - that permeates every OOB show I've done. When people gather for love of the work, the art tends to flourish.
Heather Siobhan Curran: Because of the amazing talent and heart of all involved.
__________________________________________________
Nat Cassidy, Outstanding Director, Any Day Now, Writer's Forum at Manhattan Theatre Source & Outstanding Original Full-Length Script, The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots, The Gallery Players in association with Engine37
Gia Forakis, Outstanding Director, Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Erica Livingston, Outstanding Ensemble, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, New York Neo-Futurists
Nedra McClyde, Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role, Miss Evers' Boys, Red Fern Theatre Company
Alanna Medlock, Outstanding Ensemble, Oph3lia, HERE Arts Center
Joe Galan, Outstanding Performance Art Production, Cirque du Quoi?!?, Human Flight Productions, Inc. & Gramily Entertainment
Heather S. Curran, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Like You Like It, The Gallery Players
Katie Adams, Outstanding Production of a Musical, The Who's Tommy, The Gallery Players
Neal J. Freeman, Outstanding Production of a Play, The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots, The Gallery Players in association with Engine37
Gia Forakis, Outstanding Director, Blue Before Morning, terraNOVA Collective
Erica Livingston, Outstanding Ensemble, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, New York Neo-Futurists
Nedra McClyde, Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role, Miss Evers' Boys, Red Fern Theatre Company
Alanna Medlock, Outstanding Ensemble, Oph3lia, HERE Arts Center
Joe Galan, Outstanding Performance Art Production, Cirque du Quoi?!?, Human Flight Productions, Inc. & Gramily Entertainment
Heather S. Curran, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Like You Like It, The Gallery Players
Katie Adams, Outstanding Production of a Musical, The Who's Tommy, The Gallery Players
Neal J. Freeman, Outstanding Production of a Play, The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots, The Gallery Players in association with Engine37
Do you work in Brooklyn? Answer the questions above and let us know why.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Is there room for OOB in the Hudson Rail Yard's Development?
Development for the Hudson Rail Yards (along the Hudson River) has been slowly moving along for years. Recently plans were put before Community Board 4 for approval. Recommendations were made to include more dedicated space for arts (and especially small theatre venues).
It seems that developers are being resistant to relinquish commercial space for not-for-profit space - I know, nothing surprising about that.
In a recent statement of need to the city, CB4 noted that "Cultural venues clearly have a synergetic relationship with neighborhood small businesses, and are economic drivers to our local neighborhoods. In addition the arts are crucial to the cultural resilience and diversity of our unique community."
So, will CB4 prevail in securing space for the arts in this urban renewal? How can we help?
x
Thursday, July 23, 2009
TDF presents: Off-Off @ $9!
In an effort to expand its audience to Off-Off Broadway, Theatre Development Fund has announced a new ticketing program designed just for us: Off-Off @ $9! From the Press Release:
Any show can be made available for Off-Off @ $9. The Producer develops a profile for its show, TDF sells tickets for $9 to the patron and reimburses the company in full weekly on Mondays. Click Here for more information, and to register your show.
Theatre Development Fund announces the launch of a new on-line service, “off-OFF @ $9,” designed to make it easier for TDF members to attend off-Off Broadway shows all over the city. “off-OFF @ $9” provides TDF members with instant access to the exciting world of off-Off Broadway at less than the cost of a movie admission! Now, more than ever, TDF members can explore the smaller stages, beyond Broadway and Off Broadway, where innovative artists are creating new and adventurous works, with all tickets for only $9 with no handling fee.
“This program will supplement our long standing voucher program. With “off-Off @ $9,” members can buy their eTix ahead of time and know that they will have a seat waiting for them at the venue. It will help our members, and in doing so, will assist the theatres as well,” said Victoria Bailey, TDF’s executive director. “I am pleased that we can start this program in the summer in the midst of the many play festivals around the city.” Full Press release here.
Any show can be made available for Off-Off @ $9. The Producer develops a profile for its show, TDF sells tickets for $9 to the patron and reimburses the company in full weekly on Mondays. Click Here for more information, and to register your show.
Indie Theatre Week Continues
After a smashing party on Monday at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards Nominee Announcement, Indie Theatre Week continues with two more exciting offerings:
AND
Please join The Community Dish, The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, The League of Independent Theatre and United Stages for the
Your team captains Tim Errickson and Michael Criscuolo ask that if you have equipment to please bring it and to be prepared to share a glove with a neighbor.
Celebrate the summer with a turkey sandwich, a few grounders and some good friends!
4pm drinking and continued socializing will be done at:
Blondie's Sports Bar on 79th Street (between Broadway & Amsterdam)
The LIT Mixer
Friday, July 24, 2009
as part of the undergroundzero festival
PS 122 (150 First Avenue)
10:30pm
Please join The Community Dish, The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, The League of Independent Theatre and United Stages for the
1st Annual Indie Theatre Midsummer Classic
(Softball Game and Picnic)
Sunday, July 26th
noon to 4pm
Central Park's Great Lawn, Field #4
(Enter the park at 81st Street)
Picnic (bring your own) - noon to 1:30
Softball Game - 1:30 to 4pm
Drinks at a nearby pub - 4pm til they run out of beer
Sunday, July 26th
noon to 4pm
Central Park's Great Lawn, Field #4
(Enter the park at 81st Street)
Picnic (bring your own) - noon to 1:30
Softball Game - 1:30 to 4pm
Drinks at a nearby pub - 4pm til they run out of beer
Your team captains Tim Errickson and Michael Criscuolo ask that if you have equipment to please bring it and to be prepared to share a glove with a neighbor.
Celebrate the summer with a turkey sandwich, a few grounders and some good friends!
4pm drinking and continued socializing will be done at:
Blondie's Sports Bar on 79th Street (between Broadway & Amsterdam)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Here they are!
The 2009 IT Awards Nominees were announced tonight! For those of you who couldn't make it, it was a great time! A HUGE thank you to the AMAZING volunteers for making the evening possible.
The evening also celebrated the 5th birthday for the New York Innovative Theatre Awards. The founders commemorated by presenting the inaugural Founder's Award to Akia, for her undying support and unwavering devotion since year one of the organization. Cheers to Akia!
And Now, the 2009 Nominees!
Outstanding Full-Length Script
Johnna Adams, Angel Eaters (Flux Theatre Ensemble)
Derek Ahonen, Amerissiah (The Amoralists Theatre Company)
James Carmichael, Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out) (Babel Theatre Project)
Nat Cassidy, The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots (Gallery Players/Engine37)
Kate McGovern, Blue Before Morning (terraNOVA Collective)
Mac Rogers, Universal Robots (Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions) Outstanding Original Short Script
Martin Dockery, The Surprise (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Ira Gamerman, Dated: A Cautionary Tale for Facebook Users (Elephants on Parade 2009, EBE Ensemble)
Jeff Grow, Creating Illusion (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Kristen Kosmas, The Scandal! (The Management)
Kitt Lavoie, [Pwnd] (Rising Sun Performance Company)
Nico Vreeland, The Interview (Elephants on Parade 2009, EBE Ensemble) Outstanding Performance Art Production
Cirque du Quoi?!? (Human Flight Productions, Inc. & Gramily Entertainment)
Creating Illusion (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Miss America (LaMaMa ETC in association with Split Britches)
Dracula (Radiotheatre)
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (New York Neo-Futurists)
Traces (soloNOVA Arts Festival) Outstanding Production of a Musical
Coming, Aphrodite! (LaMaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts)
Like You Like It (The Gallery Players)
Ragtime (Astoria Performing Arts Center)
The 103rd Annual Performance of Ruddigore, or The Witch's Curse, Presented by Murgatroyd's Hospital for Mental Rehabilitation, Ruddy Gore Maine (Theater 1010)
The Apple Sisters (The Apple Sisters)
The Who's Tommy (The Gallery Players) Outstanding Production of a Play
Blue Before Morning (terraNOVA Collective)
Lee/gendary (HERE Arts Center)
Still the River Runs (Zootopia Theatre Company)
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out) (Babel Theatre Project)
Suspicious Package: an interactive noir (The Fifth Wall)
The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots (Gallery Players/Engine37)
Universal Robots (Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions) Outstanding Solo Performance
Martin Dockery, The Surprise (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Leigh Evans, Traces (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Jeff Grow, Creating Illusion (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Abena Koomson, Cozi Sa Wala: Magic Words (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Micia Mosely, Where My Girls At? (Nursha/soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Una Aya Osato, Recess (FRIGID Festival) Outstanding Director
Geordie Broadwater, Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out)
Nat Cassidy, Any Day Now
Gia Forakis, Blue Before Morning
Vit Horejs, The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y.
Matthew J. Nichols, Still the River Runs
Suzi Takahashi, Lee/gendary Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role
William Apps IV, Amerissiah
Nicoye Banks, The High Priestess of Dark Alley
Roy Clary, McReele
Clint Morris, Like You Like It
Jeffrey Plunkett, All the Rage
Chris Thorn, Most Damaging Wound Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role
Ivanna Cullinan, The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice
Brynn Curry, Like You Like It
Phyllis Johnson, Blue Before Morning
Maura McNamara, The Real Thing
Constance Parng, Lee/gendary
Aura Vence, The High Priestess of Dark Alley Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Julian Elfer, Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Jaron Farnham, Still the River Runs
Steve French, Still the River Runs
Jason Howard, Universal Robots
David Ian Lee, The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots
August Schulenburg, 8 Little Antichrists Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role
Katrina Foy Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out)
Soomi Kim, Lee/gendary
Jan Maxwell, Scenes from an Execution
Nedra McClyde, Miss Evers' Boys
Kate Middleton, Avow
Elyse Mirto, Any Day Now Outstanding Ensemble
(Not) Just A Day Like Any Other (Christopher Borg, Jeffrey Cranor, Kevin R. Free & Eevin Hartsough)
Blue Before Morning (Kether Donohue, Phyllis Johnson, Jenny Maguire, Chris McKinney, Flaco Navaja & Jennifer Dorr White)
Most Damaging Wound (Bard Goodrich, Ken Matthews, Megan McQuillan, Michael Solomon, Michael Szeles & Chris Thorn)
Oph3lia (Laura Butler, Drae Campbell, Dawn Eshelman, Connie Hall, Ikuko Ikari, Hana Kalinski, Eunjee Lee, Mark Lindberg, Alanna Medlock, Jy Murphy, Jorge Alberto Rubio, Maureen Sebastian & Magin Shantz)
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out) (Geraldine Bartlett, Brian D. Coats, Katrina Foy, William Jackson Harper, Khris Lewin, Carolyn McCandlish, Joe Mullen, Frank Rodriguez, Christopher Rubin, Jeremy Schwartz, Joe Sullivan & Andrew Zimmerman)
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (Joe Basile, Jill Beckman, Christopher Borg, Jeffrey Cranor, Cara Francis, Kevin R. Free, Ryan Good, Alicia Harding, Eevin Hartsough, Sarah Levy, Erica Livingston, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Rob Neill, Lauren Parish, Joey Rizzolo & Justin Tolley)
Universal Robots (Esther Barlow, Jennifer Gordon Thomas, Jason Howard, David Lamberton, David Ian Lee, Michelle O'Connor, Ridley Parson, Nancy Sirianni, Tarantino Smith & Ben Sulzbach) Outstanding Original Music
Drew Cutler, Still the River Runs
Mark Ettinger and Paul Foglino, Coming, Aphrodite!
Kimmy Gatewood, Andy Hertz, Rebekka Johnson, Sarah Lowe and Jeff Solomon, The Apple Sisters
Gerard Keenan, Angel Eaters
Dave Malloy, Beowulf - A Thousand Years Of Baggage
Nick Moore, 23 Knives Outstanding Choreography/Movement
Keith Andrews, Like You Like It
Edward Elefterion, Shadow of Himself
Leigh Evans, Traces
Soomi Kim and Airon Armstrong, Lee/gendary
Austin McCormick, The Judgment of Paris
Stefanie Smith, The Selfish Giant Outstanding Costume Design
Michelle Beshaw, The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y.
Emily Morgan DeAngelis, Angel Eaters
Olivera Gajic, The Judgment of Paris
Hunter Kaczorowski, Like You Like It
Becky Lasky, Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out)
Karen Ann Ledger, Twelfth Night, or What You Will Outstanding Lighting Design
Lucrecia Briceno, Lee/gendary
Ian W. Hill, The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice
Andrew Lu, Still the River Runs
Jennifer Rathbone, Angel Eaters
Federico Restrepo, The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y.
Bruce Steinberg, Blue Before Mornin Outstanding Sound Design
Dan Bianchi, Dracula
Katie Down, Blue Before Morning
Austin McCormick, The Judgment of Paris
Nick Moore, 23 Knives
Chris Rummel, Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Asa Wember, Angel Eaters Outstanding Set Design
George Allison, Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Jim Boutin, Coming, Aphrodite!
Tristan Jeffers, Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out)
Michael P. Kramer, Ragtime
Caleb Levengood, Angel Eaters
Blair Mielnik, To Barcelona!
The recipients will be announced at our annual Ceremony on Monday, September 21st. Stay tuned for location and details. Alson announced at the 5th annual NYITAwards Ceremony will be the Honorary Awards and the inaugural Outstanding Stage Manager Award.
Congratulations to all honorees!
The evening also celebrated the 5th birthday for the New York Innovative Theatre Awards. The founders commemorated by presenting the inaugural Founder's Award to Akia, for her undying support and unwavering devotion since year one of the organization. Cheers to Akia!
And Now, the 2009 Nominees!
Johnna Adams, Angel Eaters (Flux Theatre Ensemble)
Derek Ahonen, Amerissiah (The Amoralists Theatre Company)
James Carmichael, Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out) (Babel Theatre Project)
Nat Cassidy, The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots (Gallery Players/Engine37)
Kate McGovern, Blue Before Morning (terraNOVA Collective)
Mac Rogers, Universal Robots (Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions)
Martin Dockery, The Surprise (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Ira Gamerman, Dated: A Cautionary Tale for Facebook Users (Elephants on Parade 2009, EBE Ensemble)
Jeff Grow, Creating Illusion (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Kristen Kosmas, The Scandal! (The Management)
Kitt Lavoie, [Pwnd] (Rising Sun Performance Company)
Nico Vreeland, The Interview (Elephants on Parade 2009, EBE Ensemble)
Cirque du Quoi?!? (Human Flight Productions, Inc. & Gramily Entertainment)
Creating Illusion (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Miss America (LaMaMa ETC in association with Split Britches)
Dracula (Radiotheatre)
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (New York Neo-Futurists)
Traces (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Coming, Aphrodite! (LaMaMa ETC in association with Watson Arts)
Like You Like It (The Gallery Players)
Ragtime (Astoria Performing Arts Center)
The 103rd Annual Performance of Ruddigore, or The Witch's Curse, Presented by Murgatroyd's Hospital for Mental Rehabilitation, Ruddy Gore Maine (Theater 1010)
The Apple Sisters (The Apple Sisters)
The Who's Tommy (The Gallery Players)
Blue Before Morning (terraNOVA Collective)
Lee/gendary (HERE Arts Center)
Still the River Runs (Zootopia Theatre Company)
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out) (Babel Theatre Project)
Suspicious Package: an interactive noir (The Fifth Wall)
The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots (Gallery Players/Engine37)
Universal Robots (Manhattan Theatre Source/Dark Brew Productions)
Martin Dockery, The Surprise (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Leigh Evans, Traces (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Jeff Grow, Creating Illusion (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Abena Koomson, Cozi Sa Wala: Magic Words (soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Micia Mosely, Where My Girls At? (Nursha/soloNOVA Arts Festival)
Una Aya Osato, Recess (FRIGID Festival)
Geordie Broadwater, Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out)
Nat Cassidy, Any Day Now
Gia Forakis, Blue Before Morning
Vit Horejs, The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y.
Matthew J. Nichols, Still the River Runs
Suzi Takahashi, Lee/gendary
William Apps IV, Amerissiah
Nicoye Banks, The High Priestess of Dark Alley
Roy Clary, McReele
Clint Morris, Like You Like It
Jeffrey Plunkett, All the Rage
Chris Thorn, Most Damaging Wound
Ivanna Cullinan, The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice
Brynn Curry, Like You Like It
Phyllis Johnson, Blue Before Morning
Maura McNamara, The Real Thing
Constance Parng, Lee/gendary
Aura Vence, The High Priestess of Dark Alley
Julian Elfer, Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Jaron Farnham, Still the River Runs
Steve French, Still the River Runs
Jason Howard, Universal Robots
David Ian Lee, The Reckoning of Kit & Little Boots
August Schulenburg, 8 Little Antichrists
Katrina Foy Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out)
Soomi Kim, Lee/gendary
Jan Maxwell, Scenes from an Execution
Nedra McClyde, Miss Evers' Boys
Kate Middleton, Avow
Elyse Mirto, Any Day Now
(Not) Just A Day Like Any Other (Christopher Borg, Jeffrey Cranor, Kevin R. Free & Eevin Hartsough)
Blue Before Morning (Kether Donohue, Phyllis Johnson, Jenny Maguire, Chris McKinney, Flaco Navaja & Jennifer Dorr White)
Most Damaging Wound (Bard Goodrich, Ken Matthews, Megan McQuillan, Michael Solomon, Michael Szeles & Chris Thorn)
Oph3lia (Laura Butler, Drae Campbell, Dawn Eshelman, Connie Hall, Ikuko Ikari, Hana Kalinski, Eunjee Lee, Mark Lindberg, Alanna Medlock, Jy Murphy, Jorge Alberto Rubio, Maureen Sebastian & Magin Shantz)
Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out) (Geraldine Bartlett, Brian D. Coats, Katrina Foy, William Jackson Harper, Khris Lewin, Carolyn McCandlish, Joe Mullen, Frank Rodriguez, Christopher Rubin, Jeremy Schwartz, Joe Sullivan & Andrew Zimmerman)
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (Joe Basile, Jill Beckman, Christopher Borg, Jeffrey Cranor, Cara Francis, Kevin R. Free, Ryan Good, Alicia Harding, Eevin Hartsough, Sarah Levy, Erica Livingston, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Rob Neill, Lauren Parish, Joey Rizzolo & Justin Tolley)
Universal Robots (Esther Barlow, Jennifer Gordon Thomas, Jason Howard, David Lamberton, David Ian Lee, Michelle O'Connor, Ridley Parson, Nancy Sirianni, Tarantino Smith & Ben Sulzbach)
Drew Cutler, Still the River Runs
Mark Ettinger and Paul Foglino, Coming, Aphrodite!
Kimmy Gatewood, Andy Hertz, Rebekka Johnson, Sarah Lowe and Jeff Solomon, The Apple Sisters
Gerard Keenan, Angel Eaters
Dave Malloy, Beowulf - A Thousand Years Of Baggage
Nick Moore, 23 Knives
Keith Andrews, Like You Like It
Edward Elefterion, Shadow of Himself
Leigh Evans, Traces
Soomi Kim and Airon Armstrong, Lee/gendary
Austin McCormick, The Judgment of Paris
Stefanie Smith, The Selfish Giant
Michelle Beshaw, The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y.
Emily Morgan DeAngelis, Angel Eaters
Olivera Gajic, The Judgment of Paris
Hunter Kaczorowski, Like You Like It
Becky Lasky, Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out)
Karen Ann Ledger, Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Lucrecia Briceno, Lee/gendary
Ian W. Hill, The Granduncle Quadrilogy: Tales from the Land of Ice
Andrew Lu, Still the River Runs
Jennifer Rathbone, Angel Eaters
Federico Restrepo, The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius, Lovers and Spyes and about Their Untymelie End while Sitting in a Small Room at the Correctional Facility in Ossining, N.Y.
Bruce Steinberg, Blue Before Mornin
Dan Bianchi, Dracula
Katie Down, Blue Before Morning
Austin McCormick, The Judgment of Paris
Nick Moore, 23 Knives
Chris Rummel, Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Asa Wember, Angel Eaters
George Allison, Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Jim Boutin, Coming, Aphrodite!
Tristan Jeffers, Stomp and Shout (an' Work it All Out)
Michael P. Kramer, Ragtime
Caleb Levengood, Angel Eaters
Blair Mielnik, To Barcelona!
The recipients will be announced at our annual Ceremony on Monday, September 21st. Stay tuned for location and details. Alson announced at the 5th annual NYITAwards Ceremony will be the Honorary Awards and the inaugural Outstanding Stage Manager Award.
Congratulations to all honorees!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Nominee Announcement Event (from the staff's point of view)
We asked our staff for their reflections on the Nominee Announcement. Here's what they said.
Shay Gines (Producer)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
2006 Nom party – Held at the Ukrainian National Home. 3 hours before the party is to begin, the air conditioner breaks. It is the hottest day of the year – I think it was 100 degrees. There were 400 people and it was sweltering. You should check out the photos from that event. Everyone is drenched.
2007 Nom party – 5 minutes before the doors open, we realize that the freezer isn’t working properly and the ice has melted all over the floor. There is a mini flood in the kitchen and out into the party space. Our board members were in their suits and dresses on their hands and knees with towels and mops. Nothing like a terrified adrenaline rush at the last minute.
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
The presentation of our special award. I’m not saying anything else.
Hillary Cohen (Welcome Desk)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
My favorite part of the Nom Party is how excited everyone is to celebrate the season. The funniest experiences are the guests who were involved with more than one nominated show. They have twice as many photos to pose for and "renuion"-style catch up conversations to have.
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
I always look forward to the DJ's witty playlist choices.
Christopher Borg (Nominee Table Team Captain)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
When the AC broke at the Ukrainian National Home and a runner's job was to keep getting me drinks. Hiccup.
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
Meeting the Nominees that I met over the phone, getting raucous with indie theatre freaks, and flirting with cute people.
Katie Rosin (Publicist)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
I fondly remember the first Nomination Party I attended at the Ukrainian National Home. The air conditioning wasn't working and everyone was running around like MAD trying to get it fixed, which only made us hotter. Also, telling everyone I was pregnant in 2007 was pretty fun too :).
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
I love the feeling of comradery and excitement. Just being in the room with all these wonderful people who have been nominated and who work in OOBR.
Desmond Dutcher (On-Camera Bon Vivant & Nominee Table Personnel)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
One of the weirdest experiences at a past nom-party was the time when we had an air-conditioner..."malfunction"...causing everyone at the party to be drenched in sweat. It was so fun (and oddly sensual) to see everybody from the indie-theatre world remain relatively unphased: we all kept having fun and laughing; having the best of times! In fact, I'm sure it's what prompted my interest in extreme hot yoga! =:-)
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
Seeing everybody just revel in the fact that they are nominated, regardless of who ends up receiving the honor. It's a night when we can all be reminded of how wonder the work is that we do. I also love that the nom party is always in the summer, that way people wear their favorite relax, cool clothes!
Jason Bowcutt (Co-Executive Director - Shay's biatch)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
Crack Santa, sweating like a whore in church (year 2), working with the great people at Yuengling Beer, red strechy fabric which helps rooms go from drab to fab, running out of room (year 1), Nick's apartment packed to the rafters, getting people to donate to the raffle with however much arm twisting it takes.
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
Seeing friends and sharing a drink...also wouldn't mind kissing some hottie (want to win an award?!?)
x
Shay Gines (Producer)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
2006 Nom party – Held at the Ukrainian National Home. 3 hours before the party is to begin, the air conditioner breaks. It is the hottest day of the year – I think it was 100 degrees. There were 400 people and it was sweltering. You should check out the photos from that event. Everyone is drenched.
2007 Nom party – 5 minutes before the doors open, we realize that the freezer isn’t working properly and the ice has melted all over the floor. There is a mini flood in the kitchen and out into the party space. Our board members were in their suits and dresses on their hands and knees with towels and mops. Nothing like a terrified adrenaline rush at the last minute.
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
The presentation of our special award. I’m not saying anything else.
Hillary Cohen (Welcome Desk)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
My favorite part of the Nom Party is how excited everyone is to celebrate the season. The funniest experiences are the guests who were involved with more than one nominated show. They have twice as many photos to pose for and "renuion"-style catch up conversations to have.
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
I always look forward to the DJ's witty playlist choices.
Christopher Borg (Nominee Table Team Captain)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
When the AC broke at the Ukrainian National Home and a runner's job was to keep getting me drinks. Hiccup.
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
Meeting the Nominees that I met over the phone, getting raucous with indie theatre freaks, and flirting with cute people.
Katie Rosin (Publicist)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
I fondly remember the first Nomination Party I attended at the Ukrainian National Home. The air conditioning wasn't working and everyone was running around like MAD trying to get it fixed, which only made us hotter. Also, telling everyone I was pregnant in 2007 was pretty fun too :).
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
I love the feeling of comradery and excitement. Just being in the room with all these wonderful people who have been nominated and who work in OOBR.
Desmond Dutcher (On-Camera Bon Vivant & Nominee Table Personnel)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
One of the weirdest experiences at a past nom-party was the time when we had an air-conditioner..."malfunction"...causing everyone at the party to be drenched in sweat. It was so fun (and oddly sensual) to see everybody from the indie-theatre world remain relatively unphased: we all kept having fun and laughing; having the best of times! In fact, I'm sure it's what prompted my interest in extreme hot yoga! =:-)
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
Seeing everybody just revel in the fact that they are nominated, regardless of who ends up receiving the honor. It's a night when we can all be reminded of how wonder the work is that we do. I also love that the nom party is always in the summer, that way people wear their favorite relax, cool clothes!
Jason Bowcutt (Co-Executive Director - Shay's biatch)
MEMORIES FROM PREVIOUS NOMINEE EVENTS:
Crack Santa, sweating like a whore in church (year 2), working with the great people at Yuengling Beer, red strechy fabric which helps rooms go from drab to fab, running out of room (year 1), Nick's apartment packed to the rafters, getting people to donate to the raffle with however much arm twisting it takes.
WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOST AT THIS YEAR’S PARTY:
Seeing friends and sharing a drink...also wouldn't mind kissing some hottie (want to win an award?!?)
x
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Excitement Begins
We just received the nominees from the independent public accountant and things are heating up.
It is all very exciting!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Outstanding Stage Manager Award
When Nick, Jason and I first conceived the idea of the Innovative Theatre Awards, we discussed at length what the award categories would be. We wanted to make sure that they took into account the uniqueness of OOB and honored the many people who contributed to the productions. We included categories like: Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Short Script, Outstanding Sound Design, Outstanding Choreography (that included fight choreography). These are categories that most of the other theatre awards do not present. But we all know how valuable the contributions of these artists are.
In those initial conversations we discussed presenting an Outstanding Stage Manager (OSM) award. It was something we felt very strongly about. The challenge (as you might imagine) was, how to adjudicate it in a way that was fair and meaningful.
We took months devising the adjudication process for the production awards. The idea was to get the community involved, to make connections between companies and artists and get audiences more invested in OOB. We consulted hundreds of theatre practitioners, other awards organizations and even a mathematician. While we felt very confident about the process for most of the awards, we still did not have a good plan for the OSM award. It was very frustrating, but we decided to move forward without it for the time being.
However, it was never far from our minds. Every year it was at the top of the list of improvements we wanted to make. Four years of managing these awards - including the honorary awards - gave us some significant insight and we began to see a way to make this happen.
We contacted a number of Stage Managers and some well regarded OOB artists and asked them what they thought of the idea of an OSM award and the plan we had devised for selecting this person. Everyone we contacted was over the moon about the idea. They eagerly provided feedback about the qualities of a good Stage Manager and suggestions on how to evaluate the applicants.
Some of the ideas were great, but not something that the IT Awards could reasonably undertake. As an example, one person suggested sending a judge to shadow and evaluate the Stage Manager as they ran the production. And true, that would give us a clear idea of how the SM handled them self during a production. However I think that most SMs would feel a little intimidated by that; OOB booths rarely have enough room for the crew let alone an additional body; and it would mean sending an additional judge to all registered productions, which honestly is beyond our capability and too much of an imposition on the production.
The feedback helped refine the application and selection plan. I would like to mention that Cat Parker was very instrumental during this process. She helped us improve our initial application, identify people we should consult and generally provided sound advice.
This is an exciting year for us. We are celebrating our 5th year and it is such a great birthday present to be able to present the Outstanding Stage Manager Award.
I wanted to thank everyone that provided suggestions and response. This award is an experiment of sorts (we think we might be the first awards to present this honor along with all the other production awards) so feedback from the community is important and we are eager to hear from you.
Friday, June 12, 2009
NEA Alert: From Americans for the Arts
This morning in Congress, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), approved a $15 million increase for the NEA in its FY 2010 spending bill, setting it on a path towards final House consideration. Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) has once again championed the arts and culture and proposed an increase in funding. Please send a message to your Members of Congress telling them to support this important funding increase!
Currently funded at $155 million, this increase would bring the agency's budget to $170 million. In his statement, Chairman Dicks referenced the Arts Advocacy Day hearings the subcommittee held as demonstrating that "the endowments are vital for preserving and encouraging America's arts and cultural heritage." On Arts Advocacy Day, Americans for the Arts presented a panel of witnesses before Chairman Dicks' Appropriations Subcommittee calling for a significant increase in funding for the NEA. Witnesses included Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis, renown singer-songwriter Josh Groban, legendary singer Linda Ronstadt, Reinvestment Fund CEO Jeremy Nowak and Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch. Pictures from the hearing and further details including the witnesses' testimony are available online here.
Thanks to all of the grassroots advocates for your letters and calls to Congress and for attending Arts Advocacy Day. We're seeing the results!
Next Steps:
The FY 2010 Interior Appropriations bill will next go to full committee and then to the House floor for final consideration where your help may be needed to defend against floor amendments attempting to cut this increase. We must now put pressure on the Senate to match this funding level. Please take two minutes to visit the Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Members of Congress letting them know that the arts are important to you!
The FY 2010 Interior Appropriations bill will next go to full committee and then to the House floor for final consideration where your help may be needed to defend against floor amendments attempting to cut this increase. We must now put pressure on the Senate to match this funding level. Please take two minutes to visit the Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Members of Congress letting them know that the arts are important to you!
Friday, June 5, 2009
1st Annual Indie Theatre Midsummer Classic
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Please join The Community Dish, The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation, The League of Independent Theatre and United Stages for the:
1st Annual Indie Theatre Midsummer Classic
(Softball Game and Picnic)
Sunday, July 26th
noon to 4pm
Central Park's Great Lawn
(Enter the park at 81st Street)
Picnic (bring your own) - noon to 1:30
Softball Game - 1:30 to 4pm
Drinks at a nearby pub - 4pm til they run out of beer
1st Annual Indie Theatre Midsummer Classic
(Softball Game and Picnic)
Sunday, July 26th
noon to 4pm
Central Park's Great Lawn
(Enter the park at 81st Street)
Picnic (bring your own) - noon to 1:30
Softball Game - 1:30 to 4pm
Drinks at a nearby pub - 4pm til they run out of beer
Your team captains Tim Errickson and Michael Criscuolo ask that if you have equipment to please bring it and to be prepared to share a glove with a neighbor.
Celebrate the summer with a turkey sandwich, a few grounders and some good friends!
4pm drinking and continued socializing will be done at:
Blondie's Sports Bar on 79th Street (between Broadway & Amsterdam)
http://blondiessports.com/
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Please Help NYTE Win a $5,000 Grant from Microsoft
From Rochelle Denton
Today I write to ask for about 10 minutes of your time to help nytheatre.com and The New York Theatre Experience, Inc., win a grant from Microsoft.
We have entered the "Show Your Impact" Contest, which is sponsored by TechSoup and Microsoft Corporation. The winners of this contest -- there will be three -- will each receive a $5,000 cash grant from Microsoft plus $25,000 in donated software. For a technology-based small nonprofit company like ours, this is a fantastic opportunity! And we believe we have a shot at winning.
To enter the contest, we had to write a "story" about the impact that Microsoft software, which we received via their donation program with TechSoup, has had on our organization and on the community of theatre-goers and theatre-makers we serve.
We now need to get our friends and supporters to go online to the "Show Your Impact" contest website and vote for our submission. So this is where you come in: please follow the link below, register, and vote for nytheatre.com:
http://www.showyourimpact.org/microsoft/gallery
The public voting process ends on Friday, June 5, and then the top vote getters in each category will move on to the finals, to be judged by Microsoft and TechSoup.
Anyone can vote. It will take you a few minutes: the contest rules require that you register (all they ask for is an email address) and also that you vote for a minimum of 3 projects (so you can't just vote for us--you have to pick a couple of other projects in order for your vote to be counted). It's kind of complicated and I'm sorry about that--but if you'll bear with the process and vote, we will be very appreciative!
Our submission is called nytheatre.com. Our submission date is 5/20/2009. Our category is "Optimize Mission Delivery." There can only be one winner per category, so you'll maximize our chance to win by not selecting any other entries in that category.
Please pass this information along to anyone you think would like to help us! Your support is enormously appreciated.
And please take a few moments to read our submission entry, which details some of the work we've done over the past several years to prepare nytheatre.com and our other websites for Web 2.0 and beyond. Your comments and thoughts are welcome!
But the bottom line, once again: please vote for our submission to help us win this grant from Microsoft. Click here:
http://www.showyourimpact.org/nytheatrecom
Read our story, register, and vote for us. Thank you!
Email me if you have questions. Learn more about TechSoup, the great nonprofit organization that has put together this contest, here.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Community Corner: assessing the current economy's impact on artists & venues
Help NYC Performing Art Spaces accurately assess the economy's impact on Performing artists and venues. They have created 2 surveys to gather information:
- Performing Artists Survey
- Performing Arts Venues and Cultural Facilities
- Performing Artists Survey
- Performing Arts Venues and Cultural Facilities
To read more about Happenings, events & issues affecting Off-Off Broadway, visit the Community Corner.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Changes to the Showcase Code
Actor’s Equity is making modifications its Showcase Code to increase limits under which the majority of Off-Off-Broadway productions operate. The changes go into effect May 25th 2009, according to documents posted on Equity’s website.
See the details.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW SHOWCASE CODE
FROM: Nick Micozzi
Today's publishing of some long awaited changes to the Showcase Code should be taken as good news. And with a grain of salt.
First, let's be clear: The issues between AEA and Off-Off-Broadway are very tricky. There are many stakeholders from different points of view. There are lots of very passionate opinions and very few clear, undisputable facts. If it were easy, it wouldn't be an issue, and we'd be focused on other things. But at least these changes are a signal that Equity understands that there is value in OOB, that things have changed.
Now, obviously there is more to do in working together to create economically sustainable theatre Off-Off-Broadway. In speaking for myself as a human being and a New Yorker - NOT on behalf of the IT Awards, the Innovative Theatre Foundation, nor any particular company - I am still troubled by a few things:
First, producers and the community at large should fully understand that Equity faces considerable complexities including labor laws, legal considerations, unemployment, overhead costs, the competitive theatre environment, and other issues that make navigating these factors much more difficult. It’s not easy, and folks at Equity have worked very hard to come up with agreement on these Codes.
Second, in turn, there is the murky process by which changes are made in AEA. I understand why clarity and consistency is important, as well as the priority of members' interests, but i don't see why there can't be more transparency in the dialogue and decision-making process. Why wouldn't the Union want to hold public forums on the issues affecting OOB? Or at least focus groups? If they already have or plan to do so in the future, that would be nice for the community to know.
Next, there have been some considerable efforts by various stakeholders to come to the table with ideas. There was the ART/NY whitepaper, followed by various new or altered code models, by folks such as Paul Bargetto and others, offered as starting point tools for use in the discussion. But it's not clear what happened with those artifacts. I’m told they were considered by the Showcase Committee, but what level of discussion came from those artifacts? Were the authors/sponsors asked to talk about them? If so, to what degree? And if not, why not?
And most important and striking to me: Why - as i understand it from numerous Equity members that have experienced this – would AEA consider actors who produce their own OOB shows to be conflicted and therefore prohibit them from participating in the discussion? These are the folks who know the most about the issues in creating healthy OOB. There's no winning endgame for an indie producer to mistreat or take advantage of their actors. Yet it seems there are some members of Equity committees that believe these artists (because they are actor-producers) wouldn't want to pay their friends, and themselves fairly, or help support their own pension and health fund, or otherwise support their union. That is just frankly unthinkable to me. I know many actor-producers, and every one - without exception - does everything they can to make sure artists are treated the best they can, paid as much as they can, and truly have the artists best interests at heart. And anyway, there are easy, effective, low-cost corrections for “Bad Apples”: bad reputation, Equity can restrict production, Actors can always leave showcase productions at any time, etc. Further, actors who do not have experience producing are simply not aware of the intricacies and external limitations a production faces. Just like serving on a committee, it’s a lot more complicated that it may seem from the outside. But the bottom line again is transparency - what could be wrong with more informed voices in the room? You don't have to agree with another's ideas, but at least you've heard them. Knowledge is power. Debate is healthy. Get everyone at the table - it's a truer model of the real world, from which you make more informed - and ultimately wiser decisions.
What do you think? Does this help? Does it go far enough?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)