I Love Tech

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Contributed by Guest Blogger of the week Tom Wojtunik.

I was off to a good blogging start this week, and then I got swallowed up in load-in and tech for MilkMilkLemonade.

Jennifer Harder in tech for MilkMilkLemonade
Photo by Syndey Maresca

Is anything better than tech?

I seriously live for the first day the actors get to play on the set. I am still surprised every time by how much better lighting makes everything look. It’s a thrill watching talented artists collaborate to solve big problems on the fly. But best of all, I love the loopy bonding that happens in the long hours of sitting in the dark of tech. I actually think that kind of bonding (or lack thereof) can make or break a show. In the best-case scenario, a palpable energy is created that permeates the theater—and if it’s strong enough, it can propel you through to opening night.

I feel so lucky to be in the room for this tech. It’s a hoot watching the oh-so-talented original cast (from last season’s production at UNDER St. Mark’s), explore the much bigger set. Directors don’t often get a chance to watch each other work, so I’m soaking up every second of watching José Zayas, whom I adore, run the room. We all know tech is infinitely better when your stage manager is efficient and competent—Alex Mark is, and APAC is blessed to have him (hire him!). And I never cease to be amazed when talented designers make magic out of ridiculously little resources. Jason Simms, Sydney Maresca, Bruce Steinberg and David Margolin Lawson are Artists of the first degree.

So here’s to a week of living in my Tech Bubble, before I have to think about things like groceries, laundry and rent.

Thanks for reading!

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Astoria is Not That Far

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Contributed by Guest Blogger of the week Tom Wojtunik.

I took over as Artistic Director of APAC in 2008. Next week we open the first mainstage in our 10^thanniversary season, a remount of Joshua Conkel’s MilkMilkLemonade, featuring the original cast. It’s a terrific piece that had a critically acclaimed, though criminally short, run in the 45-seat UNDER St. Mark’s in September of 2009. Like all indie theatre companies, in addition to readying the physical production for opening night, we are also focusing on ticket sales, especially for the all-important opening weekend, when press attends and fates are decided. 

APAC audiences tend to split in thirds: our core Astoria supporters, friends/family of people involved in that particular production, and Manhattan theatergoers. We can always count on the first two categories—it’s the third that can sometimes remain elusive. The argument we always hear, of course, is that Astoria is too far, that the commute is too much for people. So I’m going to shamelessly use this public forum to attempt to debunk that myth…

Astoria is not that far! I promise. I’ve lived in NYC for thirteen years, and Astoria for eight. I love it. It’s quiet and the commute is super easy. During the week, I can get to midtown in twenty minutes. Sure, weekends can be tougher, especially with MTA construction going on, but that’s a city-wide problem. Honestly, it took me longer to get places when I lived on First Avenue on the Upper East Side than it does now.

Hands down, the best thing about Astoria is the food. Arguably, Queens has the best in all of New York. A.O. Scott of the New York Times called Queens “demographically the most cosmopolitan of the five boroughs and something of a foodie mecca.” Artists who have worked at APAC in the past (and who don’t live in Astoria) often come back to the neighborhood to revisit their favorite restaurants from rehearsals.

Come see MilkMilkLemonade. You’ll have a terrific time at the show, and since it’s only 75-minutes, why not enjoy some Astoria-cuisine before or after the show? Here are some suggestions:

Sac’s Place

The best pizza in Queens, and a favorite of Al Pacino’s and David Chase (Johnny Sack on “The Sopranos” was named after this restaurant, a favorite of the creators during shooting). The ravioli are handmade every morning, but you also can’t go wrong with the pizza:

Sweet Afton Bar

Probably the coolest new bar in Astoria, with fun drinks (Dirty Pickle Martini!), great draft beers, and a limited but delicious menu. APAC is currently raffling off a $50 gift certificate to Sweet Afton—buy your tickets for MilkMilkLemonade by 12:00pm tomorrow (Wed 10/20), and you’ll automatically be entered to win! The cheeseburger alone is worth it:

Vesta Trattoria & Wine Bar

An APAC favorite (we often have opening night parties here). Amazing staff and ambiance and terrific pizza, pastas and entrees. They have wine on tap, and if you tell them you’re going to(or just saw) MilkMilkLemonade you’ll get a free Baby Jesus Cake for dessert (it lives up to the name, I promise):

Hungry yet?

There is a lot of terrific theatre happening in the boroughs. Grow up. Get on the subway. Have an adventure.

MilkMilkLemonade runs October 28-November 13^th. Buy your tickets here.

P.S. The joke about needing to get your passport stamped to leave Manhattan is tired. I’ll give two free tickets to MilkMilkLemonade to whoever comes up with a better one (submissions accepted on comments to this blog posting only!).

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Tom Steps Out

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Contributed by Guest Blogger of the week Tom Wojtunik.

My first blog post. Ever.

I’m the guy who still does not have a Facebook account. I think that “checking in,” so people know where I am at all times, is like something out of Brave New World. And I definitely do not Tweet. I am, admittedly, something of a social networking dinosaur. 

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not a technophobe. I communicate more through email than the phone. I read blogs and visit various websites, daily. Once upon a time I had a MySpace account, and before that I was even on Friendster. I have an iPhone!

So why am I so reluctant to join the social media craze? 

For one, I don’t really have the time. It’s hard enough to stay on top of email, and I suspect I would be easily sucked into the world of Facebook if I allowed myself. While I’m intrigued by the voyeuristic opportunities, there’s something to be said for learning about a person in a natural way, over time. I guess I actually enjoy the mystery in life.

From a professional standpoint, I’m uncomfortable with how much Facebook mixes the personal with the professional. Of course, theater is a business that thrives on that interconnectedness, and it’s actually one of my favorite things about it. Still, I think it’s possible to go too far.

An actor I once worked with used their Facebook status to comment on the progress of rehearsals, which I found appalling. The rehearsal room should be a sanctuary—a place where actors feel like they can safely experiment and fail. It’s completely unnerving to have a friend not involved with the production say, “Heard you had a bad run-thru last night.” Another time, while casting a large musical, I was told about the blog of an actor who was auditioning for me. He desperately wanted one of the lead roles, and had started a blog chain following his audition process, all the way through final callback. He ended up not getting the role, and he wrote about that, too. It was especially disturbing that he used names—my name, the theatre, even the name of the actor who ended up getting it. The tone of the posts was decidedly one of someone who had been “wronged.” To this day, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I honestly couldn’t imagine ever hiring this actor.

I currently serve as the Artistic Director for the Astoria Performing Arts Center and last season, we brought on a Marketing Director, Dave Charest. I’ve known Dave for years—we went to college together and he’s one of my oldest friends. And he couldn’t disagree with me more. He sees the potential in social media, and is excellent at using it.

He’s constantly scheming new ways to get me to join Facebook, and we often butt heads about these issues. He has an incredible knowledge of the social networking arena, and he’s so connected to the theatre blogosphere and beyond, it’s intimidating. I’m positive he’ll find this blog post without me telling him about it, and chances are he’ll comment—so “Hi, David!”

Dave has been an invaluable addition to the APAC staff. Our audience base has grown, but more importantly, we’re communicating with them more effectively than we ever did. And even better than that, they’re communicating back with us. So I’ve seen firsthand the value in these newfangled marketing techniques.

So here’s to me Blogging, at least for the next week, and stepping out of my comfort zone! (Just don’t try to find me on Facebook.)

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Guest Blogger of the week: Tom Wojtunik

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We would like to thank Mark Armstrong for his great blogs this week and all the advice he shared.      

We are excited that next week's guest blogger is Tom Wojtunik.

Tom Wojtunik (Director) is the artistic director of the Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC), where he directed Children of Eden, The Pillowman, Ragtime and Proof. Other NY credits: The Play About the Naked Guy, Edenville (Emerging Artists Theatre); The Miss Education of Jenna Bush (FringeNYC, Best Solo Show & Audience Favorite); Bright Lights, Big City (Marymount Manhattan College); The Who’s Tommy, Man of La Mancha, Six Degrees of Separation, Urinetown, Take Me Out (The Gallery Players); I'm In Love With Your Wife (Midtown International Theatre Festival); The Good Thief and Rum and Vodka (Prospect St). Tom was a Resident Director for the Ensemble Studio Theatre, where directed workshops of Bella Via and David’s Play. He directed the 2010 IT Awards Ceremony, and his productions have been nominated for fifteen IT Awards, including two wins for Outstanding Production of a Musical for Children of Eden and Urinetown. Tom is a member of EAT and the LCT Directors’ Lab. BFA: Marymount Manhattan College. SDC Member. 

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Do we see theatre anymore?

Contributed by Guest Blogger of the week, Jillian Zeman.

I don’t know if anyone else feels this way, or if this is true for anyone else, but I really don’t go to theatre much anymore. Not because I don’t enjoy it, not because there isn’t anything I want to see… but time. My show is usually on the same schedule as everything else and unfortunately I can’t exactly put in for a personal day to take in a show.

Tonight was treat. I actually got to watch a show. And it wasn’t one I was training on; it was out of pure enjoyment and, well, time. My current show is in Raleigh, NC and right next door in Durham was the national tour of Wicked. I’ve never seen it before (yes, I know most of your jaws all dropped… a New Yorker of 7 years, working in theatre hasn’t seen Wicked?!)

The production was amazing, and there were moments where I was looking around going “how did they do that?” I’ve had those moments with OOB as well, most recently with

APAC’s production of The Pillowman directed by Tom Wojtunik. Now here’s the difference, this show had a budget of who knows how much, and OOB has a strict budget. I think what is most remarkable is that on the larger big-budget productions you have an idea of how they made something work, but didn’t know the specifics (and granted, I’m speaking of theatre people who know what to look for during those special effect moments). However, on the OOB productions the designers have to bring a level of creativity to make the magic happen on a much tighter budget. I love sitting in a theatre and analyzing how a special effect happened. It’s moments like this that I’m so proud to work in OOB. It may not have the budgets that the larger productions do, but we have just as much, if not more creativity and talent to put on display.