Written by Laura Zlatos
Directed by Devin Brian
Produced by Next In Line Productions LLC
Nominated for: Outstanding Lighting Design, Govin Ruben
About the Production
Exposure is inspired by the life and work of American photographer Francesca Woodman, who created a critically acclaimed body of work before killing herself when she was only twenty-two. Exposure has become more than a play about Woodman and her work however - it explores the ideas surrounding Art, and the myths of the "Tortured Artist".
Lighting Desginer Govin Ruben talks about working on this OOB production.
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What attracted you to this project?
Govin: I've worked all over the world on different productions with various companies, festivals and organizations. Exposure was the first productions from America that I was offered and I thought it would be exciting to work in New York City.
What was your favorite part of this production?
Govin: It was a very passionate group of artists who were all very dedicated to their craft. It’s always great to be a part of a team where everyone works and wants to work towards a common goal.
What was the most challenging aspect of this production?
Govin: Budget and technical limitations of the space were very challenging. However I think that that sometimes makes most designs more interesting. Exposure is a great testament to that.
What was the most noteworthy aspect of this production for you?
Govin: I was flying in from Istanbul; fresh from doing a large government festival in a 3000 seat theatre; then walking into the beautiful 60 seater Gene Frankel Theatre on the Lower East Side was a quick reminder of how varied this industry can be. From spectacle and scale to visceral and intimate.
Produced by PM2 Entertainment
Nominated for: Outstanding Solo Performance, Peter Michael Marino
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Photo by Alicia Levy
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About the Production
Failed cruise ship entertainer, celebrity stalker and musical theatre fanatic Lance is docked in town for one night only, so he’s hosting a variety-talk show with special guests Liza Minnelli, Hugh Jackman and musical sensation Miami Sound Machine. But who’ll show up? Lance has suffered for his art. Now it’s your turn!
Performer Peter Michael Marino talks about this funny, warm, and insightful one-man show.
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What attracted you to this subject matter?
Peter: I was interested in spoofing the solo show genre, and managed to do that, while also poking fun at talk shows and celebrities. I was fascinated with the idea of a "regular person" being a guest on a talk show - but treated like a celebrity. I did a bunch of research on classic talk show hosts and discovered that many of them created personas as their on-air personality. This concept led to me having my old 90s character Lance come out of retirement to be the host of the show. And then that led to me creating a bigger backstory as well as interstitial bits to do in between the guests.
What did you want the audience to come away with after watching this production?
Peter: I wanted audiences to come away with a good feeling. I wanted to make people forget their troubles for an hour and to believe in the struggle of the character and to hopefully see parts of themselves in the character. It's a show about being optimistic...even when the chips are down. And for Lance, they are always down.
What was your favorite part of this production?
Peter: I love improvising with audience members who "Lance" treated like real celebrities. I did the show in NY, Orlando, Hollywood, London and a month-long run in Edinburgh. I met all kinds of people from all over the world with such diverse backgrounds and observing how they responded to Lance as if he was a real person was a real treat.
What was the most challenging aspect of this production for you?
Peter: It was tough to find the heart and the "why" at first; but after doing the show at a few fringe fests, it became clear that Lance just wanted to be loved and recognized. It was then a challenge for me to realize that Lance was essentially me. Beyond that, the character is very high energy and it was a real workout as far as singing and dancing and keeping up with the variety of people who Lance chatted with.
What is the noteworthy thing that happened during the production?
Peter: I was fortunate enough to book and interview actual stars near the end of the run. These stars included FAME & Broadway star Laura Dean; FAME star Antonia Franceschi; Chanteuse Extraordinaire Tammy Faye; and YouTube/Off-Broadway Impressionist sensation Christina Bianco! And I always enjoy hearing people GASP when Lance's wig came off at the end of the show. It always warmed my heart. I called it the "Santa Claus" moment --- like, "Hey! That guy isn't real! But I want him to be!"
You can follow Peter Michael Marino on Twitter - @blackoutpete
Written by Falk Richter
Directed by Ildiko Nemeth
Produced by The New Stage Theatre Company
Nominated for: Outstanding Performance Art Production
About the production
Electronic City is a romance set in the liminal spaces of modernity, exploring the difficulty and complexity of belonging in a world fractured by the pressure of high-speed travel, communication and commerce. With this work, Richter asks us to consider our isolation and alienation as we are tossed by the whims of global capitalist structures, particularly communication networks and media. Richter’s characters confront what it means to seek identity and belonging in a society where consumption and business have displaced memory, tradition, and spirit.
You can follow New Stage Theatre Company on Twitter - @ NewStageNYC
Written by MJ Kaufman
Directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt
Produced by Colt Coeur
Nominated for: Outstanding Sound Design, M.L. Dogg; Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role, Charles Socarides
About the Production
Four individuals will be chosen for the mission of a lifetime. The only catch: they can’t come back. As applicants compete, they wrestle with what this means for their families, partners, and finally, themselves. What does it mean to leave Earth forever and what happens if you don't get to go after you've already said goodbye? How to Live on Earth is a play about our unrelenting obsession with the next frontier and the desire to give your life for something greater than yourself. Inspired in part by the Mars One project to colonize Mars by 2025, this piece is a funny, wry, and deeply truthful portrait of the fears and hopes that drive us towards exploration and expansion.
Designer M.L. Dogg and Actor Charles Socarides talk about creating a futuristic world.
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What attracted you to this production?
M.L.: I really wanted to work with the director and the company. The subject matter was interesting. I liked the script.
What was the most challenging aspect of this production for you?
M.L.: It had a lot of technical elements that all had to work together, and in my area there was a lot of work to put it all together. It was easily my biggest show last year.
What was it like working with Colt Coeur?
M.L.: They're very creative, smart, and friendly, and work really hard to put their shows up. It was a lot of hard work, but we felt really proud of it, and I'm happy that it and the company are being recognized.
Charles: Writer MJ Kaufman and director Adrienne Campbell-Holt are highly collaborative. Colt Coeur is a fantastic company.
Written by Marcy Lovitch
Directed by Aimee Todoroff
Produced by One Wild Jew Productions
Nominated for: Outstanding Set Design, Sandy Yaklin
About the Production
When a white male co-worker makes an off-the-cuff racially insensitive remark to his boss’s black female assistant, what seems like a harmless joke snowballs, suddenly catapulting the ad sales office of a women's magazine into turmoil. Threats are made, loyalties tested and contrasting beliefs about power, race and class surface, resulting in an explosion of shocking reveals, lies and accusations, ultimately leaving their department in utter shreds.
Set Designer Sandy Yaklin shares her thoughts on this production that addresses one of the most complex subjects of our society.
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What attracted you to this production?
Sandy: I was very excited to work with the director, Amiee Todoroff and working with the complexity of the set changes.
What was the most challenging aspect for this production for you?
Sandy: The number of locations, limited storage and fairly realistic look.
What was it like working with this company?
Sandy: Aimee, Justin, Will, Molly and the rest of the production crew were just great people to work with.
You can follow Sandy on Twitter - @BadSandyProd
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by David Marantz
Produced by The Drilling Company
Nominated for: Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role, Anwen Darcy
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Photo by Josef Pinlac
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About the Production
This outdoor production of Romeo and Juliet was presented in Bryant Park and seen by almost 15,000 people in the summer of 2015. A modern interpretation, the warring families are divided by class and wealth.
Actress Anwen Darcy and Artistic Director Hamilton Clancy talk about presenting this Shakespearian classic as a modern class conflict.
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What attracted you to this project?
Anwen: Taking a well-known role, like Mercutio, and getting to be unapologetic in how fearsome and rambunctious and sexual that character is, and do it as a woman, without sacrifice. That was such an interesting challenge, because there was a fear the audience might respond to it really really badly- and they didn't.
Hamilton: It was our first production on the HBO Stage of Bryant Park and we wanted to be one Shakespeare's most classic and celebrated plays. We had done Hamlet the year before so Romeo and Juliet was the logical choice. Casting a woman in the traditionally male role of Mercutio was the most exciting choice of the production.
What did you want the audience to come away with after watching this production of Romeo & Juliet?
Hamilton: We wanted the audience to discover the Motagues and the Capulets feud as a feud that resonated in today's socioeconomic politics of the the 1% vs the 99%.
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Photo by Josef Pinlac
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What was the most challenging aspect of this production?
Anwen: The most challenging thing was going up against people's expectations of what Mercutio should be- you get a certain subset of people who see him as the personification of rowdy male behavior, and so to come at that as a woman, and to embrace that facet of his personality without apologizing for being a woman, was a really interesting challenge.
Hamilton: It's very challenging to brave the elements in any out door production.
This one had a different element than we had faced before.
Bryant PArk/HBO stage became very warm on matinee days and we were forced to move the production, for those perormances off the stage and onto the grass. Our audience was right with us as many of them sat to the side in the shade and forced us to literally act closer toward the cooler parts of the park.
What was it like working with Anwen?
Hamilton: Anwen Darcy showed tremendous courage and versatility in embracing the role of Mercutio, customarily played by a man , as a female "bro" friend of Romeo's. The role called for Ms. Darcy discover and overtly sexual character as well as engage in complex fight scenes . Anwen Darcy is awesome because she is simply one of the toughest actress you will ever find.
You can follow Anwen on Twitter - @DarcyFever
Written and Performed by Colin Summers
Directed by Nessa Norich
Produced by New York Neo-Futurists
Nominated for: Outstanding Solo Performance, Colin Summers; Outstanding Original Full-Length Script, Colin Summers; Outstanding Production of a Musical
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Photo by Hunter Canning
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About the Production
Steve: A Docu-Musical chronicles the true story of Colin Summer’s 8-year online correspondence and artistic collaboration with Steve, a “Gen X” Australian. Together, Steve and Colin have written hundreds of songs. In Colin’s account of their unconventional relationship, Steve’s original songs and emails paint a vivid picture of a fascinating character. A refreshing exploration of the artist within all of us, Steve: A Docu-Musical reveals the potential for human connection sparked by a simple Google search.
Performer and playwright Colin Summer and Producer Yoshi Kuroi briefly give their thoughts on this modern musical.
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What prompted you to write this musical?
Colin: I kept telling my friends this story until I realized I had to make it a real show.
What attracted you to this production?
Yoshi: I love real and human stories about technology making people's lives better and connecting people to one another. Steve: A Docu-Musical is nothing if not a tale of the Internet connecting two unlikely artists who would never have found each other to collaborate without the connectivity of our age and the charismatic creations they made together.
You can follow the New York Neo-Futurists on Twitter @nyneofuturists
