Baby Mama: One Woman's Quest to Give Her Child to Gay People

Written by Mariah MacCarthy
Directed by Sara Lyons
Produced by Caps Lock Theatre 

Nominations: Outstanding Original Full-Length Script: Mariah MacCarthy; Outstanding Solo Performance: Mariah MacCarthy


About the Production
Producer, writer, and performer Mariah MacCarthy talks to us about her show, including her motivation for doing it, its impact on audience, and other revealing insights.

Mariah MacCarthy (Photo credit: Kacey Stamats)



___________________________________________________________________________

What attracted you to this project?
Mariah: I'd had a unique and incredibly intense experience (placing my baby in an open adoption), and I didn't know anyone else who had gone through this. So I decided to be the role model I didn't have at the time.
What was your favorite part of working on this production?
Mariah: Looking each member of the audience in the eye at the beginning of the show, and eliminating any distance between them and me. Holding audience members in my arms afterwards and hearing their stories.


What was the most challenging part of working on this production?
Mariah: I hadn't acted in nearly a decade. I had rapped and done stand-up and burlesque, but I hadn't been in a show since college — let alone one where I was the only performer. I had to learn how to keep my energy up, how to dance with an audience, and how to not blow out my voice.


What was the quirkiest part of the production?
Mariah: The day of the inauguration, during the first break in the show, I asked the audience from the stage, "How you guys doing? Anyone need to scream into the void?" No one took me up on the offer, but I just needed to do something to acknowledge the elephant in the room, and the very real possibility that the world was ending. Mercifully, the world didn't end that day, and I did the rest of the show as usual.


What was it like working with this group of artists?
Mariah: This show is about the year that I was pregnant with my son. That was the same year that I started Caps Lock Theatre. I'm so glad, in retrospect, that I didn't let my pregnancy and adoption experience stop me from producing my own work. Self-producing has led to everything good in my career. I can't tell you how freeing it is to know that you don't need to wait for a gatekeeper. You don't need permission to do your work. Just find a time and place, and do the thing.

Mariah MacCarthy (Photo credit: Kacey Stamats)

What will you take away from your experience working on?
Mariah: I learned that even if your entire first row of audience has resting bitch face, the back rows might be getting a phenomenal show, and you're not allowed to give up just because you're not getting anything back in the moment.

 

Please follow Caps Lock Theatre:
Twitter: @CapsLockTheatre

 

The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit

Written by Allan Knee
Music and Lyrics by Andre Catrini
Directed by Thomas Cote
Produced by The Workshop Theater

Nomination: Outstanding Production of a Musical

About the Company: The Workshop Theater is a resource for artists and audiences to explore new works. From staged readings to polished productions, over 170 professional playwrights, actors and directors are given the tools of our development process to bring their works to life. You're not just an audience member at The Workshop; you're a part of the development process.

About the Production: Twelve years after the close of A Christmas Carol - Timothy Cratchit - now 19 - leaves the home of his benefactor, Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to find his place in the world.  On his path he encounters many trying, eye-opening and comical situations, but it is with the magnificent stage clown, Grimaldi, and his troupe of lively performers that he discovers his true identity.

“The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit is a lively musical which takes place on a picturesque and wonderfully 19th century set, has memorable music and lyrics by Andre Catrini, and is directed by Thomas Coté. The story acts as a sequel  of sorts to the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol. The costumes by Sharon Sobel are magnificent and the singing is a real treat.”
         ~ James Steinman-Gordon, Theater Pizzazzz

Make sure to follow WorkShop Theater Company on Twitter @workshoptheater 


 

Empathitrax

Written by Ana Nogueira
Directed by Adrienne Cambell-Holt
Produced by Colt Coeur 

Nominations: Outstanding Sound Design, Matt Otto; Outstanding Set Design, Reid Thompson

About the Company: Colt Coeur embraces the infinite theatrical potential of intimate live performance. Their work addresses the ambivalence, terror and exhilaration of our age on the scale of person-to-person through theater that utilizes a simplicity of means to achieve richness of expression. They produce original, story-driven, visceral theater that straddles the line between mainstream and experimental. They strive to create great happenings in small rooms, “theater as close as a whisper in your ear or a stranger’s hand brushing yours.  Intimacy is our way in.”

About the Production: Empathitrax is a searing, darkly funny and heart-filled story of a young couple who turn to a new breakthrough in pharmacology to save their fractured relationship. When “Empathitrax” hits the market promising instant emotional intimacy by divining what others feel, one couple takes the leap to eliminate all boundaries between them. Like any new drug, there are unforeseen side effects which in this instance have catastrophic and poignant consequences.

"In the beautifully redemptive and sweetly funny final moments of the show, the aspects of design come together magically, creating an incredible moment of deep emotion. Beyond words, we transcend understanding and simply feel." ~ Elizabeth Kipp-Giusti, Theasy

What first attracted you to this project?

Matt: Working with the director Adrienne Campbell-Holt

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Matt: Being in rehearsal with Adrienne and the playwright Ana Nogueira.

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

Matt: The speed at which we had to tech it.

Did you learn anything new from your experience of working on this production?

Matt: I learned a lot from the play itself, how to be more empathetic and caring for your partner.

What was it like working with this company?

Matt: The people are the best.

Make sure to follow Colt Coeur on Twitter @Colt_Coeur

Marian, Or The True Tale of Robin Hood

Written by Adam Symkowicz
Directed by Kelly O'Donnell
Produced by Flux Theatre Ensemble

Nominations: Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role: Jack Horton Gilbert; Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role: Matthew Trumbull; Outstanding Choreography: Rocio Mendez


About the Production
MARIAN, OR THE TRUE TALE OF ROBIN HOOD is a gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale. Robin Hood is (and has always been) Maid Marian in disguise and leads a motley group of Merry Men (few of whom are actually men) against the greedy Prince John. As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin?

Enacting Rocio Mendez's fight choreography: (l to r) Marnie Schulenberg, Becky Byers, Matthew Trumbull

Producer Heather Cohn and 2017 It Award nominees Jack Horton Gilbert, Matthew Trumbull, and Rocio Mendez talk to us about the fun, camaraderie and meaning they found working on this re-telling of the Robin Hood legend.
________________________________________________________________________________

What attracted you to this project?

Heather: Flux commissioned the piece. It's the third play of Adam's we've produced

Jack: The character breakdown. It was something like "Tall, large, gentle, dumb" and I thought to myself, "yeah, that's pretty much me." Also the chance to work with Adam and Flux Ensemble, I'd been following both for awhile and jumped at the opportunity to work with them.

Matthew: I felt an immediate but peculiar bond with #Guard 1, even though he didn't have a name and didn't even factor into the main plot much except to be killed about dozen times. He was a miniscule cog in an evil machine, and he just wanted love and The Simple Life, two things he wasn't allowed to have on account of technically being a Bad Guy. He had a lot of quick, funny bits; that's why he was in the play. But I saw this tiny glimmer of a beautiful, conflicted inner life in those fifteen lines, and it was very rewarding to bring that out as an actor.

Rocio: The Flux Theater Ensemble has never let me down with the innovation and inclusivity. Marian is a great story with a female hero and leader, which is something I think needs to be shown more in the world.



(l to r) Jessica Angleskhan, Jack Horton Gilbert (background), Becky Byers (foreground)

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Heather: The creative team was amazing

Jack: The cast and team. They were all so much fun and so talented. There was a really lovely, warm energy that permeated the whole process. Everyone just had such a good time putting this all together.

Matthew: This cast was large for an indie theatre play, and it was a great, joyous supportive family making comedy and art in the winter of 2016/2017, even though our hearts were breaking due to the election results and inauguration. We were feeling a lot of sadness, anger and fear, and it was a relief to work on a play about love, following your heart, and taking care of each other. Plus — as a nameless Guard, I got killed in the show's fights many times, and that is always a hoot.

Rocio: The fun within the stage violence, the cast and always working with Kelly O'Donnell — who has the best imagination and storytelling skills. It's the people who make it worth it all!




(foreground) Matthew Trumbull; (l to r) Aaron Parker Foohey, Kevin R. Free, Alexandra Curran (background)

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

Heather: A huge cast is always tough in terms of scheduling rehearsals

Jack: Nothing really stands out as being overly challenging with this production. Tech week is always stressful and there were moments of frustration and tedium, same as any show. But overall, everything went incredibly smoothly. That's a testament to how flexible and professional everyone involved was.

Matthew: Finding a balance between comedic bits, and the actual heart of the story.

Rocio: Twelve people fighting on stage at the same time! Haha!

What was the audiences' reaction to the work?

Heather: The sense of hope and joy despite our troubled times

What was the quirkiest part of the production?

Matthew: My character delivered the curtain speech about cell phones, etc., and it was actually damned amusing. Also, considering the political mood of those months, laughing and being funny came to us with surprising ease; it was emotional part of the story that provided the larger challenge. I think everyone was feeling very vulnerable, and playing the funny bits made us feel more secure.

What was it like working with this group of artists?

Jack: I've never felt as supported as an actor than I have working on MARIAN. Flux was incredible, checking in and making sure we had tools available to us to communicate and providing this incredible base that we built everything else on top of. They're a very well-oiled machine and just a great group of people across the board.

Matthew: They have shown great love and respect for all artists and technical staff involved, and it has resulted in a vast, extended family that reaches into many corners of indie theatre. One of the key components of that respect is a dedication to high-caliber productions, and that is very special.

Rocio: The dedication and talent is sky high!

What will you take away from your experience working on?

Matthew: I got to work with several new faces, which is the joy of a larger cast with a familiar company.

Anything else?

Rocio: Fighting for what is right seems tedious and never-ending, but it is what we have to do.

Please follow Flux Theatre Ensemble on:
Twitter: @fluxtheatre
Instagram: @fluxtheatre

The Queen

Written by Aditya Rawal
Directed by Gwynn MacDonald
Produced by Aman Soni in association with Juggernaut Theatre Co. and Theater for the New City 

Nominations: Outstanding Original Full-Length Script, Aditya Rawal; Outstanding Costume Design, Joseph S. Blaha; Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role, Sharvari Deshpande

Photos by John Barragan

About the Production: Set in 16th century India, at the peak of the Mughal era, The Queen is the story of Durga, who is consigned to the west wing of the palace after her husband, the Rajput king, marries a younger woman. She battles against the loss of her beauty and relevance as she resolves to burn the palace down and avenge her husband’s betrayal. The play draws inspiration from Macbeth, Medea and the works of Rabindranath Tagore. It explores themes of power and the position of women in society, an issue that in four centuries has not lost its importance.

What first attracted you to this project?

Aditya: I am immensely interested by the period in history that this play covers (the late 16th century in Northern India) - so that is the thought with which I began working on the play. Also, the fractured relationship that drives this play is based on one that I witnessed, and was deeply affected by, in my own life.

Joseph:  The script. I read it and I had to do it.

Gwynn: It's a rare opportunity to present a new play that feels like a classic, one that dramatizes South Asian history that is India in the 16c, and a piece about war and power that has a woman as the central figure.

What was your favorite part of this production?

Aditya: Apart from the joy of writing a new play, it was the pleasure of working with the wonderful cast and crew. We worked on a shoe-string budget - and everyone made a ton of compromises to be a part of the project. If it was not for their talent and amazing attitude - this play would not have been possible.

Joseph: The close-knit cast and creative team.

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

Joseph: The tight budget for a show with such specific needs.

What was the weirdest thing that happened during this production?

Aditya: The final show was definitely the most interesting one. Our lead actor, Nilanjana, had her bag stolen from the venue an hour before the performance and we went around the neighborhood searching for it as she prepared to go on stage.

I remember thinking as I was driven around Union Square in the back of a police car - I may do many more plays in the future, but I don't think any one will be as exciting as this one. In a fittingly heroic manner, our producer and actor, Aman (who played her son), chased after the thief and got the bag back.

The play began on time, to a full audience, and went very well. Apparently, the tension helped Nilanjana perform in a manner she had never done before.

Did you learn anything new from your experience of working on this production?

Joseph: I learned how quickly I can work on my feet. Also, was able to learn something new from each of my fellow artists.

What was it like working with this group of artists?

Gwynn: They are all -- in my opinion - young and brilliant. So it's a thrill to see talented artists at the beginnings of their careers; for Sharvari and Aditya this production represented their New York City debut.

 Check out The Queen on Twitter @TheQueenTNC

Raisin

Book by Robert Nemiroff & Charlotte Zaltzberg
Music by Judd Woldin
Lyrics by Robert Brittan
Directed by Dev Bondarin
Produced by Astoria Performing Arts Center

Nominations: Outstanding Production of a Musical; Outstanding Director, Dev Bondarin; Outstanding Set Design, Lawrence E. Moten III;  Outstanding Sound Design, Emma Wilk; Outstanding Costume Design, Jeannipher Pacheco; Outstanding Choreography/Movement, Tamrin Goldberg; Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role, Warren Nolan Jr.; Outstanding Ensemble: Maia Bedford, Aaron Casey, Shabazz Green, Chris Gwynn, Marcie Henderson, Greg Horton, Brandi Knox, Billy Lowrimore, Ebony Marshall-Oliver, Sarita Amani Nash, Warren Nolan, Jr., Chinua B. Payne, Tony Perry, Joi Danielle Price, Vanessa Robinson, Alicia Thomas, Cartreze Tucker

Photos by Michael Dekker

About the Company: APAC’s mission is to bring high quality theater to Astoria, Queens and greater NYC, and to support local youth and senior citizens.

About the Production: Raisin is a musical adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun.

The cast and crew of Raisin share their experiences of bringing this timely work back to New York City for the first time in 40 years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

What first attracted you to this project?

Joi: I was intrigued by the opportunity to work on a show so rarely discussed and barely ever performed. The source material is very well known and I felt it had an important message. The opportunity to musicalize the world depicted in that play presented a unique artistic challenge. I also felt that the opportunity to present a slice of African-American life on the stage was very timely. We are living at a time where people are turning inward to examine their own experiences and communicate with others who are from their own community - especially on the internet - and band together with people who have similar points of view. Giving audiences a chance to step into a world which may have a very different viewpoint with different struggles helps us all to empathize with each other and respect differing experiences.

Lawrence: I have always been drawn to opportunities to tell the stories of underrepresented people, people on the margins. I find the story of Raisin in the Sun to be an honest portrayal of life that allows actors of color to take center stage and not be stereotypes. To take that story and transform it into a beautiful musical is the great work of the book and music writers and I jumped at the opportunity to be involved.

Marcie: Musical of a Lorraine Hansberry masterpiece

Chinua: My mom telling me the history of the play Raisin/A Raisin In The Sun.

Horton: The rarity of working on this particular piece.  

Thomas: Being able to share this story with everyone that hasn't been told in NY for more than 40 years.

Brandi: It's never done and I think its an important story and piece of literature.

Gwynn: The "working" part. Seriously, I was thinking about leaving the profession all together at the time I auditioned because I haven't worked consistently.

Emma: That the show hadn't had an NYC revival yet, and the theater's location in Astoria

Jeannipher: The relevance: working class and race. A Raisin in the Sun was one of the first plays I read in high school. I remember relating my living situation with the Younger's, in terms of space, money and family. I was not aware that a musical adaptation existed till Dev Bondarin, the director, emailed me seeking for a costume designer. I was excited to get the opportunity to work on something that touches close to home, that is still relatable, and a musical (something, I don't have much experience with).

Maia: I was first attracted to the story itself. How awesome to have a musical adaptation of the iconic A Raisin in the Sun.

Sarita: I loved that Raisin is the classic story we all know in the play Raisin in the Sun, but with music added, which gives the characters the opportunity to sing and express themselves in a heightened, beautiful way. That really excited me.

Shabazz: Raisin is a rarely produced musical based on the incredible play A Raisin in the Sun. Both have been favorites of mine for many years, and the opportunity to bring the musical back to life in New York City was an opportunity you can't pass up.

Tamrin: Raisin in the Sun is such an incredible and well known piece of theater, but so many people have never heard of the Tony-Award-winning work of genius that is Raisin. To make my New York theater choreographic debut in such a unique way was an opportunity not to miss. What a gift to be involved in bringing this show back to New York for the first time in over forty years!

Tony: Its a legendary piece and is rarely done.

Vanessa: I've worked with APAC before, in Ragtime, so I knew they were a quality company. Also, Raisin in the Sun is an iconic play and to take part in a musical version of it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Warren: I've been a fan of the play since I read it in Highschool, but the musical I was less familiar with, I head of the production once 20 years ago and so when presented with the opportunity I was excited to be a part of a work with such history that was rarely presented.

Dev: I was drawn to Raisin for its important and timely story, its characters and the love among them, the music, and to have the opportunity to direct a beautiful show which centers about a Black family struggling, striving, and supporting each other.

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Chinua: Singing, I like to sing and watching us, the cast, grow into a real family.

Horton: Working with Dev Bondarin.

Joi: I love working in a different time period. The moment we saw the costumes and examined that language that was very unique to the period, it raised all kinds of new awarenesses about what life must have been like for these people in that decade.

Lawrence: I loved the collaborative process with Dev and the rest of the creative team. It felt very communal and that we were all on the same page.

Marcie: Morphing from the character of Mrs. Johnson to Ensemble, never a dull moment.

Brandi: Getting to know my castmates! They were a riot and a lot of laughs were shared.

Gwynn: Watching the other artists create magic with their performances. It was and still is super inspiring. It is so refreshing to work with such talented and humble actors.

Emma: The performances by the actors.

Maia: My favorite part was getting to work with such a wonderful, talented group of people. The cast was predominantly Black, and Raisin is a universally human story in the context of the Black American experience. It was so fun, and beautiful, to discuss our own experiences and family histories and then be able to use those stories to help bring Raisin to life.

Shabazz: Reviving History. In today's social climate and change, it's important to remember what we've come from and what we want to grow toward. We want to grow toward maturity, equality and purpose. Raisin exuded those constant themes, and the chance to produce that purpose through art was a joy.

Tamrin: Judd Woldin's beautiful score combined with stage directions from the original production presented such a wonderful choreographic roadmap. Each number I worked on drew from different dance styles, and I found myself deep in the history of black dance as I found the movement vocabulary for this show.

Tony: The spirit of the company members.

Vanessa: Being in a mostly black cast. It's something that most of us don't get to experience that often.

Warren: I loved being a part of a mostly black cast of Artists. That's rare! And I am so grateful to have been able to present that in Astoria.

Dev: Having the opportunity to delve into this story and to bring it to life with my collaborators. Working with the actors was especially meaningful as we neared opening and were able to delve deeper into the story. Watching their performances evolve over the four week run was amazing.

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

Brandi: My character could easily slip into the background as the housewife, and the way this piece is written, everyone has to be strong in their choices and be interesting. The challenge is being interesting within boundaries of my character and her dialogue.

Horton: It was a very small role, so keeping engaged at the level it required was a challenge.

Vanessa: The choreography. It was more intense than I assumed it would be, but absolutely necessary for the exposition. Each move was very detailed and well thought out.

Chinua: I was the only child....but it was ok

Lawrence: The show has so many locations and yet we spend so much of our time in the Youngers' house. It was the ultimate challenge and goal to create a world that was specific enough to be the tiny apartment of the Youngers while also allowing us to go to all of the other locations and not feel clunky.

Marcie: Traveling to Astoria in the Winter...from Brooklyn! 
Tamrin: Commuting to Astoria every day from Brooklyn was the biggest challenge! So many late night delays and shuttle busses... But it was all worth it!

Tony: Working out a schedule with paying work.

Dev: Raisin is a big show! It's Hansberry's play with music and so all of that goes into the rehearsal process--which is a lot on the Showcase contract. As the weeks went on the actors especially rose to the challenge of what the production demanded and their success was visible in the results of a solid production.

Shabazz: Capturing ALL the types of emotions within it. There is such range of emotion from rage, to passion, to love to tenderness. The challenging but still fun part, was making sure to touch each of them and making sure our audiences understood and felt them as well. Because while these characters were fictional, their struggle is felt by everyone and we really wanted to bring those to the surface.

Did you learn anything new from your experience of working on this production?

Warren: I learned to trust myself more. I'd spent a good number of years performing as a cruise ship singer, and this role scared me, but I found my voice and saw that the limits I thought I had, weren't true! I learned some boldness.

Brandi: Everyone was perfectly cast and we really felt like a true family. That's rare and to slap that aspect on to a classic piece is just refreshing. I have learned that I want to work with and for people who make interesting choices. I want to be apart of and strive for the 3 dimensional representations of black characters in theater and especially musical theater, and I feel like I got a chance to do that with Raisin.

Gwynn: I can't tap dance. It's so sad.
Marcie: Many different ways of getting to the theatre when the subway stopped working.

Shabazz: My eyes really opened up to the importance of art. That our work as actors or artists can inspire dialogue and emotions. Tall back sessions with audiences helped me see that our work DOES entertain AND inspire.

Tamrin: Raisin is a show about dreams, about love, about sacrifice and loss. It is a human story that so many are able to directly identify with. And to sit in that audience, in a room full of people on the edge of their seats, was a reminder of the importance of sharing this story, and of creating art, especially now.

 Chinua: Don't let the play overwhelm you emotionally.

What was the most memorable part of this experience for you?

Marcie: Working with a talented group of people: cast, crew and production staff

Tony: The way the ensemble was used to broaden the scope of an intimate family story.

Thomas: The dressing room "held it down!" I had great experiences in the dressing room with such gifted, uplifting, and hilarious group of women.

Gwynn: They are all HI-freakin-LARIOUS.

Chinua: Telling each other jokes and riddles in the dressing.

Brandi: Well, I'm not a mother in real life but it was a joy to have a little boy at my hip! We had our moments and he's such a talent. room

Lawrence: Figuring out the space, every theatre has its quirks and this space was no different. I was lucky that I lived so close to the space, I was able to spend a lot of time in the room finessing things with the oddities of the theatre.

Dev: We had the opportunity to welcome an original member of the Broadway cast to the production as well as family members of the composer and co-librettist. They all had not seen a production of Raisin in many years and so sharing it with them was a wonderful gift.

Shabazz: The best memory was meeting Ernestine Jackson, and originator of the role of Ruth and original production. To meet, speak and hear her interpretation of the Raisin and how it's grown to this production was outstanding.

What did you want the audience to walk away with after watching Raisin?

Dev: That love among a family is strong, that striving against adversity is possible, that racism still exists and that Raisin's story is more of a current event than a piece of history, that Lorraine Hansberry was one of the most important creative minds of our time, that the musical adaptation of her work is wonderful, and that the lives of these characters need to be seen.

 
What was it like working with this group of artists? 

Horton: APAC is a very warm, professional company to work with.

Chinua: They understood me and where I was coming from - the director was an only child, like me, so she helped me make the character come to life.

Joi: This was my first time working with the Astoria Performing Arts Center. I was very moved by their dedication to putting the highest caliber of work on the stage and the way they stay connected with with the community that supports them. IT is a beautifully executed symbiotic relationship.

Lawrence: I was an Astoria resident, so working with a company that is focused on bringing theatre to this neighborhood was amazing.

Marcie: APAC takes chances and I like that

Aaron: APAC's Raisin had such a strong family bond and made every experience of building the production unforgettable.

Maia: The team at the Astoria Performing Arts Center is committed to excellence and creativity. It was such a gift to be a part of creating such a dynamic theatre experience in what initially seemed liked such an unassuming space. The space went from a gym to a theater, and come showtime, it became a home, a bar, a bus stop, and a church in Chicago. That transformation was amazing.

Sarita: The best thing about this company is that we truly became a family - not just the characters who play family in the show, but everyone. It was a treat to work with such a talented and loving team of actors and creatives.

Shabazz: The intimate, professional and heartfelt nature of it. Astoria Performing Arts Center was so dedicated to producing a quality project, in an intimate space with truth and love in everything they did. Sometimes that passion for the arts and passion for the story can be missed, but not with APAC. I loved being around such talented and devoted individuals.

Tamrin: Each person involved with this production is filled with a special kind of passion. It became quickly clear in that room, that we were there working together towards a shared vision. I am incredibly grateful to be a part of the APAC family, and to have been able to learn from our music director Darius Smith, and director Dev Bondarin.

Tony: It's like a family.

Vanessa: It was an honor to be a part of the production, and it's an honor to be recognized for the work we put in!

Warren: You truly get the sense that the people involved are passionate about the work! It's a labor of love, and it's infectious! We were all determined to make theatre that mattered!

Dev: All of the nominees from Raisin deserve this recognition (as well as everyone who collaborated on the production---we would not have been nominated for Outstanding Musical without everyone's work!) Everyone gave 110% to bring this story to vivid life and with such authenticity.

Make sure to follow APAC on Twitter @APACNYC

 

Hedda (Gabler)

Written by Henrik Ibsen
Adapted by Matt Minnicino
Directed by Joseph Mitchell Parks
Produced by Wandering Bark Theatre Co. in association with IRT Theater

Nominations:  Outstanding Costume Design, Jason E Frey

Photos by Jeff Farkash

About the Company:  Wandering Bark Theatre Co. is a New York City based group founded in 2011, dedicated to exploring and adapting classical theatre, highlighting the universality of its themes with bold and experimental productions, often incorporating live music, multi-media design, original text, and stylized physicality.

About the Production: Sealed in the coffin of a big house, a convenient marriage to a boring husband, and a ded-end existence as a woman in a man’s world, Hedda can do nothing but dream and decay. But when an old flame flickers back under her palm, her hungry heart ignites a blaze of lust, deceit, and manipulation that could consume more lives than just her own.

Producer Valerie Redd and Nominee Jason E Frey share their insights about staging this piece about a giving in to desires.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What first attracted you to this project?

Jason: The time period attracted me at first.

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Jason:  Seeing how relevant the story line is still today, even after all these years.

Valerie: It was thrilling to tell a story that puts a complex, powerful, dangerous, flawed woman at the forefront- a female anti-hero is a rare thing.

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

Jason: Balancing working in television and theatre at the same time. The hours of each can be very challenging. Who needs sleep right?

Valerie: The epic scale and depth of the character's histories and relationships was a huge challenge to explore. It's a spider web of secrets and there are lots of decisions that need to be made and agreed upon between the actors to make the story work.

Did you learn anything new from your experience of working on this production? 

Jason: I learned that there is a little bit of Hedda in all of us, if we were honest with ourselves. And I learned that zippers were invented the year we set the play, so I was able to use zippers in my costumes.

What did you want the audience to walk away with after watching your production?

Valerie: Our goal was to break the story and characters free from the audiences' expectations and preconceived notions. The script was very contemporary and relatable, which removed the distance sometimes felt between the audience and these characters. Hedda Gabler is a play that takes place entirely in a private house's sitting room, and we wanted our audience to feel like they had a seat in that room and a view into the characters' most private, vulnerable, dangerous, and complicated moments.

What was it like working with Wandering Bark?

Jason: By far the people are the best; it is like working with family. We may fight like family, but most of all we love like family.

Make sure to follow Wandering Bark Theatre Company on Twitter @WBarkTheatreCo

The Gun Show

The Gun Show (part of the Women in Theatre Festival)

Written by EM Lewis
Directed by Shelly Butler
Produced by Project Y Theatre Company 

Nominations: Outstanding Solo Performance, Andrew W. Smith

About the Company: Project Y produces new and innovative theatre with a focus on social issues by diverse voices, women, and LGBTQ artists. We support new plays and playwrights that appeal to an audience interested in such themes as race, feminism, technology, and community.

About the Production: From a farming community in rural Oregon to the big cities of Los Angeles and New York, playwright EM Lewis takes aim at her own relationship with firearms in The Gun Show. Actor Andrew William Smith shares Ms. Lewis’s unique perspective and true stories about America’s most dangerous pastime as if they were his own, with brutal honesty and poignant humor. Leaning neither right nor left, “The Gun Show” jumps into the middle of the gun control debate, and asks “Can we have a conversation about this?”


----------------------------------------------------------------------

What first attracted you to this project?

Andrew: This play tackles the issue of gun violence in this country from the middle. It is neither left nor right leaning, and instead allows you to have a glimpse into what the other side is thinking, and perhaps begin to see a human being on the other side of a polarizing issue.

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Andrew: It was incredible working on a piece of theatre that resonated so strongly with the social issues currently plaguing our country. Also, since this story approached the issue from the center as a means to bring people together, the audience was constantly begin taken off guard by the humanity within the arguments of the "other side." Also, as an actor, it was my honor to present these true stories with the playwright in the room, which dramatically amplified the power of the storytelling. With Ellen Lewis in the room each night, there was nowhere for the audience and performer to hide -- we were all in the mix together.

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

Andrew: The emotional content of this story was extremely difficult to work through without letting it overtake me. The stories in the play are brutal and 100% true -- and this demanded an emotional honestly that sometimes was a challenge to keep myself honed and on target.

What did you want the audience to walk away this after watching The Gun Show?

Andrew:No matter how strongly you believe in something, those that disagree with you have honest, true, and good reasons for doing so. We need to see the humanity in the other side, and allow the demonetization of the other side to dissipate.

What was the most unique aspect of this production for you?

Andrew:For an audience member to realize that 1) the brutal stories in the play are 100% true and 2) the playwright is in the room was a magical moment only possible in the theatre-- it turned the play on its head and each night there was a shudder of truth that infected each audience member when these two facts were revealed.

What is it like working with Project Y Theatre Company?

Andrew:No one was doing this for personal attention. We all care deeply about the issue, and strove to tell the story in a way that allowed for the greatest sense of discovery for the audience. It wasn't about impressing or entertaining an audience. It was about challenging them to challenge themselves.

Make sure to follow Project Y Theatre Company on Twitter @ProjectYTheatre


 

King Lear

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Alberto Bonilla
Produced by The Secret Theatre

Nominations: Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role, Zachary Clarke; Outstanding Revival of a Play

Photos by Steven Speliotis

About the Production: King Lear director Alberto Bonilla, known for his timely twists on classic Shakespearean dramas, transports this classic into a world of New York City's wealthy elite real estate titans. King Lear, suffering the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease, must divide his empire amongst his feuding children, while wrestling with his own mortality.

"Small independent Shakespeare productions are generally difficult to pull off. Short run time doesn’t generally allow for a heavy investment in difficult roles or elaborate production quality. But not so with The Secret Theatre which, under the guidance of director Alberto Bonilla and executive director Richard Mazda, continues to produce outstanding Shakespeare plays"  ~ JK Clarke, Theater Pizzazz 

 

#liberated

Written by Lillian Meredith
Directed by Rachel Karp and Jaki Bradley
Produced by The Living Room, in association with IRT Theater

Nominations:  Outstanding Set Design, Frank J. Oliva; Outstanding Lighting Design, Scot Gianelli

Photos by Ben Vigus

About the Company: The Living Room is an ensemble of theater artists dedicated to making work about the contemporary American female.

About the Production: Zumba. Wine. Takeout. Porn. In the quest for personal and sexual empowerment, the Sister Support Group for the Daily Trials of Being a Woman tackles them all. But acts of feminist revolt rarely go unpunished, and the women find themselves caught up in something much bigger than their own liberation.

Director Rachel Karp and nominee Scot Gianelli share their insights into creating this ensemble driven piece about women claiming their own liberation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


What first attracted you to this project?

Scot: We had actually done this production together once before in a festival lineup at Ars Nova, but I love working with these 2 directors any chance I get. They are both such terrific energy and collaborative partners, and the opportunity to do a group-devised piece about using feminism to reclaim pornography for women in a way that combined realism and heightened abstraction in the same space was just so much to say yes to. From the very first reading of the script, I very much admired how much it was willing to lean into a voice that was unabashedly hysterical as well as very dark and dangerous.

Rachel: #liberated was conceived by Lillian Meredith after she read an article in New York Magazine that looked at the effects of porn on American culture. She gathered her most trusted female theater collaborators to form The Living Room, and together they created #liberated through a multi-year developmental process that relied on research, conversation, improvisation, and physical exploration.

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Scot: My favorite aspect of this production was definitely the collaborative nature of this team. As a group devised piece (by the acting and directing team), the departmental lines were all more blurred than usual in a very exciting way. This usually leads to having way too many cooks in the kitchen and can hinder a process, but this time around, from having performers who helped write the piece give input on on the world they envisioned when writing it to working more closely with Frank (Scenic Designer), Ben (Sound) and Heather (Costumes) and the rest of the team to develop ideas together versus off of each other's ideas was a very special experience.

What was the most challenging part of working on this production?

Scot: The most challenging aspect of this production was the scope of internal changes/locations/time of day against the limitations of the venue. This play covers 2 distinctly different locations, several times of day as well as 5 or 6 internal fantasy sequences in a venue with very limited inventory and power. I think we had something like 12 lights and as many dimmers in the venue to tell this story, so it was a challenge (albeit a very fun one) to figure out how to stretch a small rig into a story that didn't feel stagnant or repetitive. We ended up leaning a lot on a rented LED package to help drive time of day and fantasy elements, and on using a different arrangement of practicals and set electric fixtures in each scene to drive the energy in the room and keep it feeling fresh and new instead of familiar and stagnant.

What was the most unique aspect of working on this production for you?

Scot: As a group devised piece (The ensemble of performers and directors being the collective writer in sense) was definitely noteworthy. It meant that the show evolved somewhat by committee and was more fluid and subject to change, even as we got into technical rehearsals. It was interesting to see a show grow and evolve as a result of so many equal voices in the room as opposed to a more traditional theatrical pecking order.

Did you learn anything new from your experience of working on this production?

Scot: Because the inventory and venue was so limited, this show was an excellent exercise in distilling down to design basics and trying to figure out what the heart of the story was and telling it as fully as possible with the tools available. Without any form of frivolous or extra gear to play around with, I had to really figure out what the most vital elements of this story were, and flesh them out as fully as possible.

What was it like working with these artists?

Scot: Definitely the organic collaboration. This was definitely a room where all ideas were considered thoughtfully and everyone had a really intrinsic idea of what this show was to them, which was a terrific amount of fun to work with.

Rachel: Frank and Scot completely transformed IRT Theater to create the world for #liberated. As one reviewer wrote, Frank and Scot created "one of the best overall designs in the space’s history."