One Fine Day

Written by Junshin Soga
Directed by Peter Jensen
Produced by Junshin Soga

Nominaton: Outstanding Original Short Script, Junshin Soga

Photos by Melissa Payamps

About the Company: Junshin Soga endeavors to express an authentic human experience and represent minority voices and problems without characterizing or simplifying them.

About the Production: Kenta receives a phone call from his mother to find that his grandfather has just passed away. As Kenta leaves for a flight back to Japan and is caught in a downpour of rain. While he waits for a break in the weather, he has random thoughts and lost memories come back to him. In his imagination he sees his grandfather and is able to tell him that he’s sorry and that he loves him.

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What first attracted you to this project?

Junshin: I was trying to write a different script, but I could never focus. I was wasting a lot of time. One day, I started thinking "What if grandpa dies? He will probably die pretty soon." And I wrote the first draft in like one week.

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Junshin: Working with the director Peter Jensen was an absolute pleasure. He understands actors so well that you can just tell him anything that's happening to you while acting and he gets it. We also talked a lot about life, society, and relationships.

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

Junshin: Fighting the fear. The piece is full of mundane experiences that are very significant to the character. I was worried that the significance wouldn’t come across, and the audience would not care about what Kenta is experiencing.

What was the most noteworthy aspect of this experience for you?

Junshin: It all came together because I was avoiding working on the other piece. The other piece is finished now, it's called "In Dreams" and will be premiering on September 25th at the Hudson Guild.

What did you want the audience to walk away with after watching One Fine Day?

Junshin: If the piece made the audience want to go see their family, or to make a phone call to them, then that makes me very happy.

Make sure to follow Junshin on Twitter @JunshinSoga


 

Wine and Spirits

Written by Thomas Ott
Directed by Mel Williams
Produced by Red Shark Productions  

Nomination: Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role, Carla Briscoe


 
About the Company: Red Shark Productions is passionate about producing projects that encompass and unite all performance-based mediums. Whether re-imagining a classic or revealing new work, RSP is committed to creating a safe space for actors, directors, and designers to explore and expand their creativity. As the shark swims through the sea, we move forward - curious, insatiable, and hungry for the next opportunity.

About the Production: Many years ago, Selina, Beth and Kate’s lives were changed forever. They just didn’t know it. That is until tonight, when a long kept secret is revealed. Pay attention or you might miss the clues, as Felicia and her three daughters embark on a hysterical and heartwarming journey through their past. Full of laughter and surprises, this limited engagement comedy is sure to leave you satisfied… and a little suspicious.


Producer Jennifer Yadav and nominee Carla Briscoe talk about their journey in staging this family comedy about discovery.

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What first attracted you to this project?

Carla: I was drawn to the story, that the play centered around three very different, often antagonistic sisters, who were dealing with the loss of their mother. I never had sisters (but desperately wanted them)--and having dealt with the loss of my own mother when I was in my 20s, I saw it as an opportunity to examine how we all, despite our best intentions, can't help but grieve differently, and always alone. The loss of a loved one is never the same for any two people. The relationships we have with the people we love are so singular--even within a family you can feel like you're grieving in a vacuum...that no one understands what you've lost.

Jennifer: Red Shark Productions is a New York City based production company creating theatre, film and music, which explore the depth, intensity, and power of the human spirit. We believe in the challenge of deepening and awakening our understanding of complicated emotions. Our goal is to foster new artistic talent in all disciplines. This play gave us the opportunity to showcase the work of a new writer, Thomas

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Carla: The cast and production team were such a joy to work with. It's true that that often happens, that you fall into family mode on a show...but working with Christine Seisler and Zoe Anastassiou was so special. I love those women with all my heart. They stripped themselves bare every night, giving so much of themselves on stage. We'd lose time with one another...we'd step on stage and disappear into the play with one another. And, as a result, we developed a sisterhood offstage that was far more loving than the one on it.

Jennifer: The actors and creative team were fabulous and collaborated well.

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

Carla: The actress who was originally supposed to play the role of Selina stepped out due to another professional engagement, and I was asked to take her part. (I was supposed to play Kate originally.) Then, we lost our director just before beginning rehearsals. These things can feel extremely stressful at the time. I remember initially being sad that I could no longer play Kate, it was such a fun comedic role--and I'd grown attached to it the part-- but Zoe came on to play that role brilliantly, and become an incredibly dear friend to boot. So it felt like a gift in the end...the way the chips fell. And losing our director right before going into production was really hard for everyone (especially our producers) but Melvin Williams came onboard and brought his spirit and vision to the production--and we all, everyone of us, just pushed and worked harder to make it the very best we could. There's something.

Jennifer: This was my first experience as a producer and handling the details is a challenge!

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

Carla: We actually had to drink an obscene amount of a wine-like substance on stage every night, 4 bottles worth. This is noteworthy for three reasons. In real life I'm not a big drinker, and when I do drink I lean into whiskey (so I had to do a little personal research with wine)... secondly, the three of us were all on stage for almost the entirety of the show...thirdly, there are no restrooms backstage at The Playroom Theatre. So whenever we finished a performance, if a friend or family member was there and wanted to chat with any of us sisters, that exchange tended to feel like a long car ride with a boy armed with a bottle while all I could do was squeeze my knees together as I scanned the road for the nearest gas.

Jennifer: It was a great joy to bring together a group of people who had all worked together in different capacities before this project.

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

Carla: I learned that sometimes it's the moments of silence on stage that can be the most powerful. All the sisters having to be on stage all the time...we weren't always speaking during those moments. It was a really interesting choice that Mel Williams made as a director, and it forced each of us to live in these solitary extended silences while two of the sisters spoke...or else all three of us quietly performed mundane mourning tasks (packing, going through photos, the deceased clothes, drinking heavily) while the ghosts of past characters were onstage--all three sisters not acknowledging this other spirit world; and there was something those extended and active silences required that felt incredibly rich. A dance between those worlds (and the actors who lived in those separate worlds) that was so dreamy and perfect. I looked forward to those moments most.

What was it like working with this group of artists?

Carla: Christine and Scott Seisler of Red Shark Productions are amazing to work with. This is my third production with them. They treat their performers with tremendous dignity and trust, and they're incredibly loyal. Just last week they called to see if I was available to do a show coming up in the Fall, written by the same playwright of "Wine and Spirits," Tom Ott. If they believe in you, they want to bring you in on every project they can. That's pretty extraordinary, to feel you're loved and supported in that way as an artist. I'm very grateful to them both.

Jennifer: Carla is great to work with--she is always happy, motivated, prepared, and professional.

Make sure to follow Red Shark Productions on Twitter @RedSharknyc

The Spring Fling: Rebound

Produced by F*It Club

Nominations: Outstanding Original Short Script, "All Is Bright" by Dan Moyer; Outstanding Original Short Script, "Antares Returning" by Ryan King

Photos by Crystal Arnette

About the Company: Short plays. Short Films. Short-term events. Why wait? Just f*it. The F*It Club was founded with the goals to provide access and opportunity, develop and produce work in film and theatre with immediacy, and to bring fun back to live entertainment. They say "f* it" to waiting for opportunity to knock and are seizing opportunity and making it their own. 

About the Production: The Spring Fling is an annual, world-premiere, commissioned, and award-winning collection of six short plays around a central theme. The 2017 theme was "Rebound."

Producer Allyson Morgan and nominee Ryan King share their thoughts on this annual short play festival.

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What first attracted you to this project?

Allyson: This is the seventh year of the Spring Fling! We initially developed this show as a direct way to work with artists whose work we admired, rather than waiting for a chance meeting or audition that may never come.

What was your favorite part of working on this production?

Ryan: I was a part of the first Spring Fling festival as an actor, so I was happy to come full circle and take part as a playwright. It was an amazing group of playwrights this year.

Allyson: I always enjoy seeing how the different playwrights attack the theme in such varied and surprising ways. Additionally, the new connections forged both personally and professionally are always meaningful.

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

Allyson: Managing close to 40 actors, directors, writers and staff is always challenging - but I love the challenge!

What did you want the audience to walk away with after watching The Spring Fling: Rebound?

Allyson: That theatre doesn't have to be pretentious, stuffy, boring, or expensive. Theatre can be surprising, challenging, fun, cheap, and under two hours!

What was the most unique aspect of this production?

Allyson: We had another seventh play (by Lucy Boyle) running in the transitions of the other plays to keep the night consistent and cohesive!

What was it like working with this group of artists?

Ryan: FIT Club always brings in the best people - actors, directors, writers - to work on stuff.

Allyson: Ryan King was an actor in the first Spring Fling in 2011! The fact that he came back to work with us 6 years later with full trust and enthusiasm as a playwright shows his awesome spirit and loyalty. Dan Moyer workshopped his piece at our retreat in the fall and let us bring it back in the spring - I've loved watching his specific revision process - he'll attack jokes seven different ways, but always with heart - he's awesome.

Make sure to follow F*It Club on Twitter @f_itclub

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.
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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