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WEDNESDAY REPERTORY COMPANY gets their CARCASS on stage!

I've known company member, Dan Lane Williams, for some time now but I only recently made the acquaintance of Bruce Ornstein, celebrated auteur and artistic director of this intense theatre company and playwright Eddie Vernovsky. Their newest work - CARCASS - is revealing and fascinating. 
Wednesday Repertory Company (WedRepCo) presents “Carcass”.  A story about boys, blood, and a buffalo, “Carcass”, is the World Premiere of a full length play by Eddie Vernovsky.  
“Carcass” was developed in concert with Wednesday Repertory Company (WedRepCo), led by Artistic Director Bruce Ornstein.  It represents the second full-length play produced and developed by WedRepCo, and a worthy successor to Abby Rosebrock’s “Different Animals” which premiered at the Cherry Lane.
Shetler Studios 244 W 54 St, New York City
Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10 @ 7:00 pm;Saturday, May 11 @ 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm;Sunday May 12 @ 5:00 pm;
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, May 15, 16 & 17 @ 7:00 pm;Saturday May 18 @ 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm;Sunday, May 19 @ 5:00 pm.
$20.00 at www.carcass.bpt.me or 212-726-2324.
 

Barnaby Edwards and Regeneration Theatre and a rare ARTHUR MILLER play

My esteemed colleague, Barnaby Edwards, is artistic director of Regeneration Theatre - a company that unearths plays rare or rarely done works and breaths new life into them. They've struck gold this time. AN ARTHUR MILLER PLAY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN PERFORMED IN NYC ... UNTIL NOW. 
The Archbishop's Ceiling by Arthur Miller. Regeneration Theatre presents a rare Arthur Miller play never seen in New York City. Performing at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street, NYCMay 9 - 19 (Thursday - Saturday @ 7:00 p.m. and Sunday @ 2;00 p.m. with a special Monday showing (May 13) @ 7:00 p.m.) Regeneration.BrownPaperTickets.com.
Four old friends - writers, lovers, activists, celebrities - gather in a 16th century palace on one evening in a country where power is all, and nothing can be trusted. Is someone listening to them? Can any of them speak freely? Can they resist the powerful that surround them and still maintain their art?
Arthur Miller's prescient 1978 play, never seen in New York City, forces us to confront politics as theatre, where blending the truth with lies is all part of the game. Cast includes: Kristen Gehling, Levi Morger, Jon Spano, Michael Meth, Jessica Carollo; with Set Design by Ryan Godd; Lighting Design by Domino Mannheim; Stage Manager-Allison Hohman; Assistant Director-Marcus Gualberto. Production produced and directed by Barnaby Edwards.
Tickets and info: http://regeneration.brownpapertickets.comor at http://regenerationtheatre.org

IMPROVISATIONAL REPERTORY THEATRE ENSEMBLE - funny and full-steam ahead!

My buddies at the IRTE are just passing midpoint of a GREAT Season 8. Evil Clowns Have Feelings Too has one more weekend and the sequel to HAPPY BIRTHDAY STUPID KID is already in development. 
I chatted with Nannette Deasy and Robert Baumgartner about the stamina needed to keep'em rolling in the aisles night-after-night!
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Evil Clowns Have Feelings, Too
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS May 3, 4, 10 & 11, 8:00pm
Tickets $15 Online / $17 at the Door
The Producers Club
358 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
Conceived by Izzy Church
With Special Guest Improvisers TBA
 
When their car breaks down in the woods, the Poolander’s family vacation comes to a screeching halt, forcing them to seek refuge in an old cabin in the woods until help arrives. Little do they know, that a bunch of evil clowns own the cabin and are having a really, really bad day. 
 
Join the IRTE jesters, fools and jokers in this improvised and totally terrifying family comedy.
 
Featuring Musical Guests TBA
Go to Sleep, Stupid Kids!
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS May 31, June 1, 7 & 8, 8:00pm
Tickets $15 Online / $17 at the Door
The Producers Club
358 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
Original Concept by Nannette Deasy
Directed by Robert Baumgardner
With Special Guest Improvisers TBA
 
Jamie’s been twelve for THREE WHOLE MONTHS and has NEVER had a “big kid” slumber party. That’s all going to change in this improvised sequel to IRTE’s hit comedy “Happy Birthday, Stupid Kid!” Grab your sleeping bag and your best PJs and hope that Jamie’s dysfunctional family doesn’t embarrass him in front of the cool kids!
 
Featuring Musical Guests TBA

Allison Wick sheds new light on Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE

Hunger Theatre, an NYC-based theatre company, self-described as "small but relentless in our pursuit of excellent storytelling," will honor one the 20th Century's greatest storytellers, Arthur Miller, with a new production of The Crucible. Performing at Access Theatre Gallery, 380 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York City. Opening May 2; Running Thursday-Sunday @ 8pm through May 18. Special matinee performance, Saturday, May 11 @ 3pm. "Scrappy, weird, hungry theatre-makers" (www.hungertheatre.com/thecrucible)
Allison Wick, co-founder of Hunger Theatre, will direct and appear in The Crucible. The cast, like the company itself, is non-traditional and unique, with a third of the actors in the ensemble playing multiple roles. "I want to combine the emotion and urgency of the piece with the opportunity for experimentation that smaller ensemble and pared-down production affords." Ms. Wick further remarked, "This play is a masterpiece. It doesn't need to be 'reimagined' to make it compelling or relevant. That being said, our production won't be stuffy or strictly by-the-book."The Crucible cast includes:
Brian Vestal* (John Proctor)Samantha Wendorf (Elizabeth Proctor)Allison Wick (Abigail Williams)Joseph Cordaro (Reverend Hale)Madeline Adelle Phillips* (Mary Warren)Stan Buturla* (Deputy-Governor Danforth)Zuri Washington* (Tituba/Martha Corey)Arshia Panicker (Ann Putnam/Susanna Walcott/Sarah Good)Alex Orthwein (Thomas Putnam/John Willard)Richard Wayne* (Judge Hathorne/Francis Nurse)Jim Staudt* (Reverend Parris/Ezekiel Cheever)Nancy Fox* (Rebecca Nurse)Luke Wehner* (Giles Corey)Emily Suuberg (Mercy Lewis)Sharon Romano (Betty Parris)Kelly McCready* (Abigail Williams u/s)
*Member of Actors' Equity Association
The Crucible is a 1953 play by legendary American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized (and partially fictionalized) story of the Salem witch trials of 1692-93. Miller wrote the play as an allegory for McCarthyism - the anti-communist witch hunt against trade unionists, artists, and leftist activists which was in full swing at time of his writing the play.
Hunger Theatre's mission: "To produce great plays, new and old, with simplicity, playfulness, and daring. To conduct emotional electricity. To serve the human truth of each story above all else." Co-founded by Ms. Wick and Luke Wehner, alumni of Circle in the Square Theatre School and students of prominent acting coach, Ken Schatz, Hunger Theatre began in 2016 with a series of new one-act plays and later, a showcase production of Mark Schultz' Everything Will Be Different. Show-Score gave this production a plethora of accolades, including "First off, the entire cast deserves a standing ovation for their performance. Allison Wick (Charlotte) laid it all on the stage and it was magnificent. Ms. Wick handles the emotional weight brilliantly." "The lead actress is so brilliant that it's worth seeing just for that... The story is powerful, well written and leaves you truly impacted. This is the kind of theater that makes me love living in New York."
 

Scott Bullock and the awe and mystery that is ... U V X

They’re Back! UVX presents
The Most Dangerous Man
an interactive adventure that needs your phone and your imagination! UVX, which took ComicCon by storm in 2017, returns with another interactive adventure film putting you in the action.
 
In the style of Netflix’ Black Mirror episode, Bandersnatch, UVX’s “The Most Dangerous Man,” part of the FUTUREPROOF film series, is a send up of action/adventure/fantasy film of the 80s, was shot over 80 different ways to create an unlimited world of possibilities for the viewer.
 
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN: mostdangerousmanmovie.com.
April showings: April 10, 17, and 24 @7:30 p.m. at the opulent Cinepolis Chelsea, 260 W 23rd St, New York City. Tickets: $45-$55 (discounts available)  
 
HOW IT WORKS:
The UVX is an interactive film being screened in NYC. In it, attendees will be able to make multiple votes on their phones that change not only the look, feel, and action of the film, but the circumstances in the theatre, which will be populated by actors playing the director and production staff of the film. Each vote stacks on to the last, leading to a wild and unexpected  climax. The whole event takes place in a fictional, 80s-themed universe as a part of a story that’s been going on for more than two years.
Visit the interactive futureproof.site and explore the FutureProof Universe with their new Knowledge Base.
 

Around the World with Jessie & Joshua

There is a proverb…”He who saves the life of one man saves the world entire.” Join us during the holiday season and help save the entire world… one song at a time!
Ripple Effect Artists invite you to a special Earth Day celebration at the opulent Triad Theater on Easter night: EARTH DAY CABARET! Special event, Sunday evening, April 21, 2019 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm at The Triad, 158 W 72nd St, New York City.
Special performances by notates from on and off Broadway: Dylan Adams, Jessie Fahay, Rance W Wright, and interfaith minister and artist, Sandra Bargman.
This show will be raising awareness and funds to end CO2 emissions and climate change. Tickets available at http://www.triadnyc.com/buy-tickets. Ask about our student discounts. As with all cabaret theaters, there will be a two-drink minimum.
Ripple Effect Artists believes that theater can inspire an audience to make a difference. All Ripple Effect productions donates a significant portion of Box Office Proceeds towards Human Rights Organizations/Initiatives. REA also believes in fostering the next generation of artists and leaders thus inspiring students and emerging artists to create their own “Ripple Effect.”
 
Film and play maker Joshua Crone returns to New York with a stage/film hybrid that pushes the envelope.
WASHED IN THE BLOOD
 
The story of a school shooter and some unlikely targets – presented directly after Easter at the NuBox Theater. Based on eyewitness accounts of the shooting at Umpqua Community College, Crone’s dark parable won an Encore Producer’s Award at the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival. “A tightly-wound piece that packs considerable emotion into its brief run time.” – Kurt Gardner, ArtsBeatLA.
The NuBox Theater at John DeSotelle Studio
754 9th Ave, New York City
ONE WEEK ONLY:
Friday, April 26 @ 8 pm, Saturday, April 27 @ 3 & 8 pm, and Sunday, April 28 @ 3 & 8 pm – Tickets: $25/$15 (https://washedtheplay.brownpapertickets.com/)
A school shooter who singles out believers enters the lives of a teenage evangelist, a juvenile delinquent, and a youth pastor with a shady past in Joshua Crone’s dark parable. Presented after the Easter holiday, WASHED IN THE BLOOD explores a perpetrator of one of the 21st century’s most shocking and now-prevalent crimes. Based on fact and eye-witness accounts, Crone’s play offers audiences a tour through the mind of a victim-turned-shooter.
Joshua Crone leads a fascinating life. He took up playwriting as a Marine in Southern California and spent the next decade supporting his habit with jobs as a carpenter, programmer, fisherman, teacher, before settling on a career in Polish and German translation. Along the way, he produced plays in Krakow, Berlin and London, earned a Masters in philosophy from the Jagiellonian University and studied directing at the Polish National Film School in Lodz. Then he moved to Los Angeles, where he crewed on half a dozen films at AFI, produced several plays and shot his first feature. He currently lives in New York.
This is Crone’s second transfer. Squatters, a two-hander about a couple in an abandoned building days after 911, received standing ovations last year.

Debra Cook and the her journey with "Jilted"

JILTED TO PERFECTION, a short musical romance, written and starring acclaimed opera singer, Debra Cook, after a joyous and celebrated run last summer on Theatre Row, returns for a special showing at The Triad, the posh NYC cabaret, on Saturday afternoon, April 13 @ 3:00 p.m., 158 West 72nd Street (between Amsterdam & Columbus aves) with tickets available at www.triadnyc.com. Two drink minimum, light fare available.
 
Debra, a shamed and divorced Mormon mother, recounts her botched and consequential Metropolitan Opera audition, and introduces her first sight of a strange and older man, Fred, who seems to know her already. Both working as extras in an opera, Fred claims that Debra is his “true wife,” and pursues her despite her fears, her missed dates, and her biases. He steals a kiss that is like no other, and Debra’s passion fights with practicality. Jilted, he reacts with a vow to celibacy in a Scientology order and moves to LA  ,as Debra, uninformed, proclaims her love. After getting routed out of the Sea Org by his third wife’s protestations, Fred writes Debra, and the long distance affair leads to marriage. Time passes and Debra is overcome by the set-backs & hardships of “living the dream,” and by Fred’s declining health and demeanor. They continue to re-boot their family and career in moves to LA and Utah, where Debra’s son, Aaron, is at the effect of their calamitous search to make their “Mission” as artists viable.  She cannot identify the underpinning that keeps her in the relationship, but Fred’s gravity as a seeker wins out. He becomes a healthy & cherished mentor, father educator, and philosopher. Their love matures and deepens, yet Fred passes unexpectedly while Debra is away. She questions if she can grow through the adversity of loosing her soul-mate, but is comforted by her own mother’s unique perspective of Fred’s perfection. 5 year old Granddaughter McKinslee sings an Alleluia celebrating Grandpa Fred’s searching questions.
 
This story really happened. It is based on the 23 year challenging love affair of two artists, Fred and Debra Cook, and their unlikely pairing. Debra is a shamed and recently divorced Mormon mother of two children fleeing from Utah to New York, without alimony nor child support, hoping to expand upon a career as an opera singer. Fred much older, an almost destitute actor/director,just finishing his 4th marriage, with 4 children, and a high-ranking Scientologist. After Debra flubbs a rare Metropolitan Opera Audition, they meet at New York City Opera as “Supernumeraries.” Fred was there because an actress quit one of his plays for more money to act in Carmen, and Fred was fascinated by the novelty of being in an opera. Debra deigned to be an “actor” in the production because her son had a paid position in the Children’s’ Chorus. So, Fred was cast as the Priest and Debra as the Nun. She had been admonished by clergy to date only Mormons, and well-to-do ones at that. Yet, Fred’s immediate proclamation that Debra was his “true wife” precipitated her reaction to repel him, albeit there was an inexplicable gravity pulling her towards him. He said, “Well, if I can’t be with my true wife, then I’ll be an ascetic and join the Sea Org.” Their recruiters promised him a post making movies for the Church. His time in the Sea Org was a debacle, and his third wife, also a Sea Org Scientologist, got him routed out, and Fred was soon writing Cyrano-esque letters to Debra from across the country. His unflappable spirit and inspirations led the family through a series of misadventures, including an unpopular marriage, Hollywood rip-off artists, 4 of 6 kids with addiction issues, failed business schemes, and a move to Park City, where a fledgling music store and school eventually became a local legacy. When Fred suddenly passed away, even the funeral director said his service was the greatest show he had ever seen, and Fred’s professed love story with Debra, his heuristic teaching and philosophy, and his unconditional love for everyone, became part of the local folklore. Fred was the unseen consultant in the 4 years that Debra worked on the Sleepy Hollow Musical’s creative team, and he became not only her mentor and greatest fan, but the reason that she and her family press on as artist/educators in a sea of disillusioned cynics. He left them a legacy to build upon as they celebrate taking risks and learning from their experience.

Towering Troubadours: Mario Claudio and George Dixon of Granny's Blue-Mers

TICKETS: http://www.pangeanyc.com/show/im-sooo-high-rev-marys-reefer-revue-930pm/
 
Granny’s back in I’m SOOO High: Rev. Mary’s Reefer RevueApril 6 @ 9:30 at Pangea, 172 Second Avenue, NYC
Join us for some more wild and woolly word-play from back-in-the-day. This time, it’s not sexy banter but smoky phrasing! 
Song-stylists of the roaring 20s and 30s supplied the crowds of the speakeasies with terrific tunes and merry melodies more than mentioning MARIJUANA!
With nicknames like Blue sage, Catnip, Dope, Grass, Jive, Jay, Gauge, Tea, Vibe, Mary-Jane, and Jazz Cabbage – not to mention the standard reefer, pot, and weed … expect a wild night at Pangea that you’ll never forget … then again, what’s that about short term memory?
Rev. Mary has since taken the cabaret world by storm with her All-Man Band of Dan Furman on piano with Mario Claudio and George Dixon as back-up, with a host of guest musicians. She brought down the house at the Duplex with Granny’s Blue-Mers: The Meat Show and Down In the Alley. Both acts having toured clubs such as Pianos, Freddy’s Bar and Backroom, Otto’s, West End Lounge, and a return engagement at the Duplex. She presented her powerful one-woman exploration in The Lady in Black at Don’t Tell Mama on two occasions collecting scores of resounding reviews; and scored kudos as part of the Augusta Heritage Blues and Swing festival in West Virginia.  She also produced Sing-ular Sensations at Don’t Tell Mama, spotlighting three cabaret artists’ one-person shows.
Tickets are now on sale. For further information contact Jay Michaels Arts & Entertainment at 347-497-4814 or jay.michaels.theatricals@gmail.com.