Gentrifusion opens Jan 27

Award winning playwrights expose the truth behind the gentrification of New York

RED FERN THEATRE COMPANY

Proudly Presents the World Premiere of

GENTRIFUSION

photo by Dennis W. Ho

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

JANUARY 27 – FEBRUARY 13, 2011

THE LABA THEATRE AT THE 14TH STREET Y

OPENING NIGHT IS SATURDAY, JANUARY 29 AT 8 P.M.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT REDFERNTHEATRE.ORG

RED FERN THEATRE COMPANY, Artistic Director, Melanie Moyer Williams, and Artistic Producers, Andrea Day and Kel Haney, are pleased to announce the world premiere production of GENTRIFUSION a series of short plays searching for the truth behind the gentrification of New York. GENTRIFUSION performs in a three-week limited engagement at the LABA Theatre at the 14^th Street Y (344 East 14th Street between First and Second Avenues). As per the mission of Red Fern Theatre Company, that each production is paired with a philanthropy whose work relates to the social themes of the play, GENTRIFUSION partnership will be announced. Performances begin Thursday, January 27 and continue through Sunday, February 13. Opening Night is Saturday, January 29 (8 p.m.).

PRESS PERFORMANCES: Friday, January 28 & Saturday January 29 (Press will be accommodated at all future performances.)

In GENTRIFUSION, playwrights Carla Ching, Joshua Conkel, Michael John Garcés, Jon Kern, Janine Nabers and Crystal Skillman, explore the different truths surrounding the gentrification of New York’s neighborhoods. The playwrights were charged with breaking down the cliched idea of "gentrification".  Their pieces dig deeper to address the ways that change both improves and diminishes a community.  All residents are given voice in this series, ultimately discovering that both long time residents and the new crop of gentrifiers benefit and suffer in different measures and different ways.

Directors include John Giameptro, Colette Robert, and Moritz von Stuelpnagel

The production features scenic and costume design by Katherine Akiko Day and lighting design by Marie Yokoyama. Michal V. Mendelson is the production stage manager and and projections have been created by photojournalist and documentary filmmaker, Dennis Ho (http://dwho.com/images.html).

GENTRIFUSION plays the following schedule through Sunday, February 13:

Thursdays at 8 p.m.

Fridays at 8 p.m.

Saturdays at 8 p.m.

Sundays at 3 p.m.  (Super Bowl Sunday, February 6 at 2pm)

            Additional performance on Monday, February 7 at 7pm.

Tickets are $25 and are now available online at www.theatermania.com or by calling 866.811.4111. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater box office ½ hour prior to the performance.

Running Time: 120 minutes (with intermission)

Website: www.redferntheatre.org

Location:                                 LABA Theatre at the 14^th Street Y

                                                344 East 14th Street between First and Second Avenues

                                                4/5/6/N/R/Q to Union Square; L to First Avenue

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Our 2010-2011 Season is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency.

The Dramatist Guild Fund, The Josephine Foundation, and The Puffin Foundation, Ltd, have also made generous grants to make the 2010-2011 Season possible.

BIOGRAPHIES

 

THE RED FERN THEATRE COMPANY (RFTC), founded in March 2006, strives to provoke social awareness and change through its theatrical productions and outreach.  Each play produced by the Red Fern Theatre Company addresses social issues that range in scope from local to global.  Each production is paired with a philanthropy whose work relates to the social themes of the play.  We educate our audience on the philanthropy’s mission, and a portion of the ticket sales from each play produced is donated to the designated philanthropy. By forming this association, RFTC is able to respond directly to the people affected by the issues addressed in the play.  To date, Red Fern has produced the revivals of ten plays, one New York premiere, and the World premiere of a commissioned collection of short plays.  The RFTC is a 501(c)(3) organization.  All donations are tax exempt to the fullest extent of the law.  Please visit us at www.redferntheatre.org.

"Too Much Light" returns Jan 7 to the Kraine-

"A surreal exercise in channel-surfing"-Time Out New York

“An entertaining forum for discussing the issues”-the New Yorker

"Like the glory days of Saturday Night Live,
Too Much Light is not just funny but faintly surreal." -Backstage

2010 NY Innovative Theatre Caffe Cino Fellowship Award Winners

Recipients of The 2009 NY Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Ensemble

Best Performance Artists in New York -2009 Village Voice Reader's Poll

 photo by Anton Nickel

TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND RETURNS JAN 7
& LAIKA DOG IN SPACE HEADS TO CHICAGO FEB 5 –MAR 12

After a sold-out two weeks of Best Of 2010, the NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS are back in 2011 with their ongoing, award-winning show Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind beginning Friday, January 7th at the Kraine Theater (85 East 4th St). Performances take place Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30pm.

Join Roberta Colindrez, Cara Francis, Ryan Good, Alicia Harding, Christopher Loar and Dan McCoy as they launch the New York Neo-Futurists sixth year of Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, an ever-changing, lightening-paced attempt to perform 30 Plays in 60 Minutes.

Members of the 2011 New York Neo-Futurists ensemble are Jill Beckman, Christopher Borg, Alicia Chaisson, Roberta Colindrez, Jeffrey Cranor, Cara Francis, Ryan Good, Eevin Hartsough, Nicole Hill, Jacquelyn Landgraf, Erica Livingston, Christopher Loar, Dan McCoy, Rob Neill, Joey Rizzolo, Lauren Sharpe and Adam Smith.

Tickets are $11.00 plus the roll of a six-sided die ($12-$16) at the door. Advance tickets are $17.00 and can be purchased online at www.nyneofuturists.org, or by calling 212-352-3101.

The New York Neo-Futurists are also headed to Chicago with their 2009 acclaimed prime-time show Laika Dog in Space, created by Rob Neill, Eevin Hartsough  & Jill Beckman, under the direction of Phil Ridarelli, with music by Carl Riehl. Performances begin Friday, February 3^rd and continue through March 12^th, 2011 at The Neo-Futurarium (5153 N. Ashland, Chicago).

Drawing inspiration from the famed French children's story "The Little Prince," and the 1960's cult television show "The Prisoner", the New York Neo-Futurists interpreted the story of Laika, the first mammal in space, for the Ontological-Hysteric Incubator in 2009.  Now they are bringing their take on Laika's experience to the Neo-mothership.  Puppetry, dance, art installations, live music, and a serving of borscht shuttle audience members back to the mid-50's Soviet space program.  The local production fuses Chicago elements to the NY original through musicians, direction and appearances by Chicago Neos. 

Performances for Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind in New York City will continue during the run of Laika Dog in Space.

For more information visit www.neofuturists.org

THE NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS are an ensemble of dynamic writer/performer/directors who present the critically acclaimed, energetic show of original short plays, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind--a non-illusory collage of the comic and tragic, the political and personal, the visceral and experimental, while embracing chance, change, and chaos.  Developing out of the format that has been a success in Chicago since 1988, the New York Neo-Futurists have roots in NYC from the mid 90’s.  Since opening TML in New York, they have created over 2000 plays and continue to present new and vital work every weekend in the East Village. For more info: www.nynf.org

Final week of the New York Neo-Futurists (un)afraid

"Newcomers and those familiar with the Neo-Futurism aesthetic alike will be struck by the raw honesty of the performers, and the lengths to which they are willing to confront their own fears." -...Ology.com

"(un)afraid is a bold stab at all that scares."  - nytheatre.com

 
"(un)afraid is entertaining, challenging, strange and smart. I say go, brave the front seats, and accept the whiskey."  -OffOffOnline

Ricardo Gamboa & Daniel McCoy

This horror show and fear experiment from the New York Neo-Futurists celebrates and examines the concept, causes, and consequences of fear, both in our society and in ourselves.

Final Performances:

Wednesday, November 3^rd at 7:30 pm
Thursday, November 4th at 7:30 pm
Friday, November 5th at 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm
Saturday, November 6th at 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm

Tickets are $18.00 ($12 Student rush with valid I.D.) Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.nynf.org, or by calling 212-352-3101. Tickets may also be purchased at the theatre’s box office half hour before curtain.

Have you seen Cymbeline? Only four performances remain to this acclaimed show!

Click HERE for tickets!!!

CRITICAL MASS Premieres at Off-Broadway's Lion Theatre, Oct 22nd -NYC

Heiress Productions is pleased to present the world premiere of CRITICAL MASS, by Joanne Sydney Lessner, directed by Donald Brenner (December Fools, A Tale of Two Cities). CRITICAL MASS will play a 3-week limited engagement at The Lion @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Performances begin Friday, October 22nd through Sunday, November 7th. Proceeds from CRITICAL MASS will benefit The Lustgarten Foundation, dedicated to funding pancreatic cancer research.

Press are cordially invited Friday, October 22nd  at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, October 23rd at 8:00 pm & Sunday, October 24th  at 3:00 p.m.
(Unofficial press dates will be accommodated, upon request.)

In Joanne Sydney Lessner’s new hilarious revenge comedy, a pair of married opera critics are forced to reexamine their priorities when the tenor whose career they ruined moves in with them.

Carrie Greenlea is an opera critic who enjoys skewering singers for everything from bad high notes to bad nose jobs. Her husband and fellow critic, Norman, prefers to equivocate rather than hurt anyone’s feelings. When Stefano Donato, a mediocre Italian tenor whose career they have jointly ruined, moves in with them, he proceeds to exact revenge. Events reach critical mass when their household is further invaded by their Bette Davis-impersonating editor; a marginally talented, but resourceful soprano; and Stefano’s desperate wife. For Critical Mass, playwright Joanne Sydney Lessner drew on her own experience reviewing recordings and performances for Opera News over the past decade.

“Writing Critical Mass was my way of working through what I consider to be a solemn responsibility,” says Lessner. “To find the comedy, I took one of my fears as a critic – finding myself face to face with someone whose performance I didn’t like – and drew it out to the extreme. There are moments when the play borders on farce, and there’s a fair helping of operatic excess, but it does explore, quite seriously, the nature and purpose of arts criticism. I think critics can lose sight of the fact that they have the power not just to derail a single career, but also to squelch a vulnerable art form. But because I’m still also an active performer, I can appreciate both sides of the equation.”

Featuring Aaron Davis*, Laura Faith, Marc Geller*, Zac Hoogendyk*, Shorey Walker*, and Leigh Williams*.

Mary Willis White and Laura Faith are the producing directors. Set design by Chris Minard, costume design by Ashley Rose Horton, lighting design by Melissa Mizell, and sound design by Hidenori Nakajo. The production stage manager is Taylor Crampton.

CRITICAL MASS plays the following schedule through Sunday, November 7th:

Wednesdays through Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm (there will be no Saturday matinee on 10/23)
Sundays at 3pm

Tickets are $18 and are now available online at www.Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Theatre Row Box Office, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Running time: 2 hours including one intermission

For more information visit www.heiressproductions.org
Photos available at http://picasaweb.google.com/kampfirefilms/CriticalMass#


*Appearing Courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.
Equity Approved Showcase.

QUICKEST WAY TO GET TO HARLEM -- Show Business Weekly

Travlin’ Score by J.C. Johnson and Friends, Book by Gary Holmes and Allan Shapiro

Directed and Choreographed by Paul Stancato

QUICKEST WAY TO GET TO HARLEM

It might still be to take the A train, as the old song goes, but you’ll want to head for midtown — West 36th Street, to be exact — for the new musical Trav’lin, which follows the romantic travails of three couples, in their 50s, 30s and 20s, learning about love in 1930s-era Harlem, which opens October 11 at the TBG Theatre as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. With a tuneful, jazzy period score, Trav’lin aims to rediscover the music of Harlem Renaissance songwriter J.C. Johnson, a friend and colleague of such musical icons as Fats Waller, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday, and features such New York musical theater vets as Brenda Braxton, Randy Donaldson, Michael Jean Dozier, Doug Eskew, Karla Mosley and Soara-Joye Ross. Paul Stancato directs and choreographs. Visit www.travlinthemusical.com. (INSIDE INK By John Rowell, Show Business Weekly)

Monday, Oct 11th, 2010 at 8:00 pm 
Tuesday, Oct 12th, 2010 at 1:00 pm 
Wednesday, Oct 13th, 2010 at 8:00 pm 
Friday, Oct 15th, 2010 at 4:30 pm 
Saturday, Oct 16th, 2010 at 1:00 pm 
Sunday, Oct 17th, 2010 at 4:30 pm 

TBG Theatre, 312 West 36th Street

Tickets only $20 at http://www.nymf.org/show-1382.html

Interview: Dominic D'Andrea, Curator of the New York One-Minute Play Fes...

THE NEW YORK ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL and ASTORIA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER are pleased to announce THE 4TH ANNUAL NEW YORK ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL. September 25 and September26 at 8:00pm, at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (30-44 Crescent St, Astoria, NY 11102. Entrance on 30th Road.)

It's theater boiled down to its essence. Sixty Seconds from lights up to lights down. The much-anticipated short-form theatre festival returns for its fourth year in partnership with the red-hot Astoria Performing Arts Center! Curated by Dominic D'Andrea, the program will present over 80 plays – each under sixty seconds- by some of the most exciting emerging and established writers in American Theatre.

The 2010 One-Minute Play Festival Playwrights include David Simpatico, Daniel McCoy, Michael Golmaco, Meghan Sass, Joshua Conkel, Matt Gunn Park, Corina Copp, Laurel Haines, Erica Saleh, Bekah Brunstetter, Janine Nabers, Alexis Clements, Eric Bland, Peter Gil-Sheraton, Jen Silverman, Mallery Avidon, Anna Moench, Eric Winick, Maya Macdonald, Paul Thureen & Hannah Bos, James Carter, Tanya Saracho, Micah Bucey, Tom X. Chao, Rose Martula, Andrea Ciannavei, Enrique Urueta, Ben Cikanek, Liz Duffy Adams, Michael Bradford, Robert Saietta, Tommy Smith, Alejandro Morales, Avi Glickstein, Webb Wilcoxen, and more!

Participating Alumni Playwrights are Matthew Paul Olmos, Michael John Garces, Adam Szymkowicz, Callie Kimball, Sibyl Kempson, Caridad Svich, Christine Evans, Clay McLeod Chapman, Anton Dudley, Qui Nguyen, & Saviana Stanescu.

The Directors will be Robert Ross Parker (Co-Artistic Director of the Obie Award winning Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company), Scott Ebersold (Co-Artistic Director, Packawallop Productions), Jordana Williams (Gideon Productions), Dominic D'Andrea (Festival Curator), Morgan Gould (Associate Director, Young Jean Lee's Theatre Company), Melanie Williams (Artistic Director, Red Fern Theatre Company), & Tom Wojtinik (Artistic Director of APAC).


The 4th Annual New York-One Minute Play Festival will play:

Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 8pm
Sunday, September 26, 2010 at 8pm

Tickets are $18, available online at www.apacny.org or by calling 212-352-3101. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Theatre Box Office, 30 minutes prior to the performance.

Directions to the theatre: Take the N or Q Subway to 30th Avenue. Walk down 30th Ave. to Crescent St. (Mount Sinai Hospital is on the corner.) Turn left on Crescent Street, then turn right on 30th Road. The entrance is the second set of red doors on your left.

The Great Unknown

The New York Musical Theatre Festival, Patricia Miller and DiStar Productions/Diana Glazer are pleased to announce the world premiere production of  William Hauptman and Jimm Wann’s THE GREAT UNKNOWN, choreographed by Liza Gennaro and directed by Don Stephenson. THE GREAT UNKNOWN will play a limited engagement at the Theater at St. Clement’s (423 West 46^th Street, NYC). Performances begin Tuesday, October 5 and continue through Saturday, October 16.

The Great Unknown is a jubilant Americana musical about big dreams and even bigger risks.

Hoping to inspire and revive a fractured nation, one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell leads a daring expedition of veterans down the Colorado River to the Grand Canyon, in the spring of 1869. Aware of the physical dangers, Major Powell barely anticipates the emotional and spiritual challenges of the trip, leading back to the War. 

The guide of the expedition is Somers, who escaped from slavery and embraced the new world of the West.  Major Powell’s wife Emma Dean, a noted environmentalist of the day, is present in the minds and hearts of both Major Powell and his brother Walter, a survivor of Andersonville prison; as they are in hers.

With a contemporary folk/musical theatre score enhanced by environmental elements, The Great Unknown is an American musical adventure.

The production stars Tom Hewitt (Broadway: title role in Dracula, The Musical; Frank ‘N’ Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), The Boys From Syracuse, Scar in The Lion King, The Sisters Rosenzweig) as Powell, Dan Amboyer (Play About the Naked Guy) as his brother Walter, Kristin Maloney (NYMF Alum War Brides and Liberty Smith) as his wife Emma and Bobby Daye (Broadway: Shrek, The Color Purple, The Lion King, and Smokey Joe’s Café) as Somers.

The production features scenic/props design by Edward K. Ross, costume design by Martin T. Lopez, and lighting design by Christopher E. Edwards. The sound designer is Daryl Bornstein.

Ritt Henn (Associate Music Director) will lead an onstage band of musicians composed of Liz Queler, Spiff Wiegand and Robin Daniels.

The Great Unknown plays the following schedule:

Tuesday, Oct 5th, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Wednesday, Oct 6th, 2010 at 1:00 pm

Sunday, Oct 10th, 2010 at 3:00 pm

Wednesday, Oct 13th, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Friday, Oct 15th, 2010 at 9:00 pm

Saturday, Oct 16th, 2010 at 1:00 pm

Tickets are $20 and are available online at http://www.nymf.org/show-1393.html

Running Time: 95 minutes

Website: www.greatunknownmusical.com

Meet Connor

MTWorks Announces 2010-11 Season

Winner of three Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Awards, Maieutic Theatre Works (MTWorks) is pleased to announce their 2010-2011 Season beginning September 16th, 2010. The season will feature two world premieres, A Home Across The Ocean by Louisiana native and LGBTQ journalist Cody Daigle (Providence, Life/Play), and The Family Shakespeare by Georgia native and MTWorks' Artistic Director, David Stallings (Barrier Island, Anaïs Nin Goes To Hell). Directors Dev Bondarin (Gallery Players, Prospect Theatre Company) and Nicole A. Watson (Urban Stages, 52nd Street Project) are slated to direct. "This has been an exciting year for MTWorks" - shares Artistic Director David Stallings - "we are proudly moving into our fifth season with two plays vastly different in style, yet centered around family. A Home Across the Ocean is a poignant story that plays with the struggles that emerge when forming a gay family, exploring themes that are riddling today's papers. On the other hand, The Family Shakespeare is a play set in the eighteenth century exploring a fictionalized life of four siblings who in reality censored the complete works of William Shakespeare." The season will also include the company's annual reading series, The National NewBorn Festival; their director development program, Variations (this year showcasing Yerma by Federico Garcia Lorca); and their annual benefit featuring Broadway understudies, Underworld, along with additional workshops, talkbacks and special events. This marks MTWorks' fourth year developing new plays inspired by playwrights and regions outside of New York. Dates are confirmed for A Home Across The Ocean, playing from September 16th through October 2nd at Off-Broadway's Theatre Row Complex (410 W 42nd St), with performances on Tuesdays at 7pm, and Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm. Tickets are on sale at www.Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200. Tickets are also available at Theatre Row's box office open from 12pm - 8pm. For more information visit www.MTWorks.org
For press inquiries contact Antonio [at] KampfireFilmsPR [dot] com

30 Half-Nekkid Plays In 60 Half-Nekkid Minutes

Recently nominated for two New York Innovative Theatre Awards, NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS are pleased to present their 2nd Annual Half-Nekkid special edition of Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind. TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND: 30 HALF-NEKKID PLAYS IN 60 HALF-NEKKID MINUTES will be presented at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003) on Friday, August 20th and Saturday, August 21st at 10:30pm.

Press is cordially invited to all performances.

The event that needs little introduction (and even less clothing) is here. A special half-naked version of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind will be performed the weekend of August 20th-21st. See the New York Neo-Futurists perform their award-winning blend of personal, political, hilarious and absurd short plays...in their short pants.

But that’s not all!

Immediately after the first performance (Friday, August 20th), you can join the Neos as they half-streak New York City on a midnight run from the East River to the Hudson on 14th Street.

Audience members who join in on the half-nakedness receive a discount at the door.

Featuring fearless Neo-Futurists Christopher Borg, Cara Francis, Ryan Good, Nicole Hill, Rob Neill, Joey Rizzolo and Lauren Sharpe.

Tickets are $10.00 plus the roll of a six-sided die ($11-$16) at the door. Advance tickets are $16.00 and can be purchased online at www.nyneofuturists.org, or by calling 212-352-3101.

For more information visit http://www.nyneofuturists.org  

For press inquiries contact Antonio [at] KampfireFilmsPR [dot] com

KampFIRE's summer is HOT!

ORDER extends at Theatre Row!

Oberon Theatre Ensemble is pleased to announce that its world premiere production of ORDER by Christopher Stetson Boal (23 Knives, Crazy for the Dog) has been extended one-week, after receiving fantastic industry and audience response. Directed by Tony Award nominee Austin Pendleton, ORDER is currently playing at Off-Broadway’s Kirk Theatre at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd St). With the extension, performances continue through Saturday, July 3rd.

“I think the play is about the fact that any one of us, if the proper buttons were pushed, could go irreversibly nuts at any moment” –shares Mr. Pendleton of Boal’s new play –“his play is funny and disturbing all at once, and thus full of very many and different possibilities in performance.”

ORDER is the darkly hysterical and ultimately tragic story of Thomas Blander, a former philosophy teacher determined to be mild and polite in a violent and greedy world, whose plan is upended when he's possessed by a creature claiming to be an ancient entity of power and hunger.  The creature (real? imagined?) brings an entirely new philosophy to Blander - undeniable lust for power and insatiable appetite - that ultimately includes dining on his enemies - and his friends.

The production features James Edward Becton*, Gabe Bettio*, Mac Brydon*, Brad Fryman*, William Laney*, Amanda Plant*, Ryan Tramont and James Washington*.

ORDER remaining performances through July 3rd:

Wednesday, June 16th, at 2 pm & 8 pm
Thursday, June 17th, at 8 pm 

Monday, June 21st, at 7 pm
Tuesday, June 22nd, at 7 pm
Friday, June 25th, at 8 pm
Saturday, June 26th, at 2 pm & 8 pm

Tuesday, June 29th at 7pm
Wednesday, June 30th at 8pm
Thursday, July 1st at 8pm
Friday, July 2nd at 8pm
Saturday, July 3rd at 8pm

Tickets are #25.00 and $12.50 students/seniors. For reservations, please call 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com to purchase online. Tickets are also available at Theatre Row’s box office open from 12pm – 8pm.

For more information visit: www.OberonTheatre.org

ORDER is being presented in conjunction with, OTHELLO by William Shakespeare,
directed by Lucille Lortel Award recipient, Cara Reichel, as part of Oberon’s Rep 2010.


*Appearing Courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.
Pictured: Ryan Tramont (Tom Blander) and William Laney (Detective Arlow), photo by Ann Bartek.

Modotti opens

Modotti

"A luminous portrayal by Alysia Reiner . . . graceful, languid and confident, Reiner lights up the stage!" - Associated Press

The story of silent film actress, photographer, and communist subversive, Tina Modotti.

Accompanied by her lover, American photographer Edward Weston, Hollywood silent film actress Tina Modotti joins the cultural revolution in Mexico. Can passion and idealism contend with power and violence?  This sexy and controversial new work by Australian playwright, Wendy Beckett, follows Modotti, a woman decades before her time, as she takes on the mantle of Latin American politics.

Opening night, June 11, 2010:

Children of Eden is a critical success!

You will be hard pressed to find a “Children of Eden” more creative and eye- and ear-filling than this Astoria Performing Arts Center production...A large, strong-voiced chorus roams all over, often standing one or two feet from you, allowing you to hear Schwartz’s mellow harmonies up close and unmiked...excellent cast and Tom Wojtunik’s lively direction!  -- Marc Miller, Back Stage

A remarkable and ambitious production... ingenious...extremely talented director, Tom Wojtunik, has assembled another excellent cast and design team! -- Oscar Moore, Talk Entertainment

Any show that needs and asks so little, yet provides so much to both theatre folk and audiences alike, is basically a slam-dunk. And in its handsome and highly respectable mounting, APAC's production gets basically everything right. -- Matthew Murray, BroadwayStars.com

An exquisitely unique theatrical experience that should resonate whether you are a lover of musical theater or not. -- Georgina Young-Ellis

A moving production of one of the best musicals that never made it to Broadway, and at $18, you get far more than you pay for... this is a moving, often beautiful production, one that is appropriately both honest and sincere. - Dan Dinero, Theatre Is Easy

Too Much PRIDE Makes The Baby Go GAY: 30 GAY Plays In 60 STRAIGHT Minutes

NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS are pleased to present their 4th Annual Pride special edition of Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, this year benefiting LGBTQ advocacy in Uganda. TOO MUCH PRIDE MAKES THE BABY GO GAY: 30 GAY PLAYS IN 60 STRAIGHT MINUTES will be presented at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003) on Friday, June 25th and Saturday, June 26th at 10:30pm.

Press is cordially invited to all performances.

30 short plays reveal the struggle, the joy, the power of being out and proud in New York City in support of acceptance and freedom for all the world's citizens.

Too Much PRIDE Makes the Baby Go Gay: 30 Gay Plays in 60 Straight Minutes, will be raising money to benefit LGBTQ advocacy in Uganda through the Fund for Global Human Rights, in an effort to combat proposed legislation that could make it a criminal offense to be gay, with punishment by imprisonment and even execution. The New York Neo-Futurists call our audiences to action in support of this important cause.

A blend of the comedic, tragic, political and always personal, the New York Neo-Futurists explore the journey from out to proud in 30 short plays over the course of one hour.

Tickets are $20.00. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.nyneofuturists.org or by calling 212-352-3101.


For more information visit www.nyneofuturists.org 

THE NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS are an ensemble of dynamic writer/performer/directors who present the critically acclaimed, energetic show of original short plays, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind--a non-illusory collage of the comic and tragic, the political and personal, the visceral and experimental, while embracing chance, change, and chaos.  Developing out of the format that has been a success in Chicago since 1988, the New York Neo-Futurists have roots in NYC from the mid 90’s.  Since opening TML in New York, they have created over 1900 plays and continue to present new and vital work every weekend in the East Village. For more info: www.nynf.org

FUND FOR GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS Securing basic dignity and freedom for people worldwide requires that front-line organizations challenge abuse wherever it occurs. The Fund finds and funds local human rights heroes who often work at great personal risk to strengthen and bring global attention to their struggles. For more info: www.globalhumanrights.org


UPCOMING SPECIAL EDITION:

30 Half-Nekkid Plays in 60 Half-Nekkid Minutes
August 20-21, 2010

Oberon Theatre Ensemble Rep 2010

OBERON THEATRE ENSEMBLE is pleased to announce their Rep 2010, celebrating the company’s 14th Repertory Season. Oberon will be presenting OTHELLO by William Shakespeare, directed by Lucille Lortel Award recipient, Cara Reichel, in conjunction with the world premiere of ORDER, by Christopher Stetson Boal (23 Knives, Crazy for the Dog), directed by Tony Award nominee Austin Pendleton (Best Direction of a Play, The Little Foxes).

“It is thrilling how William Shakespeare's Othello, and the world premiere play Order, by Christopher Stetson Boal, explore how our "demons" inside affect how we deal with the critical moments in our lives"– shares Oberon Theatre Ensemble’s Artistic Director Brad Fryman –“We are humbled that Austin Pendleton and Cara Reichel have joined our team to direct for us this season. Together we all hope to make Oberon's Rep 2010 our most remarkable yet, as we strive to present stunningly simple, yet elegant, transformative theatre.”

Oberon Rep 2010 will play a three-week engagement at The Kirk Theatre at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd St). Performances begin Thursday, June 3rd , and continue through Saturday, June 26th. Tickets are $25.00 and $12.50 students/seniors. For reservations, please call 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com to purchase tickets online. Tickets are also available at Theatre Row’s box office, open from 12pm-8pm.

Press are invited:
Friday, June 4th at 8 pm – Othello
Saturday, June 5th at 8 pm –Othello
Monday, June 7th at 7 pm -Order
Tuesday, June 8th at 7 pm –Order
(Unofficial press dates may be accommodated upon request)


OTHELLO
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Cara Reichel

With Daniel Morgan Shelley*, Stewart Walker*, Simon Feil*, Randy Howk, Jennifer Blood*, Jessica Angleskhan*, Matt W. Cody*, Jane Cortney*, Chris Seiler*, David Matthew Douglas*, Nate Faust, Lowell Byers, Whitney Kam Lee and Travis Allen.

The esteemed General Othello promotes Cassio instead of Iago fueling Iago’s jealousy. Iago, in turn, plans his revenge in incredibly malicious ways, causing suspicion amongst lovers and friends. The results are tragic as suspicion grows, trust is lost and Othello is compelled to take action against his lovely wife whom he believes to be unfaithful.

The music of Vivaldi and the rhythm of the djembe interweave with Shakespeare's elegant language in this tragic masterpiece.  As characters dance through the Bard's most intricate and compelling plot, OTHELLO illuminates the fine line between the cerebral and the animal in all of us. This is a visceral telling of Shakespeare’s great tragedy of Envy, Revenge and Damaged Love.

Thursday, June 3, at 8 pm
Friday, June 4, at 8 pm
Saturday, June 5, at 8pm

Wednesday, June 9, at 8pm
Thursday, June 10, at 8pm
Sunday, June 13, at 3pm

Tuesday, June 15, at 7pm
Friday, June 18, at 8pm
Saturday, June 19, at 2 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, June 20, at 3pm

Wednesday, June 23, at 2 pm & 8 pm
Thursday, June 24, at 8 pm

ORDER
By Christopher Stetson Boal
Directed by Austin Pendleton

With James Edward Becton*, Gabe Bettio*, Mac Brydon*, Brad Fryman*, William Laney*, Amanda Plant*, Ryan Tramont and James Washington*.

ORDER is the darkly hysterical and ultimately tragic story of Thomas Blander, a former philosophy teacher determined to be mild and polite in a violent and greedy world, whose plan is upended when he's possessed by a creature claiming to be an ancient entity of power and hunger.  The creature (real? imagined?) brings an entirely new philosophy to Blander - undeniable lust for power and insatiable appetite - that ultimately includes dining on his enemies - and his friends.

Sunday, June 6, at 3 pm

Monday, June 7th, at 7 pm
Tuesday, June 8th, at 7 pm
Friday, June 11th, at 8 pm
Saturday, June 12th, at 2 pm & 8 pm

Wednesday, June 16th, at 2 pm & 8 pm
Thursday, June 17th, at 8 pm 

Monday, June 21st, at 7 pm
Tuesday, June 22nd, at 7 pm
Friday, June 25th, at 8 pm
Saturday, June 26th, at 2 pm & 8 pm

*Appearing Courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association

For more information visit: www.OberonTheatre.org
Press photos are available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/kampfirefilms/OberonRep2010#

Congratulations to The Soup Show!

Kampfire PR clients New York Neo-Futurists' and their primetime show The Soup Show have been nominated for

Outstanding Off-Off Broadway Show
by the ITBA AWARDS

 The winners will be announced on the morning of Thursday, May 20th.

Congratulations from Kampfire PR & Marketing.

Double Whammy - Barrier Island and The Love List on Broadway Bullet

KampFire clients MTWorks and BOO-Arts were both at Broadway Bullet this week.

Playwright David Stallings and actress Jennifer Laine Williams chat about BARRIER ISLAND; and director Jessica McVea and actor Jarel Davidow about THE LOVE LIST .

Take a listen.

Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind: 30 Poems In 60 Minutes

“Best Performance Artists in New York”-Village Voice
“2009 Artists of the Year”-Artists Forum Magazine
“2009 People of the Year”-nytheatre.com
 Recipients of The 2009 NY Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Ensemble

NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS are pleased to present a special edition of their ongoing show Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind in honor of the culmination of National Poetry Month. TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND: 30 POEMS IN 60 MINUTES will be presented at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003) on Friday, April 30th and Saturday, May 1st at 10:30pm.

A poetry-themed version of their critically acclaimed signature show, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, this ever-changing, lightening-paced performance of 30 Poems In 60 Minutes will be dedicated to theater that is poetic, musical, lyrical, powerful and that sometimes...rhymes.

30 Poems In 60 Minutes will feature New York Neo-Futurists’ Jill Beckman, Desiree Burch, Cara Francis, Kevin R. Free, Ryan Good, Daniel McCoy, Rob Neill, Joey Rizzolo and Lauren Sharpe. They will be joined by alumni favorites Claudia Alick and F. Omar Telan.

Tickets are $10.00 plus the roll of a six-sided die ($11-$16) at the door. Advance tickets are $16.00 and can be purchased online at www.nyneofuturists.org, or by calling 212-352-3101.

In Honor of Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 27th, the Neos will be extending their "poetic footprint" by creating a series of wild postings throughout New York City honoring poems past, present, and Neo-future.

For more information on these events and 30 Poems in 60 Minutes, visit www.nyneofuturists.org  

THE NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS are an ensemble of dynamic writer/performer/directors who present the critically acclaimed, energetic show of original short plays, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind--a non-illusory collage of the comic and tragic, the political and personal, the visceral and experimental, while embracing chance, change, and chaos.  Developing out of the format that has been a success in Chicago since 1988, the New York Neo-Futurists have roots in NYC from the mid 90’s.  Since opening TML in New York, they have created over 1900 plays and continue to present new and vital work every weekend in the East Village.

UPCOMING SPECIAL EDITIONS include:

Too Much Pride Makes The Baby Go Gay: 30 Gay Plays in 30 Straight Minutes
June 25-26, 2010

30 Half-Nekkid Plays in 60 Half-Nekkid Minutes
August 20-21, 2010