This Saturday, I am joining choreographer, Tamar Rogoff at Columbia University to participate in CUMC's InnovateMED Conference. We are extremely honored and flattered to be included in this "TED-esque" event, with such a great line up of forward thinking pioneers in their respective fields! |
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Last September, The Apothetae was invited to participate in The Shakespeare Society’s, Shakespeare Works Residency Series. We explored A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a group of talented actors and artistic advisers including, acclaimed vocal coach, Krisitn Linklater, actor, Jay O. Sanders and professor, Richard McCoy. The residency culminated in a sold out presentation at The Public Theatre in New York City. During the residency we had lengthy, in-depth discussions about the three distinct worlds (Athenians, Fairies, Rude Mechanicals), and the themes of War, Chaos and Otherness in the play. What we presented this month is the next phase of this process – “Spirits of Another Sort” – an exploratory workshop featuring selections from Midsummer, with an integrated cast of able-bodied, physically disabled and intellectually disabled actors. The Apothetae, together with Performance Lab 115 and independent producer, Becky Leifman, spent three weeks working with the Rude Mechanicals, using an exploratory curriculum created by Ms. Buffamanti and Ms Leifman. Our objective was to give these actors with intellectual disabilities exposure to techniques and practices that would prepare them to enter into and thrive in a rigorous, professional rehearsal atmosphere with all the demands of working on Shakespearian text. The last two weeks of rehearsal saw the arrival and integration of the full ensemble and getting the work up on its feet with Director, Alice Reagan. In addition to presenting some really strong work, The Apothetae and its producing partners employed 5 actors with physical disabilities, 4 actors with intellectual/cognitive disabilities integrated with 4 able bodied actors. Our work was shared with an invited audience of over 150 people in two nights, and the audience consisted of every age, ethnicity and ability. We presented an hours worth of material from A Midsummer Night's Dream with less than 40 hours of rehearsal. Not too shabby...We want to thank everyone who contributed, participated and attended one of our showings. We look forward to keeping you updated on any future plans for the project! See more photos from "Spirits of Another Sort" I was so happy to have the opportunity to remount, "John, Who's Here From Cambridge" (originally presented at the Ensemble Studio Theatre), as part of the 39th Annual Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival. I was even more thrilled when the play won GOLD and was presented for the last time yesterday afternoon. Congratulations and big, big love to Martyna Majok, Nick Leavens and Layla Khoshnoudi! Let's do it again! In just over a week I am headed to Omaha, Nebraska! I'll be playing Caliban in William Shakespeare's, The Tempest - presented by Nebraska Shakespeare. This is one of my dream roles and I'm really excited to have this opportunity! More to come! On May 3rd, Studio 42′s below-the-belt, no-holds-barred, best of the best heavyweight championship returns to rock and shock! Don’t miss the city’s most deliciously “unproducible” playwrights battle it out for fame, glory, and a pretty sweet trophy. I have the great fortune to be working with this fantastic troupe, Noche Flamenca as they celebrate 15 years of being on stage at Joe's Pub. They are presenting excerpts from a work in progress, a flamenco piece based on the classical Greek text, Antigone by Sophocles. The dancing is spectacular! Ole! The Penalty is the first production of The Apothetae to be produced. We ran for six performances at Dixon Place on NYC's Lower East Side in June. The play was a smash success! See The PRESS page for all the relative news and reviews, including the NYTIMES feature about the production and The Apothetae! Playwright Rehana Lew Mirza has written a fantastic new play. "Soldier X" is about a generation that has spent more of their lives at war than at peace. It's a love triangle about a young soldier who comes back from Afghanistan and falls in love with his dead comrade's sister, only to have his military psychologist fall in love with him. "Soldier X" was workshopped as part of a Studio Retreat at The Lark Play Development Center and received two public staged readings. I took part in a reading of a new trilogy of short plays by Nic Grelli at Nuyorican Poets Cafe. 3 Plays. 3 directors. 3 casts. 1 Nic. The Plays: "Jesus F---ing Christ" with Leah Dietrich and Gregg Mozgala directed by Courtney Wetzel "Genealogy" with Sharina Martin and Sarah Shaefer directed by Nic Grelli "H. E." with J. Julian Christopher and Derrick Karg directed by Nidia Medina I had the great privilege of giving the keynote address at United Cerebral Palsy Of Oregon and Southwest Washington's 15th Family Conference in Portland, Oregon earlier this month. The theme was, "A Community For Everyone." UCP is an amazing organization and I was glad I had the chance to participate. |
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