Justine Lambert

Scraps of Paper: Reblog / share this if you think I should work at Tumblr...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 22:15:21 -0500

Scraps of Paper: Reblog / share this if you think I should work at Tumblr...:

OK, let me explain.

Tumblr is looking for an evangelist to the Home Decor / Home Improvement Community.

I really, really, really want this job.

Why? Well here’s what they’re looking for…

What you’ll do:

Foster relationships between Tumblr and representatives and leaders of the home…

Looking Glass Theatre: Needed: Multi taskers with talent

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:13:34 -0500

Looking Glass Theatre: Needed: Multi taskers with talent:

lookingglasstheatrenyc:

As a producer, you can sometimes feel like the ugly stepchild of the Off Off Bway world. No one wants to be that person. Well, not enough people. I remember reading with delight about three directors choosing to produce the work of another fellow director and a playwright. These three women met at…

kenny nowell (odds and ends): Youth and Age in Theatre

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:47:06 -0500

kenny nowell (odds and ends): Youth and Age in Theatre:

kennynowell:

Reading THIS blog by a playwright named Mariah MacCarthy triggered some uncomfortable nostalgia for me. Among other things, she talks about how weird it is that most big theaters say that they want to attract young audiences but continue to produce plays by and for old people. And it is…

Looking Glass Theatre: R.U.R. by Resonance Ensemble

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:47:57 -0500

Looking Glass Theatre: R.U.R. by Resonance Ensemble:

lookingglasstheatrenyc:

I saw an adaptation of the famous robot play R.U.R. the other night. This production by Resonance Ensemble was set in the not-too-distant year of 2030. A private firm is manufacturing lifelike robots to perform menial labor all over the planet. We know from the start that it can’t end well for us…

Feminism at the Zoo

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:58:32 -0500

I went on a field trip with my first grader’s class this week. It was amazing. We entered a superhero supply shop and were ushered into a secret hideout behind a door that looked like one of the shelves in the store. We were told that the young man who let us in worked here for a meanie of a boss named Mrs Mildew who paid him to write stories. He loved his job, but Mildew didn’t love his work. This is where the 1rst graders came in. They had to help the adorable young man keep his job.

He was fantastic. He led them ever so gently into creating their own story. He never fed them ideas. It all came from them. He did make sure it made sense, and he prompted them for the necessities of good storytelling (which the kids came up with at the beginning), things like including dialogue, letting us know what the characters were feeling, and making sure something exciting happened or that there was a problem to be overcome. This was all awesome. It’s no surprise that this particular field trip is so popular that classes have to enter a lottery to go on it.

So why the blog? This is all great. Good teaching of great writing skills plus rampant creativity. I should be grateful (and I am!) Here’s the problem. To come up with a main character the kids all offered ideas then voted. The star of the story was a talking pencil! Awesome! Now they were asked to name their character. A child suggested Mr. Freeze for the name. Our leader said “that’s a good idea, but wait a minute: is our pencil a boy or a girl?” Some shouting ensued, so he realized we needed another vote. The class has 23 children, 11 girls and 12 boys. 18 voted for “boy.” 4 voted for “girl.” This means at least 4 girls voted for the main character to be a boy. The 4 who voted for the main character to be a girl were all girls. There was some grumbling among the parents (yes, I was loudest) and a couple of moms expressed the idea that the vote may have gone that way because the name MR. Freeze had already been suggested (that name did indeed win). I acquiesced (not really).

Then it came time to name the villain. A robber who also happened to be an eraser! Awesome! The nice young man running things asked them right away, “OK, so is this bad eraser a boy or a girl?” There was a resounding “BOY” from the audience. No vote was taken. A parent was heard to mumble, “No one suggested Mr. that time.” OK, it was me.

I know this is only one instance and proves nothing scientific. So I’d like to challenge you to an experiment. Ask the children you know what gender their stuffed animals are. Try to ask a lot of children if possible about as many stuffed friends as possible. It’s great to be able to do this when visiting so you can point from one to another and ask “is this elephant a boy or girl? How about this turtle, is is it a girl or a boy? That giant snake on the shelf; girl or boy?”. I guarantee you will find that ALL children have primarily male stuffed animals. Girls may have a couple of female stuffies. Often they are pink and have long eyelashes, and I know one boy who (bless his heart) has one female furry friend but the overall theme is clear.

Here’s another thing to try. Next time you see an animal that you don’t know, a wild animal at the zoo or a stray cat on the street, listen to how the people around you refer to it. Do they say “awww, that poor kitty needs a home, she looks hungry” or “wow, that giraffe is so tall, look how high she can reach to eat those leaves”? NO, people in this society always refer to the unknown as he. It’s a fact. Just listen.

This is a major problem for me. I have trained myself to refer to creatures with unknown genders as “she.” It has NOT been easy. Have you ever had a friend change their name? Now you have to start calling Bobby “Robert.” It’s almost impossible to do. It feels weird. I have friends who won’t even try. They say they just “can’t.” That’s how hard it can be to make myself say “Oh honey! Look at that cute little marmoset! Awww, she’s chasing her tail!” So why? Who cares? We should all care because every little girl and boy internalizes the subliminal message that female is the 2^nd choice. Not the go to, not the obviously interesting thing to choose for your main character. Male is the default. When in doubt, go male. NO. I say when there is any doubt, let’s go female. Let’s change this trend for our children. We can make a difference in the writers of the future and in the employers of the future, and in the egos of future women by helping everyone realize that female is just as good, that Mrs Freeze is just as exciting as Mr Freeze.

R.U.R. ... the robot play running in NYC

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:52:01 -0500

R.U.R. ... the robot play running in NYC:

kennynowell:

Very cool that this is happening. Can’t wait to see it.

Me Too!

Defining success = Helping others succeed

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:05:50 -0500

Defining success = Helping others succeed:

lookingglasstheatrenyc:

I love this blog post and have been working hard on how we define success for YEARS now. We’ve been defining our success for a long time, in part at least, by how much we help others. Developing early career artists has been a central part of our programming for ages. We mentor our artists in their creative growth. We encourage networking and know that making connections is absolutely central for theatre artists to grow in NYC. Many creative partnerships have come out of our Forums and Internships. I’m always excited when I see these young artists finding each other. Truly compatible collaborators are rare!

But on the point of helping others succeed (#2 toward the bottom of the post) we are going through a transition. We no longer maintain a full time space. In the past, much of our support for our nearest and dearest and for new artists trying to find their way was in the form of a physical space. We gave space to play, have readings, do productions, develop work and develop as artists. We loved being enablers able to say “Go. Make art. Don’t worry if it’s commercial and don’t worry if it’s a finished project. Just make sure you follow your inspiration into the deepest, farthest corners of your mind and don’t compromise on trying EVERYTHING you want to!” We will still do this. We will have readings and develop work and produce plays, but there will be fewer of them. We don’t have a space to fill 365 days a year (whew!), so how do we continue to support all of our brilliant alumni and fellow artists, the playwrights, actors, directors, and designers that we love so much and don’t want to miss out on even for one season?

Here’s how … and you can do it too!

See their plays! Now that we’re not producing 365 days/year, we can see more theatre. What better way is there to support a theatre artist? See their work.

Talk about that play you saw. There is no more powerful marketing tool than word-of-mouth, so we will talk, write (see recent blogs), tweet and update our friends about the work that inspires us.

Help them fundraise. Everyone needs money. It’s hard to get. So I will give to as many as I can (small amounts perhaps, but we all know that if everyone who saw your campaign gave just $5 we’d all be rolling in the dough, right?) AND we will spread the word about your project in hopes that our friends will help you too.

Of course, no one can see everything, but even when we can’t see your play we will tweet it, FB it and basically try and help you get the word out.

These ideas aren’t as creative as I might wish, but I hope they are a starting point. If you have any to add please do let us know!

I think we just might define success for 2013 as being seen as a company of artists who will support each other and be there for our fellow artists. We will be your champion. As long as you are making something you love, we love that you’re doing it.

Justine Lambert
Artistic Director

Celebrating our 20th year: click here to donate

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:39:23 -0500

Celebrating our 20th year: click here to donate:

lookingglasstheatrenyc:

2013 is a HUGE year. It’s our 20th Anniversary!

Looking back at 2012 … WOW! What a fantastic year! We have much to brag about. In our mainstage work The Angel Play was as beautiful, original and exciting as we expected. East of the Sun West of the Moon was truly charming, with its Bear in the audience and Heroine saving the Prince. We also had a fantastic Forum of original work with some promising artists taking chances and taking names!

Then came the decision to leave our long-term home. Talk about a big change. While we are pretty sentimental about leaving, we are loving the freedom we now have to focus on the art (you know; writing, directing, acting) and NOT to worry about running a facility or the limitations of being a non-union house. Our reading on December 11 of “The Goddess” at the Richmond Shepard Theatre was an excellent experience of feeling at home in someone else’s home. It was a fantastic night with such wonderful performances and dream feedback! We heard everything we needed to hear. We can’t thank our audience and artists enough!!!

We need your help to celebrate this anniversary right, so please DONATE. Even $5 can buy a costume piece, and $5000 could pay our rent in a beautiful theatre for up to two weeks!

OUR ANNIVERSARY SEASON:

THE GODDESS. Our anniversary celebration will be a full production of the play that rocked the house in a staged reading last month! Challenging conventional beliefs about love, marriage, and sex, the Goddess Venus appears to Mike and Emma to shake things up. Venus accuses Emma of having become boring and bourgeois in her conventional marriage and challenges her to let her husband have an affair. The couple explores a new kind of relationship with extreme freedoms on both sides. But can this work in the long run? Between hot trysts and exotic travel will they have time for more? How can they return to the emotional slavery and sexual prison of monogamy? Is Venus keeping them together or ripping them apart?

Developmental Readings: Brand new work by old friends!

ANOTHER SPRING by Yasmine Rana: This piece about a university student in the Middle East who takes a risk and ends up imprisoned is sharp and relevant. The student made a bad choice, but was it really her choice to be photographed that way? Awaiting judgment and punishment, her only visitors are a reporter and her memories of love and betrayal. Will she survive, and, even if she does, will her spirit survive? She was inspired, now is she defeated?

ART OF NECESSITY by Karin Diann Williams is about Lea, her three sons and their inheritance. It’s about a hoarder who is forced to give up her stuff. It’s about a youngest son made homeless by his older brothers. It’s about Glory and her daughters Emily and Ember — one sings, one models. And maybe it’s about the truth there is to be found in a Magic Eight Ball.

TBA One more new work by a fabulous artist as yet to be determined!

Do you have other ways to help? We’d love to have you involved. Drop us a line anytime!

Have a most wonderful, theatrical New Year,

Justine Lambert
Founding Artistic Director

MAGNIFY YOUR DIRECTING

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:10:44 -0400

Wednesday, October 12, 2011
MAGNIFY YOUR DIRECTING
With Justine Lambert
A directing workshop to put some oomph behind your urges

Where: Looking Glass Theatre, 422 West 57th Street

When:   Saturday, October 22, 3:30-6:30pm

You have the creativity, you have the ideas with inspiration to spare, now you just need to implement those ideas with as much passion and conviction as you feel.

This class is an accelerated sketch of what needs to be done.  In three hours we will touch on implementing concepts, crafting the acting to serve your needs while being true to your actors own impulses and telling the story through the lens of your vision.

The class begins with an email exchange in advance to ensure that you are prepared and can get the most out of the class time. Scenes are assigned for you to read and think about in advance, and our talented Fall 2011 acting interns will be there; ready to work, grow and get to know you and your aesthetic.

Breakdown of activities;  Meet and Greet; Accelerated Viewpoints Workshop; Concept Discussion, initial direction and showing of scenes;  Staging with Viewpoints Workshop; Moderated Scene work; Final Showing;  Wrap Up discussion

Cost: $20 suggested.  No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

Space is extremely limited, email lookglassjustine@aol.com to reserve your space.

Worlds of Dragons and Snakes

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:59:59 -0400

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

On Saturday September 24 we held a reading of Dragonslayer, the one woman show that I co-authored with the amazing Judy Sheehan http://www.judysheehan.com/. It was so exciting and HELPFUL! I can’t believe how much work these four talented actresses were able to do in only two rehearsals. Huge thanks to Shannon Altner, Emily Daly, Arielle Hader, and Hannah Tamminen.

After the reading there ensued such a lively and helpful discussion with cast, staff and audience that I never wanted it to end.  Perhaps most gratifying for me was the participation of members of our creative community - Robert Gonyo, the artistic director of Co-Op Theatre East, the company in residence at Looking Glass this season, and Looking Glass staff members Aliza Shane, Rose Ginsberg and Erica Nilson.  Knowing that I have a community to lean on for my creative needs is tremendously important to me!

I learned so many things about our play.  I saw who this young woman we’ve created was, and the audience has made it clear that they want to know more; more about her inner workings and more about who she is.  Who will she be after this play if she survives? Why does she need the things she needs?  I am excited to continue to explore this character that I’ve come to love and this world I sometimes wish we all lived in.

Check out some clips of my fantastic four working as one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWAdmhD66Jc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAdjlzvH50Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mI7R58wNag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4rUrsKLKZQ

The following Monday night I had the privilege of sitting in on rehearsal for Calamity Jane Battles the Horrible Hoopsnakes (Written by by E. J. C. Calvert, directed by Jacquelyn Honeybourne and featuring Abraham Adams, Gianna Cioffi, Jessica Kelly, David Mangiamele, Monica O’Malley, Katie Proulx and Sarah Pullman.  To my great joy, our preview in Time Out NY Kids came out the very next morning! http://tinyurl.com/3audvt7

I greatly enjoyed listening to director Jacquelyn Honeybourne giving notes when I first arrived.  Then after getting the lowdown on set, scenes and snake costumes, the real fun began.  I only saw four scenes run in their entirety, but within them was an encapsulated world - courageous Jane and her mom heading off to make a new life for themselves only to encounter the cowardly (adorable) inhabitants of a town harassed by Hoopsnakes.

As they try to fit in well enough to be allowed to spend the night something happens…Mom is mom-napped!  But never fear; Calamity Jane is not panicked.  She’s ready, willing and eager to embark on a rescue mission.  She has quite a lot of convincing to do with the Townies however who are quite happy with their cowering ways.

We also see the other side of the situation.  Mom is in the lair of the snakes.  They have an interesting discussion (yup, discussion with snakes) regarding what Mom has done wrong (in her life or in Hoopersville is not certain yet) and discover things about snakes that you might not guess just by looking at them.

Whenever I am in a rehearsal room I inevitably learn something, sometimes about theatre (usually), sometimes about life.  Last night I learned something that can be applied to both: snakes are not only scary (they’re a bit scary, that’s a given) they’re also funny.  Slithery, slimy, limbless silliness.

Justine Lambert
Artistic Director
Looking Glass Theatre - http://www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com/

The Season is Upon Us- Fall Season HIGHLIGHTS

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:34:12 -0400

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The Season is Upon Us!
You might think that since our first full production is opening in October we’re having a calm start to the season, but Fall is already barreling full steam ahead.  We’ve been so busy, in fact, with getting our programs up and running that I have barely had time to look up from the computer and appreciate the artists I’m working with.  Here’s a quick rundown of what to look for this season!

Our Fall acting internship is well under way with 12 wonderfully talented performers working in the office, taking improvisation classes with our Fall acting instructor Naima Moffet-Warden and getting ready to perform in our Writer/Director Forum in December.  The rising stars are: Joey Lozada, Olivia Boyle, Samantha Cains, Cindy de la Cruz, Nathalie Frederick, Josiah Laubenstein, Norma Perez-Hernandez, Kiley Rothweiler, Nathaniel Ryan, Jodi Savitz, Chanel Thomas and Nick Zappetti.

Dragonslayer — A free developmental reading this Saturday, September 24 at 7 p.m.  I co-wrote this with long-standing collaborator Judy Sheehan.  This is the first time I’ve had the honor of co-authoring a piece with this consummate professional. One of the original co-creators of Tony-N-Tina’s Wedding, Judy has had eight shows (I hope I counted them all!) produced here at Looking Glass.  I’m so excited to go on this journey as we create an entire world and one amazing character together.

Calamity Jane Battles the Horrible Hoopsnakes — Already cast with rehearsals underway, this family show is a piece of laughter and childhood.  Inspired by our own Jacquelyn Honeybourne’s love of the traditional American Tall Tales, E. J.C. Calvert has written an original story about the plucky heroine as a young girl faced with an unusual and hilarious situation involving scaredy snakes- wait, I meant scary snakes of course… or did I? ;-)Runs October 15 through November 20.

Co-Op Theatre East Residency— We are so excited by our new partnership with this amazing company.  They will be an artist in residence for the entire season starting this Fall with bi-monthly workshops and Radio COTE, their 2nd annual radio play festivalon November 15.

Staged Readings of New Works – The 5 shorts for $5 bucksseries returns! Title TBA. On Wednesday, October 26, we’ll be holding the third of our exciting new short play reading series. Based on the set of the current show (in this case it will beCalamity Jane, so who knows??!), so far the themes have been “Submerged” and “Naked.”  With an open call for artists to create “on theme,” we’ve already had amazing and inspired work come out of this series from veterans and rookies alike.  I am truly excited about the potential for growth and new projects this program is bringing us.

Big Benefit Party- Our Fall benefit party is set for Tuesday, November 8 from 6-10pm.  That’s right, Election Day!  So put it in your calendar; after you rock the vote, come rock with us. Planning is well underway; our interns have begun soliciting (and getting!) exciting raffle prizes and musical guests are banging down the doors (well…they’re emailing) for the opportunity to perform.  It’s going to be a blast!

theater IN ASYLUM’s Frankenstein – This exciting Fall space grant recipient presents their re-imaging of Mary Shelley’s classic November 15-19.  I enjoyed reading this proposal so much, and I can’t wait to see this show happen in our space.

Winter 2011 Writer/Director Forum — Of course, this half of our season will culminate with our semi-annual festival of new works in December.  We have a very full Forum with ten talented directors currently in the process of choosing their projects and getting geared up for the big meeting in early October.  We have a perfect mix of experienced artists and new blood this go round and I am not exaggerating when I say this one promises to be one of the best. With planning started earlier than ever and the ideas flowing so smoothly already, I can’t believe I have to wait until December to see these shows!
—————-
Justine Lambert
Artistic Director
Looking Glass Theatre - www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com

My @2amt Director to Director interview. Thanks Nicole Stodard @DramaDaily for the great questions!

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:48:02 -0400

My @2amt Director to Director interview. Thanks Nicole Stodard @DramaDaily for the great questions!

The Queens of Comedy - Forum Rehearsal 6/6/11

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:44:32 -0400

Notes From Justine- Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum, Week 4

Notes from JustineThe Queens of Comedy - Forum Rehearsal 6/6/11

Finally three shows that go together…sort of. Well, they don’t have all that much in common actually but they are all definitely comedy! They run the gamut of comic styles from full on realism to flat out absurdity!
GIN JOINTWritten by Gabrielle Fox, directed by Eva Gabrielle SchelbaumFeaturing Shea Davies & Gus Zucco
Of all the gin joints in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into his…in a wedding dress

This is a realistic comedy all about a silly situation. It may be shorter than your average sitcom (clocks in at about 12 minutes) but it certainly runs much deeper than one. The delightfully wacky setup involves a woman stuck in her sister’s wedding gown and the only person who can help her is a stranger. He’s an actor about to star in a production of Casablanca and that great film is a touch point helping to add the deeper notes to this charming ditty about possibilities that have passed us by while new ones open up.

WHO IS DAN SCHILLER?Written by Bella Poynton, directed by Ariel FrancoeurFeaturing Petra Denison, Jesse Kane-Hartnett, Dave Herigstad, Sarah Klein, Dan Lovley, Claire Nasuti, David O’Hara & Tom Simonetti
Please turn off all electric devices, make sure that your tray tables are in the upright and locked positions, and hold onto to your sanity…

This play is just absurd. In a good way! In fact one of my only notes was to go ahead and make it even more absurd! It’s about what the best absurd plays are all about: a sane person lost in an insane world. It begins on an airplane and may secretly be about the insanity we all feel when we are heading thousands of miles above ground in a tin can. The story actually follows a man’s descent into hell as he discovers first that his best friend is dead and is then accused of his murder. But plot isn’t really the point here. So what is? Sanity vs. Insanity? Style & Comedy? The way we all feel when faced with the shocking illogical nature of humanity? I’m reeling from “Weinergate” as I write! Life is absurd and I for one need a laugh!

SIGN MEWritten by Naima Moffet-Warden and Allison Ungar, directed by Naima Moffet-WardenFeaturing Richard McDonald, Margaret Odette, Ryan-Ashleigh Reid & Biniam Z. Tekola
When Adrian’s business and love test her destiny, all she’ll be screaming is… JUST GIVE ME A SIGN!

Not absurdist but not fully realistic either, Sign Me is about a young lady’s search for love or success or preferably both. It’s also about another kind of absurdity. The absurdity of trying to find a mate and doing it through the internet. But in this day and age, how else?? Being developed specifically for this Forum, the play is being written (and re-written) with the cast improvising to help develop it as we speak. The tight cast of four plays multiple characters of many astrological signs. They are experimenting with extreme and exciting physical choices/characteristics and the ride is funny, fun and sexy. If I wasn’t married I’d consider “sending out a sign” for love too.

Huge thanks go to the Assistant Directors/Stage Managers:Rebecca Cunningham & Estefania Fadul for making the evening go smoothly and listening patiently through my many absurd and/or realistic ramblings!

Week Four of the Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum opens on June 23. I can’t wait! This evening of three has something for everyone and after all who doesn’t like comedy?

Forum Rehearsal 5/31/11 -More Relationships and So Much More

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:41:10 -0400

Notes From Justine- Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum, Week 3

Forum Rehearsal 5/31/11 -More Relationships and So Much More

I ended last week talking about how Assistant Director/Stage Manager Karyn DeYoung saw both of the Week Two plays as relationship plays…behold this week starts off with every artist in the room referring to the first two of these wonderfully diverse offerings as “relationship plays!”

THE TRACKS ARE ELECTRIFIED
Written by Jane Miller, directed by Abigail Strange
Featuring Tyler Gattoni & Bethany McNamara

How long are you willing to wait?

This show is about a young couple on a subway platform. First there’s banter. They seem happy, cute, if quirky. Then Rosy wants to play a game to pass the time, Max is reluctant. Why, we wonder? Does he dislike games, silliness? Is he easily embarrassed? There doesn’t seem to be anyone else waiting for the train at this time of night. Why not indulge her? When he finally gives in to her wheedling it turns out the game is a little scary. It also turns out her motives weren’t so simple. She knows her boyfriend’s issues and has chosen this moment to bring them up. This seemingly happy relationship may be in peril just as the train finally begins to pull into the station…

BACK IN THE BOX
Written by Mary Flanagan, directed by Gretchen Ferris
Featuring Rob Getz, Elyssa Mersdorf & Emilio Paul Tirado

When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it. ~ Yogi Berra

Back In the Box starts with a couple and a complication. This play takes us farther into the workings of a dysfunctional relationship. Helen is clearly unhappy. We don’t always know why as we watch her journey towards escape. What is she escaping from? Is it spousal abuse or cruelty of some kind? Not precisely. The issues here are subtle. There is indeed something wrong- too much of a good thing, perhaps. Love turned to need, dependence turned to obsession. I find myself hoping Helen’s journey will be a smooth one after the blackout.

FIRE THIEF
Written and directed by Laura Hirschberg
Featuring Emily Daly, Arielle Hader, Timothy Mele & Kevin Russo.

Prometheus brings the spark of inspiration to man. Is it worth it? Come play with fire.

I am inspired and delighted to discover that our talented director Laura Hirschberg is also an impressive talent as a playwright! Fire Thief is full of complex ideas that unfold with wit and clarity.

What a difference. And yet I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge the importance of relationships here too. Of course in Fire Thief they are relationships between gods. The fire Prometheus steals is the fire of inspiration. He steals it to bestow it upon his own favorite creation: mankind. Of course in doing so he incurs the wrath of the Gods but more importantly be betrays two people (well, gods) he loves. His journey of self discovery includes allowing an unusual relationship to grow; the one between himself and his creation. If he can love us mere mortals for more than just our finer traits (such as theatre I’d venture) perhaps he can survive what’s coming to him.

Big thanks to Assistant Directors/Stage Managers Jessy Grossman and Sarah Outhwaite. They were a delight to work with. Full of insight and ideas, they were an integral part of our discussion throughout the evening.

Week Three of the Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum opens on June 16. I’m excited to see this thought provoking, wit filled grouping of three with all the finishing touches!

Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum, Week 2-Challenges as Playthings

Tue, 31 May 2011 10:29:04 -0400

Forum Rehearsal 5/23/11

Dance and Shakespeare; these are the challenges the directors of Week 2 have taken on. These challenges also prove to be lovely toys to play with, adding multiple dimensions to a week of light uplifting fun.

Close embraces, open embraces, and embellishments follow three couples through the complicated circle of dance and love.

This is practically a dance piece and yet it tells its story through dialogue seamlessly interwoven with the movement. The characters almost never sit still. It’s a simple story of a girl at a dance waiting to be asked. Why do women still feel we have to wait to be asked? I guess that’s a discussion for another time… This woman clearly feels she must wait for a man to request her company. She’s here to dance and so are the men who do indeed ask her. But are they looking for something else? Are they looking for more? She herself seems to be looking for more but it’s not necessarily the same more. She’s seeking depth, human connection, someone like herself, interested in more. We are rooting for her. I want her to find that something…or maybe even someone more.

TWELFTH NIGHT
Written by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Dana Dobreva.
Featuring Kevin Bunge, Michael DeSantis , Charlie Gorrilla, Robert Klein, Amie Lytle, Greg McGoon, Jacob Mondry, Rebecca Nerz, Elliot Wadsworth & Jillian Walker

The Hollywood Remix…

Twelfth Night is a favorite of the gender-bending comedies penned by the Bard, and it’s clear why; this play has all the tricks! A woman in love with a woman she thinks is a man, a man in love with a woman he thinks is a man, mistaken identity, drunkenness, debauchery and Beyonce. What? Yup Beyonce is making an appearance. It’s a modern setting and pop music abounds.

You know the story right? Viola is shipwrecked and thinks her twin brother is dead (he’s not). She dresses as a guy and goes to work for Orsino (Why? Dunno, I’ve only seen it twelve times so c’mon.) Orsino sends Viola to court Olivia for him. Olivia falls for Viola (dressed as a boy, remember). Sebastian the missing brother shows up, gets mistaken for Viola, gets in a fight then marries (!?!) Olivia who thinks he is Viola. Immediately upon discovery that his male servant is a female Orsino proposes to Viola who has been pining for him the whole time. Meanwhile Olivia’s relatives are cavorting with and playing pranks on the help. And then there’s the fool. Forget Lucy, I love Will!

As I was leaving the theatre I had the opportunity to chat briefly with Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Karyn DeYoung about her experience working on these two very different productions. She observed (forgive me if the quote is imprecise) “I’ve realized they’re the same play.” In discussion it became clear that she has come to see both shows as “relationship plays.” It’s certainly true that the human connections or lack thereof are the focus in each. The universality of that need is expressed uniquely in both plays. Thanks so much Karyn for sharing a part of your experience with me and for all your hard work!

Week Two of the Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum opens on June 9. I can’t wait to see these plays in performance. This should prove to be a joyful romp through relationship confusions. Can’t wait!

Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum, Week 1

Tue, 31 May 2011 10:22:08 -0400

Forum Rehearsal 5/16/11

And they’re off! My first observation for the Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum last night was an exciting start to the process that will culminate in the Forum Awards on Monday June 27th. Three very different plays; (although two have a suicide theme…) these are extremely strong offerings with experienced Forum artists represented in each and every project.

First I observed IN THE CHANGELING,written by Maiya Pendleton, directed by Melody Erfani, featuring Heather Burgher, Lash Dooley, Andrew Dunn, Andrew Gelles, Sarah Miles, Kathleen O’Neal, Alzie Rejouis, Marianne Riera & Adam Tyrer. The tagline for this show is “In high school it is all about the drama…a reimagining of the classic by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley.”

Another classic translated to a High School setting. So different from Forum Producer Aliza Shane’s Misanthrope (Forum Winter ’06) yet similar. Why do artists want to set universal stories in High School? Because it’s a universal experience here in the US and one that brought out the worst in many of our lives. High School was miserable…so it’s the perfect place for drama! This compelling script follows the “It girl” and her machinations to get what she wants. She doesn’t mean to hurt anyone but then she doesn’t really mind when she does either. Will she get what’s coming to her? What is coming to her anyway? We sympathize, even while feeling appalled at the effects of her plotting. After all, who doesn’t “want it all”… but at what cost?

Next up was RISK,written by Yasmine Rana, directed by Ashley Scoles, featuring Brooke Hills & Jonny Schroeder.This plays description is (like the play) poetic and intriguing “Two lovers must decide whether to take the risk to love or become engulfed in the flames of hate.”

Spoiler alert; below I will give away a major surprise that comes out in the first 3rd of the play. Yasmine’s intense drama is about something none of us can imagine. What if you were about to go blow yourself up, with others…? How would you or anyone handle it? We understand that the emotional questions usually left unasked would not sit quiet at such a moment. But would you get the answer desired? Can the questioned party possibly know how to answer under such circumstances? Beautiful language examines an ugly situation in this challenging and powerful drama.

Finally I observed DOUBLE CROSS written by Annie Berke, directed by Katherine Sommer, featuring Benjamin K. Glaser, George Hutchinson, Stacy Ann Strang & Hannah Tamminen. The witty description of this play is: “Charles and Samantha are a happily married couple until the daily crossword drives a 5-letter word for “triangular tool” between them.”

Here we have a comedy of character. This married couple fights. They’re not even nice to each other. They seem to be trying to improve their behavior but they end up hurting each other. Even their innocent bystander friends get hit by the emotional shrapnel flying around. Clearly they shouldn’t be married to each other. Or should they? The surprises lie in the people and what they truly need from one another. The result? Comedy!

The charming and ever helpful Assistant Directors/Stage Managers, Anais Koivisto and Mary Trotter were both engaged and engaging in our discussions. I thank them for their work and insight all night long!

Week One of the Spring 2011 Writer/Director Forum opens on June 2. I can’t wait to see these plays in performance. It’s going to be a thought provoking and highly entertaining night!

All about the Acting and Writing

Wed, 11 May 2011 13:36:53 -0400

Inspired by the Just a Reading rehearsals

Thursday 4/14 and 4/21, 2011.

Just A Reading is a play ABOUT acting and playwriting. More precisely, it’s about a writer writing about real people who are also actors who then play themselves. They must “act” like the real people they actually are. As such, rehearsal for Just a Reading is a rehearsal process about acting and writing. Together these two elements have to combine perfectly, to intertwine to make us believe, at least for a moment here or there, now and then, that what we’re watching is really happening.

Acting-wise, this is the ultimate job. These are roles any actor would salivate over. To begin with, the play has ultra-realistic, naturalistic behavior at its most extreme. You think Brando got away with mumbling? This show has potential for mumbling, shuffling, under-played acting at its best. But then the “actors” (played by the very talented ensemble of Jenn Boehm, Michael Sean Cirelli, Brandon Ferraro, Cas Marino, Alexandra Mingione and Stephen Reich) get to… wait for it…act! They show us their professional abilities to inhabit a character while pretending to do a cold reading. Tricky. Then, as the stakes get higher and higher tempers flare, emotions rise and the melodramatic passion lets fly! Whew. Fun, fun, fun if you’re crazy enough to love acting.

The writing, of course, has to support all this realism/transition/belief in two worlds with deftly smooth transitions and language that seems to say little while really telling us everything we need to know in order to care about, laugh at and worry for these flawed, needy actors.

What about directing? I’m afraid Chanda Calentine has a thankless job in this one. She is working incredibly hard juggling a million balls in the air, all for the sake of a disappearing act; her own. The direction of this piece (at least for much of the play) will be at its most brilliant when invisible: she makes the actors and writer look good. She makes them look real. They are lucky to have her and I am lucky to be privy to her process, but you the audience may never believe she exists. That is, if she does her job!

Just A Reading, written by Ryan Glass & Directed by Chanda Calentine, runs Thursday, April 28th through May 15 at Looking Glass Theatre, 422 W.57th Street, NY NY 10019.

All About Readings... but not really

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:26:00 -0400

Just a Reading/Submerged

Wednesday April 13, 2011

Last week was such a fun week at super-busy Looking Glass Theatre. We just closed the beautifully theatrical and much adored (by audiences small and large) Three By the Sea. Read audience quotes and view photos here;http://lookingglasstheatrenyc.com/ThreeBytheSea.html

On Thursday (4/7/11) I got my first peek into rehearsals of Just a Reading (Written by Ryan Glass, Directed by Chanda Calentine).

We theatre people love a good play-within -a -play and this is quite a special one. It’s a full production masquerading as “just a reading.” A handful of actors (played by the very talented ensemble of Jenn Boehm, Michael Sean Cirelli, Brandon Ferraro, Cas Marino, Alexandra Mingione and Stephen Reich) casually enter the theatre, greeting each other, adjusting the folding chairs and picking up their scripts. We are introduced to the players and then hear the beginning of a witty little play about a new hit band about to embark on their first tour. So far this could indeed be a simple reading but some weird behavior begins to interrupt the action of the “play.” Actors break character and the playwright isn’t willing to discuss any of the problems that begin to arise. What’s happening becomes clear to us, the audience. This play is about these actors real lives and it’s freaking them out. As you can probably tell from the photo, at some point things go terribly wrong…. But Alan the playwright (now a big shot in Hollywood) has some clout (and manic energy) on his side and is going to see this through to the bitter (or will it be sweet?) end! I can’t wait to see how the play continues to evolve at rehearsal this week!

Friday night pre-show I attended a mysterious and exciting meeting with two Looking Glass artists Jacqueline Honeybourne and Mark Gordon. Have I piqued your interest? Good. There’s an unusual project on the horizon here, more on that in the future. Then I attended the first incarnation of a new play reading series. The brainchild of Producer/Director Aliza Shane, the concept is to solicit new short (10-15 minute) work from our artists based on the set of each mainstage production. This evening was based on the watery world of Three By the Sea so our theme was water and our title was Submerged. Billed as “5 shorts for $5 bucks” there isn’t a better deal in town! Also billed as “Staged Readings”, these five plays were almost mini productions. Most actors were off book and fully blocked. Scripts were in hand and referred to however which served as a good reminder that this was indeed work in progress. The evening went off without a hitch and was truly a blast. Actors, playwrights and directors all seemed charged up about the work and the new series. It was so exciting to see artists involved from our past, some who haven’t been with us for years. Just a couple of the shows represented were Adventures of the Puppet Princess (’08), Anna’s Perfect Party & The Amazing Magician’s Marvelous Mistake (’09), Ask Someone Else, God (’09),Are You There, Zeus? It’s Me, Electra (’09), and many many more! I now find myself wondering what the theme might be for Just a Reading’s set? After all, it is basically an empty, stripped theatre.
Our very own bare black box.

The creative possibilities, as always with a blank page, are truly endless.
Justine Lambert

MORE Three By the Sea!

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:57:45 -0400

MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2011

Having seen Three By the Sea two times now in performance, I’ve realized that the gestalt of this combination of stories is an ideal introduction to theatre for children. There are so many things they are being exposed to here: it’s like sneaking vegetables into the dessert mix! While they watch the charming stories they learn to suspend disbelief and see fabric (or umbrellas, or balloons) as water, to decipher intent through behavior, to appreciate the difference an atmosphere can have on how you interpret the individual elements of a play and how to appreciate the rhythm and flow in storytelling, not to mention simply being introduced to the great theatrical tradition of story theatre.

I really find myself enjoying each play within the play for different reasons. Working backwards, I’ll start at the end:

Foghorn Franny is a crowd pleaser. With its modern characters and sharp clear tone, it gets laughs easily while supporting the most complex story and message of the trio. The oldest audience members get a lot out of this one (both adults and tweens) because the subplot about bullying is clearly and dramatically explored and resolved. Everyone in the audience is held tight in the grips of the plot and even the youngest audience members maintain the hush required for the few (I think it’s actually two) brief moments of reflection. Coming last in the running order it is well chosen in its modern language and depiction as it leaves the audience feeling happy and thoroughly entertained at the end.

The second piece, Coyote’s Moon, is ideal for the central role in this production in part due to its simplicity. There’s not a lot of story here and so we are able to just sit back and enjoy the puppetry, lighting, water (umbrella) ballet, and characterizations. We love Lil’ Rabbit, we fear Coyote (a little), we enjoy the lights and the trickery…and …we’re done!

Appropriately, while our audience’s minds are freshest they are presented with the most complex piece. We are asked to immerse ourselves in the world, the otherness of the mythical Ireland of old. We meet characters from the town of Gollerus and enjoy their quirkiness while sensing what a stranger in their midst might experience in such a self-contained environment. The lilting lyrical language pulls us along in the story while the theatrical elements, such as mermaid costume, Shadow Puppet plays, and ongoing bits of business from comic cap-snatching to ominous umbrella-opening, devised by super-creative director Julia Martin, help keep our young audience engaged throughout.

Enjoy the spinach brownies!

Three By the Sea

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:51:55 -0400

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011

Three By the Sea is opening this Saturday, March 5th at noon. I will be there with bells on with my family! I have been lucky enough to be a fly on the wall at three rehearsals for this complex, elegant bit of story theatre. This show manages to be both lyrical and fast paced. A study in the use of complexity in the service of simplicity this production uses multiple theatrical elements to tell its three enchanting stories. The stories are simple and sweet, funny and timeless.

“Paddy and the Mermaid” tells of an ordinary man who traps a mermaid. He learns that some things can’t be held by force, even if they are loved; perhaps especially if they are loved.

“Coyote’s Moon” is a classic tale of brains over brawn. In this case the brains belong to one sweet little bunny and the brawn to a coyote in a cowboy hat!

“Foghorn Franny” is a take on the idea that something seen as a weakness or even a fault can turn out to be a heroic strength. This story also addresses the timely theme of teasing and exclusion ever so gently and resolves with the teaser realizing the error of her ways.

This trio of tales comes across with clarity and a touch of the poetic and is wonderfully served by puppetry, music, lighting effects, shadow puppets, clever costuming, a beautiful set and even dancing umbrellas!

Speaking of those umbrellas, it’s worth mentioning that each play involves a body of water and each body of water is uniquely staged. As often seems to happen, the creativity and imagination involved in children’s theatre brings out the best (and hardest work!) in the creative team and cast. This group is no exception. Under the direction of Julia Martin this team has been in overdrive to realize the imaginings of playwright Donna Latham!

Justine Lambert
Founding Artistic Director