Tag: Productions

“Marvin’s Room” cast will feature Janeane Garofalo!

April 17, 2017
by catherineforever666
· Events · News

Scott Mcpherson’s beloved play “Marvin’s Room” will be playing at the Roundabout theater this June! Janeane Garofalo just joined the cast and the play will also feature Celia Weston and Lili Taylor!!

Here is more about the play from the Roundabout Website:

“Roundabout Theatre Company presents the Broadway premiere of Marvin’s Room, Scott McPherson’s award-winning, wildly funny play about the laughter that can shine through life’s darkest moments. Anne Kauffman (Marjorie Prime, Maple and Vine) directs.

Estranged sisters Lee and Bessie have never seen eye to eye. Lee is a single mother who’s been busy raising her troubled teenage son, Hank. Bessie’s got her hands full with their elderly father and his soap opera-obsessed sister. When Bessie is diagnosed with leukemia, the two women reunite for the first time in 18 years. Are Lee’s good intentions and wig-styling skills enough to make up for her long absence? Can Bessie help Hank finally feel at home somewhere… or at least keep him from burning her house down? Can these almost-strangers become a family in time to make plans, make amends, and maybe make a trip to Disney World?

Exploring an unsentimental reality with hope, compassion and a dose of wonderfully absurd humor, Marvin’s Room is a life-affirming reminder of the gift we give ourselves when we love unconditionally.

First preview: June 8, 2017
Opening Night: June 29, 2017

Click here for more info

More about Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and writer. Garofalo began her career as a stand-up comedian and became a cast member on the The Ben Stiller Show, The Larry Sanders Show, and Saturday Night Live, then appeared in more than 50 movies, with leading or major roles in The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Wet Hot American Summer, The Matchmaker, Reality Bites, Steal This Movie!, Clay Pigeons, Sweethearts, Mystery Men, and The Independent, among numerous others. She has also been a series regular on television programs such as Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, 24, and Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.

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Great press for Jeff Chastang’s new play at Alabama Shakes!

March 23, 2017
by catherineforever666
· News · Productions

Recent alum Jeffry Chastang’s play Dauphin Island opens tonight at Alabama Shakespeare Festival! It has been getting some great press including this article in the “Montgomery Inquirer,” read it here. Here’s an except from the article:

“Written by Jeffry Chastang through the Southern Writers’ Project, this one-act play with no intermission has a script that will leave the audience “thirsty,” said Pritchett. “The first time we read it, that’s what it did for me,” he said.

“One of my favorite things about this script is that it is an adult love story,” said VandenHeuvel. “I think sometimes in our youth-focused culture, we forget that people over 40 have love lives and feelings and dreams. At 40-something, you can still dream. You can still have a dream for yourself that you would like to fulfill.”

“The great thing that Jeffry Chastang has done with this particular story, I think, is that It’s really just a slice of life story,” said Pritchett.”

Dauphin Island also was Jeff’s thesis play here and had a workshop production at Ohio University. Read an exclusive interview with him about the play by us!

Congrats Jeff on your play opening! Go see if it you’re in Alabama!

Details

Dauphin Island

A world-premiere production by Jeffry Chastang.

March 23, 2017 – April 9, 2017

Suspicion and fascination dovetail when (en route from Detroit to a new job on Dauphin Island) Selwyn Tate interrupts the self-imposed isolation of Kendra in the Alabama woods — dramatizing the risks involved when two displaced souls intertwine. Developed by the Southern Writers’ Project.

Dauphin Island is a recipient of the 2016-2017 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.

Buy tickets here

Alabama Shakes Festival- 1 Festival Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117

More about Jeff

Michigan-born Jeffry Chastang was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Roger L. Stevens Award for his first play FULL CIRCLE, which was produced by Detroit’s Plowshares Theater Company. Plowshares also produced his second play …CONTINUED WARM, which was named Best New Play by the Oakland Press. He was commissioned by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) to write BLOOD DIVIDED, a play marking the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in Montgomery, Alabama. BLOOD DIVIDED also received an Edgerton Foundation New Plays Award. Jeffry’s play PREPARATIONS was developed in ASF’s Southern Writers Project. As an actor his professional credits include FENCES, THE OLD SETTLER and A SOLDIER’S PLAY.

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Philana is a semi-finalist for Little Black Dress Ink Short Play Contest!

March 14, 2017
by catherineforever666
· Events · News

Philana Omorotionmwan’s short play “The Worst of All Evils” is a semi-finalist for Little Black Dress Ink female 6th annual playwrights short play contest. This years theme was “Hot Mess.” Read more about it here

Congrats Philana!

More about Little Black Dress:

Little Black Dress INK is an experiment in support, inspired by recent revelations in numbers on the subject of just how few female playwrights actually get produced. Through outreach, education, and producing opportunities, Little Black Dress INK strives to create more production opportunities for female playwrights while also strengthening the female playwright network. Check out The Blog to read up on the playwrights, directors, and other creative people collaborating on Little Black Dress INK’s Female Playwrights ONSTAGE project.

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Katherine Varga has 10 minute play in Denver!

January 30, 2017
by catherineforever666
· Current Students · News

Katherine Varga has a new short play “Post Truth” going up at Curious Theater in Denver on February 6th! She previously attended their summer program for young playwrights. Congrats Katherine!!

Here is more info on the program:

After our Summer Playwriting Intensive ends, we want to continue our relationships to these emerging playwrights and their work. Each year, we ask alums from the Summer Intensive as well as current playwrights from in-school residencies at Colorado Academy to write 10-minute companion plays inspired by a Curious Theatre Company mainstage production. The pieces are then performed on the set of the play that inspired their play during a staged festival.

This continuation of their journey in writing allows young playwrights the opportunity to hone their craft year-round and receive mentorship and support from Curious.

Info if you want to see it:

ACTS OF REVOLUTION
inspired by The Happiest Song Plays Last by Quiara Alegría Hudes

January 22 & 23 at 7 pm
February 6 at 7 pm
Each evening features different works by our fearless playwrights.

Theater Location: Curious Theater: 1080 Acoma St., Denver, CO 80204

Reservations not required. Donations accepted at the door.

More about Katherine

Katherine Varga is a freelance writer and playwright originally from New Britain, CT. She recently received her B.A. English from the University of Rochester, where she was awarded a Take Five scholarship to study urbanization and the arts. Her plays have been developed at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, New York and Curious Theatre in Denver, Colorado, and read at the 2015 First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival.

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“Marvin’s Room” coming to Broadway!

September 7, 2016
by catherineforever666
· News

OU Playwright Scott McPherson’s popular play “Marvin’s Room” is coming to Broadway for the first time at Roundabout Theater!

The playbill press release says:

“Performances are scheduled to begin June 8, 2017, with an official opening night set for June 29. The limited engagement will play the American Airlines Theatre through August 27.

McPherson’s widely acclaimed comedy-drama was developed and produced at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre in 1990 and later in New York. The playwright also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Marvin’s Room starring Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton and Robert De Niro. The film was released in 1997, five years after his death. McPherson died of AIDS on November 7, 1992.

The story follows two estranged sisters, Bessie and Lee, who are reunited after 18 years when one is diagnosed with leukemia. “Exploring an unsentimental reality with hope, compassion and a dose of wonderfully absurd humor, Marvin’s Room is a life-affirming reminder of the gift we give ourselves when we love unconditionally,” state Roundabout production notes.”

Read the full article here

Go check it out in NYC!

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Ira Gamerman has new short play at Serials in NYC this month!

July 14, 2016
by catherineforever666
· alumni · New York · News

Alum Ira Gamerman has gotten a new short play “Jeffs Jewish Dating Service” in the highly competitive “serials” live theater competition series produced by the in-house acting troupe, the Bats, at the Flea Theater in NYC.

Here is how they describe this fun play competition on their website:

#serials@theflea is a raucous late night play competition featuring The Bats and some of NYC’s hottest young playwrights and directors. This event, which runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 11:00pm includes 1 FREE beer with the purchase of a ticket. All tickets are only $12.

In #serials@theflea, five teams of Bats perform original ten-minute episodic plays. The audience votes for its three favorite plays, which return the next week with a new installment. The teams with the two least popular stories must likewise come back the following week, but with entirely different serialized plays.”

Ira’s play runs this Thursday through Saturday (14th-16th) and next Thursday-Saturday(21st-23rd). Buy tickets here!! Congrats Ira!

More about Ira:

IRA LAWRENCE GAMERMAN is a Baltimore-bred AustraliAmerican Playwright, Podcaster, Script Consultant, Screenwriter, Musician, and Educator based in NYC.

Ira’s theatrical work has been performed at The Kennedy Center, Samuel French OOB, Ensemble Studio Theater, Short & Sweet Sydney, Collaboraction (at the Steppenwolf Garage), F*It Club, Source Festival, Single Carrot, The Australian Broadcast Corporation, and The Chicago New Media Summit (among many other places around the globe). In 2006, City Paper voted Ira “Best Playwright Of Baltimore”. In 2009, Dated: A Cautionary Tale For Facebook Users was a New York Innovative Theater Award nominee for best short play. Ira has received playwriting grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and Chicago Union League. BILLY BITCHASS will be published in THE BEST 10 MINUTE PLAYS OF 2016 by Smith & Kraus.

Ira holds a BA in Theater from Towson University, an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University, and studied Devised theater at the (now defunct) Dartington College Of Art in the UK. He is a script consultant for Serbian Filmmaker Milica Zec (Sundance New Frontiers 2015). Ira has been published by Consequence Of Sound, High Times, Eleven Magazine, and Howlround. His work on The Wire remains his favorite acting gig to date.

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Joseph Gallo has new play in New Jersey this month!

July 7, 2016
by catherineforever666
· Books · Events · News · world premiere

OU Playwriting alum Joseph Gallo has a new one man play “Long Gone Daddy” at Mile Square Theater that will be running July 21st through August 7th in Hoboken, New Jersey!

He also has a recently published play collection Two Plays: My Italy Story and Long Gone Daddy out! The book signing will be at Little City Books in Hoboken (100 Bloomfield Street) on Thursday, July 7 at 7:30 pm. There will be a Q & A afterwards conducted by Chris O’Connor, Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre.

Congrats Joseph! Go see the play if you’re in the area!

Details on play

JULY 21 – AUGUST 7
Thurs-Sat @ 8pm • Sun @ 3pm
Tickets: $20 • $12 students/seniors

JULY 20 Preview
Wednesday, July 20 @ 8pm
Tickets: $18

Purchase tickets here

Long Gone Daddy chronicles the comic misadventures of becoming a stay-at-home father. From Bruce Springsteen concerts to OBGYN appointments to the Hoboken playgrounds and back again, Gallo’s semi-autobiographical play also wrestles with the memory of his own Dad, a former fireman, and the existential question, “When does a father earn the right to be called Dad?”

Recommended for audiences 16 and up.

More about Joe

Joseph Gallo’s play My Italy Story, which had its New York debut Off-Broadway at the 47th Street Theatre, and was nominated for the Gay Talese Literary Prize, was recently revived at Mile Square Theatre. His full-length plays include Warning: Adult Content (Theatre 54) and Staten Island (Circle Rep Lab), while his solo shows include Whizzy and The Jealousy Piece, both of which premiered in the American Living Room festival at HERE. He co-created, and wrote the text for two dance/theater pieces Tannhauser: A Dance Play and 80% of Love, both of which debuted in New York at the Obie award-winning Ice Factory Festival at the Ohio Theatre; the latter done in collaboration with company Rindfleisch, and subsequently transferred to the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. His work has additionally been seen on the stages of the Barrow Street Theatre, the Lark, Pearl Theater, Samuel Beckett Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Penguin Rep, TheaterWorks, 12 Miles West, 78th Street Theatre, Waterfront Ensemble, Atlantic Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse, Delaware Stage Company, Seven Angels Theatre, Orlando Fringe Festival, Manhattan Class Company, the Kennedy Center, Bridge Theatre Company, and at both the Hudson Guild Theatre and Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles. He holds an MFA in playwriting from Ohio University, and is a current member of the Actors Studio Playwrights and Directors Workshop. He has also worked extensively in the development of both film and television projects, including a film chronicling the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and on the screenplay adaptation of the memoir Woody, Cisco & Me. His original screenplays include My Italy Story, and the pilot episode for the television series Gotham House. He most recently wrote the story Robert Zarinsky for truTV, and the pilot episode for the television series How Did You Meet? Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love My Significant Other! He wrote and directed two short films, M*O*N*E*Y and No Parking, and also did the screenplay adaptation of the Raymond Carver short story Careful. He studied film at New York University, and currently teaches screenwriting at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

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Tyler Whidden’s thesis play to be produced at Ensemble Theater in Ohio!

May 25, 2016
by catherineforever666
· News

Recent Alum Tyler Whidden’s new play “Occupation:Dad” will be part of the 2016-17 season at Ensemble Theater in Cleveland. The play received a thesis production at the Seabury Quinn Jr Festival and also received the prestigious Trisolini Fellowship. He has worked on previous plays with Ensemble including “Dancing with N.E.D” and “Run Kingsbury Run.”

Synopsis of Occupation:Dad: Jason has a job, okay? He just works from home now. Things are tough nowadays what with the economy and all. So, stop looking at him like that. Lots of dads stay home with their babies. Right? It’s no big deal and it’s really not that tough. Except his kid won’t walk. And his mother won’t help. And his older brother’s a jerk-off. And his sister’s kids are already perfect and the playground moms are psychotic and everybody on Facebook hates him. But, other than all that, everything is just hunky-dory. Except his dad – you know what, forget his dad. It’s fine. Seriously. Everything is …

Congrats Tyler! Check the play out in Ensemble’s next season!

More about Tyler

Tyler Whidden was born and raised in Cleveland, OH where he grew up the least-talented son of a hockey-first family. After earning his BFA in Playwriting at Ohio University, he began a tragic career as a stand-up comic based out of Seattle, WA. As a comedian, Tyler was labeled by critics and fans alike as, “hilarious,” “tragic,” and “probably stoned.” After years of toiling on the road, he moved to Chicago where he returned to theater, studying and working with Victory Gardens and the Neo-Futurists theaters among many others.He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College and worked as Director of Education with the great Ensemble Theatre of Cleveland.His play Dancing With N.E.D. has seen productions in New Jersey, Ohio, and Washington. His family-friendly farce, The Unofficial Almost True Campfire Tales of Put-in-Bay was commissioned by the Put-in-Bay Arts Council as part of their Bicentennial Celebration of the Battle of Lake Erie in the Summer of 2013 and his one-act play, Detour, was part of the “Truck Stop Plays” production in Chicago.He is the 2015 – 2016 recipient of the prestigious Anthony Trisolini Named Fellowship and 2016 graduate of the MFA Playwriting program at Ohio University under Charles Smith and Erik Ramsey.

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Catherine Weingarten ’17 has short play in Halloween Play Festival in Binghamton!

October 8, 2014
by catherineforever666
· Current Students · New York · News · Productions

Catherine Weingarten, a first year MFA playwright, has a short play called “Halloween Marsha” debuting at Darkhorse Dramatists “Tales from The script” short play Halloween fest in Binghamton, NY during the weekend of October 17th. This is Catherine’s third collaboration with Dark Horse Dramatists and they remain one of her favorite companies.

More Info about the Upcoming Production:

We’re proud to debut a sweet new treat by Catherine Weingarten: “HALLOWEEN MARSHA”. Be careful whom you invite to your birthday party, especially if it should land on Halloween. Poor Marsha’s party is ruined by fit of teenage-angst! Don’t miss this cute & comical monologue! Directed by Pete Bowers and starring Adara Alston. Just 1 of 8 shorts featured in TALES FROM THE SCRIPT!

Darkhorse Dramatists, the little playwrights’ collective based in Binghamton, is bringing their collection of Halloween themed plays to the Roberson Museum this October: the 3rd annual “Tales from the Script”! Two playwrights in the local area will be debuting new work in the festival, both Mickey Ray, who is the author of the monologue, “The Next Time” and Shirley Goodman, who wrote a new drama entitled, “Ghost in My Eyes”. But this festival spans far away from Binghamton, with national playwrights from coast-to-coast. A grand total of eight short plays will be performed in a minimalist black box theatre setting. And while some venture into horror with occasional grizzly subject matter and adult language, you can still expect loads of laughter. The plays are being performed Friday and Saturday evening only October 17th and 18th at 8pm at Roberson Museum’s Ballroom. Tickets are $15 general admission or $10 for students or seniors; available online at www.roberson.org

More Info about Catherine:

Catherine Weingarten hails from Ardmore, PA also known as the area that inspired the preppy sexy TV show “Pretty Little Liars.” She recently graduated from Bennington College in Vermont where she studied playwriting(with the magical Sherry Kramer) as well as gender, mediation and environmental studies. Her short plays have been done at such theaters as Ugly Rhino Productions, Fresh Ground Pepper, Wishbone Theater Collective and Nylon Fusion Collective. Her short play, “You Looked Hot When You Stole that Dress From Walmart” was voted favorably in the NYC LGBTQ “Fresh Fruit Festival” 10 minute play contest and received a revival at The Wild Project this past July as part of the official festival. Catherine previously was a member of Abingdon Theater’s playwrights group as well as New Perspective Theater’s “Women’s Work” 2014 short play lab. She is currently the playwright in residence for “Realize Your Beauty Inc” which promotes positive body image for kids by way of theater arts. She wrote an educational play for them called “Bloom” about a chick getting kicked out of a yoga class for being not hot enough, which is geared for high school age kids. Catherine is thrilled to pursue her MFA at OU and thankful for the awesome opportunity for baller mentorship. catherine-weingarten.squarespace.com

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