Category Archives: Actors

Lindsey Moore Sproul & Jeff Sproul, of No Tea Productions’ “Space Captain: Captain of Space!”

Posted on by
Reply

As you may have guessed from the fact that I produce this podcast, I love off-off-Broadway theatre. And one of the chief reasons for this love is the opportunity for those of us in the off-off community to explore different ways of bringing things to the stage that one might not presume could be brought to the stage: things like epic space battles, creepy alien defenders of an intergalactic oracle, a ferocious giant feline — and doing an entire play in black-and-white (!?!?).

On this episode of the podcast, Go See a Show! talks with director Lindsey Moore Sproul along with her No Tea Productions collaborator (& spouse), playwright & actor Jeff Sproul, about their new show Space Captain: Captain of Space!, running at The Kraine Theater.

Take a journey along with the X-1 rocketship, and listen in as Jeff & Lindsey talk about the trajectory of No Tea, creating those epic space battles live onstage, seamlessly mixing stage & screen, and making the couple’s cat Fish into an awesome alien monster.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

No Tea Productions presents
Space Captain: Captain of Space!

written by Jeff Sproul
directed by Lindsey Moore Sproul

The Kraine Theater
85 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003

thru September 15, 2012
every Thursday and Friday night, plus Saturdays September 1st and 15th only
all shows at 8:00 p.m.
tickets available via Brown Paper Tickets

Trav S.D., the M.C. of “Travesties of 2012” at the New York Musical Theatre Festival

Posted on by
Reply
Travesties of 2012

click to read the text!

If you’re like the rest of the Family Guy-watching generation, when you hear the word “Vaudeville” you probably think of the characters Vern & Johnny, who pop up every now and again on the sitcom to lament the fact that Vaudeville is dead.

But, like punk rock, Mark Twain in 1897, and that old guy from Monty Python & the Holy Grail, Vaudeville isn’t dead. For proof, look no further than Travesties of 2012, part of this year’s New York Musical Theatre Festival, curated & hosted by performer/writer/director/journalist/all-around-renaissance-man Trav S.D.

Listen in as Trav & I talk finding a niche, finding Vaudeville performers in 2012, and loving Woody Guthrie.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

American Vaudeville Theatre presents

Travesties of 2012

Curated/Hosted by Trav S.D.
Directed by John Hurley
Musical Director/ accompanist: Sarah Malinda Engelke
Stage Manager: Audrey Marshall
Lighting Design: Olivia Harris
Costumes: Meryl Pressman and Holly Rihn

Dates:
Thursday: 7/19: 9:30pm
Friday 7/20: 7pm & 930pm
Saturday: 7/21: 6pm
Thursday: 7/26: 9:30pm
Friday 7/27: 7pm & 9:30pm
Saturday 7/28: 6pm

Tickets available via the NYMF website

Rachel Murdy & Lucille Duncan of “Little West Twelfth Night”

Posted on by
Reply

Little West Twelfth Night

Walking the streets of New York City, it seems there’s a performance at every corner — planned or not. But what if you could actually follow a “staged” performance around the streets of NYC?

Wonder not, and go see Little West Twelfth Night, presented by the folks behind Conni’s Avant-Garde Restaurant in the Underground Zero Festival.

Rachel Murdy (“Frankie”) & Lucille Duncan (“Maria”), and later Dave Bennett (“Orsino”), meet me at The Brass Monkey (which figures into the show, along with the Highline, the Standard Hotel, the Gansevoort Market, a creepy van, and more) to give some insight into the first non-“avant-garde restaurant” performance from the company — a historical walking-tour of the Meatpacking District, with a healthy dash of Shakespeare.

Listen in as Rachel, Lucille, Dave & I talk impossible love affairs, chance lighting design in an outdoor walking-tour show, getting towed & questioned by the police for the sake of your show, random allusions to Law & Order: SVU are made, and Lucille & Rachel give you mixing instructions for a brass monkey, “the poor man’s mimosa.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Conni’s Avant-Garde Restaurant & the Underground Zero Festival present
Little West Twelfth Night

based on William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
conceived by Rachel Murdy
written by Peter Lettre
directed by Cynthia Croot

remaining performances:
July 23 & July 29 at 8PM
July 30 at 7AM (yep — AM! sunrise special!)

tickets available via OvationTix

Amy Overman, Justin Plowman, Gyda Arber, and Amy Beth Sherman of “Of Dice & Men”

Posted on by
Reply

More repeat offenders on GSAS! for this episode — last time it was stoned, drunken zombies, but this time the fine people at Dysfunctional Theatre are bringing a story of epic campaigns, saving throws, and decisive D20 rolls to the stage with Of Dice & Men, by Cameron McNary, part of the Game Play Festival at The Brick.

On the mic are Amy Overman, the show’s director, Justin Plowman, who plays a hardcore gamer in the show, Gyda Arber, another gaming enthusiast in the show as well as the producer of the Game Play Festival, and Amy Beth Sherman, who portrays another roleplayer in the show’s D&D adventuring party. Listen in to this episode for more on Game Play, passion, Justin’s super “woop-woop” dance, hating & loving Uni, and the connections between jocks, geeks, and theatre goons.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Dysfunctional Theatre Company & The Brick Theater, Inc. present
Of Dice & Men

Written by Cameron McNary
Directed by Amy Overman

Starring: Gyda Arber, Rob Brown*, Cedric Jones, Justin Plowman, Adam Swiderski, and Amy Beth Sherman*
*appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association

The Brick
575 Metropolitan Avenue (between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street)
Brooklyn, NY

Saturday July 7, 8pm
Tuesday July 10, 8pm
Thursday July 12, 8pm
Sunday, July 15, 2pm
Wednesday, July 18, 8pm
Saturday, July 21, 2pm
Tuesday, July 24, 8pm
Friday, July 27, 7pm

Tickets: $15, available online at bricktheater.com, or by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111

photos by Flaviu Nasarimba

Andrew Goffman, playwright & performer, and director Charles Messina of “The Accidental Pervert”

Posted on by
Reply

The Accidental Pervert

It might seem surprising to hear that an off-off-Broadway show has been running for three years, to consistently packed houses. Then again, when that show is a frank, honest, laugh-filled discussion of a young man’s coming-of-age story via his Dad’s porn collection and his own subsequent addiction to said porn…well, you know there’s going to be a little something in there for everyone.

In this episode of Go See a Show!, we’ve got an interview with playwright & actor Andrew Goffman, the self-described title character of The Accidental Pervert. His autobiographical one-man show is part theatre, part stand-up, (almost) entirely true, and all heart.

The Accidental PervertListen in as Andrew and director Charles Messina discuss the broad appeal of a show about a kid’s connection to his father through porn, the porn-addicts in trenchcoats who are disappointed by the show, becoming an electrician by necessity, and how to keep a show that’s been running for over three years fresh.

Oh, and stick through to the end to hear Andrew’s “sexy voice.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The Accidental Pervert, photo by Paul Urban“…if you ever forget your lines, just start moving. Start cleaning up the stage. And a lot of these off-Broadway theaters need cleaning anyway…”

The Accidental Pervert
Fridays & Saturdays @ 7pm
The 13th Street Repertory Company
50 West 13th Street – between 5th & 6th Aves

All Seats $30
Tickets available via OvationTix, or call 212-352-3101
or, visit the 13th Street Repertory Box Office

The Cast & Director of Playhouse Creatures’ “Love Song”

Posted on by
Reply

Playhouse Creatures' production of "Love Song"If you’ve never been to the Access Theater, it might seem a little out of place; it’s four flights up in a nondescript building just south of Canal Street, and if not for the sandwich board out in front, you could easily miss it.

But you shouldn’t miss what’s going on in one of the theaters that lives up those four flights: a lovely revival of John Kolvenbach’s Love Song, presented by Playhouse Creatures.

Listen in to this episode of Go See a Show! as the cast — Eric Doss, Sarah Koestner, Patricia Duran, and Joseph W. Rodriguez — and director, Kenny Wade Marshall, discuss finding your character in yourself, sentimentality vs. being present, and the benefits of working together as an ensemble for years.

Take the stairs.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Playhouse Creatures presents

Love Song
by John Kolvenbach

June 9-24th
Wednesday – Saturday @ 8PM
Sundays @ 3PM
*Special added Performance Tuesday June 19th @ 8PM!

Tickets: $18, available via SmartTix

Access Theatre
380 Broadway @ White Street

Playhouse Creatures presents John Kolvenbach's "Love Song"

Playhouse Creatures presents John Kolvenbach's "Love Song"

Playhouse Creatures presents John Kolvenbach's "Love Song"

photos by Justin Dodd

“Cowboy Mouth” director Leah Benavides, and actors Diana Beshara, Geoffrey Pomeroy, and Matthew Mark Stannah

Posted on by
Reply

Cowboy Mouth

Cowboy Mouth was written by Sam Shepard & Patti Smith in 1971, a fantastical meditation on the tempestuous relationship between these two American art/punk icons. 41 years later, One Old Crow Productions has revived this volatile one-act in a Lower East Side apartment.

Listen in as GSAS! talks with director Leah Benavides & cast members Diana Beshara, Geoffrey Pomeroy, and Matthew Mark Stannah about why this play is relevant today, creating the set and sound design together, and how you take a Lobster Man from page to stage.

…and as promised, here’s the blog Diana mentions in the interview, where you can check out some photo stills and thoughts from the cast & director.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

This one’s a lot of fun, and in addition to a free glass of wine with ticket purchase, you also get a free snack when you arrive. Without that snack, you can’t see the show. I will say no more; you should head down to Lucky Cheng’s to check it out.

Cowboy Mouth
by Sam Shepard & Patti Smith
June 7 & 8, 11-14, & 20 & 21 at 8pm
Friday, June 15 & 22 at 8pm and 10pm
Sunday, June 10 & 17 at 5pm
Meet at Lucky Cheng’s, 24 1st Avenue, New York, NY
Tickets: $15, via Brown Paper Tickets (includes a free glass of wine)

Cowboy Mouth featuring Diana Beshara & Geoffrey Pomeroy Photo credit Leah BenavidesCowboy Mouth featuring Geoffrey Pomeroy as Slim & Diana Beshara as Cavale Photo credit Leah Benavides

Brett Epstein, Brittany Taylor Visser, and Sean Kleier of “Based On Your True Story”

Posted on by
1

Based On Your True Story, by Brett EpsteinWhat do you get when you put a playwright/director, an actress/singer, a comedian/actor, and a podcaster around a chess table in Washington Square Park late on a Sunday night?

This episode of Go See a Show!, obviously.

Listen in as I speak with Brett Epstein, Brittany Taylor Visser, and Sean Kleier about Brett’s new show, inspired by 30 interviews with friends, acquaintances, and random strangers. It’s called Based On Your True Story, it’ll premiere this week at The Tank, and you can get a sneak peek here on the podcast: tales of klonopin, awkward interviews, arrests in 3D, $7 sandwiches, interrupted interviews, and Sean not playing Hawkeye await.

“Hulk smash.”


download episode

Based On Your True Story
Six short plays PLUS a documentary short film
The Tank
151 W. 46th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY
Wednesday, 05/16/2012 – 7:00pm
Saturday, 05/19/2012 – 9:30pm
Tickets: $7, available via Brown Paper Tickets

Geoffrey Decas O’Donnell, playwright & actor, from “The Deepest Play Ever: The Catharsis of Pathos”

Posted on by
1

Collaboration Town's The Deepest Play Ever: The Catharsis of PathosGo See a Show! was back at The New Ohio last weekend for some deep, epic thoughts, provided by The Deepest Play Ever: The Catharsis of Pathos.

Playwright & actor Geoffrey Decas O’Donnell joined me for an interview on his dinner break between shows — that’s him in the first photo below, red-eyed & blue-mouthed, with his arm outstretched next to the puppet & puppeteer of Mephistopheles.

Listen in as Geo discusses acting in a show he’s still revising, loving & lampooning Brecht, and what’s next for the company he co-founded & leads, Collaboration Town — and I curse Jad Abumrad (not seriously, of course).

Obligatory Shakespeare reference this time? The Winter’s Tale. It never fails to come back to the Bard!

(…sorry for the background noise — it seems Collaboration Town has a big population!…)


download episode

The Deepest Play Ever: The Catharsis of Pathos
by Geoffrey Decas O’Donnell
music by Michael Wells
lyrics by Geoffrey Decas O’Donnell, Jordan Seavey and Michael Wells
directed by Lee Sunday Evans and Jordan Seavey

The New Ohio Theatre
154 Christopher Street, 1E
Tickets available via SmartTix

Wednesday, March 14th @ 7:30 – Opening Night!
Thursday, March 15th @ 7:30
Friday, March 16th @ 7:30
Saturday, March 17th @ 5:00
Saturday, March 17th @ 9:00 (WEAR GREEN AND PAY WHAT YOU CAN!)
Sunday, March 18th @ 7:30
Monday, March 19th @ 7:30
Wednesday, March 21st @ 7:30
Thursday, March 22nd @ 7:30
Friday, March 23rd @ 7:30
Saturday, March 24th @ 5:00 & 9:00

Collaboration Town's The Deepest Play Ever: The Catharsis of Pathos

Collaboration Town's The Deepest Play Ever: The Catharsis of Pathos

photos by Colin D. Young

Martin Dockery & Vanessa Quesnelle of “Oh, That Wily Snake!”

Posted on by
Reply

Oh, That Wily Snake!On this episode of Go See a Show!, we’ve got our first returning guest: actor & playwright Martin Dockery, who is joined onstage by actress Vanessa Quesnelle for his show Oh, That Wily Snake! (it’s nice to see another title with an “!” in it).

Oh, That Wily Snake! is, on its face, an often surreal one-act play about a man trying to convince a woman to take a trip with him on his flying bed to Aruba (and, to get her to eat brussel sprouts). But there’s a lot more going on, too — listen in as Martin and Vanessa discuss this “allegory of an allegory.”

And sorry for the clanging.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Oh, That Wily Snake!
thru February 10th
Under St. Mark’s (St. Mark’s & 1st Ave.)
Thurs, Fri, and Sat. 8pm
$18/$15 Student and Senior