Jonathan Draxton, playwright & performer, and Kevin O’Rourke, director, of “Soldier”

Posted on December 21, 2012 by robby

Soldier by Jonathan Draxton The theatre is “a place for seeing;” a place where we can ask the big difficult questions about what it means to be a human being in the world we’ve collectively made.

Soldier, written & performed by Jonathan Draxton and directed by Kevin O’Rourke, isn’t afraid to ask one of those very difficult questions: can we understand, and possibly forgive, someone who participated in some of the most appalling crimes in recorded human history? The play unfolds as a Nazi SS officer, waiting on the banks of the river Styx, recounts stories from his family & military life, all the while asking members of the audience for coins to pay for passage across the river for his men & himself.

Listen in as Jonathan, Kevin & I talk about provoking & inviting the audience into the performance, attempting to get at the humanity of a soldier, and “going through the fire.”

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The Plowmen present
Soldier

Directed by Kevin O’Rourke
Written, performed and produced by Jonathan Draxton

December 11–22, 2012
HERE Arts Center
145 Sixth Avenue
Tickets available from the HERE website

Soldier by Jonathan Draxton, photo by Kenna Draxton

Kelly O’Donnell, Gus Schulenburg, and Adam Szymkowicz of Flux Theatre Ensemble’s “Hearts Like Fists”

Posted on December 11, 2012 by robby

…is this thing on?

Apologies that Go See a Show! has been out of commission for the past couple of months. But never fear — we’re back!

And speaking of “never fear,” the podcast makes its triumphant return with an episode about a comic-book-superhero-noir-thriller presented by Flux Theatre Ensemble: Hearts Like Fists.

Listen in as Flux founders Kelly O’Donnell (director), Gus Schulenburg (actor, “Dr. X”), and Adam Szymkowicz (playwright) talk about development of the play with Flux, writing & “getting there” with difficult scripts, and roles that know what they want.

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Flux Theatre Ensemble presents

Hearts Like Fists
by Adam Szymkowicz
directed by Kelly O’Donnell
Nov 30 – Dec 15, 2012

The Secret Theatre
44-02 23rd Street
Long Island City, NY 11101

tickets available via OvationTix

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

Posted on September 6, 2012 by robby

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.

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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

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

Posted on July 9, 2012 by robby

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.

Listen 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.”

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“…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

Frank Cwiklik, director of DMTheatrics’ “FINAL CURTAIN: The Last of Ed Wood”

Posted on June 26, 2012 by robby

I’m sure we’ve all noticed the trend in theatre to take material from the film world and put it upon the stage — look at the Broadway listings, and you’re sure to see what I mean. Director Frank Cwiklik of DMTheatrics is also in the business of bringing the big screen to the live stage, but right now he’s not working with “successful” films — he’s working with material from Ed Wood, the much-maligned/cultishly-adored1950s sci-fi/noir/horror/strange film writer/director/producer/actor. And for FINAL CURTAIN: The Last of Ed Wood, he’s got 5 (five!) Wood pieces running in rep at The Red Room.

After opening night of Bride of the Monster paired with The Sinister Urge!, Frank took a break from the madness to discuss the origins of his putting Ed Wood onstage, technical difficulties as aesthetic choices, playwrighting by necessity, and giving the man some have called “the worst director in history” a little respect.

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DMTheatrics presents

FINAL CURTAIN: The Last of Ed Wood

directed by Frank Cwiklik

Remaining performances:
TUE JUNE 26 8 PM The Ed Wood Memorial Burlesque Blowout
WED JUNE 27 8 PM The Violent Years!, 9:30 PM Hot Ice
THURS JUNE 28 8 PM Night of the Ghouls, 9:30 PM The Violent Years!
FRI JUNE 29 7:30 PM The Sinister Urge PLUS a retrospective of past DMT B-movie shows
SAT JUNE 30 8 PM Hot Ice, 9:30 PM Bride of the Monster
SUN JULY 1 1 PM Matinee Double Feature: Night of the Ghouls/The Violent Years!
8 PM Hot Ice, 9:30 PM The Sinister Urge!

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

Posted on June 19, 2012 by robby

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.

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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

photos by Justin Dodd

Cailin Heffernan, Tim Errickson, & Sue Abbott of Boomerang Theatre Company’s “The Real Thing”

Posted on March 21, 2012 by robby

Has Go See a Show! ever been outside of Manhattan? I can’t remember even seeing a show in my home borough of Brooklyn that I’ve covered for the podcast…kind of crazy that it’s taken 24 episodes to get out of Mannahatta…

…but here we are, at Long Island City’s The Secret Theatre, for Boomerang Theatre Company’s production of The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard. Director Cailin Heffernan, Boomerang Artistic Director Tim Errickson, and Managing Director Sue Abbott joined me for a podcast interview after I saw a performance of the show last week, to talk about running a lesser-produced Stoppard in rep with a Shakespeare comedy and a contemporary comedy, making one set work between three different shows, rock & roll in Stoppard’s work…and more.

Remember: always sit in the front row.

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Boomerang Theatre Company presents
The Real Thing
by Tom Stoppard
The Secret Theatre
4402 23rd Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
Saturday March 3rd @ 8pm
Sunday March 4th @ 3pm
Monday March 12th @ 8pm
Wednesday March 14th @ 8pm
Saturday March 17th @ 8pm
Sunday March 18th @ 3pm
Thursday March 22nd @ 8pm
Friday March 23rd @ 8pm
Saturday March 24th @ 3pm

Matilda Szydagis, director of “Look for the Woman”

Posted on March 10, 2012 by robby

The podcast is starting to reflect back on itself again — in this interview, Go See a Show! gets to a play that we discussed with the playwright, Christie Perfetti, when it was still in development, in the second episode of the podcast. And in that podcast, Christie gives a shout-out to the director interviewed in this episode, who just so happened to be the lead in the play covered in ep. 2.

So, welcome to the podcast to actress & director Matilda Szydagis!

Matilda has directed Ms. Perfetti’s latest play, Look for the Woman, which is currently being presented by Write Act Rep at the Richmond Shepard Theater. After their second performance earlier this week, Matilda talked with GSAS! about working with the playwright, directing for a 160 degree audience, and what it’s like to work on a show where the characters look a lot like the people you grew up seeing in your hometown…

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Look for the Woman
by Christie Perfetti
directed by Matilda Szydagis
Richmond Shepard Theater (309 E. 26th Street at 2nd Ave.)
Sunday March 11th, 2012 @ 3:00 PM
Monday March 12th, 2012 @ 8:00 PM
Tuesday March 13th, 2012 @ 8:00 PM
Thursday March 22nd, 2012 @ 8:00 PM
Friday March 23rd, 2012 @ 8:00 PM
Saturday March 24th, 2012 @ 8:00 PM
Sunday March 25th, 2012 @ 3:00 PM
Tickets

Casey Cleverly, director of “Twelfth Night: Wall Street”

Posted on March 7, 2012 by robby

Go See a Show! returns to Shakespeare (as it seems to do…) with Co-Op Theatre East‘s production of Twelfth Night: Wall Street, directed by COTE Literary Director Casey Cleverly.

COTE is in residence at Looking Glass Theatre, where we’ve built a huge wall onstage (courtesy of our incredible set designer Michael Simmons) as the setting for Viola, posing as Cesario, to attempt to woo the business of Olivia’s Fashion House on behalf of the firm Orsino & Partners, while 99%’ers Sir Tobey, Sir Andrew, Fabian, and Maria drink themselves into a stupor and mess with everyone’s favorite cross-garterer, Malvolio.

…before you say, “what?,” take a listen to the podcast.

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…by the way, that’s Tyrus Holden (Sir Andrew) and Sam Williams (Feste) opening the podcast…

Twelfth Night: Wall Street
by William Shakespeare
directed by Casey Cleverly
Co-Op Theatre East & Looking Glass Theatre
422 W. 57th Street
Mannahatta
Wednesday–Saturday, March 7-10, 7:30PM
Tickets available at OvationTix

photos by Michael Simmons; 1) Dana Hunter as Viola, Amanda Renee Baker as Orsino, Sam Williams as Feste; 2) Haleigh Ciel as Olivia, Dana Hunter; 3) Tyrus Holden as Sir Andrew, Michael Rehse as Sir Tobey, and Kerrie Bond as Fabian; 4) Haleigh Ciel

Tomi Tsunoda, director of “Erosion: A Fable”

Posted on February 23, 2012 by robby

For Go See a Show!‘s first episode featuring a show at the marvelous La MaMa (a place dear to my heart), we’ve got an interview with director Tomi Tsunoda, director of Loom Ensemble’s Erosion: A Fable, which is being presented in The Club as part of La MaMa’s 50th Anniversary Season.

Listen in as Tomi tells us about developing the piece with the ensemble, equates love with dirt from a homeless woman on the street, and describes how to play pvc pipe with flip-flops.

Sounds like a cool show, no?

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Loom Ensemble’s
Erosion: A Fable
directed by Tomi Tsunoda
thru February 26th, 2012
Friday at 10pm
Saturday at 5:30pm and 10pm
Sunday at 5:30pm
Tickets: $15, $10 for students/seniors
available from La MaMa online, in person at the box office, or by calling 212-475-7710

photos by Nimi Kadar

Go See a Show!

The off-off-Broadway podcast

Tag Archives: Directors

Jonathan Draxton, playwright & performer, and Kevin O’Rourke, director, of “Soldier”

Kelly O’Donnell, Gus Schulenburg, and Adam Szymkowicz of Flux Theatre Ensemble’s “Hearts Like Fists”

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

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

Frank Cwiklik, director of DMTheatrics’ “FINAL CURTAIN: The Last of Ed Wood”

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

Cailin Heffernan, Tim Errickson, & Sue Abbott of Boomerang Theatre Company’s “The Real Thing”

Matilda Szydagis, director of “Look for the Woman”

Casey Cleverly, director of “Twelfth Night: Wall Street”

Tomi Tsunoda, director of “Erosion: A Fable”