Tag Archives: Kelly O’Donnell

Alisha Spielmann, August Schulenburg, and Nina Fry of “World Builders”

Posted on by
Reply

Flux Theatre Ensemble presents WORLD BUILDERS by Johnna Adams, directed by Kelly O'DonnellListen in as the cast of Flux Theatre Ensemble‘s world premiere production of Johnna Adams’s World Builders, Alisha Spielmann and August Schulenburg, along with Assistant Director Nina Fry, discuss ways of connecting, theatricalizing medical conditions, director-actor conversations, how to have a bi-coastal ensemble, stakes, perspectives on mental illness, and “what is lost, what is gained, and who gets to decide what that is.”

“…it’s a tragedy as much as it is a comedy, in the sense that if the play is working, you should feel that it is a great loss…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Barry Rowell, Ralph Lewis, Catherine Porter, Donald Warfield, and Ben Nemser of “3Christs”

Posted on by
1

Peculiar Works presents 3 Christs, photo © 2014 Jim R Moore / VaudevisualsStudents of the sordid history of psychological treatment might be aware of social psychologist Milton Rokeach’s experiment, chronicled in his book The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, to lessen the delusions of three paranoid schizophrenic patients who all believed themselves to be Jesus Christ—by putting them in close contact and encouraging them to confront their conflicting statuses as the Christ.

Ethically questionable, to say the least, but it proves fascinating source material for Peculiar Works Project to mine for their new site-specific show 3Christs, presented, appropriately, at Judson Memorial Church.

Listen in as co-creators Barry Rowell & Ralph Lewis, actors Catherine Porter & Donald Warfield, and magic consultant Ben Nemser, discuss belief, site-specificity, the messy history of treating mental illness, magic tricks, and how to play crazy without stepping on everyone else’s crazy.

“…this is not a play about religion at all, it’s a play about belief, and what we believe in…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

August Schulenburg, Kelly O’Donnell, Will Lowry, & the cast of “Jane the Plain”

Posted on by
Reply

Flux Theatre Ensemble presents "Jane the Plain"The great folks of Flux Theatre Ensemble are no strangers to the podcast (see their three past episodes for more great stuff), with each unique production linked by the ensemble’s players and production team, and the high quality that marks a Flux show.

That said, I was a bit surprised when I heard the company’s latest offering would be set in high school, and feature characters with names like “Scotty the Hotty” and “Betty the Pretty” — but, of course, this isn’t your typical high school dramedy. It’s like John Hughes meets…well, you should listen to the interview. Gus tells that joke way better than I could.

Listen in as director Kelly O’Donnell, scenic designer Will Lowry, playwright August Schulenburg, and the cast discuss tightening your aesthetic vocabulary, transformation, and getting in touch with your teenage emotions, where moments of magnitude are ever-present.

“We didn’t quite know what the genre was completely, but in the rehearsal room we really worked as a team to develop it together, really devising a lot of the movement and a lot of the rules and the vocabulary of the stage…”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

August Schulenburg, playwright, and Kelly O’Donnell, director, of “Honey Fist”

Posted on by
1

Flux Theatre Ensemble presents "Honey Fist"I love seeing people I recognize onstage.

And though I’m not from Marble Head, outside of Boston (pronounced “Mahble Head, outside of Bahston”), playwright August Schulenburg has written some beautifully complex, and very familiar, characters in his funny, tragic, compelling new play, Honey Fist.

Listen in as Gus and director Kelly O’Donnell discuss where Gus’s “most autobiographical play” (that’s not autobiographical) came from, the late-night last-minute carving of bongs, and why Honey Fist is running in rep with Sans Merci (hear the Sans Merci podcast here — and, listen to Gus & Kelly’s first outing on the podcast, about Adam Szymkowicz’s play Hearts Like Fists, here).

“Wha, you think you’re bettah than me?”

Continue reading →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

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

Posted on by
1

…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!

Flux Theatre Ensemble's "Hearts Like Fists"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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

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