Life and drama at the Noulin-Merat studio

People just can't get enough of THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES

2012-02-12T23:26:00.000-05:00

Not only did the show make the top 10 NY times critic's pick but we just got extended a second time!

Here is some more blurbs about the set/ production

review: these seven sicknesses

by martha wade steketee - February 8, 2012

Urban Excavations

...Go for the creative use of blood bags. Go for marvelous sheep and the rest of the flexible and often quite beautiful costumes by Loren Shaw. Julia Noulin-Merat has carved a black box and two-sided audience seating, and Ed Sylvanus Iskandar has choreographed fluid end-to-end action that calls to mind the original Chicago Shakespeare staging of Mary Zimmerman‘s Argonautika. Haunting and beautiful and compelling and quite filling, in all senses of the word.

Sophocles’ Tragic Tales as a Blood-Soaked Tapestry
By Catherine Rampell, Feb 3rd, 2012
NY TIMES
...show that feels above all else entertaining and fresh. That’s no small feat, considering its marathon length and 2,400-year-old roots.

These Seven Sicknesses - Dinner and a Sophocles Play
by Claire McCurdy, February 7th, 2012
Playing Around
... It’s a bit like the Elizabethan theatre, with all the audience as groundlings, orange-sellers, people wandering about and gossiping and occasionally watching the play. Possibly an accurate reproduction of Sophocles’ plays as they were played, rather than with the sober reverence we usually give the classics...
The performance stage was in the shape of a cross so that movement was restricted more or less and mimicked a Rubik’s Cube. (The solution of which gives us a clue that the ruler Herakles is a smart guy and suited to rule). At every point the singing, shouting, sweating actors were really very, very CLOSE to the audience...

Olivia Jane Smith on These Seven Sicknesses, presented by the Flea Theater

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

New York Theatre Review

... The audience is arrayed facing each other along two walls, creating a long, narrow stage in the middle, and Iskandar manages to utilize every inch of playing area. A large window at one end glows, lit up from behind, becoming an otherworldly frame for at least one death scene. At the other end little doors and compartments become a terrifying incinerator into which Philoktetes (Seth Moore) plunges the body of Herakles (Victor Joel Ortiz). A messenger (Tommy Crawford) zips in and out of all the plays, often by scooter. Odysseus (Bobby Foley) and Neoptolemus (Alex Herrald) plot from a gap between the back row of the audience and the Aegean-blue walls of the theater, rendered luminous by lighting designer Carl Wiemann. It’s like they’re swimming.
... Julia Noulin-Merat’s set pieces are wonderfully versatile; a bathtub on wheels is whisked by the chorus to the center of the space, where it becomes the scene of Jocasta’s (Satomi Blair’s) chilling suicide.

... The implication is that everything we see takes place in a metaphysical hospital for the ills of humanity.

Oh la la la- Le Review

2012-02-12T11:59:00.001-05:00

Here is what a few publications had to say about our Ravel Double Bill at BoCo directed by Nathan Troup

Vive la France
By LLOYD SCHWARTZ | February 8, 2012
The Boston Phoenix
... Stage director Nathan Troup, whose inventive staging for L'enfant (helped immeasurably by set designer Julia Noulin- and lighting designer Jeff Adelberg), having the furniture and the animals literally come out of the woodwork ...

BoCo’s Conspicuous Success with Ravel Operas
by Mark DeVoto FEBRUARY 4, 2012
Boston Musical Intelligencer
...The two sets required for l’Enfant, which was first on the program, were imaginatively blended into one, with some shifting and careful changes of lighting. (The chorus, pushing hands or heads through an assembly of horizontal white tapes that made up the walls, reminded me of a very mod production of Wozzeck that I saw in Basel in 1990; the idea really worked here, as it didn’t there.) ...
Congratulations to Andrew Altenbach, who conducted ably and steered through the often risky balance problems with skill. But congratulations above all to everyone, to the large team of performers and production who worked so well together to bring off this complex event so fearlessly.

What people are saying about the environment for THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES

2012-01-30T16:21:00.002-05:00

These Seven Sicknesses
By Andy Prop; Jan 30, 2012
TheaterMania; New York.
... The communal nature of the experience extends during the show -- intimately staged in a hospital-like hallway (scenic design by Julia Noulin-Merat) with audiences sitting in two rows on either side. At times, the performers address the audiences directly and conversationally, almost to the point of being one-on-one. At other times, the actors simply perch on the low dividing walls that help protect theatergoers from the blood and mayhem...
New York Theater
These Seven Sicknesses Review: Sophocles As A Party
January 29, 2012. Jonathan Mandell
...a marathon evening that shouldn't work, but does, wonderfully...

These Seven Reasons... To Go See These Seven Sicknesses
Bess Rowen. Posted: 01/30/2012
huffingtonpost.com
...Every time I enter the stage at The Flea's White Street space, I am always surprised. They manage to transform and utilize the same room in a radically different way, always keeping in mind the needs of the particular show. Designer Julia Noulin-Merat's current offering is a traverse stage adorned with hospital paraphernalia and staff. The crisp, white nurses uniforms are in stark contrast to the well-worn in names and bodies of the familiar characters on stage. Loren Shaw's costumes provide both a thru line between the stories as well as particular moments that stand out as particularly unusual... The Flea Theater's These Seven Sicknesses is a night at the theater that leaves the viewer with a rich tapestry of experiences, on both sides of the theatrical frame. I will say that, though there are very funny moments, please be aware that you will be watching bloody and violent tragedies. But if you are interested in Sophocles, long plays, and/or ambitious theatrical projects, then you should go see this production.

NY Review: 'These Seven Sicknesses'at the Flea TheaterReviewed
by David A. Rosenberg . January 29, 2012.
BACKSTAGE
...The hospital setting is appropriate for bloodbaths, with the chorus dressed as nurses and regularly wiping the floor with towels between eviscerations. The evening is divided into three acts...

These Seven Sicknesses
By Deirdre Donovan.
A CurtainUp Review
...The original setting is updated to a modern hospital emergency room, and the chorus is represented by a cadre of six nurses outfitted in clinical white uniforms. This extraordinary work leaps effortlessly over the hurdles that have hobbled other Sophocles productions. While it may not have a traditional Greek drama presentation's depth but this is not minor league stuff.It's squarely grounded in its Sophoclean drama and can bring you to the core of human suffering...

These Seven Sicknesses by Sean Graney, directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, The Flea Theater, featuring The Bats
Yvonne Korshak
If you’re lucky enough to see These Seven Sicknesses, you’re in for a rich adventure. It’s like setting sail. First of all, you’ll walk in to a party -- there’s a buzz, the actors, in costume, are there to talk with you, offering to bring you water or wine. This is transformative, opening you to whatever's going to happen soon on the stage, that is, the wood floor between the facing banks of the audience...

These Seven Sicknesses Needs a Little Doctoring
The Flea hosts a five-hour Sophocles adaptation
By Alexis Soloski. Wednesday, Feb 1 2012.
The Village Voice
... set the plays in a distinctly unhygienic hospital ward, with blood and other fluids staining the walls and a corps of nurses and an orderly scurrying about and occasionally bursting into harmony.
As governing metaphors go, this is a smart one. Many of Sophocles's plays, but by no means all, take on topics of sickness and disease, exploring how the suffering of individuals affect the community...

These Seven Sicknesses
nytheatre.com review
Avi Glickstein . January 28, 2012

...The audience passes through the kind of plastic curtains you’d find at the entrance to a meat locker (appropriate!) into what looks very little like a theater. Set designer Julia Noulin-Merat has masterfully transformed the Flea’s space into something that simultaneously resembles a medieval jousting lane, a madhouse, and a morgue. The play’s action is staged predominantly along a narrow runway sandwiched between two facing rows of jury-box-like sections that house the audience. White wood and ceramic tile, stark against the teal walls, betray stains of splattered blood, foreshadowing the violence we know is coming...

Immersive world at the Flea

2012-01-25T17:34:00.001-05:00

Part of the design concept for THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES is creating an emotional hospital. In order for the audience to be incorporated in the world, I've designed an immersive environment. The audience sits in what feels like med students observing boxes. The action happens in traverse in between two worlds; one morgue wall (with whimsical drawers, an incinerator, a regular door and a meat freezer door) and one window wall which is the space's untouched architecture. We've kept the theatre's original floor and wall which gives the setting a more Victorian flair. My friend Asher built custom lights for the show based on a research image I came across. They are a cross between a surgeon lamp, a dentist lamp and a theatre fixture. In any case, lots for the audience to look at in terms of textures and details. The response has been good during previews. We've changed or tweaked a few scenic elements throughout the week. This process has been as intense as an opera one. I look forward to opening and to take part in the mingling with the audience. Very proud of everyone's work.

Best of 2011: New York Theatre

2012-01-15T01:34:00.000-05:00

Best of 2011: New York Theatre
(in no particular order)

These Seven Sicknesses
Take 23 actors and a bevy of technicians
and crew members; throw them in a super-
secret Hell’s Kitchen loft; add a select
audience, communal dinner and an
endless supply of alcohol; mix in a 5-hour
play cycle of Sophocles’s works and what
you’d come up with is the most intimate,
inclusive and enjoyable night at the
theatre this year. If you aren’t yet familiar
with Ed Iskandar’s “theatre collective,” Exit,
Pursued by a Bear, you should be. But if
you haven’t yet experienced Sean Graney’
s epic, clever and affecting take on
Sophocles’s work, you still have a chance:
The Flea Theater’s production of These
Seven Sicknesses, also helmed by
Iskandar, premieres later this month.

by Julie Haverkate

Tech begins tomorrow for Pinkalicious

2012-01-13T13:22:00.000-05:00

Loading in THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES

2012-01-04T23:13:00.001-05:00

On Monday began loading in of THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES at the Flea Theater. Here is a sneak peek of what is up so far! Exciting stuff

Magic School Bus - revisited

2012-01-01T15:49:00.003-05:00

Shots from the load-in process for "Magic School Bus, 25th anniversary" in October for Scholastics produced by MAG. Team Members: John Jalandoni, Laura Hoffman, Ben Pilat, Kelly Kuykendall, Gene Tsenter, Ces Robles, Julia Noulin-Merat

Opera Boston

2011-12-29T11:55:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, a horrible news was announced last week in the American Opera world; Opera Boston is to close on Dec 31st.
I have gotten my feet wet in the opera industry with them many years ago and have gotten to work with incredible visionaries in THE PEARL FISHERS, ERNANI, SEMELE, AINADAMAR, LA GRANDE DUCHESSE DE GEROLSTEIN, THE TELEPHONE, LITTLE RED RIDDING HOOD, ANGELS IN AMERICA, L'ETOILE.
With Opera Boston I got to hone my design skills and have met incredible people I still work with til this day. It is a horrible lost for Boston and I hope the city will come to realize we are in dire need for under produced repertoire.
It saddens me that it was such a sudden announcement. It clearly shows how the art world is so fragile and rely heavily on grant money. I wish my extended Opera Boston family good luck on their future venture.
Xo

Merry Merry

2011-12-25T12:17:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to all our colleagues and followers.

Wishing you a fabulous day with your families and friends!

These Seven Sicknesses

2011-12-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

Here is a sneak peek of our many adventures of our process on THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES that we are mounting at the Flea Theater. Looking forward to seeing you all at the theatre! xo

Genius: knowing what is good design and copying it

2011-12-24T12:29:00.001-05:00

This year I learned a new form of snowflakes; 3D snowflakes... it all started while teching LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, when I walked by the front desk and noticed Jerry making them... I quickly learned the technique and made some for our HOLIDAY PARTY at EPBB!

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake

Madame Bovary at 3LD

2011-12-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last Week's Most Played Songs from the NM Studio Playlist (The Tech Week Edition)

2011-12-16T13:47:00.002-05:00

Paint call for a scenic designer is essentially a party with paintbrushes. It consists of blasting your favorite energetic music, painting, burning calories, looking good, feeling good, chatting with the people you're working with, and hopefully painting while chatting.
Did I mention painting?

SO

In honor of the marathon of Techs from the last couple of weeks, I present you with NM Studio Paint Call playlist.

1. All The Single Ladies- Beyoncé (Directorfest, HERE Arts Center)
2. Last Friday Night- Katy Perry (Directorfest, HERE Arts Center)
3. Super Bass- Nicki Minaj (Madame Bovary, 3LD Art & Technology Center)
4. S&M- Rihanna (Madame Bovary, 3LD Art & Technology Center)
5. Judas- Lady Gaga (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute)
6. Set Fire To The Rain- Adele (The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute)

Notice a theme?

Love,
John

Making of LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT

2011-12-16T09:31:00.002-05:00

Super glue demystified. How to get rid of Zap-a-gap residue on your hands

2011-12-15T16:27:00.001-05:00

For model making a lot of us have to use a product called Zap-a-gap. It's a wonderful super glue that makes model making go very fast.

Unfortunately... and very too often the glue gets on your hand... and then what? or what about that time your are building a 1/4" scale chair and your two fingers get stuck together while holding it in place? Well there is a good trick for that HAND SANITIZER. This is no urban legend. We have a few bottles in the office for that exact situation... dare I say it happened again to me on Tuesday when I was holding a clock in place on a model. Just squirt a little bit on the affected area, rub and VOILA!

Peak at our twitter life

2011-12-14T16:33:00.000-05:00

Last week's recap

2011-12-13T18:35:00.000-05:00

The first two weeks of December has ALWAYS been crazy at the NM studio. This year is no different.

Last week we opened; LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT at Strasberg directed by Laura Savia, MADAMA BOVARY at 3LD directed by Katherine Carter and the DRAMALEAGUE DIRECTORFEST11' by this year's fall directors... what a trip!

All very different looking shows and all very challenging, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! congrats all!!! We will update our website shortly with pictures

Drama league tech

2011-12-08T21:09:00.001-05:00

Today was day 1 of actors onstage with us in tech. Yesterday was dry tech.
It's always a bit of a marathon when working on Director Fest because it's really teching 4 shows. The day began at 9am with actors at 9:30am onstage and will end at 11pm.

Meanwhile, Across Town...

2011-12-05T22:50:00.002-05:00

...John is still sitting by his 6 projectors, 3 computers, and 600 feet of excessive cable. Did I need that much cable? No, but ya gotta work with what you got!

Reserve your tickets to Madame Bovary today!

*photo by Colleen Toole, sound designer extraordinaire!

- JJ

Intern Blog #10

2011-12-04T11:16:00.004-05:00

It has been a crazy opening week of December as predicted. However now the fact that none of us are sleeping for any regular length of time is starting to show by means of massive amounts of caffeine and constant mistakes in transportation and train choices when shuffling from theatre to theatre. Progress hasn't slowed by any means though. This morning we are at 3LD teching for "Madame Bovary", this afternoon we were at a run for Drama League, and this evening I am at The Strasberg Institute working on the set of "Last Days of Judas Iscariot", the fun never stops!

I have started wrapping up my final project with the NY Arts Program and it seems odd to be tying up loose ends when things are continuously picking up at the studio. I'm working on compiling all of my drafting and work from "Last Days of Judas Iscariot" and updating my resume and portfolio. Over the course of this semester I've added more noteworthy things to my resume than I ever had up to this point. I'm looking forward to the time when I have to carefully pick what should be listed on my resume out of all my awesome choices. Lucky for me, I'm getting closer.
I'm at tech flying solo for tonight, and its kind of a nice feeling to be well versed enough in a production to not have to rely too heavily on anyone else for answering questions. Write everything down is my general rule. Then you don't forget it, everyone else is aware, and you can remember to find out about it later. After these crazy weeks are over, I'm betting we will all feel pretty accomplished.
Also, as an extra treat after things settle down a tad, Julia has hooked John and I up to get to see Hansel and Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera. I am ridiculously excited, not only because I've heard rumors it is incredible, but also because I have never seen an opera and when working for Julia... that makes me the outcast.
I'm enjoying all the business, but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

JUDAS in progress

2011-12-03T17:38:00.001-05:00

Not done yet but we are making progress!

a reflection,

2011-12-01T23:28:00.000-05:00

- JJ

note: Our American Apparel hoodies. we are a team.

Last Week's Most Played Songs from the NM Studio Playlist

2011-11-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

1. Suddenly I See - K.T. Tunstall
2. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera
3. You Make Me Feel So Young - Frank Sinatra
4. We Found Love - Rihanna (feat. Calvin Harris)
5. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Love,
John

yet another thing John does on the weekends

2011-11-29T12:39:00.000-05:00

http://squareratio.tumblr.com/

-JJ

Intern Blog #9

2011-11-28T21:45:00.003-05:00

Tiny Clocks for "L'Heure Espagnole".
Zap a Gap all over the fingers.

Making a canvas

2011-11-28T21:21:00.001-05:00

This is a sneak peek of what has been happening. At 3LD

Feliz cumpleaños Ces!!!

2011-11-28T14:36:00.001-05:00

Ces's last night with us in NYC. Nov 2011

Today is our fabulous Ces's birthday... We miss you!!! Party it up

xoxo

the nm studio

Madame Bovary, cette jolie fille

2011-11-28T12:41:00.001-05:00

Prelim drawing/ model sketch

John and Katie working

A couple weeks ago we began load-in for MADAME BOVARY.

This weekend for me was about covering the walls with the paper treatment.
As Laura had mentioned prior, we created a wallpaper that was made up of pages from the French book itself. The design is quite elegant and feels very WHITE. It serves as a canvas for John's projections.

I can't wait to see the actors in costumes because they are going to look like characters inside a dollhouse!

Taking a deep breath at the office

2011-11-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

On Wed after looking at our calendar of our 7 upcoming shows in December... We took a deep breath and of course a picture!

Cute princess bed for PINKALICIOUS

2011-11-23T17:46:00.001-05:00

Cupcake factory

2011-11-22T15:32:00.001-05:00

Images of us creating PINKALICIOUS design

John drawing the portal

Julia's inspiration

Laura edging the stage

These Seven Sicknesses

2011-11-22T13:35:00.001-05:00

We've been hard at work finalizing the design for T7S. This is an older version of the model. We are using the inherent architecture of the space and creating an emotional hospital environment. We are now in the process of budgeting and seeing what is doable; let the fun begin!
Last night I saw a design run of the GOLDEN BOW series (T7S) and I was incredibly proud and thrilled by the work. It's going to be a fantastic show!

T7S press releases are out!

2011-11-22T13:01:00.001-05:00

http://offoffbroadway.broadwayworld.com/printcolumn.php?id=309204

Back to the Articleby BWW News Desk

The Flea Theater is set to present the New York Premiere of THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES, a 5-hour marathon of all seven of Sophocles’ plays re-envisioned by playwright Sean Graney, directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, and starring The Bats. Standout Tribeca dining destination Macao Trading Co. will provide a complimentary Asian fusion feast at all performances. Previews begin January 19 for this special limited engagement, with opening night slated for Sunday, January 29.

In THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES, Sophocles’ seven surviving plays—Oedipus, In Trachis, Philoktetes, In Colonus, Ajax, Elektra & Antigone—combine to create a stunning portrait of the human condition, where the intermingling of chance & fate yields disquieting results. A witty & relevant interpretation of the classics, THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES is an epic examination of the past & a window on the present.

“When I read THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES, I knew it was a perfect fit for The Bats; just the right amount of hubris and more than enough drama to fill our tiny stage." says Artistic Director Jim Simpson. "It is sweeping, reverent, irreverent, modern, ancient, familiar and yet brand spanking new. Don't miss what will be a highlight of our season.”

Graney became interested in The Common themes inherent in the Sophocles cannon after adapting Ajax in 2001 for his Chicago-based company, The Hypocrites. Following workshops with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s BLACK SWAN Lab and a developmental lab with Exit, Pursued by a Bear in New York City (dir. Ed Sylvanus Iskandar), Graney decided the plays could and should be performed as a marathon event. THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES finally premiered to critical acclaim this past September in Chicago.

The Flea is partnering with neighborhood favorite, Macao Trading Co., to provide dinner for the show each night. The main entrée will be vegan and gluten-free, and will be included in the cost of the ticket. The Acting Company will serve audience members at this unique event.

Tackling this epic work is an extraordinary cast of 38, all members of The Flea’s lauded resident acting ensemble The Bats: Tiffany Abercrombie, Matt Barbot, Yoni Ben-Yehuda, Satomi Blair,Dave Brown, Allison Buck, Charlotte Bydwell, Holly Chou, Jenelle Chu, Ugo Chukwu, Alexander Cook, Tommy Crawford, Eloise Eonnet, Bobby Foley, Katherine Folk-Sullivan, Glenna Grant, Cleo Gray, Alex Grubbs, Grant Harrison, Victoria Haynes, Cameran Hebb, Alex Herrald, Miles Jacoby, Betsy Lippitt, Sean McIntyre, Kate Michaud, Seth Moore, Erik Olson, Victor Joel Ortiz, Jeff Ronan, Marie Claire Roussel, Olivia Stoker, Stephen Stout, Liz Tancredi, Will Turner, Tony Vo, Nate Washburn, and Akyiaa Wilson.

The design team includes Julia Noulin-Merat (set), Carl Wiemann (lighting), Loren Shaw (costumes), Patrick Metzger (sound), Michael Wieser (fight director), David Dabbon (music director), Greg VanHorn (dramaturg), and Edward Herman & Kara Kaufman (stage managers).

Sean Graney is the Founding Director of The Hypocrites, a Chicago theater company. As a playwright, Sean has received productions of his play The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Suicide at 59E59; Autophagy at the Drama League Director’s Fest in 2007; Porno at the sideproject in Chicago; as well as several adaptations and short plays. As a director, Sean has worked at Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and Milwaukee Rep. He was a participant in the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors from 2004/6. He has won twoJoseph Jefferson Citations for Outstanding Direction for Equus and Machinal. He currently teaches at University of Chicago and Lake Forest College. Please check out his cleverly named website, seangraney.com, to find out what the future holds.

Ed Sylvanus Iskandar is Founding Artistic Director of Exit, Pursued by a Bear where he directed Amy Freed’s Restoration Comedy, Sean Graney’s These Seven Sicknesses, Jason Williamson’s Lesser Mercies, King Lear and Dido, Queen of Carthage (both starring Billy Porter) and Arok of Java. Ed has staged over eighty plays in the U.S. and U.K., including Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond’s Homemade Fusion starringPatina Miller (Zipper Factory); Goat Song for Asa Jacob (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); The Red Umbrella (Drama League); Translations and Don Juan (Stanford Summer Theater); and Brand, After Miss Julie and Don Carlos (Carnegie Mellon). Ed has taught at Stanford and Carnegie Mellon. He is a current Emerging Artist Fellow with the New York Theatre Workshop, a Drama League Directing Fellow, a two-time Resident Directing Fellow at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and the recipient of the Robert M. GoldenMedal for distinguished achievement in the creative arts.

The Bats are the resident Acting Company members of The Flea Theater. Each year over a thousand actors audition for a place in this unique company. The Bats perform in extended runs of challenging classic and new plays. The Bats have recently appeared in World Premieres by A.R. Gurney, Will Eno, Adam Rapp, Beau Willimon, Mac Wellman, Elizabeth Swados, Thomas Bradshaw, Itmar Moses, Sheila Callaghan, Julian Sheppard, Ken Urban, Tommy Smith, Jonathan Reynolds, Trista Baldwin and Laurel Haines.

From the owners of Employees Only, Tribeca’s Macao Trading Co. restaurant and bar was inspired by the East Asian European Trading Outpost of the same name. The exotic peninsula of Macao is most renowned for its striking integration of Asian and Portuguese flavors, culture and raucous nightlife. Dubbed “Macanese”, the flavors in the food and drink, as well as the atmosphere at Macao Trading Co., reflect the extraordinary dynamic of this East Asian escape. The confluence of exceptional food and drink, along with Macao’s sultry and “secret” ambience make for a truly unique dining and nightlife destination.

The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading off-off-Broadway companies. Winner of a Special Drama Desk Award for outstanding achievement, Obie and Otto awards, The Flea has presented nearly 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include the premieres of Anne Nelson's THE GUYS; six plays by A.R. Gurney (POST MORTEN, O JERUSALEM, SCREENPLAY, MRS. FARNSWORTH, A LIGHT LUNCH and OFFICE HOURS); and plays by Mac Wellman, Roger Rosenblatt, Elizabeth Swados, Karen Finley, Adam Rapp, Will Eno, Thomas Bradshaw, Jonathan Reynolds,Bathsheba Doran, Steven Banks, Trista Baldwin, Laurel Haines, Sheila Callaghan, Qui Nguyen, and too many more to mention.

THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES runs January 19 – February 12, Wednesday - Saturday at 6:30pm, and Sunday at 4:30pm. The Flea is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal, close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines. Tickets (including dinner) are $40 and are available by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/156836-These-Seven-Sicknesses-a-Five-Hour-Sophocles-Marathon-Will-Play-New-Yorks-Flea-Theater

These Seven Sicknesses, a Five-Hour Sophocles Marathon, Will Play New York's Flea Theater

By Michael Gioia
21 Nov 2011

The Flea Theater will present the New York premiere of These Seven Sicknesses, a five-hour marathon of all seven Sophocles plays re-envisioned by playwright Sean Graney, beginning Jan. 19, 2012, prior to an official opening set for Jan. 29, 2012.

Directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, the limited engagement will continue through Feb. 12, 2012.

The plays will feature The Flea's resident acting ensemble, The Bats. Members of The Bats include Tiffany Abercrombie, Matt Barbot, Yoni Ben-Yehuda, Satomi Blair, Dave Brown, Allison Buck, Charlotte Bydwell, Holly Chou, Jenelle Chu, Ugo Chukwu, Alexander Cook, Tommy Crawford, Eloise Eonnet, Bobby Foley, Katherine Folk-Sullivan, Glenna Grant, Cleo Gray, Alex Grubbs, Grant Harrison, Victoria Haynes, Cameran Hebb, Alex Herrald, Miles Jacoby, Betsy Lippitt, Sean McIntyre, Kate Michaud, Seth Moore, Erik Olson, Victor Joel Ortiz, Jeff Ronan, Marie Claire Roussel, Olivia Stoker, Stephen Stout, Liz Tancredi, Will Turner, Tony Vo, Nate Washburn and Akyiaa Wilson.

In These Seven Sicknesses, according to press notes, "Sophocles' seven surviving plays—Oedipus, In Trachis, Philoktetes, In Colonus, Ajax, Elektra and Antigone—combine to create a stunning portrait of the human condition, where the intermingling of chance and fate yields disquieting results. A witty and relevant interpretation of the classics, These Seven Sicknesses is an epic examination of the past and a window on the present."

The Flea is partnering with Macao Trading Co. to provide dinner each night for the theatrical event. The main entrée will be vegan and gluten-free, and will be included in the cost of the ticket.

Other members of the creative team include set designer Julia Noulin-Merat, lighting designer Carl Wiemann, costume designer Loren Shaw, sound designer Patrick Metzger, fight director Michael Wieser, music director David Dabbon, dramaturg Greg VanHorn, and stage managers Edward Herman and Kara Kaufman.

These Seven Sicknesses premiered to critical acclaim this September in Chicago.

The Flea Theater, under artistic director Jim Simpson and producing director Carol Ostrow, is the winner of a special Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Achievement, as well as Obie and Otto Awards. The Flea has presented nearly 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996.

The performance schedule for These Seven Sicknesses is Wednesday-Saturday at 6:30 PM and Sunday at 4:30 PM.

The Flea is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway. For more information and tickets, call (212) 352-3101 or visit www.theflea.org.

Last Week's Most Played Songs from the NM Studio Playlist

2011-11-21T16:31:00.002-05:00

1. Pinkatastic - Pinkalicious
2. M. Amigo - Kings of Leon
3. Ray of Light - Madge
4. Man, I Feel Like a Woman - Shania Twain
5. Safari Disco Club - Yelle

Love,
John

Lots of PINK

2011-11-21T16:21:00.001-05:00

PINKALICIOUS: The Musical

January 19 - February 19, 2012

We started this month working on our PINKALICIOUS that is going up in January at Orlando Rep. It's a very sweet musical from a children's book with the same title. It's about a little girl that loves pink so much.... she turns pink! Will she be able to return to normal by eating healthy?
Needless to say our set is candy colored. We had our prelim meeting on Friday and we are working our way through the show as I am writing this!

Intern Blog #8

2011-11-21T16:19:00.002-05:00

Today.... I have been abused at the office.
Flying phone to the back of the head. Accident or not that just goes to show what goes on inside this semi-private mysterious little studio. Insanity.
And don't forget the clashing music combos, Left ear = Julia with Pinkalicious, Right Ear = John with his shuffling I tunes.
Maybe I'll put some country on.
Somehow all of this helps productivity though; who can work in quiet anyway?

This week, after finally freeing my computer of rendering the ginormous Photoshop files for "Madame Bovary" that I mentioned before, we worked at 3LD to start loading it in; a very cool space with a hallway that resembles a Star Wars movie. The weekend went fairly smoothly, and Julia says I've had it easy with every load in. However, I am going to maintain the thought that I'm just the good luck charm.
Not too much has happened between then and now except for today where in trying to make two circles out of foam core, I made ten that weren't the right size. Its okay though, despite how terrified I originally was, I like to make models. Not only are they cute, but I suppose you learn something about detail from them (leave it to Julia to hide a lesson in there).

Its been an odd day.

Intern blog # 7

2011-11-18T14:01:00.001-05:00

So today we are are at 3ld loading in for Madame Bovary. Mostly I've been sitting out in the hallway trying to finish photoshopping the wallpaper for the show, but it's pretty slow progress because of the size of the file. My computer may go on strike after I finish it. However, the Ipad sitting with me, filling the void while computer is overwhelmed, makes me feel kinda important. It's been a pretty crazy week so far. Multiple design meetings, design run, and just general craziness that results from deadlines, three people and one printer. Im back with Julia today and again tomorrow rather than being at my part time job, which I don't mind at all, but sort of contributes to the days blurring together. But, being able to attend the meetings and design runs is giving me some more insight. I have been in charge of doing the drafting for "Last Days of Judas Iscariot" and after personally making the many changes to and cuts from the set, I am realizing just how malleable the "original plan" is. The progress being made is drastic and included cutting a major element, but being so sunk into the development you get to see it evolve. I think I'm learning more about the play through the design process than when I read the script. It has been funny to see how quickly things come together, whether it be a model for a meeting or the entire concept for a show. For instance, in preparing to attend a meeting on Tuesday we had a mad rush and essentially ran to the meeting, but because we were all working to finish we made it early and were completely prepared. All of the meetings and design teams are completely different in mood and in people dynamics, but I don't think I'll ever have to worry about them being entertaining. Just getting ready for them keeps us all on our toes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIA!!!!

2011-11-18T13:55:00.000-05:00

okay, so i am a day late, but for good reason.
We spent the day updating T7S, Pinkalicious, our Ravel double bill, and some drama league stuff.
Though there was no time to go have a birthday drank, there were many jokes about turning 30.
and that was that.
Today the studio is hanging out at 3LD, one of the coolest places in the city (it looks like the death star inside) loading in for Madame Bovary.

Cheers!

- JJ

Last Days of Judas Iscariot- show poster

2011-11-16T20:35:00.001-05:00

Wainscot

2011-11-16T12:32:00.001-05:00

John here with your word of the day!

Wainscot
noun \ˈwān-skət, -ˌskōt, -ˌskät\
the lower three or four feet (about one meter) of an interior wall when finished differently from the remainder of the wall .

expect to see some Wainscotting on sets to come!

-JJ

Examples:

Seating set-up standards

2011-11-16T11:46:00.001-05:00

While designing THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES we had to investigate more in depth what are the seating standards... Thought this might be helpful to others so ENJOY

LOOSE CHAIR SET-UP

1. When seating rows have 14 or fewer seats, the minimum clear width between rows shall not be less than 12 inches.

2. For rows of seating served by aisles or doorways at both ends, there shall be no more than 100 seats per row, and the

minimum clear width of 12 inches between rows shall be increased by 0.3 inch for every additional seat beyond 14,

but the minimum clear width need not exceed 22 inches. Therefore, if you wish to have between 54 and 100 seats in a

row, there must be at least 22 inches between rows.

3. For rows of seating served by an aisle or doorway at one end only, the minimum clear width of 12 inches between

rows shall be increased by 0.6 inch for every additional seat beyond seven, but the minimum clear width need not

exceed 22 inches. In addition, the distance to the point where the occupant has a choice of two directions of travel to

an exit shall not exceed 30 feet from the point where the occupant is seated. Therefore, if a row of seats is set up

against a wall, the row cannot be greater than 30 feet long, and the row must end in an aisle that has two choices for

exiting.

4. All aisles must be at least 48 inches wide and lead to an exit and 36 inches for aisles having seating on only one side.

5. Loose seats, folding chairs, or similar seating facilities that are not fixed to the floor shall be bonded in groups of three

or more when the occupant load is over 299. Bonding can be done by tying the chairs together. Most hardware stores

sell plastic ties, which are easy to remove. Some chairs interlock together to meet this requirement.

WGBH review for LWP

2011-11-14T17:05:00.000-05:00

New Opera At Boston Conservatory

By Arthur Smith

...

Four instrumentalists complete the musical team: all very fine with a standout in percussionist Mike Williams. His playing was evocative and full of character, an effect aided by designer Julia Noulin-Mérat’s set, which opened up in the back to reveal the instrumentalists. Director Jeremy Bloom caught the mood and brought the right sense of both dire medieval times and twenty-first century wit.
...

Intern Blog #6

2011-11-14T16:22:00.001-05:00

"Once you're in the Julia mob, you're SET"

John's second life

2011-11-14T13:36:00.001-05:00

AMERICAN ODYSSEY
Ever wondered what does John do on his days off from the studio?
Check the trailer ;)

Cute message I got from a former student

2011-11-14T13:23:00.001-05:00

i painted some last min bitchin wood grain on a coffee table and saved the set dressers ass thanks to u. 

just saying ure  amazing

Intern Blog #5

2011-11-08T22:34:00.003-05:00

I am officially past knee deep into relearning Vectorworks, and although I can say that I've asked a gazillion and a half questions I don't think I'm doing all that bad. I even tacked up some drafting on my wall at the house (John made fun of me for that one). I have been working on drafting and model making for "Last Days of Judas Iscariot" and I'm really looking foward to being able to see it all the way through to the opening, as well as getting to use parts of my contribution towards my final for the NY Arts Program. I wish I would be able to stay to see all of the shows through, especially because I'm here for the process, but I've gotta go home some time. Guess I'll be coming back!
Things are as busy as ever in the studio, I almost laughed out loud when Julia had a speech mix up and told someone we weren't busy today. You know the office is being majorly productive when we are all working on separate shows, which is almost all the time. There never is a lack of projects to be working on, we all just have a list for the day and chug through as much as possible as quickly as we can, but the days are never monotonous. Today I made 20 acetate 1/4 scale milk crates for the model I've been working on, which went kind of slowly, but I had never thought of making them that way before. Now if I could only avoid getting the glue on my hands all would be well.
Tomorrow we are starting the day a bit early because there are lots of meetings and there needs to be time to pow-wow in the morning. But, despite re-setting my alarm, I'm looking forward to meeting the, "Other Laura" (there should be nicknames), and getting to hear about how everything is coming along!

Breaking bread with the cast of T7S

2011-11-08T16:42:00.001-05:00

Last night we hosted the THESE SEVEN SICKNESSES cast at EPBB. Ed has this wonderful tradition of cooking dinner for his cast as a bonding/ trusting experience... and of course it's always delicious! In any case; it's pretty impressive to see 40 actors together breaking bread and having a good time.

ENFANT /HEURE sketch

2011-11-06T16:25:00.000-05:00

rough sketch model

On Friday, I went to Boston to have our first general meeting for L'Heure Espagnole/ Enfant et les Sortileges. Nathan and I have been discussing a very WHITE set (we know how much I adore those!) to create the basic environment of the two shows.
The theatre space is a little tricky thanks to their fly space but we've come up with creative solutions for the different moments. I am LOVING the challenge of creating a space that both can lend itself to laughter and scare.
Sketch models are always good to make because it confirms with everyone if you are on the same page or not. Then I doodle on it and try to figure out missing components etc.

"Histoire À Suivre"

Walkthrough... Boo at the Zoo

2011-11-02T09:02:00.001-04:00

This is a quick walkthrough of the space that we shot before our load out on Oct 31st. Boo at the Zoo ran every weekend for the month of October at the Bronx Zoo. Shot by John Jalandoni on his glamorous IPhone.

Cast of Antigone in T7S

2011-11-01T01:41:00.001-04:00

Cast of Elektra in T7S

2011-11-01T01:40:00.001-04:00

Cast of Ajax in T7S

2011-11-01T01:39:00.001-04:00

Cast of Philoktetes in T7S

2011-11-01T01:37:00.001-04:00

Cast of In Colonus in T7S

2011-11-01T01:36:00.001-04:00

Cast of In Trachis in T7S

2011-11-01T01:34:00.001-04:00

Cast of Oedipus in T7S

2011-11-01T01:33:00.001-04:00

Heggie on Heggie

2011-10-30T10:28:00.001-04:00

Last Friday, I had the chance to see a 90mins Art song cycle performance piece presented by the Opera Institute by Boston University of some of Jake Heggie's work directed by Nathan Troup and Sharon Daniels.
I felt incredibly privileged to get to see it. I couldn't believe more people were in attendance because it was such a strong moving evening. I was particularly struck by how much the music was heightened in its pauses and by its direction. It was very generously staged. The music was allowed to BE and to resonate. Very powerful!

Last week- life on the road

2011-10-28T13:14:00.001-04:00

Just so everyone understand what a crazy time had last week; here is a run down
Monday;
John, Laura and Ces arrived from NYC. Worked on tech notes for Curtains and teched the show that evening. Hopped on a bus that night at midnight to NYC.
Tuesday:
went fabric swatching with Ces at 8am. Then went to JFK with the fab MAG people for a lounge design/color meeting. Hopped on the 5 pm acela to get ASAP to boston so I could catch in time dress reh. That day John and Laura stayed in Boston for tech notes etc. We all left Boston at 1 am to NYC.
Wed:
I hope we all tried to sleep in a little. Had a few meetings in NYC throughout the day and went last minute shopping for our magic school bus project.
Thursday:
At midnight we loaded in the MAGIC SCHOOL BUS. got done at 9amish with all the notes etc
Hopped on bus to boston. Went to the opening of Curtains. 1am bus back to NYC.
Friday;
Meetings at the Flea for T7S and for Bovary.
....
And now you know why everyone in my office wishes we had a tour bus!
Xo

Intern Blog #4

2011-10-24T20:38:00.003-04:00

As adventures with the Noulin-Merat studio usually go, Boston was great. Got to see beautiful Rockport, where we stayed overnight, ate an INSANELY large breakfast while John and I were in Rockport, and got to be at the Boston Conservatory for tech of "Curtains"! It was a quick trip and I was definitely tired when I got back to the city, but I'm really glad I got to go. Hopefully I'll get to go back at some point and explore the city more; I'm trying to go everywhere I can while I've got the chance.
Today at the studio I was having brain malfunctions all morning, but I'm happy to say that the day turned around and became productive. When I was working on the model box for "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" I complete spaced and measured the walls in 1/8" scale instead of 1/4", and then just to top it off I forgot the prop I was supposed to bring when we heading out for the design meeting. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled. But Julia is right when she says that I won't ever make those mistakes again because I made them now. Hey, at least I got a tidbit of a lesson out of it right? Its no fun to feel incompetent when you know that you know better, but I can say this... I've been getting more and more organized this semester. I'm talking a color coded calendar and more post-its than maybe are necessary to remember things. But I think that all of my over-organization is definitely going to come in handy later on down the road, so I'm pretty ok with it.
Now I just have to start highlighting in the notebook I took notes in at the design meeting today, that way it matches everything else, and I can use it as a resource for my final project in the NY Arts program. Start drafting for that project tomorrow on Vectorworks, when I've used AutoCadd most recently and haven't used that program in quite some time... Hoping my memory won't fail me, yikes!

Load in of magic school bus project

2011-10-20T02:22:00.001-04:00

Sexiest steamboat in America

2011-10-18T22:46:00.001-04:00

Here is a sneak peek of our steamboat in CURTAINS

Intern Blog #3

2011-10-17T18:49:00.002-04:00

Change of pace this week. As a spur of the moment surprise from Julia I am now in Boston working on "Curtains" instead of being at the studio this week. I'll admit its a nice change of pace being in a theatre rather than the Zoo or the Aquarium, although I do miss the sea lions and walruses a bit.
After being on the bus for four hours it feels as if the day has flown by. Came in, steamed the drop to get rid of wrinkles, and now its seven o'clock? They're starting rehearsal and its exciting to see all the elements we've been talking about over the past few weeks in person. And as people love to bring up, "It looks just like the model Julia!" ;) The pit orchestra and the dancers are warming up, and while Julia and John are M.I.A. I'm blogging and finishing reading the script for "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot"; it is hard however to pay attention to my typing and continue with productivity while the dancers in their colorful costumes are twirling around on stage in front of me. I'm glad I got to come up and see Boston while I am working with the studio this semester, the wide variety of venues that the studio works with is fun to see and opens up the imagination a bit about what all that scenic design entails. I may not get to meet Drake like some of the SNL interns in my house, but I definitely am getting to do a lot in my field while I'm here, which everyone should be jealous of.

CURTAINS lots of them

2011-10-16T23:52:00.001-04:00

This weekend we began our tech for CURTAINS with Boston Conservatory. This is my first time working with an electric fly rail... And although a giant pain in tech I can see why it is so amazingly useful in a conservatory school that doesn't have a technical program. Everything needs to be preprogrammed and all the crew has to do is push a GO button.
The tech was a little slow paced but we have now gone through it all and I cannot wait to see everyone in costumes! There are some profoundly slap sticky moments but also incredibly moving ones.
To be continued

ASCARIUM

2011-10-14T02:47:00.000-04:00

This week we loaded in on Tuesday our design project at the NY aquarium. It's another haunted experience, this time with a pirate twist. The deadline was shorter because of time and space constraints. It is 1/3rd of the Zoo space however it is within a fully operational environment, the fish tanks surrounding us are practical. Next to our space is the Jelly fish space and that was quite exciting to have as neighbors.
In any case, we started late Tuesday afternoon, loading in the space itself, and then every day fleshing out more the details.
On Wednesday I had to run back to Boston to work on Curtains. In order to save money I volunteered to paint some of the scenic pieces. I LOVED seeing all the crew hard at work and buzzing around working on the set. It felt just like another scene of CURTAINS. The energy was fantastic!
on Thursday and Friday I went back to NYC to complete the Aquarium project. I have to say I have made some great discoveries amongst my staff. As time goes by I get to know more about each of them and I learn about they strengths and what needs more practice. I have found in some of them spider web experts! ;)
The project was strangely more intense because unlike the Zoo I couldn't flesh out as much in advance what needed to happen in the space etc. Also our team was significantly smaller and a LOT of people who had committed to the work called in sick or showed up very late. However, luckily, we had a couple of stellar volunteers under the helm of John that gave us a HUGE push!

3LD

2011-10-12T19:26:00.001-04:00

On Monday we went for a site visit at 3LD. Doing a show there directed by Katherine Carter, projections by John Jalandoni and managed to rope Colleen into doing the sound design. I had never been to that space before. It's pretty great; the lobby feels like you are in 2001 Space Odyssey or some fancy Swedish nightclub. Has a very Euro flare to it... in other words; I felt right at home. I loved meeting the staff there and I excited about the project! I will OBVIOUSLY document the process. BEWAREXoJ

Start of Aquarium Week

2011-10-11T00:20:00.003-04:00

I feel the need to number my blogs for the sake of being able to prove how productive I have been throughout the fall.
Intern Blog #2
Tomorrow we start load in at the Aquarium, and I, for one, am thrilled. I love Aquariums. I will admit, I'm not exactly sure, regarding the space for the exhibit, what to expect, but I'm thinking everyone will be in a good mood tomorrow because they are surrounded by fish.
I spent the first half of the day today in the studio by myself. It was strangely quiet without Julia and John there to bicker with, but contrary to some people's belief, I was pretty productive. I finished my first model box, did some prop budgeting, and started on the massive list of signs for the aquarium.
This afternoon, after everybody was back, we did the run down on the schedule until December. I don't think there will be any problem staying busy while I am here. I am definitely glad that the part-time job I found is willing to work around the extra days I will need off for tech and load-ins. Despite the hectic schedule, I'm glad I'm not going to have to miss out on anything, I want to do it all.
My optimistic attitude however, didn't prevent me from being pretty nervous about my model box. But, I think if I use the finished product from this model as the starting point for the rest of the semester, I will end up being pretty confident in that skill. I think that my being overly concerned and particular about it, will most likely contribute to producing something I'll be proud of.
As for informative signs for pedestrians, between the zoo and the aquarium, if there is ever a need to direct a confused patron to the exit, or warn them of the perils ahead, I can confidently provide the signage take care of it.

show BUSINESS

2011-10-05T15:37:00.003-04:00

Today, I spent most of the day making budgets and pricing crews and set dressing elements. By far the most right brain part of my life as a set designer.
When I do an event design, most often, in addition to submitting renderings, I have to submit a bid on how much it is going to cost. Something I have learned VERY quickly is that I should always price out overnight shipping because I will most likely get a last minute answer from the client... keep that in mind!
In any case, I now how a good solid bank of painters, carpenters, set dressers, fx technicians etc depending on what the project requires.

2011-10-04T23:35:00.000-04:00

Exit, Pursued by a Bear
has kicked off its fundraising campaign for season 2.
help us reach our objective!
http://www.indiegogo.com/Exit-Pursued-by-a-Bear

and we are baaaaack - EPBB

2011-10-04T23:08:00.000-04:00

Last night was our town hall meeting for the EPBB family. We had a wonderful putluck dinner where everyone got to meet fellow colleagues, discuss latest projects and what shows they had worked on in Season 1... well this was the official kick off of Season 2. After spending a retreat weekend discussing our administrative plan of attack, it was great to see everyone and share what we had discussed.
Next week we start our pot luck readings and it's going to be a blast!

Back at the Zoo

2011-10-04T22:59:00.000-04:00

Today we went back to the Zoo to pick up our tools and do a few touch ups to the space. Walking through the HAUNTED EXPERIENCE - BOO AT THE ZOO I was very proud of all the hard work everyone did on the Project. Within a week we transformed an old exhibit space into an exciting walk through experience for a very young audience. They got to learn about preserving/ saving the planet and the wildlife.

I cannot thank enough John, Laura, Chelsea, Claire, Adam, Nick, Gene, Kelly, Lizz, Anthony and our new friends Wilson and Ces! and of course our PC Kevin, our LD Chad, our FX guru Kevin, the Bronx Zoo staff and MAG. What a fabulous team we were!

I will post images on our website shortly.

It's John's Bday

2011-10-03T23:36:00.000-04:00

First time blog from the Intern

2011-10-03T10:27:00.002-04:00

As a new blogger to this page I feel the need to say that I have been blackmailed by Julia to start blogging. Its on my goals form for my internship, so now, in order to receive credit, I have to periodically spill out a few thoughts on this site.
However, as badly as I whine about doing so, its not that bad. :)

I've now been the intern at the Noulin-Merat studio for about a month and I continue to love it. I even quit another internship in order to spend more time with Julia and John.
All last week, we loaded in Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo. Despite the humidity and the cobwebs, it was a very good week. I got to meet a handful of people that work with the studio from time to time, and between the dozen or so of us, we got a lot of work done in a short period of time. It was a fun project, and one that I did not expect coming into the internship. Working at the zoo doing a recycling "Haunted"/learning experience for children is, however, a definite perk. And very soon we get to do more whimsically fun projects, which I am excited about.

I think that being here is going to continue to be be a great experience for me. I am definitely getting more useful and practical experience than I would get in a school environment. I am glad that I am able to jump right into the projects and contribute without ever feeling left out or on the sidelines. There is always something to be doing and I'm learning a lot about the entire process of designing, from start to finish (something that I know I had a rather vague knowledge of).
Soon I will start working on learning to model, which is a skill I plan on bringing back to my University with me in the spring. I am sure that is something that will come in handy when I get to do some designing my senior year.

Between all the art students in my house and hearing about all of their internships I feel like, although they all have very cool places to work, I may be the one to get the most out of my internship. Plus, this past week I got to hang out with the lions and the bats everyday!

Painting at the Zoo

2011-09-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

For the past two days, we (John, Laura and I) have been painting at the Bronx Zoo. I got hired to design the haunted experience through MAG about a month ago and now it is load-in prep time.
The space is very vast and although we have a crew of about 10 people next week, I thought it would be safer if we got a head start and spent two days jour just painting in the space.

The concept is very fun- our MAG project manager Kevin and marketing director Gina from the Bronx Zoo met a few months ago to draft out the general storyline.
A scientific experiment goes wrong and the audience has to grow through various scenarios where the Earth is badly dammaged before we finally get to see how amazing our planet Earth could be if we recycled, reused etc. It's a fun interrative experience for about 20,000 children that will attend over the month of October.

In any case, on Monday we started shuffling things around to their future respective place. We almost got done painting the Mad scientist lab, 3/4 done the polar caps walls, 1/2 the fault line floor and started the beautiful ending walls. I realize none of this makes sense to you right now but once I start posting images it will all become clear.

An added bonus to this project i;s we get to walk by great animals everyday!!! and that's pretty unique for a work environment.

Guerilla Opera's Loose, Wet, Perforated (excerpt of The Boston Phoenix review)

2011-09-20T22:35:00.001-04:00

Guerilla Opera's Loose, Wet, Perforated
By LLOYD SCHWARTZ | September 20, 2011
THE BOSTON PHOENIX

This feisty little company, performing out of the tiny Zack Box theater at Boston Conservatory, is nothing if not adventurous. They do world premieres with upper-echelon musicians, good singers, and intriguing composers.
...
Julia Noulin-Mérat's set is one of the most attractive Guerilla Opera has come up with. The floor and side walls are covered with wooden panels. The back wall has a wide opening through which you can see the orchestra. On the stage is a set of wooden crates, which the characters keep moving around to create steps or paths or pedestals.

CONFUSING MORALITY PLAY Loose, Wet, Perforated’s confusing dramaturgy doesn’t live up to its fascinating music.

Loose, Wet, Perforated

2011-09-17T13:57:00.000-04:00

Last night we opened Loose, Wet, Perforated. This has been a project in development for almost two years between Guerilla Opera and Nicholas Vines (composer).

It's a morality play in four ordeals directed by Jeremy Bloom (he was one of the drama league directors I got the work with last winter). Come check it out: LWP

A history lesson of sorts

2011-09-16T14:59:00.000-04:00

CLASSICAL NOTES

Morality play has message about not learning from past

September 16, 2011|By David Weininger, Globe Correspondent

Jonathan Nussman, Aliana de la Guardia, Jan Zimmerman, and Rebekah Alexander… (STEPHANIE J. PATALANO)

LOOSE, WET, PERFORATED: A Morality Play in Four Ordeals Opera by Nicholas Vines

Presented by Guerilla Opera

At: The Zack Box Theatre, Boston Conservatory. Tonight and Sept. 17, 21, 22, 24 at 8 p.m.; Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $10, $15; www.guerillaopera.com

Two warring impulses clash in the music of Nicholas Vines. There is the urge to communicate, to speak directly to the listener, and then there is the drive to make things problematic, to inhibit easy assimilation. On Vines’s website, the composer describes his aesthetic as being “founded on consciously naive idealism which, for better or worse, is scoured by the realities of the world.’’

That’s a heady description, but it points to some balance between complexity and pleasure, however precariously achieved.

“I don’t want it to be a sort of drug, in other words,’’ says Vines, whose new opera, “Loose, Wet, Perforated,’’ premieres tonight at Boston Conservatory, courtesy of Guerilla Opera. “It’s something that people feel: I got something out of that because I made an effort. They don’t have to make too much of an effort, because then you lose all the pleasure. But somehow the pleasure is earned from both sides.’’

Vines, a 35-year-old Sydney native, recently returned to his home city to become director of music at the Sydney Grammar School. He holds a doctorate from Harvard University and spent many years as a resident tutor at that school’s Leverett House. His music has been played by a number of local groups, including Firebird Ensemble and the Callithumpian Consort.

“Passion, complexity, imagination,’’ wrote Stephen Drury, the Callithumpian’s music director, in an e-mail when asked to describe Vines’s music. “Maybe I should add outrageousness as well.’’ The mixture results in “complex landscapes that get filled with so much activity it’s hard to take it all in - like real life, there’s always something to pay attention to, and always so many more things that slip by that you can’t catch everything the first time through.’’

Part of the reason Vines packs so much into his music, the composer says, is that “people my age and younger are just so used to being bombarded by so many sources of information simultaneously. It’s a way of thinking that was unthinkable before YouTube and multiple browsers open on multiple sites. And I’ve always found that interesting - is there a way of communicating that idea in music successfully?’’

For all his contemporary concerns, Vines reached deep into history for the model for “Loose, Wet, Perforated.’’ The opera is a contemporary version of a medieval morality play, a genre in which characters were embodiments of abstract ideas rather than fully fledged individuals. Picking up on a distinction introduced by Friedrich Nietzsche, Vines sets up a dichotomy between Wet, who somewhat naively embodies traditional notions of piety and virtue, and Loose, a strong, self-interested character whose ethic is, the composer says, “basically the law of the jungle.’’

New family member

2011-09-14T13:38:00.000-04:00

First week of September, our studio welcomed a new family member. Laura comes to us from North Carolina and will be with us until mid December. She is going to work with us on the Zoo, Aquarium, drama League etc projects.

NYT article: Theater Talkback: When a Bare Stage Fills The Theater

2011-09-11T12:53:00.000-04:00

September 8, 2011, 4:49 PM
Theater Talkback: When a Bare Stage Fills The Theater
By BEN BRANTLEY

Theatergoers, especially the kind who regard Broadway as Mecca, expect their seats to come with a breathtaking view. I mean of scenic scenery that gives its own spectacular performance, regardless of what’s happening in front of it. Not for nothing is the longest-running musical ever on Broadway, “The Phantom of the Opera,” a major eye-filler, replete with fat Belle Époque designs, the occasional falling chandelier and a stage-crossing gondola.

But for me, the most visually magical productions are often those in which the stage is a blank canvas, waiting to be written upon by the performers who inhabit it. Consider the exquisite example of the Fiasco Theater production of Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline,” which was first seen in New York last January at the New Victory Theater and which reopens Thursday night at the Barrow Street Theater in Greenwich Village.

A labyrinthine, continents-spanning, battle-packed, credulity-taking romance, set in the time of the Roman Empire, “Cymbeline” would seem to call for the scale and accoutrements of a Cecil B. DeMille epic. Fiasco has responded to the play’s demands with a cast of exactly six, with support provided by a sheet, a trunk and a few other multifarious props. Yet, as directed by Noah Brody and Ben Steinfeld, this version of “Cymbeline” is the clearest and most truly enchanting that I’ve seen.

Doubling and trebling (and in some cases, quite a bit more-ing) in parts, the young actors here convey the authorial thrill of spinning substance out of air, of creating a world from within. From the beginning they implicitly ask us to participate in this process, to join them in their leaps of imagination. Theater, they remind us, is an act of collaboration between performers and their audiences, and the reality they conjure doesn’t exist without our willingness to believe in it.

A similar exchange of energy occurred (though with a bit more furniture) when Elevator Repair Service took its word-for-word production of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby” to the Public Theater last year. That show, “Gatz,” took place on a single, shabby set, which, through sheer force of the performers’ will (and ours, vicariously), was transformed into Gatsby’s pleasure place, the Plaza Hotel and the grungier environs that lay in between.

The central relationship here was between one great American novel and one average man (played by the brilliant Scott Shepherd), who reaches a point when Fitzgerald’s reality eclipses that of his own life. And in portraying that dialogue, “Gatz” suggested how much we contribute to our experience of any work of art. Mr. Shepherd’s gradual absorption into Fitzgerald’s worldview mirrored ours into that of Mr. Shepherd’s character. And it reminded us of how dynamic the relationship between art and its observers is. (Elevator Repair Service’s take on another epochal novel of the 1920s, Ernest Hemingway’s “Sun Also Rises” opens on Sunday night at the New York Theater Workshop.)

Of course, theater was relatively devoid of spectacle for long stretches of its history, from the Greek amphitheaters to Shakespeare’s “wooden o” of a stage. (Shakespeare’s Globe in London, the Thames-side facsimile of an Elizabethan theater, continues to remind of how complete a world can be summoned with Shakespeare’s language on bare boards.) In more recent years theatrical nakedness is more of a novelty, and it is often used to make a conceptual point. (Think of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” which in its scenic austerity evokes life as we live it as something ephemeral, a passing shadow on eternity.)

And sometimes a bare stage is to its actors what a little black dress is to a beautiful woman: a showcase for charms that require no camouflage. A 1995 adaptation of Graham Greene’s “Travels With My Aunt” featured four actors (including Jim Dale and Brian Murray), identically dressed, who took turns spinning Greene’s far-fetched narrative and becoming its various characters — in widely varying settings — through precise, virtuosic gestures and vocal inflections. When I think back on it, I can see – in physical detail – all sorts of scenes that were never visually present onstage. (It’s rather like converting a black-and-white film into specific colors when you recall it.)

Then there’s the current production of the John Kander and Fred Ebb musical “Chicago” – the longest-running revival in Broadway history – which uses nothing more than some smoke, a ladder, a few chairs and an onstage band to summon the jails, courtrooms and vaudeville houses of the bootleg era. What truly brings that world to pulsing life is the style of the singers and dancers (channeling the sensibility of Bob Fosse as recreated by Ann Reinking). Sometimes the razzle-dazzle (to borrow the title of one of the show’s songs) that is show biz requires nothing more than stark talent, and perhaps a pair of endless legs.

Many other examples come to my mind: the long-, long-running Off Broadway musical “The Fantasticks” or Richard Burton’s “Hamlet,” directed by John Gielgud (which I have seen only on film). And I’m sure you can add to that list endlessly. What are some of your memories of theater in which less was so much more?

Istanbul... here we are

2011-09-03T18:57:00.000-04:00

Arok of Java

2011-08-28T02:30:00.000-04:00

Shots from the set design, load-in process and performance for "Arok of Java" by Jason Williamson with Exit, Pursued By A Bear directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar.
Lab members: ADAM BARRIE, RAFFI BARSOUMIAN, MARTINA BONOLIS, JESMILLE DARBOUZE, RICH DREHER, SARAH ELMALEH, NOAH GALVIN, LAUREN GLOVER, PALOMA GUZMÁN, ETHAN HOVA, RUY ISKANDAR, EMILY KRON, NICK LEHANE, CHRISTEN MADRAZO, MAGGIE MASON, BRIAN MULLER, LIAM RHODES, KATE ROGAL, EMILY ROSSELL, NATASHA SOTO-ALBORS, JOHN GARET STOKER, ED SYLVANUS ISKANDAR, JASON WILLIAMSON, GREG VANHORN, MAGGIE MASON, ALEXANDER ORBOVICH, LEAH C. DAY, JULIA NOULIN-MERAT, JOHN JALANDONI, LOREN SHAW, CARL WIEMANN, ASHER ARNOLD

Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show

2011-08-27T22:45:00.001-04:00

Shots from the set design, load-in process and performance for "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show"
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Richard O'Brien
Directed by Devanand Janki
Costumes Rob Bevenger , Lights Thom Weaver, Projections John Jalandoni,
Sounds Don Tindall, Music Director Mark Fifer.

Review: Cult classic 'Rocky Horror' rocks the Hangar

2011-08-27T12:30:00.001-04:00

Summer's ending, but Hangar Theatre fans can look forward to the just-announced 2012 season, which includes the provocative new musical "Next to Normal." Meanwhile, there's one more show to enjoy now, ending a splendid season with a spectacular, outrageous, mind-warping, time-warping bacchanal — none other than the legendary "The Rocky Horror Show."

Indulge yourself, whether you're a devotee of the 1975 cult film or, like those all-American protagonists Brad and Janet, a real virgin. Audience participation is optional but warmly encouraged. Props can be purchased (in case you don't have a pink feather boa on hand), but at least bring your cell phone.

Richard O'Brien wrote the book, music and lyrics for this bizarre musical, a send-up of conventional mores and old science-fiction movies, inspiring the campy film that in turn inspired generations of audiences to act out and talk back. Although key references to Charles Atlas and "The Day of the Triffids" may be lost on a younger crowd (unless they're comic or sci-fi movie geeks), the show's irreverent and hedonistic spirit transcends time.

And director Devanand Janki (of 2009's fine "Rent") makes the most of nearly every scene, staging this burlesque with dazzling visuals and requisite mayhem.

The superb setting is a ruined castle, its limestone arches and balcony suggesting Hearst's Xanadu crossed with a Brit cathedral — set by Julia Noulin-Merat, dramatically lit by Thom Weaver. "A hunting lodge for rich weirdos" is Brad's guess when he and his fiancée Janet find themselves seeking shelter and a phone on this dark and stormy night, their car stalled by a flat tire.

Naïve as they are, how could this young couple guess they've stumbled into the earthly headquarters of aliens, whose libidinous leader is about to unveil his ultimate creation — a perfect human and love object (all brawn and little brain).

But first things first: The entire creepy-comic tale is narrated by Dr. Scott, the couple's high school science teacher, who, like most things here, isn't entirely what he seems. From Scott's wheelchair, Orville Mendoza, with Germanic accent and great singing chops, is compelling (far more so than the original film's narrator). And doubling as his nephew Eddie, a biker punk, Mendoza completely rocks the house with "Hot Patootie."

Charmingly irresistible are the innocents, Brad (Ithaca College grad Kevin Greene) and Janet (Stephanie Koenig), whose powerhouse vocals rise above the bedlam (in part thanks to Don Tindall's sound design, which also delivers convincing special effects). Greene perfectly conveys Brad's gentlemanliness and subsequent confusion as he's drawn into the dodgy festivities. Janet — that slut! — is more open to new experiences, and Koenig terrifically transforms her from good girl to playgirl with delightful flair.

Playing for the other team are the surly Riff Raff (an intense Zachary Clause) and his sister Magenta (Kellyn Uhl), as well as Columbia (Grace Stockdale) and a host of partying Phantoms, all (or so we think) humble minions of the Great One, the master puppeteer and loony scientific genius, Frank-N-Furter.

That "man of little morals ... and some persuasion," as Dr. Scott judges him, is actually a "sweet transvestite from Transylvania" (the planet, not the country), and Austin Ku plays him dominantly with a touch of needy vulnerability.

Seducing his guests and grotesquely destroying those who disappoint him, he pouts, "It's not easy having a good time." Ku's vocals alone are commanding, and his transsexual costumes divine. On opening night, though, he needed to find the irony and emotional expressiveness of the role; even a bit more camp would be welcome.

Ku looks fabulous in Rob Bevenger's countless stunning costumes, which range from Frank's slinky, strappy sexy numbers to the pink and white froth and feathers of the Busby Berkeley show he stages with his captives (which turns into an orgy, naturally). Amber Morrow's hair and make-up keep the freak flag high.

The overall look is satirical surfeit, but for the hunky Creature, Rocky — a deeply tanned and muscled Andrew Madsen — mostly skin is in.

For further ambience, there's musical director Mark Fifer's rocking band smoothly integrated onstage. The catchy music makes you want to sing and dance, and aptly, both are encouraged throughout. Join in the opening strains of "Science Fiction Double Feature," shout out to "Damn It Janet," or croon to "Touch-A Touch-A Touch Me." You can dance the Time Warp from your seat, or merge with the cast and other audience members onstage and rock out after every performance — just one of this lively production's many pleasures.

Another is John Jalandoni's projection design, which literally shakes the floor and spins you into outer space. At every moment, this nonstop "Rocky Horror Show" cascades with tongue-in-cheek decadence, comic absurdity and delicious excess. You may even want to see it twice — and for groupies, there's a midnight show on closing night.

"The Rocky Horror Show" continues through Sept. 3 at the Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays and Sundays; and 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. There also are matinee performances at 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Ticket prices range from $21 to $45. To purchase, call (607) 273-4497 or (800) 284-8422.

Barbara Adams, a regional arts journalist, teaches writing at Ithaca College.

A storm is brewing

2011-08-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

Wow NYC is going a little crazy in anticipation of the Hurricane Irene. I've gotten a notice from my studio space saying they are anticipating some sort of a flod... which of course cardboard model boxes need to be saved from water so I am nervous... not to mention all the electronics. OH BOYFringe NYC has moved up their strike date as they are worried some people won't make it on Sunday and Guerilla Opera is supposed to start first rehearsal tomorrow in Boston.
Trying to figure everything out show design wise and be ready for a hurricane.

load-in process for "This One Time In Last Chance"

2011-08-26T11:24:00.001-04:00

Shots from the load-in process for "This One Time In Last Chance" by Sam Gooley with The Attic Theater directed by Laura Braza for the NYC Fringe festival! This is the mad dash the company had to do in 15 mins prior every show.

Review: Laughs in Last Chance

2011-08-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

by Michael Block
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Theater in the Now

We have all been in that position of desperation. That instance of knowing you will do anything to get out of that desperate circumstance. And that’s exactly where the characters in This One Time in Last Chance are. Man will do anything to win his wife and daughter back. Simon will do anything to get the ten grand he lost back. Dude will do anything to get his prized Pomeranian back. And in a clever turn of events, Leroy will do anything will let his son live. This One Time in Last Chance is a classic buddy tale that screams Judd Apatow flick. Man and Dude (don’t worry, a smartly placed joke is used toward the end of the play about their real names) rent a motel room in Last Chance, Colorado, in order to score a drug deal. Dude calls upon his friend Man to help him with the deal. Unfortunately, Ma didn’t know what he was getting himself into. Upon entry in the room, Man discovers the thing that will make their deal a bust: a dead body. As the play progresses, nothing goes right for our pals. A frantic man continues to knock on their door searching for his dog Roosevelt. The dead man haunts by simply “decaying” in a chair (kudos to Marcus Denard Johnson for sitting lifeless for a good forty or so minutes). And that’s just the beginning. The action continues to escalate for the worst, leading to some top-notch comedy from Joshua Everett Johnson and Rob Bradford as Man and Dude respectively. They possessed the requirements of being successful yings to yangs for their characters. Like I said earlier, the script could make a fun Apatow flick, allowing Seth Rogan and James Franco to easily be plugged into the roles. Despite being able to be considered derivative of an Apatow film, Sam Gooley’s script is pleasurable. It was funny when it needed to be funny and sentimental when it called for it.

I was engaged in the plot, wanting to know how these fools were going to get out of their tight situation. Thankfully, the play was left with a cliffhanger. We never truly find out if things end up getting tied up nicely in the end, though the stage picture says quite a lot! (see it and you’ll understand the poor joke…). The only thing that seemed to take me out of the play was Chester’s monologue. While it served for a funny freeze in the action, it just wasn’t necessary and didn’t further the plot. We already knew the speech he was selling. Though funny, I could have done without it. The plot as a whole was derivative but contained some funny twists. The plot twists helped to make the script fresh. It’s always great to get a plot point that is mentioned and addressed later without beating us over the head. Though some seem to come from left field they’re used at the right moment (like the very funny and well timed and executed erection gag). Gooley seems to have a knack for creating an enjoyable dark comedy.
In the Fringe Festival, sometimes you get the opportunity to have brilliant spaces that work wonders for your piece. Other times you don’t. Unfortunately, Teatro LATEA is a tad of a detriment to work in, especially during the summer with the A/C blairing and the sun still out. Knowing the brilliant work they always do, Ben Pilat’s lights and Julia Noulin-Merat’s set helped to transform the dire space. The space is not your typical theater, and knowing the limited magic that can happen, especially with an abundance of drab masking, I was able to imagine the run down motel room we were in. The playing space was far too big for this intimate piece. Grabbing on to Punchdrunk and The Amoralists lead, This Once Time in Last Chance would be an exciting site specific experience. Laura Breza’s direction was quite fine. Despite some moments of exceptionally slow pacing, she helped to raise the stakes when it was called for.
This One Time in Last Chance is definitely one of those pieces that you wish was on Netflix instant watch. It’s a cure for a good laugh with fine acting and fun writing.

Over at Frank's Place

2011-08-24T09:47:00.000-04:00

Bryan van Campen | Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 12:01 am

"Richard O'Brien's "The Rocky Horror Shw," directed and choreographed by Devanand Janki; music direction by Mark Fifer; scenic design by Julia Noulin-Merat. At the Hangar Theatre through September 3.

Let it be said that during the Hangar Theatre's Sunday matinee of "Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show", I was the first person to call Brad Majors an "***hole".
What can I say? It was a Sunday afternoon, people were a little shy, and after all, there was a time when I called Brad Majors an "***hole" twice a weekend when the movie used to play at the Triphammer Theatre and then down at the State Theatre. (In the Hangar version, Brad is played by Kevin Greene. Sorry, Kevin.) I must have seen "RHPS" 70 times in high school, until some jerk wrapped a beer can in a shirt and lobbed it at the State Theatre screen, and that was the end of that.
Now I own the movie on DVD, and I never watch it, because 300+ people dressed in gothic drag never show up at my house demanding a screening. After all these years, I'd never seen "RHPS" live onstage.
We have the Hangar Theatre to thank for the public service they have done, which plays through September 3 and ends with a special midnight show. After Sunday's somewhat timid reception, that's the show I'd want to catch. 300+ rowdy RH vets like me in that place? Bedlam.
Armed with our gift bags, featuring a few fun implements and costume pieces to make the experience more pleasurable, the Hangar's production of "RHPS" got underway. Julia Noulin-Merat has designed and built a shrouded castle replete with spiral staircase, bone-white column work, and the kind of construction beams that suggest a castle under construction, or perhaps under destruction. All is shrouded and cloaked until the cast takes the stage, dusts everything off, and gets the party started.
The plot is really kind of bat-nuts. All you need to know is that Brad (Greene) and Janet (Stephanie Koenig), two monumentally repressed ingénues, get waylaid at the Frankenstein place, where they meet various degenerates, aliens, creatures and, of course, the academic narrator, Dr. Scott (Orville Mendoza), who wheels in and out of the story with wheezy pronouncements and a questionable accent.
The best two things that can be said for the show is that it both honors its roots as 70's glam-rock camp and also allows every single one of the principals to find their own way of expressing their characters. And these are some of the most iconic characters in pop culture. Zachary Clause, Grace Stockdale, Kellyn Uhl and Austin Ku are flat-out fantastic as Riff Raff, Magenta, Columbia, and Dr. Frank-n-Furter, but their interpretations have nothing to do with the characters as interpreted by Richard O'Brien, Little Nell and Tim Curry, et al.). Kudos especially to costume designer Rob Bevenger, who knows when to stick to tradition and when to be bold, particularly with Austin Ku's ab-fab wardrobe.
Director Devanand Janki, working with Nandita Shenoy as part of a seven-person ensemble (you might remember Shenoy's bawdy, sexy dance from last summer's production of "Man of La Mancha") finds the movie-mad side of the story in other ways. For instance, there is a dusty old buckboard onstage buried under all the tarps and trappings, and sharp-eyed viewers will notice that movie posters have been lacquered onto the floor. Movies that get shout-outs in the songs, like "King Kong." John Jalandoni has designed images that are projected onto the stage floor during the show for exposition and atmosphere.
And then there are all those great songs! This show might only have ten pages of dialogue in total, but even for someone who knows the film soundtrack very well, the cast and music director Mark Fifer put their own vocal stamp on songs like "Time Warp," "Science Fiction Double Feature" (sung by Dr. Scott instead of Magenta), and "Rose Tint My World", perhaps my favorite number of the evening. Stockdale's performance typical of the cast's desire to tear into each number and make it their own She is a ferocious, almost feral performer.
So see the show, don your tiara, and don't be afraid to speak up.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975 Film)

today's shocker

2011-08-23T15:38:00.000-04:00

Well as some as you might have felt it... we had a bit of an earthquake in NYC. Our office building at CBS got evacuated. The audience strangely stayed in line for tapings; impressive.

Camera ready... life on the road

2011-08-23T11:37:00.000-04:00

Back in the spring I bought a Kodak Playsport to document our process at the studio... the camera became more then handy; not only do I just keep it in my purse in order to document on the go but it was recently used to a shoot for THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. The HD profile has a wonderful quality. My favorite feature IT CAN FILM UNDERWATER. I used some of Asher's takes in the pool for our KING LEAR video. I love it!

Life on the road... Julia's Style

2011-08-21T10:28:00.002-04:00

It's no secret I fantasize about having a personal tour bus to take me on the road. Well, returning from the Hangar Theatre, I got a taste of how amazing that idea would be. There was a conference table area, a mini kitchenette and 1st class seating. All it was missing was bunk beds, a drafting/ model making area... SO CLOSE

Hangar Theatre Presents Riotous Fun in "Rocky Horror"

2011-08-20T19:05:00.003-04:00

Published: Saturday, August 20, 2011, 1:39 PM

Hangar Theatre, never a shy presenter of alternative theater fare, closes its 2011 season with Richard O’Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Show”, a 1973 British stage show that is probably more familiar in its 1975 film version, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” starring Tim Curry in the lead role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and O’Brien, himself, as the doctor’s butler, Riff Raff.

Unlike “your mother’s musical”, “Rocky Horror” never ceases to shock, surprise, and perhaps, even delight the uninitiated. For the veteran fan, there’s always the repeated, nonetheless fresh, experience of hurling commentary and insults from the audience. Often (as at Hangar) audience members even dress like certain favorite characters, and a quick glance around will reveal unabashed reciting of dialogue and lyrics by many audience members. There is even a lobby concession table where you can purchase various “props”, packed in a small bag, to be employed at key moments of the show.

This mock Gothic tale that satirizes the underpinnings and clichés of science fiction and horror tales, revolves around the strange goings-on “over at the Frankenstein Place” when Brad Majors (Kevin Greene) and Janet Weiss (Stephanie Koenig), a hapless, unadulterated couple from Ohio, make the mistake of looking for a telephone after getting a flat tire on a “dark and rainy night”.

Greene’s stockbroker-like, nerdish good looks and Koenig’s fresh-faced sweetness work in perfect harmony as they make their rainy way for cover singing “Over at the Frankenstein Place”, totally unaware of the events to befall them later that night.

Although not the central character, the “plum” role, to me, has always been that of Riff Raff, the house butler. Zachary Clause’s rendition, although different in looks, rivals O’Brien’s in both signature vocal treatments and physical movement. Basically, the stage is his, and he lets you know that he “owns it”. Several of his vocal twists and turns are flawlessly carried to heights prompting enthusiastic applause.

When he cast Austin Ku in the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, director and choreographer Devanand Janki must have been mindful of having a very different central character than the expected “Curry archetype” that is presented in most productions. Ku’s Asian suavity and handsomeness struck me as an effective, interesting alternative, much the way Gary Oldman’s title character did in the filmed remake of “Dracula” several years ago. Without the expected hard edges, Ku’s often-gowned-in finery transvestite is somehow less threatening, more approachable, and ultimately, more feminine. However, his creditable vocal treatments and obvious musicality (he exudes much pathos while handily playing the violin), are avenues to enrich and deepen the character.

Frank-N-Furter’s created “monster”, Rocky, turns out to be the perfect male specimen character in the vocally and visually capable hands of Andrew Madsen who might have come out of “central casting” for this one, he’s so perfect.

Magenta, Riff Raff’s supposed sister and house maid, is aptly played with appropriate (to the character) sexuality by Kellyn Uhl, while the perky, all-legs Columbia (Grace Stockdale) dances her way to her inexorable fate.

Workhorse Orville Mendoza, seldom absent from the stage, absorbs the roles of three characters-Dr. Scott, Narrator, and Eddie (Dr. Scott’s motorcycling nephew)-, and does so with an expert knack for language and inflection to the degree where his tripling of roles works, especially given the riotous and raucous nature of this stage vehicle.
Mark Fifer’s flawless musical direction of a six-piece, on-stage orchestra is spot-on as diligence is done on the variety of seventeen rock music numbers.

Additional action and voices are added by the ten “phantoms” who are guests and witnesses to the travesties that occur on a single, stone-like set designed by Julia Noulin-Merat. Scads of tulle and other fineries, employed by Rob Bevenger’s costume design, perhaps make for more fancy visual appeal than expected, however, much like the show’s signature song, “Time Warp”, the excitement, great score, and relevancy of this show never gets “lost in time and space and…meaning.”

Details: Length of Show: 85 minutes with no intermission.
Attendance: Near capacity on opening night.
Family Guide: Mature fare. Adult implications, visuals, and innuendo. Not for young kids.

Hangar Theatre presents “The Rocky Horror Show”, August 18-Sept. 3, at the theater at Cass Park, Route 89, Ithaca. For tickets and information: 607-273-4497 or www.hangartheatre.org

Indonesian Stage Director 'Bears' His Experimental Side in New York

2011-08-18T14:05:00.002-04:00

Indonesian Stage Director 'Bears' His Experimental Side in New York
Titania Veda | August 17, 2011

Ed Sylvanus Iskandar directing Paloma Guzman during a photo call for ‘Arok of Java.’

(Photo by Carl WIemann)

Amid the drama of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” Sicilian courtier Antigonus is chased off stage under one of the Bard’s most famous stage directions: “Exit, pursued by a bear.”

Inspired by the absurdity and freedom of interpretation of this single line, Indonesian director Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, a newcomer to the New York theater scene, decided to start his own experimental collective by the same name, known by the acronym EPBB.

“[In ‘The Winter’s Tale,’] there’s no mention of a bear before the direction and there’s no mention of a bear afterward. But I love the idea that a theater artist can turn a page and see that and somehow have to figure out a way in which somebody is being chased off stage by a bear,” Iskandar says with a laugh.

Upon arrival in New York, the 29-year-old actor and director was struck by the fixed routine of the city’s theater crowd — the pre-theater dinner, the play itself and drinks after the show. He decided the whole culture could do with a good shake-up, with a dash of Indonesian hospitality.

Iskandar’s EPBB project incorporates the usual elements of a night out at the theater in New York but in an informal setting, in the director’s own midtown-Manhattan loft.

Since its establishment in 2010, the innovative project has already been lauded as “the best of experimental theater” by Wickham Boyle, former director of New York’s pioneering avant-garde theater company, La MaMa.

EPBB aims to create both a “theater gym” and a “home theater,” providing space for emerging actors to hone their skills through private workshops and by-invitation-only performance nights, including social breaks with the actors, a home-cooked meal and a potluck dessert.

When he was conceptualizing the space, Iskandar reached for a taste of home and tried to recreate, in his own way, Indonesia’s communal culture.

“There’s a real gang mentality in Indonesia. It’s really about congregating in large groups to do things together,” he said.

He also aimed to pull a page out of Shakespeare’s time. “[Back then], it never was just the play. It really was an experiential evening. You’re throwing tomatoes together, you’re having a picnic, you may be doing more licentious and illegal activities in other areas of the theater,” he said.

A recent preshow at EPBB saw actors donning costumes and finishing their stage makeup while others baked cakes, chopped vegetables or swept the floors. Iskandar padded about barefoot, checking to see if the rice was cooked as he talked with his actors.

Clad in his daily uniform of a shirt and batik sarong, reflecting his Chinese-Indonesian origins, Iskandar’s quiet manner was in contrast with the buzz of activity surrounding him.

Once the guests arrived, Iskandar and his troupe first became hosts, waiters and then ushers, before the actors took their place in the living room-cum-stage area and the play began.

For Iskandar, the inspiration for EPBB was more deep-seated than simply creating a venue to perform independent productions in a social setting. It was about creating a home, a community, a safe haven for the practitioners.

An emerging director himself, Iskandar understood the fear and insecurity that performing artists have about their future prospects.

“I think the biggest thing that’s missing for an emerging artist in New York is a community where you feel like you belong,” he said. “It can be very alienating. Going from a more sheltered environment, like a conservatory or a small performing arts team, and moving into this huge pond where you are the smallest, most meaningless and utterly insignificant fish is terrifying.”

Being the new guy in town is not an unfamiliar experience for Iskandar, who was sent from his home in Jakarta to a British boarding school at age 7.

“I had a profoundly unsettling experience as a young boy of leaving my home and having to make another [home],” Iskandar said in clipped tones that still remain from that time. His interest in theater began to peak in his late teens, while still in England.

“When I found theater, it became very obvious to me that one of the primary and most beautiful things that theater could achieve was that it could bring people together in a communal way that I wanted,” he said. “I think it was inevitable that I would find my way to the one form [theater] that would allow me to make, in a more transient way, the kind of roots that I was craving for myself.”

At 18, Iskandar relocated to the United States to study for a bachelor’s in modern thought and literature at Stanford University in California, which he followed up with a Master of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

His directing work during his university days was highly regarded by his peers, many of whom have again collaborated with him on EPBB projects.

Iskandar’s growing reputation as an innovative director has been cemented by offers for directing fellowships across the United States with major theater organizations like the Drama League, the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and the New York Theatre Workshop’s Emerging Directors fellowship.

With the establishment of EPBB last year, Iskandar built on more than 10 years of experimentation in his field to create works that challenge both actors and audience.

Creating a private theater space in his home was a risk that paid off for Iskandar, with each of the workshops being fully booked within days. The privately funded performance workshops are referred to as “labs” and are free for actors and audiences — but a $10 donation is suggested.

“Making going to the theater an accessible thing is a huge part of my agenda,” Iskandar said. “A key part for me is that they haven’t already bought a product by purchasing a ticket. So they can be open to anything that the space is giving them.”

The workshops so far have ranged from adaptations of Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Freed’s “Restoration Comedy,” Sean Graney’s seven-play marathon “These Seven Sicknesses,” Jason Williamson’s Civil War chamber drama “Lesser Mercies” and a five-hour performance of Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” set within New York’s drag queen subculture.

EPBB’s inaugural season culminated in August with “Arok of Java,” an Indonesian folk tale adapted by Williamson, starring New York-based Indonesian actor Ruy Iskandar (no relation to the director).

In each lab, participants craft a self-guided curriculum focusing on a specific genre or style of theatrical work using a text or conceptual approach not seen before in New York. Theater, according to Iskandar, is about making a home for the audience as well as the artist.

“I think the job of an artist is to be generous,” he said. “Generosity is the most important thing in life because it is the only thing that can make somebody lower their guard enough to let something in.”

His approach resonates with actors like Emma Galvin, who said she was seeking a sense of belonging and a creative safety net.

“Being a young actor in New York is a scary [experience],” she said. “I can’t imagine if I didn’t have a home base like this to ground me. A place to explore my craft with no critics.”

Choreographer and actor Antwayn Hopper said that before EPBB, “I wasn’t getting fed as an actor. Ed’s going to challenge you. That’s why we work here for free. I can practice the chops given to me. Ed sharpened my tools and I feel more ready to conquer any role now.”

Others taking part in the labs have included Broadway performer Billy Porter and television regular Paloma Guzman.

At the beginning of each lab, Iskandar explains to his guests the EPBB concept that there is no separation between the actor and the audience. He leads by example, working the room and entertaining guests with his troupe.

“What being with the guests allows the actors to do is give them an idea about what the energy of the room is. By the time they come out to perform, it’s not suddenly ‘let me turn on the show for you,’ which is what a lot of performance culture in New York really encourages,” Iskandar explained.

“What social and communal engagement for the actors is designed to do is make them realize that every part of the audience is as human as they are and vice versa.”

Iskandar is already dreaming up new plays to direct for EPBB’s next season, and wants to see it in a more commercial setting. Perhaps in someone else’s house. Though one thing is for certain: “Theater should be able to create a space as unique as the play itself,” he said.

“That was the foundation of a lot of the ideas that I’m experimenting with now with EPBB, which is the pure reflection of every culture that I’ve experienced as an individual.”

This One Time in Last Chance

2011-08-14T14:40:00.002-04:00

nytheatre.com review

FringeNYC Festival Review
Richard Lovejoy · August 13, 2011

The Attic Theater company has put together a fun, well executed production in This One Time In Last Chance. It isn't a particularly heavy or innovative piece of theatre, but it is certainly an engrossing dark comedy, due to the strength and consistency of the production.

The story revolves around two friends (Joshua Everett Johnson and Rob Bradford) meeting at a hotel to do a drug deal. From moment one, things go awry. That's pretty much it. There is nothing particularly fresh or thought provoking going on Gooley's script, but it is well crafted and highly polished.

The humor in the writing is largely derived from seeing a situation clearly set up and then watching it inevitably and (painfully for the characters on stage) unfold. Gooley possess plenty of technical chops as a writer—there are no wasted beats and the action unfolds at an enjoyable clip.

The script does seem to owe a huge debt to A Behanding In Spokane. There are a number of parallels between the two in terms of story and structure—to the point where it can be distracting. Even the humor is similar (though Spokane is perhaps a bit darker and more inventive.)

Johnson and Bradford have fantastic chemistry, and their energy propels the action. Aside from hitting the right comedic notes, they also succeed in making the characters sympathetic. Their friendship is extremely specific, and rings completely true. Marcus Denard Johnson and Bill Griffin, in the two supporting roles, are also excellent.

The design team of Amanda Jenks (costumes), Ben Pilat (lights), Anthony Spinelli (sound) and Julia Noulin-Merat (scenic) are all on the same page. There isn't anything flashy here, but it all works well and feels unified and specific. Director Laura Braza does a top-notch job on every possible level. She's put together a capable cast, staged the play well, and created a world that is easy to believe in. The running time, a hair under one hour and thirty minutes, flies by.

This One Time In Last Chance isn't a risky piece of theater, but it is well crafted, expertly executed, and completely enjoyable.

Opened: August 13, 2011Closes: August 25, 2011

Artists Involved Author: Sam Gooley Director: Laura Braza Producer: The Attic Theater Company

Spray painting @LSTFI

2011-08-14T14:12:00.000-04:00

Rocky horror in process

2011-08-12T21:29:00.001-04:00

designing this FALL at BOSTON CONSERVATORY

2011-08-11T17:31:00.003-04:00

Sept. 16, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25

8 p.m., Friday, Saturday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday

MUSIC (Ensemble-in-residence) – Guerilla Opera Presents: Loose, Wet and Perforated, a World-Premiere Chamber Opera by Nicholas Vines
A tale of morality whose amorphous ethics are reflected by two characters—one who begins in a privileged position and descends to isolation and despair, and the other who begins in a lowly fashion and rises to fame and fortune by way of ruthlessness and violence. Directed by Jeremy Bloom. Scenic Design by Julia Noulin-Merat. Featuring Aliana de la Guardia as LOOSE, Jonathan Nussman as WET, Rebekah Alexander as PERFORATED, Jan Zimmerman as VARIOUS, as well as Rane Moore (clarinets), Kent O'Doherty (saxophone), Chris Reade (trombone) and Mike Williams (percussion). Zack Box Theater, $15 (FREE for students with ID and children age 12 and under)

Oct. 20–23

8 p.m., Thursday–Saturday
2 p.m., Saturday–Sunday

THEATER – Curtains
It’s the brassy, bright and promising year of 1959. Boston’s Colonial Theater is host to the opening night performance of a new musical. When the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage, the entire cast and crew are suspects. Enter a local detective, who just happens to be a musical theater fan! Book by Rupert Holmes. Original Book and Concept by Peter Stone. Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Additional Lyrics by John Kander and Rupert Holmes. Directed by David Gram. Musical Direction by Bill Casey. Conducted by Reuben M. Reynolds, III. Choreographed by Michelle Chassé. The Boston Conservatory Theater, $25 general admission, $15 senior citizens, $10 students.

Sneak peek at the ROCKY set being loaded in...

2011-08-11T06:41:00.001-04:00

Washable blood recipe for theatre

2011-08-10T21:09:00.004-04:00

As created by our in house mixologist John

1 16oz    Orange or Red Dish detergent (WITHOUT BLEACH!!)
1 8oz     Red tempera washable
1 8oz     Blue Tempera washable
1 8oz     black tempera washable

small dallup of peanut butter- acts as a binder between the paint and detergent

DIRECTIONS
mix dish detergent with small dallup of peanut butter until peanut butter is thickens soap.
pour a small amount of red into the mixture and stir with a spoon
add 2 drops of blue and 1 drop of black.
Stir.
If color is not at desired bloody-ness, add additional red, blue, or black in small amounts.

bon- appétit.

For our latest Fringe show THIS ONE TIME IN LAST CHANCE

Buck Hill-Skytop Music Festival's 2011 Jewel Box Production of "Carmen"

2011-08-10T05:19:00.001-04:00

Copyright Buck Hill-Skytop Music Festival 2011. Conducted by Maestro Peter Mark. Directed by Eric Einhorn. Set Design by Julia Noulin-Merat. Lights Carl Wiemann. Starring Audrey Babcock and Glenn Seven Allen.

a little XERXES

2011-07-29T22:22:00.000-04:00

directed by EVE SUMMER