Our latest episode of the nytheatrecast spotlights the Chester Horn Short Play Festival. This annual festival, now in its third year, is the brainchild of the company TheatreRats. Michael Criscuolo talks to Associate Artistic Director Michael Ruby about the genesis of the festival, which is named after his late grandfather, who was a huge fan and supporter of live theatre and provided the company with resources to start the festival. Ruby and Co-Artistic Director of the festival, Brad Caswell, also talk about the process of whittling down over 600 script submissions to the final lineup of 12.

Also on hand are Helen Huff and Lori Kee, both of whom are directing plays in this year’s festival. They discuss how they first got involved (they’re both holdovers from previous years) and talk about each of their respective pieces.

Episode links:

• TheatreRats website

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This is a conversation with Julie Congress, who talks about her very immersive month working in this summer’s New York International Fringe Festival. Julie was assistant stage manager and an actor in the show Scout’s Honor; ran lights for another show, Too Clever By Half; reviewing shows for nytheatre.com; and seeing shows as a “civilian.”

Julie talks about her busy time at FringeNYC and about her background (she’s a rising senior at Skidmore College).

[Editor's Note: Julie is also my niece - Martin]

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This is the third in our three-part series giving you a snippet and synopsis from selected shows at this year’s New York International Fringe Festival. Hosted by the delicious Trav S.D., it features scenes, interviews, and even songs from eight unique shows.

Having heard many of the nytheatrecasts, I was equally excited to observe the process first hand as a member of the studio audience.  I’m Sarah Congress and was invited to observe the cast. The room was full of diverse and talented artists from all walks of theatre life.  From Japanese puppets, to evocative poems, it was  certainly an eventful evening!

Sara Asselin and Nat Cassidy performed an entertaining excerpt from The Rise and Fall of Miles and Milo, followed by an interview with Sara (the playwright as well as performer) and director Melissa Firlit.

Mark Weiser sings the villian’s song from Kiss and Makeup, accompanied by musical director, Justin Hatchimonji — a musical comedy farce with book by Kevin Hammonds and composed by Weiser. After the musical number, an interview with Weiser.

A soundtrack from Japanese puppet show Monkey Moo plays, while Monkey
Moo herself (Yoko Myoi) tells us the basic story of her show. Myoi and director Kanako Hiyama describe Kuruma Ningyo, the puppetry used in their production, in an enticing interview.

Playwright Jarrod Jabre in a Q&A interview gives us the details on The Life and Times of Martin Luther (Reformed).

A sensual Anne Sexton poem is read by Hannah Wolfe, star of Her Kind: The Life and Poetry of Anne Sexton.  A Q&A with Hannah and assistant producer Bricken Sparacino follows.

Playwright Mac Rogers sparks audience interest in Hail, Satan during a Q&A.

Excerpt from the one-man-show Rise Like a Penis from the Flame, written and performed by FringeNYC alumnus Antonio Sacre, as well as a brief interview.

Writer and performer Paul Rajeckas performs an excerpt from his show Notes to the Motherland.

It was truly an exceptional evening at the nytheatre.com headquarters, and I wish best of luck to all the shows.

Episode Links:

• FringeNYC website (go here to read about shows and buy tickets)
• FringeNYC Previews on nytheatre.com (info about more than 140 shows in the festival)
• Interactive FringeNYC venue map
• Rise Like a Penis From the Flames website
• Notes to the Motherland website
• The Life & Times of Martin Luther website
• The Rise & Fall of Miles and Milo website
• The Monkey Moo website
• Hail Satan website
• Her Kind website
• Kiss & Make-up website

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This is the second in our three-part series previewing some of the shows at this year’s New York International Fringe Festival. Like our first preview (Episode #144), this program is a variety show featuring artists from eight FringeNYC shows. Trav S.D. is again the host — and what a terrific host he is! And the show itself really highlights the diversity and potency of the festival.

We have some Fringe alumni on board this time, including playwright Leslie Bramm, who talks here about Marvelous Shrine, his latest work, which is about a stolid American father coping with a rebellious son (you’ll have to listen to find out the details!). Leslie was at the very first FringeNYC festival back in 1997.

We also hear from Frank Anthony Polito, playwright/actor of Another Day on Willow St., which features in its cast two FringeNYC Award winners — Fred Backus (Outstanding Actor in 1999) and Pamela Sabaugh (Outstanding Actress in 2000).

Playwright Chad Beckim introduces a brief, compelling scene from his FringeNYC play, Lights Rise on Grace.

Danny Tieger and Adam Lerman, co-authors/co-stars of On Again Off, perform a brief excerpt from their play, and tell us a little about its genesis. These two talented young men met at Skidmore College, where Danny will be a senior next month and from which Adam was just graduated.

This episode also features some terrific musical numbers! Alicia Levy performs (a cappella)  a delightful humorous song called “Mister Lucky” from Drop Six: Mister Lucky. Alicia is a member of the sketch comedy troupe Drop Six.

We hear two selections from the cast of Pogo and Evie: A Zydeco Musical, one a zydeco-flavored tune, the other more a Cajun style number. Great stuff.

I never thought I’d ever see one accordion one the nytheatrecast, let alone two…but that’s how many we have on this episode! Princess Sunshine, of Princess Sunshine’s Bitter Pill of Truth Funhouse acccompanies herself on the box for two hilarious, raucous selections. And Stephanie Layton plays accompaniment for Naomi Emmerson, who performs the song “Padam Padam” from the musical Piaf: Love Conquers All. Truly a knockout performance.

Episode Links:

• FringeNYC website (go here to read about shows and buy tickets)
• FringeNYC Previews on nytheatre.com (info about more than 140 shows in the festival)
• Interactive FringeNYC venue map
• Another Day on Willow St. website
• Drop Six website
• Lights Rise on Grace website
• Marvelous Shrine website
• On Air Off website
• Piaf: Love Conquers All on MySpace
• Piaf: Love Conquers All website
• Pogo & Evie: A Zydeco Musical website
• Princess Sunshine’s Bitter Pill of Truth Funhouse website

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Ready for a sneak peak at some of the shows in this summer’s New York International Fringe Festival? Our three-part nytheatrecast preview series provides that very thing!

This epsiode is the first in the series. Our esteemed host, Trav S.D., emcees 40 minutes of variety spotlighting eight shows in FringeNYC. It’s like oldtime variety radio, but with a very contemporary Fringe-y twist. (For example, at least two of our guests managed to get the word “penis” into their presentations. You won’t find that on the old Ed Sullivan Show.)

Here’s the lineup:

1. The Medicine Show: We begin with a song “God’s Green Earth” from this play with music by David Dannenfelser, performed by Patrick Gallagher and the Lonesome Prairie Boys
2. Chaser: Playwright Howard Walters talks about his play, which is a follow-up to his FringeNYC 2005 hit Extra Virgin.
3. Scout’s Honor: Playwright Ed Valentine talks with Trav S.D. about scouting, and then Robin Reed and Carrie Haugh perform a short excerpt from this comedy.
4. As Far As We Know: Director Laurie Sales and actor Kelly Van Zile discuss this documentary play about a U.S. serviceman who remains “captured and missing” in Iraq.
5. Give and Go: Learning from Losing to the Harlem Globetrotters: Brandt Johnson performs two short excerpts from his one-man show, whose title is actually pretty self-explanatory!
6. The Commission: A look at this political drama by Stephen Fechter, presented to our listeners by two of the actors in the show, Susan Ferrara and Patrick Melville.
7. Animals: Playwright/performer Ryan O’Nan and performer Michael Hirstreet talk about this play and then perform a scene from it, about the first man and his creator.
8. John Goldfarb, Please Come Home: We wrap up this episode with a song from this new musical, performed by co-composer/lyricist/musical director Michael Garin, entitled “Bubi, Habibi.”

We had a lot of fun making this podcast (read my producer’s “journal” on the nytheatre i. This episode absolutely demonstrates the diversity and fun that is the FringeNYC festival.

Episode Links:

• FringeNYC website (go here to read about shows and buy tickets)
• FringeNYC Previews on nytheatre.com (info about more than 140 shows in the festival)
• Interactive FringeNYC venue map
• The Medicine Show website
• Chaser website
• Scout’s Honor website
• As Far as We Know website
• Give and Go website
• The Commission website
• Animals website
• John Goldfarb, Please Come Home website

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In this episode, we take a look at Spiegeltent, the summer variety event that is playing in Lower Manhattan at South Street Seaport for the second year in a row. nytheatrecast host Trav S.D., who is the author of the vaudeville history No Applause—Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, talks to listeners about the Spiegeltent concept and in detail about the two shows that are the centerpieces of Spiegeltent: La Vie and Absinthe.

This episode combines commentary about the shows with lots of useful information about the shows, what they’re like, and how to get to them.

Episode Links:

• Review of La Vie on nytheatre.com
• Spiegeltent official website
• Info about Trav S.D.’s book

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Kristin Marting, artistic director of HERE Arts Center, talks to Martin Denton about this year’s American Living Room festival. This is the oldest summer theatre festival in NYC, now in its 18th year. Kristin gives some of the history of the festival, and spends a lot of time discussing the lineup in this year’s edition.

This episode also features chats with some of the artists participating in this year’s Living Room: Shannon Gillen and Elisabeth Motley, who talk about their dance piece Steel Net and High Wire Sing Along, which is about the making of the Brooklyn Bridge (runs August 10-11); and Vicky Virgin, choreographer/performer of Salt Lake, a New Ballet in 3 Acts.

The American Living Room runs from July 26 - September, 2007.

Episode Links:

• HERE website

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This month’s episode of Indie Theater Now is a special summer festival edition, highlighting some of the many shows that will be performed in various festivals around town this month. nytheatre.com contributor Anthony C.E. Nelson hosts the following guests:

• Actor/playwright Jack Ferver, whose new dance/theatre piece, When We Were Young and Filled With Fear, will be presented at this year’s HOT! Festival starting on July 20th.
• Shoni Currier (of Shalimar Productions), the author and director of La Femme Est Morte, which is part of this year’s East to Edinburgh Festival. Performances begin July 24th.
• Playwright Desi Moreno-Penson, whose new play, Devil Land, is part of this year’s Summer Play Festival. Performances begin July 31st.
• Actor Moe Bertran, who will be appearing in David Pumo’s Love Scenes at this year’s Fresh Fruit Festival beginning on July 20th.  
• Playwright Lucile Scott, author of the new play, Monroe Bound, which is also being presented at the Fresh Fruit Festival (our moderator, Mr. Nelson, is the director of this show, FYI). Performances begin on July 14th.
• Director Edward Elefterion (of Rabbit Hole Ensemble), who is helming Stanton Wood’s new adaptation of the silent film classic, Nosferatu, at this year’s Midtown International Theatre Festival beginning July 17th.

Episode links:

• nytheatre.com Festival Listings 
• HOT! Festival
• Fresh Fruit Festival
• Midtown International Theatre Festival
• Summer Play Festival
• East to Edinburgh
• Shalimar Productions
• Shalimar’s MySpace page
• Rabbit Hole Ensemble
• Rabbit Hole’s MySpace page
• Moe Bertran & David Pumo’s website
• Immediate Theater Company (producers of Devil Land)

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We take our first look at this summer’s New York International Fringe Festival with an exclusive podcast preview recorded live at the FringeNYC Town Meeting on Sunday, June 3, 2007.

Martin Denton talked to about a baker’s dozen of the participating artists at the picnic after the Town Meeting, which is the kickoff event for this summer festival. You’ll hear about these shows: The Life and Times of Martin Luther (Reformed), Dressing Miss Julie, Does the Body Good, Animals, Mr. Baseball, The Monkey Moo, The Medicine Show, Hillary Agonistes, The Wisdom That Men Seek, Jazz Hand, Slammer!, Pedagogy, and Fish.

You’ll also hear about nytheatre.com’s plans for our comprehensive gavel-to-gavel coverage of the New York International Fringe Festival.

Episode Links:

• FringeNYC website

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In this episode, we preview Ice Factory 2007 with Robert Lyons, who is the founder and artistic director of this long-running and very popular summer new works festival. This year marks the 14th annual edition Ice Factory, and features seven productions that will each run a week at the Ohio Theater, from July 4 - August 18.

Robert also talks about his long career as a producer, director, and playwright, including 17 years (so far) running the Ohio. (He also discloses the real reason why the Ohio Theater has its name!)

The seven shows at Ice Factory 2007 are: No More Pretending by Inverse Theater, Johnny Applef?%ker by The Bushwick Hotel, Stretch: a fantasia by New Georges, The Lacy Project by Alena Smith, 80% of Love by Rindfleisch, Vampire University by John Kaplan, and The 7 Battles by The Best.

Episode Links:

• Soho Think Tank website (producers of the festival)

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