Results tagged “James Hesla” from Inkblog!
Dear readers -
If I (your ever faithful blogger, Anne) haven't whetted your appetite enough to come join us for our FIRST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION at Page-to-Stage, describing the spirited discussion we are going to have with Nelson Pressley, Calli Kimball, Blake Robinson, and Ari Roth...
maybe I can entice you in another way... with a few tidbits from the plays we will be reading that day.
We wouldn't be The Inkwell if we didn't share with you all some mischief and mayhem leaking out of the brains of talented, up-and-coming playwrights.
At two o'clock (that's in the afternoon, folks) on Labor Day, we're producing staged readings of 20-minute excerpts from five wild plays at The Kennedy Center's Rehearsal Room One... with topics ranging from baby-making to comas to mathematics and threesomes.. as well as a preview of the new edition of The F Word by Melissa Blackall, the crazy collage of a play about fat that The Inkwell has been developing for the last year.
What will you be seeing and hearing? Here's a tiny taste...
Here's a delicious little snippet from LULLABYE by Kristen DeWulf, directed by Andy Wassenich
LIBBY
I have cows.
TIM
I have a . . . you did say cats, right?
LIBBY
Cows.
TIM
Cows, really?
LIBBY
Six cows.
TIM
That’s . . . a lot of cows.
LIBBY
I had seven--
TIM
At the same time?
LIBBY
They stay outside, of course. They like to graze around the pasture. It’s
very comforting, really, to sit outside with them as they graze on the hillside.
It’s peaceful listening to their mews.
TIM
You mean moos?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here's one of my favorite lines from COMA, PATIENT by Shaun Raviv, directed by James Hesla
DR. PUNTOFF
Besides I’m just testing his awareness. That’s all. I’m not
going to torture him. (laughing) Then I’d be no better than
the guys who stuck my thumbs in molten hot motor oil. Don’t
bother looking. They’re still there. But my fingerprints
aren’t.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, here's a provocative little exchange from SEVEN DREAMS OF HER by Sarah Sander, directed by Christopher Niebling
AUGUST
Do you want to play with your dog?
IVY
What will you call me?
GREY
Do you want to play on the slide?
IVY
I need a name.
AUGUST
She does need a name.
GREY
Not everything needs a name.
IVY
What will you call me? I NEED A NAME NOW.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the showcase, we'll take a little break, returning at six o'clock for the panel discussion.
Then ending the evening is a staged reading of Greg Beuthin's A Time Upon, which I'll just describe to you as a totally cracked-out fairy tale with one of my all-time-favorite stage directions...
Grin's heart bursts into flames. He's oblivious to the fire. Slim's head bursts into flame… he's flaming mad. He beats Grin — viciously. For falling in love. For being an idiot. For this new wrinkle in their plans. Grin is dead. Slim returns to his position in the window.
You can learn more about Greg from his blog.
And take a look at what The Washington Post has to say about our Page-to-Stage events, with a quote from our illustrious Artistic Director, Jessi Burgess.
So I hope you can come out and join us on Labor Day at The Kennedy Center. We at The Inkwell would love you to see what a handful of ambitious playwrights are up to.
Here's the full menu of events in one place:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Inkwell invites you to our first anniversary celebration at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Page to Stage Festival
Monday, September 1, 2008
FREE New Play Events from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
in Rehearsal Room One at the Kennedy Center
In celebration of our first anniversary, and in true Inkwell style, The Inkwell offers a full day of the exploration and celebration of new works in the nation's capital! Join us for staged readings of six wildly creative and innovative plays, a timely and provocative discussion on the merits of the American play development process, and a celebration of The Inkwell's first birthday at the Kennedy Center's Page to Stage Festival.
2 p.m. SHOWCASE READINGS of the following new plays:
6 p.m. PANEL DISCUSSION - PLAYWRIGHTS: PAMPERED? PATRONIZED? PUSHED ASIDE?
A provocative panel discussion on how the trend to coddle new work may help it flourish or falter. With playwright Callie Kimball, Washington Post Theatre Critic Nelson Pressley, Round House Theatre Artistic Director Blake Robison and Theater J Artistic Director and playwright Ari Roth.
8 p.m. STAGED READING of A TIME UPON by Greg Beuthin, directed by Jessica Burgess
Two old women, Gran and Mum, eke out their lives in a forgotten corner of a giant futuristic metropolis. They are barely aware of the passing days until a young woman and her strange traveling companion-cum-pet enter their lives. The young woman, Fillette, is somehow related to the family, but is cagey about her answers. The pet, only known as Once, doesn't speak — but even he can smell that something else is afoot. For the entire group is being watched by an evil shadow and his crony, who want to get at what lies beneath the decrepit courtyard in which the old women have made their home. Perhaps a fairy tale told in the era of Blade-Runner, the play features shadow puppetry, physical theatre, and lyrical language, all hallmarks of Greg Beuthin's future folkloric style.
Readings feature Wyckham Avery, Frank Britton, Valerie Fenton, James Flanagan, John Geffrion, Lindsay Haynes, Lisa Hill-Corley, Q. Terah Jackson, Hilary Kacser, Amy Kellet, Lee Liebeskind, Eric Messner, Wendy Nogales, Alex Perez, Kevin Pierson, and many more!
If I (your ever faithful blogger, Anne) haven't whetted your appetite enough to come join us for our FIRST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION at Page-to-Stage, describing the spirited discussion we are going to have with Nelson Pressley, Calli Kimball, Blake Robinson, and Ari Roth...
maybe I can entice you in another way... with a few tidbits from the plays we will be reading that day.
We wouldn't be The Inkwell if we didn't share with you all some mischief and mayhem leaking out of the brains of talented, up-and-coming playwrights.
At two o'clock (that's in the afternoon, folks) on Labor Day, we're producing staged readings of 20-minute excerpts from five wild plays at The Kennedy Center's Rehearsal Room One... with topics ranging from baby-making to comas to mathematics and threesomes.. as well as a preview of the new edition of The F Word by Melissa Blackall, the crazy collage of a play about fat that The Inkwell has been developing for the last year.
What will you be seeing and hearing? Here's a tiny taste...
Here's a delicious little snippet from LULLABYE by Kristen DeWulf, directed by Andy Wassenich
LIBBY
I have cows.
TIM
I have a . . . you did say cats, right?
LIBBY
Cows.
TIM
Cows, really?
LIBBY
Six cows.
TIM
That’s . . . a lot of cows.
LIBBY
I had seven--
TIM
At the same time?
LIBBY
They stay outside, of course. They like to graze around the pasture. It’s
very comforting, really, to sit outside with them as they graze on the hillside.
It’s peaceful listening to their mews.
TIM
You mean moos?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here's one of my favorite lines from COMA, PATIENT by Shaun Raviv, directed by James Hesla
DR. PUNTOFF
Besides I’m just testing his awareness. That’s all. I’m not
going to torture him. (laughing) Then I’d be no better than
the guys who stuck my thumbs in molten hot motor oil. Don’t
bother looking. They’re still there. But my fingerprints
aren’t.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, here's a provocative little exchange from SEVEN DREAMS OF HER by Sarah Sander, directed by Christopher Niebling
AUGUST
Do you want to play with your dog?
IVY
What will you call me?
GREY
Do you want to play on the slide?
IVY
I need a name.
AUGUST
She does need a name.
GREY
Not everything needs a name.
IVY
What will you call me? I NEED A NAME NOW.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the showcase, we'll take a little break, returning at six o'clock for the panel discussion.
Then ending the evening is a staged reading of Greg Beuthin's A Time Upon, which I'll just describe to you as a totally cracked-out fairy tale with one of my all-time-favorite stage directions...
Grin's heart bursts into flames. He's oblivious to the fire. Slim's head bursts into flame… he's flaming mad. He beats Grin — viciously. For falling in love. For being an idiot. For this new wrinkle in their plans. Grin is dead. Slim returns to his position in the window.
You can learn more about Greg from his blog.
And take a look at what The Washington Post has to say about our Page-to-Stage events, with a quote from our illustrious Artistic Director, Jessi Burgess.
So I hope you can come out and join us on Labor Day at The Kennedy Center. We at The Inkwell would love you to see what a handful of ambitious playwrights are up to.
Here's the full menu of events in one place:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Inkwell invites you to our first anniversary celebration at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Page to Stage Festival
Monday, September 1, 2008
FREE New Play Events from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
in Rehearsal Room One at the Kennedy Center
In celebration of our first anniversary, and in true Inkwell style, The Inkwell offers a full day of the exploration and celebration of new works in the nation's capital! Join us for staged readings of six wildly creative and innovative plays, a timely and provocative discussion on the merits of the American play development process, and a celebration of The Inkwell's first birthday at the Kennedy Center's Page to Stage Festival.
THE SCHEDULE
2 p.m. SHOWCASE READINGS of the following new plays:
- HERCULE DE BERGERAC by Adam Jonas Segaller, directed by Lee Liebeskind
- LULLABYE by Kristen DeWulf, directed by Andy Wassenich
- COMA, PATIENT by Shaun Raviv, directed by James Hesla
- SEVEN DREAMS OF HER by Sarah Sander, directed by Christopher Niebling
- THE F WORD by Melissa Blackall, directed by Patrick Torres
6 p.m. PANEL DISCUSSION - PLAYWRIGHTS: PAMPERED? PATRONIZED? PUSHED ASIDE?
A provocative panel discussion on how the trend to coddle new work may help it flourish or falter. With playwright Callie Kimball, Washington Post Theatre Critic Nelson Pressley, Round House Theatre Artistic Director Blake Robison and Theater J Artistic Director and playwright Ari Roth.
8 p.m. STAGED READING of A TIME UPON by Greg Beuthin, directed by Jessica Burgess
Two old women, Gran and Mum, eke out their lives in a forgotten corner of a giant futuristic metropolis. They are barely aware of the passing days until a young woman and her strange traveling companion-cum-pet enter their lives. The young woman, Fillette, is somehow related to the family, but is cagey about her answers. The pet, only known as Once, doesn't speak — but even he can smell that something else is afoot. For the entire group is being watched by an evil shadow and his crony, who want to get at what lies beneath the decrepit courtyard in which the old women have made their home. Perhaps a fairy tale told in the era of Blade-Runner, the play features shadow puppetry, physical theatre, and lyrical language, all hallmarks of Greg Beuthin's future folkloric style.
Readings feature Wyckham Avery, Frank Britton, Valerie Fenton, James Flanagan, John Geffrion, Lindsay Haynes, Lisa Hill-Corley, Q. Terah Jackson, Hilary Kacser, Amy Kellet, Lee Liebeskind, Eric Messner, Wendy Nogales, Alex Perez, Kevin Pierson, and many more!
Hey folks - It's Anne once again, energized and excited after opening night of OK. Wow. I just have to say that Jessi Burgess and the team of actress who devoted so much time and energy to the play — Fiona Blackshaw, Suzanne Edgar, Andrea Gaspar, Hilary Kacser, Helen Pafumi, and Casie Platt — have done a remarkable job in putting this piece up on its feet, especially when faced with day after day of rewrites. And with such a crackerjack design and production team — Amy Kellet, Matt Soule, Jarett Pisani, Suzen Mason, Diana Khoury, Adam Magazine, James Hesla, and Lee Liebeskind — this bare bones production couldn't be more beautiful. It's worth it to just come and hear the "gunfight." (Could that be more of a teaser?) I couldn't be more grateful or more humbled.
There was a rich post-play discussion as well, where we talked about the structure of the play (which has changed significantly since it's reading at The Kennedy Center in September), as well as some of the questions and themes I'm trying to explore around guns, girls, history, and legend. I need a little time to absorb all that's happened to the play, but I'll share with you all my thoughts in the coming weeks.
But there's more good news for The Inkwell. The DCist, the premiere blog about all the comings and goings in the District, has written a long feature about us and the Inkubator Festival. Take a look at the article and learn more about what Jessi envisions for the company. And find out a lot more about Jim McManus and his play Underground, the Inkubator production that premieres this evening, 8:00 p.m. sharp at H Street Playhouse.
I hope you'll read the article in full, but I just have to share with you all this quote given by Actor Steve Beall — he's amazing as a West Virginia miner who's seen his fair share of tragedy in Underground. In describing The Inkwell, he says:
Come on by and see Underground, OK, and The F Word this week.
There was a rich post-play discussion as well, where we talked about the structure of the play (which has changed significantly since it's reading at The Kennedy Center in September), as well as some of the questions and themes I'm trying to explore around guns, girls, history, and legend. I need a little time to absorb all that's happened to the play, but I'll share with you all my thoughts in the coming weeks.
But there's more good news for The Inkwell. The DCist, the premiere blog about all the comings and goings in the District, has written a long feature about us and the Inkubator Festival. Take a look at the article and learn more about what Jessi envisions for the company. And find out a lot more about Jim McManus and his play Underground, the Inkubator production that premieres this evening, 8:00 p.m. sharp at H Street Playhouse.
I hope you'll read the article in full, but I just have to share with you all this quote given by Actor Steve Beall — he's amazing as a West Virginia miner who's seen his fair share of tragedy in Underground. In describing The Inkwell, he says:
“If actors or anybody else with an interest in theater aren’t involved with things like this, then they need to stop bemoaning the state of theater in America.”How we love you, Steve.
Come on by and see Underground, OK, and The F Word this week.
