Everyone is in rehearsals. Lines are being memorized. Last minute changes are being adopted. The truant world is focused on one thing. Performance! It is exciting, but there is also a slight whiff of fear. You can smell it when you stand too close to the producers. We love the plays, and we love the teams. In our irrational brains, we know it will all work out. Still, there's so much to do and so little time and money to do it with. Because, on Sept. 14, we enter the space and climb the ladder. On Sept. 14, a shell becomes a place of dreams and magic. Holy Shit! | |
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Credit: Kristy Caldwell
Chaos, and Other Worldly Possessions, the full-length play that will be running in repertory with four one-acts in Chaos Under Construction, has its final open reading before the rehearsal process kicks off in earnest.
This means you have the opportunity to be a part of the collaboration. Meet the artists, giving your honest feedback and asking the big (or little) questions. As always at a Truant Arts event, there will be a bar because feedback and booze go together like peanut butter and booze. We are still chasing money for the production of Chaos Under construction, so a $5 donation would be lovely ... and useful. Details: Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Date: Thursday, Aug. 29. Place: 36th Street Studio, Studio C 260 W 36th St, 3rd Floor New York City (Two blocks from Penn Station, between 7th and 8th avenues) Chaos, and Other Worldly Possessions Written by R. Arson Teague Directed by Amy Surratt Featuring Cassandra Andrus, Christopher Lazariuk, Ashley Saladin, Sarah Schoofs, Rachael Solomon, Shayna Strype and Alex Tatarsky.
Lavinia Roberts, an activist and playwright with more than a dozen plays to her credit, talks about her experiences working on Chaos Under Construction for her new play, Black Triangle. Read the interview here.
Black Triangle and the rest of the plays in Chaos Under Construction are partially funded by theater lovers like you. Please take a moment to give what you can to our RocketHub campaign here. Meet the rest of the Black Triangle team here. Getting a buzz on and being a smartass are two things we can all enjoy together, right? So make plans to attend Truant's Trivia Night at Woodrow's, 43 Murray St., NYC, at 6:45 pm, Sept. 5.
[Reserve your spot at ChaosTrivia.BrownPaperTickets.com] TriviaNYC, the national leader in trivia events, from local bar quiz nights to The Trivia Championship of North America in Las Vegas, has tailored a night just for Truant Arts! In teams of up to five people, you will compete through five rounds of ten questions each, for more than just bragging rights, though that's a pretty awesome thing. The first place team will receive two tickets each to Chaos Under Construction, and a TBD prize from the bar. The second place team will receive two tickets each to Chaos Under Construction. Prizes may be won throughout the night for things like Worst Handwriting, Best Wrong Answer, or Funniest Team Name. Reserve your spot through Brown Paper Tickets and pay $10 at the door. Space is limited; reservations are highly recommended! First 15 people to reserve a spot AND show up at Woodrow's get a free drink when they attend a Chaos Under Construction performance. All entrance fees go directly to paying for rehearsal space and artist stipends for Chaos Under Construction, running September 19th through October 13th at Access Theater. HAVE FUN AND HELP THE ARTS ECONOMY IN NEW YORK! Direct all questions to [email protected] FOR MORE INFO ON TRIVIANYC click here FOR INFO ON AND TICKETS TO CHAOS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, Click HERE. In a city as full of actors as New York, finding roles you can sink your teeth into can feel close to impossible, especially as an actor just beginning her lifelong journey. I was heaven blessed to find Truant Arts along my way. This summer marks my (official) second time working with Truant Arts and (I believe) my fourth time being involved in projects with Jamie and Bob. I'm lucky enough to say I knew them before they were Truant Arts.
Jamie and Bob are artists’ producers. They are artists themselves so they understand us. They are great at giving guidelines and setting parameters for projects, but are also awesome at leaving room for growth, for creativity to flourish, for mistakes to be made, for people to be human, and to allow for projects to change from what they originally were into something different, and always better. Truant Arts did just that with Chaos Under Construction by setting up closed and open readings before heading into more solid rehearsals. Things definitely evolved with my group between our first and second open readings: parts were exchanged, edits were made, actors made different choices, characters were explored, direction got tighter. Bob and Jamie set meetings with all members of the festival to make sure we were supported through the process. They are best at keeping things rolling no matter what, and for knowing, finding, and bringing together a LOT of very talented actors, writers and directors. Some of the best scripts I’ve worked on were written for Truant Arts’ festivals (some in less than 24 hours). There is always a final product that, more often than not, exceeds everyone's expectations. This is because Truant Arts sets you up for success. They ask for what they need from participating artists (generally just participation), but they run the show, and they give so much to the artists. They know how to produce--find the talent, get the rehearsal space, sell the tickets, get people in the seats and make evenings of great art come alive on stage. They are also great people who are so supportive, and they know other great supportive people. This allows them to bring a bunch of people together who enjoy and support each other's work. Working with awesome supportive people always leads to a better end product. Truant Arts has become my home for creating rich work where I can take risks, because I know that Bob and Jamie, and the rest of the Truants, will be there to catch me if I fall, and will prop me right back on my feet to say, "You okay?! Cool! Let's try it again!” I thank them for helping me live my dream of being an actor in NYC and I look forward with delight to continuing to work with them in the future. Read Jessica's bio and see her lovely face here! Find out more about Chaos Under Construction here! Help feed the beast that is giving birth to five new plays September 2013 by clicking here! Mateo Prendergast had never worked like this before. Show up on day one and there's no script yet?! Even the most fearful soon grasp the excitement and grow with the process! His words: It’s been like being born again again; going through infantilism, toddlerhood, getting grown up teeth, being a teenager, and smacked into adulthood. Chaotic for sure; rewarding? YES.
It's a curious thing having a character written with the actor in mind. It's very much about perception--the writer's perception of the actor, the actor's self-perception, and then the three different views on the character (writer/director/actor). It's also like walking into a pick-up flag football game, or wandering into a jam session on open mic night in Burlington, VT. Everyone comes from a different background, a different school, speaking a different language, and you slowly, with grunts and gestures, develop a new hybrid language. Being a part of a larger community also growing and challenging each other in the same way has been particularly fortifying. It has been a joy to watch the other plays develop. Read an interview with BABYDADA playwright Katie Fabel here. Meet more of the BABYDADA team here. Find out more about Chaos Under Construction here. Help feed the beast that is giving birth to five new plays this September here.
Teeth poster working composite © 2013 Robin E. Mørk
Robin E. Mork is creating the poster art for "Teeth" by Jonathan Alexandratos (the image on the right is a working composite) and she's taken to the blogosphere to explain her process.
Check it out and go to our RocketHub page to see how you can get a copy of the finished work signed by the whole creative team. |