We adore the following TIC collaborators and thank them for their brilliant contributions in 2013 (in alphabetical order):
1. Actor Brady Adair.
Actor Brady Adair (previous TIC credits include Our Town and Dead White Males) starred in Cape May Stage's sold out winter production of The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, to great acclaim.
2. Actor Lynn Berg.
After rave reviews in Our Town, we were thrilled to work with Lynn again. The Huffington Post highlighted his skill as 'Uncle Peck' in How I Learned to Drive, saying, "It's Lynn Berg I'll remember best and the show is worth seeing to savor his talent."
3. Michael Edmund, actor and theater aficionado.
2013 saw Michael acting (and singing!) in our fall production of How I Learned to Drive. An avid theater-goer, Michael has seen nearly every TIC main stage show since its founding in 2006 and has been busy attending festivals across the U.S. for his recent indie film Turtle Hill Brooklyn.
4. Soloist Aizzah Fatima.
Plus 1 Solo Show alum Aizzah Fatima first performed her solo show Dirty Paki Lingerie with TIC in 2010, and in August, The Flea Theater gave her a full-length run of her work. In October, she graced TIC's stage again, with a new piece, Google: It's Complicated.
5. Jeremy Patrick Hamilton, actor, filmmaker, feminist.
J.P. appeared as a PTSD-suffering journalist in our spring production of The Mistakes Madeline Made. Meanwhile, he's been hard at work on a full-length documentary about amazing women over the age of 80, Women of a Certain Age.
6. Playwright Adam Harrell.
Adam has been a longtime
supporter of TIC, so we are thrilled to have him spinning the yarn that
will become TIC's spring production, with the working title of "The Buffalo
Project."
7. A.J. Heekin, actor, writer and director.
From appearing on TIC's stage as 'Wilson' in our spring show The Mistakes Madeline Made, to being named a finalist in the SoHo Rep writer/director lab for 2013/14, A.J.'s talents are numerous.
8. Baker and actress Daliya Karnofsky.
Karnofsky, another Plus 1 Solo Show Fest alum, performed her one-woman feast of sugar and spice, And She Bakes, at Dixon Place on December 12. Yummy!
9. Allison Lemel, theatrical mastermind.
TIC's longtime
production stage manager, Lemel assistant directed TIC's last three
productions and appeared on TIC's stage in October with her original
solo work, Places, Please, pulling the curtain back to reveal what happens behind-the-scenes in theater. Up next, find her onstage in TIC's spring 2014 show, "The Buffalo Project."
10. Writer Liz Meriwether.
In April, Tongue in Cheek revived The Mistakes Madeline Made by brilliantly witty Liz Meriwether, the show runner of of FOX's TV show, New Girl. Critic Jon Sobel called TIC's production "the best comedy I've seen onstage so far this year."
11. Garry Novikoff, singer and songwriter.
Garry's music reveals humorous and heartfelt stories. TIC was thrilled to feature his body of work over 5 nights of solo shows in the fall of 2013.
12. Memoir-ist and performer Nora Vetter.
The talented Nora Vetter (actor and playwright) had auditioned for TIC in the past, and her solo show An Unfinished Adventure was an audience favorite in our fall Plus 1 Solo Show fest. After finding a third-grade notebook detailing her dreams as an artist and an unfinished screen play, Nora nobly sets out to finish what she started years ago, complete with song and dance and some realizations about artistic fulfillment. She's currently working on turning it into a full-length play.
13. Playwright Paula Vogel.
TIC was thrilled to return to our roots in the fall with a revival of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel (TIC's first production was of another Vogel work, The Baltimore Waltz). Her brilliant writing made for compelling theater.
So many other talented people made our 2013 our best year yet: audiences, donors, volunteers, friends, fans, auditioning actors and exceptionally talented ensembles, production teams, directors, solo show artists, singers, photographers and house managers. We love you all and wish you a happy and healthy 2014.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
What a Year! TIC's 2013 Annual Report is Live!
Thank you for being part of a banner year! We are thrilled to share TIC's 2013 Annual Report with you.
Up next, we are devising an entirely new piece we've dubbed 'The Buffalo Project,' which will premiere in May 2014. Stay tuned to the TIC Blog to learn more about our talented team, including playwright Adam Harrell and TIC actors Nina Leese, Allison Lemel, Jake Lipman, Shelley Little, Joe Mullen and Matt Whitfield.
Wishing all our collaborators and audiences a merry holiday season and a happy and healthy 2014. Thank you for making 2013 so stellar!
Up next, we are devising an entirely new piece we've dubbed 'The Buffalo Project,' which will premiere in May 2014. Stay tuned to the TIC Blog to learn more about our talented team, including playwright Adam Harrell and TIC actors Nina Leese, Allison Lemel, Jake Lipman, Shelley Little, Joe Mullen and Matt Whitfield.
Wishing all our collaborators and audiences a merry holiday season and a happy and healthy 2014. Thank you for making 2013 so stellar!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival Concludes Tonight! Q&A with Garry Novikoff
Tongue in Cheek Theater is delighted to be continuing its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival tonight. Buy your tickets now at www.tictheater.com. All performances are at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 West 54th Street, 12th floor, NYC).
For the price of one $20 ticket, an audience member sees 4 short, original funny shows plus musical guest Garry Novikoff performs between the pieces. The evening of short solo shows runs 2 hours with an intermission.
We recently interviewed Garry Novikoff, and here's what the talented song man had to say.
What is your favorite thing about being involved in Plus 1?
I love how we see how the parts of peoples lives get distilled in these stories. Whether they are about racism, an unhappy childhood or getting the drapes to the living room right, there is always a good slice of humanity for me to digest, think about and relate to. And of course they are wildly entertaining!
When I choose which songs to sing in between solo shows, I need to figure out if I'm going to try to blend my songs in with the piece before it, the piece that follows, or to simply be the "palette cleanser," and not relate my songs to the solo shows at all. I love that puzzle!
What's your favorite piece to perform and why?
Some of my own songs are story songs as well, so they are always fun to do. The big crowd pleaser seems to be my song "Dog on the Moon" a fictitious piece about the first canine space traveler and the average Joe who envies him. Since the crowd knows they are already they to hear stories, it's a great set-up for the song.
Where can we catch your music and in performance next?
On November 15th I will have a CD release party for my innocent gay pop song, "I Like Men." It will be at 8pm at Rockbar NYC, 185 Chistopher St. The video also tells a story - the day in the life of a gay office drone who lives a double life as a gay pop star. Think "queer Dilbert meets Hanna Montana." My CD, A Normal Life is available in iTunes and CD baby, all easy to access from my website www.garrynovikoff.com.
Series B of the festival concludes tonight, Monday, October 28 at 8 pm.
This series features the following artists and their original works (links to their Q&As, below):
Thank you for being a part of seriously funny theater!
For the price of one $20 ticket, an audience member sees 4 short, original funny shows plus musical guest Garry Novikoff performs between the pieces. The evening of short solo shows runs 2 hours with an intermission.We recently interviewed Garry Novikoff, and here's what the talented song man had to say.
What is your favorite thing about being involved in Plus 1?
I love how we see how the parts of peoples lives get distilled in these stories. Whether they are about racism, an unhappy childhood or getting the drapes to the living room right, there is always a good slice of humanity for me to digest, think about and relate to. And of course they are wildly entertaining!
When I choose which songs to sing in between solo shows, I need to figure out if I'm going to try to blend my songs in with the piece before it, the piece that follows, or to simply be the "palette cleanser," and not relate my songs to the solo shows at all. I love that puzzle!
What's your favorite piece to perform and why?
Some of my own songs are story songs as well, so they are always fun to do. The big crowd pleaser seems to be my song "Dog on the Moon" a fictitious piece about the first canine space traveler and the average Joe who envies him. Since the crowd knows they are already they to hear stories, it's a great set-up for the song.
Where can we catch your music and in performance next?
On November 15th I will have a CD release party for my innocent gay pop song, "I Like Men." It will be at 8pm at Rockbar NYC, 185 Chistopher St. The video also tells a story - the day in the life of a gay office drone who lives a double life as a gay pop star. Think "queer Dilbert meets Hanna Montana." My CD, A Normal Life is available in iTunes and CD baby, all easy to access from my website www.garrynovikoff.com.
Series B of the festival concludes tonight, Monday, October 28 at 8 pm.
This series features the following artists and their original works (links to their Q&As, below):
- Kaitlan Emery's DTMM: Don't Tell My Mom (She Thinks I'm Mormon)
- Alan Fox's Dear Mr. President
- Rose Andrez's Lost in Suburbia: The Demise of the Domestic Diva
- Andreanna Buccheri's Ballad of a Beauty Queen
Thank you for being a part of seriously funny theater!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Plus 1 Series B Opens Tonight!
Tongue in Cheek Theater is delighted to be continuing its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival today. Buy your tickets now at www.tictheater.com. All performances are at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 West 54th Street, 12th floor, NYC).
For the price of one $20 ticket, an audience member sees 4 short, original funny shows plus musical guest Garry Novikoff. The evening of short solo shows runs 2 hours with an intermission.
We interviewed the solo show artists (click on their names, below, to read TIC's interviews with them about their work) and read their bios here!
Series B of the festival opens tonight, Sunday, October 27 and also runs tomorrow, Monday, October 28 at 8 pm.
This series features the following artists and their original works:
Thank you for being a part of seriously funny theater!
For the price of one $20 ticket, an audience member sees 4 short, original funny shows plus musical guest Garry Novikoff. The evening of short solo shows runs 2 hours with an intermission.
We interviewed the solo show artists (click on their names, below, to read TIC's interviews with them about their work) and read their bios here!
Series B of the festival opens tonight, Sunday, October 27 and also runs tomorrow, Monday, October 28 at 8 pm.
This series features the following artists and their original works:
- Kaitlan Emery's DTMM: Don't Tell My Mom (She Thinks I'm Mormon)
- Alan Fox's Dear Mr. President
- Rose Andrez's Lost in Suburbia: The Demise of the Domestic Diva
- Andreanna Buccheri's Ballad of a Beauty Queen
Thank you for being a part of seriously funny theater!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Plus 1 Solo Fest: Series B runs Sunday & Monday
Solo shows are theater in their purest form: storytelling.
This Sunday, October 27 and Monday, October 28, Tongue in Cheek Theater is thrilled to be presenting 4 wonderful storytellers in its Plus 1 Solo Show Festival Series B. Both nights of the festival start at 8 pm at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor.
Tickets still remain to both nights, but get yours now! http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER11 and by calling 212-868-4444.
For the price of one $20 ticket, you gain access to 4 smart and funny solo shows:
DTMM: Don’t Tell My Mom (She Thinks I’m Mormon) by Kaitlan Emery
My mom thinks I’m Mormon.
Dear Mr. President by Alan Fox
Race: Maybe it’s not so black and white?
Lost in Suburbia: The Demise of the Domestic Diva by Rose Andrez
One woman’s wild adventure in and out of suburbia, in search of the true meaning of home.
Ballad of a Beauty Queen by Andreanna Buccheri
This big hair is full of secrets.
We're also thrilled to have singer/songwriter Garry Novikoff emceeing and seranading the evenings of solo shows.
For more about the festival, visit www.tictheater.com.
This Sunday, October 27 and Monday, October 28, Tongue in Cheek Theater is thrilled to be presenting 4 wonderful storytellers in its Plus 1 Solo Show Festival Series B. Both nights of the festival start at 8 pm at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor.
Tickets still remain to both nights, but get yours now! http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER11 and by calling 212-868-4444.
For the price of one $20 ticket, you gain access to 4 smart and funny solo shows:
DTMM: Don’t Tell My Mom (She Thinks I’m Mormon) by Kaitlan Emery
My mom thinks I’m Mormon.
Dear Mr. President by Alan Fox
Race: Maybe it’s not so black and white?
Lost in Suburbia: The Demise of the Domestic Diva by Rose Andrez
One woman’s wild adventure in and out of suburbia, in search of the true meaning of home.
Ballad of a Beauty Queen by Andreanna Buccheri
This big hair is full of secrets.
We're also thrilled to have singer/songwriter Garry Novikoff emceeing and seranading the evenings of solo shows.
For more about the festival, visit www.tictheater.com.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
TIC's Tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival Starts Today!
Tongue in Cheek Theater is delighted to be launching its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival today. Buy your tickets now at www.tictheater.com. All performances are at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 West 54th Street, 12th floor, NYC).
For the price of one $20 ticket, an audience member sees 4 short, original funny shows plus musical guest Garry Novikoff. Each performance runs 2 hours with an intermission.
We interviewed the solo show artists (click on their names, below, to read TIC's interviews with them about their work) and read their bios here!
This October, TIC will feature two line ups of solo shows in the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival:
Series A will run on Sunday, October 20 and Monday, October 21 at 8 pm.
This series features the following artists and their original shows:
Series B will run on Sunday, October 27 and Monday, October 28 at 8 pm.
This series features the following artists and their original shows:
For the price of one $20 ticket, an audience member sees 4 short, original funny shows plus musical guest Garry Novikoff. Each performance runs 2 hours with an intermission.
We interviewed the solo show artists (click on their names, below, to read TIC's interviews with them about their work) and read their bios here!
This October, TIC will feature two line ups of solo shows in the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival:
Series A will run on Sunday, October 20 and Monday, October 21 at 8 pm.
This series features the following artists and their original shows:
- Aizzah Fatima's Google: It's Complicated
- Dale Davidson's My Personal War on Terror
- Anna Fox's Our Common Deception
- Nora Vetter's Unfinished Adventure
Series B will run on Sunday, October 27 and Monday, October 28 at 8 pm.
This series features the following artists and their original shows:
- Kaitlan Emery's DTMM: Don't Tell My Mom (She Thinks I'm Mormon)
- Alan Fox's Dear Mr. President
- Rose Andrez's Lost in Suburbia: The Demise of the Domestic Diva
- Andreanna Buccheri's Ballad of a Beauty Queen
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Appreciating Audience Appreciation and Other Markers of Success
I was recently interviewed on video by StageBuddy.com (those videos will be up soon!), talking about Tongue in Cheek Theater and indie theater in general, delving into topics like casting, solo show submissions, and measuring success for our work.
There are many ways that I measure TIC's success, from a wonderful first read through (oh, good, this cast is gel-ing and we're going to tell this story right!), to a rigorous rehearsal that gets everyone on the same page with the pacing, to that first night bow when the audience really hoots and hollers for us.
But one intangible marker of success that makes it all feel so rewarding is when someone gives a very specific compliment to a small detail they noticed in the show and why it resonated with them. And when it's someone I don't know at all, it feels even more profound that they took the time to reach out to me after the show to deliver that compliment.
Recently, I received an e-mail from Anthony Spaldo, an audience member who came to see opening night of How I Learned to Drive. Here's what he wrote:
The gifted actors gave excellent ensemble performances, embodying the characters they played with sensitivity and cinematic interpretations. A company to watch!
That is pure magic to hear (and read!) and I could not be more grateful to everyone who has come to see this show so far and for future audiences for giving us such love!
Hope to see you at one of our remaining shows (selling out so far, so please buy your tickets online now!).
How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel runs Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are $18 online and 212-868-4444.
For more about Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on www.Facebook.com/tictheater
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| The Greek Chorus sings 'Blue Moon' in How I Learned to Drive |
But one intangible marker of success that makes it all feel so rewarding is when someone gives a very specific compliment to a small detail they noticed in the show and why it resonated with them. And when it's someone I don't know at all, it feels even more profound that they took the time to reach out to me after the show to deliver that compliment.
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| Add caption |
The gifted actors gave excellent ensemble performances, embodying the characters they played with sensitivity and cinematic interpretations. A company to watch!
That is pure magic to hear (and read!) and I could not be more grateful to everyone who has come to see this show so far and for future audiences for giving us such love!
Hope to see you at one of our remaining shows (selling out so far, so please buy your tickets online now!).
How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel runs Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are $18 online and 212-868-4444.
For more about Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on www.Facebook.com/tictheater
Friday, October 18, 2013
Q&A with Alan Fox for October's Plus 1 Solo Show Fest - Series B
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| Alan Fox, solo show artist |
We recently interviewed Alan Fox, whose piece, Dear Mr. President, will be featured in Series B in the festival, running October 27 & 28. Read on, and then go grab your tickets!
Who or what got you interested in telling your solo show?
I was lucky enough to see John Leguizamo on Broadway a few years back and was blown away. Here was a guy blending socially relevant topics with humor in a way I had never seen....and people were listening to him. Or at least I was, and that was all it took to become interested in the idea of a solo show. One day I was looking through a bunch of short stories I had written and realized they all dealt the idea of "the man" (young, straight, white americans) commenting/reacting to a society they were watching change before their very eyes. Inhabiting the form of the oppressor/villian through out American history (the straight white male), I had a bunch of early 20's characters trying to make sense of expectations they were taught compared to what they were actually finding reality to be. For whatever reason this reminded me of Leguizamo's show in that it captured a certain demographic of America at a certain time. I figured "hey, maybe this could be turned into a one person show" and then "Expectation: Tales From The Majority Minority" was born. "Dear Mr. President" is a piece from that.
Who has helped you along the way with creating this piece?
I want to send a thousand thanks to my director and acting teacher Kimberly Ryan. To be around her for an hour is to be exposed to the countless gifts she possess. I could spend pages going on about her coaching/teaching abilities but what I'd like to thank her for the most in this process is her tireless support and her unique way of trusting whole heartedly in where a performer is headed before they themselves can even see it. Also I want to thank Marc Glick (he deserves a novel) but I will keep it short at: It is my hope that everyone can name the first person that made them really believe in themselves. Marc is that person for me.
What do you hope to do with your piece after Plus 1?
After Plus 1 I hope that I can continue to work/rehearse/work shop on the piece as a whole and in time have a run at a theater here in New York. More than where is lands, I am focusing and excited about who it will land with. Often times I feel as if I am writing it for my grandfather, conservative and apprehensive about where America is headed in every sense of the word, and it's my hope that one day he will see it and maybe not feel so threatened by the changes he sees in the country he loves.
Thanks so much, Alan! Cannot wait to see your piece later this month!
Series B of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 27 & Monday, October 28 at 8 pm
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
Tickets are $20 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER11 or by calling 212-868-4444
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Q&A with Andreanna Buccheri for October's Plus 1 Solo Show Fest - Series B
This fall, Tongue in Cheek has selected 8 solo show artists to
take part in its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival, which runs Series A: October 20
& 21 followed by Series B: October 27 & 28. For tickets and more, visit www.tictheater.com.
We recently interviewed Andreanna Buccheri, whose piece, Ballad of a Beauty Queen, will be featured in Series B in the festival, running October 27 & 28. Read on, and then go grab your tickets!
What inspired you to write this piece?
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| This big hair is filled with secrets. |
I wanted to write this show to address what it's really like to be in our shoes- six inches with platforms and all- and denounce a lot of the misconceptions I often hear.
What might an audience member be surprised to learn about you?
A part about me that is not revealed in my piece is that I'm absolutely in love with my two German Shepherds, Gunnar and Tanner. They're huge dogs, but they're both very gentle and loving. I adore taking naps on the couch with them, especially during winter!
What are your goals for the piece after the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival?
After Plus 1, I would love to keep writing my show to expand it to be a full hour to an hour and a half, and keep performing it. It would be wonderful to bring it to the stage again!
Absolutely, Andreanna! Here's to a great ballad of beauty queenery later this month!
Series B of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 27 & Monday, October 28 at 8 pm
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
Tickets are $20 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER11 or by calling 212-868-4444
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Q&A with Kaitlan Emery for October's Plus 1 Solo Show Fest - Series B
This fall, Tongue in Cheek has selected 8 solo show artists to
take part in its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival, which runs Series A: October 20
& 21 followed by Series B: October 27 & 28. For tickets and more, visit www.tictheater.com.
We recently interviewed Kaitlan Emery, whose piece, DTMM: I'm a Mormon, will be featured in Series B in the festival, running October 27 & 28. Read on, and then go grab your tickets!
What inspired you to write this piece?
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| Seriously, please don't tell. |
Most of the struggles I've had are not unlike everyone else's, it's just that I happen to be raised Mormon. I'm asking the same life questions as everyone else around me, it's just informed differently.
Does that answer this question? Short answer: vanity.
What might an audience member be surprised to learn about you?
I've had kidney stones three times. So there's that…
Name one of the funniest or weirdest things that have ever happened to you onstage.
I seem to be an instigator of practical jokes on stage. I was in a production of Noises Off earlier this year. Playing the stage manager, Poppy, I would come on stage with "the script" to show a character her lines.
Before I'd go on stage I would write or draw something inappropriate in "the script" just to see if I could make her laugh. It would always backfire, because watching the my friend on stage trying not to laugh was the funniest thing. I could never keep it together. There was also that time I had to crucify the main character of a lesbian rock opera I was in…you know what, never mind.
Great stuff, Kaitlan! We're so excited to see your piece later this October!
Series B of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 27 & Monday, October 28 at 8 pm
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
Tickets are $20 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER11 or by calling 212-868-4444
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Q&A with Rose Andrez for October's Plus 1 Solo Show Fest - Series B
This fall, Tongue in Cheek has selected 8 solo show artists to
take part in its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival, which runs Series A: October 20
& 21 followed by Series B: October 27 & 28. For tickets and more, visit www.tictheater.com.
We recently interviewed Rose Andrez, whose piece, Lost in Suburbia: The Demise of the Domestic Diva, will be featured in Series B in the festival, running October 27 & 28.
Read on, and then go grab your tickets!
Read on, and then go grab your tickets!
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| Rose Andrez, in suburbia |
Who or what got you interested in telling your solo show?
I was at a low point in my life. I was talking to my good friends, James and Diana and they suggested I write about what I was going through. They said, Matt Hoverman teaches a class called Create Your Own Solo Show. You should try it. I knew Matt from many years ago, but I haven't seen him in years. I literally bumped into him the next day in NYC. I thought it was a sign. I thought maybe writing my solo show would help me figure out what happened to me. It was the best decision in my life. I think everyone should write a solo show about their life story. I received so much healing and insights about myself. If you are interested in finding out what happened to me, come to the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival and find out.
Who has helped you along the way with creating this piece?
Matt Hoverman (Create Your Own Solo Show), I literally could have not done it without him. I took Matt's class three times to develop each act and then performed it at the end of his classes to an audience. I also hired Matt to coach me on my writing and get the script in a good place. Matt Hoverman is a genius! He is so knowledgeable, compassionate and generous. I can go on and on for how deeply grateful I am to Matt.
Then Matt suggested I take Molly Pearson's Produce Your Own Work class. I learned in Molly's class about the business aspects of producing my own piece. I continue to work with her because it's like having a business partner who supports me and guides me on my piece. Molly is fantastic. She has produced her own films and theater productions and knows what she is talking about. She is an expert in her field and her loving support has allowed me to dream big and create a project that I believe in deeply.
I recently started working with Jay Stern, my director. He is helping me shape Act II for the Plus 1 Solo Show festival and perform it to my fullest. I love working with Jay. He is bright, funny and gifted. He has an ability to help me focus on the heart of the material.
I must also say a big thank you to my wonderful husband, Greg who witnessed my demise. He has encouraged me from the beginning to write this piece and to share it with the world.
Who are you talking to in your piece?
My audience is a group of strangers who hopefully can learn from my life. My intention in writing this piece is to inspire people to discover their unique voice. We are living in in such challenging times where so many of the old paradigms are breaking down. As challenging as it is, it's also an exciting time to create new ways of living. There is power in sharing our stories. My hope is to wake people up and challenge them with my story. Are they living their life true to who they are or true to the relentless expectations of society? Only they know their truth.
Thanks so much, Rose! So excited see your piece later this month!
Series B of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 27 & Monday, October 28 at 8 pm
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
Tickets are $20 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER11 or by calling 212-868-4444
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Lost In Suburbia is Rose's first solo show that she has been developing with Matt Hoverman, Molly Pearson and Jay Stern. Performing credits: The Duplex, Triad, The Tralf, Don’t Tell Mama, two CDs, “Lucky Woman”, “I Got A Man” and collaborated with Grammy winning engineer, Dae Bennett who recorded the single Wonderful.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Load In Lessons: HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
Yesterday was a big day: loading in for How I Learned to Drive at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios. Tickets are selling fast (Fri 10/18 and Thur 10/24 are sold out and Fri 10/31 is almost there as well)! Get your hot ticket here: http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
Some people think a degree in theater is highly impractical, but on Load In Day, a theater artist, technician or lackey employs the following disciplines:
Spatial Relationships/Geometry: cramming boxes and props into a borrowed van. Someone will say, "We can't fit all those IKEA boxes in here!" But you do. Somehow.
Engineering: you will hang and focus lights with NASA-like intensity. "This angle won't work for that entrance. They'll be on the dark side." Discussion of refraction and ROYGBIV ensue.
Shop Class-iness: the voice of your shop teacher rings in your head as you sit on the floor with an Allen wrench, constructing a cheap table and cursing. You're glad you're not wearing a tie and using the sander, which any good student of shop knows can only end badly.
Physical Conditioning: helpful when painting walls. You're just glad you're doing the one upstage wall and that you tricked your stage manager into measuring out the perimeter with painter's tape. Drink your coffee. Get pumped. And remember to apply two coats.
Diplomacy: you may need to talk to surly people when you emerge 12 hours into your day, blinking like the hazy mole you have become. Non-theater people will not understand that you have been in a closed space inhaling paint, assembling tables, hanging lights and lifting heavy items. Do not speak. Eat something filling for this 5 pm lunch, then return to the darkness.
Philosophy and Religious Studies: theater people are superstitious pagans, who, while under the influence of non-low-VOC paint, impart their world view and wisdom freely. Consider playing Bob Marley on your iPhone to underscore the messages of tolerance and freedom.
Math: measuring twice and painting once ensures your stage manager does not abandon ship. Also, count those little wooden inserts you need to make that Scandinavian bookcase stand upright.
English: at some point, the actors will arrive and speak this language with great emotion, until the stage manager yells "Hold!" All bodies will freeze, until someone cracks a joke.
Note: we are still trying to find a practical use for that minor in accounting.
Some people think a degree in theater is highly impractical, but on Load In Day, a theater artist, technician or lackey employs the following disciplines:
Spatial Relationships/Geometry: cramming boxes and props into a borrowed van. Someone will say, "We can't fit all those IKEA boxes in here!" But you do. Somehow.
Engineering: you will hang and focus lights with NASA-like intensity. "This angle won't work for that entrance. They'll be on the dark side." Discussion of refraction and ROYGBIV ensue.
Shop Class-iness: the voice of your shop teacher rings in your head as you sit on the floor with an Allen wrench, constructing a cheap table and cursing. You're glad you're not wearing a tie and using the sander, which any good student of shop knows can only end badly.
Physical Conditioning: helpful when painting walls. You're just glad you're doing the one upstage wall and that you tricked your stage manager into measuring out the perimeter with painter's tape. Drink your coffee. Get pumped. And remember to apply two coats.
Diplomacy: you may need to talk to surly people when you emerge 12 hours into your day, blinking like the hazy mole you have become. Non-theater people will not understand that you have been in a closed space inhaling paint, assembling tables, hanging lights and lifting heavy items. Do not speak. Eat something filling for this 5 pm lunch, then return to the darkness.
Philosophy and Religious Studies: theater people are superstitious pagans, who, while under the influence of non-low-VOC paint, impart their world view and wisdom freely. Consider playing Bob Marley on your iPhone to underscore the messages of tolerance and freedom.
Math: measuring twice and painting once ensures your stage manager does not abandon ship. Also, count those little wooden inserts you need to make that Scandinavian bookcase stand upright.
English: at some point, the actors will arrive and speak this language with great emotion, until the stage manager yells "Hold!" All bodies will freeze, until someone cracks a joke.
Note: we are still trying to find a practical use for that minor in accounting.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Q&A with Dale Davidson for October's Plus 1 Solo Show Fest - Series A
This fall, Tongue in Cheek has selected 8 solo show artists to take part in its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival, which runs October 20, 21, 27 & 28. For tickets and more, visit www.tictheater.com.
We recently interviewed Ms. Dale Davidson, which will be featured in Series A in the festival, running October 20 & 21. Read on, and then go grab your tickets!
Who or what got you interested in doing this show?
 |
| Dale Davidson, Fearfully Funny |
I had attended loads of solo shows, having been involved with FringeNYC for its entire 17 years – first as audience, then as a participant and also as a staff member. It became clear that some of the best solo shows credited Matt Hoverman, he of www.createyourownsoloshow.com. I signed up and recently took his Levels 1 and 2 courses. The production here in the Plus One Solo Show Festival is a vignette of what I worked on in Matt’s classes.
Matt is a genius! He makes it easy to hone what you want to say and how to say it. The “elements” he shares of how to structure and present your material are so helpful. Matt also imparts an appreciation of everyone’s stories and how fascinating we human beings are. Part of what makes us human is empathy. Our individual tales are universal. Sharing them allows both the performer and the audience member to embrace the concept that we are not alone – an important way to combat loneliness and depression. Theatre is the art of connecting people and to sometimes present solutions to our human problems.
[Editor's note: It's true about Matt Hoverman's genius--more than half of Plus 1 Solo Show festival participants have studied with him to craft their pieces. His students' works are consistently brilliant, too!]
Who's your audience?
Action cures fear. That's one of the most powerful lessons I've learned from combatting "inner obstacles" for so many years. Here's another homily: Fear is excitement turned inward. I would love to help young people become consciously courageous and embrace confidence in a healthy way. Becoming an adult is such a challenge (not to mention all of the hormonal craziness!). Silly me, I always thought that the purpose of our lives was to improve ourselves over time. (To paraphrase myself, "I'd better be getting better!") But I'm shocked to find too many people stop growing. I believe much of what blocks them is fear.
On a political level, this country has swerved into actually stoking people's anxieties. I see media "pundits" and politicians using phobia and hatred to enhance their own careers and personal wealth. Xenophobia has given way to general negativity and The Blame Game (especially directed toward President Obama), which has leaked down to voters who are in denial of their racism.
Wouldn't it be loverly to reverse THAT trend with my little show!
Indeed! Thanks so much, Dale -- can't wait to see you perform!
Series A of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 20 & Monday, October 21 at 8 pm
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
Tickets are $20 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER9 or by calling 212-868-4444
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Q&A with Nora Vetter for October's Plus 1 Solo Show Festival - Series A
This fall, Tongue in Cheek has selected 8 solo show artists to
take part in its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival, which runs October 20,
21, 27 & 28. For tickets and more, visit www.tictheater.com.
We recently interviewed Nora Vetter, whose piece, Unfinished Adventure, will be featured in Series A in the festival, running October 20 & 21. Read on, and then go grab your tickets!
 |
| Nora Vetter, Unfinished Adventure-r! |
I was part of a clown troupe (my clown alias was Gumdrop) when I was in third grade. I even joined the circus (for a day) and to this day I can make balloon animals or rather variations on a dog.
If your piece were turned into a movie, describe the genre, ideal film director and any supporting cast or players you would cast?
It would be a comedy. And since it would be more of a coming of age type comedy the first director that came to mind would be John Hughes but alas I've missed my opportunity there. Cameron Crowe would definitely be a close second and I'm sure the soundtrack would be phenomenal! Speaking of the soundtrack though, the supporting cast would have to include the remaining members of The Monkees. Jake Johnson, Chris O'Dowd and Rebel Wilson would be on the cast wish list as well.
What do you hope to do with your piece after Plus 1?
My director, Rachel Dart, and I have already discussed the possibility of creating a separate full cast piece inspired by the completed screenplay referenced in the show. But rather than a film it would most likely start out on stage. And we are most certainly not opposed to that stage being on Broadway. :)
Awesome! Thanks so much, Nora -- it's going to be wonderful to be a part of your adventure!
Series A of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 20 & Monday, October 21 at 8 pm
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
Tickets are $20 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER9 or by calling 212-868-4444
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Gratitude & Anticipation: the Saturday before TIC's Fall Season Begins
It's early Saturday morning and so many thoughts are running through my head. Errands, To Do lists, last minute production reminders.
But the most important item on my to do list should be: enjoy that incredible feelings of gratitude and anticipation as Tongue in Cheek's fall season officially starts this week.
When I founded TIC in early 2006, all I knew was there was this play I wanted to do, The Baltimore Waltz by Paula Vogel.
Now 8 years and 23 productions later, we are mounting Vogel's most seminal piece, How I Learned to Drive, along with 4 nights of TIC's 10th Plus 1 Solo Show Festival and a special one-night only performance of How to Behave/Places, Please. That's 14 nights of theater across three weeks. Hard to believe it all started with a three-person play and a cute logo I drew on the back of an envelope of a joyful penguin.
Today entails a trip to Home Depot, house cleaning, and if I'm lucky, a nap on the couch after watching NY1's Onstage.
On Sunday, we have one last rehearsal to crystallize every last entrance, exit and a bit of four-part harmony.
On Monday, my production stage manager and right hand Allison Lemel and I will load into The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios. When the actors arrive that evening, we'll run through all the transitions, light and sound cues.
On Tuesday,
website www.StageBuddyPro.com will interview me in The Bridge about running an indie theater, tips for solo show artists submitting to festivals, and casting for indie theater. (More on those video interviews as soon as they're live!)
On Wednesday, Maeghan Donohue, TIC's production photographer, will capture our final dress rehearsal. Can't wait to share those pics.
On Thursday, we open How I Learn to Drive, and then it's go, go, go. Holy...
Okay: deep breath in. Deep breath out. This moment is pretty great. I thank everyone who has been a part of the many auditions, rehearsals, performances, accolades and most importantly, audiences. One more deep breath.
And now I'm off to Home Depot!
If you haven't purchased your tickets for TIC's fall run, please do! We've already sold out 1 performance of How I Learned to Drive and would love to see your smiling face in the audience.
How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel runs Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are $18 online or call 212-868-4444. Featuring Lynn Berg, Michael Edmund, Holland Hamilton, Jake Lipman, Shelley Little and Joan D. Saunders. Family dysfunction and foam rubber fumbles.
 |
| Tongue in Cheek Theater's 24th production. Whoo wee! |
When I founded TIC in early 2006, all I knew was there was this play I wanted to do, The Baltimore Waltz by Paula Vogel.
Now 8 years and 23 productions later, we are mounting Vogel's most seminal piece, How I Learned to Drive, along with 4 nights of TIC's 10th Plus 1 Solo Show Festival and a special one-night only performance of How to Behave/Places, Please. That's 14 nights of theater across three weeks. Hard to believe it all started with a three-person play and a cute logo I drew on the back of an envelope of a joyful penguin.
Today entails a trip to Home Depot, house cleaning, and if I'm lucky, a nap on the couch after watching NY1's Onstage.
On Sunday, we have one last rehearsal to crystallize every last entrance, exit and a bit of four-part harmony.
On Monday, my production stage manager and right hand Allison Lemel and I will load into The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios. When the actors arrive that evening, we'll run through all the transitions, light and sound cues.
On Tuesday,
website www.StageBuddyPro.com will interview me in The Bridge about running an indie theater, tips for solo show artists submitting to festivals, and casting for indie theater. (More on those video interviews as soon as they're live!)
On Wednesday, Maeghan Donohue, TIC's production photographer, will capture our final dress rehearsal. Can't wait to share those pics.
On Thursday, we open How I Learn to Drive, and then it's go, go, go. Holy...
Okay: deep breath in. Deep breath out. This moment is pretty great. I thank everyone who has been a part of the many auditions, rehearsals, performances, accolades and most importantly, audiences. One more deep breath.
And now I'm off to Home Depot!
If you haven't purchased your tickets for TIC's fall run, please do! We've already sold out 1 performance of How I Learned to Drive and would love to see your smiling face in the audience.
How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel runs Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are $18 online or call 212-868-4444. Featuring Lynn Berg, Michael Edmund, Holland Hamilton, Jake Lipman, Shelley Little and Joan D. Saunders. Family dysfunction and foam rubber fumbles.
Series A of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 20 & Monday, October 21 at 8 pm
Tickets are $20 online or call 212-868-4444. Series A features Aizzah Fatima, Dale Davidson, Anna Fox and Nora Vetter. Google, fear, OCD and big dreams.
How to Behave/Places, Please by Connie Perry/Allison Lemel runs Wednesday, October 23 at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 and include a glass of wine, go online or call 212-868-4444. A glimpse backstage at the humor and grace involved in making magic happen onstage.
More about TIC at www.tictheater.com or on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/tictheater.
Series B of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 27 & Monday, October 28 at 8 pm
Tickets are $20 online or call 212-868-4444. Series B features Kaitlan Emery, Alan Fox, Rose Andrez and Andreanna Buccheri. Mormons, rapping, the suburbs and big hair. How to Behave/Places, Please by Connie Perry/Allison Lemel runs Wednesday, October 23 at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 and include a glass of wine, go online or call 212-868-4444. A glimpse backstage at the humor and grace involved in making magic happen onstage.
More about TIC at www.tictheater.com or on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/tictheater.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Q&A with Anna Fox for October's Plus 1 Solo Show Fest - Series A
This fall, Tongue in Cheek has selected 8 solo show artists to take part in its tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival, which runs October 20, 21, 27 & 28. For tickets and more, visit www.tictheater.com.
 |
| Performer Anna Fox |
Are there writers who inspired you to create your solo show?
On a subconscious level, Will Eno and Caryl Churchill.
With Will Eno, the simplistic nature strikes me in a different way. Every time I see a work of his performed, I simultaneously want to smile and cry. It’s the worst and best feeling all at once, and I don’t think anyone else has ever made me feel that way. I like that his voice is so distinctive and clear, and that I can only attribute that specific feeling to his work. I aspire to be that distinctive.
What inspired the topic of your piece, Our Common Deception?
Our Common Deception, which spells out OCD, speaks to our common deceptions about mental disorders, and also the deceptions people with these afflictions face. I believe the compulsive part of OCD is highlighted a lot more in society’s depictions of OCD because that part is often visible, i.e., “I notice someone washing their hands hands 27 times in 10 minutes. That doesn’t seem ‘normal.’”Whereas some people only suffer from the obsessive part, which is invisibly occurring in the person's head, and not always physically manifested through the compulsion. This is the story of woman who has obsessive tendencies, and what goes on in her mind.
Solo shows often require actors to think on their feet and react. Did you ever have to overcome an unforeseen obstacle onstage?
Luckily, playing a deadpan man was pretty much perfect for me, and in one scene Joshua shows a bit of emotion by singing a Christmas carol to entertain the family. I also carried a wooden gun, which was essentially two pieces of wood haphazardly nailed together, and accented my singing with thrusting the gun in varying directions.
On one particular night my gun broke in half during a particularly forceful arm jab during the song. The scene was set so that the rest of the cast had their backs to the audience to watch me, so I was the only actor facing the audience. They naturally all started cracking up, but were easily able to hide it because the audience couldn’t see them. I knew I too was going to lose it, so I immediately stopped singing, acted as though I was too embarrassed to go on, and quickly ran offstage. This only made everyone laugh more, and was definitely a good save on my part. I love unexpected improvisational moments like that onstage, it keeps me on my toes.
OK: tell us something we wouldn't know about you from your piece, Our Common Deception.
I am working on a children’s book called The ABCs of Allergies, about children who have varying food allergies/intolerances.
Food has been significantly genetically altered over the past sixty or so years, which has then led to more allergies, and subsequently more demand for alternatives, and thus these alternatives have leaked into the mainstream, which I think is great.
Because I have many intolerances, and must always choose my food wisely, I got into cooking at a young age, and I've discovered a whole world of variety within my slightly more limited options, and it feels great to know exactly what is in my food. I would love for that information to be available to young children, so they can feel similarly empowered from an early age. My one secret: coconut flour: it's fibrous, a great gluten-free alternative and pretty cheap compared to other gluten-free flour.
Thanks so much, Anna--and we can't wait to see you perform Our Common Deception in October!
Series A of the Plus 1 Solo Show Festival runs Sunday, October 20 & Monday, October 21 at 8 pm
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
@ The Bridge Theatre (244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor)
Tickets are $20 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=SER9 or by calling 212-868-4444
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the festival can be found at www.tictheater.com, too.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
TIC Hearts Paula Vogel: An Imaginary Conversation with the Playwright
Dear Ms. Vogel,
I promise I don't usually approach playwrights-slash-Pulitzer-Prize-winners when they're trying to enjoy a nice steak dinner out -- but I just have to tell you that I love your work.
When I was getting my MFA in acting, someone passed me their copy of your play The Baltimore Waltz, and I was hooked by the creativity of your storytelling. When I founded my own independent theater company, Tongue in Cheek Theater, in 2006, The Baltimore Waltz was our first production.
Over the years, I've read other plays by you and always hoped to someday do your seminal work, How I Learned to Drive. But for many years, I held back: the uncomfortable mix of sex and family seemed so... challenging... to stage.
But you know what, Ms. Vogel? Can I call you Paula? I really do love this play. Re-reading it late last year, I felt a deep kinship with all the characters, especially the busty-and-smart Li'l Bit. My production stage manager urged me to do it for our fall show.
So here we go: in 10 days, my production company, now on its 24th production, is staging a three-week run of How I Learned to Drive. It feels like a brilliant way to celebrate our 8 years of shows (so far!) by returning to your work.
Just wanted to say thank you for writing it. Enjoy your meal.
Sincerely,
Jake Lipman
P.S. What is Li'l Bit's real name? We have a bet going that it's Elizabeth. Or Lily?
Production Details
TIC Theater is thrilled to produce a 3-week run this fall of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel, running Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are $18 online and 212-868-4444.
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
How I Learned to Drive is an Actors Equity-approved showcase.
I promise I don't usually approach playwrights-slash-Pulitzer-Prize-winners when they're trying to enjoy a nice steak dinner out -- but I just have to tell you that I love your work.
 |
| Paula Vogel, playwright |
When I was getting my MFA in acting, someone passed me their copy of your play The Baltimore Waltz, and I was hooked by the creativity of your storytelling. When I founded my own independent theater company, Tongue in Cheek Theater, in 2006, The Baltimore Waltz was our first production.
Over the years, I've read other plays by you and always hoped to someday do your seminal work, How I Learned to Drive. But for many years, I held back: the uncomfortable mix of sex and family seemed so... challenging... to stage.
But you know what, Ms. Vogel? Can I call you Paula? I really do love this play. Re-reading it late last year, I felt a deep kinship with all the characters, especially the busty-and-smart Li'l Bit. My production stage manager urged me to do it for our fall show.
So here we go: in 10 days, my production company, now on its 24th production, is staging a three-week run of How I Learned to Drive. It feels like a brilliant way to celebrate our 8 years of shows (so far!) by returning to your work.
Just wanted to say thank you for writing it. Enjoy your meal.
Sincerely,
Jake Lipman
P.S. What is Li'l Bit's real name? We have a bet going that it's Elizabeth. Or Lily?
Production Details
TIC Theater is thrilled to produce a 3-week run this fall of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel, running Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are $18 online and 212-868-4444.
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
How I Learned to Drive is an Actors Equity-approved showcase.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Q&A with Holland Hamilton ('Aunt Mary') in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
TIC Theater is thrilled to produce a 3-week run this fall of How I Learned to Drive
by Paula Vogel, running Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The
Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are
$18 online and 212-868-4444.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. Often at odds with her family, she admires her Aunt Mary, who seems to know how to handle any problem with dignity.
We sat down with actor Holland Hamilton ('Aunt Mary') to talk solitude in the city, singing, and sophisticated drinks.
Most of the play takes place at night, on back roads. What's your favorite place to go to escape the city?
Near my house, there's a pier that looks out on the hudson and further on into New Jersey. Looking out on the water and then onto another time and place has always made me feel calm. The city is always full of noise and action. When I stand in that spot and listen to the water (especially at night), I feel like I'm in my own secret world. Knowing that a quieter, calmer place is just a boat, bus or train ride away is soothing. It reminds me that I don't always have to feel cramped or overworked or tired. I can just pick up and go somewhere that's not so crazy.
Music from 1960's figures heavily in the play. What's your favorite song from that decade?
I love the song "Ain't No Mountain." Every time I hear it I get happy. I fell in love with the song when the two moms and kids sing it into their hairbrushes in the movie 'Stepmom.'
Later, I recorded the song with my best friend Marina and at the lyrics "My love is alive deep down in my heart although we are miles apart," we both started laughing at some inside joke. Now I can listen to that recording, no matter where she is, and feel connected to her. It's a real theme song in my life.
If Aunt Mary were mixing a drink, what would she drink, and why?
So, at first I read this as "if your character was a mixed drink..." But the answer is the same. Cosmopolitan. Aunt Mary tries to present herself as very "good." She's grown up under her sister, "the bad daughter," and so she never wants to be like that.
Cosmos are a strong drinks that look sophisticated and taste delightful. So is Aunt Mary.
Catch the heartfelt Hamilton as 'Aunt Mary' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. Often at odds with her family, she admires her Aunt Mary, who seems to know how to handle any problem with dignity.
We sat down with actor Holland Hamilton ('Aunt Mary') to talk solitude in the city, singing, and sophisticated drinks.
Most of the play takes place at night, on back roads. What's your favorite place to go to escape the city?
 |
| Holland Hamilton |
Music from 1960's figures heavily in the play. What's your favorite song from that decade?
I love the song "Ain't No Mountain." Every time I hear it I get happy. I fell in love with the song when the two moms and kids sing it into their hairbrushes in the movie 'Stepmom.'
Later, I recorded the song with my best friend Marina and at the lyrics "My love is alive deep down in my heart although we are miles apart," we both started laughing at some inside joke. Now I can listen to that recording, no matter where she is, and feel connected to her. It's a real theme song in my life.
If Aunt Mary were mixing a drink, what would she drink, and why?
So, at first I read this as "if your character was a mixed drink..." But the answer is the same. Cosmopolitan. Aunt Mary tries to present herself as very "good." She's grown up under her sister, "the bad daughter," and so she never wants to be like that.
Cosmos are a strong drinks that look sophisticated and taste delightful. So is Aunt Mary.
Catch the heartfelt Hamilton as 'Aunt Mary' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Q&A with Joan D. Saunders ('Grandma') in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
TIC Theater is thrilled to produce a 3-week run this fall of How I Learned to Drive
by Paula Vogel, running Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The
Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are
$18 online and 212-868-4444.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. She has more in common with her bawdy grandmother than she would like to think...
We sat down with actor Joan D. Saunders ('Grandma') to talk theater, 60's music and mixed drinks.
What's your favorite place to escape it all?
My favorite escape is going to the theater. It doesn’t matter that I’m surrounded by crowds of people. I just slip into the world on the stage. I love movies, too, but theater is different — maybe because it’s living and breathing.
What's your favorite song from the 1960's?
This is really tough to narrow down, even just to the artist — Frankie Vallee, Three Dog Night, any and all Motown, I could go on and on.
But if I have to narrow it down to an artist, I would say Blood, Sweat and Tears, and from among their many great songs, I’d pick “Lucretia MacEvil” (specifically the longer version). In my case with music, it’s always about the music, not the lyrics, and as with all BS&T songs, it’s the combination of brass and guitar, blues and rock, that grabs me. But this song has FAB lyrics, too.
If Grandma were entertaining, what drink might he fix?
She would mix a virgin Cuba Libre. She knows a girl of any age has to keep her wits about her. And it would be a Cuba Libre because it sounds sophisticated and exotic.
Grab your tickets now to see the jocose Joan D. Saunders out as 'Grandma' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. She has more in common with her bawdy grandmother than she would like to think...
We sat down with actor Joan D. Saunders ('Grandma') to talk theater, 60's music and mixed drinks.
What's your favorite place to escape it all?
My favorite escape is going to the theater. It doesn’t matter that I’m surrounded by crowds of people. I just slip into the world on the stage. I love movies, too, but theater is different — maybe because it’s living and breathing.What's your favorite song from the 1960's?
This is really tough to narrow down, even just to the artist — Frankie Vallee, Three Dog Night, any and all Motown, I could go on and on.
But if I have to narrow it down to an artist, I would say Blood, Sweat and Tears, and from among their many great songs, I’d pick “Lucretia MacEvil” (specifically the longer version). In my case with music, it’s always about the music, not the lyrics, and as with all BS&T songs, it’s the combination of brass and guitar, blues and rock, that grabs me. But this song has FAB lyrics, too.
If Grandma were entertaining, what drink might he fix?
She would mix a virgin Cuba Libre. She knows a girl of any age has to keep her wits about her. And it would be a Cuba Libre because it sounds sophisticated and exotic.
Grab your tickets now to see the jocose Joan D. Saunders out as 'Grandma' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Q&A with Shelley Little ('Mother') in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
TIC Theater is thrilled to produce a 3-week run this fall of How I Learned to Drive
by Paula Vogel, running Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The
Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are
$18 online and 212-868-4444.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. Her mother's wit and wisdom proves prescient, but what teenager ever does exactly what she's told?
We sat down with actor Shelley Little ('Mother') to talk escapes, driving standard and the pivotal role this play had on her life as an actor.
What's your favorite place to escape to, and why?
When I was in high school, I volunteered at the science center on weekends, doing demonstrations on the power of tornados and the history of technology. After a year or two, I was given the very grown-up job of narrating shows in the planetarium. I loved to sit in the cool dark quiet of the planetarium for a few minutes before I would let guests in for my show and at the end of the day after the crowds left. At sixteen, teaching elementary school groups about the skies felt like a lot of responsibility and I loved it.
I guess that place just made me feel special and adult! I wish I could still go there to get away!
Who taught YOU to drive?
My first boyfriend taught me how to drive a standard. We would circle parking lots and I would terrorize the clutch on his ancient Dodge Colt (does anyone even remember those cars existed?) Eventually he got a new car and I inherited the Colt for about a year before it died forever. The first time I drove it alone was on college campus after an Ohio State Football game. I was driving down a packed street where I hit a red light every second block. I stalled out over and over. It was frustrating for me and all the sports fans around me. At one light, I must have stalled a dozen times -- enough that a police officer walked up to my window and asked if I needed help. I was most likely a little hysterical. We figured out I was putting the car in third gear instead of first.
After that lesson, I've been pretty pro and prefer driving standard, but that was not my best day.
How did you first come to know the play?
The motel room scene in this play was the first scene I performed in an acting class, when I was eighteen, Lil Bit's age in the scene. I remember chugging a glass of real champagne (my first), and when I asked Uncle Peck for more, I was choking and coughing. My teacher loved it and laughed. He told me I should audition for the next show at OSU, and I did. So in a way, this play is the reason I'm an actor! I'm very excited to have the opportunity to work on the entire piece, with such a talented group of people.
Come see the sensational Shelley as 'Mother' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios!
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. Her mother's wit and wisdom proves prescient, but what teenager ever does exactly what she's told?
We sat down with actor Shelley Little ('Mother') to talk escapes, driving standard and the pivotal role this play had on her life as an actor.
What's your favorite place to escape to, and why?
 |
| Shelley Little |
I guess that place just made me feel special and adult! I wish I could still go there to get away!
Who taught YOU to drive?
My first boyfriend taught me how to drive a standard. We would circle parking lots and I would terrorize the clutch on his ancient Dodge Colt (does anyone even remember those cars existed?) Eventually he got a new car and I inherited the Colt for about a year before it died forever. The first time I drove it alone was on college campus after an Ohio State Football game. I was driving down a packed street where I hit a red light every second block. I stalled out over and over. It was frustrating for me and all the sports fans around me. At one light, I must have stalled a dozen times -- enough that a police officer walked up to my window and asked if I needed help. I was most likely a little hysterical. We figured out I was putting the car in third gear instead of first.
After that lesson, I've been pretty pro and prefer driving standard, but that was not my best day.
How did you first come to know the play?
The motel room scene in this play was the first scene I performed in an acting class, when I was eighteen, Lil Bit's age in the scene. I remember chugging a glass of real champagne (my first), and when I asked Uncle Peck for more, I was choking and coughing. My teacher loved it and laughed. He told me I should audition for the next show at OSU, and I did. So in a way, this play is the reason I'm an actor! I'm very excited to have the opportunity to work on the entire piece, with such a talented group of people.
Come see the sensational Shelley as 'Mother' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios!
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
Q&A with Michael Edmund ('Big Papa') in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
TIC Theater is thrilled to produce a 3-week run this fall of How I Learned to Drive
by Paula Vogel, running Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The
Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are
$18 online and 212-868-4444.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. Li'l Bit finds herself constantly ogled by men: from her lewd grandfather Big Papa, to disapproving waiters, and boys at school.
How I (Really) Learned to Drive by Michael Edmund ('Big Papa')
I was born and raised in Manhattan. One of the disadvantages of being a teenager in New York City is that a young person can't get a learner's permit to drive until they're 18. (I think it's a little different now but that's the way it was in the 70's).
When I was 17 my family moved to Minneapolis—to help with my ailing grandmother's business. I was in the 12th grade then—and the only 12th grader who didn't know how to drive. I was forced to take driver's ed with a bunch of 9th graders. This was embarrassing to say the least. But since I was 17 I was able to go right into the driver's program once I passed my written test.
Well: the 6 hours behind the wheel training was nothing short of a disaster. I had never been behind a wheel before—and the instructor—Mr. Berg—had never had to deal with such an inexperienced student. I would confuse the accelerator with the brakes, the turn signals with the windshield wipers and as for parallel parking—the less said the better.
My teacher wasn't very encouraging: he bluntly told me that in 29 years of teaching I was the worst student he ever had. But somehow we got through the 6 hours and miraculously I passed the road test on my first try. (Mr. Berg claimed I passed because the instructor giving the test never wanted to see me again.) And for the next several years I drove pretty much without incident. (Well there was that time when I smashed into a parked car, but I really don't want to get into that.)
I haven't owned a car since 1977, and being back in NY I really can't say I miss it. I still rent cars when I'm visiting friends out of town, but I hate driving and I really hate parallel parking. (I love valet parking, however.)
See the marvelous Michael as 'Big Papa' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. Li'l Bit finds herself constantly ogled by men: from her lewd grandfather Big Papa, to disapproving waiters, and boys at school.
How I (Really) Learned to Drive by Michael Edmund ('Big Papa')
When I was 17 my family moved to Minneapolis—to help with my ailing grandmother's business. I was in the 12th grade then—and the only 12th grader who didn't know how to drive. I was forced to take driver's ed with a bunch of 9th graders. This was embarrassing to say the least. But since I was 17 I was able to go right into the driver's program once I passed my written test.
Well: the 6 hours behind the wheel training was nothing short of a disaster. I had never been behind a wheel before—and the instructor—Mr. Berg—had never had to deal with such an inexperienced student. I would confuse the accelerator with the brakes, the turn signals with the windshield wipers and as for parallel parking—the less said the better.
My teacher wasn't very encouraging: he bluntly told me that in 29 years of teaching I was the worst student he ever had. But somehow we got through the 6 hours and miraculously I passed the road test on my first try. (Mr. Berg claimed I passed because the instructor giving the test never wanted to see me again.) And for the next several years I drove pretty much without incident. (Well there was that time when I smashed into a parked car, but I really don't want to get into that.)
I haven't owned a car since 1977, and being back in NY I really can't say I miss it. I still rent cars when I'm visiting friends out of town, but I hate driving and I really hate parallel parking. (I love valet parking, however.)
See the marvelous Michael as 'Big Papa' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Q&A with Lynn Berg ('Uncle Peck') in HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
TIC Theater is thrilled to produce a 3-week run this fall of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel, running Oct. 17-19, 24-26, 31-Nov. 2 at 8 pm at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios (244 W. 54 St., 12th Fl.). Tickets are $18 online and 212-868-4444.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. Only her Uncle Peck seems to get her, and shows her the ways of the world.
We sat down with actor Lynn Berg* ('Uncle Peck') to talk cars, drinks and the 60s.
What's your favorite line from the show?
Uncle Peck says, "Of course, my favorite car will always be the '56 Bel Air Sports Coupe. Chevy sold more '55's, but the '56!"
The first car I owed was a '55 Chevy Bel Air. My dad is a well-known car customizer and he bought me a rusty, two-toned green '55. We restored it together and it was sweet! I loved that car, and now, years later, I regret selling it. Oh, well. My pop has a '55 that he's had since before I was born. And over the years, it's gone through several stages of customizing and colors.
A lot of people, including me and my pop, say the '55 is the real gem of the Bel Airs. I think Peck loves the '56 partly because of his affinity for the underdog.
Who do you think is Peck's favorite pop icon of the 1960's?
Peck's favorite character from the 60's, and really starting in the 50's would be James Bond. Peck loves new gadgets, drinks and women. And he likes to think of himself as a classy playboy. He would envy Bond's above-the-law status and secret agent life. Peck would live vicariously through James Bond's adventures, like readers and audiences have for over 50 years.
If Peck were entertaining, what drink might he fix?
The drink Peck would offer to mix lady guests visiting his den would be a Harpoon. It is a precursor to the Cosmopolitan and we would learn to mix it from Playboy's Bar Guide by Thomas Mario (not Hugh Hefner).
Check Lynn out as 'Uncle Peck' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
*Appears courtesy of the Actors Equity Association. How I Learned to Drive is an Actors Equity-approved showcase.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this play follows precocious Li'l Bit's formative teenage years in rural Maryland in the 1960s. Only her Uncle Peck seems to get her, and shows her the ways of the world.
We sat down with actor Lynn Berg* ('Uncle Peck') to talk cars, drinks and the 60s.
What's your favorite line from the show?
 |
| Merlin Berg's '55 Bel Air. |
The first car I owed was a '55 Chevy Bel Air. My dad is a well-known car customizer and he bought me a rusty, two-toned green '55. We restored it together and it was sweet! I loved that car, and now, years later, I regret selling it. Oh, well. My pop has a '55 that he's had since before I was born. And over the years, it's gone through several stages of customizing and colors.
A lot of people, including me and my pop, say the '55 is the real gem of the Bel Airs. I think Peck loves the '56 partly because of his affinity for the underdog.
Who do you think is Peck's favorite pop icon of the 1960's?
Peck's favorite character from the 60's, and really starting in the 50's would be James Bond. Peck loves new gadgets, drinks and women. And he likes to think of himself as a classy playboy. He would envy Bond's above-the-law status and secret agent life. Peck would live vicariously through James Bond's adventures, like readers and audiences have for over 50 years.
If Peck were entertaining, what drink might he fix?
The drink Peck would offer to mix lady guests visiting his den would be a Harpoon. It is a precursor to the Cosmopolitan and we would learn to mix it from Playboy's Bar Guide by Thomas Mario (not Hugh Hefner).
Check Lynn out as 'Uncle Peck' this fall at the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios.
TIC is thrilled to have sold out its last 2 seasons of plays, so please do buy your ticket in advance. http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=HOW27
For more about the cast, crew, and Tongue in Cheek, please visit www.tictheater.com and like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/tictheater
*Appears courtesy of the Actors Equity Association. How I Learned to Drive is an Actors Equity-approved showcase.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
First Read Through for 'How I Learned to Drive'
Theater people have loads of superstitions. For Tongue in Cheek Theater, we always wait until after a successful first read-through before we send our postcards to print... and I'm thrilled to report, after a fabulous first read of How I Learned to Drive, our postcard proof was just sent to the printers.
Earlier today, in the Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, our cast and crew gathered and read through the entire show in 76 minutes.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Paula Vogel follows a dysfunctional Maryland family in the 1960s.
Happily for the cast, we all got along famously, jokes landed, and the Greek Chorus sang an impromptu arrangement of 'Blue Moon.' Seeing how many of the characters have a tendency to hit the bottle, we felt it fitting to adjourn for a nearby beer at the Tongue in Cheek-designated bar, Valhalla.
The cast is comprised of Lynn Berg* (Uncle Peck), Jake Lipman* (Li'l Bit), Michael Edmund (Big Papa/Male Greek Chorus), Joan D. Saunders (Grandma/Female Greek Chorus 1), Shelley Little (Mother/Female Greek Chorus 2) and Holland Hamilton (Aunt Mary/Female Greek Chorus 3). Rounding out the talented folks making this fall happen is our assistant director Allison Lemel.
If you're superstitious like we are, and if TIC production history is any indication (we're going to sell this one out, mark my words!), you might want to consider buying your tickets now for our fall run.
How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
Directed by Jake Lipman, assistant-directed by Allison Lemel.
9 performances: Thursday-Saturday, Thursday October 17 through November 2, 2013 at 8 pm.
The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor, NYC.
Tickets: $18 at www.tictheater.com or by calling 212-868-4444.
*appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association.
 |
| Six actors in search of a crazy family in this dark comedy. |
The Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Paula Vogel follows a dysfunctional Maryland family in the 1960s.
Happily for the cast, we all got along famously, jokes landed, and the Greek Chorus sang an impromptu arrangement of 'Blue Moon.' Seeing how many of the characters have a tendency to hit the bottle, we felt it fitting to adjourn for a nearby beer at the Tongue in Cheek-designated bar, Valhalla.
 |
| We coordinated our tops. We're off to a mime convention after this. |
If you're superstitious like we are, and if TIC production history is any indication (we're going to sell this one out, mark my words!), you might want to consider buying your tickets now for our fall run.
How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
Directed by Jake Lipman, assistant-directed by Allison Lemel.
9 performances: Thursday-Saturday, Thursday October 17 through November 2, 2013 at 8 pm.
The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor, NYC.
Tickets: $18 at www.tictheater.com or by calling 212-868-4444.
*appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Hot Ticket: HOW TO BEHAVE/PLACES, PLEASE
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the theater? Tongue in Cheek is pleased to announce a special one-night-only event that gives audiences a glimpse behind the curtain, HOW TO BEHAVE/PLACES, PLEASE, on Wednesday, October 21 at 7 pm at The Bridge Theatre in midtown NYC. Musical guest Garry Novikoff will also perform. Tickets are $10 and include a glass of wine.
Two one-woman shows share the stage: HOW TO BEHAVE by Connie Perry and PLACES, PLEASE by Allison Lemel.
Connie Perry reprises (and revises) her piece about coming to NYC to work in the theater, including work as an usher, learning and telling people HOW TO BEHAVE. Perry returns to the stage with TIC after performing an earlier version in TIC's Plus 1 Solo Show Festival.
Allison Lemel wears many hats with TIC, including assistant directing several of its shows, and stage managing more than 14 with TIC. Always unflappable, Lemel recalls her many stage management posts in PLACES, PLEASE, and shows the audience that despite the drama happening backstage, a great stage manager makes magic happen onstage every night.
Garry Novikoff has been a musical guest at TIC's Plus 1 Solo Show Festival and will return with a couple of his heartfelt and humorous songs, rounding out the evening.
We're nearly 2 months out and HOW TO BEHAVE/PLACES, PLEASE is already nearly sold out (as of publishing this blog, only 11 tickets remain!). Details, below. Can't wait to see you at the theater in October.
HOW TO BEHAVE by Connie Perry/PLACES PLEASE by Allison Lemel
Directed by Jake Lipman
Wednesday, October 21 at 7 pm
The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor, NYC
Tickets: $10 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=BEH2 or call 212-868-4444
Run time: 50 minutes, no intermission
Two one-woman shows share the stage: HOW TO BEHAVE by Connie Perry and PLACES, PLEASE by Allison Lemel.
 |
| Connie Perry HOW TO BEHAVE |
 |
| Allison Lemel PLACES, PLEASE |
Garry Novikoff has been a musical guest at TIC's Plus 1 Solo Show Festival and will return with a couple of his heartfelt and humorous songs, rounding out the evening.
We're nearly 2 months out and HOW TO BEHAVE/PLACES, PLEASE is already nearly sold out (as of publishing this blog, only 11 tickets remain!). Details, below. Can't wait to see you at the theater in October.
HOW TO BEHAVE by Connie Perry/PLACES PLEASE by Allison Lemel
Directed by Jake Lipman
Wednesday, October 21 at 7 pm
The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor, NYC
Tickets: $10 at http://www.smarttix.com/Show.aspx?ShowCode=BEH2 or call 212-868-4444
Run time: 50 minutes, no intermission
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Cast Announced: HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
We are thrilled to announce the cast of Tongue in Cheek Theater's fall production of How I Learned to Drive. Thank you to the exceptionally talented group of actors who auditioned for us.
Cast:
Lynn Berg* as 'Uncle Peck'
Michael Edmund as 'Male Greek Chorus'
Jake Lipman* as 'Li'l Bit'
Joan D. Saunders as 'Female Greek Chorus 1'
Shelley Little as 'Female Greek Chorus 2'
Holland Hamilton as 'Female Greek Chorus 3'
Read more about the cast and crew here.
9 performances: Thu, Fri, and Sat nights
Thu., Oct. 17 - Sat., Nov. 2, 2013 at 8 pm.
Tickets: $18 online or at 212-878-4444.
Fun TIC Fact: Tongue in Cheek's inaugural production in 2006 was another Paula Vogel piece, The Baltimore Waltz.
*Appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association. How I Learned to Drive is an AEA-approved showcase.
 |
| Objects in the review mirror may be closer than you think. |
Lynn Berg* as 'Uncle Peck'
Michael Edmund as 'Male Greek Chorus'
Jake Lipman* as 'Li'l Bit'
Joan D. Saunders as 'Female Greek Chorus 1'
Shelley Little as 'Female Greek Chorus 2'
Holland Hamilton as 'Female Greek Chorus 3'
Read more about the cast and crew here.
9 performances: Thu, Fri, and Sat nights
Thu., Oct. 17 - Sat., Nov. 2, 2013 at 8 pm.
Tickets: $18 online or at 212-878-4444.
Fun TIC Fact: Tongue in Cheek's inaugural production in 2006 was another Paula Vogel piece, The Baltimore Waltz.
*Appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association. How I Learned to Drive is an AEA-approved showcase.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Casting HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE August 18
Tongue in Cheek is holding auditions by appointment on Sunday, August 18 for is fall run of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel.
Casting union and non-union actors (3 women, 2 men) for Tongue in Cheek Theater’s fall production of HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE by Paula Vogel. Ms. Jake Lipman, producer and director.
This Pulitzer-prize winning dark comedy recalls a teenage girl struggling to get out of rural Maryland in the 1960s. When her doting uncle gives her driving lessons, concern soon grows that he has an unhealthy attraction to his niece.
Auditions by appointment only, Sunday, August 18 in midtown. Seeking union and non-union actors.
Singing note: while not required for members of the Greek Chorus, please mention in your submission if you can carry a tune and your voice part.
E-mail auditions@tictheater.com with desired role(s), voice part (for GREEK CHORUS roles), headshot, resume and scheduling conflicts. Please do not submit if you cannot attend the first read-through or any tech rehearsals.
Schedule:
Rehearsals are in midtown for five weeks: Sun. afternoons 2-5 pm, Tue/Wed/Thu evenings 6:30-8:30 pm from Sun. Sep. 8-Sun Oct. 13.
Tech will be the evenings of Mon., Oct. 14, Tues., Oct. 15, and Wed., Oct. 16.
9 performances in The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, Thu-Sat nights for three weeks. Oct. 17-Nov. 2 at 8 pm.
AEA showcase, approval pending. Seeking union and non-union actors. Stipend for union actors is $224, non-union $150.
Seeking:
2 MEN
About the play:
A wildly funny, surprising and tempestuous tale of survival as seen through the lens of a relationship between a teenage girl and her uncle, How I Learned to Drive is the story of a woman who learns the rules of the road and life from behind the wheel. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Casting union and non-union actors (3 women, 2 men) for Tongue in Cheek Theater’s fall production of HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE by Paula Vogel. Ms. Jake Lipman, producer and director.
This Pulitzer-prize winning dark comedy recalls a teenage girl struggling to get out of rural Maryland in the 1960s. When her doting uncle gives her driving lessons, concern soon grows that he has an unhealthy attraction to his niece.
Auditions by appointment only, Sunday, August 18 in midtown. Seeking union and non-union actors.
Singing note: while not required for members of the Greek Chorus, please mention in your submission if you can carry a tune and your voice part.
E-mail auditions@tictheater.com with desired role(s), voice part (for GREEK CHORUS roles), headshot, resume and scheduling conflicts. Please do not submit if you cannot attend the first read-through or any tech rehearsals.
Schedule:
Rehearsals are in midtown for five weeks: Sun. afternoons 2-5 pm, Tue/Wed/Thu evenings 6:30-8:30 pm from Sun. Sep. 8-Sun Oct. 13.
Tech will be the evenings of Mon., Oct. 14, Tues., Oct. 15, and Wed., Oct. 16.
9 performances in The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, Thu-Sat nights for three weeks. Oct. 17-Nov. 2 at 8 pm.
AEA showcase, approval pending. Seeking union and non-union actors. Stipend for union actors is $224, non-union $150.
Seeking:
2 MEN
- UNCLE PECK, 30-40s. A former marine, nice-looking and kind, but struggles with drinking and an attraction to his teenage niece.
- MALE GREEK CHORUS, 30s-50s. Plays several roles: a dirty grandfather, a knowing waiter, taunting teenage classmates. Please note if you sing, and voice part.
- FEMALE GREEK CHORUS 1, 30-50s. Plays a naively vulgar grandmother and a taunting classmate. Please note if you sing, and voice part.
- FEMALE GREEK CHORUS 2, 30s. Plays a frequently-drunk-yet-knowing mother and taunting classmate. Please note if you sing, and voice part.
- FEMALE GREEK CHORUS 3, 30s. Plays Aunt Mary, the long-suffering wife of UNCLE PECK and a taunting classmate. Please note if you sing, and voice part.
About the play:
A wildly funny, surprising and tempestuous tale of survival as seen through the lens of a relationship between a teenage girl and her uncle, How I Learned to Drive is the story of a woman who learns the rules of the road and life from behind the wheel. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
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