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
HOW TO BEHAVE

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
PLACES, PLEASE

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

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.

Objects in the review mirror may be closer than you think.

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.

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

• 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.

3 WOMEN

• 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.

Note: the role of LI’L BIT has been cast.

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.

Plus 1 Alum 'Dirty Paki Lingerie' at The Flea for 3 Weeks!

Guest blogger (and Plus 1 alum) Aizzah Fatima has big news:

My solo show Dirty Paki Lingerie is getting a 3-week run at The Flea Theater (41 White Street, NYC), running July 31 through August 18, Wed-Sat at 9 pm and Sat & Sun at 5 pm.  Tickets $25/$15 for students and seniors.  

Solo show performer Aizzah Fatima in Dirty Paki Lingerie

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to study with the amazingly talented Matt Hoverman (www.createyourownsoloshow.com).  I created my one-woman play titled Dirty Paki Lingerie in his class.  I originally premiered a part of this piece in the Spring 2010 Plus 1 Solo Show Festival, Tongue in Cheek Theater's festival for new solo shows (currently accepting submissions!).

My piece has since expanded to 60 minutes, and I play seven female characters ranging in age from 7 to 65.   I describe the piece as "Sex, religion, and politics collide as six Pakistani-American women air their dirty lingerie."  It has been performed at the Midtown International Festival, Toronto, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The All For One Theater Festival, and recently in Pakistan with the U.S. State Department.

The Wall Street Journal recognizes that Dirty Paki Lingerie "Breaks down stereotypes of Muslim women in America" and other reviewers called it a "must-see" production, so get your tickets to see it at The Flea in the coming weeks.

And after you see Aizzah, be sure to submit your solo show to the 10th Plus 1 Solo Show Festival; submissions are due by August 30.

Calling All Solo Shows: Submissions due by August 30 for Fall Plus 1 Festival!

Do you have a great one-person show you'd like to share?  If so, Tongue in Cheek wants you to submit it to our tenth Plus 1 Solo Show Festival this fall!

Please refer to our submissions page for everything you need to know, but some highlights:
+ 15 minutes or shorter solo shows
+ Funny/thought-provoking subject matter
+ Submissions due by midnight on Friday, August 30
+ Shows will be performed in a midtown theater October 20 & 21 (Series A) and 27 & 28 (Series B)

We've posted our notice to Playbill.com's Job Listings also.

The Plus 1 Solo Festival is always jam-packed with theater-lovers... we always sell out our run!  A great way to get seen by supportive audiences.

Fall Productions Announced!

Whoo-wee, is it hot out there or is it Tongue in Cheek's fall 2013 line up of shows?

Catch our main stage show, the smart and searing How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel.
9 performances, October 17-November 2 @ 8 p.m.

Bright lights, big season!

For more about auditions on August 18, click here, or buy your tickets now.

Our 10th Plus 1 Solo Show Festival showcases one-person pieces with heart and humor. 
Series A runs October 20 & 21 @ 8 p.m.
Series B runs October 27 & 28 @ 8 p.m.
Have a funny, personal story?  Guidelines to submit by August 30.

Peek behind stage for our special event, Places, Please/How to Behave, a night of behind-the-scenes wit and wisdom.
Tuesday, October 22.  

One night only, featuring first person accounts of stage management and ushering SNAFUs, as witnessed by Allison Lemel and Connie Perry.

Check back on www.tictheater.com for updates with the artists involved and more about the stories we're telling this fall.  See you soon!

More MADELINE Accolades from Going To Tahiti Productions' Artististic Director

I feel the opposite of Groucho Marx when he said he wouldn't like to be a part of a club that would have him as a member.  What could be better than finding yourself in the company of wonderful, talented people?

To that point, Jessica Ammirati, producing artistic director of Going to Tahiti Productions, just posted one of the loveliest blog posts/reviews about Tongue in Cheek's spring production, The Mistakes Madeline Made.

Jess' post is entitled The Joys of Talented Friends... (chew on that cigar, Groucho), and here's an excerpt:

"As I'm coming to expect from TIC Theater, this dark comedy was a great evening of theater... filled with very funny/slightly surreal moments, which in and of itself was not much a surprise considering the playwright would go on to create and produce the Fox television show New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel.  But what did surprise me was how moving the play managed to be in the midst of some "wackiness" and though I'm sure that was a factor of the writing, it was also due to the direction of Brock H. Hill and the work of the extraordinary cast."

High praise from someone as accomplished as Jess.  I can't wait to see her company's next production, Bella's Dream, a new play with dance, dreams and displacement by Dana Boll.  Set in current day and 1939, it contrasts the lives of a used car salesman in Florida and newlyweds Bella and Raymond's trek from their homeland of Poland to a displaced persons camp in Germany.  Bella's Dream runs for two weeks in June on the Lower East Side; tickets and more information at www.GoingToTahitiProductions.com.

So, to like-minded, talented friends, thank you for having me in your club and I look forward to when next we meet.