Casting notice up on Actors Access - WOMEN PLAYING HAMLET

TIC's summer production of Women Playing Hamlet by William Missouri Downs, directed by Molly Ballerstein, is currently casting through Actors Access (auditions Tue & Wed May 10 & 11).

Please ONLY submit through Actors Access (and do not re-post).

5 show run at Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios, midtown NYC,  June 22-26, 2016     

AEA showcase, $150 stipend.

Auditions by appointment: Tue 5/10 and Wed 5/11 from 6:30-9:30 pm

Callbacks by invitation: Thur 5/12 from 6:30-9:30 pm 

Rehearsals: May 17-June 17, evenings in midtown Manhattan. Tue/Wed/Thur nights and Sun June 12

Tech: Mon June 20 evening

Final Dress: Tue June 21 evening

5 performances: Wed June 22 @ 7:30 pm, Thur June 23 @ 7:30 pm, Fri June 24 @ 7:30 pm, Sat June 25 @ 7:30 pm, Sun June 26 @ 2:30 pm

Given the ensemble nature of the play, please only submit if you can commit to all dates.

SEEKING:

[ JESSICA ]

(29 years old). LEAD. Very pretty, self-deprecating, funny. A former soap opera star tackling the role of Hamlet and seeking answers. At times, she falls into her old Minnesotan accent. This character is on stage nearly the entire time and does a lot of direct address to the audience.

[ GWEN ]

(50s+). LEAD. A smart, direct, dry-witted NYC acting coach (once was nominated for a Tony Award), puts Jessica through her paces for the role of a lifetime

[ ACTRESS #1 ]

(29 years old). SUPPORTING. Attractive and whimsical. Actress Who Works at Starbucks/Punky Bike Messenger/Home Shopping Network Model/Soap Opera Starlet/Geeky Teenager

[ ACTRESS #3 ]

(Mid-30s+). SUPPORTING. Articulate and confident. Plays a Blowhard Male Humanities Professor/Minnesotan Priest Who Loves Shakespeare/A Philosophizing Bartender

[ ACTRESS #4 ]

 (40s+). SUPPORTING. Dramatic and character-y. Male Psychiatrist/Ghost/Home Shopping Network Host/Grand Dame Soap Opera Star Who’s Had a Stroke

2015: TIC's Tenth Season and a World Premiere

What a year!

The world premiere of The Inn at Lake Devine was our biggest undertaking ever: a beloved novel, developed over 6 months into a play with music, with 8 musical numbers, 15 actors, 16 performances, as seen by approximately 875 audience members, October 7-24, 2015.

As Tongue in Cheek's tenth season winds to a close, a huge thank you to all our collaborators, audiences, donors, friends, and fans.

We have big plans for TIC's eleventh season in 2016: submitting an updated version of Buffalo Heights to summer festivals, along with the development of a new work, Girl Guides.

Stay tuned for more thought-provoking comedies!

Wishing you a happy, healthy 2016!

Nearly Sold Out -- 5 Shows Remain for THE INN AT LAKE DEVINE

As we head into our final week of performances for The Inn at Lake Devine, we hope you'll snap up one of the few remaining tickets!

Join us for a funny and touching night of theater this week

Tickets: $18 at www.tictheater.com and at 212-868-4444.
Venue: Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor.
Run time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission.

Last week's performances were outstanding for many different reasons.

We sold out every performance.

On Wednesday, October 14, Smith College bought out the evening and sponsored a talk back after the show with novelist Elinor Lipman.

On Friday, October 16, actress Jessica Giannone understudied the role of 'Pamela Marx' seamlessly (in addition to her other multi-faceted roles in the piece!).

We received a rave review from blogger Robin Gorman Newman, who praised the "talented and versatile cast" and wrote, "if you're a fan of the book, you will be heartened to know this production delivers."

Here's to an exciting final week of performances and we'll see you at the theater!

Special Event: Smith College Club Talk Back with Elinor Lipman and Jake Lipman

Jake Lipman, Jennifer Marshall, and Elinor Lipman talk theater

On October 14, 2015, the Smith College Club of NYC, led by Julia Davis, sponsored a special night of The Inn at Lake Devine, followed by a talk back with Producing Artistic Director Jake Lipman (who adapted the novel and stars in the show) and novelist Elinor Lipman.

The event was moderated by publicist Jennifer Marshall, who was Elinor Lipman's publicist on the first printing of the novel in 1998.  Questions touched upon a real-life incident which inspired Elinor Lipman to write the first chapter of the novel, how Jake Lipman approached adapting the script, as well as how Tongue in Cheek Theater's production measured up to readers' vision of the story.

The romantic comedy with music runs for 16 performances, Oct. 7-24, 2015 @ 7:30 pm at Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor.  Tickets are $18 at www.tictheater.com and 212-868-4444.

@LakeDevine: Barbra Wengerd as 'Pamela Marx' in THE INN AT LAKE DEVINE

Actor Barbra Wengerd plays the funny and flirty Pamela Marx in The Inn at Lake Devine, which is running for 11 more performances in October.

Barb plays 'Pammy Marx'

The play with music runs October 7-24, 2015 @ 7:30 pm at Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor.  The show runs 2 hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.  Tickets: $18 at www.tictheater.com and 212-868-4444.

We asked the wonderful Wengerd a few questions:

Where do you want to travel to next?
 I've wanted to go to St. Petersburg, Russia, for a long time; but since it's not in the cards right now, I'd like to go to Canada.  I've never been to Montreal or Quebec City, and would love to spend some time in a low-pressure, relaxing place with good food, things to see, and all the amenities of modern life (plus I hear Quebec is beautiful).  Most of my recent vacations have been rustic and involved camping, so it'd be fun to do some traveling where I can tuck into a bed and cozy sheets at the end of the day!

What's your favorite song from the 60s or 70s?
 "Lola" by the Kinks.  It's the perfect combination of the 60s and 70s: it rocks, it's melodic, and it's nostalgic without being sentimental.  I think "Lola" came out in 1970... but it's timeless, no?

Mushrooms: Yes or No?
Mushrooms are delicious!  They're perfect for pasta sauce or as a pizza topping.  Fried up in butter with a splash of sherry?  Yes, please.  Mushroom risotto.  Of course.  Cooked right, agaricus bisporus (portobello) is a brilliant substitute for beef.  Yep, I'm definitely pro-mushroom. 

Attend Wed 10/14 Special Event: Talk Back After THE INN AT LAKE DEVINE, Sponsored by Smith College

We would be delighted to have you join us this Wednesday, October 14 from 7:30-10 pm for a very special event: attend a performance of the romantic comedy The Inn at Lake Devine, based on the novel by Elinor Lipman, and stay after for a glass of wine and audience talk back with Ms. Elinor Lipman.

This is the ONLY talk back being offered with Elinor Lipman about the production, which is a world premiere adaptation by Jake Lipman (no relation), a Smith College alum (class of 2000).

Tickets are $25 and are open to the general public: http://www.smithclubnyc.org/article.html?aid=626

Elinor and Jake Lipman, surrounded by the company of THE INN AT LAKE DEVINE

Event overview: please arrive before 7:30 pm, for the start of show (there is no late seating).  Enjoy the play with music (running time 2 hours, 15 minutes, including an intermission), followed by wine and audience talk back with Elinor and Jake in the theater.

Venue: Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor (in a non-descript high rise between Broadway and Eighth Avenue).

Play synopsis: Where chutzpah meets reservations.
Spring 1964.  When Natalie Marx's mother inquires about summer accommodations in Vermont, she gets the following reply: "The Inn at Lake Devine is a family-owned resort, which has been in continuous operation since 1922.  Our guests who feel most comfortable here, and return year after year, are Gentiles."

For fourteen-year-old Natalie, who has a stubborn sense of justice, these words are not a rebuff but an irresistible challenge, setting in motion events that will forever change her life.

For more about the production, and Tongue in Cheek Theater Productions, visit www.tictheater.com.

About Elinor Lipman: Elinor is an accomplished writer of novels and essays, whose books include Then She Found Me (turned into a major motion picture starring and directed by Helen Hunt), The Way Men Act, Isabel's Bed, The Inn at Lake Devine, The Ladies' Man, The Dearly Departed, The Pursuit of Alice Thrift, and My Latest Grievance.  She is the recipient of the New England Book Award for fiction for a body of work.  She has taught writing at Simmons, Smith and Hampshire colleges and was the Elizabeth Drew Chair in Creative Writing at Smith for 2011-12.

About Jake Lipman: Jake graduated from Smith College in 2000 and received her MFA in acting from the Actors Studio Drama School at the New School.  She founded Tongue in Cheek Theater Productions in 2006 to produce and perform thought-provoking comedies, and her adaptation of The Inn at Lake Devine marks the company's 31st production.  More at www.tictheater.com and www.jakelipman.com.

A huge thank you to the Smith College Club of NYC for sponsoring the event.  A portion of the tickets benefit the Smith College Scholarship Fund.

@LakeDevine: Tony Wolf plays 'Man' in THE INN AT LAKE DEVINE

When you come to see The Inn at Lake Devine, take note of an extraordinary actor playing the aptly named role of 'Man,' Tony Wolf.

Tony Wolf sings, acts, and dances in Inn

About two weeks before we opened the show, Tony was called in to take on the role, and it is truly impressive to see how quickly he learned every character, in addition to two choreographed numbers and harmonies for several choral moments.

The play with music runs for 16 performances, October 7-24, 2015 @ 7:30 pm (matinee on Sunday, October 18 @ 2:30 pm) at Theatre 54 @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor.  The show runs 2 hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.  Tickets: $18 at www.tictheater.com and 212-868-4444.

We asked Tony a few quick questions:

How would you describe your character in the show?
I play several character roles, including a Borscht Belt lounge singer, a guest at the Catskills resort, and the fiancé of not one but two different characters.  It's fun to jump from character to character, and I'm thrilled to be singing harmony quartet music again (we sing a barbershop quartet song and a somber funeral hymn) -- one of the greatest joys of my life is singing a cappella music.

What's your favorite song from the time periods of the show (60s and 70s)?
Currently, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" by Looking Glass and "Carrie Anne" by the Hollies, which are both battling it out in my music-appreciating cranium.

Favorite coming-of-age story?
By far, it has to be the brilliant TV show Freaks and Geeks by Judd Apatow and Paul Feig.

It's the funniest, most well-written and most moving coming-of-age storytelling I've ever seen, and of course, it launched the careers of many currently well-known actors like James Franco, Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Martin Starr, and also starred veteran, beloved NYC actors like Becky Ann Baker.  If you haven't already seen it, it lasted one season (critically-acclaimed by didn't get the ratings back in 1999) and it is absolutely worth your time.