Wayward Theatre

Coming July 2011...

2011-05-23T20:00:00.001-07:00

A new comedy from Seamus Sullivan, the author of Fringe 2009's hit Skywriter!

Lonely museum curator Dale Prewitt is frightened by intimacy, until he's forced to confront the sudden rise of a strange new STD -- a utopian civilization living on his genitalia. In this absurd, sexy, and oddly touching new comedy, Dale must face his future as a man in love -- and as a god to the burgeoning world of Genitopia.

Warning! Features kung fu, swordsmanship, and guitar solos, and profane humor.

Starring Ben Kingland, Genevieve James, Aviva Pressman, Mia Branco, and Mark Halpern.

TICKETS AND SCHEDULE GO LIVE JUNE 20TH at capfringe.org

Congratulations, Cast of Freud Meets Girl!

2010-11-23T00:29:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Seamus Sullivan, Blair Bowers, Melissa Hurt, Jason Schlafstein, Michael Saltzman, and Aviva Pressman for many weeks of effort, a huge amount of teamwork, and a willingness to stay present and proactive through a challenging, truly rewarding rehearsal process. Hats off to you!

And, to all who were able to join us for this fallFRINGE production, many thanks! We hope you had as much fun as we did!

Watch this blog for further Wayward goings-on, keep your creative minds engaged, and we'll see you soon!

Carry on,

Wayward.

WAMU Interviews Wayward

2010-11-22T23:55:00.000-08:00

Much to our delight, Rebecca Sheir of WAMU's Friday program Metro Connection approached us recently looking to discuss what it means to start a theatre company from scratch. We're no experts, but we certainly have a few thoughts on the subject!

You can listen to the radio feature here, which includes interviews with Freud Meets Girl lead actor Seamus Sullivan and writer/director Hunter Styles.

Thanks WAMU!

Welcome To Therapy

2010-11-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

We're open!

After a successful first week of performances, we're stoked for more and looking forward to next weekend with excitement. Don't be left behind! Join the marvelous cast of Freud Meets Girl for our 4 remaining performances:

Fri Nov 12th @ 9:00pm

Sat Nov 13th @ 10:00pm

Sun Nov 14th @ 3:00pm

Sun Nov 21st @ 7:15pm

See you at The Shop!

-Wayward

Fringe Interviews Hunter

2010-11-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Freud Meets Girl writer and director Hunter Styles is the subject of November's feature "Interview With A Fringe Artist," a monthly series published by the Capital Fringe Festival.

In the interview, Hunter discusses myth, magic, ensemble work, and the evolution of a show that, in a matter of months, has seen multiple productions and a remarkable display of supporting talent. Also, black Spandex.

I've been happy to find that the cast and crew of this November show are a tenacious bunch. I feel very little time wasted, and very few ideas abandoned. It's been a bit of a trick, working re-casting and re-design into this process since July, but it's been a tremendous chance to see this young story in a totally new light.

For the full article, click here.

Full listing of showtimes and ticket info for the remount of Freud Meets Girl is here.

Freud Speaks!

2010-10-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

Being David Freud

reflections on the rehearsal process

from Seamus Sullivan

The thing about theater, the real infuriating, invigorating, defining thing about theater in DC is how community-based it is. It's infuriating because of limited audience exposure in the age of Netflix and YouTube: tell me it doesn't make you cry inside to know that no matter how good your production of Angels in America is, probably not as many people will see it as have seen Pants on the Ground. That's a topic for another post, though.

The invigorating thing about working in a community of artists is that, in addition to forming partnerships and friendships, everyone who stays here and works for a few years gets to see all the other artists showing off their abilities over time, and learns their strengths and weaknesses. Such-and-such a director has a knack for staging epic plays, such-and-such a writer churns out fantastic situations with naturalistic dialogue, such-and-such an actor has precision comic timing but room for dramatic growth.

This familiarity with someone's skill set is a big help when figuring out who to work with on a given project. It also makes bucking people's expectations an exciting and scary thing for an individual artist.

Acting again two years after my last role at Georgetown University (Hans Blix in Stuff Happens) has been like that. People in the greater DC theater community who know my work (all eight of them) know me as a playwright. A few months ago I acted in a ten-minute play about college baseball, which we used to test acoustics in the new theaters at my workplace. I have a dirty line about how a used baseball glove smells like your hand when it's been inside a special someone, and when I reached this line during a run-through, one of the actresses who was also performing later, an actual professional who's probably played to more people in her fullest house than I have in everything I've ever written, directed or acted in to date, a remarkably sweet and good-natured woman with whom I've attended church, gasped and said "Seamus!" as if she'd never expected me to reach such depths of even fictional depravity. That's something I'll cherish.

Which brings me to Freud Meets Girl. When fellow Waywardian and Georgetown theater veteran Hunter Styles gave me the chance to play David Freud in the fallFRINGE remount, I was all kinds of excited because:

A). It's a tremendous script- subtle, ambitious, thematically deep without hitting you over the head, fast-paced, way funny. As a playwright I'm still jealous of it.

B). The character has a tragic arc right out of Frankenstein and does a half-dozen other things I've never gotten to do even when acting at Georgetown. I've gotten to dress up as Charles Guiteau and dance my way up the gallows, but I've never played someone in a fraying marriage, or made the impassioned pleas David does for his life-threatening experiments, or faced the devastating personal revelations that flatten poor Dr. Freud by the story's end.

C). While I'm nervous playing a leading man, this leading man is a neurotic, distracted creator fueled by too much ego and too little sleep. So that's not exactly outside of my range.

Rehearsals with Mr. Styles, producer Jewell Fears, and the shipshape cast they've assembled have born out my suspicions that this process would be crazy fun. We've made new discoveries almost nightly, and everyone's shown a lot of invention and openness to exploring the very best ways to have all the characters bounce off each other onstage. Punches fly, clothes are torn off, and Spanish-speaking zombies lurch into scenes.

Come see us at Fort Fringe starting November 5. You'll see something new- not just from me, but from the whole cast, and from Hunter, who's tweaked the script for the better, and who's building a Kirby-esque, light-up dream machine for this production.

- Seamus

Rehearsal pics!

2010-10-28T13:11:00.001-07:00

Flirting!

Reading!

Yelling!

Pouting!

Inquiring!

Fighting!

Studying!

Conference calling!

This, and so much more, opening November 5th!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE!!

2010-10-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Tickets are now on sale for Freud Meets Girl, opening November 5th as part of fallFRINGE, a series presented by the Capital Fringe Festival.

Click here to buy your tickets today, before they're all gone!

See you at the theater!

- Wayward

Meet The Cast of FMG 2.0

2010-10-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Wayward Theatre is very pleased and excited to announce the cast of Freud Meets Girl for November's fallFRINGE series.

Our six talented actors have courteously arranged themselves in alphabetical order. They are:

Blair Bowers (Sophie) is excited to be working on her first post-college graduation show with Wayward Theatre. Other local credits include Rorschach Theatre: Living Dead In Denmark; helping to launch Splashlife: The Millenials. Blair has a BA in Theatre and Dance from James Madison University.

Melissa Hurt (Rebecca) is excited to perform with Wayward Theatre and thrilled to be a part of DC theatre after being away for ten years. She has worked as an actor, director, dramaturg, producer, voice/speech trainer, and makeup artist in Washington DC; Baltimore, MD; Richmond, VA; Dodge City, Kansas; Eugene, Oregon and Sydney, Australia. Melissa teaches performance at the University of Mary Washington.

Aviva Pressman (NORM) is excited to be playing her very first machine in the exciting Fall Fringe Festival! Credits include Rorschach Theatre: Klecksography; Wayside Theatre: Man of La Mancha, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Miracle on 34th Street, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Harvey. Aviva has also worked as a voice over artist, director, and acting teacher.

Michael Saltzman (Oscar) Recent acting credits include First Stage: The Hunchback Variations; Open Drawer Theatre Company: Please Listen; University of Maryland: The Illusion, The Distance From Here; Weekday Players: Picasso at the Lapin Agile; Nu Visions Theatre Company: Breathe; Howard University: Joe Turner Has Come and Gone. Michael is a graduate of the University of Maryland theatre department.

Jason Schlafstein (Roger) was last seen onstage as Hal in Proof at RLT, and in a staged reading for Active Cultures. He is Assistant Director and interim Production Manager for The Odd Couple at Theater J. He will next be Assistant Directing If You Give a Cat a Cupcake: Adventure Theatre and Directing a staged reading for Doorway Arts Ensemble.

Seamus Sullivan (David) Recent credits include: Page to Stage: Sixty-9/11; Active Cultures: Horseplay with the MJTA and the Source Festival: Bunny, Bunny. His writing has appeared as part of Rorschach Theatre's Myth-Appropriation series, Arena Stage's Downstairs series, the Capital Fringe Festival, and Page to Stage. His last year was spent writing fifty short plays about Horatio's adventures after the events of Hamlet.

More to come on the strange and magical rehearsal process for Freud Meets Girl!

Calling All Actors!

2010-08-29T20:04:00.001-07:00

Spread the word! We would LOVE to have you in to check out the next step in the development of this piece. Love, Wayward

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AUDITIONS
for a brand-new WAYWARD THEATRE production of
FREUD MEETS GIRL
the smash hit of the 2010 Capital Fringe Festival!

DC’s Wayward Theatre is currently casting for a new production of

FREUD MEETS GIRL
Written and Directed by Hunter Styles
Produced by Jewell N. Fears

to be presented as part of FallFRINGE, a new three-week performance series presented by the 2010 Capital Fringe Festival.

Auditions will be held in DC, at a Metro-accessible location TBA.

Auditions scheduled in 15-minute blocks during the following times:

Monday, September 6: 1pm-5pm
Saturday, September 11: 12pm-6pm
Sunday, September 12: 12pm-6pm

To schedule an audition, please email freudmeetsgirl@gmail.com with your availability.

If you are available for the rehearsal/performance dates, but NOT available for the audition times, or if you have any other questions, please email and we will see what we can do to accommodate you.

The auditions will be cold readings from the script. There will not be sides available before the date of the auditions.

Rehearsals will begin on Monday, September 27th.

Performance dates (9 performances likely) will fall between November 4th and November 21st, 2010.

(Our specific performance schedule is forthcoming from Fringe HQ).

Please note – although Wayward Theatre is a Non-Equity theatre, this Fringe Festival performance will fall under the AEA umbrella, allowing both Non-Equity and Equity members to fully participate without conflict.

Thanks!

Best,
Jewell Fears, Producer

To Dreamers Everywhere

2010-07-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

Dear artists and friends of the arts,

A huge thanks to everyone for making Freud Meets Girl such a tremendous success. Over the course of five shows we sold 296 out of 300 total seats, which makes for a 98% attendance rate. As Sigmund Freud might say, Not too shabby!

Whether you performed, designed, or simply showed up with a curious mind, you helped to make this show happen, and Wayward Theatre thanks you!

And, we hope you are excited for what comes next! Keep your eyes on the site and your ears open for our upcoming plans and performances. More soon, we promise.

Carry on,

Wayward Theatre

VOTE For Us In The Washington Post!

2010-07-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

The Going Out Gurus over at The Washington Post want to know what your favorite Fringe play has been this season!

Give Wayward Theatre and all our hard working actors and designers a nod by voting for Freud Meets Girl at the official vote page.

And once you've voted, check out the cool graphic displaying the results.

Over 1,000 people have voted so far. Don't miss out on this exclusive and somewhat shameless popularity contest!

Warning! Warning!

2010-07-21T22:40:00.001-07:00

Boop boop, danger, Will Robinson! The reading from our populometer is off the charts! We've sold out tomorrow's show of Freud Meets Girl!

So, come see it on FRIDAY at 10pm.

If you don't know where to buy tickets... then read any other post we've ever put up here, like, ever.

WE WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER if you come, and maybe introduce you to some other popular people, like those hot ladies over there at the bar.

LAST CHANCE! Friday's the final show.

Hunter

FMG Gets a Great Review on DCist!

2010-07-19T15:26:00.001-07:00

You're not still hesitating, are you? Don't miss out on the runaway hit of Fringe 2010, amigos.

After seeing Freud Meets Girl, Sarah Sherman with DCist writes that "director Randy Baker works in perfect concert with a core cast of six" and finds the show "remarkable... a gem in hiding."

And, ultimately, "the results are staggering - and terrifying."

We'll take that and run with it!

So, run with us through our final two performances at The Clinic:

Thu July 22nd at 8pm and Fri July 23rd at 10pm

Fifty million Elvis fans can't be wrong. Get those tickets while you still can by clicking on the pretty blue link in the top-right column.

And, read the full DCist review here.

See you soon!

Hunter

DC Theatre Scene: 5 Stars! FMG is a TOP PICK!

2010-07-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

Critics rave! Freud Meets Girl is one of the hottest shows this summer!

DC Theatre Scene awards the show a 5-out-of-5 rating, making it a TOP PICK for the festival, and calls it "Wonderfully imaginative... a mind-blowing experience!" and "a superlative Capital Fringe offering!"

Read the full review here.

We're selling fast. Don't get left in the dark. Tickets are available online at the Fringe Box Office, or by phone at 1-866-811-4111.

See you soon!

Hunter

FMG is a Washington Post Editors' Pick!

2010-07-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

All that late-night art-making pays off!

Freud Meets Girl opened to a sold-out house yesterday.

And today’s review in the Washington Post is pretty stellar. Peter Marks calls it “juicy sci-fi… terrifically cast” and “a breathless… nifty entertainment, filled with winning performances.”

Don’t miss your chance to catch this terrific production. Tickets are available online at the Fringe Box Office, or by phone at 1-866-811-4111.

Get ‘em now before they sell out!

And, hope to see ya there!

Hunter

Congratulations, Cast of Freud Meets Girl!

2010-07-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

To our wonderful six actors (from left: Andres Talero, Laura C. Harris, Misty Demory, Eric Messner, Katie Atkinson and Tony Bullock): Congratulations on a fantastic, sold-out first performance! Keep up the brilliant work!

Video Clip: The Classroom Scene @ Preview Night

2010-07-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Preview Pics!

2010-07-09T20:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who checked out our preview performance at the Gypsy Tent Bar Thursday night! For those of you who missed it, here are some pictures.

Next stop, opening night! Well, opening afternoon. We hope to see you at the world premier at 1:30 tomorrow. You can purchase tickets here:
http://shows.capfringe.org/shows/474-Wayward-Theatre-Freud-Meets-Girl.html

The line.

The stage.

The bar!

The bar, from another angle.

Between shows.

More to follow!

-Seamus, Blogger-in-Chief

We're on Facebook! And Twitter!

2010-06-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

What hits the spot after a long trip to the dentist? A nice big glass of theatre magic, methinks.

David loves Wayward, and you do too!

So, find us on Facebook: Business page Wayward Theatre.

And hit Like to follow along.

And/or: Follow us on Twitter @WaywardTheatre.

You like us, you really like us!

*Blawwwggh!*

How's The Script Coming?

2010-06-12T18:30:00.001-07:00

Funny you should ask. It's going swimmingly, with weekly re-writes and feedback from rehearsal to help shape the final product.

In short? It's bigger and better. More thrilling. More creepy. More fun.

At first, logic dictated I start with this simple, timeless equation:

I can only describe what's happened since then as the following:

Join us in July.

It. Will. Be. Awesome.

Carry on,

Hunter

The First Modern Scribes Reading

2010-05-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today we have our illustrious author, Hunter Styles, sharing some thoughts about last Sunday night's Modern Scribes reading with Artists' Bloc. We'll be doing one more private reading while Hunter continues tweaking the script, and then we'll have a public reading in less than two short weeks:

Freud Meets Girl: A Modern Scribes Reading
Thursday, June 3 at 8:00 PM
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Melton Rehearsal Hall
641 D St, NW
Washington, DC 20004

It'll be your big chance to hear the script in action before the Fringe Festival, so definitely don't miss it. Here's Hunter.

First off, Artists' Bloc rocks. It's a real pleasure to get involved with them after the success of developing Seamus's play Skywriter last year. The Bloc has a great attitude to workshopping that's both rigorous and carefully considered. Even after the workshop was over, taking a few extra minutes to brainstorm with moderator Lee Liebeskind at his car gave me a lot to ponder for the next draft.

This was the first time I've heard virtually any of this thing out loud. Until the first workshop it had only been playing out in my head. So, I was surprised to find some spots in the text that are overwritten - where simplicity is best, and where I can really pare it down - and that some ideas and sentences I always considered 'placeholders' actually sound pretty great out loud!

That's one of the great things about theater, though. A good actor communicates so much through the quality of their voice and their body language. In the earliest draft of a play like this, it's hard to imagine exactly what the live actor will contribute, so at times I've struggled to make perfect sense on paper. But now, hearing it performed, I feel compelled to strip it down, strengthen the action, trust the actors, and trust the audience to follow along with us.

Meet the Freud Meets Girl Cast!

2010-05-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

After some private auditions last month, we emerged with a Freud Meets Girl cast that can only be described as kick-ass. You'll have a chance to see them in action at a public reading of FMG that Artists' Bloc will be conducting on June 3 at 8:00 PM in Woolly Mammoth's Melton Rehearsal Hall. Watch this space tomorrow for more news on that front.

In order to sate your burning curiosity, I figured I'd go ahead and introduce our lovely, Freudian cast to you now. In alphabetical order, here they are:

Katie Atkinson (Becca) was last seen with Constellation Theatre Company in The Ramayana. Also with Constellation: A Flea in Her Ear, Crazyface, Temptation, The Good Woman of Setzuan and The Arabian Nights; Washington Shakespeare Company: The Miser; Forum Theatre: Antigone, The Skriker; Shakespeare Theatre Company: Lady Windermere's Fan; Rorschach Theatre: Living Dead in Denmark, A Bright Room Called Day; Journeymen Theater Ensemble: The Inspector General; Spooky Action Theater Company: The Marriage of Bette and Boo; and Synetic Theater Blackout Series: My Way Little Girl. She has worked as an actor and teaching artist at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA and is an Associate Artist with Constellation Theatre Company. Katie has a BFA in Drama from Syracuse University.

Tony Bullock (Roger) received his BFA in theatre from William Carey College in Mississippi. He then attended the journeyman program at the Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, South Carolina. He later received his MFA from Florida State University Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training in Sarasota, Florida. He has worked professionally as an actor in Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, and has been living and working in D.C. for the past two years. He most recently played Hamlet (the zombie king) in Rorschach’s production of Living Dead in Denmark and Sefton in Stalag 17 at American Century.

Misty Demory (NORM) is delighted to be working with Randy on Freud Meets Girl. Misty was seen most recently in The Ramayana with Constellation Theatre Company. Other Constellation credits include, Crazyface, The Marriage of Figaro, The Oresteia, The Arabian Nights and A Dream Play. Other DC credits include Imagination Stage: Helen Hayes Nominated Lyle The Crocodile, Playing From The Heart, Lost and Foundling. Studio Theatre SecondStage: TempOdyssey. Phoenix Theatre DC: Silent Heroes and The Kathy and Mo Show. Misty is an associate artist with Constellation Theatre Company. Misty can currently be seen in commercials for Luray Caverns. She would like to thank her phenomenal husband for taking such loving care of their babies while she is at the theater.

Laura C. Harris (Sophie)'s professional credits include Amazons and Their Men with Forum Theatre, 26 Miles at Round House Theatre and Two River Theater Company, The Winter’s Tale and The School for Scandal at Folger Theatre, 1984 with Catalyst Theater Company, Rough Guide to the Underworld with Riverrun Theatre Company, What Remains with the Source Festival, Long Beach '44 with Washington Women in Theater, An Experiment with an Air Pump with Potomac Theatre Project, and Cigarettes and Chocolate at Atlantic Stage 2. Laura is a graduate of Middlebury College with a BA in Theatre and Film. Infinite thanks to family, friends, and FREUD.

Eric Messner (David) has been working in the DC/Baltimore area for some time now. Some notable appearances in the DC area include: Lucius in Titus Andronicus with WSC, and as Chicago in Is He Dead?, as Jeff in Omnium Gatherum, both with Olney Theatre Center, and as The Howie Lee in Howie the Rookie and Paul Foggarty in Scenes From The Big Picture (Helen Hayes Nomination) with Solas Nua. Other favorite roles include: Sigismund in Life’s a Dream, Jacques Roux in Marat/Sade and as Justin Timberlake/Harrison Ford in Crumble…Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake. Eric has toured nationally as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, and Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night with the National Players, and internationally as Howard in the Keegan Theatre’s Ireland tour of Death of A Salesman. Most recently he played the poet and ambassador Edward Dyer, in Taffety Punk's production of Burn Your Bookes. Upcoming: Mr. Scary in Junie B. Jones, Jingle Bells, Batman Smells at Imagination Stage.

Andrés Talero (Oscar) is excited to be working with Wayward Theatre for the first time! Previous credits include Constellation Theatre: The Ramayana (Vibishana/Ensemble); Rorschach Theatre: Living Dead in Denmark (Horatio); Catalyst Theatre Company: Roundheads and Peakheads (Lopez), 1984 (Philpot); Doorway Arts Ensemble: Anima (James), GALA Hispanic Theatre: Elliot: A Soldier's Fugue (Elliot), Valor (Tomillo), Agravio y Mujer. Andrés has also performed in the 2010, 2009 and 2008 Young Playwrights' Theatre Festival for YPT. Andrés received his Bachelor's in Theatre in 2006 from the University of Maryland. He would like to thank his family and wonderfully patient and caring wife Lacey for her continued love and support.

-Seamus, FMG Blogger-in-Chief

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT

2010-03-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Carry on, Wayward!

We have selected and begun work on the main show of our second year, to be performed at DC's Capital Fringe Festival in July 2010.

The play, called "Freud Meets Girl," is a world premiere from Wayward member and new playwright Hunter Styles.

"Freud Meets Girl" will be directed by Randy Baker, who also serves as Co-Artistic Director of Rorschach Theatre.

Check back in soon for further announcements and details!

-Hunter

Our Name Change

2010-03-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're young and somewhat angry. But we felt that Angry Young Theatre Company was always something of a placeholder name, until the right one came along.

So, after much deliberation, AYTC has become Wayward Theatre.

Why?

Three major reasons:

1. We wanted a name that captured some of the transient romance of forging art from sharp, rebellious brains and deviant mindsets.

2. It's full of W's, which is an old Celtic good luck charm.

3. Sarah always sings this song when we have meetings.

So, Wayward Theatre it is! Keep us on your radar as Fringe 2010 approaches.

- Hunter

Four Stars Out of Five for Skywriter!

2009-07-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

From Tim Treanor's review at DCTheatreScene.com:
"...it has such an enormous beating heart, and the actors are so committed to the playwright’s vision, that it is impossible not to be moved by it, or to not accord it the respect it deserves."

You can read the full review here.

To Tim and the many other audience members who gave us a great opening weekend: many thanks. And if you haven't seen the show yet, make haste! There are only two more weekends and three performances to go!

Opening Weekend!

2009-07-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, a huge thanks to everyone who came out to support the show this weekend. We had our first two performances today and yesterday, and I have to say things went extraordinarily well! No snafus, mishaps, lots of incredible energy coming from our cast, people laughing in the audience, perfectly-executed lightning flashes thanks to Marissa's magic touch. What more could you ask for?

Here's a smattering of photos that our very own sound designer, Mike Losco snapped a few days ago. There will be more to come!

Meet the SKYWRITER Production Staff

2009-07-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

Who we are and what we do, in no particular order:

Austin Williams (Lighting Design) is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he worked as a technical director and lighting designer. He has previously worked as a freelance designer and technician in his home state of Wisconsin. Design credits include Cabaret (Mask & Bauble), Trestle of Pope Lick Creek (Nomadic Theatre), Assassins (Mask & Bauble), Annie Get Your Gun (Riverside Players), and Blithe Spirit (Rocket Players). He works at his day job as a federal employee.

Laura Broom's (Media Relations) media relations experience includes work with the Kennedy Center and Arena Stage, and she currently works for VSA arts in D.C. She is a 2007 graduate of Davidson College.

Amrita Mangus (Dramaturgy) is thrilled to be working with Seamus and Jamie again, having recently dramaturged Harlan at the Rockpile for Arena Stage's Downstairs New Play Reading Series. She completed a dramaturgy fellowship with Arena Stage and will continue working with them as the new works senior producing fellow. Other dramaturgy credits include Crowns (Arena Stage),Cymbeline (The Great River Shakespeare Festival), and The Who's Tommy (Arizona Repertory Theater). Amrita wishes everyone a fantastic run filled with whooshing and spandex!

Ted Parker (Scenic, Costume, & Properties Design) has been working in the performing arts in Washington for over 30 years. He has worked at Arena Stage, the Washington Theatre Club, the Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre, The Washington Opera and The Washington Performing Arts Society. He has designed scenery and lighting for over 40 local educational, community and professional productions. He co-founded The Actors’ Center, was active in the formation of the Cultural Alliance, and served on the boards of several arts institutions, including Library Theater and Arlington Dance Theatre. He was Project Director for the creation of TicketPlace for the Cultural Alliance, and has taught at American University and several local high schools, and consulted with numerous Washington arts groups. He served for two years on the Multi-media Panel of the DC Commission on the Arts. He lives in a restored Victorian house in Chevy Chase with his wife of 40 years. They have three daughters and 7 grandchildren.

Jamie Gahlon (Producer) is an aspiring new works producer. While Skywriter is her first Fringe endeavor, previous producing credits include Harlan at the Rockpile by Seamus Sullivan (Arena Stage Downstairs Series), Taking Over by Danny Hoch (Line Producer, Arena Stage workshop) Mrs. Joseph Porter (Short Film), The Importance of Being Earnest(Mask & Bauble) and Assassins (Mask & Bauble). By day, Jamie works as part of the Artistic Development Team at Arena Stage.

Matt MacNelly (Publicity)

Meghan McCormick (Assistant Stage Manager) is a rising junior at Georgetown University where she is an active member of the Mask & Bauble Dramatic society. She is thrilled to be working on her first fringe show with such a talented group of artists. She would like to thank Seamus for writing a show with laughs and a powerful message and the Angry Young Theatre Company for giving her the opportunity to be a part of their inaugural show.

Marissa Reeves (Stage Manager)

Mike Losco (Sound Design)

Sarah Taurchini (Web Master)

Marjory Collado (Graphic Design)

120 minutes of tech

2009-07-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

So, this morning we had first and only two hours of tech at The Shop @ Fort Fringe. I woke up bright and early, met Hunter, picked up our lovely zipcar, "T-Rex," a far from T-Rex-like Toyota pick-up, headed to our rehearsal space to load everything in. In all honesty, I was skeptical it would all fit in the bed, but thanks to our ever knowledgable set, props, and costume designer, Ted Parker (aka Renaissance man), we made it work. Here are some photos of the finished product:

Tech itself went remarkably well, due to the awesomeness of the Cast, our Lighting Designer, SM, and everyone else who was around to offer their skills and support. I'm doing laundry right now, trying to think of a way to tell my roommate why we suddenly have a hallway full of set pieces in my apartment, and gearing up for tonight's preview. Less than 24 hours until we open- it's all happening!

Preview of Skywriter this Friday!

2009-07-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Fringe's fabulousness, we have recieved a slot to promote Skywriter this Friday at the Baldacchino! We will perform roughly five minutes of the show to tease people into coming to see it in all its glory. Details are as follows:

WHEN: Friday, July 10th 7:30pm
WHERE: The Baldacchino Gypsy Tent/Bar
WHAT: 5 min previews of the following shows, and many others!

No 11 Productions: The Elephant Man
a musicalTrio: SOUP!
Angry Young Theatre Company: Skywriter
Zero Hour Theatre: The Foley Artist

WHY: Theater + Bar = good times

Hope to see you there!

..And we're in tech!

2009-07-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

We started tech on Monday night, when we added full costumes into the mix. Yesterday we approved our sound design, and tonight we will practice load-in, run the show with costumes, transitions, sound, and make-up. It really seems to be coming together and Im excited to see as close to the real deal as we've gotten so far tonight.

For all of you visual learners out there, here's a photo from last night showing Hunter, Genevieve and Lynn hard at work on the final scene.

In other news, my friend and former colleague, Jared Neff, allowed me to ramble a bit about the Fringe process from a Producing standpoint on his blog, so check it out if you have a minute.

Skywriter Press Release

2009-07-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

So, this release went out a while back, but I figured it best to share with all... So (drumroll......) Voila!

Contact: Laura Broom skywriterpress@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ANGRY YOUNG THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

SKYWRITER BY SEAMUS SULLIVAN

(Washington, D.C.) – The new D.C. theatre collective Angry Young Theatre Company (AYTC) presents its inaugural production, Skywriter, as part of the 2009 Capital Fringe Festival. Playwright Seamus Sullivan – whose work Harlan at the Rockpile premiered recently in Arena Stage’s Downstairs Series – offers a play particular to the D.C. area. This unconventional story explores what it takes to be heroic in a D.C. public school. Is it compassion, or a kind of madness? And is there a difference?

Director Hunter Styles observes, “Seamus has a wonderful eye for comedy, and Skywriter is the fastest, quirkiest, snappiest thing he's written. We're looking forward to having a serious discussion about the public education system with D.C. audiences, especially within the framework of a poignant, funny new show."

"We spent the spring workshopping the script with Artists' Bloc,” Sullivan comments. “Since Skywriter is a short, sweet, off-beat new play rooted in D.C., I think Fringe audiences will go for it – and we're glad for the opportunity to present a show that's entirely our own."

STORY: As an English teacher at a troubled D.C. public school, Frank Fletcher deals with a host of problems: crumbling infrastructure, violence in the halls, controversial reforms, and students who aren't always inclined to sit and learn. Thanks to a traumatic accident, he also believes himself to be a superhero named Skywriter who spends his nights patrolling neighborhood rooftops. When a new student teacher uncovers his secret identity, Fletcher must reflect on whether his heroic alter ego is a dangerous delusion or a much-needed force for good in the city.

This production presented as a part of the 2009 Capital Fringe Festival.

WHERE:

The Shop at Fort Fringe

610 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

WHEN:

Saturday July 11 @ 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 12 @ 3:15 p.m.

Saturday, July 18 @ 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 25 @ 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 26 @ 4:45 p.m.

This production runs approximately 60 minutes and has no intermission.

TICKETS: All tickets are $15 and may be purchased starting June 22 online at http://www.capfringe.org/fringe-festival.html or via phone at 1-866-811-411. Starting July 7, tickets may also be purchased at the Fort Fringe in the Festival Box Office at 607 New York Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

CAST:

Genevieve James as Elizabeth Finch

Christopher Michael Todd as Frank Fletcher

Lynn Bandoria as Lorena Cooper

Ricardo Frederick Evans as Principal Cooper

For more information, please visit http://angryyoungtheatre.blogspot.com/

###

Big Day at Big Monkey Comics!

2009-07-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we set up shop at Big Monkey Comics to give a preview of Skywriter in anticipation of our first show next Saturday, July 11th. While the space was a bit unconventional, it was a strikingly appropriate backdrop for a show that lives so much in the world of comics and superheroes. Our fantastic cast performed three scenes in total, and did an amazing job adapting to the space, and giving us a glimpse of what's to come. Hearing audience reaction, and laughter at that was a refreshing addition to the mix. A huge thanks to Big Monkey for hosting, and thanks to all who came out to support!

Sizzlin' New Skywriter Poster

2009-06-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of our graphic designer, Marjory Collado. Let's give her a hand, folks! Don't forget to buy your tickets, now on sale at http://shows.capfringe.org/shows/89-Angry-Young-Theatre-Company-Skywriter.html.

Floods, Feedback and Fringe

2009-06-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Skywriter team, writing down their thoughts after the reading.

Wednesday night, June 3, 7pm EST found me with my friend and director, Hunter, crouching in a Popeye's on H Street NE, glumly contemplating the buckets of rain and crossfire of hail separating us from the Atlas Theatre and our final workshop reading of Skywriter. The Atlas, current headquarters of the good folk at Artists' Bloc, was just across the street from us, but said street had a roughly 3-foot-wide strip of asphalt, dead center, that wasn't covered with raging floodwaters. After much mutual encouragement, Hunter and I, like Butch and Sundance, gathered our courage and leaped out of the Popeye's and into the elements, which promptly pummeled us and left us smelling like mildew for the remainder of the evening.

Apart from our inauspicious entrance, the reading couldn't have gone better. This was the third in a series of workshop readings we set up with Artists' Bloc, an outfit run by our friends Colin and Roy that dedicates itself exclusively to helping artists develop new work. We did our first reading in April, with just the cast, designers, and Colin gathered around a table in the Atlas's basement. In early May, I produced a new draft based on feedback from the previous session and we read that at the Warehouse Theatre in Chinatown. Armed with input from that session, I made additional tweaks and came up with the latest, greatest, admittedly somewhat sodden new draft of the play that we were going to read through on Wednesday night. Then I'd have just under two weeks to revise before laying down my pen with the beginning of rehearsals.

We review some changes to the final scene before opening the house.

In the hour before the house opened, we reviewed and revisited new moments in the draft while eating waterlogged hamburgers and french fries that our stage manager, Marissa, resourcefully picked up at Checkers to sustain hungry actors and staff. Then we sent the cast to their perches behind the music stands, opened the doors, and ushered in the souls who had braved the deluge.

After hearing the extent to which Chris, Ricardo, Genevieve and Lynn have grown into their roles already in the space of a few readings, I can only giggle with anticipation at how Hunter and the cast will continue to build up the characters and the world of the show in the next few weeks of rehearsal. If you weren't among the few to attend the readings, you'll just have to come to the Shop at Fort Fringe to see one of our performances on Saturday, July 11 at 1:30 pm, Sunday, July 12 at 3:15 pm, Saturday, July 18 at 9:30 pm, Saturday, July 25 at 9:00 pm, and Sunday, July 26 at 4:45 pm. Tickets go on sale at www.capfringe.org or by calling 1-866-811-4111 starting June 22!

Colin (right) and me (left) pondering what looks like a doozy of a question
during the talkback session following the reading.

Rehearsals commence this Tuesday, and I hope to blog more then. For now, I'll leave you with one last example of why Artists' Bloc is awesome and we should support them. After the reading and talkback session, Roy, the Managing Director of Artists' Bloc, comes up to me.

"I figured I'd wait to tell you this one-on-one, because it's a little thing," he says. "At one point you have a character putting a roll of quarters in his fist during a fight. In real life, if you punch someone while holding a roll of quarters, you'll break every bone in your hand."

Roy pauses to let this sink in, and I ponder how he knows this and whether I should be, like, way more deferential towards Roy in the future.

"Have him use a roll of dimes," he concludes.

"Roy," I say, "We need to hang out more."

Public Reading Wednesday June 3rd!

2009-05-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, June 3rd we will have our final reading in partnership with Artists' Bloc. Any and all are welcome, though seats are first come, first serve so try and get there early.

WHAT: Skywriter Reading

WHERE: Lab Theatre I, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St NE

WHEN: Wednesday, June 3rd 8pm

WHO: Open to the public

Artists' Bloc Readings, Fringe Dates and more!

2009-05-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, May 12th we had the second reading of Skywriter facilitated through our ongoing partnership with Artists' Bloc. Seamus had done some major re-writes, in large part influenced by the discussion we had after the first read through in early May and it was awesome to continue to see the script develop, deepen and continue on its journey. This was also the first time we had heard the script read by the full cast and it was really something to see Fletcher, Finch, Cooper & Lorena come to life.

Here are a couple of actions shots from the impromptu press photo shoot we had after the reading:

If all goes to plan, we will have one more reading in early June with the goal of having a more or less final script in time for us to begin rehearsals in mid-June.

Speaking of timeline, we got our dates for Fringe! Here are the details:

Skywriter at The Shop @ Fort Fringe

610 L Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

Saturday, July 11 1:30pm

Sunday, July 12 3:15pm

Saturday, July 18 9:30pm

Saturday, July 25 9:00pm

Sunday, July 26 4:45pm

See you there!

...And We're Cast!

2009-04-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

After an intensely enjoyable round of callbacks on March 29, we had some tough decisions to make. We are thrilled with the results!

Please allow me to introduce the cast of Skywriter (drumroll......):

Genevieve James (Finch) previously participated in Fringe 2008 as Andy in The Nature and Purpose of the Universe with Circle of Fools. Other regional credits include Chick in Crimes of the Heart (Firebelly Productions); The Mute in The Fantasticks, Mille in Picnic (Bay Theatre);Lucy Rose in Lucy Rose...Here's the Thing About Me!, Ismenia in Lysistrata; Edna in An Inspector Calls (Washington Stage Guild); Claire in Mistakes Inc (VSA/Kennedy Center); Ma in Babe The Sheep Pig (Adventure Theatre); Old Woman/Monkey in Momotaro (Classika Theatre); Leading Player in Pippin, Sally in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, "By My Side" soloist in Godspell (NobleHeart Rep); the USA in A Flag is Born (American Century Theatre). She received her Bachelors of Music in Musical Theatre from Catholic University in 2003.

Christopher Michael Todd (Frank Fletcher) recently moved to Washington, DC from New York City. On the New York stage, he has acted in works by playwrights as diverse as Sophocles, Shakespeare, Büchner, Mokuami, Chekhov, Ibsen, Wilde, Beckett, Pinter and Wellman. Chris has performed across the U.S. and around the world with The National Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre of the Deaf. Other recent roles include Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew at North Shore Music Theatre, and David O. Selznick in Moonlight and Magnolias at Wayside Theatre. Chris is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Lynn Bandoria (Lorena Cooper) is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where she studied Drama and appeared in both theatre and film productions. She has worked in radio, television, and print commercial advertising. Lynn is an accomplished puppeteer, plays numerous sports, and has an identical twin sister.

Ricardo Frederick Evans (Principal Cooper) is a native Washingtonian, an accomplished actor, stage manager, playwright, and producer. He is finishing up his first season as a teaching artist with the Folger Shakespeare Library's educational touring company "Bill's Buddies." Other local credits include Imagination Stage, Young Playwright's Theatre, Theatre on the Hill, the Black Theatre Ensemble and the African-American Collective Theatre. Ricardo is one of the cohosts for theDCplace.com. He studied acting at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts and is a member of Actor's Equity.

Callbacks!

2009-04-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

THANKS FOR COMING OUT!

We were very impressed by all who came out for Skywriter auditions.

Callback notifications were sent out two weeks ago and we are excited to continue laying groundwork for what is already proving to be a rewarding process of new play development. To one and all who came out to audition: our heartfelt thanks for your interest and willingness to explore this text with us. Unfortunately we are only able to cll back a certain number of people, but a great many of you are doing admirable, exciting work and I encourage you to join our blog to stay posted on future opportunities and to follow updates on the new company in the coming year. Again, thank you for your interest!

See you soon,

Hunter Styles

Director

Our First Auditions!

2009-03-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Angry Young Theater Company is holding auditions for its 2009 Capital Fringe production Skywriter (synopsis and cast breakdown below). Equity and non-equity actors eligible. Prepared, two-minute monologues are welcome, but not required. Selections from the script will also be available for audition materials. Auditions will take place in room 036 of Georgetown University's Davis Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 from 2-6pm each day. Please use the loading dock entrance opposite Harbin Hall.

Performances will be in July, with the bulk of rehearsals in June. There will also be staged readings at the beginning of April and the beginning of May. Each will have a minimal time commitment.

Walk-ins are welcome, but we will give priority to auditioners who e-mail a headshot, resume, and preferred audition times to angry.young.tc@gmail.com.

Synopsis: As an English teacher at a troubled DC public school, Frank Fletcher deals with a host of problems: crumbling infrastructure, violence in the halls, controversial reforms, and students who aren't always inclined to sit and learn. Thanks to a traumatic accident, he also believes himself to be a superhero named Skywriter who spends his nights patrolling neighborhood rooftops. When a new student teacher uncovers his secret identity, Fletcher must reflect on whether his heroic alter ego is a dangerous delusion or a much needed force for good in the city. The play runs roughly an hour with a cast of four.

Cast:

Frank Fletcher- Male, any race, 30s-50s. Teaches 8th Grade English at Stanley Woods Middle School in Washington, DC. Confident and dedicated to the point of madness. Also plays a 24-year-old version of himself.

Elizabeth Finch- Female, any race, 20s. Student teacher from suburban Virginia, assigned to shadow Fletcher for the semester. Had to raise three brothers by herself, and since then has nursed a steady, if vague, sense of responsibility for absolutely everyone she encounters.

Lorena Cooper- Female, African American, 14 (or able to play 14). A student in Fletcher's class. As smart as she is calculatedly difficult. Wants to be pulled from her failing public school and enrolled in a charter. Engaged in a battle of the wills with her equally smart, difficult father. Also plays Naomi, a childhood friend of Fletcher's in her 20s.

Principal Cooper- Male, African American, 40s. Principal of Stanley Woods Middle School. In the difficult position of having to acknowledge and address a failing DC public school system without sacrificing his pride in himself or his school. Also plays Train, an ageless, hallucinatory embodiment of urban alienation.