January Newsletter

Hello friends!

What an incredible year 2014 was. Amazing work and play; challenging moments that begged for deep breaths; inspiring moments that took our breath away. I spent much of the final months in quiet, reflecting and writing and marathoning horrible television with entire cakes in my hand. The guilt from the latter has left and 2015 seems, already, somewhat brighter and more full of potential than I expected. I am so thrilled that my spring will be filled with writing my final thesis for Columbia (they make us write, who knew) and working on a couple of amazing projects with new friends and old.

I am also in the process of looking for travel grants and writing grants to supplement the amazing generosity of The Princess Grace and Shubert Foundations, both of which have been so supportive of my work. If you happen to be someone who knows of grants for artists, do not be shy! The grants would be used for airfare and lodging for projects like the ones below and other adventures in theatre making this year.

I hope you are all experiencing a resurgence of excitement and clarity in this new year and embracing the life around you!

I am so excited to join Kansas City Rep Artistic Director Eric Rosen and choreographer Sam Pinkleton on this exciting project that will bring together a young generation of performers with members of the original company to explore what the energy and movement around this show was and attempt to get at what that energy created and changed in both theatre and the world.

The show that defined a generation and brought rock music to the theatrical stage, HAIR captures the essence of the revolution and passion of the 1960s.  In addition to its legendary score, this production will feature documentary interviews with original Broadway artists, and continues KC Rep’s tradition of re-imagining the classic musical.  

 

In April, I am joining Anne Bogart and Ann Hamilton in Columbus, Ohio to collaborate on theatre is a blank page, a new work that will explore questions around the experiences of reading, theatre going and theatre creating. An experience of spaciousness, the piece will feature members of the SITI Company and the theatrical stage as it has rarely been experienced.

Hamilton and SITI Company’s new work will also utilize text from Virginia Woolf’s pivotal modernist novel 
To the Lighthouse (1927). The novel’s evocative language and inventive narrative—which skillfully deploys shifting temporal and psychological perspectives alongside poignant ruminations on loss, subjectivity, and perception—make it a fertile point of departure for the immersive performance experience that Hamilton and SITI will jointly construct. This special project bringing together artists of different disciplines who have found deep kinship through the Wexner Center underscores our mission: to serve as a laboratory for creative exploration where artists’ aims can be fully realized, and to offer a forum where forward-thinking audiences can witness the creative process firsthand, as it unfolds.

 

COACHINGS


Are you an actor in New York who would like to prepare for that audition or callback? Maybe you simply want to brush off that Shakespeare and give The Public Theatre a shot this summer? Forgot to prep for that grad school audition next week?! I'm your guy. I love nothing more than working with actors one on one and finding breath and focus in an industry that seems to have us all running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I am available for hour sessions or offer package rates for longer-term goals. Shoot me an email for rates and let's get to work!

Other News


Dream Project: They say there is power in the word and that one can speak into existence that which they wish to be a reality. So you heard it here first. This spring I am launching into a new project with my friend Misha Shields. The piece will be developed over the course of a few creative workshops in April and May and will be centered around the idea of dreams. That's all I can say for now as the questions have only begun to be asked. But I very much look forward to sharing more with you all as this dream becomes a reality.


Acting Manitou: Do you know an 11-17 year old who loves theatre and wouldn't be against spending three weeks this summer in the beautiful foothills of Maine? If so, I have a great idea! Shoot me an email or check out www.actingmanitou.com for more information on what may be a life changing experience for a teenager you love!

 

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