Playwright Duncan Pflaster On Kickstarter Campaigns and the Taint (but not the one you think)

Duncan Pflaster has won awards for his plays The Empress of Sex, Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants, The Thyme of the Season, The Starship Astrov, Sweeter Dreams, Eternity: Time Without End, and The Tragedy of Dandelion. Other plays include The Wastes of Time, Suckers, Admit Impediments, Sleeping in Tomorrow, and Ore, or Or, as well as a panoply of one-acts. Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants, The Thyme of the Season, The Starship Astrov are published online at Indie Theater Now. He also writes sketch comedy with the video troupe Laughing Swingset, whose work can be seen on YouTube and Funny or Die. He is also an award-winning actor (2009 MITF Award, Outstanding Supporting Actor, I Hate Love) and theatre reviewer (2nd Place in Stage and Cinema's 2010 Theater Review Contest). Website


We sat down with Duncan to discuss his latest project, "The Taint of Equality."

Tell me about "The Taint of Equality."  And is it okay that I giggle a little when I say taint?

By all means, I encourage the giggling.  In the play, Adrian and Javier are a gay couple who don't believe in marriage - but everyone keeps assuming they are or should be married. When they realize it might be because they've never actually opened up their "open relationship," they decide to each go out and get laid, with hilariously erotic results.

What inspired "Taint"?

It's loosely inspired by a turn-of-the-previous-century ten-minute play called "Another Way Out", by Lawrence Langner.  It's about a terribly modern heterosexual couple living together without being married. It's amusing, though wildly outdated. I took the basic idea, changed it to a same-sex couple to reflect current marriage politics, then added more characters (13!) and some more farcical complications to wind it out to a full-length play. Most plays take me a year or so to write; once I had the idea for it, this one took me two months.

You're currently running a Kickstarter campaign to get it funded.  When and where will the production be?

The show will be in the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, an annual June event that I've participated in the last 3 years (winning a few awards for some of my previous shows).  This year my play will be in the downstairs theater at the newly renovated 45 Bleeker space.

I know that producing a play can be expensive.  You have to pay for rehearsal space, costumes, actors, techies, fluffers, PR people... the list goes on and on.  How much are you trying to raise?

$5,000. It helps so much to have a budget.  We're going to have 13 actors, and I want them all to get a little something. It's nice to do your art for just the love of it, but even nicer to get paid for it.

I noticed that one of the rewards for backing "The Taint of Equality" at $100 or more is a picture of the all-male cast.  Any chance it's a picture of the cast wearing their costumes from the sex club scene?

Well, since those costumes are nothing but naked with flashlights on lanyards around their necks, I think the photo might come out a little dark.  But I do plan to have something that's worth the while of those who pledge.

You're one of those playwrights who always seems to have several projects going at once.  What else is coming up for you in 2012?

Also in Planet Connections in June, G-Money Productions will be producing the premiere of my epic The Empress of Sex, which is an erotic romantic comedy set in Ancient Greece.  That's going to be another big cast- 25 people (also with lots of nudity), and though there are gay characters, the main story is about a heterosexual love affair where the woman, after catching her boyfriend cheating, goes to an island and devotes herself purely to sex without love, gathering a group of other folks who all have constant orgies till her ex-lover comes to the island in disguise to try to win her back.

Before that, my lesbian superhero one-act Dark Night of the Russet Rascal will be part of All Out Arts' One-Act Competition:  Sunday April 15th, 2012, 7:00PM,  $10, Nuyorican Poets Cafe.


To find out more about Duncan's play, "The Taint of Equality," and to become a backer, click here.

Occupy the Empty Space: A 10-Minute Play Festival on Occupy Wall Street Themes

By Byrne Harrison


After a night (or possibly a day and night) of green beer-fueled excess, do your conscience some good and attend the Occupy the Empty Space 10-minute play festival tomorrow at Judson Memorial Baptist Church.

This has been a passion project for the occupiers and artists facilitating, along with 250+ writers and 100 actors and directors who expressed interest in the project. They have playwrights and performers of various stages in their career--participants include Naomi Wallace, Ismail Khalil, Ali Rose Dachis, Dan Kinch, and Caridad Svich.

In between these short plays, they will intersperse teach-ins by many well known organizations and activists in NYC, such as Picture the Homeless, Frank Morales of o4o, Queer Rising, Time's Up! and others.

The event is this Sunday, March 18th, from 2:30-7:30 @ Judson Memorial Church's meeting hall, and like most things Occupy-related is completely free.

Matt Doyle Talks About "Private Romeo" - R&J set in an all-male military academy

By Rob Hartmann

Cross-posted from www.StageBuzz.com

Matt Doyle, most recently seen on a New York stage in War Horse at Lincoln Center, stars in the film Private Romeo, writer/director Alan Brown’s retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story set in an all-male military academy.

ROB HARTMANN: So how did you get involved with the project originally?

MATT DOYLE: My agent sent me the script and asked, “Is this something you’d be interested in? It’s a little out there.” And I read the script and I said, are you kidding? Absolutely. I love Romeo and Juliet so much – I trained in classical theater, and I studied all of Shakespeare’s works.

RH: You trained in London, yes?

MD: I trained in London for a year, in a classical theater course at LAMDA [the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.] It was wonderful – I really got to know the classics and Shakespeare. There’s a reason that people love Romeo and Juliet as much as they do, and why it’s probably his most famous work. It’s exceptional. It’s so, so beautiful, and I love the way that it approaches that young, foolish teenage energy – the immediacy and destructiveness of a teenager. How a teenager thinks and works. So I’ve always really loved the piece, and the fact that it was done in a military academy – it was very interesting for me. So I went in for it, and it went great. I had several callbacks for it and ended up getting cast as Glenn, the “Juliet” part. I was thrilled. Juliet’s text is pretty remarkable, so I was very excited. And – when else would I get to play that role?

RH: Exactly – when else would you get to play it? Juliet’s interesting – so often in the play, she’s at the mercy of everyone else: waiting for information, waiting to be told what she can do and when she can do it. It was interesting seeing a guy in that role – but seeing that the essence is still the same.

MD: I wanted to make sure, in translating Juliet to a male, you know, that this would not be a male playing a female this time, as so many Romeo and Juliet productions have done in the past. This was actually a male in the role now – I wanted to make sure that there was a quiet masculinity to the role. She is waiting a lot – it’s a feminine part. I tried to make it as masculine as possible while still honoring Juliet and still honoring her tendencies. But I wanted to make sure that he [Glenn] had his own bearings – that he wasn’t necessarily waiting on everyone else, but that he was probably a little more quiet and a little more reserved, and wanted to get a feel for what other people thought before he made certain moves.

RH: Once you were cast, was there a rehearsal process?

MD: We actually did have a rehearsal process for this, because it was so obviously complicated. We really needed to hear each other and really needed to listen to one another. We were about to play with this text to a degree that none of us had before. I think the reason it’s been met with either people embracing it, or people being confused by it, is because we really do flip the text on its head as much as we can. We had actually just a few days together where we sat around and read it with one another. Seth [Numrich, in the Romeo role] and I had some time where we really got to explore our relationship and get to know each other before we jumped into being completely in love with one another. [Laughs] What was so wonderful about that, though, was that the first time we sat down together, there was this chemistry in the group that was so spot-on. I think, walking away from the film and seeing it again – I just saw it recently – I’m amazed by the performances of my peers in that movie. Every time I see it. Everyone is so specific, and has created something really special with their role-slash-roles – everyone had to play a combination of several different characters.

RH: I thought that was interesting, with Benvolio combined with Lady Capulet [acted by Sean Hudock], and Mercutio combined with Capulet [Hale Appleman.]. Very intense work going on. How long was the filming?

MD: We only had a three week window at the academy that we were shooting at. We were shooting at a naval academy in the Bronx. With only three weeks we had to make sure that we got it all done, and worked with each other as well as we possibly could.

RH: That’s pretty quick.

MD: It’s very quick, especially for the material we were exploring together. What was so great was that the group was so excited to be there. Nobody had any fear going into it – nobody seemed to be overwhelmed by it. Everybody was just completely on board and jumped right into it. We all built these wonderful relationships with each other with little backstories. I built this thing with “Omar” [played by Chris Bresky], who is the Nurse character in the film. We talked about our friendship and who those characters were, and talked about their backstory. We came up with this wacky story about how we grew up in Delaware together on a cul-de-sac, and got way too deep with it. [Laughs] I remember the first time I saw the film when I realized, oh yeah, that’s not in the movie. I thought there were scenes about that. No. There’s nothing. That’s just something we made up. [Laughs.]

But the work that we were doing with each other, in terms of the chemistry among all the actors – I think it really shows.

And then Seth and I – obviously – had to let go of any fear or apprehension whatsoever and just jump right into it with one another. And actually the first scene that we shot together was the balcony scene. Which I think is perfect, because it shows that kind of discovery – I mean, obviously we’re acting, and I see the choices that we’re making with one another. But I also see the discovery of how we both work in that scene – we were really figuring each other out. We got to know each other, shooting that scene. To know how each person would respond to a touch and a kiss – just the simplest movements. It was really fascinating to do that scene first. That’s the thing about shooting a film – you’re not doing anything in order. Starting with the balcony scene brought a really great color to it.

And then the next scene that we shot was ‘the lark’, waking up in bed together. [Juliet says it is night, not morning: Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day: It was the nightingale, and not the lark that pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear.] And now we really have to be just completely comfortable with each other. Luckily we both were so open with one another and had no problem with each other. Going into that scene, we just laughed about it: all right, let’s just do this. And it was a hundred degrees in those rooms when we were shooting. There was no air conditioning, so we’re sweating all over each other, and in between takes we’re wiping each other down. There’s no way that we couldn’t have walked out of that without feeling completely comfortable with one another. In fact, when Seth and I started doing War Horse together, everyone noticed that we seemed [laughing] incredibly comfortable with one another. Just great pals, but you know, oddly comfortable with one another. And we’re like, oh, that’s just because we just spent four weeks essentially, you know, making out. We were actually cast in War Horse while we were working on Private Romeo. Quite a coincidence.

RH: Tell me more about your approach to the character.

MD: As a male playing a role that was originally written from a female perspective, I didn’t want him to seem weak, and I didn’t want him to seem scared. Alan [Brown], our director, was really careful about this as well. He didn’t want the film to be all about gay-bashing. He wanted there to be a sense that, no, even boys in military academies aren’t that hateful and aren’t that stupid. They’re not necessarily looking at this from the perspective of, “Oh, that’s gay and that’s weird.”

RH: I was curious to know, when you were shooting scenes using Shakespeare’s text, were you translating it for yourselves in some way – to what they were really saying to one another?

MD: That was a struggle, yes – here’s what Shakespeare’s lines are saying, but what are these boys saying? How do we flip it on its head so that it works in this situation? And sometimes it works brilliantly, and sometimes maybe not so much. I don’t know if we ever really, really figured out Paris [the nobleman to whom Juliet is betrothed] in a way that was concrete and clear - the idea of who Paris is, when Capulet – the character of Josh [Hale Appleman] – comes in to talk to me. And so what we decided is, okay, this isn’t going to work, we can’t make it literal. Some of the boys thought about, well, what if “Paris” is like a school, and he had to go to another school. And Alan, of course, was appalled. [Laughs] “No, absolutely not!” So the idea of “Paris” became just that Josh was coming in to tell me that it needs to stop. It’s gone too far. “Paris” was the idea of it ending. So in some instances like that, you could say, “Well that doesn’t work at all!” But to us it did. [Laughs] Not everything needs to be that literal. I think that’s what the film goes back and forth on. Sometimes when the text really works and it’s really clear, it can be completely magical. You just sit back and go, oh my gosh, I can’t believe that in this context it’s perfect. You know? And I never would have looked at the text that way and think that it would say something like that. And other times you’d say, well, that doesn’t work so much, but let’s push forward. And we sat down with one another and communicated to each other in our own language what we were trying to say, and then tied it back into the text – and accepted that we were doing something experimental. To make it literal is doing a disservice to the piece, and is defeating the purpose.

There’s a moment in watching the film where it starts to become dreamlike. We’re saying that all love is universal, and this text ties into a situation that you’d never think it would have tied into.

RH: I was curious about the scene in which the other cadets attack your character in the middle of the night – leaving you outside plastic-wrapped to a chair with your mouth covered in duct tape.

MD: I kept asking Alan, are they doing this to me because I kissed another boy? Because I’m gay? And he said, no, they’re hazing you, because you are the target of the night. Alan had seen a lot of disturbing YouTube videos of actual hazings, and wanted to tie that into the film somehow. If we were in this environment, and this situation had come up, then something of this nature would have happened, either in good sport or in poor sport. So it’s to capture the environment of the military academy. Alan based everything – wrapping me in the chair with cellophane – on videos that he’d seen.

RH: And you get to sing in the film. [During the credits, Matt sings a pop rendition of “You Made Me Love You” directly to the camera.]

MD: [Laughs] Yes, I do get to sing. Alan got in touch with me after I was cast and said, Oh, by the way, I want you to sing in my film. I know you can sing and I want you to sing. At the time, the ending was unfinished. Alan had decided that’s how he wanted to end it. I said, okay, but if it happens, it needs to be a conversation between the two of us. It needs to be extremely simple if you actually want to put it on film. It’s really hard to put a song on film. It was a lot of back and forth, and eventually he presented “You Made Me Love You” to me, I looked at the lyrics, and obviously it’s perfect lyrically. But I said, I’m not doing Judy [Laughs]. But luckily, I got to work with Bishop Allen [the Brooklyn based indie rock group whose songs are featured in the film.] They worked with me for a few hours in their apartment, and we listened to the Patsy Cline version, and then did our own contemporary spin on that. So that’s how that song came to be.

RH: And you’ve got some musical projects that you’re working on - ?

MD: Yes – I’m working on a followup EP to my first EP. I did an EP last year called Daylight and the followup will come out this year, called Sunset. And I just did the out of town run of Giant, which will be at the Public in the fall. [The musical by Michael John LaChiusa and Sybille Pearson, based on the 1952 Edna Ferber novel.]

RH: Back to Private Romeo – I see that you all got an acting award from OutFest. [Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film, awarded to the entire cast.]

MD: And we just got a Critic’s Pick from The New York Times. I love how controversial it is – I love that some people absolutely embrace it and fall into it and go into that dreamlike state and go along for the journey. And I love that some people are like [laughs] “No! I’m not doing this! I don’t get it!” I think that that’s a mark of something original. I love it.

RH: Especially now in film, so many things feel pre-digested and mapped out. There’s no ‘question mark’ left.

MD: I think Alan’s passion shows through. He wanted something very specific. He was so committed to his vision. I took a lot of film history – it reminds me of some of the films that came out in the Seventies that made people say, “Wait, what?” They were testing boundaries. That’s what this film was trying to do. And I love it.

PRIVATE ROMEO Written and directed by Alan Brown. With Seth Numrich, Matt Doyle, Hale Appleman, Chris Bresky, Sean Hudock, Adam Barrie, Bobby Moreno, and Charlie Barnett. Producer, Agathe David-Weill. Editor, Craig B. Weiseman. Director of Photography, Derek McKane. Casting Director, Stephanie Holbrook. Composer, Nicholas Wright.

Tonight at Industry-Bar - Marty Thomas Presents: Diva

Grammy nominated recording artist and Broadway performer, Marty Thomas (Xanadu, Secret Garden, Wicked) prepares to redefine the nightclub scene with his new act Marty Thomas Presents: Diva at the hottest spot in Hell's Kitchen. With Industry-Bar dominating every happy hour crowd of the week in the heart of the Theatre District, it only seemed fitting that the neighborhood destination finally brings the cabaret-style spotlight back center stage. Industry-Bar and Thomas are breathing life back into the doldrums and monotony of a Music-less Monday night.

Bob Pontarelli the proprietor of Industry-Bar describes the event: "The Divas night is a weekly salute to all the divas we know and love from film, recordings and video...from Madonna, Tina, and Aretha, to Gaga and Beyoncé...the list is endless! The centerpiece each week is a live tribute featuring the biggest, belting, show-stopping voices on Broadway. What's not to love?"

"Diva will hit home with the theatre crowd," Thomas explains. "It'll be a brand new show every week, featuring diva material - all the songs that fans like to hear, but in a new light. This is really a way to feature and celebrate some wonderful female talent."

Diva promises a return to glamour and the theatrics lost onto a culture starved for original performers, who sing live and regaled their adoring audiences in fabulous fashions. "It'll be more burlesque/cabaret/concert and less karaoke," elaborated Marty, who is not only the MC of the weekly Monday night event, but will be musically arranging and conceptualizing the varying themes. The girls, emerging starlets in their own rites are pop-songstresses Kelly King (Michael Bolton and Babyface), singer-actress Marissa Rosen (My Big Gay italian Wedding), and Anne Fraser Thomas (How the Grinch Stole Christmas).

"The girls will be working as a group, providing three-part harmonies," continued Thomas, "they will also be featured as solo artists." They will be performing some favorite popular standards, hits made famous by Whitney, Celine, Barbra, Mariah, Aretha and other divas throughout history.

Each week, the divas are joined by a guest act from the Broadway stage, recording or dance industry.  Past guests have included Orfeh, Ramona Keller, Leslie Kritzer, Sabra Johnson, Felicia Finley, Alysha Umphress, Carly Jibson, Rachel Potter, Celina Carvajal, Christine Pedi, Emma Hunton and many more.

Monday Jan. 16,  Rachelle Rak will grace the diva stage as special guest.  DIVA will be celebrating the release of her new video, "Snapshots", just one week before her new one woman show "I'm in" opens at Le Poisson Rouge.  The video will be debuted and Rachelle will perform some of her hits live.

Nicknamed “Sas”, Rachelle began her dance training at the age of 2 under the direction of her mother, Rosalene, at the Rosalene Kenneth Professional Dance Studio in Pittsburgh. Rachelle is very involved with the studio and teaches class on occasion, as well as serving as the school’s Executive Director. She has been labeled as a Triple Threat on Broadway for her immeasurable talent in dance, singing, and acting. Rachelle was presented with the award for outstanding achievement in the world of dance from Dance Educators of America. She has made a huge impact on the Broadway and Musical Theatre community. A few of her impressive credits include leading roles in: 

Catch Me If You Can, Cats, Starlight Express, West Side Story, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Fosse, Thou Shalt Not, Oklahoma!, The Look of Love, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sessions, and An Evening at the Carlyle 

She has performed in countless concerts and productions at New York City’s Town Hall, and has been a crowd favorite time and again in many Encores Productions. Her talent doesn’t cease at the stage. She can be found on screen in commercials for eBay, and played a reoccurring role on the soap opera series “Another World” as well as a feuture in the documentry "Every Little Step". You can find her performing on the 1999 seasons of the Rosie O’Donnell Show and the Jay Leno Show. She is also the spoke’s person for Pittsburgh Brewing Co’s I C Light, and has had the honor of singing the National Anthem at an Orlando Magic NBA Basketball Game. Rachelle has the pleasure of serving as a teacher and judge for the L.A. Dance Explosion, the National Finals of Access Broadway, and DEA competitions. 

Rachelle has also lent her talents to many jobs behind the scenes, including the position of Dance Captain for Starlight Express America, Assistant Choreographer to critically acclaimed On The Twentieth Century, choreographing the Fringe Festival show, "VOTE" , "Evening at the Carlyle", and Additional Choreography for "Sessions". In 1993, she was voted 2nd best performer in a musical in Europe. She has had a substantial contribution to the worlds of musical theatre and dance and is revered as one of Broadway’s most talented performers.

Rak can be seen in her new one woman show I'M IN, an intimate look at the path of a Broadway starlet.  Shows are Sunday, January 22nd at 7:00 PM, and Monday, January 23rd at 10:30 PM at Le Poisson Rouge, 165 Bleecker Street.  Tickets are $40 for premium seating (limited availability) $30 for reserved seating and $25 for general admission.  Please visit the Le Poisson Rouge website to purchase tickets lepoissonrouge.com.  Reservations recommended, running time is 55 minutes.

It's Back! Shocks & C*cks 3: Cold C*cked - All Nude All Dude Review

Santa's got six more packages just for you at burlesque impresario Jonny Porkpie's latest all male burlesque, Shocks & Cocks 3: Cold C*cked. The outrageous all-nude, all-dude revue returns with a brand-new holiday tale that will warm the cockles of your heart. The cast of the original Shocks & C*cks -- including international boylesque superstar Tigger!, Mat "Sealboy" Fraser, Hard Cory, Ferro, Albert Cadabra and host Jonny Porkpie -- return for a night of seasonal cheer.Chances are stockings aren't going to be the only thing that get stuffed at this show.


Jonny Porkpie presents SHOCKS & C*CKS 3: COLD C*CKED
Starring:   Jonny Porkpie, Albert Cadabra, Ferro, Hard Cory, Mat "Sealboy" Fraser, Tigger
Thursday,  December 29 at 10:00pm
The Kraine,  85 East 4th Street New York, NY 10003
Price:   $20
For more information, visit jonnyporkpie.com or horsetrade.info

Photo by Beau Allulli

TONIGHT: A Very Tawny Christmas!

Following up on the popularity of her appearances at “Fag Bash,” “Showgirls,” and other festive events in P’town last summer, Tawny Heatherton will arrive this yuletide season to debut her own blonde-swept brand of sunny, funny cheer with the holiday show A Very Tawny Christmas! for one-night-only at the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, MA. With onstage musical direction by John Thomas, and a special guest appearance by Bulgarian diva Elena Mancheva, A Very Tawny Christmas! will perform on Friday, December 23rd at 8PM in The Crown Cabaret at the Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial Street in Provincetown, MA. All tickets are $15, and can be obtained in-person at the box office, or by calling 508-487-1430, or online at www.onlyatthecrown.com.

WHO IS TAWNY HEATHERTON?

Purportedly the niece of Serta Mattress superstar Joey Heatherton, Tawny is the newest theatrical creation of Obie Award winner David Drake (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me). Not one to stay in the shadow of her famous and talented aunt, Tawny is also a showbiz survivor of the ‘80s European disco zeitgeist -- with her breakout hit, “Run Crazy Man!”. Underneath the glitz and glamour (and hardscrabble life of being a “one-hit-wonder”), Tawny still retains the hopeful, happy nature of her childhood upbringing with the People of the Rainbow tribe.

In A Very Tawny Christmas!, Tawny will sing songs of the season while telling stories of wandering the world as a “Rainbow Warrior!” These include Tawny’s stint as a USO dancer with Bob Hope (“Christmas in Nicaragua... now there’s a memory!”), her escapades as a disco queen, her starlet days (as a bit player on Knot’s Landing), and her wash-a-shore journey to Provincetown -- by getting on the wrong bus after a night of partying at Mohegan Sun. Naturally, Tawny will do a some dancing.**


BIOS:

DAVID DRAKE is an actor-writer-director who washed ashore in Provincetown from NYC in 2008. Best-known as the Obie Award-winning playwright/performer of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, one of the longest-running solo shows in NY theater history, David has also starred off-Broadway in Vampire Lesbians of Sodom (succeeding Charles Busch for 856 performances), originated the role of “Miss Deep South” in the musical smash Pageant, as well as co-starring with Jim J. Bullock in End of the World Party at the 47th St. Theater, and with B.D. Wong in A Language of Their Own at The Public. His TV credits: LAW & ORDER, THE BEAT, NY UNDERCOVER, and LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT. Feature films: Jonathan Demme’s Academy Award-winning Philadelphia, as well as It’s Pat, Naked in New York, David Searching, Bear City, Longtime Companion, and starring in his own adaptation of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. As a stage director, David has twice been a Directing Fellow at the Sundance Theater Lab, and has directed new works in New York at The Public’s “Under the Radar” Festival, Joe’s Pub, Rattlestick, Theater for the New City, and the NYC International Fringe Festival. Regionally, David has directed productions in San Francisco, Baltimore, Anchorage, and this past fall returned to the Provincetown Theater Company on Cape Cod to direct the critically acclaimed world premiere of Myra Slotnick’s drama The Weight of Water. Previously in P’town, David directed the premiere of David Parr’s Slap & Tickle, the New England premiere of Brad Faser’s Poor Super Man, and the acclaimed revival of Thornton Wilder’s classic Our Town. Most recently in New York, David was a director of the 2009 world premiere of Taylor Mac’s The Lily’s Revenge at Here, which made the “10 Best Lists” in The New Yorker, The NY Post, The Advocate, Paper Magazine, and won a 2010 Village Voice Obie Award.

JOHN THOMAS is a Provincetown-based composer, pianist, music director, actor, photographer, writer and event producer. A man of many talents, his long list of credits includes composing Pure PolyESTHER: a biblical burlesque (with Abe Rybeck) and music for theater productions from Provincetown to Cape Cod Community College. He wrote and performed the solo show Spontaneous Me: A Night with Walt Whitman. He has been music director for Hair, Cabaret, The Wild Party, Naked Boys Singing, Working, Candide, and other shows. He portrayed Cosme McMoon, Florence Foster Jenkin’s flamboyant pianist, in Souvenir, Mashkan, the Viennese vocal coach, in Old Wicked Songs and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. He has performed at Boston Symphony Hall, in California, New Hampshire and Connecticut, and on the Greek island of Mykonos. His music is featured in films and his photographs have been exhibited in Provincetown’s museums and Berta Walker Gallery. His compact disc of original music is titled Composing Myself. johnwthomas.com.

ELENA MANCHEVA was born in the small town of Sandansky in Bulgaria, fifteen miles north of the border of Greece. She grew up listening to and performing Bulgarian traditional music with her father (who is a professional musician). Elena received her bachelor’s degree in music teaching at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. During the past year, she has performed Bulgarian and American music in Provincetown at the Monday Night Coffeehouse at The Mews, the Waterford, the Celebration of Life annual concert, and at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater.

Colton Ford Gives Us the Naked Truth About "A Molly Jolly Christmas"

By Byrne Harrison


Maybe you know this Peace Bisquit / Woop Woop recording star from his albums, Tug of War and Under the Covers.  Perhaps you saw the documentary about his music career, "Naked Fame."  Then again, maybe you're familiar with some of his more adult endeavors. But however you know him, chances are Colton Ford made an impression.

Now you have a chance to see Colton in a new light, as a participant in the must-see Christmas cabaret of the season, Molly "Equality" Dykeman's A Molly Jolly Christmas.  I had a chance to catch up with Colton (and Molly, as you'll see) and ask him about Molly, his career and what 2012 holds for him.

Colton, you're known as, well, a man's man. Molly is a fan of the lovely ladies.  Other than both being unbelievably butch, you don't seem to have too much in common.  How did you wind up being part of A Molly Jolly Christmas?

Well the fact that I came out of a vagina I think spoke to her. You know Molly. Any vagina reference and it's on!!

Yes, Molly can be a little Pavlovian that way.  Now anyone who knows Molly knows that this show will feature lovely ladies, humor, poetry, and as you mentioned, vagina references.  What can we expect to see from you at the show?

True testosterone. I'll show you the man Molly really wants to be.  And you can expect to hear some hot music too!

Who'll be in the show with you and Molly?

(At this point, Molly "Equality" Dykeman, who has been sitting nearby eating Cheetos--no nachos on the menu apparently, perks up and joins the interview)

I'll field this question, Colton. Why don't you just sit there and look pretty? My friend Michael Musto of The Village Voice is going to stop by. He graduated from an Ivy League school and I've slept with a lot of Ivy League ladies so I think we'll have a lot to talk about. The sexy and talented Victoria Libertore will be performing one of the most twisted Liza's to hit the stage in a long time, and then I usually invite someone I met on the subway to come and do the show. There's so much great talent on the F train. I tried to get the Mariachi band to come play but they turned me down. Thankfully,Colton said yes.

(Molly started to say more, but was distracted by a leggy Latina and wandered away.)

Wow, okay then. So Colton, you've had a... remarkably varied career.  Looking back on all of it, what would you say was the highest point so far?

There have been several memorable moments over my career. When I was signed to acclaimed songwriter, Denise Rich, got a major label deal, and was paired up with Frankie Knuckles all in the same year. That was really cool! Performing in Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour two years ago was brilliant. Singing with Chaka Khan was amazing. Also, just having all the music that I have out there is a great accomplishment.

Given all that you've done in 2011, I imagine 2012 is going to be an even busier year for you.  What do you have coming up?  Will we see you back onstage soon?

Well, I've been back on two Off-Broadway stages just this month, and hope to continue in 2012. I've got a new album coming out, "The Way I Am," which includes collaborations with Nervo, Chris Willis, Wawa, Redtop, Razor N Guido to name a few. I also have a stripped down, more acoustic EP coming out around fall of 2012. Other things are brewing for the New Year, but I ain't gonna share just yet!

Well, that's a bit of a tease, but I suppose I can wait.  So let's do a hypothetical.  If I could grant you any performance wish, what would be your dream gig?

Being able to gig at Madison Square Garden would be one!!

And if you could collaborate with anyone on your next album, who would it be?

Well, I've been really fortunate to work with some amazing people throughout my career. It would be cool to collaborate with Darkchild. Missy Elliott. Gaga.

Well, let's hope they see this. Since it's the holidays, what are your Christmas plans?

Chillin' at home.

What's your dream date for the perfect New Year's Eve?

Bringing in the New Year with my partner, and just enjoying where the evening takes us!

Since Molly hasn't come back, how about a little question about her? I can only imagine what Molly is like in rehearsals and backstage. Any good gossip to share?

None. Molly is a pleasure. Vagina-focused for sure, but a sweetie!

Molly, Colton, Michael Musto and Victoria Libertore can be seen in the final performance of A Molly Jolly Christmas at the Laurie Beechman Theatre at 42nd St. and 9th Ave. (inside the West Bank Cafe) on Thursday, December 22nd at 7:30 PM.

Mama Rose Through the Years

Thank you for being a friend...

By Byrne Harrison

On December 17th, Hunter Auction Galleries will be holding an auction made of the items from various estates.  Included in the auction are items from Rue McClanahan's New York apartment.  Among them are the expected "Golden Girls" items, but also a Wicked package, and a personal letter from Rue describing her work as an understudy to Marian Seldes and Brenda Vacarro in Father's Day, and another personal letter from 1957 written backstage at a theatre.

Visit Live Auctioneers to see (and bid on) the items.

I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore

By Byrne Harrison

Last week I had a unique opportunity to see a pair of ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz."  Not just any pair, mind you, but the pair that were used during the close-up when Dorothy clicked her heels together and said, "There's no place like home."

The shoes are expected to sell for more than $3 million this week at auction.  Visit the website for more information about the auction (and check out some of the other items up for bid - Bert Lahr's Cowardly Lion costume, Marilyn Monroe's wedding ring).

While seeing the ruby slippers was a bit of a thrill, it was only one part of an amazing afternoon.  The viewing was held in conjunction with the Hotel Plaza Athénée's afternoon tea service.  The afternoon tea, with its plates full of tiny sandwiches and tiered serving trays piled with delectable sweets, was charming. As was "The Wizard of Oz"-themed music, featuring a keyboard player and violinist performing songs from the film.  There was even a strolling magician performing sleight of hand.

The afternoon tea, held in the stylish, yet comfortable Arabelle restaurant in the hotel, was the perfect event to complement the ruby slippers display.  And that's not just the ruby-tinted champagne talking.

Dorothy was right, there is no place like home.  But considering that my home is a cramped one-bedroom in Queens, I'm more than happy to spend an afternoon enjoying the elegence of some place not at all like home.  My next trip to the Plaza Athénée will probably not involve "The Wizard of Oz" or ruby slippers, but I know it will be just as much of a treat.

About The Plaza Athénée:  One of the most well-respected hotels in the world, New York City’s Hôtel Plaza Athénée provides European grandeur with the intimacy of a boutique hotel. Located on the fashionable Upper East Side of Manhattan on a quiet tree lined street, the hotel offers a unique relaxing atmosphere surrounded by refined townhouses. One short block from Central Park and steps from Madison Avenue, the Plaza Athenee is the perfect getaway from Midtown Manhattan and a welcoming retreat after a long day of seeing the sights.

"A Molly Jolly Christmas" - A Comic Christmas Treat

Review by Byrne Harrison
Dancing Molly photo by Laura Turley
Molly and presents photo by Ron Lasko
Cross-posted from StageBuzz.com

Molly "Equality" Dykeman is a slightly bewildered, pill-popping, mullet-sporting, Cheetos-munching, lesbian security guard/poet, who wants nothing more than to put on a Christmas show to remember, full of leggy, stacked dancers and hot, downtown performers.  The results are a cringe-inducing train wreck.

While that could be the kiss of death for most shows, it is exactly what A Molly Jolly Christmas is supposed to be.  Molly is the wacky and delightful creation of Andrea Alton, the talented actress and comic, who has been performing as her alter-ego for several years now and most recently kicked some downtown ass in The F*cking World According to Molly at FringeNYC.  She also performs as Molly throughout the city at events as diverse as Butch Burlesque and Will Clark's Porno Bingo.

A Molly Jolly Christmas is an absolute riot.  Molly is in rare form as she performs her poetry (a good deal of her poetic style can be inferred from just the title of her first poem: "I Wanna Fuck Meredith Baxter Birney," which is, amazingly, the least offensive of her poems), dances with her leggy dancers, the Mollettes (Victoria Smalc and Meliza Fernandez), and introduces her guest stars.  And, oh my, the guest stars.  While the line-up changes for each performance, her show on Friday, December 9th, included a flamenco dancer/comedian (Inma Heredia), a Lady Gaga impersonator (Athena Reich), a twitchy monologist (Allen Warnock) who performed a dramatic reading from "Gremlins," and The World Famous *BOB*, the amazing burlesque star whose take on "Hard Candy Christmas" from Best Little Whorehouse left the crowd speechless.  Upcoming shows will feature performance artist Shelly Mars, singer/actor/former porn god Colton Ford, burlesque star Vicky Sin, actress Victoria Libertore, and Village Voice columnist and man-about-town, Michael Musto.

In between acts, Molly reminisces about her childhood, reads her Christmas letter to Jesus (she's a little unclear on the whole concept), and dances.  That's right, dances.  Watching Molly and her Mollettes perform "Xanadu" (choreographed by the terrific John Paolillo) is worth the price of admission.

If you're tired of the sugar-plum, treacly Christmas shows that abound this time of year, but you still want something with a good heart and plenty of Christmas spirit, A Molly Jolly Christmas is the show to see.

A Molly Jolly Christmas

Written and performed by Andrea Alton

Directed by Mark Finley

Choreography by John Paolillo

December 6, 9, 13 and 22 at 7:30 PM

The Laurie Beechman Theatre

407 W. 42nd St (at 9th Avenue) in the West Bank Cafe

Tickets: $18 (plus a $15 food/drink minimum)

http://www.spincyclenyc.com/

Someone's Been Taking Liberties With a Mamma Mia Sign

There's No Place Like Home

THE ORIGINAL WIZARD OF OZ RUBY SLIPPERS ON DISPLAY AT PLAZA ATHENEE – DECEMBER 5, 2011

The Wizard of Oz’s Ruby Slippers will be the stars of an exclusive Afternoon Tea at the Plaza Athénée in New York on December 5, 2011 from 4-6pm.

This private viewing of the original screen used Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” will be a onetime special event at the Hotel Plaza Athénée before they go to auction on December 16th in California presented by Profiles in History. The pair on display was used when Dorothy clicks her heels three times to return to Kansas, stating “There’s no place like home.” The slippers are appraised in excess of $3 million.  Additional information can be found on the website http://www.profilesinhistory.com/

“We are extremely proud to organize this magical afternoon which is a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season,” said Bernard Lackner, General Manager of the Plaza Athénée. “Our hotel has had a long history of welcoming some of the greatest movie stars from Hollywood. Hosting the Ruby Slippers is nothing short of hosting a moment of American movie history,” he added. “There is no place like home” will be the Plaza Athénée for one day only.”

All attendees of this special event will have a unique opportunity to have an up close and personal look at the iconic pair of shoes. Ever since the movie was released, the Ruby Slippers have become one of the most iconic artifacts of American culture. Generation after generation, mothers and daughters have grown with the magic of Dorothy.

“I am thrilled to be working with the Plaza Athénée to bring the fabled Ruby Slippers to NYC for a once in a lifetime private viewing of the most iconic film artifact in the world," said Joe Maddalena, owner of Profiles in History.

To reserve your table, please contact: Cheryl Plonski, Director of Sales and Marketing at 212-606-4635.

Full afternoon tea served. Price: $75 per person. Taxes and gratuities are not included.

Space is limited.

About The Plaza Athénée:One of the most well-respected hotels in the world, New York City’s Hôtel Plaza Athénée provides European grandeur with the intimacy of a boutique hotel. Located on the fashionable Upper East Side of Manhattan on a quiet tree lined street, the hotel offers a unique relaxing atmosphere surrounded by refined townhouses. Located one short block from Central Park and steps from Madison Avenue, the Plaza Athenee is the perfect getaway from Midtown Manhattan and a welcoming retreat after a long day of seeing the sights.  There’s plenty to see and do from this wonderfully central location.

Oh, Mary… "Little House on the Ferry"

Review by Nic Dris

Photos by Iannelli Photography & Peter Lau Photography

It’s a tale as old as Falcon Studios time. A group of gay friends go on vacation somewhere with hidden dunes, alcohol, and men. Drama happens when a sexy boy gets added into the mix. Said group of friends sleep with each other and knockdown brawls reach intense peaks. However, there’s always a happy ending on the horizon (…after the after-party).

Set on a present-day early summer weekend, a band of friends travel to Fire Island --- a gay man’s Pleasure Island. Leading man Randall (Seph Stanek) is determined to take his relationship to “the next level” with his uptight sophisticated boyfriend Timothy (Sean Loftus). Newbie Antonio (Kit Balcuns) wants to get the entire Fire Island experience and when he spots their housemate, Max (beloved Colton Ford), love strikes a merry threesome tune. All the while, annoyingly acerbic House Mother Donnie (Matt Rodriquez) lives his youth vicariously through this young clan. What good gay farce isn’t complete without the ex-boyfriend coming out of nowhere though? When Randall’s charming ex-boyfriend Key West Jake (Chris Van Kirk) unexpectedly drops in, Randall must decide which of the two is his true heart’s desire! What’s a boy to do when he’s caught between two boyfriends and their hard place(s)?

Little House on the Ferry shares much in common with your typical night out in Hell’s Kitchen. It always seems like a good idea at first until a little while after it’s started. You may even have some fun and find yourself laughing at the silliest things. A dirty gay joke is funny the first few times, but after twenty of them, you start tuning them out. And there’s always the long, painful regret of the inevitable hangover the next morning and you rethink why you went in the first place. As much fun as this little musical wants you to believe the cast is having, Little House on the Ferry is one doomed sinking ship.

Seph Stanek’s quirky and sweetly mixed-up Randall doesn’t know whether to play the faithful, dedicated boyfriend or the passionate, DJing lovesick puppy to Chris Van Kirk’s endearingly sweet Key West Jake. It’s not that hard when Loftus plays Randall’s boyfriend, Timothy, as vain and self-involved as he does. Speaking of lovesick puppies, gay porn’s critically acclaimed Colton Ford plays the usual part he was born to play – a heartthrob hunk of muscular man flesh. Colton Ford’s huge talents are underutilized except when his character Max hums an addictive risqué tune, “After Hours,” where tableaus of various sexual positions are illustrated downstage (to their fullest). After all, what’s a good Colton Ford project without a little group sex?

The hard working ensemble does their best to act beyond their rock hard abs and pop-infused voices while playing their campy stereotypically Adonis roles with stand-out numbers such as the deer-led “Jump That Fence.” A boy band of deer serenade the drugged out Randall to make a decision about the two men in his Fire Island life.

Little House on the Ferry carries club-hoppin' show tunes that you’ll find a hard time thump-a-thumpin’ out of your mind. Their title anthem, “We’re on Fire Island,” showed the ensemble’s own exuberant spirit that was a treat to watch. There were some clunkers that the musical could do without and besides, who needs a song about a “Steroid Queen?” Homage to cult fan favorites like “Grease” is paid with songs such as the silly-school-girl “Did You Score?” This camp piece of work tiptoes on the line of being too earnest with lithe songs like the saccharine sweet “With a Friend Like Me” where House Mother Donnie tries to cheer up Randall. When the musical doesn’t try so hard to be funny and embraces the natural camp of it all, it works at its best.

These men could carry a conversation, but like their meek cosmos --- not very strong. Gould & Wechter’s dialogue carried far too many jokes fueled by endless cheap sexual innuendoes. In the program, there was a Fire Island vocabulary provided in case you couldn’t figure out what really complex terms such as “Bottom,” “Top,” or “Grindr” were. But who needs a vocabulary list? Gould & Wechter’s book stopped mid-action where one character would explain to the other the rules and terminology of Fire Island living. “What’s a ½ Share? Let me tell you!” became the running, tiresome diatribe and dynamic exchanged between these Love! Valour! Compassion! misfit wannabes.

While Wetcher struggled with providing the voices of these men, he even struggled more with providing them a sense of direction. Wechter’s direction left the actors traipsing around the stage with nothing to do (but pat the occasional bottom or four). The pacing for the set changes in between scenes was so awkwardly large that you could carry a full five minute cocktail conversation in between them. Much of the ballads were wrongly played out on the second floor as the ensemble stole the audience’s attention with ballet dance or suggestive sexual staging on the first floor. I’ll admit though --- it’s hard to keep your eyes off an ensemble of chorus boys in speedos.

Considering most of this musical takes place in either a brothel, a townhouse, or a club – the versatile and suggestive set fulfilled its duty to give off a brotherly Fire Island vibe. Leuck’s costume design must have been the simplest job since the boys wore either their underwear or their everyday preppy wear. The clichéd and stereotypically Broadway-styled choreography and musical staging gestures do nothing new to add for the camp factor, except the continual reminder that yes, this IS a gay musical. 

Does this musical know what it wants to be? Not quite yet, but it’s getting there. Clocking in at almost three hours, this musical can’t decide whether it wants to be an earnest classic romantic comedy or a campy, farcical work of fluff. Like its leading man Randall who’s too confused with emotions to make a decision about men --- this musical carries that confusion in its tone. It should learn a lesson or two from its doe-stopping number and jump that fence. Little House on the Ferry is one boat ride you can afford to miss catching.

Little House on the Ferry

Featuring: Seph Stanek (Randall), Kit Balcuns (Antonio), Chris Van Kirk (Jake), Sean Loftus (Timothy), Matt Rodriquez (Donnie), Colton Ford (Max)

Conceived by Robert Gould

Co-Authors: Robert Gould & Jeremy Wechter

Music, Lyric, & Composition: Robert Gould & Robert Arbelo

Directed by Jeremy Wechter

Scenic Design by Courtney Smith

Lighting Design by Kate Febles

Costume Design by Vanessa Leuck

Sound Design by Sean Brennan

Choreography by Sean Roschman

Production Stage Manager: Nicole Gross

Presented at the American Theatre of Actors

314 W. 54^th Street

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE FERRY ran through Nov. 20 at ATA.

For more information, see www.littlehouseontheferry.com

Closed: November 20, 2011

Four More Chances to see "Shadow Boxing," Part of the 2011 Brits Off Broadway festival at 59E59 Theaters

Produced by Cross Cut, SHADOW BOXING is part of THREE BRITISH SOLOS, three solo shows performed in rep. Single tickets are $25 ($17.50 for 59E59 Members). A three-show package is available for $50; a two show package is $35. To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org.  For more information, visit www.britsoffbroadway.com.


Through Sunday, November 20th 
Thur at 8:30 PM, Sat at 2:30 PM & 9:30 PM, Sun at 7:30 PM

The son of a boxer who couldn't win, Flynn becomes a successful fighter through utter dedication. But is his gruelling training merely an avoidance tactic? A crisis builds as he moves to the title fight and the drama hurtles to a shattering conclusion.

Jonny Collis-Scurll delivers an emotionally intense and highly physical performance hailed for “effortless precision” (The Scotsman) and called "one of the most intense and hypnotic solo performances of the year" (Broadwaybaby.com). 

James Gaddas (playwright) is a British stage and television actor of long experience. He had a continuing role in the iconic television series, Coronation Street. More recently, he  played Captain Hook in the British classic, Peter Pan, and was in the West End production of Billy Elliot. In 2005, he was a parliamentary candidate.

Donald Pulford (director) is an Australian director and academic now living in the UK. His Australian production of Weepie won the Members’ Choice Award for Best Production at the Blue Room and the English production won Best Production at the international Absolut Gay Theatre Festival in Dublin. Shadow Boxing achieved five 5-star reviews and a ‘MUST SEE!’ from the British theatre trade paper, The Stage. He is currently rehearsing a play inspired by the music of British cult band, The Smiths.

Jonny Collis-Scurll’s (actor) recent credits include lead roles in two award-winning British productions in international festivals in Dublin and Poland amongst other internationally touring productions and pieces of new writing in the North of England.