Banter

Oh, it was brought'n

2007-10-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

If you weren't there this weekend, shame on you. You missed a lot of fun and some kickin chili! The Playwrights Foundation took the overall critic favorite, but Crowded Fire walked away with two fan favorites. Impact's not so secret ingredient by the name of ostrich had everyone tasting and Fools Fury managed a dessert chili with chocolate.

The critics took their job very seriously, but seemed to have a good time as well. You can check out what they had to say about the experience on their blogs: Karen D'Souza, Chad Jones, and Chloe Veltman.

Thanks to everyone that came out!

Chili Cook Off This Saturday

2007-10-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

We've got the Chili Cook Off against Fools Fury, Impact, and the Playwrights Foundations coming up this Saturday. Put a few theater companies in the room together and the smack talk begins:

Impact claims they are going to "to put the splatdown on those other companies" while the Playwright's Foundation promises to "kick some butt." As for us, well, I think our name alone gives us a bit of an advantage, don't you?

Fools Fury challenges you all to "get your eat on." So, do come on out this Saturday afternoon...there will be tons of chili (waaaaay more than we can pass off to starving actors at the Z), raffles, prizes, and live music. It's sure to be a good time and it benefits all participating organizations.

You'll also be able to rub elbows with our 'celebrity judges:'
Karen D'Souza (her plug here)
Chad Jones (his plug here)
Chloe Veltman (awaiting Chloe's plug here ;-)

For those that missed it

2007-08-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to the aforementioned pontification.

And for further pontification, check out Chloe Veltman's response.

Tune in tomorrow

2007-08-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

Kent will be appearing on KQED's Forum with Michael Krasny discussing small theater in the Bay Area tomorrow morning from 10-11. (88.5) Tune in to listen to him pontificate. He is astonishingly good at it. Really.

Hot of the Press

2007-08-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

Erik Ehn has recently informed us that the working title for his new piece is (drum roll, please) BURNT UMBER. You can catch Erik's piece in our Matchbox Reading series this coming weekend. Patrick Alparone, Anna Buillard, Alex Creighton, Lawrence Radecker, and Patricia Silver join the previously announced cast members (Jason Wong and Ellen Scarpaci), in
the workshop reading on Saturday, August 18 at 3 pm at Intersection for the Arts. Hope to see you there.

Who's in the house?

2007-08-09T13:23:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, it takes a lot of work to pull off a readings series...even a little one like our upcoming Matchbox Readings. The bulk of the work comes from trying to juggle the schedules for a rather large number of people. You've got a specific number of roles, limited pool of actors for each, and a precise window of availability that you need them. With that said, we've got a stellar mix of ensemble members and guest artists in the room for each piece. I thought it might be of interest to you who you'll see if you join us next week:

UNTITLED
Erik Ehn, Playwright
Rebecca Novick, Director
Cast: Ellen Scarpaci, Jason Wong

ABOUT THE DOGS
Lizz Edele, Playwright
Jessica Heidt, Director
Kent Nicholson, Dramaturg
Paz Hilfinger-Pardo, AD/Reader
Cast: Erin Gilley, Caroline Hewitt, Paul Lancour, Michele Leavy

MY NAME IS VERA CUPIDO
Stephanie Fleischmann, Playwright
Octavio Solis, Director
Mollena Williams, Reader/AD
Cast: Tessa Kong-Martinez, Michele Leavy, Julian Lopez Morrilas, Wanda McCaddon, Juliet Tanner

THE LISTENER
Liz Duffy Adams, Playwright
Kent Nicholson, Director
Mellie Katakalos, AD/Dramaturg
Paz Hilfinger-Pardo, Reader
Cast: Cassie Beck, Lawrence Radecker, Juliet Tanner, Dan Wolf, Jason Wong

Great News!!

2007-08-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the lovely folks over at the Tournesol Foundation, we are now able to bring ALL four playwrights out for our upcoming Matchbox Readings. We hope you'll come on out to help us welcome Erik Ehn, Lizz Duffy Adams, Stephanie Fleishmann, and Liz Edele with their latest pieces.

The skinny

2007-07-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Matchbox Readings (that's hot!)
Come make the fire crowded as we gather around some great new voices in the American Theater.

Liz Duffy Adams of One Big Lie fame returns with her newest offering, The Listener, directed by Fireside Chat superstar, Kent Nicholson.

Ms. Rebecca Novick continues her relationship with 'maid author, Erik Ehn, by workshopping a brand new piece so hot, it doesn't even need a title (yet).

And where is it hotter than Florida? Local Legend, Octavio Solis, will be directing a mournful love story set in Key Biscayne in Stephanie Fleischmann's, My Name is Vera Cupido.

And lastly, help us welcome a young fresh face, Lizz Edele, who's fierce new play, About the Dogs, will have it's full draft reading debut with the help of Jessica Heidt's direction.

But perhaps the hottest tidbit is the fact that many of Crowded Fire's talented ensemble will cause the stage to sizzle in this series. Don't miss all your favorites, Juliet Tanner, Jason Wong, Paul Lancour, Cassie Beck, Erin Gilley, Michele Leavy, and Lawrence Radecker, plus many special guest appearances by other local thespians.

Show your face at the Bonfire at Ocean Beach on Saturday night, and we'll stuff a S'more in it!

We really like our name. And Vacant Fire Theater Company doesn't have the same ring.
Come out so we can stay Crowded!

SHOW BLURBS and INFO

A vow to be better...

2007-07-29T13:59:00.001-07:00

Ok we admit it, we lost the momentum with this here blog, but we are doing some internal strategerizing and will hopefully be up and running with posts on a regular basis soon. We've just got to find that rhythm and some eager bloggers within the ensemble.

Support the Artists!

2007-07-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

Special Pay What You Can performance of ANNA BELLA EEMA on Monday, July 9 at 8pm.
Ashby Stage
1901 Ashby St., Berkeley

All proceeds support the artists who bring ANNA BELLA EEMA to life every Thurs -Sunday!

And if you haven't figured it out already, we're running in Berkeley now, July 5-15th. Come on out and see us!

In case you missed it...

2007-07-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

We hosted a sneak peek and informal interview with playwright Lisa D'Amour when she was in town during Anna Bella Eema rehearsals.

In case you missed it, you can now catch video of the interview here.

fireside chats

2007-07-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

We've been hosting informal chats with audience members following each performance of ANNA BELLA EEMA. In an effort to get away from the stuffy talk back, we're breaking out the bottles of wine, asking questions of the audience as much (if not more) than answering questions from them, and the result has been some really fascinating and engaging discussions.

This production is a great example of the kind of theater that is at the heart of Crowded Fire. We love that everyone is walking away from the show with a slightly different take on it. We love that people are so stimulated by the show, that they are eager to deconstruct the text, often debating one another and asking more and more questions.

And folks are continuing the conversation when they go home. We've got people yelping about it, emailing us directly, and linking to their blogs. Don't get me wrong, we've basked in the critical praise that ANNA BELLA EEMA has received thus far, but hearing from you directly has been the real pleasure. This is what theatre is all about to us.

We call our talk backs "fireside chats." How appropriate, then, to hear John S. in his review say "theater and religious ritual both started in the same place - as stories told around a campfire somewhere. Now we think of them as being two different experiences, but in plays like Anna Bella Eema it is possible to return to the primal campfire and experience them together again."

Theatre? What's that?

2007-06-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

Have you artists seen this article?

Monday, June 18, 2007 (SF Chronicle)STANFORD/NEA chairman blasts American culture in commencement talk/Speaker tellsgrads to reject passive consumerismJulian Guthrie, Chronicle Staff Writer The leader of the National Endowment for the Arts decried culture asbankrupt and called for the elevation of artists and intellectuals insociety at Stanford University's commencement address on Sunday. Dana Gioia, a businessman-turned-accomplished poet who now heads the NEA,acknowledged that he was a controversial choice as speaker. "A few students were especially concerned that I lacked celebrity," hesaid from the field of Stanford Stadium, where an estimated 25,000graduating students, faculty members and family members had gathered forthe university's 116th commencement ceremony. "It seemed I wasn't famous enough," added Gioia, the first poet and thefirst Californian selected to head the federal arts agency. "And that isthe subject I want to address, the fact that we live in a culture thatbarely acknowledges and rarely celebrates the arts and artists." On the field, students dressed in caps and gowns -- accessorized witheverything from animal masks and wigs to blow-up dolls and bumblebee wings-- fanned themselves against the heat and waved "Thanks Mom and Dad"signs. Many talked on cell phones to family members in the stands, tookphotos of one another on camera phones, or sent text messages. "Everything now is entertainment," said Gioia (pronounced Joy-a), who isin his second term as head of the $133 million federal endowment, whichfunds art institutions across the country. "American culture has mostlybecome one vast infomercial." Gioia, the first in his family to attend college, earned a bachelor'sdegree and an MBA from Stanford and a master's from Harvard. He worked for15 years at General Foods before dropping out of corporate life to write. He said his exposure to artists, musicians and writers began early --through radio and television. He listened to classical musicians likeJascha Heifetz and Arthur Rubinstein, and jazz greats Duke Ellington andLouis Armstrong. "All of these people were famous to the average American -- because theculture considered them important." Today, he said, culture is about NBA players and "American Idol"finalists. "When virtually all of culture's celebrated figures are in sports orentertainment, how few possible role models we offer the young," Gioiasaid. "Why do these issues matter to you? This is the culture you are about toenter. You now face the choice of whether you want to be a passiveconsumer or an active citizen. Do you want to watch the world on a screenor live in it so meaningfully that you change it?" For members of the graduating class, Gioia's speech was valid -- to anextent. Many students talked of a different type of creativity atStanford, a campus that has long been a breeding ground for research andstartups such as Yahoo. Katherine Brainard will work as a software engineer and intern atMicrosoft this summer. "I think there are much bigger problems in education than a lack of thearts," she said. "I don't think that broader culture has ever been 'highculture' anyway. But if you can't read at a second-grade level and you'regraduating from high school, that is the problem." David Ollison, graduating with a degree in economics, plans to go on tolaw school. He said he is decidedly a "left-brain guy." While trying tokeep a female blow-up doll named Francesca perched on his shoulders, hesaid that his primary interest is making money. Besides, he laughed, "I'm a pop-culture whore." A group of guys dressed in various animal outfits debated the issue ofwhether culture is bankrupt. "You choose your own path in life," mused Zach Henick. "If you want to gointo arts, go into arts. I'm pursuing economics." His friend Jay Rubenstein, wearing camel ears, paused to proclaim,"Society sleeps in a bed of pigs." He added that the quote is his own. "I think culture has to be what you make of it," he said. "For me, myculture is sports." He plans to work in energy trading and has a job linedup at Morgan Stanley. Staci King, who wants to become a doctor, said she always had arts classesin her public schools in Chicago. She plays the jazz guitar and listens togospel and R&B. She said she had dreamed of attending Stanford since shewas in kindergarten. "I still play and will always play the guitar as a pastime," she said,smiling. "But I didn't want to be a starving artist."Online resources www.nea.gov E-mail Julian Guthrie at jguthrie@sfchronicle.com.----------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2007 SF Chronicle

Coming soon to a theater near you...

2007-06-14T15:46:00.001-07:00

When Cassie and I took on Crowded Fire we began an overhaul of the website. In conjunction with our terrific Managing Director, Erin Gilley, and our Board Member Extraordinaire, Julie Baum (who also serves as graphic designer), we set about changing a great deal of what we had up there. One of the key components of our new approach was video. We wanted to be able to advertise our shows in a way that we thought would be appealing. A way in which we are used to responding to advertising. Little commercials, if you will.

Well... it seems we're not alone. Not that we thought we would be. Here's a link which describe's The National Theater's (London) new Youtube page... which can be found here.

Now all of this is a terrific idea... except Crowded Fire isn't technically allowed to show video with actors from actor's equity in them. We managed to get around this for our current show , but if things don't change for us, we won't be able to use clips from our shows to help our shows. On other equity contracts, theaters are allowed... either that, or they are simply doing it anyway. But because we are on a waiver, they are loathe to make an exception for us.

That's actually the part that bothers me. We are expected to grow into an equity contract without the benefit of an accesible and (relatively) cheap marketing tool. Other, larger, wealthier, companies have access to this same tool... and the money to access other forms of advertisement, but we are hamstrung. Which, of course, makes it harder for us to grow. Catch 22.

Hopefully we can get this resolved. If for no other reason than we would also like to do some multi-media work. I'd hate to have to shut equity actors out of a production in which we use video as an integral part of the plot.

But mostly, I want to be able to share our work with as many potential ticket buyers as possible. And to sell as many tickets as possible. So we can pay as much as possible. To everyone.

We can't leave our chairs, but the little guy can

2007-06-11T16:40:00.001-07:00

And the Chronicle speaks.

"American trailer-park gothic meets classic horror story gothic and “Call of the Wild” elements in Lisa D’Amour’s electrifyingly musical, invigoratingly literary, smartly comic and unexpectedly deeply moving mother-daughter coming-of-age story about a 10-year-old and the golem she creates from mud in a derelict trailer park. Expertly staged by Rebecca Novick and performed with mesmerizing skill, the 90-minute Crowded Fire West Coast premiere is a stunning act of theatrical alchemy."--R. Hurwitt

www.crowdedfire.org

Tongue Waggin'

2007-06-11T16:36:00.001-07:00

Here's what audience member Elizabeth Benedict wrote to us after seeing the Anna Bella Eema preview.

"Thanks to all at Crowded Fire for a really wonderful night in the theatre.We talked about it all the way home. It is the kind of evening only the theatre can give you. I give it a definite thumbs up. It certainly is not your same old -same old. A very fresh voice and three really strong performances-- what more do you want from a Friday night in June?"

Thanks to all who made it out for our opening weekend! We run until July 1st at TJT and (drum roll) we just EXTENDED! We will have a 2 week run at Berkeley's Ashby Stage, July 5-15th.

www.crowdedfire.org

A sound is worth a thousand words

2007-06-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

It is terrifying. You'll understand when you see the play. The line load is insane. I talk for 16 pages straight, right at the top of the piece. Then Danielle takes over for an equally long stretch. It's quite a responsibility starting an epic journey. We previewed last night and open tonight. Each time it gets smoother and easier. But the weight of such a hefty piece of text can mess with your mind.

I'm comforted though. Here's why:

The thing I've noticed about acting in this piece, is the listening. Everybody always says listening is the key to great acting. However, the 3 actors literally have to just listen to one another, because we are in our set chairs the whole time and unable to see each other. We have no visual cues. We can only listen and respond. The entire play really is like a piece of music. Even in the performance of it.

I always love the end, when I get to lay my eyes on Danielle and Julie backstage. They have become my supportive cast mates that I only hear for the 100 minutes we're together on stage. We have only our voices and our prop sounds to support one another. It's the only way we can communicate our presence and our love for each other. It is the only way to say, "I'm here for you. I've got you. It's all of us in this together!"

Who knew a sound is worth a thousand words?

drop another dime in the jukebox

2007-05-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

So, not so long ago I worked with a couple of krazy kats named Brandon and Prince on a little ditty they liked to call Jukebox Stories. They had a VERY succesful run in the basement of a little pizza joint called La Vals for Impact Theatre. Now I have done several shows in that basement space... for Impact and others, but this one was differant. Why you ask? Because this one belonged in the basement of a pizza joint. And I mean that as a compliment.

Appearantly, many other people thought so too. The fun, improvisational hijinks of Prince's stories paired with the ever-so-cute Brandon's songs... along with a good game of BINGO (and who doesn't love BINGO) created one of the more fun and differant evenings of theater I've been a proud papa too.

Well, guess what? THEY'RE BACK!!!! That's right... if you missed 'em the first time, check em out this time. Seems that one of their shows is already sold out... but catch the other if you can. Info is here.

And tell 'em The Monkey sent ya.

A good article in the Chronicle

2007-05-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

All right all right... so I'm quoted in it, but still... the whole series, written by Steven Winn was a pretty interesting exploration of the creative process and the role of the unconscious in the artists life. It's funny... He interviewed me a year ago for the thing. Imagine my surprise when, as I am sipping my morning coffee, I come across my name. I had totally forgotten about it. The only problem is he doesn't mention crowded fire. Still, if you are interested here's the link:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/28/DDG5KQ20H81.DTL&feed=rss.entertainment

And here's part two. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/29/DDG81Q1THL1.DTL

But I'm not in that one.

Playwright Lisa D'Amour comes to town

2007-05-19T22:02:00.001-07:00

Anna Bella Eema playwright, Lisa D'Amour, is in town this coming week for part of our rehearsal process.

Do you know Lisa's work? If you like rich language, intricate storytelling, and innovative structure then she's a playwright fit for you. Now's your chance to meet her and view a piece of her work FOR FREE!

Lisa's work has never been produced in San Francisco and has rarely been produced on the West Coast, but people across the country are talking about her unique voice and style. We're excited for this opportunity to introduce her to the Bay Area Theater Community.

So come on out to the Magic (Northside Theatre) this Thursday, May 24th. We'll kick things off with cocktails at 7:00 pm followed by a sneak peak of Anna Bella Eema at 7:30 pm. We'll round of the evening with a little chatty chat between Lisa, Kent, and you!

It's sure to be a fun night - come check it out!

RSVP to Cassie by May 23rd

We love new playwrights

2007-05-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

And we love our new co-artistic director who just happens to be directing an upcoming reading for IN THE ROUGH: the Playwright Foundation's first glimpse reading series of works by stellar emerging playwrights.

So check out :

BOOM!

By Peter Nachtrieb
Winner of the 2006 GLICKMAN AWARD and the NATIONAL THEATER CRITICS AWARD
Directed by Kent Nicholson

Tuesday, May 22nd; 7pm at TJT

Pain in my...

2007-05-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

The theatre gods were out to get me at last night's rehearsal. I'm not sure what I did to piss them off, but the set and props attacked me. I bled twice.

In my last blog I explained how freeing restrictions can be in acting work. I enthusiastically described the odd joy of rehearsing a play in which we aren't permitted to leave our seats. I still fundamentally agree with my earlier assessment. However...

I now have a wooden plank embedded in my fleshy bum thanks to a fore mentioned chair. It's a real pain in my @&*!

I was lightly tapping on a drinking glass with a spatula for percussive effect during a run thru of the first scene when it suddenly shattered. A shard hit my bare foot, and I bled. But, I'm tough. No biggie.

About 5 minutes later, I shifted quickly in my seat to swing my legs to the side of my beloved chair, and I leaped up screaming "OW!" as a hefty sized piece of wood penetrated through my skirt and into my, well, you know. How many times do I have to say it? I had to lay on the floor, and let Julie take a look ...completely embarrassing.

As of this morning, there is still a little piece of the set wedged so far up under the skin, my fiance couldn't get to it with tweezers and a warm wash cloth. We tried. No luck.
I have to soak in a bath and hope the thing works it's way out eventually.

I can hear the gods laughing at my swollen behind.

Anna Bella can you hear me?

2007-05-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

process process process! Ya want the inside scoop on how ABE's rehearsal process is going? We sit on our butts all day long!

Let me start by saying that Lisa D'Amour's ANNA BELLA EEMA is a haunting piece of story telling. 3 actors never leave the stage, or their chairs.

There is some visual oomph!, but the real theatre magic happens in the imagination. Because we are restricted to our seats, we have to rely on our voices to do the work. We get some help from the haunting score and also from the sound scape we are creating with our props which double as instruments. The gorgeous language and active listening is all that's needed to take this ride. But getting there is challenging.

It's odd sometimes how restrictions in work can actually set a performer free. Because this piece is designed to be heard, Rebecca, Julie, Danielle and I are always trying to strike the balance between really "hearing" the play and "seeing" the play. So, our listening is improving. That silent connection between the 3 performers is getting stronger as we move forward. We're becoming a 3 headed unit telling a fantastic tale with our voices, bodies, and props.

Normally, a rehearsal process would start with reading through the script, maybe working for a day or two on just the text, then getting up on our feet to start on blocking and character physicalizations. I always go into a rehearsal interested in finding how my character walks, what my character's internal tempo is, and how my character sounds.

With Anna Bella Eema, we worked at the table for the first week...trying to just listen. We had whole conversations about rhythm and underscoring. We went through the piece marking up our scripts with a soundscape, not blocking. We read aloud and asked ourselves not what we "saw" but what we "heard". How can we best accentuate Lisa's story through sound?

Our sound guru, Cliff, is contributing to the table work tremendously! He and our props master, Kathleen, have assembled this huge sound playground of odd objects that make noise. Each actor has a little tray table full of funny sound makers that we use as instruments. Because we can't get up out of the chairs, our focus is shifting to making the most vivid piece of theatre without having to show the audience anything. How can we make you think you SAW something, when really you only heard it?

It's a delicious challenge. Right now we have assembled a rehearsal set of 3 chairs and 3 trays. We are still playing with our sound props, discovering which object sounds the most "creepy", "disturbing", "sweet". We're learning the dissonant, haunting score, and getting closer and closer each day to singing the harmonies acapella.

It's an awesome challenge for our ears...and out butts.

More soon.

I

Going Paperless

2007-05-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

We are pleased as punch with our new website look and all that goes with it. A million and one thanks go to Julie Baum, Board member extraordinaire and kick ass designer!

We're also pretty excited about our foray into cyber-land over-all. Did you get your issue of BURN THIS NEWSLETTER this month? If not, you just gotta sign up on our email list. We're going paperless - saving trees and cash - so the ONLY way you're going to hear from us going forward is by email. You don't want to miss out on the gossip and intrigue, do you?

First Person Shooter

2007-05-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

One of Crowded Fire's founding ensemble members, Melpomene Katakalos, is strutting her design stuff over at SF Playhouse this month with her set design of First Person Shooter by Aaron Loeb. You may remember Aaron's piece Brown which CF presented a few years back in a Matchbox series.

Here's what Monsieur Hurwitt had to say about Mellie's set:

Tracy and his strong cast vividly bring it to life on a striking, video-upholstered office set by Melpomene Katakalos that projects into the first rows of seats.

Way to go Mellie!

Also, look for Mellie's set design in our upcoming production of Anna Bella Eema. Cuz, you know, she rocks.