| Where have I been?! That's a good question. A lot has happened since I left Pennsylvania in June. A whole lot! I shall try to document all of it in one blog post!  |  (Have you seen this man?) |
I started improvising again with Ora almost right away. Here we are performing at the Gershwin Hotel. We've done several more performances of our full length improv show Shrink: Puppet Therapy at the PIT - and also a special Halloween-themed improv show called Shriek: Puppet Therapy. People keep thinking our improv show is scripted, and that our scripted shows are improvised. It's very flattering!
In August I also helped devise a physical theatre piece called For the Sins I Can Remember for Vagabond Inventions which they performed at IRT in October - because of my availability, I just rehearsed the role in August before Denni Dennis stepped in to play the character. This was a very exciting process. Also, I was still playing the character when the company had their photo shoot, which led to me being in beautifully weird shots like this one. Also, we were the Photo of the Week in Time Out New York! That was my second time as Photo of the Week this year!
 |  |
So I'm cringing in the corner of a freight elevator wearing short white pants in one picture, and I'm making a puppet arm wrestle another puppet in the other - but I'm still in two different Photos of the Week!
And while we're talking about strange press, I should mention that the NY Post strongly suggested that I might be the internationally famous street artist, political activist and filmmaker known as Banksy.
And while we're talking about strange press, I should mention that the NY Post strongly suggested that I might be the internationally famous street artist, political activist and filmmaker known as Banksy.
(I'm not Banksy, but I did get to ride in his truck and operate his puppets)
Rewinding somewhat, I spent a good part of September participating in Fiasco Theater's Free Training Initiative! Here's our entire class at a beer hall with our magnanimous teachers, Jessie Austrian and Noah Brody.
This class - which focused on Shakespeare and rehearsal technique - was inspiring, recharging and an amazing learning experience.
Next fall I'll be diving back into Shakespeare at Lost Nation Theater of Vermont- playing both Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors. I look forward to bringing all of my new tools, perspective and awareness from this class to that process! The Comedy of Errors will run in repertory with The 39 Steps, in which I'll be playing Richard Hannay. Mustache party!
This class - which focused on Shakespeare and rehearsal technique - was inspiring, recharging and an amazing learning experience.
Next fall I'll be diving back into Shakespeare at Lost Nation Theater of Vermont- playing both Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors. I look forward to bringing all of my new tools, perspective and awareness from this class to that process! The Comedy of Errors will run in repertory with The 39 Steps, in which I'll be playing Richard Hannay. Mustache party!
In September I also helped Andy Sapora pull off a surprise edition of tinyDANGEROUSfun to surprise John Leo for his impending nuptials.
Andy ended up breathing fire outside during intermission, and I may have taken my clothes off in the second act...
Andy ended up breathing fire outside during intermission, and I may have taken my clothes off in the second act...
In the beginning of October, Doppelskope went to Allentown to perform and teach during a brief artist residency at Muhlenberg College. I can't stress enough what a wonderful experience this was. Everyone at Muhlenberg is so positive, intelligent and talented - faculty, staff and students alike! We performed our signature show - An Existential Sing-Along - and it was amazing to realize how directly this show speaks to college students!
This was a really great step for us as a company. We're now very excited about the idea of touring around to more colleges!
We recently brought the Sing-Along back to NYC, performing it at the Tank last week. Next month we're premiering The Apocalypse Show at the Tank - and in February we're doing a full weekend run of the Sing-Along at the Tank as well.
This poster is hanging in my room now....
This was a really great step for us as a company. We're now very excited about the idea of touring around to more colleges!
We recently brought the Sing-Along back to NYC, performing it at the Tank last week. Next month we're premiering The Apocalypse Show at the Tank - and in February we're doing a full weekend run of the Sing-Along at the Tank as well.
This poster is hanging in my room now....
Here's a picture of me at Muhlenberg with my first clown teacher - Francine Roussel. Francine invited Ora and I to guest-teach her Experiments in Acting Class. Francine's students were all awesome - and it was great to re-meet Francine as an adult!
Oh! And Muhlenberg has invited Ora and I to write and direct a show for their Summer Music Theatre season! We'll be adapting The Three Billy Goats Gruff into a family-friendly musical with puppets. I'll be performing in it as well.
More details to come!
Oh! And Muhlenberg has invited Ora and I to write and direct a show for their Summer Music Theatre season! We'll be adapting The Three Billy Goats Gruff into a family-friendly musical with puppets. I'll be performing in it as well.
More details to come!
As the project with Banksy was wrapping up, I was asked to perform a sock puppet (pictured left) for a segment on NY1 with Shelley Goldberg and Cheryl Henson, promoting the Puppets on Film festival.
I ended up seeing several films in the festival as well, it was a blast.
Oh, and if you have Time Warner, you can watch the clip from NY1 here!
I ended up seeing several films in the festival as well, it was a blast.
Oh, and if you have Time Warner, you can watch the clip from NY1 here!
More Vermont news - Lost Nation Theater asked me to perform an aerial act for their annual Edgar Allan Poe Spooktacular. My first thought was "oh no - I don't have an act." My second thought was "ooh! I have an idea!"
I devised a new aerial act that I'm quite proud of - I finally figured out how to combine clown with aerial acrobatics. My character Stampy had a wonderful time on the ground and in the air.
I'm pictured here simultaneously warming up and entertaining as part of the lobby pre-show.
I wish I had photos and video from the act itself. I'm hoping to perform this act more in the future!
OH! And I was nominated for best actor in a play for my performance in Irma Vep at Lost Nation! (I was nominated last year for my Irma Vep performance at Cortland Repertory Theatre as well, where I played the other half of the characters.) I was also nominated for best featured actor in Hamlet (in which I played Laertes). LNT's Irma Vep is also up for Best Play, and many of my talented colleagues are nominated in almost all of the categories. You can vote HERE.
That's all the news for now. I imagine I'll be following up with more details about The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The 39 Steps and The Comedy of Errors - as well as upcoming Doppelskope projects - and hopefully other exciting news as well!
I devised a new aerial act that I'm quite proud of - I finally figured out how to combine clown with aerial acrobatics. My character Stampy had a wonderful time on the ground and in the air.
I'm pictured here simultaneously warming up and entertaining as part of the lobby pre-show.
I wish I had photos and video from the act itself. I'm hoping to perform this act more in the future!
OH! And I was nominated for best actor in a play for my performance in Irma Vep at Lost Nation! (I was nominated last year for my Irma Vep performance at Cortland Repertory Theatre as well, where I played the other half of the characters.) I was also nominated for best featured actor in Hamlet (in which I played Laertes). LNT's Irma Vep is also up for Best Play, and many of my talented colleagues are nominated in almost all of the categories. You can vote HERE.
That's all the news for now. I imagine I'll be following up with more details about The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The 39 Steps and The Comedy of Errors - as well as upcoming Doppelskope projects - and hopefully other exciting news as well!
RSS Feed