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Photos from Overnight Sensations 2012
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on July 9, 2012
For the fourth time, I took part in Overnight Sensations, the annual 24-hour play project sponsored by the Playwrights’ Lab at Hollins University in conjunction with Mill Mountain Theatre and other arts organizations in the Roanoke Valley.
The drill is the same each year: The writers, directors and casts gather on Friday night (this year at Hollins, since Center in the Square is undergoing renovations). The writers draw randomly a director. The director draws a cast. And then we alternate drawing a genre, a setting and a theme.
Then it’s off to write. On Saturday morning, the directors and writers assemble for a production meeting at 8 a.m. About noon, the actors arrive for an afternoon of rehearsal and then at 8 p.m., the curtain goes up.
It’s always a fun show and a great chance to work with some talented people, from both around the Roanoke Valley — and the whole country.
This year my director was Drew Dowdy, whose work I’ve admired on Roanoke stages before but whom I didn’t really know. He turned out to be fantastic. Between us, we then drew “science fiction,” “nursing home” and “overcoming weakness.”
I’ll have more to say about the script I produced — “The Keys to the Universe Next Door” — in the next post.
Until then, are some photos –– courtesy of the Playwright’s Lab — from this year’s event: Read the rest of this entry »
Video: Overnight Sensations 24-hour play project
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized, Video on July 5, 2012
For the fourth time in sixth years, I’ll be one of the writers in “Overnight Sensations,” the 24-hour play project organized by the Hollins University playwriting program in conjunction with Mill Mountain Theatre.
In previous years, I’ve written these scripts:
*2007: “Stuck on You,” a farce about a glue gun gone bad at a prom.
*2010: “A Vampire Soap Opera,” which is pretty much what it sounds like.
*2011: “Strong as a Bull,” a horror piece about steroids and baseball — in the 1800s.
Here’s a video from last year’s ceremonies — that’s me in the funny hat. Most of the footage is from when we drew casts, themes, genres and so forth from a hat (not mine!)
I also have some still photos from the 2010 event (which produced “A Vampire Soap Opera”) here.
Finally, arts writer Mike Allen of The Roanoke Times has more about this year’s Overnight Sensations on his Arts & Extras blog.
Scripts to be produced in festival in New York and Great Britain
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized on June 2, 2012
As previously reported, I’ve got two scripts this year in the “Gone in 60 Seconds” Festival in New York City — a festival of one-minute plays.
Now I can pass on that I’ve also got three scripts being done in the U.K. edition of the same festival.
Both the New York pieces deal with baseball: “The Uniform” and “Sunset in North Dakota.”
The three U.K. pieces don’t: “Liberal Arts Pirates” deals with career advice, “Busier Than” deals with cliches, and “Scouting Report” deals with buzzards.
The U.S. shows will be June 8-9 at Brooklyn College; the U.K. show will be June 16 in Halifax, England.
Scripts accepted for productions in New York and Roanoke
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized on May 20, 2012
My show on the Moscow theatre siege — “57 Hours in the House of Culture” — is off to a fantastic start at Studio Roanoke. And now I have other production news to report:
* Studio Roanoke has announced its new season, and my Christmas show about the origin of Santa Claus, is among of the offerings. “Klaus” isn’t something for the children. It attempts to explain where Santa Claus came from. Here’s the description I wrote for Studio Roanoke’s calendar:
A holiday play for a mature audience, it is a dark and humorous tale of the origin of Santa Claus. Where did he come from? Set in the early 1700s when the Jacobite movement to overthrow the German-born Hanoverian kings of England and restore the ousted Stuart family to the throne was still very much alive, and involves physics, philosophy, treason against the king, a love story, and some cooking.
Studio Roanoke is also extending the shows in its next season from two weeks to three, reflecting a popular demand for more weekend shows (and fewer weekday ones.)
You can find the entire season on the Studio Roanoke website.
* Meanwhile, I’ve also had two pieces accepted into the annual “Gone in 60 Seconds” festival in New York City. This is a festival dedicated to one-minute plays. This year it runs June 8-9 at Brooklyn College. Both of my scripts accepted this year deal with baseball: “The Uniform” and “Sunset in North Dakota.” The latter is a one-minute version of a five-minute piece that I had done at No Shame Theatre in Roanoke, Va. last summer.
These upcoming productions join ones previously announced for other scripts in Maryland and Oregon.
Review for “57 Hours in the House of Culture”: “It ain’t Oklahoma!”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Reviews, Uncategorized on May 20, 2012
Dan Smith — editor of Valley Business Front — has posted this review of “57 Hours in the House of Culture,” my show about the Moscow theatre siege,” on his personal blog.
Some of the key thoughts:
“I’ll simply say that this one was not my cup of tea, but I applaud everybody involved for their work and their obvious passion. Most of those in the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the production.
Give it a shot. It ain’t “Oklahoma” but it ain’t supposed to be. This is real theater.”
There was a previous review from Heather Brush of the Cave Spring Connection who called the show “the most interactive show I’ve seen.”
Congressman attends “57 Hours in the House of Culture”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Personal, Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on May 19, 2012
Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Dwayne Yancey, Maryellen Goodlatte outside Studio Roanoke. (That’s director Brian O’Sullivan in the background.)
We had nearly a full house for the first Friday night of “57 Hours in the House of Culture,” my show about the Moscow theatre siege now playing at Studio Roanoke.
Among those attending was Roanoke’s congressman — Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County — and his wife, Maryellen.
The Goodlattes are noted theatre-goers. About a year ago, they attended the Attic Productions youth show to see my one-act, “Curiosity Killed the Cat.”
The congressman said he took notes so he could do more research on the Moscow theatre siege.
Review for “57 Hours in the House of Culture”: “Most interactive show I’ve seen”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Reviews, Uncategorized on May 18, 2012
Director Brian O’Sullivan (in red, sitting in second row at left) delivers notes to the cast and crew after the final preview night. Notice the man with the AK-47 in the right hand corner; that’s James Honaker, who plays the terrorist.
We have our first review of “57 Hours in the House of Culture,” my show about the Moscow theatre siege, which opened May 16 at Studio Roanoke.
Heather Brush of the Cave Spring Connection says, in part:
“This surround sound and action atmosphere draws the non-acting audience in to an intimate experience and most interactive show I’ve seen. There were shocking moments and sad ones, with bits of humor, and all were experienced rather than simply witnessed. Panic at their moments of death is palpable in the darkness and smoky air, and then the ease of acceptance of what has come to pass as the violin plays a lullaby. It was a truly memorable experience as reality was suspended.”
You can read her full review here.
And here are some more photos of the cast and crew, shot on May 15 after the final preview night: Read the rest of this entry »
Media interviews for “57 Hours in the House of Culture”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Uncategorized on May 11, 2012
This photo by Sam Dean was on the front page of The Roanoke Times’ entertainment section on May 12.
I am in the midst of a mini-media tour to promote “57 Hours at the House of Culture,” my upcoming show about the Moscow theatre siege at Studio Roanoke.
* I did an on-air interview on May 11 with 101.5 The Musicplace — and also worked in a plug for Roanoke as “Virginia’s Theatre City.” You can find a replay of the interview here.
* The Roanoke Times did a feature story on me on May 12. You can read Mike Allen’s story here — or comment on it on his Arts & Extras blog.
* On May 15, actor Gary Reid and I appeared on “Daytime Blue Ridge,” the noontime program on WSLS-TV (Channel 10), the NBC affiliate in Roanoke. Gary, who plays the audience member Andrei, peformed one of his monologues, while I talked about the show. You can see it here. We shared the bill with legendary Roanoke singer Jane Powell, who even had the weather guy rocking out as she sang her rendition of “Ain’t No Sunshine.” You’ll notice I wore my Lady Gaga tie for the occasion.
The set for “57 Hours in the House of Culture” takes shape
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on May 9, 2012
Here’s a more distant version. Notice the “blast” holes in the set, and the cut-outs of armed men on the balcony, intended to create a surreal feeling.
The set for my show about the Moscow theatre siege is taking shape at Studio Roanoke.
We don’t want to give away too many production secrets, but here are some photos to give you a taste of what’s to come.
The key thing: The goal of the production is to make you feel you’re there, at the House of Culture in Moscow when Chechen terrorists seized it in 2002 and held it for 57 hours. (Hence, the name of the show: “57 Hours in the House of Culture.”
With that in mind, we are trying to reproduce — in abstract form, at least — what the set at the theatre really looked like. Fortunately, it was a spare set for the musical “Nord-Ost.”
My show opens May 16 and runs through May 27 at Studio Roanoke.
A few close-ups:
A close-up of the set.
Here’s “the bomb” — a replica of the homemade bomb that the terrorists set up in the ninth row of the theatre.
Rehearsal photos from “57 Hours in the House of Culture”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on May 3, 2012
Joel Gruver (as Ivan, the usher) rehearses a scene from “57 Hours in the House of Culture,” my show about the Moscow theatre siege. At left, quite dead, is Owen Merritt (Dmitri the pit musician), and at right, equally dead, is Heather Sexton (Irina, an audience member.)
Rehearsals are well underway for “57 Hours in the House of Culture,” my show about the Moscow theatre siege that runs May 16-27 at Studio Roanoke.
I really like what director Brian O’Sullivan is doing with the show.
It promises to be just as dark and spooky as I envisioned — if it not more so.
Here are some rehearsal photos. You’ll notice that many of the players are laying down on the floor. That’s because their characters are dead.
Heather Sexton (top, as Irina, an audience member) and Kelly Anglim (below, as one of the female terrorists) rehearse a scene from my show about the Moscow theatre siege.
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