Archive for category Productions
Video: “The Dead Horse” at the Liminal artspace
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized, Video on February 9, 2013
The Liminal artspace in Roanoke — attached to Community High School of Arts & Academics — hosts monthly readings. Most of the participants are short story writers, novelists, or poets — so my theatrical pieces there are definitely out of the ordinary.
At the most recent reading on January 24, I offered up two pieces, which were both performed by Community High School students.
Here are Joe Hart, Ashley Meador and DaQuan Saunders performing “The Dead Horse,” an absurdist piece of mine. This is the five-minute version; I’ve also developed it into a one-act, with a larger cast.
Thanks to Cara Modisett, the organizer, who helped round up the students.
And thanks to my wife, Katerina, for the unique prop. The dead horse here was first created as a Halloween costume for my son, Keith, many years ago. It’s put together so a small child (which is what Keith was then) could fit inside of it, with the body of the horse around him — a convenient way to both ride the horse, and still go trick-or-treating.
In more recent times, the horse has found new life as a theatrical prop. He first appeared in this piece at No Shame Theatre. As I told the kids when I showed it to them, “he knows his part.”
I’ll post video of the other piece, “Pandora and Schrodinger: What’s in the Box?” when it becomes available.
UPDATED: I realize the video doesn’t have a good view of the horse, since the horse is on the ground. So here’s the beast himself:
Horsie. From Halloween costume to valued stage prop as namesake of “The Dead Horse.”
Seattle radio station produces two of my scripts as radio plays
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions, Radio plays, Uncategorized on February 2, 2013
Caitlin Bancroft, Dave Matsui and Walter Lutsch of Falcon Radio Theatre in Seattle. They were the cast. Photo courtesy Falcon Radio Theatre.
A Seattle Internet radio station produced two of my scripts on January 31 in a radio theatre format.
KSPU — kspu.org — is affiliated with Seattle Pacific University. Each Thursday, the station produces Falcon Radio Theatre.
The folks behind the show came across my site, contacted me, and eventually settled on “Occupations,” a dark one-act about three siblings who each are trying to hide their true jobs from one another (mercenary, prostitute, thief), and “The Secret Lives of Goldfish: The Escape,” a light, bright five-minute piece.
I listened in on my home computer and, after fumbling a bit over which software to use, had the broadcast coming in loud and clear, all the way from Puget Sound to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Based on what the producers have told me, it sounds like there’s a good chance they’ll be producing some additional scripts of mine in the future.
Photos from “Deep Into October” at New York benefit
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on January 14, 2013
Mickey Ryan in Dwayne Yancey’s DEEP INTO OCTOBER directed by Rose Bonczek. photo by Faye Ellman. — at Cherry Lane Theatre.
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In December, two of my short baseball pieces were performed at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City in a benefit for Hurricane Sandy victims in The Rockaways section of Brooklyn.
Here are photos from one of those pieces, “Deep Into October.”
Mickey Ryan reprised his role from when this piece was originally performed in the Gone in 60 Seconds Festival in New York in 2011. You can find video of that performance here.
And here’s another photo of Mickey: Read the rest of this entry »
Video: Staged reading of “Klaus” by Hollins Playwright’s Lab
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Productions, Uncategorized, Video on December 18, 2012
“Klaus” is my Christmas play about the origin of Santa Claus. There’s no standard myth on where the Jolly Old Elf came from, so I invented one. In my telling, his origin dates to Great Britain in the 1740s, at a time of political unrest. The German-born Hanoverian kings (George II, in this case) were on the throne, and many Germans were coming into the country to seek their fortune. This kindled talk of rebellion among those who still believed the ousted House of Stuart was the rightful royal family.
In “Klaus,” a debt-ridden English college imports a German professor of natural philosophy (physics, we call it now) in hopes of currying favor with the king, and perhaps getting a royal bequest or two. Professor Klaus turns out to be an eccentric sort, dabbling in strange experiments with time travel.
By the show’s end, he has turned into the Santa Claus we know today, and everything about him is explained — the red suit, the reindeer, the love of milk and cookies, his residence at the North Pole, even Mrs. Claus.
“Klaus” was supposed to be the Christmas show at Studio Roanoke, a black box theatre in Roanoke, Va., specializing in new works. Alas, it closed in mid-summer. Fortunately, the Hollins Playwright’s Lab picked up the show — not for a full production but at least for a very well-rehearsed staged reading. Director Cheryl Snodgrass came in from Chicago to oversee things and we had an all-star cast for the reading on December 16. We also had a fantastic crowd; program director Todd Ristau said it was four times larger than had shown up for any previous reading in the series.
I had some trouble with the video camera. The video of act 1 (above) cuts off the introductory remarks and the first few lines. The video of act 2 (below) didn’t start until after the first scene had concluded. And the audio is poor. But you’ll get the idea. I hope to make a few changes to the script based on this reading and then send it out to publishers and theatres.
Klaus: Brian O’Sullivan
Robert, a college student: Kevin McAlexander
Percy, a college student: Blair Peyton
James, a college student: Will Coleman
Mary the landlady: Martha Boswell
Headmaster: Ross Laguzza
Grinchley, the headmaster’s assistant: Drew Dowdy
Director: Cheryl Snodgrass
Stage manager: Melissa Kennedy
* Background on the show
* Photos from first day of rehearsal
* Photos from second day of rehearsal
* Photos from third day of rehearsal
* Photos from the staged reading of “Klaus”
Photos from staged reading of “Klaus” by Hollins Playwright’s Lab
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on December 18, 2012
Curtain call for “Klaus.” From left: Martha Boswell, Brian O’Sullivan, Kevin McAlexander, Blair Peyton, Will Coleman, Drew Dowdy and Ross Laguzza. Behind them, barely visible, is stage manager Melissa Kennedy who, for purposes of this reading, was on the stage to provide sound effects much like a radio play.
The Hollins Playwright’s Lab put on a staged reading of “Klaus,” my Christmas play about the origin of Santa Claus on December 16, 2012 at the June M. McBroom Theatre at Community High School.
Here are some photos. The one above is from producer Todd Ristau; the back-and-white ones below are from MFA student Chad Runyon:
Photos from Saturday’s rehearsal for “Klaus”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on December 15, 2012
The staged reading of “Klaus,” my Christmas show about the origins of Santa Claus, continues to take shape. .
The reading is Sunday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. at the June M. McBroom Theatre at Community High School in Roanoke, Va.; the reading is put on by the Hollins Playwright’s’ Lab.
Earlier, I posted photos from Thursday’s rehearsal and Friday’s rehearsal. Here are some photos from Saturday’s rehearsal, which emphasis on Brian O’Sullivan, who plays the titular role of Professor Klaus, a mysterious German physics professor who shows up at a failing British college in the 1740s and sets tongues wagging with his strange ideas.
Klaus (played by Brian O’Sullivan) jokes about his girth to the class he’s teaching at a woebegone British college in the 1700s.
Klaus enjoys teaching natural philosophy (as physics was called in those days), but his students — played by Kevin McAlexander, Blair Peyton and Will Coleman — are less amused.
Klaus with his students again. I believe this is the scene where many of them (especially Percy, played by Blair, in the center) have shown up with hangovers. Either that, or it’s a scene in the ale-house where the students spend much of their time.
Photos from second rehearsal for staged reading of “Klaus”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on December 15, 2012
Most staged readings only get a few hours rehearsal. For Sunday night’s reading of “Klaus,” my darkly comic show about the origin of Santa Claus, the Hollins Playwright’s Lab has arranged for four days worth of rehearsal — and brought in Chicago director Cheryl Snodgrass to helm the proceedings.
Here are some photos from Friday night’s second rehearsal, on the June M. McBroom Theatre stage at Community High School in Roanoke, Va.:
The show has a strong science fiction element to it. Here, Mary the landlady (Martha Boswell) stares up to discover all her cutlery is stuck to the ceiling. Professor Klaus (Brian O’Sullivan) is overjoyed at the success of his experiment with magnetism.
“Klaus” is heavy on special effects, which are hard to do in a staged reading. So stage manager Melissa Kennedy will be onstage handling many of the sound effects, much like the narrator in a radio play.
Professor Klaus (Brian O’Sullivan) ventures out into the audience to deliver toys to children. Well, you’ll have to imagine the toys. But he’s made them himself in his workshop.
Here’s another special effect you’ll have to imagine. Will Coleman, playing a college student in the 1700s, carries a torch in the climactic scene. That’s one of his fellow classmates, played by Kevin McAlexander, at left, and stage manager Melissa Kennedy in the background.
Director Cheryl Snodgrass.
Rehearsal starts for staged reading of “Klaus”
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Photos, Productions, Uncategorized on December 14, 2012
Rehearsals started Thursday night for Sunday night’s staged reading of “Klaus,” my darkly comic Christmas play on the origin of Santa Claus that the Hollins Playwright’s Lab is putting on.
Here are some photos:
The headmaster of a failing British college (Ross Laguzza, in black) catches three students (Kevin McAlexander, Blair Peyton and Will Coleman) carousing in an ale-house. Worse, they’re holding their glasses (which you’ll have to imagine for now) over water glasses, a favorite trick of those in the 1700s who believed the true royal family was the ousted House of Stuart, not the reigning House of Hanover. Jacobites, as the Stuart supporters were called, famously toasted “the king over the water.” The show deals with the arrival of a mysterious German professor – Professor Klaus — at a college where support for the German-born Hanovers runs thin, and treason runs deep among the students. The headmaster is trying to stamp out such political sentiments in hopes of currying favor with the king — and perhaps a royal bequest to get the college out of debt. That’s also why he brought in Professor Klaus, although he knows next to nothing about him.
More carousing from our ne’er-do-well students, who harbor strong anti-German feelings — when they’re not busy drinking and skipping class and generally causing trouble. From left, Kevin McAlexander, Blair Peyton and Will Coleman. That’s Ross Laguzza, the headmaster, in the background. This may be the only Christmas show you’ve seen that set partly in an ale-house and includes a reference to a brothel.
Director Cheryl Snodgrass has come in from Chicago to oversee the reading. She specializes in working with new plays.
The show is Sunday, Dec. 16 at the June M. McBroom Theatre at Community High School in downtown Roanoke. It’s also free. More details here. And more photos to come (including, perhaps, one of the actor who plays Klaus!)
Video: “Coyote” at the Liminal gallery in Roanoke, Va.
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized, Video on December 12, 2012
The Liminal gallery (housed in the same building as Community High School) in Roanoke, Va., hosts monthly readings. They’re built around a particular theme — usually something on display in the gallery, or something students are studying.
Writers from both the school and community are invited. Most of these are short story writers, but I’ve been going — and reading organizer Cara Modisett has been kind enough to recruit students to perform my work.
For the Nov. 29, 2012 reading, the theme was based on “Children in the Shadow of Conflict: Selected Novels and Cultural Perspectives,” a course being taught at the school.
Hannah Garry performed my piece “Coyote,” about how an illegal immigrant had to pay off a “coyote” — one of the border crossing guides — to get her family across. It was inspired by a newspaper story I read some years ago about how dangerous such crossings can be because many “coyotes” are quite unscrupulous.
Immigration is a theme of another one of my works — the yet unpublished and unproduced full-length script “The Ballad of Alejandro Lopez,” which is currently under consideration at a theatre in New York.
Two short pieces to be produced in New York Dec. 18
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions on December 10, 2012
I will soon have something in common with Mick Jagger.
And Kanye West.
And Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl and a lot of other famous people.
We’re all involved in benefit gigs in New York to raise money for Hurricane Sandy victims in the Rockaways neighborhood of New York.
Mick, Kanye and many others are all performing a benefit concert for at Madison Square Garden — the 12-12-12 concert.
Meanwhile, I have two short pieces being produced as part of “Rockaway,” a day of theatre produced by the Barefoot Theatre Company at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Manhattan on Dec. 18.
Both of my pieces deal with baseball: “The Uniform” and “Deep Into October” were both previously produced at the Gone in 60 Seconds Festival of one-minute plays in New York (the links take you to video). “The Uniform” was produced in June 2012; “Deep Into October” in June 2011.
I am indebted to Rose Bonczek of Brooklyn College, who helped make this happen, and to Francisco Solorzano, artistic director of Barefoot.
Here’s the full list of playwrights taking part (a list which is growing, by the way): Read the rest of this entry »
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