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Two of my scenes to be reprised in The Best of No Shame
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, No Shame Theatre, Photos, Uncategorized on October 1, 2012
That’s me, before a recent No Shame, with Hannah Whitt and Julia Moran, our hosts, taking the order and handling the best office. As you can see, I’ve been to the frozen yogurt shop. Photo by Todd Ristau.
It’s time for the twice-a-year Best of No Shame Theatre, in which our local open mic theatre venue in Roanoke, Va. showcases some of its best work from the past six months.
This fall’s edition will be Friday, October 5. My entry is “Time for an Upgrade,” a monologue about how a teenage girl blackmails her mother into getting her a new cellphone. It will be performed by Hannah Whitt, who debuted the piece back in July.
This year, we also have a special twist. On Saturday, October 6, we’re doing a Best of The Best of No Shame, featuring pieces from the past nine years in Roanoke — a run-up to next year’s 10th anniversary.
My entry is “Martian Beach Babes,” which will be performed by Hannah Whitt and Julia Moran. It’s about Mars losing its water, a topic now back in the news with Curiosity’s discovery of an ancient streambed on the red planet.
That piece was first done at No Shame back in July 2004, when we weren’t even a year old, and then was produced in 2006 at New Frontiers Charter School in San Antonio, Texas. No Shame producer Todd Ristau asked me to reprise it because it is a visually stunning piece when done with the proper customing. Ideally, I’ll have photos from the performance to show off as proof.
That’s Darelene Fedele, a puppeteer and one of our regulars.
The poster for our 9th anniversary show.
Video: “Christmas Music” at Gone in 60 Seconds Festival, U.K.
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Productions, Uncategorized, Video on September 22, 2012
Still more video discoveries! Here’s “Christmas Music (or, The Excecutioner’s Song, the Turkey Edition” which was produced at the Gone in 60 Seconds Festival of one-minute plays in Halifax, U.K. in June 2011.
These are turkeys who think they’ve escaped the Thanksgiving knife because they now hear Christmas music being played.
Video: “The Ghost Train” at Ghosts in 60 Seconds Festival, U.K.
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Productions, Uncategorized, Video on September 22, 2012
Here’s a third video I’ve just become aware of. This is “The Ghost Train,” being performed at the Ghosts in 60 Seconds Festival in Halifax, U.K. in October 2010.
This is an offshoot of the annual Gone in 60 Seconds Festival, which is held each year in both Halifax, Great Britain and New York.
The script is a monologue by a man killed by a train, which hit him while he was waiting on a legendary “ghost train.”
I do notice this video runs a bit longer than one minute, though . . .
Video: “The Ghost Lamp” at Ghosts in 60 Seconds Festival, UK
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Productions, Uncategorized, Video on September 22, 2012
More archival video unearthed! Here’s “The Ghost Lamp” being performed at the Ghosts in 60 Seconds Festival of one-minute plays in Halifax, U.K. in October 2010.
It was previously produced at the festival’s New York version in 2009, but then was reprised in Great Britain as a Halloween piece, of sorts.
You can find the New York video here.
Video: “The Ghost Lamp” at Gone in 60 Seconds Festival, New York
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Productions, Uncategorized, Video on September 22, 2012
I’ve just come across some old videos of some of my pieces. Here’s “The Ghost Lamp” at the Gone in 60 Seconds Festival of one-minute plays in New York in June 2009.
This is a piece I wrote as a tribute to live theatre in the wake of Mill Mountain Theatre closing in Roanoke, Va.
Fortunately, Mill Mountain has since re-opened, but another favorite theatre of mine, Studio Roanoke, has closed.
“Klaus” to have staged reading December 16 in Roanoke
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on September 17, 2012
I was thrilled earlier this year when Studio Roanoke announced it was going to produce my show about the origin of Santa Claus as its Christmas show.
Then, I was heartbroken when the black-box theatre in Roanoke closed, leaving “Klaus” (and other plays by fellow playwrights) out in the cold.
Now, I’m thrilled once again to announce that “Klaus” has a new home — as a staged reading as part of the new Discovery Staged Reading Series that the Hollins Playwright’s Lab is starting.
The first reading in the series was Sept. 16; Todd Ristau will be announcing the schedule for the rest of the readings shortly — but I can go ahead and confirm that “Klaus” will be the December offering.
Specifically, Sunday, December 16 at Community High School in the June M. McBroom Theatre (which is a fantastic space in its own right.)
But wait, it gets better. Cheryl Snodgrass is coming in from Chicago to direct the reading. I’ve known Cheryl for a long time, but have never had a chance to work with her. Others in theatre world, though, know her as someone who has directed a lot of other new works, including some by Jeff Goode. Most recently, she directed Jeff’s “The Emancipation of Alabaster McGill” and Samantha Macher’s “The New Girl” at Studio Roanoke.
The full cast isn’t put together yet, but I can further report that Brian O’Sullivan — who most recently directed my show “57 Hours in the House of Culture” at Studio Roanoke — will have the role of Klaus.
Other actors confirmed so far are Martha Boswell, Will Coleman, Drew Dowdy and Blair Peyton — all prominent names in the Roanoke Valley theatre community. More to come.
“Klaus” is a dark comedy that attempts to explain where the Jolly Old Elf actually came from. All I’ll say here is the story begins in the 1700s and involves science fiction, treason against the king, a love story, and some cooking.
Cast: Seven – six male, one female.
Hope to see you there.
“The Fruitcake” to be produced in Nebraska in November
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on September 17, 2012
My most-produced work in a Christmas one-act, “The Fruitcake.”
I recently got word from the publisher (Brooklyn Publishers) that it will be produced at Cedar Rapids Public School in Cedar Rapids, Nebraska on November 19, 2012.
That will be the 34th production of the script — and I have yet to see a single one!
This is the second full production I have scheduled this fall (that I know about). The other is “Macbeth Goes Hollywood,” at a school in Steger, Illinois. (I say “that I know about” because sometimes I don’t hear from publishers until after a show has gone up.)
Here’s a synopsis of “The Fruitcake” and a complete list of the productions:
An extended and quite dysfunction family gathers for a Christmas season tradition — Aunt Hazel’s historically inedible fruitcake. But before she can bring it out, some of the relatives steal the thing and make a bet on whether they can destroy it. Chaos ensues. Characters include a goth-punk teen, a science nerd, a tough-talking ex-Peace Corps worker, a nearsighted aunt, and so forth. Cast: Nine — 2 male, 4 female, 3 non-gender.
√ Hoover Middle School, Indiatlantic, Fla. 2006.
√ Deer Mount Judea, Deer, Arizona, 2006-2007.
√ Parker School, Parker, South Dakota, 2006-2007.
√ Hysham Public Schools, Hysham, Montana, 2006-2007.
√ Reno High School, Reno, Nevada, Feb. 27, 2007.
√ Leonardtown High School, Leonardtown, Maryland, March 1-3, 2007.
√ Sahuaro High School, Tucson, Arizona, April 17, 2007.
√ Admiral Thomas H. Moorer Middle School, Efaula, Alabama, 2007-2008.
√ Pickett County High School, Byrdstown, Tenn., 2007-2008.
√ Clearwater Public School, Clearwater, Nebraska, 2007-2008.
√ Garrison High School, Garrison, North Dakota, 2007-2008.
√ Westside Middle School, Omaha, Nebraska, Dec. 13, 2007.
√ St. Joseph High School, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, April 29, 2008.
√ Cedar Park Christian School, Everett, Washington, June 12, 2008.
√ Salem Academy, Winston-Salem, N.C., Dec. 3, 2008.
√ “Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Wyoming, Dec. 4, 2008.
√ New Berlin High School, New Berlin, Illinois, Oct. 9, 2009.
√ Captain Shreve High School, Shreveport, Louisiana, Nov. 19, 2009.
√ St. Clair County High School, Odenville, Alabama, Dec. 3, 2009.
√ Ogemaw Heights High School, West Branch, Michigan, Dec. 21, 2009.
√ Lincoln-Way North High School, Frankfort, Ill., March 20, 2010
√ Metter High School, Metter, Georgia, Dec. 2, 2010.
√ Immaculate Heart High School, Tucson, Arizona, Dec. 15, 2010.
√Wahkiakum High School, Cathlamet, Washington, Dec. 29, 2010.
√ Whitehouse High School, Whitehouse, Texas, Dec. 30, 2010.
√ Scotlandville Magnet High School, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dec. 21, 2010.
√ Chambers Public School, Chambers, Nebraska, Dec. 18, 2010.
√ Dogwood Senior Drama, Coquitlam, British Columbia, Nov. 27, 2011.
√ Churchland High School, Portsmouth, Va., Dec. 1, 2011.
√ MN Players, MN Players, Havertown, Pa., Dec. 2, 2011.
√ McEwen High School, McEwen, Tenn., Dec. 19, 2011.
√ ABO School, Onida, South Dakota, January 2012.
* Scheduled to be produced by Cedar Rapids Public School, Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, Nov. 19, 2012.
“The Kissing Consultant” produced in South Africa
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in News, Productions, Uncategorized on September 14, 2012
I often don’t find out about productions of my published plays until long after the fact (when royalty statements come). So what I’m about to report is up to a year old, but still true and fun:
* My one-act “The Kissing Consultant” got produced at a school in Johannesburg, South Africa! Specifically, Athlone Girls High School (not to be confused with Athlone Boys High School, I’ve learned.) So I can add a new country to my list. I’ve now had productions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, The Philippines, Australia, Turkey and now South Africa.
In addition:
* My one-act “The Weird Sisters on Holiday” had its premiere at a high school in Kansas — Anderson County High School, on January, 14, 2011.
* And add on 3 more productions of “Santa Claustrophobia” and 5 more of “The Fruitcake,” both Christmas one-acts. Some of those in Canada!
“The Kissing Consultant,” “The Weird Sisters on Holiday” and “The Fruitcake” are all published by Brooklyn Publishers. “Santa Claustrophobia” is published by Big Dog Plays.
Alas, I’ve never had a chance to see any of these produced.
Video: “The Uniform” at Gone in 60 Seconds Festival, New York
Posted by Dwayne Yancey in Productions, Uncategorized, Video on September 11, 2012
I had two pieces about baseball performed at the Gone in 60 Seconds Festival of one-minute plays in New York City in June 2012.
Here’s “The Uniform.”
The other one was “Sunset in North Dakota.”
You can find still photos from both productions in this previous post.
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