Some More Happy Endings

Aaron Riccio at That Sounds Cool chimes in on Blue Coyote's Happy Endings.

And so does Flavorpill.

Only four more performances, and don't count on tickets being left at the door.

Information coming up soon on Blue Coyote's fundraiser post-Happy Endings. Yes, it's the Afterglow Party.

C'mon. You know you want it.

Adding Machine

I saw Adding Machine at the Minetta Lane on Sunday - also ran into my friends Brian, Denise, Goody & Bill there, too. The show I thought was terrific. (Here's my disclaimer: the original producers of Adding Machine, Next Theatre, have commissioned my next play. And the Artistic Director of Next, Jason Loewith, will direct. So take this as nothing but shameless logrolling if you like.)

More later, but I thought Adding Machine was an excellent production. The music is not easy - the opening number may send some screaming from the premises. It's ugly, disorienting and not for everyone. But the evening has great originality, humor and a bleak and uncompromising ethic to it. This is a play I read in college, and what was surprising to me about the production was it made Elmer Rice's 20s Expressionism seem fresh, brand-new, far-sighted and damned entertaining.

Three of the Chicago actors reprise their roles. They're all outstanding, especially Joel Hatch as Mr. Zero, who for all the world reminds me of a younger, singing John Mahoney. Isherwood at the Times gave the show a sloppy wet kiss with the promise of more to come.

I Have a Good Conceit!

Check out the NY Times review of Happy Endings.

UPDATE: And more from New York Theatre Corps Blogspot!

A Circle is a Necessity

I had been out at South’s with my friend Brian last week - post-Happy Endings - and he was raving about this show. It’s called “In Circles,” and he did a production of it in LA back in ’86. It’s based on a Gertrude Stein text called “A Circular Play.”

The music was written by a man named Al Carmines, whose music is apparently highly regarded, but not widely known. He died about three years ago, and had been a minister at Judson Memorial in addition to working in the theatre in New York. He wrote the music for the Stein piece, and premiered it at Judson over forty years ago. And it’s astonishing.

As B. growled at me at South's, “It's great. And you KNOW I hate that shit.”

It’s done in a circle at Judson, everyone seated around. Cast of 9, wonderful singer/actors. Brian pointed out that two of them in the cast had been in the LA production with him twenty years ago. It’s a group of friends with very defined relationships, although who they are is not delineated in a traditional sense. They fight, love, eat, make up, talk each other off ledges and deal with unrequited feelings for each other. Then one of them dies in a war. The friends pick up and go on.

The words are strange, banal, everyday and resonant – ‘A circle is a necessity. We each each have our circle.” Lyrics about strawberries, yellow flowers, hats, paintings. ‘Stay in your circle and do not despair.’ It was strange, funny and profoundly moving. (Brian commented how much the production had deepened since LA in the eighties. Same director.) And the music is just stunning – very simple, catchy on the surface, resonant and rich in its repetition. Like Stein’s words, but without any whiff of artiness or ‘high’ music. Martin Denton wrote a lovely review of it here.

It only has four more shows. If at all possible, go see it.

Reviews for "Happy Endings"

Nice one from Dan Callahan at Theater Online. (Did you expect I would post a bad one?)

UPDATE: Backstage made us a pick!

Discounts for "Happy Endings"

Use the "IN&OUT" ticket code for $10 tickets during the first week of HAPPY ENDINGS! We're opening on Tues night, Feb 12.

Blue Coyote Theater group commissioned nine of their favorite playwrights to create new short plays about the lives of sex workers.

Featuring original short plays by Blair Fell, Matthew Freeman, David Foley, Brian Fuqua, David Johnston, Boo Killebrew, Stan Richardson, Christine Whitley, and John Yearley

Performances by Robert Buckwalter, R. Jane Casserly*, Joe Curnutte, David DelGrosso*, Laura Desmond*, Samantha Desz, Brian Fuqua*, Tracey Gilbert*, James Paul Ireland*, Carter Jackson*, David Johnston*, Khris Lewin*, Adam Rihacek, Alexis Suarez, Phillip Taratula*, Matthew Trumbull*, and Dash Vada

Directed by Kyle Ancowitz, Robert Buckwalter, Gary Shrader, Stephen Speights

Sets: Robert Monaco
Lighting: Evan O'Brient

Tuesdays at 9pm
Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm


February 12th - March 1st at Access Theater, 380 Broadway 4th Fl.
Tickets: $18 via Smarttix

Good News

We've signed the papers, it's official and now I can blog about it. Next Theatre Company -a Chicago area theatre - has commissioned a full-length play. I've been talking for several months to Jason Loewith, the producer & artistic director - and I have a working title and about two dozen pages; "The Rapture Project." In the next eighteen months, we'll be reading and developing the show in Chicago, after I - you know - finish writing it.

Jason is, by the way, the librettist for the upcoming "Adding Machine" at the Minetta Lane. This project was developed at Next last year, and is now in previews Off Broadway. Opening night is Feb 25.