Pumpkins, Poison, and Plays...Oh My!

Spooky times are fast approaching!

Thespian Production will be presenting it Pumpkins, Poison, and Plays...Oh My! Halloween one-act play festival Oct. 16-18 in NYC.  Come enjoy a red, bloody glass of wine, sit amongst the zombies, and enjoy the chills and thrills.  BUT be careful, don't let the spiders trap you in their web!  They may be crawling everywhere!  So enter the theater at your own risk and if you dare!

Once again, we have the wonderful artistic director extraordinaire, Walid Chaya, and the wonderful stage production manager, Emily Rosko, who are beautifully putting the show together.  The directors and cast have diligently been working to bring you a screaming good time.

Presenting...

THE MOTHER PROBLEM       written by Stacy Post                          directed by Kathe Mull

A DOLL'S LIFE                          written by Martha Patterson               directed by Johnny Culver

DEEDS                                        written by Thomas Miscuraca            directed by Ryan Thornhill

THE BLOOD LETTERS             written by Tyler Grant McPherson    directed by Nick Hrutkay

BOLT CUTTER MAN                written by Aaron Levy                       directed by Dennis Gleason

HER GREATEST WORK           written and directed by Nick Probst

Tickets are available at www.thespianproduction.com  or at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/880663

Laugh Til it Hurts!...A Comedy Competition

Laugh Til it Hurts...A Comedy Competition

Thespian Production would like to invite everyone to come out and see some of the newest and freshest faces of comedy in NYC.  We have the funny and talented comedian herself, Caty Nicholson, hosting the show.  You, the audience, will get to choose NYC's freshest face of comedy. Check out the information below.

                                                                                            

Just a couple side notes:  Adult content may be included.  We wouldn't want to hurt small ears!

                   Tickets are available at www.thespianproduction.com on the home page.

Upcoming Events!

We at Thespian Production have some exciting events coming up!  On Sept. 20th in NYC, is our first comedy showcase, Laugh Til It Hurts, is featuring some of NYC's newest and freshest faces in comedy.  Comedian, Caty Nicholson, will be hosting this event and she is crazy, funny in her own right.  Even better, is you, the audience, will decide who NYC's newest face of comedy will be.  So come on out and support the comedians and you will surely "Laugh Til It Hurts".

Also, on October 16-18 will be our Halloween one-act play festival, "Pumpkins, Poison, and Plays...Oh My!".  So enter the theater if you dare!  Enjoy a free glass of bloody wine, be entertained and frightened with some spine-tingling plays at the same time.  See some of NYC's up and coming playwrights and directors.

More information for all events are available on the website at www.thespianproduction.com.

Meet the "Limelight" Playwrights - Shirley King & Theo Gallagher (Part One)

Thespian Production is doing a series on the directors and playwrights for its "Limelight: Go Green" playfest which is being held July 17-19 in NYC.  We want you to meet them and learn what makes them who they are.  We asked them a few questions - how they got into their field, their viewpoints on going green, and other interesting tidbits.  We will be talking with other directors and playwrights each week, so stay tuned to the blog.


Let's meet Shirley King!  She is the playwright of Blinking in Treetops.  Anyone can obviously see the humor in Shirley's play and her overall style. She says "At my age, just being able to get up in the morning inspires me to write. I love being "in the zone" and that's exactly what happens when I work on a play. I can see my characters and hear their voices. I write mostly comedies but even in those I sometimes send messages about what really matters here on earth. "  We all need to keep humor in our lives even when dealing with the seriousness of issues concerning our planet.  Shirley's approach is "I think going green is essential, not only for us but for future generations and our planet. We need to be respectful and protective of Mother Earth as well as her inhabitants. I put all yard clippings in the green bin, take slightly used clothing and other items to Goodwill and recycle paper and debris carried by the wind into my yard.  At the very last minute, I regularly dash out in my nightgown to deposit one more empty paper towel roll in the brown bin.  My neighbors laugh at me, but that's okay.  What I do says I was here, doing my best to help our planet survive.

Now let's meet Theo Gallagher!  Theo says "There once was a chemistry teacher who is now a playwright. When I tell people that, the laughter sometimes lasts longer than most of my plays.I am a people watcher and to paraphrase an old TV show - People do the darnedest things. Every once in a while an action, an idea, or a brief comment hits me as odd, and I have to write about it. And every so often, a very nice theatre group asks for a play which I just happen to have an idea for."  However, Theo's beliefs about going green range on both spectrums - a natural phenomenon and mankind. "I believe that "Going Green" has been hijacked by Madison Avenue. It has become a means to sell products which are in themselves not green. It has created a “drop in the bucket” philosophy which has little or no effect on the problems. After teaching chemistry and physics for thirty years, I have come to believe that one can prove almost anything if you choose the right data group. The same data has been used to predict an ice-age in the 60's and global warming today. There actually was the little iceage which lasted from 1300 through the end of the 1700's in both Europe and the Americas. Glaciers started melting in the late 1700's and now it's mankind’s fault. How can mankind be blamed for a natural phenomenon. Mankind should work on those areas for which mankind is responsible i.e. ozone depletion from CFCs, pesticide pollution of streams, deforestation, and industrial pollution. They should not attempt to correct Mother Nature."  Certainly a different perspective!    

  

Meet the "Limelight" Directors - Gama Valle & John DeBenedetto (Part One)

Thespian Production is doing a series on the directors and playwrights for its "Limelight: Go Green" playfest which is being held July 17-19 in NYC.  We want you to meet them and learn what makes them who they are.  We asked them a few questions - how they got into their field, their viewpoints on going green, and other interesting tidbits.  We will be talking with other directors and playwrights each week, so stay tuned to the blog.

One of the directors, Gama Valle, is a director for the play, Talkin' Trash.  Like he said "I went into directing because I wanted to see my plays on stage. I started in theater as a playwright. As any playwright should know, it is really hard to get opportunities to see your work alive. So I decided not to wait. I discovered I could direct and fell in love with it. I still write though."  As a playwright myself, I agree with Gama that having the chance to see your work put on live is a rare opportunity.  As we all know, there are many viewpoints and beliefs about going green.  What are the causes and implications for our planet?    Gama has his own viewpoint - "The bigger change will finally come when everyone sees the reality of our planet and take it seriously. It is important to keep educating and trying to practice it in one's daily life."  Perhaps everyone should claim a little responsibility for our planet's health.  However, Gama does have one pet peeve that he feels strongly about - he gets angry when people criticize Mariah Carey!

John DeBenedetto is a director for the play Deja Columbus.  I was not surprised that John was drawn to this play because of its historical context and the fact he is a teacher.  John is also a director, but as he says "I started out as an actor.  And, though I was happy to create a character each time I worked on a role, the idea of coming up with a vision for a whole play always intrigued me.  Once I started to direct, that desire to create an entire world proved to be even more exciting than I'd imagined.  That excitement has continued to this day.  I also like the idea of collaboration, as a director must work hand-in-hand with the actors, designers, tech people, etc."  But what about working together to conserve our planet?  Is climate change really happening?  John has a great viewpoint - "I have always been environmentally conscious, recycling, conserving water, electricity, etc..  But with the effects of global warming becoming ever more evident, the whole concept of "going green" is one of the most important topics people today must face."  There are those who agree with global warming and those who do not, but we will surely all see in the future.

www.thespianproduction.com

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Crazy, Hilarious, Wild, and Thought-Provoking Upcoming 2014 Events

Wow! We at Thespian Production have a jammed-packed year of endless entertainment!  If you need some theater entertainment, we have it all.  Check this out!

On July 17-19, we will be having our first "Limelight: Go Green" playfest on environmental awareness in NYC.  This production has comedy, drama, and even some song and dance.  Artistic director, Walid Chaya, and playwright, Jimmy Monack, have put together an awesome play "Limelight" which will surely be a crowd pleaser with its fun choreography.  My play, Talkin' Trash, is also in the production and takes a fun and comedic look at the lives of four common household items that are trapped in the landfill.  We also have four other plays by playwrights Shirley King, Theo Gallagher, Alex Broun, and Pat Bourgeois.  All the plays are unique and have their own twist and style - guaranteed to keep the audience excited and entertained.  This is not your ordinary "going green" event!

Also, Thespian's next event in NYC will be Oct. 23-25 for our Halloween playfest extravaganza titled "Pumpkins, Poisons, and Plays...Oh My!".  This production will be an all out Halloween festival that will give the audience thrills, chills, and mayhem.  Mr. Walid Chaya will once again be holding down the artistic directorship with his mega talent and creativity.  I believe this event is going to be spectacular!  However, if you are scared...DO NOT enter the theater!  There may be axe men and vampires lurking around!

Further down South, in the Orlando, Florida, area our new fun and exceptionally talented artistic director, Ernest Moreno, is plotting and planning a grand event for our annual domestic violent production called A Different Kind of Love. This year we are adding another play (to yet be determined) that also takes a look at domestic violence through the eyes of men or LGBT who are victims of dv.  After all, domestic violence does not discriminate and can include anyone - women, men, or children of any culture and background.  This production will be October 3rd and 4th in Orlando with exact location yet to be determined - so stay tuned!  Ernest has some great ideas on some future themes for future productions in Orlando, but you will just have to wait for the surprising announcement.

And finally, a new venture this year in NYC will be our one night comedy event titled "Laugh Until it Hurts". We have the one and only comedian herself, Caty Nicholson, coordinating and hosting the event.  Caty is also in the Limelight play and her style will definitely make you laugh until it hurts.  The comedy show will be Sept. 20th and the location will be announced soon.  

So everyone, make it out to the events...you will not be disappointed.  You can find Thespian Production at the following links.

Website - www.thespianproduction.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/ThespianProduction or www.facebook.com/thespiandvawareness

Twitter - @thespianprod

"Limelight" - a playfest on environmental awareness

As we all are aware, our planet is our most precious resource to carry on life.  Thespian Production will be hosting it's annual "Limelight: Go Green" play festival in NYC on July 17-19.

Six NEW fun & edgy “Go-Green” shows,

EACH featuring an original cast &

debuting different writers & directors!

                                                                     Limelight   by Jimmy Monack,  Directed by Walid Chaya 

                    Deja Columbus   by Theo Gallagher,  Directed by John DeBenedetto

                 The Housewives of Oblivious Lane   by Pat Bourgeois,  Directed by Jordan Reiff                                           Jammed   by Alex Broun,  Directed by J.K. Musser

                              Blinking in Treetops   by Shirley King,  Directed by Andy Scott

                                    Talkin' Trash   by Charlotte Cox,  Directed by Gama Valle

thespianproduction.com

                        July 17 - 18, 2014                                 July 19, 2014

                        Joria Mainstage Theater                         Langston Hughes Community Library

                        260 W. 36th St.  3rd floor                     100-01 Northern Blvd.

                        New York, NY 10018                          Queens, NY 11368

                        $20 online $25 at the door                     Free public event!

Check out Thespian's artistic directors!

Hello Thespians!  It's great to be back on the blog.  So much has been happening this past year.  Thespian Production has two awesome artistic directors to carry the creative vision forward along with including their own touch and style.  Walid Chaya is the artistic director for New York City, and Ernest Moreno is the artistic director for Florida.

I would like to introduce you to both of them.

Walid Chaya -NYC

Walid Chaya (Artistic Director) is a New York based Director/Choreographer and an Associate Member of the Stage Directors Choreographer Society. Walid has a BFA in Theatre Performance with Magna Cum Laude Honors from TheatreVCU of Virginia Commonwealth University, rated #1 School of the Arts by US News & World Report. He is excited to serve as TP's Artistic Director after initially getting involved as a production director in 2013. Currently Walid is an administrator at Actors Connection NY networking actors with the best Broadway, Film, & TV agents, managers, and casting directors. In addition to working with Thespian Production, Walid is the Artistic Director & Founder of Moonlit Wings Productions and Casting Director for SUPERnova Casting. Recent honors include the the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony® Awards, SpringBoardNYC program as the nationally chosen director candidate and the Executive Producer of "Broadway Biz" summer stock for youth producing brand new musical works via national collaborations. Highlights include the World Premiere of Sleepless in Seattle The Musical (SDC Observer, Los Angeles), Moonlit Musical (Book & Lyrics), featured & extras casting for A Christmas Kiss (IonTV, National Release), starring as Habib in IHabibi (web series), and producing/directing Change of Season with Hobgoblin Pictures (Go Green 2012 Top 20 Selection). Get connected at www.walidchaya.com, Facebook.com/wchaya, and @walidchaya on Twitter! (pic below)

Ernest Moreno - Florida

"With a Bachelor of Science in Film, Ej Moreno has experience with script writing in various formats from television; as seen in the television special Horror in HD to short films like The Tale of a Monster: Lilith and Pious Mary. An avid storyteller, EJ always has something brewing in his brain waiting to be turned from script to the screen. 
Also, EJ Moreno has directed and starred in any production he was lucky to run across during his youth. From the age of 10, he was filming short films and music videos with family members and it only grew as a passion when he decided at 21 to get his bachelors degree for film at Full Sail University. The most well known within the inner circle of his film trope is Pious Mary; the shock art low budget masterclass in the obscure. The biggest piece he has done to date is The Tale of a Monster: Lilith, which was produced as the final project at Full Sail. The story is a retelling of Frankenstein through a woman's point of view. 
To be noted as well, EJ attempt to have his hand firmly placed in the art department in any production he can be on. The artistic direction of film, television and music is a passion unlocked recently by him and he looks forward to working on more projects with the art team." (pic below)