Notes from the Artistic Director:
It's been a BUSY WEEK!
Busy week: ASK SOMEONE ELSE, GOD got a fantabulous review! Check it out: http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=ask8595
Busy week: I was charmed by my first look at READY, SET, STORY! rehearsal. This children’s script may be the most perfect we’ve had. It fits every bill, it’s soooo cute, with animals and silliness and fast moving action. But it’s also over-the-top educational, exposing the audience to four different myths from four different cultures AND even teaching a gentle lesson about knowing when making jokes and playing tricks is great and when it can be inappropriate. This cast is having so much fun and director Rose Ginsberg is leading them in a joyous exercise of fantasy, pretend and pure storytelling. I wish I were in this play. Being involved in this process looks like more fun than…..a barrel of spiders!
Busy week: I also observed some rehearsal for ARE YOU THERE ZEUS? IT’S ME ELECTRA. At first glance a non-theatre insider would wonder, “what the hell are they gonna do for 4 more weeks?” That’s right, they have over 4 weeks left to rehearse and have already been in rehearsal for over a week, so watching the funny, already blocked, well-acted rehearsal would leave one wondering, “what now?” But I know, I know Aliza Shane (director). No way “funny with competent blocking” is enough for her! That blocking will become EXCITING and SPECIFIC to the moment, that acting will become more than good. I see the seeds of character work that will bloom into over-the-top but still recognizable humans that we can’t help laughing with. I know that the clever cool script will become so much more. Aliza and her cast are still improvising to sharpen, heighten and make specific each encounter and drive the story to that inevitable bloody end. I have to admit I also wish I was in this play it too. Looks like just as much fun with a macabre twist!
Busy Week: Meeting # 1 “LOGO”: So ... we’re trying to revamp our look. OK, if you’ve been following Looking Glass at all over the last 16 years (yup, we’re a troubled teen) you know that we’re a THEATRE company, not a marketing firm. But some of the wonderful artists who make up our core have gently persuaded me of the need to revamp! Now, more than ever, marketing is paramount. Not only has the Internet taken over the world, but we’re in a recession. And the theatre business was already suffering BEFORE the recession. But this team of talented mavericks is confronting these challenges and revamping our branding. And it's gonna rock. So keep your eyes open for the unveiling of our new logo and website in 2010!"
Busy week: Meeting #2, “MARKETING”: Yup, more business. Gotta get the word out! I love the promotional items we’re planning on: Ready, Set, Story! bookmarks and Are You There Zeus? It’s Me Electra. Buttons! This stuff is so cute I probably won’t be able to keep them for myself cause the kids’ll want ‘em (even the non kid show Electra stuff is darn cute…).
Busy week: Meeting #3, “BENEFIT”: Oh and we gotta raise money too so we get to throw an amazing party twice a year! Much talk about acquiring food and drink as well as ticket prices (a good deal at $18 or $15 in advance). SAVE THE DATE Tuesday Nov., 10!
Busy week: Meeting #4 “FORUM”: On Saturday morning we got together with all the directors, assistant directors and interns for our Winter Writers/Directors Forum. Scripts have already been chosen and now the work begins!
OK, I’m tired just from writing it all down, gotta go take a nap now…..NOT!
:) Justine
Justine Lambert
Artistic Director
The Looking Glass Theatre
www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com
follow our blog! http://lookingglasstheatre.blogspot.com/
Friend us on Facebook! "LookGlass Thr"
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Looking Glass Saves The Day!
Looking Glass Saves The Day
A Heartwarming Tale of a Random Tuesday Morning
Everyone here at The Looking Glass Theatre has been working very hard on current and future productions, events and forums, but I wanted to quickly share a unique experience from the theater this morning...
As you know, we offer space grants to artists throughout the year. This spring we had some particulary wonderful groups present shows at the Looking Glass, great and funny groups of young and talented folks.
This morning - about 8:45am - a woman comes into the theater quite flustered. She explains that she was part of one of the space grant shows from the Spring and that she's on her way to a 9am interview at CBS around the corner... but she forgot to pack her shoes when she left home and is wearing flip flops. Fighting back tears, she asks if she can borrow my shoes or the shoes of the intern working in the office with me today. But we're both also wearing flip flops. Feeling defeated and out of options, she's overwhelmed by her situation and begins to cry, unsure of what to do next. Seriously, this gal is breaking my heart! Haven't we all had moments like this?
We offer to let her use a pair of shoes from our costume stock, if she can find something suitable. We go into the costume room and pull out the shoe tubs. The first pair of wearable shoes she finds and tries on are... a perfect fit! With a beaming smile, she dashes out the door proclaiming her gratitude and promising to return shortly to bring back this generous loan.
About 40 minutes later, she's back - shoes in hand - and a thousand times happier. Hopefully, she gets the job (whatever it may be, we really didnt' have much time for details!) and remembers us fondly... and tells the world (and maybe a television audience someday) about this very special experience!!
:)
-------------------------------------------------------
Jenn Boehm
Managing Director/Artistic Associate
The Looking Glass Theatre
http://www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com/
A Heartwarming Tale of a Random Tuesday Morning
Everyone here at The Looking Glass Theatre has been working very hard on current and future productions, events and forums, but I wanted to quickly share a unique experience from the theater this morning...
As you know, we offer space grants to artists throughout the year. This spring we had some particulary wonderful groups present shows at the Looking Glass, great and funny groups of young and talented folks.
This morning - about 8:45am - a woman comes into the theater quite flustered. She explains that she was part of one of the space grant shows from the Spring and that she's on her way to a 9am interview at CBS around the corner... but she forgot to pack her shoes when she left home and is wearing flip flops. Fighting back tears, she asks if she can borrow my shoes or the shoes of the intern working in the office with me today. But we're both also wearing flip flops. Feeling defeated and out of options, she's overwhelmed by her situation and begins to cry, unsure of what to do next. Seriously, this gal is breaking my heart! Haven't we all had moments like this?
We offer to let her use a pair of shoes from our costume stock, if she can find something suitable. We go into the costume room and pull out the shoe tubs. The first pair of wearable shoes she finds and tries on are... a perfect fit! With a beaming smile, she dashes out the door proclaiming her gratitude and promising to return shortly to bring back this generous loan.
About 40 minutes later, she's back - shoes in hand - and a thousand times happier. Hopefully, she gets the job (whatever it may be, we really didnt' have much time for details!) and remembers us fondly... and tells the world (and maybe a television audience someday) about this very special experience!!
:)
-------------------------------------------------------
Jenn Boehm
Managing Director/Artistic Associate
The Looking Glass Theatre
http://www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com/
Friday, September 18, 2009
Sneak Peak!
Check out this sneak peek of ASK SOMEONE ELSE, GOD!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSmuyIsYKbg&feature=channel
Interview with director Shari Johnson about Ask Someone Else, God, a surreal comedy about the prophet Jonah, written by Kenneth Nowell.
www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com
ASK SOMEONE ELSE, GOD - September 9 - October 4
Wednesday - Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 5pm
ADDRESS: 422 WEST 57TH (btwn 9th/10th Aves)
TICKETS: www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com or (212) 352-3101
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSmuyIsYKbg&feature=channel
Interview with director Shari Johnson about Ask Someone Else, God, a surreal comedy about the prophet Jonah, written by Kenneth Nowell.
www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com
ASK SOMEONE ELSE, GOD - September 9 - October 4
Wednesday - Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 5pm
ADDRESS: 422 WEST 57TH (btwn 9th/10th Aves)
TICKETS: www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com or (212) 352-3101
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
News from Justine Lambert & The Looking Glass Theatre!
WELL... Our fall season is upon us! Everyone always says that summer flies by, but when you’re producing three plays and a festival, it really zooms!
Ask Someone Else, God is happening now - in fact, it opens tomorrow (9/9/09)! I’m so excited by this show. The texture of the project is just what I love: deep emotion mixed with complex theatricality. Read more thoughts on this project and subject on our blog at http://lookingglasstheatre.blogspot.com/.
We also have a fun new children’s show coming up: Ready, Set, Story! How Katie Saved the Sneaky Spider’s Tales. You wouldn’t believe how much discussion went into that title!
In fact, titles have been a big issue this season. A lot of people were a bit scared of the Ask Someone Else, God choice. Many suggested changes, all of which included removing the word “God.” Yes, I admit I am a bit afraid to alienate people with that one word. But God is universal, whatever you call her, and so is this play. It’s based on a bible story and tells us about modern pain, through surreal comedy. What could be better? Check out photos at http://www.facebook.com/TheLookingGlassTheatre?ref=ts.
Ready, Set, Story! is about the stories of religion, the myths created by different cultures to explain the unexplainable. We all need some explanation. This play explores through the eyes of a child some of the funniest explanations humanity has come up with. This play (so well written by Emily Paul) manages to be funny and adorable entertainment while still imparting some real wisdom to our littlest theatre goers.
Next up, we have Are You There Zeus? It’s Me, Electra about a teenager who has REAL parental issues. No problems with the title on this one. We all LOVE it! And yes, there’s a deity in there, too. Perhaps our fear of the all-powerful is manifesting itself in our theatrical choices this season. We disenfranchised, poor, rebellious artists are seeking something bigger in this time of economic crisis. Luckily for our audience, rarely has there been assembled a more entertaining yet thought provoking trilogy of plays.
Last, but oh-so-not-least, one of my favorite collaborative and creative events within our programming: the Writer/Director Forum. Our semi-annual festival of new works features the wonderful talents of emerging female playwrights and directors…we have a fantastic group onboard and it’s going to be an amazing Forum!
AND, offstage this October, as part of our Breast Cancer Awareness efforts, we’re doing a GREAT event with Pantene Beautiful Lengths and Mark Garrison Salon – a group hair donation! We encourage everyone to join our staff and artists and donate their hair to create free, real-hair wigs for women who've lost their hair due to cancer. Spread the word and snip, snip, snip for an important cause with us!
Have I mentioned that I’m pretty excited about Fall ’09?
By the way, our managing director will want to be sure we ask for money. GOD knows we need it! Whether you can give one dollar, 10 dollars, 100 dollars or more… your contribution will go a long way this Fall!
All the best and enjoy the show… make that shows!
Justine :)
Justine Lambert
Artistic Director
The Looking Glass Theatre
http://www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com/
Find us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/TheLookingGlassTheatre?ref=ts
Follow our blog! http://lookingglasstheatre.blogspot.com/
Your contribution counts! https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/store/881/donate
Ask Someone Else, God is happening now - in fact, it opens tomorrow (9/9/09)! I’m so excited by this show. The texture of the project is just what I love: deep emotion mixed with complex theatricality. Read more thoughts on this project and subject on our blog at http://lookingglasstheatre.blogspot.com/.
We also have a fun new children’s show coming up: Ready, Set, Story! How Katie Saved the Sneaky Spider’s Tales. You wouldn’t believe how much discussion went into that title!
In fact, titles have been a big issue this season. A lot of people were a bit scared of the Ask Someone Else, God choice. Many suggested changes, all of which included removing the word “God.” Yes, I admit I am a bit afraid to alienate people with that one word. But God is universal, whatever you call her, and so is this play. It’s based on a bible story and tells us about modern pain, through surreal comedy. What could be better? Check out photos at http://www.facebook.com/TheLookingGlassTheatre?ref=ts.
Ready, Set, Story! is about the stories of religion, the myths created by different cultures to explain the unexplainable. We all need some explanation. This play explores through the eyes of a child some of the funniest explanations humanity has come up with. This play (so well written by Emily Paul) manages to be funny and adorable entertainment while still imparting some real wisdom to our littlest theatre goers.
Next up, we have Are You There Zeus? It’s Me, Electra about a teenager who has REAL parental issues. No problems with the title on this one. We all LOVE it! And yes, there’s a deity in there, too. Perhaps our fear of the all-powerful is manifesting itself in our theatrical choices this season. We disenfranchised, poor, rebellious artists are seeking something bigger in this time of economic crisis. Luckily for our audience, rarely has there been assembled a more entertaining yet thought provoking trilogy of plays.
Last, but oh-so-not-least, one of my favorite collaborative and creative events within our programming: the Writer/Director Forum. Our semi-annual festival of new works features the wonderful talents of emerging female playwrights and directors…we have a fantastic group onboard and it’s going to be an amazing Forum!
AND, offstage this October, as part of our Breast Cancer Awareness efforts, we’re doing a GREAT event with Pantene Beautiful Lengths and Mark Garrison Salon – a group hair donation! We encourage everyone to join our staff and artists and donate their hair to create free, real-hair wigs for women who've lost their hair due to cancer. Spread the word and snip, snip, snip for an important cause with us!
Have I mentioned that I’m pretty excited about Fall ’09?
By the way, our managing director will want to be sure we ask for money. GOD knows we need it! Whether you can give one dollar, 10 dollars, 100 dollars or more… your contribution will go a long way this Fall!
All the best and enjoy the show… make that shows!
Justine :)
Justine Lambert
Artistic Director
The Looking Glass Theatre
http://www.lookingglasstheatrenyc.com/
Find us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/TheLookingGlassTheatre?ref=ts
Follow our blog! http://lookingglasstheatre.blogspot.com/
Your contribution counts! https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/store/881/donate
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