tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12363579117520070812024-02-20T13:05:24.395-05:00Back To One - Producing, Directing and Acting in NYCVan Dirk Fisher, AUDELCO Winner, Founder and Artistic Director of the Riant Theatre and the Strawberry One-Act Festival (Bi-Annually), gives insights on producing, directing and acting in NYC.Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-6596545919157028252014-02-04T02:18:00.000-05:002014-02-04T02:18:22.415-05:00Debra Martin Chase, Two Time Emmy Nominated Motion Picture & Television Producer to Present the Riant Theatre's Pioneer of the Arts Award to Broadway Producers Stephen Byrd & Alia Jones-Harvey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1enDtUAB30X9reTx80DQMSK__juUrt9DuUbGzFoeuiaO7Q1l_lupCUeF5J1N0rvRV_1kvydbEUwwgBR0n7f9c6OnMqoHCd8cTq8hPe_LTevAY6VaOdkMv717gIga6p3qbNf5UFuPQFHs/s1600/Debra+Martin+Chase.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1enDtUAB30X9reTx80DQMSK__juUrt9DuUbGzFoeuiaO7Q1l_lupCUeF5J1N0rvRV_1kvydbEUwwgBR0n7f9c6OnMqoHCd8cTq8hPe_LTevAY6VaOdkMv717gIga6p3qbNf5UFuPQFHs/s1600/Debra+Martin+Chase.jpeg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Debra Martin Chase</b> will be presenting the Riant Theatre's Pioneer of the Arts Award to
Broadway Producers <b>Stephen C. Byrd </b>and <b>Alia Jones-Harvey</b> on Sunday,
February 9th at the Riant Theatre's Launch Party for the Strawberry
One-Act Festival at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse.
For tickets go to <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=200" target="_blank">http://www.therianttheatre.<wbr></wbr>com/item.php?id=200</a><br />
<br />
Debra Martin Chase is the first African-American woman to have a solo
producing deal with a major studio. Her company, <b>Martin Chase
Productions</b>, is affiliated with the <b>Walt Disney Company </b>and <b>ABC Studios</b>.
She ran both Denzel Washington’s and Whitney Houston’s production
companies before forming her own, Martin Chase Productions in 2000.
Debra’s producing credits include: <i>Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,
Just Wright, and Sparkle</i> (2012).<br />
<br />
In 2001, partnering with Disney, Chase produced a movie hit with <b>The
Princess Diaries</b>. Starring Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway, the movie
grossed over $109 million in domestic box office receipts and sold over
17 million video and DVD units. She also produced The Princess Diaries
2: Royal Engagement. Her work with Princess Diaries was designed to
make, “Every girl, and the girl in every woman, [wish] that she would
wake up one day and find out that she’s a princess.” (Alexander,497)
Chase inspires young girls to be reminded that they have the power to do
what they want to do. @RiantTheatre #StrawberryOneActFestival.
#GreatWomanOfColorInFilm. #YouthEmpowermentAwards.
#HistoricBlackWomenInFilmVan Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-27151416802782930362014-01-17T19:50:00.000-05:002014-01-17T19:51:10.479-05:00Pioneer of the Arts Honorees Know the Economics of Entertainment<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";">By Fern Gillespie</span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"> </span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whether it’s
casting African American superstars in Broadway classics or inspiring the rock
and roll movement or web casting the sensational Victoria’s Secret Fashion
Show, Riant Theatre’s “<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=200" target="_blank">Pioneer of the Arts Awards</a>” honorees are not only
cultural innovators; they are experts in the economics of entertainment.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJv5YPIcqMwr2MdwBrPN6jxKimFG4As70GCsh1IfeR3zvmIncem-sS1dFuVbeoywTXC4eq2yynvNPfo1c-ekQqKXxWe_gs7QPseSg4MsJg191OzX-IvhEf3da5dPIOXAxL8UwS2JHXXk/s1600/Alia+Jones-Harvey+and+Stephen+C.+Bryd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJv5YPIcqMwr2MdwBrPN6jxKimFG4As70GCsh1IfeR3zvmIncem-sS1dFuVbeoywTXC4eq2yynvNPfo1c-ekQqKXxWe_gs7QPseSg4MsJg191OzX-IvhEf3da5dPIOXAxL8UwS2JHXXk/s1600/Alia+Jones-Harvey+and+Stephen+C.+Bryd.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7f0000;">Stephen C. Byrd </span></b><span style="color: #7f0000;">and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alia Jones-Harvey</b> left Wall Street to become Broadway’s leading
African-American producers and create acclaimed star-studded productions like </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo
and Juliet</i> with Orlando
Bloom and Condola Rashad<span style="color: red;">;</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Trip To Bountiful</i> with Cicely Tyson, Vanessa Williams and Cuba
Gooding, Jr.; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Street Car Named Desire</i>
with Blair Underwood and Nicole Ari Parker and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cat On A Hot Tin Roof</i> with Phylicia Rashad, James Earl Jones,
Terrence Howard and Anika Noni Rose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rock and Roll Hall of Fame<b><span style="color: #7f0000;"> </span></b><span style="color: #7f0000;">singer <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lloyd Price</b></span><span style="color: black;"> </span>launched the teen craze of Rock and Roll<span style="color: #7f0000;"> with “</span>Lawdy Miss Clawdy” and transitioned into
successful enterprises from records to boxing to construction to food. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">B. Jeffrey Madoff's</b> creative career
evolved from being a top fashion designer to a documentary filmmaker and
commercial producer-director, who devised the splashy web cast and network
broadcast of the amazing Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Alia and I
think outside the box,” explained Stephen C. Byrd, a former Goldman Sachs
executive, whose <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Front Row Productions with </span><span style="color: #7f0000;">Alia Jones-Harvey is</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> the only African-American
theatre production firm on Broadway.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Their formula for developing hit Broadway shows for
African-American audiences has resulted in top grossers like the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>revivial of Tennessee Williams' <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cat on a Hot Tin Roof</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later on the London stage, it earned the prestigious
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“If we cast
a production interracially and get panned by the critics, it doesn’t matter to
us because African-Americans want to see their talent,” said Byrd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They want to see Terrence Howard. They want
to see James Earl Jones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t care
what the New York Times says.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“We’re
approaching these productions as if they are start-up businesses. They take all
of the research and planning of any start-up business,” said <span style="color: #7f0000;">Jones-Harvey, a former NASA executive who holds a MBA and
masters degrees in engineering and math</span>. “Each time you put on a
production, you need to know what market you are targeting. The profit margins
are all in reaching your market efficiently.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Right now,
they are developing a Broadway production of the 1959 Brazilian film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Orpheus</i>. Byrd has seen the film over 30 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I see something new every time.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Singing
sensation Lloyd Price, known as “Mr. Personality,” has used that personality to
create a cache</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz76cGziTh8saa7UBe_LVP8wqIbBhrvqnJwyATcHC9BgmC7Ry0PLlRPGau6xtbz-2Tntr-47YeK1tVSHD8pY_6thEN9WqwZwPva5vZVdxuenNNmhMgt8WES-6LXihTFc3CIJMQxn7N2k/s1600/Lloyd+Price.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz76cGziTh8saa7UBe_LVP8wqIbBhrvqnJwyATcHC9BgmC7Ry0PLlRPGau6xtbz-2Tntr-47YeK1tVSHD8pY_6thEN9WqwZwPva5vZVdxuenNNmhMgt8WES-6LXihTFc3CIJMQxn7N2k/s1600/Lloyd+Price.jpeg" height="320" width="222" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">of careers.
“Everything I do, I’ve never done before,” he said.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">When
he recorded the rock and roll, R&B classic “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”<i> </i>in
1952, the 19 year old from Louisiana
thrilled black and white teens. “It </span>caused
a youth movement and a rock and roll revolution,” explained Price.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">After serving in Korea, his label replaced him with
Little Richard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, Price’s classic
“Stagger Lee" topped the pop and R&B charts and sold over one million
copies. By</span> 1962, he owned <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Double L
Records</span> recording The Coasters
and Wilson Pickett. In 1969, after his business partner and friend <span style="color: black;">Harold Logan</span> was murdered in their club, he moved to
Nigeria.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Zaire, he tapped his friend Don
King, who Price had introduced years earlier to Muhmmad Ali. Together with
King, he produced the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” fight between Ali and
Joe Frazier. “The whole deal was my production. They got the biggest purse
ever, which was $5 million,” said Price. “We changed the entire concept of how
sports and entertainers get paid for their work.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By the 1980s, Price took a $6
million bank loan and constructed over 40 low-income homes in the Bronx and Staten Island. Today, at age 80, he is not only singing <span style="color: black;">“Lawdy Miss Clawdy</span>” onstage, he manages <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Icon Food
Brands, which includes Lawdy Miss Clawdy products.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Lloyd Price has such a layered
story,” said B. Jeffrey Madoff, founder of Madoff Productions, who directed a
film on Price and is now developing a Broadway bio drama with music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Lloyd is the messenger. The play is about
how music and rock and roll brings about integration in the United States.
Before Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, the young people started to listen to
the same music, dance together and socialize. As they got older it impacted on
popular culture on the Civil Rights Movement and, arguably, you could take that
up to getting President Obama elected.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Madoff
earned degrees in philosophy and psychology at the University of Wisconsin
and, by </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhvFDSIqdjCr2uDiD7tWkl7y9Ld_jE4o_doGEzyRo1eyu4JVVsWCH6ens6wLrwiOls4W51nojozS-mGrd8EYr6AcFnbGybR_5zytMh0IFcigJR0Fguldgr5unm1tHkv-S6IjaPp2dfaQ/s1600/Jeff+Madoff.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhvFDSIqdjCr2uDiD7tWkl7y9Ld_jE4o_doGEzyRo1eyu4JVVsWCH6ens6wLrwiOls4W51nojozS-mGrd8EYr6AcFnbGybR_5zytMh0IFcigJR0Fguldgr5unm1tHkv-S6IjaPp2dfaQ/s1600/Jeff+Madoff.PNG" height="212" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">accident, became a fashion designer in the 1970s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his first year of business he landed on
the cover of Women’s Wear Daily and was named one of the top 10 designers in
the U.S.
Today, he directs award winning commercials, documentaries and web content
viewed worldwide. High profile fashion and education clients include: Ralph
Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Godiva Chocolates, Weill Cornell
Medical College
and Harvard University.<span style="color: red;"> </span>Madoff
used his film and fashion sense to pioneer the flamboyant Victoria's Secret Fashion shows on the web.
He’s penned a Huffington Post column and is at work developing a movie “The
Hard Kill” about the desire for redemption.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Creativity:
Making a Living with Your Ideas” is Madoff’s expertise and the title of a
course he teaches at Parsons
School for Design. “I
bring in people who make a living with their ideas and the students get an idea
of how to bring their ideas to market,” he pointed out. “Creativity is a job
and a discipline. If you think your ideas are good, you have to get them out
there.”</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflR5lhmmv9A6SspYLjR-mBL21kQlW2wMnTAWwPosjTNF1QqBWdvpahc6hbyptIIC2xjJUsr5EBeoVdqbOPUllk3FxTXcH4sT3e3Ttf9XAXaDJUB0ts6E6I5cWskixMhROIzvA4ez_H3s/s1600/Strawberry+Logo+Poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflR5lhmmv9A6SspYLjR-mBL21kQlW2wMnTAWwPosjTNF1QqBWdvpahc6hbyptIIC2xjJUsr5EBeoVdqbOPUllk3FxTXcH4sT3e3Ttf9XAXaDJUB0ts6E6I5cWskixMhROIzvA4ez_H3s/s1600/Strawberry+Logo+Poster.JPG" height="200" width="138" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykEOVAVjwSJBX6mXr7r_iHFRnyAP6qRhZFkhH0hyphenhyphen4OZmA9Iq4Lzjo7tT4QST2uTzhkdapKQ9uFSNv49Q8zh8C7IlVgQLgiSaIeNncUq9qn3DfMwsrpLe_bnbVOHcere6-7GFd3V7ntZw/s1600/RIANT_Bk+RED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykEOVAVjwSJBX6mXr7r_iHFRnyAP6qRhZFkhH0hyphenhyphen4OZmA9Iq4Lzjo7tT4QST2uTzhkdapKQ9uFSNv49Q8zh8C7IlVgQLgiSaIeNncUq9qn3DfMwsrpLe_bnbVOHcere6-7GFd3V7ntZw/s1600/RIANT_Bk+RED.jpg" height="116" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For tickets to the <b>Riant Theatre's Launch Party - Pioneer of the Arts Awards & Tribute Show</b> go to <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/">www.therianttheatre.com</a>. <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=200" target="_blank">Tickets</a>. <br /><b><br />The event is Sunday, February 9, 2014. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>5:30pm </b>is the VIP Reception - $50 for Reception & Awards Show</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><b>6:45pm</b> is the Pioneer Awards Show - $25 for the Awards Show </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />At the <b>Bronx Museum of the Arts</b>, 1040 Grand Concourse, NY. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />For further info call 646-623-3488. </span><br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGWM_SRXFF0igl84H3UZmlR_0PfTkX6TEEVA6jl56zaOwPNvqxmnj5O2r6zmSIuI1lIb7zebtb6sq2HabSWpbpKgTXRpugZ7ccu7CwL6Q7zD9h8WZq3R3ZjBG3MD7uyGhivy3eUXxOhU/s1600/FERN+PHOTO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGWM_SRXFF0igl84H3UZmlR_0PfTkX6TEEVA6jl56zaOwPNvqxmnj5O2r6zmSIuI1lIb7zebtb6sq2HabSWpbpKgTXRpugZ7ccu7CwL6Q7zD9h8WZq3R3ZjBG3MD7uyGhivy3eUXxOhU/s1600/FERN+PHOTO.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fern Gillespie, Publicist for the Riant Theatre & The Strawberry One-Act Festival.</span> </span></span></div>
Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-81530240665284133702013-10-30T12:34:00.000-04:002013-10-30T12:34:14.420-04:00 Broadway Producers ALIA JONES-HARVEY & STEPHEN C. BYRD will receive the Riant Theatre's PIONEER OF THE ARTS AWARD
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<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Broadway Producers</strong> <strong>ALIA JONES-HARVEY & STEPHEN C. BYRD </strong><em>(Romeo and Juliet, Trip To Bountiful, Street Car Named Desire and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof)</em> will receive the <strong>PIONEER OF THE ARTS AWARD</strong> at the Launch Party for the Strawberry Theatre Festival at the Bronx Museum of the Arts (1040 Grand Concourse @ 165th St.) on <span style="color: blue;"><strong><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1168563659" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">Sunday, February 9, 2014 at 7pm</span></span></strong></span>. Join us for a panel discussion about <strong>LIVING THE DREAM</strong> with our honorees, which will include: Theatre Producers, Agents, Casting Directors, Singer/Songwriters, Directors and Actors. <b>Save the date </b>and like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Riant-Theatre/164053420309356#" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and join our email club to receive updates of other panelists by <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=email_club" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</span>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-40766056719031592872013-10-21T00:40:00.000-04:002013-10-21T00:40:46.308-04:00ASHTON PINA RECEIVES THE RIANT THEATRE'S YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AWARD<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b>Ashton Pina</b> has been awarded the <b>YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AWARD</b> by
the Riant Theatre, the award is given to an outstanding student enrolled in
college and includes a scholarship of $2,500, which Mr. Pina will use to
complete his thesis film <b>THE BROTHERS TEXAS</b>. Check out his campaign on
kickstarter to help him reach his goal. <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ashtonpina/the-brothers-texas" target="_blank">http://www.kickstarter.com/<wbr></wbr>projects/ashtonpina/the-<wbr></wbr>brothers-texas</a></div>
Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-43903559482089802292013-09-19T13:23:00.000-04:002013-09-19T13:23:14.912-04:00Play Submissions for the Strawberry Theatre Festival & Strawberry One-Act Festival (Deadline October 30, 2013)<br />
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=books"></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEGhsgNtzkmdMSGl3Gm0EGLAA5OkBMr0obO8av6-pjJrbOqmhMYFe0g49uGKrLLcbGAACSGS9ohPcYIrw2gl1_iTrFFE4Qn9EAM3i9wHv1L5WNMpbNesgJX4VYHaCjUqN_k2Z85dA-oE/s1600/Strawberry+Logo+Poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEGhsgNtzkmdMSGl3Gm0EGLAA5OkBMr0obO8av6-pjJrbOqmhMYFe0g49uGKrLLcbGAACSGS9ohPcYIrw2gl1_iTrFFE4Qn9EAM3i9wHv1L5WNMpbNesgJX4VYHaCjUqN_k2Z85dA-oE/s320/Strawberry+Logo+Poster.JPG" width="222" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmKKmGKNXtXjCa1Aps9tpYG5wJDq4UoOcODhXbXH5iI8nUfmIkAiBkYOGuz7t6COQd9kVodaB26m2iokF5yeUCnAokk-z7AhVe-2g50qqupoZkCjD8wcZHPq6UIR0bhv1wg0H87dDnbQ/s1600/RIANT_Bk+RED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmKKmGKNXtXjCa1Aps9tpYG5wJDq4UoOcODhXbXH5iI8nUfmIkAiBkYOGuz7t6COQd9kVodaB26m2iokF5yeUCnAokk-z7AhVe-2g50qqupoZkCjD8wcZHPq6UIR0bhv1wg0H87dDnbQ/s320/RIANT_Bk+RED.jpg" width="320" /></a><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Riant Theatre's <b>Strawberry Theatre Festival</b> will be at the 160 seat <span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Theatre at St. Clement's</b></span> on 46th St. in Manhattan from <span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">February 12th - February 23, 2014</span>,
and is now accepting submissions for Full Length Plays (between 55 - 90
minutes) and Musicals (not to exceed 120 minutes), Short Plays (40
minutes - 50 minutes) and Staged Readings. Plays selected for the
festival can perform between 3 - 5 performances and elect to share a
percentage of the box office by paying a theatre usage fee between $1 -
$9 per ticket to receive 10% - 100% share of the box office. To download
an application go to <a href="http://theriant.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AoMACwAABYEAB2cS" style="color: black;" target="_blank">www.therianttheatre.com</a>
or email us at RiantTheatre@gmail.com. The deadline to submit an
application is October 30, 2013. Late Submissions deadline is November
15, 2013. The participation fee for the STF is $400 for plays received
by October 30, 2013 and $500 for plays received after October 30, 2013.
The participation fee for Short Plays is $350.<b> All submissions are done by email.</b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGa5ZIgp_yYilJdHqPB6JGTHzcUz5PqqOjX0Vd-I-Q4rjEElwu4TPgra050_geJOCZSqpzeguZrwKbu6eyQq6Cz59z9xVbsWiSLfAti2nVz1dYPKLMazPiJQDtQWsw3PpVM7XiOISVPbA/s1600/Vol+7+Book+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGa5ZIgp_yYilJdHqPB6JGTHzcUz5PqqOjX0Vd-I-Q4rjEElwu4TPgra050_geJOCZSqpzeguZrwKbu6eyQq6Cz59z9xVbsWiSLfAti2nVz1dYPKLMazPiJQDtQWsw3PpVM7XiOISVPbA/s320/Vol+7+Book+Cover.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Also seeking submissions for the <span data-mce-style="color: #ff0000;" style="color: red;">Strawberry One-Act Festival</span> (February 12th - February 23rd) for plays with a running time from <span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">15 minutes - 30 minutes</span>.</b>
Plays can advance from Round 1, Semi-Finals, Finals and the Awards Show
& Performance. The judges for the Finals will consist of (2)
Artistic Directors, (1) Agent and (1) Casting Director. The 4 Best Plays
will perform at the Awards Ceremony on February 23rd and have the
option to do an Encore Performance at one of our Partner Theatre
Companies. <span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">The participating fee for plays accepted into the festival is $300</span> <span style="color: blue;">for plays submitted by October 30, 2013 and $350 for plays received after October 30, 2013,</span>
which includes: an on-camera interview for your play, inclusion in our
mailing brochures and the Riant Theatre Review Magazine, (1) ticket to
our Launch Party and Screening of the Video Diaries Project: A Series of
Short Films about the artists in the Strawberry One-Act Festival;</span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqQqaueXumYOaN5nwBAoUJMp1ZqOhWslz6c8dc-0UqI45eyH7D9MJbLBZCZVEKL28tj93hVoIXaB_YlwjYnBq4r6NLB3ohD0iL53V4C0QxjSenXqNoTw6Y7kBDTNqIEn44omvuoQEhak/s1600/The+Video+Diaries+Project+-+1st+Screen+of+Film.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqQqaueXumYOaN5nwBAoUJMp1ZqOhWslz6c8dc-0UqI45eyH7D9MJbLBZCZVEKL28tj93hVoIXaB_YlwjYnBq4r6NLB3ohD0iL53V4C0QxjSenXqNoTw6Y7kBDTNqIEn44omvuoQEhak/s320/The+Video+Diaries+Project+-+1st+Screen+of+Film.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span data-mce-style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> (1)
comp ticket whenever your play is performed, (1) ticket to the Awards
Ceremony. The winner of the Best Play receives $1,500. Awards are given
to Best Play, Best Director ($150), Best Actor ($150), Best Actress
($150) and Best Short Film - The Video Diaries Project ($250). Some
plays will be selected for publication in the anthology The Best Plays
From The Strawberry One-Act Festival. All Submissions must be done by
emailed. Deadline October 30, 2013. Deadline for late submissions is
November 15, 2013. Download an application at <a href="http://theriant.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=AoMACwAAD-IAB2cS" style="color: black;" target="_blank">www.therianttheatre.com</a>
(There is no sharing of the box office for the One-Act Festival.). To
buy Volume 7 of the anthology: THE BEST PLAYS FROM THE STRAWBERRY
ONE-ACT FESTIVAL go to <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/">www.therianttheatre.com</a> or <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=books">http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=books</a></span>
Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-59983910643485313182013-07-17T13:29:00.000-04:002013-07-17T13:29:06.765-04:00Radio Interview with Kristen Seavey & Van Dirk Fisher on BOOK TALK with DJ Kory on Break Thru Radio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh9ak-1bGWp1IeTUwkSxBetvu4uyln6h7vgZNTvzvU9WNanw9aU0QFtdQQ4QjJ9EuOa6jxP5KJoUxDGLUgv8NafNrp7mJLfwS02QW6C3B44f2EJVCcjpgJGM2o9z8ZseqYfA53LWgYuY/s1600/Kristen+Seavey..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh9ak-1bGWp1IeTUwkSxBetvu4uyln6h7vgZNTvzvU9WNanw9aU0QFtdQQ4QjJ9EuOa6jxP5KJoUxDGLUgv8NafNrp7mJLfwS02QW6C3B44f2EJVCcjpgJGM2o9z8ZseqYfA53LWgYuY/s200/Kristen+Seavey..jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Check out this Radio interview with DJ Kory on BOOK TALK on Break Thru Radio with Van Dirk Fisher and Kristen Seavey at <a href="http://www.breakthruradio.com/#/post/?dj=kory&post=1527&blog=89&autoplay=1">www.breakthruradio.com/#/post/?dj=kory&post=1527&blog=89&autoplay=1</a> Kristen and Van Dirk discuss the plays in the anthology The Best Plays In The Strawberry One-Act Festival: Volume Seven <br />To buy the book go to <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=184">http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=184</a></span><br />
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Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-35467138270549933052013-07-10T17:05:00.001-04:002013-07-10T17:05:39.402-04:00Embracing the Spark: Orpheus Group Casting Founders Receive Pioneer of the Arts Award<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: magenta;">Embracing the Spark: </span> Orpheus
Group Casting Founders Receive Pioneer of the Arts Award</b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">By Jane Rubinsky</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> Ellyn
Long Marshall and Maria E. Nelson, the founding partners of Orpheus Group
Casting, receive the Riant Theatre’s Pioneer of the Arts Award in recognition
of their 27 years of uncompromising dedication to the arts of film, theater,
and television.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among the critically
acclaimed films enriched by their expertise are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Girlfight</i> (2000), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Real Women
Have Curves</i> (2002), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maria Full of
Grace</i> (2004), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Amreeka</i>
(2009).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pair have also worked with
respected theater companies such as INTAR, on Broadway, and at Lincoln Center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A
native New Yorker born into a theatrical family (her father was the actor Avon
Long), Marshall studied acting before landing a job in casting at the Public
Theater back in the late 70s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A regular
paycheck, health insurance, doing something I loved; I was in heaven,” she
recalls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was casting for the Los
Angeles tour of Joseph Papp’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pirates of
Penzance</i> when she met Nelson, an agent for a musical theater company on
42nd Street, over the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I just
found a really pleasant person on the other side of the phone,” says
Nelson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And that’s basically how we
began this friendship.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Nelson,
who was born in Costa Rica to a family of entrepreneurs, had become New York
State’s youngest licensed agent at age 23, after already having worked in the
fashion industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She moved up the
ladder quickly, but her goal was to launch a production company – “completely
out of my forecast for my life,” laughs Marshall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But their tastes and values were in
sync.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as Marshall began seeing more
shows that were “terrible” – “not a lot of them, but just the concept,” she
recalls – the two decided it was time to open their own company in an office at
Kaufman Astoria Studios in 1987.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Initially
they focused on theater production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
directors were also looking for help with casting, and the pair had a wide
knowledge of actors from their previous lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As the casting work “mushroomed,” says Marshall, the two eventually
moved into film with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Above the Rim</i>
(1994).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then, they have been
playing an integral part in shaping independent features with multicultural
themes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“People
often ask us, how do you decide what to work on?” says Nelson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’re totally script-driven; that’s the
deciding factor.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“We
choose projects that are important to us, that introduce new ideas,” concurs Marshall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And things that have an impact on society,
that the audience will come away from with something positive, regardless of
how dark the subject matter might be or how it’s presented.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">That
often means working on a project from the ground up, with lots of challenges –
from helping to find financing to steering someone to the right cinematographer
or director.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nelson recalls the Canadian
producer who confessed, once a project was under way, that she “needed a little
help” because she had never produced a film before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I told her, ‘Well, you’re going to produce <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i> one!’” says Nelson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And of course we helped her, and talked her
through the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there was the
film they had to cast in five different countries from New York City – with the
audition tapes in Arabic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We were
arguing with the producers about using this actor or that actor, and I don’t
know if they even internalized the fact that we didn’t speak Arabic!” laughs
Nelson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But we were lucky enough to be
right, and the particular actor got all the accolades in the trade.”</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZSqX_Znf1R0qvXMGx12PDACDAdLiVvrDmnieTu_vxYhh9qeSUo1_yYr6p0ev8waVVJS2YFqfjdW-xOhDHzzTs62bt3IzmjPDPa7-4QttkOZpCzY7uCWyvK9j6uNkXgFsL-ABpgynSmw/s1600/Girl+Fight.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZSqX_Znf1R0qvXMGx12PDACDAdLiVvrDmnieTu_vxYhh9qeSUo1_yYr6p0ev8waVVJS2YFqfjdW-xOhDHzzTs62bt3IzmjPDPa7-4QttkOZpCzY7uCWyvK9j6uNkXgFsL-ABpgynSmw/s1600/Girl+Fight.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Singling
out a favorite project is hard, but Nelson says they are especially proud of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Girlfight</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We worked hand-in-hand with the writer and
director, </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: EN-US;">Karyn
Kusama</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">, from the very beginning,” she
says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The casting was pivotal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’d been talking about this role with Karyn
for nearly a year,” recalls Marshall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“She was very specific about what she wanted this person to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw hundreds and hundreds of young
ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we saw Michelle Rodriguez,
I just knew immediately that was the girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had no credits, and came in off the street to an open call, and she
was fabulous.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Current
projects include fully producing two films and working on an innovative
Broadway musical, as well as building a media arts center in Middletown, N.Y.
(where the Hoboken Film Festival was transplanted this year after the damage of
Hurricane Sandy).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Despite
rapid and sometimes unsettling changes in the industry, they remain
optimistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technology, maintains
Marshall, changes “not only the process, but also the creative part of the
brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it has atrophied.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also refuse to cave in to the pressure
to cast big names that have nothing to do with a script.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But recently, we’re getting these little
inklings from people who have this spark,” says Marshall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m seeing that there are young people coming
up with good scripts, with good ideas, who need guidance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be able to nurture that, and help them
find the money, that’s the challenge, and that’s specifically where our heads
are at right now.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“We
who have the experience should be there to embrace this, to help it along,”
adds Nelson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Because that’s our
responsibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I feel very
seriously about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, that’s
why I’m in this end of the industry – because I want to leave a legacy.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsGMbJr013nSJclmnPSUTm2Ns1G9yE1CgxApPgcZ0Tj1p7SPhO7UK8qH4VH0VvuHjLkiXObaUyZjc-7eocLwpAKysFDRuVJIOiDTVY9pBgAI8p6yZaJZTr7zahg_W7AOibQpTJ79-wKU/s1600/Strawberry+Logo+Poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsGMbJr013nSJclmnPSUTm2Ns1G9yE1CgxApPgcZ0Tj1p7SPhO7UK8qH4VH0VvuHjLkiXObaUyZjc-7eocLwpAKysFDRuVJIOiDTVY9pBgAI8p6yZaJZTr7zahg_W7AOibQpTJ79-wKU/s200/Strawberry+Logo+Poster.JPG" width="138" /></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Tickets are available for the <b>PIONEER OF THE ARTS AWARDS</b>, which will be presented at the <span style="color: blue;"><b>Launch </b></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Party for the Strawberry One-Act Festival.</b></span>
The event will be on Monday, July 29, 2013 at 7pm at the Tribeca Grand
Hotel - Cinema, located at 2 Avenue of the Americas, NYC. There will be a special
screening of the <b><span style="color: red;">Video Diaries Project: </span>A Series of Short Films About the Artists in the Strawberry One-Act Festival. For tickets go to <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=185"><span style="color: cyan;">http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=185</span></a></b></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><b></b></span></span><br />
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Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-64971174441065512262013-05-14T19:25:00.001-04:002013-05-14T19:25:24.323-04:00Script Submissions Deadline is May 20, 2013 for the Strawberry One-Act Festival in Manhattan, NYC<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeaDjSgNiZxyLJVhuwPrnttqYn_TLvlzn1nxIdic-43t6FJrka5Ueg_oG-hq7nOSOdZL2b32FAx4k3pYYG9eL5aIyA0wDBNyRaqC4OltHBP5FJ6Y-RV3xS2uLTslU8AMqcv-ug_QVe5g/s1600/Wendi+PR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeaDjSgNiZxyLJVhuwPrnttqYn_TLvlzn1nxIdic-43t6FJrka5Ueg_oG-hq7nOSOdZL2b32FAx4k3pYYG9eL5aIyA0wDBNyRaqC4OltHBP5FJ6Y-RV3xS2uLTslU8AMqcv-ug_QVe5g/s200/Wendi+PR.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=strawberry_one-act_festival">Strawberry One-Act Festival in Manhattan, NYC</a><br />
<br />
<div><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Strawberry One-Act Festival</span></b></span><span style="color: mediumblue;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> – Summer 2013 </span></b></span><span style="color: mediumblue;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">will be held at<br />
</span></b></span></div><div><b><br />
</b></div><div><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Hudson Guild Theater</span></b></span>, 441 West 26th St., NYC,</div><div>Between 9th & 10th Avenue</div><div><b>August 14, 2013 - August 25, 2013<br />
</b></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMxqJfb4tOlpXbdPDB9clLflVLSai0h24uas7mHnoQBLRhPGh6IUVMZ6fITEUuZRj_Le0xa_6LozFHvgjf6iVV9MfabV9iZxqKNvQZkMhuS0MxzSVhCv13wC9XJRBrEwccY7OBJzPB1Q/s1600/Pearl%252C+Sam+%2526+Andrew.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMxqJfb4tOlpXbdPDB9clLflVLSai0h24uas7mHnoQBLRhPGh6IUVMZ6fITEUuZRj_Le0xa_6LozFHvgjf6iVV9MfabV9iZxqKNvQZkMhuS0MxzSVhCv13wC9XJRBrEwccY7OBJzPB1Q/s200/Pearl%252C+Sam+%2526+Andrew.JPG" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Strawberry One-Act Festival </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">is celebrating its 24th season, the br</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">ainchild of Artistic Director, Van Dirk Fisher, is a play competition in which the audience and the theatre's judges cast their votes to select the best play of the season. Twice a year, hundreds of plays from across the </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">country are submitted for the competition. Plays move from the 1st Round to the Semi-Finals and then the Finals. The playwright of the winning play receives $1,500.00 and the opportunity to have a full-length play developed by the Riant. The awards to be presented are Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. <b>Submissions are being accepted for the festival until May 20, 2013. To download an application <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Application%20%28New%29%20for%20Strawberry%20One-Act%20Festival%20-%20Winter%202013.doc" target="_blank">click here</a> or email us for an application at RiantTheatre@gmail.com. To submit full-length plays, musicals and staged readings <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Application%20Updated%20for%20Strawberry%20Theatre%20Festival%20-%20Winter%202013.doc" target="_blank">click here for an application</a> for the <span style="color: red;">Strawberry Theatre Festival</span>.<br />
</b></span><br />
<div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPgxIzqmlelSBdudaMklACzhZ1y-poBu9aC9BL7fZrGenJjqa3dApP2f6rgaWrck3ZUJrgewhU1xKO5bMSYMlH1itQ-8oKg3UWVbYjypkyC4AixQTikR2yZp0Ql1fsE32oSFXlv3yfSo/s1600/Jen+and+Cast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPgxIzqmlelSBdudaMklACzhZ1y-poBu9aC9BL7fZrGenJjqa3dApP2f6rgaWrck3ZUJrgewhU1xKO5bMSYMlH1itQ-8oKg3UWVbYjypkyC4AixQTikR2yZp0Ql1fsE32oSFXlv3yfSo/s200/Jen+and+Cast.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>The Judges for the Finals of the Strawberry One-Act Festival TBA, they will consist of a Theatre Producer, Artistic Director of a Theatre Company, a Casting Director and an Agent.</b></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Launch Party for the festival will be held at the Tribeca Grand Hotel Cinema on Monday, July 29, 2013 at 7pm. The Award Ceremony & Performance will be on Sunday, August 25th at 5pm at the Hudson Guild Theatre. In addition, some of the plays in the festival will be selected for publication in our anthology: The Best Plays From The Strawberry One-Act Festival: Volume 9.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KCKNvxnaejuAdWesNh8QwnDDnQNBXbSN-PLMNfE9YP-2fDYH0VL7xw9qu9ImelHigLFSIo90V3GzXmXF74cVONg61v6vrp5ZakSKDXJhCTG7WEnFNH1k195mSMi-N-eQ0PCOdNj9Kn8/s1600/Christy+and+Annie+Escobar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KCKNvxnaejuAdWesNh8QwnDDnQNBXbSN-PLMNfE9YP-2fDYH0VL7xw9qu9ImelHigLFSIo90V3GzXmXF74cVONg61v6vrp5ZakSKDXJhCTG7WEnFNH1k195mSMi-N-eQ0PCOdNj9Kn8/s200/Christy+and+Annie+Escobar.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRCaWN9Qbr97nRW7VnwhZwzdlk6WFoWcD2k2aLk6L9kKHS4BR_ijSRbLu5B82rXAYrvhfa8sLYD91vzzXIYs7c8U7KCL-RX5wi4v9dnbpJIjtrq0U-vM3v9YSn_kSBoFxfhYk5R0_IEw/s1600/Manuel+Nao.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRCaWN9Qbr97nRW7VnwhZwzdlk6WFoWcD2k2aLk6L9kKHS4BR_ijSRbLu5B82rXAYrvhfa8sLYD91vzzXIYs7c8U7KCL-RX5wi4v9dnbpJIjtrq0U-vM3v9YSn_kSBoFxfhYk5R0_IEw/s200/Manuel+Nao.JPG" width="167" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsQRQ6uQqS80AXH8XX383G1bxGb50i1uMo_KERSSNkJip-n5Nce9J9-vxdd4WAyeSMPbFxB9JKmoZ7PyoW9K7c8DK-QpCOrPKjrBMe9La3vPxzucFL1_nVm85WB2c25-Wiv9HynnEk6w/s1600/Blizzard+Cast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsQRQ6uQqS80AXH8XX383G1bxGb50i1uMo_KERSSNkJip-n5Nce9J9-vxdd4WAyeSMPbFxB9JKmoZ7PyoW9K7c8DK-QpCOrPKjrBMe9La3vPxzucFL1_nVm85WB2c25-Wiv9HynnEk6w/s200/Blizzard+Cast.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
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</div>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-91390864445246682412013-02-20T14:16:00.001-05:002013-02-20T14:16:29.535-05:00ONLINE NOW: The Video Diaries Project: A Series of Short Films About the Artists in the Strawberry One-Act Festival<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=the_video_diaries_project">The Video Diaries Project: A Series of Short Films, See the Films Online Now and Cast your Vote for Best Short Film by Clicking the LIKE Button on Facebook, Youtube or Viemo.</a><br />
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Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-58393742247632784402013-02-13T01:01:00.000-05:002013-02-13T01:13:01.775-05:00Jeremiah Milbauer: Renaissance Man, Literally By Kaley G Pillinger (The Observer Newspaper)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNb7k_RxaaFMSi83vhyphenhyphenITwEz5qMFepMZhiI-qVZO4JphDgT-NyfhQx-71R9PrDVZ5vOnMLmzfVccJThZRq_HDpxCeDBCXPXfcM7RkvjuQ2l1knIydLja1rcYZHTS-Sg6BTpDMi4Ma8zSM/s1600/Jeremiah+Milbauer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNb7k_RxaaFMSi83vhyphenhyphenITwEz5qMFepMZhiI-qVZO4JphDgT-NyfhQx-71R9PrDVZ5vOnMLmzfVccJThZRq_HDpxCeDBCXPXfcM7RkvjuQ2l1knIydLja1rcYZHTS-Sg6BTpDMi4Ma8zSM/s1600/Jeremiah+Milbauer.jpeg" /></a><b>Jeremiah Milbauer</b>, a 10th grader at Hunter College
High School, has fostered
an interest in theater from a young age. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Like any kid, I think I was always interested
in dressing up and parading around the house in costume, pretending to be some
character from my imagination.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
been a long and prolific journey between his first role as a sunflower in a
play at day camp at age 8 and his current role as Giorgio Vasari, a young
apprentice in the current production of <b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Faultless Painter</i></b>, currently in rehearsal for the <b>Strawberry One-Act
Festival</b> by the Riant Theater.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGC72sTU9pdvflCTFffuI_6QXxDM39UswVeMCdsFtu5qFDzXRTQUVIli0fS4Vl_ftSaZRPvp7FJ1GT2lO8jTnV2KXjwpwvEpD_wFOByAhWiFtJaR3GJGBi7szokR1w1dGULhdUFAnXto/s1600/faultless+painter+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGC72sTU9pdvflCTFffuI_6QXxDM39UswVeMCdsFtu5qFDzXRTQUVIli0fS4Vl_ftSaZRPvp7FJ1GT2lO8jTnV2KXjwpwvEpD_wFOByAhWiFtJaR3GJGBi7szokR1w1dGULhdUFAnXto/s200/faultless+painter+poster.jpg" width="154" /></a>While this is Jeremiah’s first
foray into professional theater, he’s participated in many productions both at
school and his synagogue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His favorite
roles include: Fagin in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oliver!</i>,
Crank in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Snow Angel</i>, the title role
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Odyssey</i> as well as the
aggressive half of Caius Lucius in Shakespeare’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cymbeline</i>.</div>
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The producer from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Faultless Painter</i> saw Jeremiah as
Odysseus and remembered his terrific performance when it came time a year later
to cast the role of Giorgio Vasari. The characters in the play are all based on
real historical figures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00MdNzSJN7tb8ZRgXsvlIiknsHzP4TTihy0ybT4QzqFqdull43iviMfIw98IItSA6vCbVOhVNVJAkxvazzHR-P6eLjdWVtY-wWCXQnn5J3LqxsEIziQQxt8j29cJyylt8w0HMqv61CVw/s1600/Samuel+Muniz.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00MdNzSJN7tb8ZRgXsvlIiknsHzP4TTihy0ybT4QzqFqdull43iviMfIw98IItSA6vCbVOhVNVJAkxvazzHR-P6eLjdWVtY-wWCXQnn5J3LqxsEIziQQxt8j29cJyylt8w0HMqv61CVw/s200/Samuel+Muniz.JPG" width="200" /></a>Young Giorgio is apprenticed to
the oft-overlooked Renaissance painter Andrea del Sarto (played by Samuel
Muniz). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one act, which delves into
del Sarto’s inner conflict between his love for his unfaithful wife, Lucrezia
(Virginia Bosch), and his commitment to his art. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The interesting historical note is that
Giorgio, who plays a seemingly insignificant role, turns out to become the
real-life biographer of del Sarto and the first ever art historian. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It will be interesting to see how I play the
character who ends up being the storyteller,” Jeremiah commented. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s not the only challenging part of
his role: the entire play is in verse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaP64NCPdO-MoCmiEWXnvLyfXRSfePHtEpXg51J9eu8lSjTigMv0CCc9aXmPOiHMYDkinbuufIwdb9CpD8-PNMug_jJInstBhzHKfPkPWs6_vquqAsNWSS7dUg9y1F7JeXfetlmg38dpw/s1600/Virginia+Bosch.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaP64NCPdO-MoCmiEWXnvLyfXRSfePHtEpXg51J9eu8lSjTigMv0CCc9aXmPOiHMYDkinbuufIwdb9CpD8-PNMug_jJInstBhzHKfPkPWs6_vquqAsNWSS7dUg9y1F7JeXfetlmg38dpw/s200/Virginia+Bosch.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Jeremiah is faring well with his
new environment, be it having his feet measured for Renaissance-style footwear,
working with a cast of all adults, or spending hours discussing the history
behind the characters and situation in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Faultless Painter</i>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But walking around in Renaissance
shoes and a vest will be completely worthwhile, because “It feels great to be
able to say to yourself, ‘Jeremiah, you are in an Off-Off-Broadway show.’”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UqBVZfpszcapE6-5tl6hjKbldAX9f6jsGBVJzNaNxG6LktUel-6NFhYQZ7876YkufWkvXK3NDR2_3tf31bRwm51dh9INi9bnqPnHrYp6GRmbfafIljnCiCG8-JxbOBOfg-tK3hMt5WI/s1600/Strawberry+Logo+Poster+T+shirt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0UqBVZfpszcapE6-5tl6hjKbldAX9f6jsGBVJzNaNxG6LktUel-6NFhYQZ7876YkufWkvXK3NDR2_3tf31bRwm51dh9INi9bnqPnHrYp6GRmbfafIljnCiCG8-JxbOBOfg-tK3hMt5WI/s200/Strawberry+Logo+Poster+T+shirt.JPG" width="138" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Faultless Painter</i> will be performed<b> March 1st at 9 PM at <span style="color: blue;">The
Hudson Guild Theater</span></b>, as part of Series B of the Strawberry One-Act Festival<b>, </b>441 West 26th Street, NYC (between 9th and 10th Avenue)<br />
Tickets are available at 1-646-623-3488<br />
or <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=156">http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=156</a></div>
Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-31746684112571572122013-02-02T13:47:00.001-05:002013-02-02T13:47:20.415-05:00The Evolution of a Filmmaker: An Interview with Sam Pollard, a Riant Theatre Pioneer of the Arts Award Recipient (February 16, 2013)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: magenta;">The
Evolution of a Filmmaker:</span> <i>An
Interview with Sam Pollard</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>By Jane Rubinsky</b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLt9IsD8cEyyWZUxp-1yYInYMHQTXqGwCDGT5Jre5EdWwptzX88owhwCtZv1OjLEaJ-IsLaKSFiglUYYKq7Ny20whxgMr0ikFULNRKkgrcHNBqg0aFiQ4oG02MTr9qVAJQTqcLmNLlmpw/s1600/Sam+Pollard+Pioneer+of+the+Arts+Award+2013+Feb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLt9IsD8cEyyWZUxp-1yYInYMHQTXqGwCDGT5Jre5EdWwptzX88owhwCtZv1OjLEaJ-IsLaKSFiglUYYKq7Ny20whxgMr0ikFULNRKkgrcHNBqg0aFiQ4oG02MTr9qVAJQTqcLmNLlmpw/s200/Sam+Pollard+Pioneer+of+the+Arts+Award+2013+Feb.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>
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Film and television editor and
documentary producer/director Sam Pollard receives the Riant Theatre’s 2013
Pioneer of the Arts Award for an extraordinary body of work that spans four
decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His career encompasses both
feature films and documentaries, working in nearly every capacity within the
industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has collaborated with
filmmakers such as St. Clair Bourne and Spike Lee and won numerous awards.</div>
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He didn’t originally intend to be a
filmmaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a young man growing up in
East Harlem, he set his sights on becoming an electrical engineer before
deciding to study marketing at Baruch College.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three years in, Pollard wasn’t at all happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A college counselor steered him into a film
and television workshop at WNET/Channel 13, which had been started in 1968
after Dr. King’s assassination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
effort to get more people of color behind the camera, the one-year program met
two nights a week, bringing in professionals to teach how to shoot and edit,
write scripts, and record sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pollard, one of the youngest in the class, gravitated toward
editing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It was the first time I ever
felt like I was creative,” he recalls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He also realized that he “could make a mistake and put it back together”
without the scrutiny of being on location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“As soon as I was alone in that editing room,” he says, “I knew I had
found something that was for me.”</div>
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The following year, in 1972,
Pollard was hired as an apprentice editor by Victor Kanefsky and worked as his
assistant for the next three years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“By
the time I was 25,” says Pollard, “one of his clients who couldn’t afford him
hired me to cut one of my first films.”</div>
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As a youngster, Pollard had loved
old Hollywood movies; once he began studying the craft of film, he says, “I
started to fall in love with Federico Fellini and Kurosawa and Robert Bresson,
foreign filmmakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, as I
focused on editing, I really started to look at films for who the editors were,
and what they did in terms of bringing rhythm and pacing and storytelling
structure to the film through the editing process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dede Allen, whose films like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hustler</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bonnie and Clyde</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Serpico</i>,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dog Day Afternoon</i> I thought were
phenomenally put together, was a big influence on me editorially.”</div>
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Pollard’s first project with
Kanefsky was a feature; his second was a documentary, and he was introduced to
a whole new world that he fell in love with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“What I came away with after working with him for a few years on
documentaries,” says Pollard, “was how important the role of the editor was in
really being a surrogate director, and shaping the story and direction of a
film in the editing process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You really <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did</i> that in documentaries, where you
didn’t have scripts; you had to really figure out – sometimes by yourself and
sometimes with the director or producer – the arc of a film and how to tell the
story.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Style Wars</i> (1983), a documentary on graffiti culture that he
co-edited with Kanefsky for PBS and which won a Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in
1984, remains one of his favorite projects to this day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqJSwBmofZJdPWbe7kobvZwj6-ycBVOQ90RVigeYhgDMDmY_7s7-P5L-mSTpezxipDda5UiKG-GRuEJJHd5RQB-fUjMK9Iu0oFiXKVlyhYo1XbNlhy6T8lSj5FqjiHX3ITX50tBpOfXE/s1600/Sam+Pollard+with+Spike.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqJSwBmofZJdPWbe7kobvZwj6-ycBVOQ90RVigeYhgDMDmY_7s7-P5L-mSTpezxipDda5UiKG-GRuEJJHd5RQB-fUjMK9Iu0oFiXKVlyhYo1XbNlhy6T8lSj5FqjiHX3ITX50tBpOfXE/s320/Sam+Pollard+with+Spike.png" width="320" /></a>He has collaborated with Spike Lee
for more than two decades, as editor on films such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mo’ Better Blues</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jungle
Fever</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bamboozled</i> as well as
co-producer/editor on documentaries like the Oscar-nominated <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">4 Little Girls</i> (1997) and the Emmy and
Peabody Award-winning <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When the Levees
Broke</i> (2006).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working with Lee is “a
really interesting kind of dynamic,” he says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“It’s never been one where there’s a lot of open dialogue between us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s a very strong director; we will screen
the footage together and he’ll give me his notes and thoughts about what he
likes and doesn’t like, and I’ll take my own notes, and then I’ll shape the
sequences according to his notes and my notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then I’ll show it to him again, and he’ll give me feedback, and I’ll go
back and change it again, and then show it to him again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I used to edit films for the late St.
Clair Bourne, Saint and I would sit and philosophize and talk about sequences
and the direction of the film for hours. With Spike, we’d never do that.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7XOrKjFPSwRBP8yQd3DMYhyphenhyphenO5wzls2x1TvFnnlnrH6M8xxAJS6XRv7q3KRwAUzfQkdl3AD76tVmZIXdQqnhy-M8m9NwXu-SH2268NoH2JhyphenhyphenknWNMV1NKGAuXEG5QHFdP3GUYxTf4p8ps/s1600/slavery+by+another+name+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7XOrKjFPSwRBP8yQd3DMYhyphenhyphenO5wzls2x1TvFnnlnrH6M8xxAJS6XRv7q3KRwAUzfQkdl3AD76tVmZIXdQqnhy-M8m9NwXu-SH2268NoH2JhyphenhyphenknWNMV1NKGAuXEG5QHFdP3GUYxTf4p8ps/s320/slavery+by+another+name+poster.jpg" width="320" /></a>At the helm of his own project last
year, Pollard produced and directed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Slavery
By Another Name</i> (2012), shedding light on the little-known system of forced
labor that emerged after the abolition of slavery and which persisted until the
onset of the second World War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
documentary was broadcast nationally on PBS and was nominated for a Grand Jury
Prize at Sundance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The editor on the film
was Pollard’s own son, Jason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He’s been
coming into editing rooms ever since he was eight or nine,” says Pollard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’d worked together before on some smaller
projects, but this was gonna be a big one for both of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to brow-beat him a little,” he
confesses, “but I don’t anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
works hard and is a very creative editor; our relationship is one of
give-and-take.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Pollard began teaching at Columbia
University in 1988 and has taught at New York University since 1994.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“To tell you the truth, I always liked the
idea of giving back; I think that was one of the things that Victor taught me,”
he says. “It’s important to share what you have with the next generation of
people coming up in the business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
really love looking at these young people and getting them excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the students just keep energizing me and
making me still feel excited about filmmaking.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
He is currently in pre-production
with WQED in Pittsburgh on a documentary for American Masters about the life
and work of playwright August Wilson, to be broadcast sometime in 2014.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As filmmaking technology changes nearly every
day, says Pollard, things can be done faster; the look and feel is
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Now, we don’t edit with
physical film anymore; we edit with computers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What people need to remember is, even though the technology has evolved,
the thing that’s really important in making anything creative is what’s in a
human being’s mind – what you think and how you view the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s still what’s inside a human being that
informs how you make your films and gives them that vision.”</div>
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* * * * *</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<i>The Riant Theatre and the Founder & Artistic Director Van Dirk Fisher, will be honoring Sam Pollard with the PIONEER OF THE ARTS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM & ENTERTAINMENT at the Screening of the Video Diaries Project on Saturday, February 16, 2013 at the Tribeca Grand Hotel - Cinema, 2 Avenue of Americas, NYC at 3:45pm. For tickets to this event go to <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=172" target="_blank">www.therianttheatre.com</a>.</i> </div>
Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-92127093861683284712013-02-01T13:13:00.001-05:002013-02-01T13:13:40.384-05:00The Video Diaries Project: A Series of Short Films, Saturday February 16, 2013 at 3:45PM at the Tribeca Grand Hotel, 2 Avenue of the Americas, NYC<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=the_video_diaries_project">The Video Diaries Project: A Series of Short Films, Saturday February 16, 2013 at 3:45PM at the Tribeca Grand Hotel, 2 Avenue of the Americas, NYC</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #(color);"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><img alt="" border="2" height="287" src="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/The%20Video%20Diaries%20Project%20-%201st%20Screen%20of%20Film.jpg" width="371" /><br />
</strong></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><strong>Screening of <span style="color: red;">The Video Diaries Project: </span>A Series Of Short Films<br />
About the Artists in the Strawberry One-Act Festival<br />
</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Saturday, February 16, 2013</strong><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>At the Tribeca Grand Hotel<br />
</strong></span>2 Avenue of the Americas, NYC<br />
2 Blocks South of Canal St.<strong><br />
</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <strong><a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=strawberry_one-act_festival" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12px;">For Tickets Click Here</span><br />
</a></strong></div><br />
<div> <strong>Screening #1 at 3:45 p.m.<br />
Short Documentary Films based on the following plays:</strong></div><ul><li> Nobody's Man</li>
<li> <em>Chip Bolcik - A Writer's Story </em>about the play The Blizzard</li>
</ul><img alt="" border="2" height="192" src="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Chip%20Bolcik%20film%20poster%20for%20web.jpg" width="248" /><br />
<ul><li> 4 Murders & A Suicide</li>
<li> Ohio Bites Back</li>
<li> <em>Kate The Great </em>about the artist in the play <em>Hello, Red</em></li>
</ul><img alt="" border="2" height="171" src="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/kate%20the%20great.jpg" width="256" /><br />
<ul><li> Dramatic Paws</li>
<li> Saving Legs</li>
<li> <em>Behind Three Shots </em>a film by Claude Isbell</li>
</ul><strong>Screening #2 at 5:15 p.m.</strong><br />
Short Documentary Films based on the following plays:<br />
<ul><li> <em>Robot Rising</em> by Julia Rae Maldonado, about the artists in <em>When Greenland </em><em>Melted...The Robot Rose</em></li>
</ul><em><img alt="" border="2" height="162" src="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/robotrising.JPG" width="132" /></em><br />
<ul><li> The G Train</li>
<li> Perfect</li>
<li> <em>a tree without blossom </em>by Sima Jafari. About the artists in <em>A Love Story</em></li>
</ul><img alt="" border="2" height="140" src="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/a%20tree%20without%20blossom%20for%20the%20web%20updated.jpg" width="181" /><br />
<ul><li> <em>Follow the Red Lines to the Gates of Paradise <br />
</em>by Yvette King</li>
</ul><img alt="" border="2" height="159" src="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Follow%20The%20Red%20Lines%20poster%20for%20web.jpg" width="202" /><br />
<ul><li> <em>Three's A Crowd </em>a film about the artist in the play <em>Hunger</em></li>
</ul><em><img alt="" border="2" height="103" src="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Hunger%20Film%20Poster.jpg" width="153" /></em><br />
<ul><li> Plastic Couch</li>
<li> <em>Trash Salmon </em>a film about the artists in <em>A Broken Liver and a Cataract</em></li>
</ul><img alt="" border="2" height="120" src="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Broken%20Liver%20Movie%20Poster.jpg" width="166" /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><strong>Award for Best Short Film will be<br />
<span style="color: red;">Presented at the Awards Ceremony & Performance<br />
For the Strawberry One-Act Festival<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px;">Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 5PM</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">At the Hudson Guild Theatre<br />
</span></strong>441 West 26th Street, NYC<br />
Between 9th & 10th Avenue<br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <strong><a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=strawberry_one-act_festival" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12px;">For Tickets Click Here</span></a></strong></div>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-26524685283483899562012-10-02T14:50:00.000-04:002012-10-02T14:50:19.912-04:00DREAM BABIES - The Musical receives 7 AUDELCO AWARD NOMINATIONS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgES-nESYGFOT8DxO9dmmlm_c7CVV9oOd-eAqC0kw0oclkbvqyNkqDm1L8m6wPBsEJCF6pi5TnvGjJyho7Y3GI71GdG8MDVfTj7Z2TmcRp3brAi3h5QpoWyynCOxG9xf3BUOMJa2cE6HwE/s1600/DREAM+BABIES+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgES-nESYGFOT8DxO9dmmlm_c7CVV9oOd-eAqC0kw0oclkbvqyNkqDm1L8m6wPBsEJCF6pi5TnvGjJyho7Y3GI71GdG8MDVfTj7Z2TmcRp3brAi3h5QpoWyynCOxG9xf3BUOMJa2cE6HwE/s320/DREAM+BABIES+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXbakFYUSHMqAT_w2KCGbH3axASVZcxIPhiOJJwFa1SC2RIfcgwHbZ9TtCLJJszMBTQP6BA2zXNjsLgltvt2QIPouvzJP46pxgR4RMnhoSPCS1wr0c5vHAOn8VZoblMJ-dBsJE3BqK-4/s1600/Dream+Babies+Poster+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXbakFYUSHMqAT_w2KCGbH3axASVZcxIPhiOJJwFa1SC2RIfcgwHbZ9TtCLJJszMBTQP6BA2zXNjsLgltvt2QIPouvzJP46pxgR4RMnhoSPCS1wr0c5vHAOn8VZoblMJ-dBsJE3BqK-4/s200/Dream+Babies+Poster+2012.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Congratulations to DREAM
BABIES – The Musical for receiving 7 AUDELCO AWARD Nominations including:
Musical Production of the Year, Direction/Musical Production - Van Dirk
Fisher, Choreographer - David Robertson, Musical Direction - Rob Keiser, Outstanding
Performance in a Musical – Female - Daejanae Lettman (Tanya) and Outstanding
Performance in a Musical – Male -Vincent Parker (Mr. Beacon) and Set Design -
Jung Griffin</span></span><br /><br />The VIV / AUDELCO Awards Ceremony will be at Symphony Space, November 16, 2012 stay tuned for further details.Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-49051731721386971952012-09-27T17:23:00.001-04:002012-09-27T17:23:34.002-04:00Scripts wanted for Strawberry One-Act Festival in Manhattan, NYC. Deadline: October 30, 2012<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=strawberry_one-act_festival">Strawberry One-Act Festival in Manhattan, NYC</a><br />
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<div> <span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Strawberry One-Act Festival</span></b></span><span style="color: mediumblue;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> – Winter 2013 </span></b></span><span style="color: mediumblue;"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">will be held at<br />
</span></b></span></div><div> <strong><br />
</strong></div><div> <span style="color: blue;"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Hudson Guild Theater</span></strong></span>, 441 West 26th St., NYC,</div><div> Between 9th & 10th Avenue</div><div> <strong>February 28, 2013 - March 10, 2013<br />
</strong></div><div> </div><div> <b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Strawberry One-Act Festival </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">is celebrating its 23rd season, the brainchild of Artistic Director, Van Dirk Fisher, is a play competition in which the audience and the theatre's judges cast their votes to select the best play of the season. Twice a year, hundreds of plays from across the </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">country are submitted for the competition. Plays move from the 1st Round to the Semi-Finals and then the Finals. The playwright of the winning play receives $1,500.00 and the opportunity to have a full-length play developed by the Riant. The awards to be presented are Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. <strong>Submissions are being accepted for the festival until October 30, 2012. To download an application <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Application%20%28New%29%20for%20Strawberry%20One-Act%20Festival%20-%20Winter%202013.doc" target="_blank">click here</a>. To submit full-length plays, musicals and staged readings <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Application%20Updated%20for%20Strawberry%20Theatre%20Festival%20-%20Winter%202013.doc" target="_blank">click here for an application</a> for the <span style="color: red;">Strawberry Theatre Festival</span>.<br />
</strong></span></div><div> </div><div> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>The Judges for the Finals of the Strawberry One-Act Festival TBA.</strong></span></div><div> </div><div> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Award Ceremony & Performance will be on Sunday, March 10th at 5pm. In addition, some of the plays in the festival will be selected for publication in our anthology: The Best Plays From The Strawberry One-Act Festival: Volume 9.</span></div>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-33366803619944772402012-09-27T17:18:00.001-04:002012-09-27T17:18:51.609-04:00The Riant Theatre’s Writer’s Retreat: 7-Day Cruise to the Bahamas - February 10th - February 17, 2013<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=the_riant_theatres_writers_retreat_">The Riant Theatre’s Writer’s Retreat: 7-Day Cruise to the Bahamas - February 10th - February 17, 2013</a><br />
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<div> <strong>THE WRITER'S RETREAT</strong></div><div> This writer’s retreat is for both emerging and established writers or film and video makers. The Workshops will offer valuable information and networking opportunities and will concentrate on writers intending to have their work produced or published. There will be special occasions where writers can read portions of their work to the group.</div><div> </div><div> <strong>A GATHERING OF ARTISTS</strong></div><div> The Retreat gathers writers, actors and directors to join with their peers to foster excellence through mutual support. You will relax on the beautiful Royal Caribbean International “Explorer of the Seas” Ship in an elegant environment designed for comfort that includes all meals. There will be excursions in the Bahamas and Florida that you can add to your itinerary. In addition, there will be structured workshops and gatherings to stimulate creativity. But more importantly you will enjoy an abundant time to write, reflect and connect with other artists while you develop a project or improve your acting skills. Workshops will be conducted by Van Dirk Fisher, Founder & Artistic Director of the Riant Theatre.</div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2HEh7sRrBjdXukyzVZsgYPQnftX5yNVtpE_SKQ-PwsFhLPRsMIP3gAwx17GG8kO-t-_1ccNqTAzXDWMdHR4baTLmfSX9JRzN8dMhxKnGe-BJwZ0deMljaWsesX2gIUlv-t6fw0B7Pnw/s1600/Screening+Room1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2HEh7sRrBjdXukyzVZsgYPQnftX5yNVtpE_SKQ-PwsFhLPRsMIP3gAwx17GG8kO-t-_1ccNqTAzXDWMdHR4baTLmfSX9JRzN8dMhxKnGe-BJwZ0deMljaWsesX2gIUlv-t6fw0B7Pnw/s1600/Screening+Room1.jpg" /></a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <strong>ABOUT THE SHIP</strong><br />
The 138,000-ton Explorer of the Seas is loaded with recreational amenities: an ice-skating rink, in-line skating track, rock-climbing wall, television studio and full-size, open-air basketball court. The Royal Promenade, which runs through the center of the ship, is longer than a football field and wide enough to accommodate three lanes of traffic. Here you'll find restaurants, shops, entertainment and street performers. The basketball court converts to a volleyball court, and there's also a golf simulator, nine-hole miniature golf course and jogging track. Adventure Beach, just for families, has its own pool. Spots for socializing include a champagne bar, cigar club, sports bar, jazz club, dance club and a cocktail lounge at the top of the ship. Hungry? There's a casual grill, ice-cream parlor, the Windjammer Cafe and Johnny Rocket's, modeled after an authentic 1950s diner (complete with jukebox). Portofino, an intimate reservations-only restaurant serving Italian fare, complements three main dining rooms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0-fBRGtvqo1t8euxCeLeerzpnWhs_VxUCo77EIT3A2EECKnICAoJjZg6M8TURD-Tn5PexkhHyvfY1zNJ2PEWku8mnYlo_kXeRlZIlI8ylgLUq2o1XJB1y3a-E68nHbDwnlPE2B6cxeA/s1600/Deluxe+Oceanview+with+Balcony2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0-fBRGtvqo1t8euxCeLeerzpnWhs_VxUCo77EIT3A2EECKnICAoJjZg6M8TURD-Tn5PexkhHyvfY1zNJ2PEWku8mnYlo_kXeRlZIlI8ylgLUq2o1XJB1y3a-E68nHbDwnlPE2B6cxeA/s320/Deluxe+Oceanview+with+Balcony2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLhbXqpgYgwjiOJUp0Hrw9M1oKFs26oFWCm5YupuNupi9maoXMM9hoVvB3SxzxKYShH2uh5yH0TLbhn2TJpCFy90yIOIvh3CVOr8fcide95zxGDWICBHoykZYE8ZietmRLJxJLvFOxdM/s1600/Pool+Deck5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLhbXqpgYgwjiOJUp0Hrw9M1oKFs26oFWCm5YupuNupi9maoXMM9hoVvB3SxzxKYShH2uh5yH0TLbhn2TJpCFy90yIOIvh3CVOr8fcide95zxGDWICBHoykZYE8ZietmRLJxJLvFOxdM/s1600/Pool+Deck5.jpg" /></a></div><div> </div><div> <strong>ITINERARY</strong></div><div> </div><div> Sun, Febrary10<sup>th</sup> <span style="color: mediumblue;"><strong>Departs at 4pm</strong> <strong>from Bayonne, NJ.</strong></span></div><div> </div><div> Mon, February 11<sup>th</sup> At Sea</div><div> </div><div> Tues, February 12<sup>th</sup> <span style="color: mediumblue;"><strong>Port Canaveral, FL</strong></span>. Arrives at 1pm. Departs at 11pm</div><div> </div><div> Wed, February 13<sup>th</sup> <span style="color: mediumblue;"><strong>Nassau, Bahamas</strong></span>. Arrives at 2pm. Departs at 11:59pm</div><div> </div><div> Thurs, February 14<sup>th</sup> <span style="color: mediumblue;"><strong>Coco Cay, Bahamas</strong></span>. Arrives at 8am. Departs at 5pm</div><div> </div><div> Fri, February 15<sup>th</sup> At Sea</div><div> </div><div> Sat, February 16<sup>th</sup> At Sea</div><div> </div><div> Sun, February 17<sup>th</sup> <span style="color: mediumblue;"><strong>Arrives at 7am</strong> <strong>in Bayonne, NJ</strong>.</span></div><br />
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Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-83473813659366280162012-06-19T11:41:00.001-04:002012-06-19T11:58:16.413-04:00Strawberry Theatre Festival August 2nd - August 26th 2012<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=strawberry_theatre_festival">Strawberry Theatre Festival August 2nd - August 26th 2012</a><br />
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The Theatre at St. Clements, 423 West 46th St., NYC, between 9th & 10th Avenue.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRYLfKzqWjRo7RV6DxH_xsnAxsMH61Cn_fo1QkpCApMScgztMFHPzy5Xif4XBXo7iCCoQi94cLoNKBOjDp1O3-oun__4EUBCe8osw3eRTXuUvMFMuutELChf_yf3mB5HtGRJGlnopRpA/s1600/Red+Light+Green+Light+Postcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRYLfKzqWjRo7RV6DxH_xsnAxsMH61Cn_fo1QkpCApMScgztMFHPzy5Xif4XBXo7iCCoQi94cLoNKBOjDp1O3-oun__4EUBCe8osw3eRTXuUvMFMuutELChf_yf3mB5HtGRJGlnopRpA/s200/Red+Light+Green+Light+Postcard.jpg" width="133" /></a>Tickets: $22.00 online & $25.00 at the Box Office<br />
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This season includes:<br />
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<b>RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT by Emma Lynn Worth <br />
<span style="color: darkorange;">August 2nd @ 7pm & August 5th @ 8:30pm</span><br />
</b>Directed by Darrell Larson<br />
Featuring: Jason Alazraki & Hollis Witherspoon<br />
Choreographer: Maria Phegan Sweet <br />
Light/Sound Design: Rich Louis-Pierre<br />
Light Design - Marie Yokoyama Graphic Design: Amy Worth</div>
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<span style="color: darkorange;">August 2nd @ 9pm & August 5th @ 7pm</span><br />
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In this upside-down musical comedy, tech geek Will Dimpleton loves his assistant, Esther, but the more he struggles to impress her and become a big man, the less interest she shows. Can Dimpleton find the secret to Esther's heart? Or will he become a big shot only to spend his life wandering in an empty penthouse?</div>
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<span style="color: darkorange;">August 4th @ 9:30 pm & August 12th @ 10:00 pm</span><br />
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Featuring: Steve Stanulis (Brook "The Cock" Hammer), Brian S. Carpenter (Wild Wayne), Geoffrey Cantor (Steve Savage), Michael Turner (Leslie Samuel Jackson, "Black Mamba") & Jonathan Florez (Julio Santana, "The Latin Prince").</div>
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<b>“TO CARRY ON…” A Tribute to the Life & Music of Laura Nyro<br />
Written & Performed by Mimi Cohen.<br />
Directed by Gretchen Cryer<br />
Music Arranged by Jeffrey Klitz <br />
<span style="color: darkorange;">August 13th @ 8pm & August 18th @ 5pm</span><br />
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Written by Rick Charles Mueller<br />
</b>Love beyond labels.<br />
<span style="color: darkorange;"><b>August 13th @ 6pm & August 22nd @ 8pm</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPi2VNiwZ_Ao4utXH-0SAN-H4Lsy-TcjgK8jXzIs0jp-csysNsqSqUxLGEPCh-IT-1cODnmUyna3Rn2pjZUOC0pk0xdQV4SOpT6Z7JLSTFHfVwz1ifGK0A1BVHXe2ijpn8Zp7u64o-40M/s1600/Light+of+Life+front.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPi2VNiwZ_Ao4utXH-0SAN-H4Lsy-TcjgK8jXzIs0jp-csysNsqSqUxLGEPCh-IT-1cODnmUyna3Rn2pjZUOC0pk0xdQV4SOpT6Z7JLSTFHfVwz1ifGK0A1BVHXe2ijpn8Zp7u64o-40M/s200/Light+of+Life+front.JPG" width="135" /></a><b>THE LIGHT OF LIFE by William Packard<br />
</b>Featuring: Gregory Higgins & Eleonora Ivanova <br />
The things a girl has to go through to get a leading role on Broadway is sick.</div>
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<span style="color: darkorange;"><b>August 16th @ 8pm & August 25th @ 4pm</b></span></div>
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<b>NAMVETS by Joseph Lizardi<br />
<span style="color: darkorange;">August 16th @ 8pm & August 25th @ 4pm</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZoBIsFaXfSLKdAt9zdSmq9gmkN0cavuPE15vixCpbhCgpGZVpkcC4yLM3dR5-9U2jS2hh0ObYiJrtzXCbJg48fPemqs7s_hT86bVOneO_xY4F_0C5SAI0cWk8_YMIAY7Cb56xvnEhME/s1600/Buttzville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZoBIsFaXfSLKdAt9zdSmq9gmkN0cavuPE15vixCpbhCgpGZVpkcC4yLM3dR5-9U2jS2hh0ObYiJrtzXCbJg48fPemqs7s_hT86bVOneO_xY4F_0C5SAI0cWk8_YMIAY7Cb56xvnEhME/s200/Buttzville.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>TO BUTTZVILLE AND BEYOND by Jeanne Chenault Porter<br />
<span style="color: darkorange;">August 20th @ 8pm & August 25th @ 5pm</span></b></div>
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Falsely accused of sexual harassment, Chris Moore, <br />
a privileged young New Yorker, leaves the city to teach history <br />
in a high school in rural Pennsylvania.<br />
Despite initial culture shock he grows to love the simple town of Snowball <br />
with its memorable characters and soon realizes that this new location<br />
has become in every sense his "higher ground."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7fUmGcoWm_tHOPfw0SvnIqVQdn0lL8AmF7GV3Sk9nVq5EoncqaCwMTBQTwvBJydVuS-Iq99uHQLCwox4Y7zoawvEdvMYTEREeqaxxU8bZ4npb5-41chtpwRz16JUV9F-UWRw_j_SAA8/s1600/Holiday+in+Heaven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7fUmGcoWm_tHOPfw0SvnIqVQdn0lL8AmF7GV3Sk9nVq5EoncqaCwMTBQTwvBJydVuS-Iq99uHQLCwox4Y7zoawvEdvMYTEREeqaxxU8bZ4npb5-41chtpwRz16JUV9F-UWRw_j_SAA8/s200/Holiday+in+Heaven.jpg" width="168" /></a><b>HOLIDAY IN HEAVEN, A Musical. Directed by Demetria Daniels<br />
Book & Lyrics by Demetria Daniels, Music by Gregory Nissen<br />
</b>What happens in the year 3000 when a harp contest in heaven is judged by an earthling who falls in love with Alexander the Great? (Disney meets 'The Pursuit of Happiness')<br />
<span style="color: darkorange;"><b>August 23<sup>rd</sup> @ 8pm</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: saddlebrown;">Noon Time Play Reading Series<br />
</span></span>Admission: FREE<br />
</b></div>
<b>ENTITLED by Alec Silberblatt<br />
</b>TheFacebooking generation has dreams. Those dreams deserve to come true.<b><br />
</b><span style="color: darkorange;"><b>August 16, 2012 at Noon </b></span>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-51249644937218689632012-06-19T11:08:00.001-04:002012-06-19T11:12:49.137-04:00HOLIDAY IN HEAVEN, A Musical. Directed by Demetria Daniels<div>
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>HOLIDAY IN HEAVEN, A Musical. Directed by Demetria Daniels<br />
Book & Lyrics by Demetria Daniels, Music by Gregory Nissen<br />
</b>What happens in the year 3000 when a harp contest in heaven is
judged by an earthling who falls in love with Alexander the Great?
(Disney meets 'The Pursuit of Happiness')</span><br />
<span style="color: darkorange;"><b>August 23<sup>rd</sup> @ 8pm</b></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<b>At the Theatre at St. Clements, 423 West 46th Street, NYC. </b></div>
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<span style="color: darkorange;"><b><span style="color: black;">Between 9th & 10th Avenue.<br /><br />Tickets: $22.00 online and $25.00 at the Box Office<br /><br /><a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=145" target="_blank">Buy Tickets Now Click Here</a>.</span><br style="color: black;" /> </b></span></div>
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<b></b>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-58868742110100305492012-05-03T13:54:00.001-04:002012-05-03T13:54:40.192-04:00THE STRAWBERRY THEATRE & STRAWBERRY ONE-ACT FESTIVALS<b><span style="font-family: "ITC Avant Garde Std Md","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "ITC Avant Garde Std Md","sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 9pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Plantin Std","serif";"><b>The
Riant Theatre</b> is seeking submissions for The Strawberry Theatre
Festival (runs Aug. 3-26) and The Strawberry One-Act
Festival (runs July 31-Aug. 18). Van Dirk Fisher, artistic dir. Both
festivals run at the 160-seat Theatre at St. Clements in NYC.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 9pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Plantin Std","serif";">The Strawberry Theatre Festival—<b>Full</b>-<b>Length</b>
<b>Plays</b>: 60-90 minutes; <b>Full</b>-<b>Length</b> <b>Musicals</b>: not to exceed 120 minutes;
<b>Short Plays</b>: 40-60 minutes; <b>Staged Readings</b>.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 9pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Plantin Std","serif";">The Strawberry One-Act Festival—<b>One Act Plays</b>:
15-30 minutes. Note: Plays can advance from the first round to
semi-finals,
finals, and the awards show and performance. The judges for the finals
will consist of two artistic directors, one agent, and one casting dir.
The four best plays will perform at the awards ceremony on Aug. 18 and
have the option to do an encore performance
at one of the Riant Theatre's partner theater companies.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 9pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Plantin Std","serif";">To submit, email <a href="mailto:RiantTheatre@gmail.com" target="_blank">RiantTheatre@gmail.com</a> or download an application at <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/" target="_blank">www.therianttheatre.com</a>.
Deadline to submit is May
15. Those producing plays selected for The Strawberry Theatre Festival
can perform for three to five performances and elect to share a
percentage of the box office by paying a theater usage fee between $1-$9
per ticket to receive a 10-100 percent share of
the box office. For the Strawberry One-Act Festival, plays can advance
from round one, semi-finals, finals, and the awards show and
performance. The judges for the finals will consist of two artistic
directors, one agent, and one casting director. The four
best plays will perform at the awards ceremony on Aug. 18 and have the
option to do an encore performance at one of the Riant Theatre's partner
theater companies. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.backtoonenyctheatre.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.backtoonenyctheatre.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/RiantTheatre" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/RiantTheatre</a>,
and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RiantTheatre" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/RiantTheatre</a>.
Participation fee for the Strawberry Theatre Festival for short plays
is $350 and $500 for all other types of work; participation fee for the
Strawberry One-Act Festival is $350, which includes an on-camera
interview for
your play, inclusion in the Riant Theatre's mailing brochures and the
Riant Theatre Review Magazine, one ticket to the launch party, two comp
tickets whenever your play is performed, one ticket to the finals, and
one ticket to the awards ceremony. The production
voted "Best Play" receives $1,500; additional awards are given for Best
Director ($150), Best Actor ($150), Best Actress ($150), and Best Short
Film—The Video Diaries Project, a documentary about the artists in The
Strawberry One Act Festival ($250). Some
plays will be selected for publication in the "The Best Plays from the
Strawberry One Act Festival," an anthology. There is no sharing of the
box office for the One-Act Festival.
</span></span>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-38608296773600616362012-04-17T09:33:00.001-04:002012-04-17T09:33:59.684-04:00READING of MIRROR IMAGE by Josie Parreli<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=free_reading_of_mirror_image">READING of MIRROR IMAGE by Josie Parreli </a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLpsMlR-SU2gwb8-OB6u7D1XTSqHdrbD-SgKN0_7pJDnVSWEe6Ysb_Ff_FInILo48uRQCuqa1xUmEiHz95pl66j0QHcNOgDvh8ILMHJrjKePmqcB8YikgpRGCuZNW-xZ5VNk4uw99lQo/s1600/Mirror+Image+Cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLpsMlR-SU2gwb8-OB6u7D1XTSqHdrbD-SgKN0_7pJDnVSWEe6Ysb_Ff_FInILo48uRQCuqa1xUmEiHz95pl66j0QHcNOgDvh8ILMHJrjKePmqcB8YikgpRGCuZNW-xZ5VNk4uw99lQo/s400/Mirror+Image+Cast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">RSVP for FREE Tickets to a Staged Reading of MIRROR IMAGE by Josie Parrelli on Tuesday, April 24th at 7:30pm at 440 Studios, 440 Lafayette St, 3rd Fl, Studio 3G, NYC. RiantTheatre@gmail.com</span></span></h6>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-10738795501603821162012-04-13T10:28:00.001-04:002012-04-13T10:28:01.451-04:00The Riant Theatre : Casting<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=casting">The Riant Theatre : Casting</a><br />
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<strong>Casting at the Riant Theatre</strong>. Submissions are now being accepted from Singers, Actors & Dancers.<br />
Pictures and resumes can be email us at <a href="mailto:therianttheatre@aol.com?subject=CASTING&body=Please%20let%20us%20know%20which%20show%20you%20are%20submitting%20your%20picture%20and%20resume%20for%20or%20indicate%20if%20it%27s%20just%20a%20general%20submission.">RiantTheatre@gmail.com</a> or can mailed to:<br />
<strong>The Riant Theatre<br />
</strong>P.O. Box 1902<br />
New York, NY 10013<br />
Attn: CASTING<br />
<ul><li> <strong>Singers</strong> if you have a myspace page or a website with you singing please include the link.</li>
<li> <strong>Actors</strong> with online reels please include the link to your reel as well.</li>
<li> <strong>Directors, designers and technicians can email their resumes as well.</strong></li>
</ul><strong>DREAM BABIES - The Musical </strong>is now accepting submissions of pictures, resumes and links with reels of singers.Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-50900849906289469962012-04-13T09:32:00.001-04:002012-04-13T09:32:37.678-04:00Strawberry Theatre Festival Application and Guidelines<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=the_strawberry_theatre_festival_app">Strawberry Theatre Festival Application and Guidelines</a><br />
<br />
<div class="auto-style11"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The Strawberry Theatre Festival</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> is now accepting submissions for plays, musicals, short plays and staged readings for the summer festival, which will run from August 6th - August 26, 2012. <strong>The deadline to submit scripts is May 15, 2012. Scripts can be mailed to Riant Theatre, P.O. Box 1902, NY, NY 10013. Attn: STF. </strong><a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/Application%20for%20Strawberry%20Theatre%20Festival%20-%20Summer%202012.doc" target="_blank">To download an application click here</a>. The Strawberry Theatre Festival is for plays that are longer than 40 minutes in length.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 4 Categories:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Short Plays</b> (40 to 60 minutes in length), <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Non-musicals</b> (60 to 90 minutes in length), <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Musicals</b> (Should not exceed 120 minutes) and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Staged Readings</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year’s festival will be at the beautiful Off-Broadway Theatre at St. Clements, which seats 160 in Midtown.</span></div>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-17517635884854411762012-04-12T02:39:00.001-04:002012-04-12T02:39:41.676-04:00DREAM BABIES Choir Contest - Deadline May 15, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBlvSLvIUSIPETbQHjTBU0ayPqgLWH68nk1uIP_Qj7zRls-Xy-fASCtrbJUDBLpxRjgXEh2LGRYvZe8ViY1DA4qkTzkYDjc12cKqcWho_sasDU4stwckQANhxjNCKZCdPRSYi7DDtV6U/s1600/Dream+Babies+Poster+Low+11-22-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBlvSLvIUSIPETbQHjTBU0ayPqgLWH68nk1uIP_Qj7zRls-Xy-fASCtrbJUDBLpxRjgXEh2LGRYvZe8ViY1DA4qkTzkYDjc12cKqcWho_sasDU4stwckQANhxjNCKZCdPRSYi7DDtV6U/s320/Dream+Babies+Poster+Low+11-22-10.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=dream_babies_choir_contest">DREAM BABIES Choir Contest - Deadline May 15, 2012</a><br />
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<div> <b><span style="font-size: large;">Contest Rules:</span></b></div><ul><li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Video contest for School Choirs, Church Choirs (9<sup>TH</sup> Grade to Adults. Music Educators / Choir Directors will submit a video recording of their school / church choir (or choirs) with the Teenagers singing the Student’s part and Adults singing the teacher’s part, performing the song ALWAYS AND FOREVER from DREAM BABIES – The Musical, Book, Lyrics & Music by Van Dirk Fisher. The musical is about teenagers from two different foster homes, forgotten and alone, trying to make sense of the world and where they belong. Dealing with the growing pains of life and love, while attending Royal Academy High School, their salvation, where they have been inspired by the teachers to believe in themselves and follow their dreams to achieve GREATNESS.<br />
<br />
</b></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Submission deadline is May 15, 2012*.<br />
<br />
</b></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>All video submissions will be posted on the Riant Theatre’s DREAM BABIES’ website and YouTube Channel.<br />
<br />
</b></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>15 winning choirs will be chosen for the final video compilation. Announcement of winners will be made by June 12, 2012.<br />
<br />
</b></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>All contest winners will be invited to perform in a performance of DREAM BABIES in August 2012.<br />
<br />
</b></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>All Teachers, Choir Directors (or submitting Educators) who submit a choir video will receive one complimentary pair of tickets to see DREAM BABIES - The Musical.**<br />
<br />
</b></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Questions? Please write us at <a href="mailto:RiantTheatre@gmail.com?subject=Questions%20about%20the%20DREAM%20BABIES%20-%20Choir%20Contest"><strong>RiantTheatre@gmail.com <br />
<br />
</strong></a></b></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>The Submission Form & Waiver Forms are available <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/DREAM%20BABIES%20Choir%20Contest%20Submission%20Form%20and%20Waiver%20Form.doc" target="_blank">HERE</a> for download. Please be sure that every participating student (ie: singer, videographer, editor, etc…) completes a Waiver Form.<br />
<br />
</b></span></li>
<li> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>The Sheet Music for ALWAYS AND FOREVER is available for download <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/imgs/upload/18.%20%20Always%20And%20Forever.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a> and Recorded Piano Accompaniment can be downloaded HERE.<br />
<br />
</b></span></li>
</ul><div> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">Thank you for participating in the DREAM BABIES Choir Contest! We look forward to receiving your videos and experiencing you and your choir’s talents!</span></b></div><div> <span style="font-size: 11px;"><b><strong>* contest closing date may be extended or reduced by Producers if necessary – announcement to participating entries will be made.</strong></b></span></div><div> <span style="font-size: 11px;"><b><strong>** subject to availability. All efforts will be made to accommodate all date requests, but alternatives may be required. Upon the opening of the show in NYC, all submitting teachers will be contacted by Producer's representative.</strong></b></span></div>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-27092536312108678162012-04-10T20:09:00.001-04:002012-04-10T20:12:48.512-04:00Submissions for Full-Length Plays, Musicals, Short Plays & Staged Readings for the Strawberry Theatre FestivalThe Riant Theatre’s <b>Strawberry Theatre Festival</b> will be at the 160 seat <b>Theatre at St. Clements </b>on 46<sup>th</sup> Street from August 3<sup>rd</sup> – August 26<sup>th</sup>, and is now accepting submissions for <b>Full Length Plays</b> (between 60 – 90 minutes) and <b>Musicals </b>(not to exceed 120 minutes), <b>Short Plays </b>(40 minutes – 60 minutes) and <b>Staged Readings. </b>Plays selected for the festival can perform between 3 – 5 performances and elect to share a percentage of the box office by paying a theatre usage fee between $1 - $9 per ticket to receive 10% - 100% share of the box office. To download an application go to <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=the_strawberry_theatre_festival_app" target="_blank">www.therianttheatre.com</a> or email us at RiantTheatre@gmail.com. <b>The deadline to submit an application is May 15, 2012.</b> <br />
<b><br />
The participation fee for the Strawberry Theatre Festival is $500</b> (That includes <b>Non-musicals </b>(60 - 90 minutes) and <b>Musicals</b> (Running time not to exceed 120 minutes). <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>The participation fee for Short Plays is $350 </b>(40 - 60 minutes).<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>The participation fee for a Staged Reading is $250 </b>(Admission is FREE to the General Public and is scheduled in the theatre week days Monday - Friday in the afternoon.)<br />
<br />
<b style="color: #660000;">To download an application</b> for the <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=the_strawberry_theatre_festival_app" target="_blank">Strawberry Theatre Festival click here</a>. <b><span style="color: red;"><br />
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Also seeking submissions for the <b>Strawberry One-Act Festival Competition (July 31<sup>st</sup> – August 18<sup>th</sup>)</b> for plays with a running time from 15 minutes – 30 minutes. Plays can advance from Round 1, Semi-Finals, Finals and the Awards Show & Performance. <b style="color: #990000;">The panel judges for the Finals will consist of: </b>(2) Artistic Directors, (1) Agent and (1) Casting Director. The 4 Best Plays will perform at the Awards Ceremony on August 18<sup>th</sup> and have the option to do an Encore Performance at one of our Partner Theatre Companies. <b>The participating fee is $350, which includes:</b> an on-camera interview for your play, inclusion in our mailing brochures and the <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=riant_review_magazine_-_winter_2012" target="_blank">Riant Theatre Review Magazine</a>, (1) ticket to our Launch Party, (2) comp tickets whenever your play is performed, (1) ticket to the Finals, and (1) ticket to the Awards Ceremony. <b>The winner of the Best Play receives $1,500. </b>Awards are given to Best Play, Best Director ($150), Best Actor ($150), Best Actress ($150) and Best Short Film – The Video Diaries Project, a documentary about the artist in the SOAF ($250). Some plays will be selected for publication in the anthology The Best Plays From The Strawberry One-Act Festival. <b>Submissions can be emailed for the One-Act Festival, Staged Readings and Short Plays. Deadline May 15, 2012. <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=strawberry_one-act_festival_applica" target="_blank">Download an application for the Strawberry One-Act Festival click here</a>. </b>(There is no sharing of the box office for the One-Act Festival.). For other info go to <a href="http://www.backtoonenyctheatre.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.backtoonenyctheatre.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a> , <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Riant-Theatre/164053420309356" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/RiantTheatre</a>, and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RiantTheatre" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/RiantTheatre</a>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-25410322066249127522012-04-05T21:27:00.001-04:002012-04-05T21:27:21.548-04:00The Riant Theatre : Riant Review Magazine - Winter 2012 Volume 3<a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=riant_review_magazine_-_winter_2012">The Riant Theatre : Riant Review Magazine - Winter 2012 Volume 3</a>Van Dirk Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870532352878690263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236357911752007081.post-50285424310557788582012-02-10T01:55:00.002-05:002012-02-10T02:05:47.672-05:00FINDING PERFECTION THROUGH ART AND BEING THE BEST YOU CAN BE. An interview with filmmaker Shantell Cargle<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow";">By Van Dirk Fisher</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0ygEoU2dTCDOahkRZ32bfPUOsLHg_GwDCY68-ZaQkF-Y_JjkmT1se6OFQfLZV46SsNnfwaWOF02HxROiOnAAv8z9oS-ui47XIRPLwrXKLhQOsYci_tXyIHdYCsTLoC2Ig_iXIvsFqys/s1600/Shantell+Cargle+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0ygEoU2dTCDOahkRZ32bfPUOsLHg_GwDCY68-ZaQkF-Y_JjkmT1se6OFQfLZV46SsNnfwaWOF02HxROiOnAAv8z9oS-ui47XIRPLwrXKLhQOsYci_tXyIHdYCsTLoC2Ig_iXIvsFqys/s320/Shantell+Cargle+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 10pt;">Sometimes life imitates art and sometimes we discover how to be true to ourselves through our art. When <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shantell Cargle</b> came across an ad for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Video Diaries Project</b>, she had recently got out of an unhealthy relationship, which caused her to put a lot of her dreams and aspirations on hold. She had decided it was time for her to get back to doing the things that she loved to do like acting and filmmaking. She grew up in Detroit, Michigan and spent her whole adulthood living in New York City. She fell in love with the city and never left. Acting was her first love and she grew to love making films as well. So combining the two worlds was very exciting to her.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 10pt;">As an actress she discovered that she wanted to have more control of the stories that were being told and the type of characters she was auditioning for, so she decided to go to Hunter College, where she received a B.A. in film studies. After graduation she just picked up a camera and started shooting. “I made a bunch of mistakes, but I also learned a lot in the process just by jumping in head first! As for inspiration I think its everywhere, on the subway, walking down the street….there are so many places where you can study people and situations, through that you discover art,” says Shantell.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVRgvcNaaR63oeEccuwlpKuwkF0J__HN1j9gPQzEPz9A-oMP_HnfWAQFrBN2jNkK1Sph7MlsymGCdDHpz9DrEQ3f9lbahiaPOc7_WEnyl-76pnzmdzzTAaDfeFyEhugCKBB68U61amn4/s1600/Finding+Perfection+Through+Art+-+VDP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVRgvcNaaR63oeEccuwlpKuwkF0J__HN1j9gPQzEPz9A-oMP_HnfWAQFrBN2jNkK1Sph7MlsymGCdDHpz9DrEQ3f9lbahiaPOc7_WEnyl-76pnzmdzzTAaDfeFyEhugCKBB68U61amn4/s320/Finding+Perfection+Through+Art+-+VDP.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 10pt;">Working on the documentary <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FINDING PERFECTION THROUGH ART</b> with Christina Weathersby, her co-filmmaker, has been amazing. “I try to let the subjects mold what the story will be,” says Shantell. “Sometimes you have to shoot a lot of footage before you find your angle, which is different from scripted films.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 10pt;">“The Video Diaries Project is exciting to me,” says Shantell. “Because I can personally relate to many of the struggles that the playwright, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rebekah L. Pierce</b> addresses in her play <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Perfect</b>. I am a female who is at war with my feelings toward family and husband versus career. I think many women have similar concerns and issues in our society that is never really addressed by the public at large. I wanted to be able to understand the characters as well as the actors in the play. This allowed me to get some really good insight on how to approach the documentary.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 10pt;">In addition, working on the project will hopefully shed some light on these issues and in time help to bring some resolve to many people who struggle with the choices they make concerning their career and relationships. You shouldn’t have to choose. But I think Ms. Cargle said it best when she said, “I just want people to know that you should never give up on your dreams, but that you also have to put the work, time, and effort into bringing them into fruition. If you focus on what you really want, you will start to see progress and change in your life. I am very grateful to have a wonderful business partner and best friend, as well as an amazing family that continues to encourage and push me to always be the best that I can be.” In a perfect world isn’t that what we all want?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 10pt;">FINDING PERFECTION THROUGH ART: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 10pt;"> A Documentary by Shantell Cargle and Christina Weathersby<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 8pt;">Featuring: Rebekah Lynn Pierce, Gene Hughes, Kyle P. Carter, Lamar K. Cheston, Vanessa Lovestone, Shaunta Macklin, Dawn Speaks, Clarivel Ruiz and Robert Wright</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 9pt;">Screenings:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 480;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 253.8pt;" valign="top" width="338"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 9pt;">February 22, 2012 at 8PM - Admission: FREE<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 9pt;">The Launch Party for the Strawberry One-Act Festival<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ripley Grier Studios</b>, 520 Eighth Avenue, 10<sup>th</sup> Floor, Studio 10D, NYC<br />
RSVP for Tickets at <a href="mailto:RiantTheatre@gmail.com">RiantTheatre@gmail.com</a> </span></div></td> </tr>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 253.8pt;" valign="top" width="338"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 9pt;">March 3, 2012 & March 4, 2012 at 9PM</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 9pt;">; Tickets: $15<br />
Hudson Guild Theatre</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 9pt;">, 441 West 26<sup>th</sup> Street, NYC<br />
Between 9<sup>th</sup> & 10<sup>th</sup> Avenue<br />
For tickets go to <a href="http://www.therianttheatre.com/">http://www.therianttheatre.com/index.php?n=the_video_diaries_project:_a_series</a> </span></div></td> </tr>
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