“The Intimacy of Hooking Up” — This Friday, 7PM

Join us this Friday at 7PM for a special pre-show talk hosted by IC Professor Rebecca Plante.  Plante’s presentation will explore “The Intimacy of Hooking Up” and will take place in the theatre before the show.  Whether you’ve already seen Red Light Winter or have a ticket for a different showtime (or still need to buy a ticket!), you are invited to attend!  Here’s a little bit more about Plante:

Rebecca F. Plante is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Ithaca College, where she studies and teaches about gender and sexualities. She has been a Visiting Faculty Fellow in the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at Cornell University, in addition to having held a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine, University of Kentucky. Her areas of focus include the sociological development of the sexual self; the sociology of intimacy and connection; beauty and the body; and animals and societies. She is doing research on ‘hooking up’ –  dating and sexuality among 18 – 27-year-olds, along with a companion project on online dating for post-college adults.

Her books include Doing Gender Diversity: Readings in Theory and Real-World Experience (with L. M. Maurer, Westview, 2010); Sexualities in Context: A Social Perspective (Westview, 2006); and Sexualities: Identities, Behaviors, and Society (with M. S. Kimmel, Oxford, 2004). Plante’s work on the sociological construction of the sexual self is included in sources like Journal of Homosexuality, Contexts, Gender & Society, and Sexual Scripting. Currently she serves as the Book Review Editor of the Journal of Sex Research and is on the Editorial Board of the journal Sexualities.

With extensive training and certification as a sexuality educator and HIV/AIDS program evaluator, she has facilitated sexuality education in diverse communities. “Latex & Vinyl,” a radio call-in show at the University of New Hampshire, featured Plante (as “Dr. Victoria Monk”) answering callers’ questions; she also worked as a nationally syndicated college newspaper sex columnist.

The View From the Dark Side – by Actor Jesse Bush

Jesse Bush, who plays Davis in Red Light Winter, shared these thoughts with us about what it’s like to play a role like this one…

 

The View From the Dark Side

I’ve noticed a trend when I’m leaving the theatre after a performance of RED LIGHT WINTER. People don’t want to meet my eyes. They’ll look up from their conversation, I notice the flash of recognition, and then their focus darts quickly back to where it was before.  I don’t take it personally. They have just watched me display some fairly reprehensible behavior for the better part of an evening. At least that’s why I’ll assume they don’t want to chat.

It’s an interesting process, playing the guy most people hate in the play.  Sure, there’s a certain amount of fun in getting the chance to act like a total ass, but that won’t carry you through an entire performance. That’s just the surface level. Underneath it, it’s my responsibility to plumb the depths of just what that behavior derives from.  And in my experience that usually means a lot of unexpressed pain. And what’s more fun than repressing deep-seeded issues?  I mean, come on folks!  So, as an actor, you begin to strip away the layers of bombast and bullying and try to discover the hurt. And this play contains a boatload of it. People who so desperately need each other, yet are unable to connect.  So many missed opportunities when a salvo of honesty could have cracked open the defenses and opened them up to healing.  But that’s not the world Mr. Rapp is creating, and frankly, while it might feel nice, it would make a lesser experience. There is beauty in those depths and I have been so encouraged by our audience’s empathy that leads them to it.

I’ve had a few conversations with the brave souls who have been able to meet my gaze after a show and the reaction varies.  Some see Davis as the villain, hands down, without any merit.  Others notice the fissures in his veneer and are curious about what lies beneath.  Either one works for me. I have a job to do in this piece and it is not to vie for the audience’s affection.  I am tasked with moving through the play like a shark for which stillness or reflection would mean suffocation. It’s how the character functions and to dally too long in reflection would cause him to dissipate completely. But it is interesting.

How I am perceived seems to be, like the best of art, a Rorschach ink-blot–revealing more about the observer than the creator.

But I understand their aversion. In the end, I find that it’s not so easy to shake this one off either. So I can’t blame the audience for not wanting to go out for a post-show cocktail.  I have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror sometimes. I have found that you can’t put that much negative energy out into the world, whether that world is real or imaginary, without it bleeding out of the seams a bit. But all that being said, this play exhibits the best of what theatre can do.  It requires a lot from its audience, but isn’t that why we come together and share stories?  To ask hard questions and be faced with complexity that is not easily digested? I, for one, am looking forward to continuing to provoke these responses for the next week.  And I understand if you don’t feel like saying hi afterwards.

 

KTC Hosts Get Your Green Back Tompkins

There’s always something cooking in the Kitchen–and last night, there was enough food, people, laughter, and energy to prove it!  The Kitchen hosted Get Your Green Back Tompkins‘s Leap-Year-Day Launch Party.  GYGB is a community-based campaign to inspire all 42,000 households and every business in Tompkins County to take at least one step to save energy and money in the areas of Food, Building Heating and Lighting, Transportation, and Waste.

It was great to have the opportunity to host such wonderful people, coming together for a great goal.

KTC is taking steps toward a greener tomorrow–we’re seeking LEED certification, our trainees are recycling bicycles (more on that in a future post!), and this new building of ours–green!  St. Patrick’s Day has got nothing on us!

So, what steps will you be taking?

Red Light Winter Begins Previews Tomorrow

Previews are exciting performances.  The play is finished, but it’s still changing, growing, and learning.  The production team and the actors have a few last chances to try new things.  The audiences get to give their two cents after the show in a talkback with the director of the show.  The audiences get to have a part in the process.

Pretty cool, right?

And this week, for the three previews of Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp, if you’re under 30, we want you–for only $15!  That, dear friends, is a steal.  The deal is only good for this Wednesday (7:30p), Thursday (7:30p), and Friday (8p) nights’ shows–and you can book your tickets in advance by calling the Ticket Center at 607-273-4497, or by visiting them online.

Director Rachel Lampert says:  “This play is so luscious!  There is so much in it and so much for the actors to use.  I love watching the play deepen and deepen.  I cannot wait until the audience arrives!”

That’s right, folks.  Can’t wait for YOU.  We’re all excited for you to get in and get into this play.  It’s bold.  It’s intimate.  It’s engaging.  It’s everything you expect from the Kitchen and more!  And for $15–PLUS everything your ticket stub gets you!–you can’t afford to miss it!

Keeping up the Conversation

If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance you’ve been to the theatre and have seen at least one performance here. (If that’s not the case, and you are reading this blog and haven’t ever been over to see us, what are you waiting for? )

Whether you’ve visited us once or have been a subscriber for years, something drew you to the Kitchen.  Do you remember what that draw was?  Perhaps it was a radio spot or a poster; or maybe it was an ad or a review in the paper.  Or–was it a friend?  Or a friend of a friend?  Word of mouth is a reliable way to make choices–from babysitters to where-to-have-dinner to what-to-do-on-a-Saturday-night.  If you’re reading this blog, you can oh-so-easily spread the word about the Kitchen Theatre to a potentially new audience member!

By sharing this article, or posting on our Facebook wall, or Tweeting @kitchentheatre, you can help keep the conversation going.

Maybe you’ll get to be that draw for someone new.

Theatre is special because it’s a shared experience–what happens in that moment will never, ever be recreated the same way again.  Why not share that with a friend, a date, or even someone you’re just getting to know? You’ll certainly have plenty to talk about, especially after you catch Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp next week.

See you–and a friend!–at the Kitchen soon!

 

 

 

Coming Up Next…Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp

Last night, we packed up Waldo into a U-Haul and waved goodbye as he moved on to NYC…  A BIG thank you to everyone who came to see Call Me Waldo, KTC’s world premiere comedy by Rob Ackerman.  The audience response to this show was outstanding–we really appreciate you all sharing your thoughts!  We always welcome feedback on the blog, our Facebook page, and on our Twitter.

Here at the Kitchen, though, when one show closes, another one almost immediately opens!  We’ve already been in rehearsal for Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp, and if that was week one, we’ve got an outstanding show to look forward to.

Eric Gilde*, Ellen Adair*, and Jesse Bush* (Member, AEA)

Red Light Winter is about sex, power, and obsession.  It is a heated love triangle riddled with danger, betrayal, and manipulation that will change the lives of frenemies Matt and Davis and the mysterious French prostitute Christina forever.  The cast includes Eric Gilde* and Ellen Adair* back up from NYC (Mary’s Wedding) and Jesse Bush*, most recently seen in this season’s The Mystery of Irma Vep.  Look out for updates from director Rachel Lampert about the rehearsal process!

 

 

Reactions from the Playwright — Rob Ackerman

The week leading to the opening of CALL ME WALDO was a lesson in listening– to the play, to my collaborators, and to the very first audiences.  

I’m lucky Margarett Perry decided to direct this show. Nothing escapes her. She just makes everything better.

And Artistic Director Rachel Lampert led focus groups after preview performances in which a few intrepid audience members helped by voicing their questions. Their words affected my words, sometimes directly, sometimes obliquely.

On the evening before our last preview, a series of comments led us to make a huge decision: we switched the order of two of the three final scenes of the play. I didn’t rewrite a single word, but the design team had to adjust the lighting, blocking and sound, which took hours on the afternoon of a scheduled performance. 

So I worried. Rachel Lampert said. “Stop. Nothing is certain. Everyone wants the answers to everything– how they’ll live, when they’ll die. We don’t know. We take chances. Take your chance.” And that calmed me down.

Our work worked.

Everything got clearer.

Then it was opening night.

My wife Carol and I sat next to the charming Percy Browning, a great patron of the theatre and wonderful woman. To Percy’s left was a silver-haired gentleman. After the show, the man made a comment to Percy and she turned around and introduced him to me.

He said that he was a Unitarian, that he’d read quite a bit of Emerson, and then “This might just be the best play I’ve ever seen.”

That was enough.

My night was made.

Stephen Nunley gave gracious toasts, thanking the sweet Kitchen staff (Rachel Burttram, Lesley Greene, Lindsay Hahnes, LaShawn Keyser, Jennifer Gregory, Michael Kalmanowitz and Joanna Drivalas), our beloved sponsors Elissa Cogan and Barry Chester and Tompkins Trust and Audrey Edelman Realty, our electrical consultant and benefactor Robert Sparks, our gifted director, designers and actors.

I spoke with several patrons who all seemed preternaturally smart, and all had kind things to say. 

There was a cake topped with Emerson’s words, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”  

It was a great party.

I have a tee shirt that says: “Hyperbole is, without a doubt, the greatest thing in the universe.” Learning that this new play had touched a few of the fine citizens of Ithaca felt even greater.

Rob Ackerman

Playwright, CALL ME WALDO

New Year, New People, New Plays

Margarett Perry, Brian Dykstra, Matt Boston, Rob Ackerman, Jennifer Dorr White, and Rita Rehn (Photo by Ed Dittenhoefer)

With February looming ever closer, the “new year” feelings may be waning—resolutions become forgotten, routine takes over again, and the glimmer of the holidays has faded.

At the Kitchen, however, newness has been on the minds and lips of our staff, artists, and patrons.  Our latest play, CALL ME WALDO, opened this past Saturday to a sold-out audience.  To be the part of a World Premiere Opening Night is a very special thing, and the excitement and appreciation was clear in everyone’s smiles as we toasted Mr. Emerson and the play that sprung from his words.

The post-show reception was a party, with delicious food and wine and wonderful conversation and laughter.  Many of our patrons had the chance to meet and chat with the playwright, Rob Ackerman, the director, Margarett Perry, and the actors of WALDO.  It’s a wonderful thing to walk about the room and hear audience members re-play moments in the show and ask each other questions and share which part they thought was funniest.  A good play can do that—can make 99 people come together and feel as if they know each other.  Shared experience makes theatre special, and a shared experience like the World Premiere Opening Night of an Off-Broadway-bound play is an experience not soon forgotten.

If you missed opening night this time around, check out our Facebook and the photos we’ve shared.  You can buy tickets for any of our upcoming shows’ opening nights by visiting our website or calling the Ticket Center at 607-272-0403.  CALL ME WALDO runs for only two more weeks–you won’t want to miss out on the fun!

Get To Know The Cast and Crew of CALL ME WALDO

Check out these interviews with some of the cast and crew from CALL ME WALDO.  WALDO opens this Saturday–get your tickets here!

Getting to Know…

Rob Ackerman, Playwright

You said it took about three years to get Waldo where it is today.  Is that about average in the world of new plays?  Did it ever feel that Waldo would never be ready?

For playwrights, patience is everything. The gestation period for new work can be a lot longer than three years. It took me about nine years to finish TABLETOP, and over that time, I had readings in living rooms, meetings with directors, anxious phone calls with producers, and some improbable luck. You have to have faith that when your play gets good enough, someone will do it. If nobody’s doing it, it’s just not ready yet, so keep working. This is easy to say, not easy to do. There are many dark days.

Have all of your plays been through development centers?  How is that process different than developing it independently?

When I started, I had no idea what a development center was. But I’ve always known that plays are more music than literature: They only exist in performance. So after I wrote the first scene of my first play, I called my actor friends and asked them to read it aloud. Dramatic writers have to approach the craft from the point of view of the actor. Actors are the real heroes. They go into battle on the writer’s behalf, and we damned well better respect their gifts. 

The Lark Play Development Center works hard to keep a positive spirit among collaborators while a play is emerging. It’s like maintaining the proper temperature and humidity in a greenhouse. I’m grateful to John Eisner, Tamilla Woodard, Suzy Fay, Alexis McGuinness, Therese Barbato and to all the actors who performed these roles as my writing evolved.

There’s also a time and place for constructive criticism. My friend and writers’ colony host Theresa Rebeck was extremely helpful with CALL ME WALDO. She made suggestions that moved things along, and expressed confusion when she was confused. The bottom line: If your play is going to go in front of paying patrons, you need to figure out what’s broken and get it fixed before the people show up. Now we’re doing more of that sort of work in rehearsal with director Margarett Perry and Artistic Director Rachel Lampert. Theater is not for the faint of heart. Success is sweet. Failure is brutal.

You’ve mentioned that Waldo was originally a very dramatic piece–how did it come to be a comedy?

I thought it was a drama until I heard it and everyone laughed. I’m always very earnest about my characters and their situations, but what do I know? The audience tells you what’s what. Let’s just say it’s a serious comedy with a touch of romance and bit of mystery. 

 

Getting to Know…

David Arsenault, Sound and Lighting Designer

 

How is designing a new show different?

For me, there are two things that make designing a new show different than designing one that’s been previously produced. The first is that the show is often still changing as you are designing it. Scenes can be added, moved, or removed often until fairly late in the process. Depending on the show, it can be important to keep this in mind as you create the setting. There was a moment earlier in the process for WALDO when Margarett and I were discussing ideas for specific scenes. We got to one specific scene and I said, “Well, what about this?” She just responded with, “Oh, that scenes not in the show anymore!”

The other major difference is that if the show has never been produced before, you don’t have anything to live up to or look to. Although, you don’t necessarily have to “live up to” other designs, sometimes designs become infused with the pieces, especially if they’re created or worked on simultaneously. Designing a new piece allows you to solve all of the challenges yourself since, well, you have to!

What sort of challenges did you encounter designing Waldo for this space?

The biggest challenge in designing WALDO for this space (or any space for that matter) was creating an environment that can work for the approximately 25 locations in the show. It needed to be generic enough that you can be with the characters in a bedroom or a bar and everywhere in between without much alteration (other than lighting), but it also needed to be specific enough that it is truly about these characters, their lives, and their environs. 

 

Getting to Know…

Brian Dykstra, Actor

 

What keeps you coming back to the Kitchen Theatre?

Well, firstly, they keep inviting me back, so that’s a plus. The Artistic Staff has fantastic taste as evidenced by the fact they keep inviting me back but also because they pick wonderful plays and directors and actors to make the plays. There are three reasons to take a job; The People, The Material, The Money. If you can get any two, you do it. If it’s only one, you are best served by passing. So far, I haven’t passed here.

You wear many theatrical hats.  Do you prefer one to the other?  Which one came about first in your life?

I actually don’t prefer one to another. I act when someone hires me and I write when I can. That being said, there’s very little room in my writing brain when I’m in rehearsal or early performances. So, it’s not like a choice to put the thing I’m writing on the back burner, it just has to work that way. I never have to delay acting, because I only get to do it when I’m doing it. I was an actor first, but they were really hand-in-hand.

What most excites you about acting in a new play?

Well, every play is different. I love that I have been with this play for a couple of years. Rob Ackerman has been developing this play and I was invited to read it and workshop it and do invited readings, and even a little staged reading, so I’ve gotten to see it change and grow and morph and improve and get funnier and more touching and all that. So with this play, I’m excited to see it blossom in front of people with the full weight of a full production supporting it. I think it’s really wonderful and magical and in the hands of the right cast and director, so that’s the exciting part here.

 

Getting to Know…

Rita Rehn, Actor

 

You and Margarett are the new kids at the Waldo party.  What’s it like to enter that environment?

I really think of this FULL production as the first WALDO party. So I don’t feel like I’m entering anything, I feel like it’s our production! That’s what new plays require, there is no map to follow, we are paving new territory, and it’s very exciting and very challenging!

 

Getting to Know…

Jennifer Dorr White, Actor

 

Your Onion News Network work is great.  Can you tell us what it’s like to work for the Onion?

Working with the people at the Onion is incredibly fun – they’re so smart and SO funny.  The hardest thing about doing those episodes is keeping a straight face.  It takes a couple of hours to shoot each episode and we shoot as many as five or six in a single day, so it’s pretty intense.  I was enormously lucky to get involved just as they were starting the web series, and it’s been amazing to me how many people actually see those episodes.

What most excites you about acting in a new play?

It is so exciting to work with a really good playwright like Rob and watch the way a play takes shape over time.  CALL ME WALDO is a wonderful opportunity for me because I’ve been part of the development process for the past two years, doing several readings and a couple of workshops of the different drafts of the play.  I am so delighted to be in the first production!  I really admire playwrights because writing a good play is so hard, and as an actor, it’s an honor to be a part of the process.  When the playwright is right there with you, you get to ask all sorts of questions as you’re trying to understand the character, and that helps him understand if the story is being told in the way he wants to tell it.  And it’s great to watch Margarett be so inventive and helpful to Rob – when you’re staging a play for the very first time, you don’t have any clues from previous productions and you have to create everything from scratch.  It’s a fascinating challenge!  I love my character, Cynthia, because she’s so smart and – not to give anything away! – by the end of the play, she gets to have an awful lot of fun.

Where’s Waldo?

Matthew Boston and Brian Dysktra (Members, AEA) Photo by Ed Dittenhoefer

He’s at the KTC!  No need to pull out the magnifying glass or strain your eyes–Waldo himself will be at the Kitchen THIS WEEK.  Now, if you’re expecting to catch a glimpse of a tall, lanky man donning red and white stripes and a knit cap topped with a puff ball–you’ll be lookin’ for a while.  Look and listen for the Waldo who fathered transcendentalism in America, and you will certainly find Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson…in the form of an electrician’s assistant named Lee.

In the world premiere comedy CALL ME WALDO by Rob Ackerman, Lee begins to uncontrollably spout the words of this great American essayist–to his boss and friend, to his wife, and even on the job site in front of the carpentry crew.

Playwright Rob Ackerman had this to say about the play: “Call Me Waldo a play about a guy who falls in love with Emerson’s idealism and how he shakes up those around him and forces them to question everything.”

Be a part of theatrical history!  Be a part of the first audience of this play–before it moves to the Working Theater in NYC for its Off-Broadway debut!

Get your tickets for CALL ME WALDO today!