blog by arwen

Like a proud mom, I can’t stop gushing about the show I’m producing. Vision Disturbance is a new play written by Christina Masciotti, presented by the New York City Players and directed by Richard Maxwell.

Folks in the media are starting to comment now that we’ve completed our first week. There is a great profile written about Christina, our playwright. I am also happy to thank Culturebot for its love and share what is officially my first NY Times review.

Two more weeks of shows are running at Abrons Arts Center from Wed – Sat at 8pm through Sept 18. Tickets available here for $18.

In my own words, I would describe the show as “an understated and heartfelt meditation on perception & transformation”.

Other people’s words include:

“A lovely, resourceful and unexpected coup de theatre…inspired and inventive…a showcase for Ms. Masciotti’s gift for writing.”- Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“a thoroughly enjoyable evening in the theater and a reminder that, sometimes, all you need is…strong actors and good, insightful writing”- Andy Horwitz, culturebot.com

You can read more about the show here.

Seating is limited so if you plan to attend, I suggest you get tickets sooner than later. You will understand why when you see it…and that is all I will say about that.

Blog silence of late is the result of a super-hectic producing schedule. I’ve been busy working with Richard Maxwell’s New York City Players to produce a new play opening next week at the historic playhouse in Henry St. Settlement’s Abrons Arts Center.

From our press release:

A new play by Christina Masciotti, Vision Disturbance is about two people whose structured lives suddenly fall apart and who are vehemently looking to find new ground and belonging.

In Vision Disturbance, Mondo, a middle-aged Greek immigrant woman living in smalltown Pennsylvania, is going through a divorce from her traditional, Greek husband. The resulting stress detonates an eye disorder that features a loss of depth perception among other perplexing symptoms. She seeks treatment from Dr. Hull who uses an unorthodox approach involving music therapy to help her regain her eyesight.

Vision Disturbance features Linda Mancini as Mondo and Jay Smith as Dr. Hull. The set and lighting design is by Adrian W. Jones, costumes by Victoria Vazquez, and sound design by Ben Williams.

The play starts September 1st and runs through September 18, Wed-Sat, 8pm at Abrons Arts Center, located 466 Grand Street in New York City. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased by calling 212.352.3101 or at www.theatermania.com.

Vision Disturbance
Written by Christina Masciotti
Directed by Richard Maxwell
80 minutes, without intermission

Wed- Sat, September 1- 18, 2010, 8:00pm
Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, NYC
Tickets: $18 | For tickets call: 212.352.3101 or www.theatermania.com

I know Christina from my days at Fractured Atlas and I was thrilled when NYCP asked me to produce the show, which has been in development for about two years. We had a reading at New York Theatre Workshop last May, after being featured in CUNY’s 2009 Prelude Festival.

I love this play, we have an amazing cast & crew and I am so proud to be working on it. There are production elements that excite me so much I want to spill the beans about them here & now, but I won’t. To do so would ruin the experience, so you’ll just have to come down and see for yourself. We have limited seats available (hint hint) so don’t miss it!

Through a master stroke of fate, I’ve ended up as the Lead Producer for East River Commedia’s 2010 undergroundzero festival opening next week at P.S. 122.

What is undergroundzero you ask? Why, an experimental theater festival of course! More specifically…

undergroundzero festival offers a unique flying repertory of innovative performance by renowned local and international theater makers. Over twenty artists and companies from the US, Australia, Catalonia (Spain), Germany, Ireland, Italy, Romania, and Wales are participating.

The 4th Annual undergroundzero festival will run July 6-25 at Performance Space 122 (150 1st Avenue at East 9th Street). Tickets ($20) may be purchased online at www.PS122.org  or via phone at (212) 352-3101.

According to Time Out NY, we are a great deal and you can read a bit about the history & philosophy here.

playgroundzero is the Laboratory Division of the undergroundzero festival featuring a series of bold and innovative works-in-progress, followed by feedback sessions with the artists. All playgroundzero readings are downstairs at PS 122 with a $5 suggested donation. The line-up can be found here.

Not content with presenting daring new work by some of downtown’s favorite theater-makers, we are also hosting  weekly special events.

Each Tuesday (July 6, 13, & 20) from 8pm – 10pm in the Upstairs venue at PS122, commonground will introduce the festival artists and highlight our international guests.

commonground is a meta-theatrical talk show in which attendees will comprise a live studio audience for the first hour while special guests interview participating artists and cultural experts. The second hour will be an open gathering for participants, special guests, and audience-goers to mix and mingle.

And everyone knows it ain’t a festival without a dance party somewhere in the mix, so…

Each Friday, the festival presents latenightzero, a downtown dance party that welcomes everyone in the arts community and beyond to shake off the work week by getting down.

latenightzero happens every Friday (July 9, 16, & 23) from 11pm – 1am in the Upstairs venue at PS122. On Friday, July 16 latenightzero hosts the League of Independent Theater, the membership, advocacy and business league for the independent theater community in New York City.

The special events are free and open to the public with a $5 suggested donation and refreshments served.

If you find yourself in the East Village during July, be sure to check it out!

I had the extreme pleasure to spend last Sunday working on a film that is part of this year’s RIPFEST. I was doing extra work as a yogi and gym regular for a friend who was the Director.

What is RIPFEST you might wonder (as I did)?

RIPFEST is a unique collaborative filmmaking project that allows filmmakers the freedom to do what they do best – just make films. At the launch of a RIPFEST event several teams of filmmakers who have never met are given guidelines to create a 5-10 minute film. Each group is comprised of a Producer, a Writer, a Composer, a Director, a DP, an Editor, a Choreographer (for musicals), 2-4 Actors and 2 locations. The teams are given guidelines to create a 5-7 minute film. Then they have:

-  2 days to write the first draft
-  2 days for re-writes
-  2 days for pre-production
-  2 days to shoot the film
-  1 week for post production, scoring, and graphics.

All the films are premiered, just 16 days after the process began.There are no restrictions on content or style – pieces range from the most serious to absurdly comic and for musicals, in styles from R&B to operatic to traditional Broadway. Each team is, however, given the same guidelines for creative inspiration and a theme, and the teams are required to only shoot in the two locations provided and to tailor their movie to the actors on their teams.

I got to chat with one of the Exec. Producers on set and learned all about the process & philosophy behind it. It is pretty amazing that this project/program has survived on bare-bones funding and a completely volunteer staff for the last decade. While working for free is never the best situation, I think the real benefit RIPFEST provides is networking – it is structured so artists can meet and work collaboratively with people outside their normal circles. I can’t wait to see what the different teams created in their 16 days.

They are screening all six films during three showings at Anthology Film Archives next Monday night 4/26. You can get tickets and full details here.

I promised the participants of my recent appeal letter workshop that I’d share two great resources we discussed.

First, we have an academic examination of the typical language included in appeals. I found this fantastic linguistic analysis last autumn and was surprised it didn’t get more notice in the arts blogosphere (the intrepid Artful Manager covered it). Written by Frank C. Dickerson, Ph.D., the work is based on doctoral research he conducted while attending Claremont Graduate University’s Peter F. Drucker School of Management. Mr. Dickerson has an extensive resume and decades of experience working in fund raising, so we would do well to heed his warning.

What is he saying exactly? Well, the title says it all when it comes to the direct appeal (also known as an “ask” or solicitation letter): “The Way We Write is All Wrong“. He argues that most appeals are written in the style of an academic treatise or worse yet official government documents, which creates distance and alienates the reader. He proposes that we write with personal passion and infuse our appeals with stories that connect emotionally to the reader instead. As a measure of his commitment to public service, he has made several important documents available for free on his website. For that, I’d like to say “Thank you, Frank!” on behalf of independent artists everywhere.

The other important resource is a recent market research report called “The Next Generation of American Giving“.

A landmark research study into the charitable giving behaviors and attitudes of Gen Y, Gen X, Boomer and Mature donors from Convio, Edge Research and Sea Change Strategies. The art and science of fundraising, as we know it, is undergoing rapid and permanent change driven by technology, the imperative to attract new donors, and by the evolving traits of different generations of supporters. This report is a contribution to understanding this change and offers some strategic guidance for fundraisers who are struggling to keep up with it.

This is huge to anyone undertaking an individual campaign – especially given the rapid evolution of fund raising trends & techniques as we now straddle the worlds of the old school (unsolicited direct mail form letter) and the new school (online & email appeals, donating via text messages, Facebook causes etc). You have to provide your contact info to download the report, but in my opinion it is WELL worth it. Nonprofit marketing expert Nancy E. Schwartz agrees and offers a quick summary of the findings.

When looking at these resources together, I think two big takeaways are:

1. when asking for money, effective writing for individuals is completely DIFFERENT than effective writing for grants, so do your homework and figure out how to tell a compelling story (as opposed to demonstrating your capacity for program success via measurable criteria);

and

2. appeal letter writing/campaigning might require just as much work as writing a grant if you want to do it right, given technological advances in digital media and the range of generational preferences relating to communication channels.

What do you think about these reports? Any additional appeal letter resources we should add into the mix?

I am excited to announce two events I have coming up in the next few weeks.

First, I am moderating a discussion that is part of a salon series presented by The Performance Project at University Settlement and the Ontological-Hysteric Theater Co‘s Incubator program. These legendary downtown organizations have teamed up to host a series of salons for artists and the public, free of charge.

Scheduled for Monday, March 29, 7p.m. at University Settlement located at 184 Eldridge Street (corner of Rivington), the salon is titled:

The Long Haul – Defining and creating a sustainable career-path.

Artist participants: Alec Duffy of Hoi Polloi, Jules Gimbrone and Elliot Montague of WREST, and Sandi Carroll of MUD/BONE.

Join us to discuss how independent artists think about their careers in the long term. Hear from a variety of participants how they sustain themselves during the feast & famine cycles affecting not only income, but also creative inspiration. Does thinking about the long term matter? Is it better to only worry about the next 12 months? What are some of the benefits of planning ahead and making strategic investments for your future and how does one go about it? Is goal setting important or does it restrict flexibility and opportunity? Artist participants will share thoughts, tips and tactics about how they have managed to survive and thrive over the course of their career so far and how they plan to continue it in future years.

Second, I am teaching another new workshop at The Field – this time on individual appeal letters. If you have ever wondered about or wanted to improve your skills in the area of soliciting donations via the written word, this workshop is for you. If interested, you can sign up here.

Individual Giving Letters – April 10, Saturday, 11am-1:30pm

Appeal letters are the primary tool artists use to raise funds for their work by soliciting friends, family, and audience members to donate money, goods and services. This workshop focuses on writing effective individual appeals and their integral position within the spectrum of fund raising efforts. Participants are encouraged to bring in past letters for discussion and attendees will work on crafting potential letters for future use.

I’m pleased as punch to announce that I will be serving as Associate Producer for Tisch School of the Arts‘ 2010 hotINK International Play Reading Festival. The festival runs during the last two weekends of January on 1/23 – 1/25, and 1/30, 1/31.

A completely FREE festival of plays from around the globe, this year features playwrights hailing from Uganda, Ireland, Canada, Russia, France, Romania, Finland, Austria and Japan.

Now in its ninth year, hotINK is an annual, international festival of play readings, presented by the Department of Drama, that brings together playwrights from around the world with distinguished actors and directors from the New York theatre, as well as students, alumni and faculty from the Tisch School of the Arts.

The many distinguished U.S. playwrights, directors and actors who have taken part in hotINK include Bill Camp, Kathleen Chalfant, Migdalia Cruz, Liz Diamond, Kathryn Erbe, John Gallagher, Jr., Joe Grifasi, Kathryn Grody, Rinne Groff, Stephanie Roth Haberle, Jeffrey Hatcher, Jessica Hecht, Marin Ireland, Len Jenkin, Francis Jue, Arthur Kopit, Michael Laurence, Paul Lazar, Robert Lyons, Joan MacIntosh, Heather McDonald, Steve Mellor, Itamar Moses, Victor Pappas, Keith Reddin, Henry Stram, Caridad Svich, Mac Wellman, B.D. Wong, Frank Woods and Janet Zarish.

As an alumni of Undergrad Drama, I am thrilled to be working again with some of my favorite people on staff at 721 Broadway. Full details for the festival can be found here. Tickets will be available after January 4th through Smarttix and more information will be forthcoming after the New Year.

Calling all lovers of downtown theatre and performance!

Prelude 09: Ecologies, Economies, and Engagement is currently looking for a few good hands to volunteer for festival outreach and hospitality. Prelude 09 is an amazing opportunity to get involved with New York’s downtown theatre and performance scene, and is chock full of fantastic parties, symposia, and more. Prelude 09 runs September 30th-October 3rd at the Graduate Center, CUNY (365 Fifth Avenue b/w 34th & 35th St.)

Greeters/Ushers!
The festival is looking for 2-4 persons available Wednesday-Saturday (or a portion of those dates) for greeting people, directing them to the Segal and Elebash venues, and, in several cases, acting as the guide between the lobby and other on-site event spaces.

Hours: 2pm-4pm; 4pm-6pm; 6pm-8pm; Each day of the festival.

Hospitality/Runners!
The festival is looking for 2 persons available Wednesday-Saturday (or a portion of those dates) for space and hospitality services for Prelude 09 Artists, liasing between event Producers and participating artists, panelists, and Stage Managers.

Hours: 2pm-4pm; 4pm-6pm; 6pm-8pm; Each day of the festival.

Neighborhood Do-gooders!
The festival needs your help in our marketing efforts. We remain a totally FREE festival at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch – can you think of local haunts (coffee shops, performance spaces, educational institutions) who will display our postcards? Can you commit to taking a stack or two around the city with you in the coming weeks?

Hours: Own.

If you are willing and able to help, please send an email with your interest and availability to volunteer@preludenyc.org.

I have spent the last few weeks writing, researching and editing a chapter proposal in advance of an Aug. 31 deadline for a writing contest about the future of arts in America. From the Call for Entries:

20UNDER40 is in search of essays demonstrating the most innovative and unique perspectives on the future of the arts and arts education from artists, teaching artists, researchers, administrators, and cultural activists under the age of forty.

This anthology will provide a unique arena for new ideas by formally gathering the thoughts of young artists, teaching artists, administrators, researchers, and other arts and arts education professionals—legitimizing the talent of young leaders by bringing their ideas out of the margins and into the forefront of our dialogue.

If you are interested in submitting something, I encourage you to move quickly as the deadline is now less than a week away. All you need to submit is a two page proposal (double spaced – yikes!)  outlining a need/problem that you see as a big deal and your proposed response/solution. Full details are here.

I just learned that two friends/colleagues have lost their jobs due to budget cuts and belt tightening at their respective nonprofit arts organizations. I am close to one of the orgs and I know how hard the loss will be on remaining staff. No surprise given the way our economy is shedding jobs, but painful to hear nonetheless.

Both jobs were leadership positions which have now been eliminated. While it is likely the positions will be reinstated if the budget woes subside (no guarantee they will),  it brings up the question: how will these organizations cope with the loss of key players at a time when they are more important than ever?

I think we know how they will cope. Current staff (and perhaps a few Board members) will pick up the slack to the best of their abilities, people will work longer hours, produce status quo results under more stressful and challenging situations and likely experience burn-out earlier than normal. The question in relation to coping is not how, but how long it can last.

I suppose the question really is: how can these organizations SUCCEED when dealing with the loss of key players, especially in the face of unending budget cuts and a resurgence of the culture wars?