don'tcha monkey with the monkey

Hey now hey now! AMERICA won the Best Audience Award for the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival! How cool is that?

Click on the video above to see the 9 Americans get their monkey on at the HERE Arts Center. Matt Lundy gets some serious height on that big pole thing...


After the month of mayhem, I've been on semi-vacation out in California, staying with my boyfriend (the briefly aforementioned Rusty). While doing long distance pre-production for US, I've been tourin' around a bit with his absolutely drop-your-drawers incredible band: Django James & the Midnight Squires.

Didn't click on that? Well, click on it here: myspace.com/djangojamesmusic.

No, really. I insist. They are the first legit glam band to happen since the 70s, I feel. And I loves me some glam. Go listen. You shan't regret.

i drive a rolls royce; cuz it's good for my voice

Long time no blog. Shamefully long time! It's because things have been ultra ultra busy. I know, I know. "Maggie is always busy." No, in April and May, Maggie was more busy than should've been humanly possible. I'm damn proud to have lived to tell about it.

To recap, between last entry and today, I have worked on 10 projects, or shows, in varying capacities. In chronological order, they were:

1. CLUBSCENE
A pilot for a TV show, based on a short film of the same name. I served as "art director" - although it was more like set decorator. It was nice to get to work with my pal Broc, who was starring/co-producing on this piece, and meet a lot of amicable Italians. There's a photo of me & actor Carmine DiBennedetto on set here.

2-7. The Neighborhood Playhouse Final Plays...subcategorized as...
a. The Bald Soprano
b. Vincent 1979
c. The Real Inspector Hound
d. People in the Wind
e. Animal Keepers
f. Lord Byron's Love Letter

Exhausted.

8. Screenwriters' Night - part of the School of Visual Arts Dusty Awards
This was cool - got to production manage while most everyone I know and love performed. Got to work in gorgeous new renovated theatre. Got to chill with badass lighting designer/production guru Tom Zak, who rocks my socks!

9. Pop & Death
It's as fun as smoking crystal meetttth...this was a part of At Hand Theatre Company's annual fundraiser, POP. Written by Marty, and starring my pals Aussie, Nelly, Rubin, and Judy. I didn't get to see all of the performances, since I was running around trying to manage the Nei-Plays and America, but from what I did witness of the event, it went swimmingly. And I was honored to take part in it.

10. AMERICA (eff-yeah!)
Some technical difficulties aside, this one-night-only show was just a glorious experience. This particular group of actors was so special and bonded so elegantly, it was a pleasure to watch. I may post some video from it very soon.


Oh, crap - missed one. How to Succeed at Talent Unlimited. Ah, well.

Til next time,
Maggie

lovestoned

Brother in 'Shock the Monkey' Test Makeup
What ISN'T going on! Too much to blog about. I'm somewhat dancing around at the beginning of a giant, triumphant race...gun's about to fire...and really JUST about - we're at .2 seconds or something. But to break it down into interweb news bits, for ya...

ALLIES

Still truckin' along, with potential benefit performance in July. Going to be VERY different. Foxfire & I are working on so many projects right now, and she's been busy with Rooms (which you may see me representin' on NY1 or the lobby of New World Stages, depending on if they used anything from the fan-interview Daisy & I did for them this past Saturday), but ALLIES is still very much at the forefront of our minds. We want to be bringin' you Heart tunes, really, we do!

US

US has finally gone into real development - even if most of that development currently takes place in my apartment. Sessoms and I are meeting tonight to start on costume designs - and I will likely make her the guinea pig...guinea monkey?...for more makeup trials.

As soon as all the biz is done (and that's consuming my day today; fun with contracts and budgets), I'll post a cast list. Foxfire is of course, still starring, and Daisy & Rabbit in their namesake roles.

Other Shows

We're locked and loaded for Songs for a New World this August, America starts rehearsals on Friday, and I'm working on three other projects in other capacities...costumes for the NP Final Shows (yay for being asked back for enjoyable jobs, two years running!), the TU final Show (How to Succeed in Business), and production management on the School of Visual Arts Screenwriters Night.

If it hasn't been mentioned RTC has really, truly recieved its 501(c)(3) status - we are certified Not-for-Profit. Thank you, IRS! Big sigh of relief there!

Random Update

Item One:

Mama, at my age
(c. Arthur Elgort, 1980)
Item Two:
I have this big, giddy smile on my face that I've been unable to shake for weeks now...

ramble on

Today's post sponsored by the Zep. Cuz they inspire me to greatness and madness.

AMERICA Update:

Casting went so well, and I am pleased to announce that on May 12th, at the HERE Arts Center, you can come see the following performers explore the most challenging piece of theatre-art I've ever worked on.

BLACK: Rafael Jordan
NEW ASIA: Hwalan
LATINA: Mariana Soares
DYKE-MAN: Dylan Bandy & Logan Hall
WHITE: Angela Canalese
NATIVE AMERICAN: Kai Chapman

Even the character titles make one go "EEEK!" This is good. Challenging is good. Scary is good. Fear = Impending Growth.

I'm very very excited about this cast. They have great energy. Plus Aussie and I finally get to properly collaborate, which is so grand.

I am such a hippie sometimes, but as K said "We're going off of vibes here. This is a very vibes show."

Seein Shows Update:

I urge you to check out ROOMS at New World Stages. Produced by my newfound friend Van, and lead role understudied by Ms. Foxfire, it is a very worthy evening of musical fun. Scottish accents, rock music, and a very simple, lovely love story make for a groovy 90 minutes. As you can see, Daisy & I had ourselves a ball when we attended the second preview:


Random Update:

Dad's off with PG in South America in the coming weeks. Last night, he told me all about the schedule day off to visit...the RAINFOREST. The actual rainforest. With monkeys and trees and all sorts of wildlife I can't even imagine. Apparently the part they're visiting is where mosquitoes COME FROM (ooh, fun!), and they have to get more vaccinations than Dad has ever heard of before. Even worse than the ones you need to go to Africa.

Over n out,
Maggie

u got the look

Today's post is sponsored by the Purple One himself.
Not for any particular reason - one should never need a reason for more Prince in one's life.

So, UPDATESKIS.
Last I spoke was still somewhat in the ALLIES-reading aftermath, which resulted in some partying and hobnobbing around NYC as Foxfire's winglady. The advantages? I'm actually paying attention to the clothes I wear - a long overdue step in my Becoming a Grown Up. As a teenager, I was ultraconcerned with clothes...in the sense that I took great pains to be the weirdest/flashiest dressed person in the room. Lots of leopard print, stripes, ripped up fishnets, and white eye makeup. In fact, observe interesting fashion choices Exhibit A - age 17, at Not Back to School Camp in Oregon:


Yeah...I was wearing a pair of tights as a shirt. Not that they look so terrible, but that was like dressing down for me in 02. I wish there were pictures of me during my vinyl-or-neon-or-both-midriff-shirt-period. I had a midriff shirt for every day of the week.

I think I wore that tight-shirt on my first date with Man, actually. I know why it was originally created - Valentine's Day date with Boy, also in 02. We both wore lots of red and saw Chicago. Having a gay boyfriend wouldn't really work for me nowadays, but back then, it was a lot of fun.

Getting back to 2009 - I'm learning to dress nice, on a budget, since ALLIES and US are not, you know, on Broadway or in Vegas or touring internationally. Yet. And I'm finding that my guy friends are strangely more aware of how to dress than I am. Especially, lifesaver of all lifesavers, Mr. Plaid from all plaidout. He helped me out majorly today, so I encourage you...my little base of blog-followers (I know there are a few of you!)...if you haven't already, pay plaidout a visit.

Foxfire and I took a trip to Calli-forn-ya to talk ALLIES with some folks. The talking went quite well; I saw Jeff (who took an old NP reference about taco salad literally and met me at a Mexican restaurant) who looks better than ever, and most significantly, I (re)connected with a friend from the aforementioned Not Back to School Camp - Rusty. And he rocks, in oh so many ways. He is supposedly building a blog for his glamtastic band over the next few days, so I'll link it up once there's an address.


Aussie has joined the creative team for America, and we're FINALLY FINALLY casting that this week - since the playwright (K) got it into the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival. Performance on May 15th, huzzah! Choreopoeming here I come! The piece is also the kickoff artistic event in a larger thing that K is organizing, called The America Project, which will organize and connect all varieties of humanitarians in North & South America.

Expect updates to the Real Theatre website very soon. We're working on an event for the School of Visual Arts in May, right before America happens, and co-producing "Songs for a New World" with Kalish, the amazingly tenacious chick who was our SM for Hair (round 1, at NP).

Til next time,

xoxo
Maggie

review on piercingmetal.com

Man, long time no update!

The ALLIES Concert went so so well. Our friends, family, and plenty of industry came out to support. Amongst them, Ken Pierce of Piercing Metal.com, who wrote an awesome review which you can check out here:

ALLIES Review

OTHER NEWS...

-Foxfire and I are continuing our work with ALLIES, and working on new collaborations and old ones as well. Which leads me to the following news item...

-There is also finally some movement on Peter Gabriel's US - I've just begun to set up for a private reading of the script in the spring, and should be meeting with Monsieur Lepage in April to discuss.

-I'm currently casting a reading (readings readings readings!) for America. Dates to follow.

-Just finished casting a video for my bread job at Orphmedia. This will be the first industrial script I've written, ever. And also the first non-youtube video I've completely production-managed. I'm proud of myself, cuz the team assembled is pretty killer.

-My life is one big MEETING, interspersed with hours of online research and web design.

if you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it

Hello from Norman Thomas high. One of my students showed up today - yay, hooray, ONE. Laaaaaaame. Thus, I am sitting here til 5 PM, typing, before I head out to BK for the first Allies readthrough.

I haven't put a title page on the thing yet. Oops.

So, in recent life there's been:

-hangtime with Cooch
-hangtime with Jon, Spunky & Sprightly (who need new blog names); Spunky is producing her own short film that Edward Allen Baker has written for her (BAD ASS!), and Sprightly is producing her own multimedia event in Vancouver to raise funding for a program called Operation Eyesight (they do eye surgery & treatment for people in third world countries)... altogether, these girls are kicking major butt in the world, and I am majorly impressed.
-meetings about America (the choreopoem)
-lots of Allies revising
-Thanksgivin' at The Commune, which was partially a Paper Planes screening as well.
-lots of Pole time at SHOCKra Studio
-the official mailing of RTC's 1023 form
-hangtime with Jive (where we discuss meditation and new plans)
-hangtime with Gold at the infamous Beauty Bar
-hangtime with Boss
-buckets of mind re-alignment and plans to hunt down representation...
-buckets of web design (blah)
-and lots of sewing sparkly things onto leotards, and spray-painting tights.

Alright. I'm gonna drink this here mini-carton of milk and haul out to Foxfire's place.

xoxo
M

between love and hate

I had a weekend.

Such a weekend.

I've been ruminating and renovating my life, as well as repainting everything the color of a purple My Little Pony. Mom and I shuffled all the stuff around and now this place looks...well...very different. All that's left to do is walk around with a smudge stick, and I may have the aura of Man fully removed from my living space.

Love is such a strange experience. I am grateful to the universe for teaching me what it has, so far, about the L-Word, and I am grateful to whatever gene I got that allows me to fall so hard. I like feeling like I've dropped from a deathly height into a puddle. I'm still a little shocked that Man and I are DONE DONE and DONE. One expects that after a hard fall and a six year journey together, that it will not end in such an ugly, common fashion. But hey, it's all been real interesting. And I wish him major well-ness.


Back to the regularly scheduled Fledgling Director news. Which does relate to above item, regarding Love.

First off, Allies is coming along very well. First official table read is coming up December 2nd, and I will meet these lovely actors Foxfire speaks so highly of. Prior to that, I've invited Sessoms, Jive and Nelly over on Wednesday for an unofficial table read so I won't be unpleasantly shocked by anything read aloud in December. I had enough nasty moments during the table readings of US - realizing some deep, heartfelt monologue in your head sounds like absolute crap in the mouth of a great actor...well...sucks.

Saw a reading at the Lark last night with Stormy. It is definitely reading season - last week, Marty from At Hand hosted a reading of his show (which I can't help but call "School Shooting - The Musical!" in my head, but in truth, is title-less at the moment), then upcoming there's the Allies reading, Sessoms' play reading, the America reading (more on that later)....it's a readathon, folks. This reading was part of a Mexican playwright exchange thing, and the play itself was kinda like The Wire on the water (as Stormy's fella put it) or a Tarantino movie in boats. Afterwards, there was catch-up, good food and margaritas with Stormy & the entire production. Good times.

I carried on from there to meet up with Boss, and carried on...and carried on...until some ungodly hour.


I must speak of 'America' - this choreopoem I was given by a playwright named Kim Yaged. This woman is absolutely awesome, and I love this piece like I haven't loved a new work maybe...ever. It might be a years-and-years undertaking, but awesome. Bring it.


And since I haven't yet posted, please check out The Good Idea Gang in Paper Planes!