Industry

The Cast: Great Hill Mouth

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From the Drama League Rough Draft Series:

Britt Faulkner- Sarah Meyers

Britt is thrilled to read at The Drama League and return to GREAT HILL MOUTH. Theatre: Sleep No More, salon series (McKittrick Hotel) A Lie of the Mind (Trinity Rep), The Who’s Tommy (Berkshire Theatre Festival), Three Sisters (St. Fortune Theatre) Film: Woody Allen’s Irrational Man. 2015 Brown/Trinity Rep MFA graduate.

Elise LeBreton- Shaylene

NY: Empire Travel Agency (Woodshed Collective), The Myth of Iphis (The Brick). Regional: Orpheus Descending(Intiman Theatre Festival), A Flea in Her Ear (Trinity Rep), A Christmas Carol (Trinity Rep). As a company member of The Williams Project, she has appeared in The Glass Menagerie, Henry VI, and Orpheus Descending. Elise has also worked as a resident artist at the Barn Arts Collective. MFA: Brown/Trinity Rep.

Reggie Gowland- Marty

Recent credits include Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare in the Park) 4000 MILES (American Conservatory Theater) and Red (Boise Contemporary Theater).  Television: Unforgettable, Evan and Gareth and Trying to Get Laid. Film: Rover: or Beyond Human.

Dave Register- Alton

Dave is a recent graduate of Columbia University’s School of the Arts where he trained with Kristen Linklater, Andrei Serban and Sam Gold, among others. Recent NYC work: LIGHT, FEN, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Classic Stage Company), NOT AFRAID (Under St. Marks).

Drew Ledbetter- Directions and Additional Text

NYC credits: In Flight (Turn to Flesh Productions),Versailles (Theater for the New City), Self (Metropolitan Playhouse), Magic Kingdom (NYCFringe), as well as readings and new play development with New York Theater Workshop, New Dramatists, The Workshop Theater, and Red Bull Theater. Regional: King Lear and Boing! A Musical Adventure (Trinity Rep), Melena(Playwright’s Rep). Drew has served as the assistant producer for Red Bull Theater’s Obie-award winning Revelation reading series for the past three seasons, and well as the Director of their Educational Programming. Drew is also the Artistic Associate for Chautauqua Theater Company. Upcoming: A Persistent Memory by Jakob Hoffman at Theater Row in June 2016, under the direction of Jessi D. Hill. BA: UC Berkeley. MFA: Brown/Trinity. www.drewledbetteronline.com

The Jeffs part deux

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The Non-Equity Jeff Awards came and went and as expected it was a night to remember. The cast performed “The Black One” in the New Work category. Between Passing Strange and Violet, Bailiwick Chicago was nominated in over 10 categories. In addition to newly appointed Artistic Director Lili-Anne Brown, I’m expecting big things from the company in the future.

When I looked out at the audience from on stage, at all the people I have worked with over the past 4 years, I had that “so THIS  is what I’m doing with my life“.  At least I’m not the only one. Congrats to everyone for surviving another year in the life of the theatre.
W

The Jeff Awards

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I can’t believe it but tonight I will be performing at the Non Equity Jeff Awards in Chicago. The ceremony is taking place at the incredible Park West.  Last time I was at there I saw Raphael Saadiq who killed it. It’s a great Chicago venue with a large stage so I can’t wait.

The Jeff Awards are Chicago’s version of the Tony’s saluting the best musical and theatrical performances of the year. There are many great nominees, some familiar faces, and I salute everyone up for an award.  Last year I was also one of the hosts for the Equity Jeff Awards.

 

 

Tonight I will be performing with the cast of Passing Strange as the show is nominated for Best Musical.  Passing Strange is simply the gift that keeps on giving. Even though we ran almost a year ago the show keeps popping up again and again.  This trip was more difficult to swing (can we say GOD SAVE ME from all these Red Eye Flights?) but I know I am very fortunate for the opportunity. Performing at the Jeff’s is something I’ve always wanted to do and I can’t believe I am now getting the honor.

Look out for more info on the event 🙂

W

 

On Set: NY edition

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For Those Heavier Days…

This week I shot my first commercial booking in NY (woot woot!), a demo for Always Maxi Pads.

It was great to be on set again, especially since some of the creative team hailed from Chicago.

The story board was fun, feminine and contemporary, and the talent was wonderfully diverse. Everyone had a different story, interests and talents; which is one thing I love about working in NY. You meet so many people with each job.

Our “Sitcom” shot 🙂

Get a bunch of ladies together, dress us up and give us fab hair and make up and it is sure to be a fun shoot. Then add balloons and boas??? It’s OVER!

*Special thanks to hair, makeup, wardrobe and the commercial division at DBA.

A White in the White House

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I recently made a trip down to D.C. for a final screening of The Loving Story at the White House. (Yes, that’s the White House as in Pennsylvania Avenue but more on that later).  The screening was facilitated by The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Bridging Cultures Through Law film series.

The Loving Story is a documentary about historic couple Richard and Mildred Loving who, through their marriage and struggle to keep their family together changed the laws of the nation. For the history and political buffs out there, the Lovings were at the center of landmark Civil Rights case Loving V. Virginia which deemed Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional. Here is a great NPR link to more info on the case.

In the film Mildred is spellbinding; composed, beautiful and light while Richard in his reservation possessed a steadfast commitment that was endearing and almost intimidating. Traumatic circumstances aside, it was their love at the heart of the film that drove the story for me. They simply leapt off the screen.

The screening was followed by a stellar panel featuring producer Nancy Buirski, Founder of the Documentary festival Full Frame in Durham NC, the current President and CEO of the NAACP Benjamin Todd Jealous, and Constitutional Law attorney Phillip Hirschkop who argued the case in the Supreme Court. I’m sure you can imagine how incredible it was to hear these people speak on such a great project.

My interest in film has grown exponentially, particularly since moving to NY so the opportunity to attend this screening came at a perfect time. Special thanks to my friend Dan who brought me to the event!

*Oh and as I swiped my little access card in the tunrstile and entered the White House grounds I thought two things: 1. I can’t believe they let me in here (the previous night I celebrated my birthday so I was mildly woozy to say the least) 2. I hope there are many more events like this to come 🙂

A birthday, a meeting, and the Eastern sea board

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I have been traveling up and down the eastern sea board visiting (gulp) a few graduate programs, auditioning…. and wreaking general havoc upon theaters and Ivy League Schools alike.

Boston, Cambridge and Providence were all beautiful, artist friendly cities, each offering something unique.

Providence, home of the celebrated Trinity Rep, was very intimate and you got the feeling that everyone knew about the Rep’s work and ensemble. Their season explores new work and timeless classics.

In Cambridge I stopped by the beautiful American Repertory Theatre whose reworked production of Porgy and Bess adapted by Suzan- Lori Parks, starring Audra McDonald Norm Lewis, and David Allen Grier is currently running on Broadway.

I also saw the current Harvard-A.R.T. production Futurity (above), written by and starring Brooklyn based Folk Rock band The Lisps. Futurity featured a great original score and high energy performances from The Lisps and Second Year students. But what really stole the show was the intricate and contemporary set design. I would love to play on a set that interactive, tactile, and imaginative.

I did have time to celebrate my birthday with friends and catch up with photographer and Producer Joshua Sobel (above) whose current project, Graceland is premiering at Tribecca Film Fest April 20th.

My meeting with Josh was fruitful and came up by chance, which seems to happen more and more. He had a lot to say about his work, being a renaissance man, and navigating the arts and film scene in New York. Hopefully this next year will be full of more meetings like that, great projects, new collaborators, and a little more havoc 🙂

*Special thanks those who helped me celebrate my first birthday in the big apple.

W

We sold out?

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This Monday was my theatrical debut in the Big Apple with the staged reading of Yes! The Musical. The ensemble featured many black-tresses and black-tors who were so fab I wanted to take over their lives. There was also a very familiar face in the audience.

Yes! was performed at the Nagelberg Theater at the Baruch Performing Arts Center  to a sold out house (that’s a mouth-full but it was in a cute part of town). Not a bad start, hopefully there will be many more to come!

Check out the Broadway World Release.

Say Yes

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    The past two weeks I have been in rehearsals for my first staged reading in NYC Yes! The Musical written by New York composer and Lyricist Earl Wilson Jr., and Eugene Gwozdz whose credits include The Princess and the Frog, Thrill Me, and the upcoming musical with Anika Noni Rose, Morgan Street.

Yes! is directed by the beautiful choreographer and educator Mercedes Ellington (above), granddaughter of Jazz legend Duke Ellington, and produced by the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts. The piece is centered around an imaginary meeting between Dr. Martin Luther King and Barack Obama and features music in the styles of Gospel, Contemporary, and Country. When I first saw the breakdown Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop, which explores a meeting between Dr. King and a maid the night of his shooting, was going into its closing weekend, so I was inspired to audition.

You never know what to expect when going into a reading as the piece is in a constant state of revision. Overall, it has been a process of listening; discovering who I can learn from in the room, where I fit in, and when I can really shine.

More coming soon,

W

Me and Mr. Jones

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Over the past few weeks, I have had the immense fortune of auditioning for Bill T Jones’ upcoming production, Super Fly, based of the 1972 Blaxploitation classic of the same name.

The original film was directed by Gordon Parks Jr. (Son of Shaft director Gordon Parks Sr.) and starred Ron O’Neal, Carl Lee and Sheila Frazier.

It’s a standard example of the genre, that deals with sex, drugs, taking down the man, street life, and above all features an amazing soundtrack done by the great Curtis Mayfield.

You got the feeling that people really cared about this call. People were excited, and ready to fight to the bitter end. Given the material and creative team, it is the type of project you really want to involved with

The Tony Award winning Mr. Jones is the creator of Fela! and choreographer of Spring Awakening. He has done a lot for the industry over the years, and from my brief time in his presence I can say that he is an artist of great integrity and ferocity.

I think my stomach fell through the floor when he shook my hand. Hopefully he didn’t notice. 🙂

Fingers Crossed,

W