Theatre

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

Macbeth in Stride

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Macbeth In Stride is an electrified look at the descent of the Lady Macbeth and her husband through the iconic music of Ike and Tina Turner, The Doors, and more. Featuring Shakespeare’s text the show takes an intimate look at a relationship in turmoil and the effects of vaulting ambition. How do we punish and celebrate women who push too hard, who want too much, who sing too loud?

Macbeth In Stride is part one in a series of concert plays exploring Shakespeare’s women, set to rock and roll. Written by Whitney White, directed by Caitlin O’Connell, and produced by Emily Breeze.

Cast

Peter Mark Kendall

Whitney White

History

First created as a solo project as part of Brown/Trinity Rep’s MFA program. Special thanks to Zdenko Martin, Billy Finn, Jesse Nelson, Ian McNeely and the Brown University/ Trinity Rep MFA Acting program.

Workshops / Presentations

White Herron (June, 2015)

Chautauqua Theatre (August, 2016)

Trinity Rep (May, 2017)

Judson Memorial (January, 2018)

Breadloaf (August, 2018)

A First Look

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Let me start by saying this is the first post I have done for 2013. Well, Happy 2013.  It got off to a great start with the First look Festival- a night of theatrical programming completley planned and created by my class. I made my directing debut and also had my first writing piece featured. Shot from rehearsal below…

Condition
Rehearsal for “Condition” my first short play part of the First Look Festival

My class, 16 funny-brilliant-unique-spaztastic people from all over the country, created a really unique evening that culminated in dancing (yes!) AND SINGING (double yes!). I also was a part of another festival, Writing is Live, in a new play written by Ugandan playwright Margaret Namulyunga. The piece explored, or rather exploded, traditional Ugandan conceptions of sex and marriage.

Backstage for He is Here He Says I Say, by Margaret Namulyunga. Part of the Writing is Live festival
Backstage for He is Here He Says I Say, by Margaret Namulyunga. Part of the Writing is Live festival.

The days are always crazy, but I’m learning more about myself and about what collaborative work is.  I am thrilled to say that my next project will be In The Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks directed by Flordelino Lagundino, the role of Mother Hester.

Eternal thanks to my mother, without whom none of this would have been possible.

W

Aerial View

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As we approach tech we have a new director and two new cast members. We get two shots at rehearsing in the space before opening, and we will be officially running for only two weeks. This is a set of challenges common to festival work and I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate way to be introduced to the theatre scene in New York City. Nothing is guaranteed and everything is unpredictable. But I feel myself getting those electric jitters as with each rehearsal the room becomes more and more charged with potential energy. This will definitely be a debut of sorts, and I hope I am up to the challenge.

Tickets available now for the World Premiere of “The Standard Upgrade.”

W

Dream Up

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I have officially started rehearsals for the first fully staged production of “The Standard Upgrade” by Angie Montgomery and Howard Leader. Appropriately the piece will be premiering as part of the Dream Up Festival at the Theatre for a New City in the East Village. The festival will feature 23 world Premieres and  2 American Premieres. Tickets available now.

 

I say “Appropriately” as this piece of work came into my life at a turbulent time; I had just moved to a new city on little more than impulse and saw a breakdown for the first reading on Backstage.com.  My gut told me to stick with this play, and I am happy I did.  What started as a small table reading in Chelsea turned into a semi staged reading in New Haven, to  placing 6th in the Berkshire Playwrights Lab. If we had placed top five I would be doing the production in England RIGHT NOW but I digress….

We have been rehearsing at Simple Studios in Midtown, not far from The ACE Hotel.  (Check it out above- I love going here to work, sip coffee and people watch. It’s easy to let the hours slip by thanks to the open decor, great tunes, and easy vibe).

In New York there are so many hidden work spaces like Simple Studios .  You assume it won’t be crowded, but as soon as you  enter you are met by the rumble of hungry actors rehearsing, taking class, getting to know each other, generating positive energy. It’s encouraging and daunting. One is forced to think “Wow, there are so many people here that want what I want.”

We started blocking yesterday and are in a great state of play. I can’t wait to tell you more as the rehearsal process unfolds.

W

A Debut

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This weekend I made a debut of sorts out here. My first semi-staged reading of a straight play in New York…

The Standard Upgrade

We performed at the Gold Crest Screening Room attached to Gold Crest Films, this great independant production company in the Meatpacking District.

They have an award-winning post-production business and have distributed over 100 titles. I look forward to going back for a screening.

This was our third reading and the play is in the final round at Berkshires Playwright Lab which chooses 5 to 6 plays out of 700-800 to perform in the Berkshires every summer. (uhm my passport is READY!)

A beautiful day in the Meatpacking District

The area is mostly bars, restaurants and great shopping.Here is the look my character “Keisha” had goin’ on that day, great excuse to wear my glasses 🙂

The humor of the play was very well received, with some shock over a couple of scenes involving (ahem) cancer jokes and a lost condom, but I digress….

More info on The Standard Upgrade

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

What’s a Sugar Daddy got to do with it?

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Last weekend I went to New Haven, Connecticut for a third reading of “The Standard Upgrade” by Angie Montgomery and Howard Leader . This was our first public presentation and we were at the very hip Study Hotel on the Yale Campus (can we say YES to the penthouse?!) Check out this satellite of New Haven CT above.

As the story goes, “The Standard Upgrade” follows three white lawyers who, in an effort to jump-start their lives, get involved with young women of color. There are plenty of juicy and racy moments, along with a real love story in the mix.

*Outside the hotel

The piece was very well received, but let’s just say there were a few moments when the audience was audibly and visually shocked by the playwrights’ upfront sense of humor. I was not surprised given that topics ranging from the middle-aged sugar daddy and the escort, the desperate rich guy going through a midlife crises, a missing condom, and a coked out lawyer insensitive to his wife’s cancer were all on the table.

I feel very connected to my character right now, as we are both two educated sistah’s on the hustle in the Big Apple. Looking forward to exploring her more.

Oh and here I am at Grand Central on my way out, excited as ever 🙂

We should be doing another staged reading in April so, more to come!

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.