Spotlight On...Charles Battersby

Name: Charles Battersby

Hometown: Chesapeake City Md.

Education: Degree in Drama from the New School for Social Research

Favorite Credits: Playwright of That Cute Radioactive Couple: A Post-Apocalyptic Comedy, Playwright Topless Go-Go Girls at the Troll Hole, Writer of "Fallout Lore" webseries on Shoddycast.com, Writer/Director of Astonishing Adventures and plays The Scarlet Skunk

Why theater?: Why theater, indeed! "Why theater" grows more difficult to answer each year. My work in other mediums has taken up more and more of my time lately. Fortunately for me, there happens to be a theater in my neighborhood that specializes in nerdy theater. The Brick has a Comic Book Festival, and a Game Play Festival, so I create shows specifically to perform them there, then take the shows to comic book and video game conventions.

Tell us about The Astonishing Adventures of All American Girl & The Scarlet Skunk: Astonishing Adventures is a romantic comedy about masked crime-fighters in 1948. The story and dialog are written in the style of an Old Time Radio drama, and Golden Age Comic Books. All American Girl is a WWII pilot who returns home and wants to keep fighting the good fight, so she takes to the streets and battles evil doers. MEANWHILE: The Scarlet Skunk is a vigilante who's looking for a new partner in his war on crime.  Together they fight villains unlike anything audiences have witnessed before! There's romance, comedy and action! It's an adventure so astonishing that it must be seen in order to be believed!

What inspired you to create The Astonishing Adventures of All American Girl & The Scarlet Skunk?: I'm a life-long fan of superhero comics and cartoons. I spent my childhood watching Lynda Carter and Yvonne Craig on TV, so I wanted to be a superhero when I grew up. Warner Brothers has not asked me to write and star in a Catwoman movie (Yet) so I took matters into my own hands. The Scarlet Skunk is a role that I created for sketch comedy shows about twenty years ago (Parts of the outfit I wear for this show are from that original Skunk Suit). I eventually made an attempt to consolidate those sketches into a full-length play called Kryptonite Hearts where I teamed up Scarlet with All American Girl, who was the embodiment of the Classic Golden Age hero. Alas, it didn't quite work, so this new script is about 75% new material that captures the spirit of what I tried to do all those years ago, but hopefully better.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love when it's clear that the people making the show are trying to say something besides "Look how important, and benevolent we are!"  It's inspiring any time I see people making art just for the sake of doing the work. People who write a show with no idea of where it'll be performed, or if it will ever be performed, and just do it anyway.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I'm horribly, HORRIBLY shy about that sort of thing and don't want to put anyone on the spot. Suffice it to say that I am stalking several actors, playwrights and directors. Soon they shall know my face… SOON…

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Next To Normal was one that I really wanted people to check out while it was on Broadway. It wasn't marketed properly and you had to see it to understand what it was really about. Oh, and it has a song about superheroes too!

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Johnny Depp. It was called "Ed Wood". Story of my life, pal…

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Thousands and thousands of hours playing video games. Games and theater have a lot in common. When a game designer makes a game, it's like they're doing an improvised scene with the Player. They're are an underrated form of narrative art, and the best experiences come when a player tries to pick up on what the Designer wanted to say, rather than just plowing through the mission.

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: Fun fact about me: I have almost no musical inclinations at all.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Working in video games. Which I already do between theatrical projects.

What’s up next?: I'm looking to do another run of Astonishing Adventures later this year, and I have a secret new video game project that I'm working on too. Shhh…

Links:

Direct Link to our fundraising page which runs through May 30th: igg.me/at/Astonishing-Adventures

For more on Charles, visit http://charlesbattersby.com/astonishing-adventures/. For more on Astonishing Adventures, visit igg.me/at/Astonishing-Adventures and https://www.facebook.com/events/258548854331744/

Photo (and Video) Diary: Backstage at The Mysteries with Julie Ann Earls

We told The Mysteries' Julie Ann Earls to give us a sneak peek backstage at their epic show and this is the result. Not only do you get pictures, you get a VIDEO! 

"Angel Hair"

"Anna Dart"

"Anya Gibian"

"Apostle Love"

"BAKLAVA"

"Bloody Christ"

"Bloody Christ 2"

"Cats Eat Falafal Too"

"Eliza Simpson is the Prettiest of Them All"

"Green Room"

"I Woke Up Like Dis"

"Kyle Hines is Sleeping"

"Kyle Hines is Sleeping 2"

"Julia Anrather Watches Over All Of Us"

"Kara Kaufman (Our Actual Messiah)"

"Kyle Hines Loves to Play the Melodica"

"Kyle Hines"

"Last Supper Party"

"Lindsley Howard"

"Little Jessie (As Opposed to Big Jessie)"

"Matt Stango is Always Watching the Game"

"Shh Xan is Sleeping"

"Brittane the Bully"

"Kyle Hines is Sleeping"

"The Angels"

"Old Joe"

"Plank It Out"

"PTT and Sam Garber"

"Tyler Gardella and the Rad Angel"

"The Bajillion Gazillion of Us"

The Gospel According to...Matt Bovee

Name: Matt Bovee

Hometown: Pacifica, CA.  Home of the Taco Bell-on-the-beach and Fog.

Education: BA's in Theatre /Dance from UC San Diego.

Who do you play in The Mysteries?: Backward Hat Angel

Tell us about The Mysteries: It's like someone gave 162 toddlers each a copy of the bible, a ton of red and silver finger paint, and several shots of espresso.  The result, of course, is the single most beautiful mess you've ever experienced.  Plus, falafel.

Describe The Mysteries in three words: Oh. My. God.

What's the wildest costume you wear in The Mysteries?: Sometimes I'm mostly naked under a purple choir robe, tee hee.

If you could be anyone from The Bible, who would you be?: Jacob, he saw the face of God and lived.  Every day I see Matt Jeffers and just, like, swoon and die.

Which company member is most likely to actually have lived during Biblical times?: Matt Cox, Bearer of the Biblical Beard.

Which company member is most likely to be the Messiah?: Colin Waitt, the Anointed with the Are-You-Kidding-Me-Those Abs.

Most likely to become an angel?: Alex Haynes, Nicest Guy You'll Ever Meet.

Most likely to hear voices in their head?: Whichever ASM is backstage on headset.  Also Most Likely to Have Snacks.

Who's the most spiritual?: I think Kara Kaufman calls upon the name of The Lord more than anyone on any given night as she simultaneously runs lights and sound for a 5 1/2 hour show cast with 54 of NYC's finest whiny monkey children.

On the 8th day god said_____: Also, BURRITOS!  You're welcome!

Are you going to heaven or hell?: Wherever Whitney Houston ended up. (Miss you gurl.)

Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you?: Yes.

What's the biggest inside joke at The Mysteries?: Yes, I would like to see the chambers for the blueprint to the four blue chamber prints of the for the to the heart.

What's your favorite moment from The Mysteries?: Andy Miller's secret butt-grabs.  Mine happens during The Ascension of Christ into Heaven.

What is the most rewarding part about being a member of The Mysteries?: This sexy, generous, talented, hilarious 54-person family. Truly lucky, truly grateful.

Why should we come see The Mysteries?: Change yo' life, fool!

The Gospel According to...Xan Russell

Name: Xan Russell

Hometown: North Jersey

Education: Brandeis University. Majored in psychology, minored in music, theater, and social policy.

Who do you play in The Mysteries?: Opera Duet Angel

Tell us about The Mysteries: It's the Complete Works of the Bible, Abridged!

Describe The Mysteries in 3 words: Seeing is Believing

What's the wildest costume you wear in The Mysteries?: Well there's this one scene where I'm completely naked...just kidding mom, no one is naked in this play.

If you could be any character from The Bible, who would you be?: Queen Esther! Maybe we'll see more of her in the reinstallation.

Which company member most likely to have lived during Biblical times?: Alex Haynes. He is married even though he's still a teenager. That sounds about right.

Which company member is most likely to be the Messiah?: Still waiting #jewish

Most likely to hear voices in their head?: David Dabbon. He doesn't just hear voices, he creates harmony.

Who’s the most spiritual?: Jesse MacBeth. As far as I know she's the only one who actually goes to church.

On the 8th day god said _____?: And now I shall create a planet just for Xan and hereby call it Planet Xan.

Are you going to heaven or hell?: I wouldn't mind spending all of eternity cackling with Asia Kate Dillon! But I'll miss her, because obviously I'll be in Heaven.

Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you?: Pride: Mostly when I'm scrubbing loincloths during intermission.

What’s the biggest inside joke at The Mysteries?: There's no higher compliment than when Ed likens your performance to some sort of retarded animal. For instance, we angels got out first acknowledgement from Ed, in the form of "Now I know what twenty retarded elephants dancing looks like." Oh, sweet validation!

What’s your favorite moment from The Mysteries?: There's this one scene where everyone in the angel chorus turns into mummies in hell, and one night I tripped over myself (part of our costume includes black ski masks with insufficient eye holes) onto another unsuspecting mummy. Luckily she didn't get hurt, but since I was already conveniently located, on top of her, she started chewing my leg. So naturally, I began to eat her arm. Now every show we are the cannibal duo. It's love.

What is the most rewarding part about being a member of The Mysteries?: Spending the last three months with such an extraordinary group of creative souls, putting together 48 world premiers, has been a religious experience for me like no other!

Why should we come see The Mysteries?: We will feed you Falafel and serenade you with gospel songs until you lose track of time, space, and what year it is! But actually.

Spotlight On...Joe Curnutte

Name: Joe Curnutte

Hometown: Mahomet, IL

Education: BAs in Theatre, Secondary Education, English - Cornell College

Favorite Credits: writer/actor with The Mad Ones: Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War and The Tremendous Tremendous. writer/actor with The Plastic Theatre: Unnatural Acts: Harvard’s Secret Court of 1920, lead actor:  The Earth Day Play, Lincoln Trails Elementary School, 1992

Why theater?: It is probably a combination of an undeniable desire to entertain people and being totally preoccupied with nostalgia - for times in my own life and for times I have never experienced. Isn’t there something weird and nostalgic about being at a live event and the lights go down and there are people pretending it is a different place and time and everyone is agreeing in the entire building is agreeing on it?  The answer is yes, it is super weird.

Tell us about The Essential Straight & Narrow?: Alright.  So.  In late October, 1974 a country/folk rock trio is embarking on a complicated reunion tour.  Complicated because the two lead vocalists used to be a thing and haven’t seen each other since the band split up.  Something happens on the road and they are forced into a little ghost town motel in New Mexico for a few days.  They spend Halloween there.  Stuff comes up (emotions and what have you), they play $10,000 Pyramid, make Dia de los Muertos masks, and rehearse some music.  And the whole thing is framed in a very interesting way…

What inspired you to create and act in The Essential Straight & Narrow?: The aforementioned nostalgia for times not experienced - in this case the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The Patti Smith book "Just Kids". The unconsummated and tragic love story of Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons. Country, Country Rock and Folk music. Alfred Hitchcock movies. The Jane Fonda + Donald Sutherland movie Klut.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Highly detailed and precise work speaks to me.  The genre of the piece doesn’t matter so much as the attention to detail.  As for my inspiration as an artist, my fellow company members inspire the shit out of me.  Marc’s creativity, Michael’s music, Stephanie’s truth through clowning, and Lila’s razor sharp mind.  But also Johnny Carson.  I find him highly inspirational.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Garrison Keillor.  You may think I am joking but I am 100% serious.  I wasn’t joking about Johnny Carson either.  I have seen Mr. Keillor live twice and I think he is the greatest living storyteller.  I based my character in Samuel & Alasdair: A Personal History of the Robot War after him and paid him homage by wearing red socks as part of my costume.  I wish I could be one-tenth as interesting as that man.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Casa Valentina, which features beautiful performances all around, especially by Mr. Nick Westrate.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: You stumped me.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Pizza and beer.  Or a salt bagel if it’s the morning.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?: Currently, "Roll ‘em Easy" by Little Feat

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: A football coach/novelist/longshoreman

What’s up next?: Working on a project with another artistic associate of mine called Cape Rep and as for The Mad Ones, we have a show planned for the 2015-16 season but I don’t think I am at liberty to say where just yet.  Stay tuned.

For more visit, themadones.org

Spotlight On...Jason S. Grossman

Name: Jason S. Grossman

Hometown: Brooklyn and Queens

Education: BS from S.U.N.Y. Albany; JD from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Favorite Credits: Doubles Crossed (directed by Amber Gallery) in 2012; Love Me (directed by Daryl Boling; winner of multiple awards in the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity in 2010 including Best Playwriting; published in Plays and Playwrights 2011; Indie Theater now, Publisher), co-creating and performing in It's a Wonderful One Man Show Life! (adopted and directed by Sharon Fogarty) in 2001.

Why theater?: I get to see my work living and breathing with real people.  I can be present as audiences watch and listen (hopefully) to stories I've helped to create.  And in theater, it's a full collaboration of actors, designers and the whole production team interpreting my writing and complimenting it with their craft.

Tell us about Doubles Crossed: The Ballad of Rodrigo: It's the neo-noir thriller sequel to my play Doubles Crossed.  It's a theatrical reimagining of the film noir dramas of the 40s and 50s. Suspicion and secret alliances underscore the gritty story of criminal-turned-G-man Freddie Tower and the past he can’t escape.  It's noir.  There will be guns. It's an homage to not only the golden age of film noir (Killer’s Kiss, The Killers, DOA, etc.), but to the great neo-noir films made since (Memento, L.A. Confidential, True Romance, The Cooler, etc.).  I think this play is a hybrid between the two, but it's a modern tale.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: All art inspires me, from paintings to modern dance to comic books.  I like a broad range of theater from experimental to performance art to musical comedies and straight dramas.  You can be entertained and inspired by all forms/genres.  Sometimes it's freeing and more fun to watch something that isn't your bag or bailiwick.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I've been privileged to have collaborated with a number of people from playwrights to screenwriters to sketch comics, and I love it.  I've always had immensely talented writers and performers in my comedy groups.  It's great to have someone with whom to bounce ideas, and you get to kick each other in the ass to get the work done.  And you know what they say about two heads being better than something.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Next to Normal.  I recommended to strangers, too.  I saw it four times. I think it's changed the American musical.  At least it should.  Heartbreaking, raw, real.  And the music was pretty darn good, too.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Maybe Timothy Hutton (I used to be told I look like him; along with Michael Keaton and David Caruso).  It would be called "Walking at Angles."  A woman recently reprimanded me for doing that while crossing the street.  It seems to apply to the way I do most things.  The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  It still takes me about 2 ½ times longer than the average person to get something done. As far as working with people I haven’t worked with yet, I would like to work with everyone.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Sports, Skittles, meaningless pop culture trivia, all things memorabilia.

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: "Get Back" by the Beatles and "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)" performed by Dave Edmunds (written by the Boss).

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be?: An astronaut?

What’s up next?: A number of projects: We are currently developing Doubles Crossed: Blood on the Pages, the final installment of our Doubles Crossed play trilogy; and For Any Inconvenience, a scathing dissertation on all forms of poor customer service.  We will be work-shopping my play A$$holes & Idiots, a modern corporate fairytale.  We will also be remounting my play Love Me, having only produced it once in 2010 in The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

The Gospel According to...Zac Moon

Name: Zac Moon

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Tar Heels!)

Who do you play in The Mysteries?: Al/Philip

Tell us about The Mysteries: Tackling the Bible in a single night through the lens of some of todays most interesting playwrights and some of the hardest working artists on the planet. It's fun, moving, inspirational, a little sexy and there's nothing we would love more than to host you for a one of a kind event.

Describe The Mysteries in three words: Heartfelt, Communion, Love

What's the wildest costume you wear in The Mysteries?: Nothing too wild for me, just a nice sheet that happens to cover the essentials.

If you could be anyone from The Bible, who would you be?: I mean being God couldn't be all bad. Right?

Which company member is most likely to actually have lived during Biblical times?: I think Matt Cox would have rocked out in the biblical days.

Which company member is most likely to be the Messiah?: Duh Colin.

Most likely to become an angel?: David Dabbon.

Most likely to hear voices in their head?: I think Rory might...

Who's the most spiritual?: I actually don't know... For shame!

On the 8th day god said_____: Let's have a kiki.

Are you going to heaven or hell?: Just lucky I don't have to make that call.

Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you?: Any day I'm not at the show? Sloooooth.

What's the biggest inside joke at The Mysteries?: "Itsthelovehappenininhere" and probably something else I'm not thinking of.

What's your favorite moment from The Mysteries?: Way too many to count. But I don't think I've missed watching (and getting emotional at) the end of Act 2 once since tech.

What is the most rewarding part about being a member of The Mysteries?: Working with some amazing and inspiring people on one of the most engaging stories out there. But most of all, getting to host you all at the show and share some food, fun, heartbreak and community. Anyone willing to go on such a wild ride with us is truly awe-inspiring and worthy of all the sleepless nights and long hours we've put into it.

Why should we come see The Mysteries?: I'll leave that up to you, but you won't see anything like it again, so it's on you if you miss out.