05 - Little, Big

On July 29th, 2013, I interviewed Chuck Meyer and Dana Young about their band, Little, Big. Normally I record an opening where I explain a bit about the people involved, but in the interest of time, I have decided to post it without.

Chuck and Dana's relationship is serious and playful, a unique balance of personalities and ideas.  Their band, and all the other projects that go along with it, is magical, youthful and, above all, fun.  You can hear two of their songs from their newest album throughout the interview - Edgewood and Golden Sweater Vest, respectively.  Like what you hear? You can purchase their new album by clicking here!

You can find out more about the duo and the work they do by visiting their awesome website, or liking their facebook page.

The Project Project 05 - Little, Big by Gina Femia on Mixcloud

04 - ROCKS!

On July 11th, 2013, I interviewed ROCKS! about her journey to being a roller derby player.

I fell in love with the sport of roller derby back in March and have been hooked ever since.  It's a sport that's fast, fun and rough, dominated by some of the toughest women.  I met ROCKS! when she drove me to my first game - The Long Island Rebels against her team, the Garden State Roller Girls.  

ROCKS! has the ability to light up a room with her spirit. Her can-do attitude is infectious and her generosity towards her teammates and the sport itself is inspiring.  She's also extraordinarily hilarious.  It was great getting to know her and getting to go deeper into the sport I love so much - and getting to share her story with you.

The Project Project 04 - ROCKS! by Gina Femia on Mixcloud

Follow Up: Angela Santillo and The Unfelt Wonder

Angela Santillo performed her play, The Unfelt Wonder, at the Lounge at Dixon Place on June 4th and she was awesome enough to answer some questions about the experience.

Angela and her director, Lillian Meredith, do a double check on their props

How did this performance of The Unfelt Wonder feel?

Like being in a terrifying vacuum.  The 40 minutes of performance are a blur and I have no recollection of anything I did.  I don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing…it isn’t the best feeling cause I really don’t know how to assess anything.  I suppose you can say that means I was acting in the moment.  I will have to look at the performance footage to see if that statement is true.

What did you learn about the show/What would you change?

The show needs to be tighter.  The multi-media elements felt too long and my performance of the characters can go further and be more distinguished from each other.  One character, Fan, is going to get a major facelift.  She was perceived as being too self centered and not actively wanting something from The Unfelt Wonder (aka the protagonist).  Going to make her need more immediate and tangible…and I think she is going to become a bit of a troublemaker which will be awesome. 

Also learned I need to spend more time memorizing my lines.  It was strange to perform my own words, I don’t trust them the way I do other playwrights.  I kept finding myself not holding myself to the same performance expectations. Usually I am fanatical about being word perfect but for this, I couldn’t get over the fact that I wrote them and that led to an unexpectedly difficult rehearsal process. 

How successful did you feel the immersive theater elements of the show were?

Well, I was performing in said vacuum.  So I’m not sure.  I will say, it felt better as the performer to be that close to the audience.  It was more disturbing to do some of the actions and that was really satisfying.  I love hearing people gasp in horror at the stuff I write.  What was interesting is I felt like I had more power cause I could manipulate the entire space and the audience was really responsive and cooperative.

How successful did you feel the multimedia elements of the show was?

The tech gods were not smiling on us that day.  The projector didn’t work so we had game plan #2 which was Lillian (the director) standing with my Mac during the film sequences.  I don’t think those elements had the same theatrical impact but still did their narrative duty.  At certain moments, I could feel myself struggling to stay in character, which made it clear that the media needs to be edited and reimagined so that atmospheric intensity builds appropriately.  I would say those elements did help the immersive experience cause it really emphasized that we were stuck in this world just like The Unfelt Wonder.

Do you know what you'll change in a future re-write?

I want an action sequence.  I think Fan is going to break into the experiment.  I know there is a cook character coming so I have to start writing that one. The interweaving of media (film and audio) with live performance needs to be reexamined and I am interested in working on the length and sound of dialogue to make it more dynamic.   In general, I want to create a stronger more solid world for the audience to step into.

Are you going to be working on this show in the coming months or are you going to focus your attentions on a new project?

I am going to take a bit of a break to see what impressions linger.    I learned so much from this performance, mostly that writing and acting in your own solo show is absolutely terrifying.  It wasn’t till performing at Dixon Place, with a pretty large audience, that I felt so…naked?  Yeah, I would say naked.  There was a whole lot of Angela on that stage and that was really uncomfortable.  Still trying to process the experience both on a personal and professional level.  So I want to take some time away from the project so I can look at the next draft with less emotional eyes.  Ideally, I would like to jump back into editing land at the end of July. 

There are always new projects.  That isn’t even a question.  Two new plays are ready to jump out of this head of mine.  I am also performing in Five Sided Triangle (by this blog’s own Gina Femia) at Dixon Place this July and getting ready to write, for the third year in a row, a play for Communal Spaces to be performed in September.

It never ends, I tell you what.  And thank God for that.

03 - David Cheng, M.D.

On June 8th, 2013, I interviewed David Cheng about his upcoming residency.  I was interested in discussing the medical field with him because it is a topic on which my knowledge sorely lacks.  Talking with him was eye opening and his opinions on doctor patient relationship and the state of health insurance in the country are especially poignant.

David and I were really close in Junior High School after alphabetical order of our last names forced us to sit next to one another in almost every class in 8th grade, but we haven't seen or really spoken to one another for the past 13 years.  Facebook kept us on the periphery of one another's lives, but it was wonderful to be able to sit down and talk about the significant projects in our lives over the past decade - he with medicine, I with theatre.

Talking with David made me realize how time often intensifies the good qualities we have as long as we continue to harvest them.  He is a caring soul and one that medical field must be proud to have.  I know that speaking with him gave me a sense of hope and fulfillment - I hope you experience it, too.

03 - David Cheng, M.D. by Gina Femia on Mixcloud

David Cheng is a recent NYU School of Medicine graduate and will be continuing his internal medicine residency at NYU.  His professional interests include primary care, working with the underserved and teaching medical students. In recognizing how precious life is, David aims to help his patients make the most of out of theirs. Although medicine remains his passion, David devotes his free time to handball, biking, food, music, and hanging out with family/friends. “Live. Laugh. Smile.” :)

02 - Cecilia Copeland and New York Madness

On June 2, 2013 I interviewed Cecilia Copeland about her theatre company, New York Madness.  New York Madness just completed its third season and will be launching into its fourth come Fall, so I felt this was an exciting time to begin following its growth.

New York Madness is an exciting theatre company with an even more exciting premise which Cecilia talks about throughout the interview.  I was lucky enough to be a part of their Occupy Sandy Madness at HERE Arts Center, a night which raised over $200 for Sandy Relief.

Cecilia is a powerhouse of an artistic director, a wonderful playwright and an inspirational woman in the way she is able to both take charge of situations and nurture those artists who are involved.  I hope you enjoy learning about the in's and out's of creating and maintaining a theatre company in New York City . 

The Project Project 02: Cecilia Copeland and New York Madness by Gina Femia on Mixcloud

Cecilia Copeland is a Midwestern, Latin-American, Israeli, Non-Princess and legal resident of Australia who chooses to live in her adopted home, New York.

She climbed Masada at five years old, studied classical ballet and martial arts, was a dancer for MTV and owned her own cafe.  She wrote her first short story in kindergarten about a snowflake, her first poem about hating vacuum cleaners, and in writing her first play she answered the nagging call of uncertainty over her life’s path.  She is still writing plays some 13 years later. 

As a Graduate of the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory Studio in New York, she is also an Alumna of the Writers Workshops at University of Iowa BA with Honors and a Minor in Dance and Ohio University MFA. 

Cecilia’s plays have been Produced or Presented at the Culture Project, Cherry Lane Theatre, Ensemble Studios Theatre, HERE Arts Center, INTAR Theatre, The Anarchist Theatre Festival of Montreal, Stage Left Productions, 13th Street Repertory, CAPS LOCK PRODUCTIONS, The Disreputables, The Glass Eye’s Fresh Produced, Metro Screen Australia, and soon to be IATI Theatre among others.  She’s been commissioned by The Drilling Co, Overturn Theatre Ensemble, The Pink Ribbon Project, The Private Theatre, and The Performing Arts High School. 

She is the recipient of the Lennis J. Holm Playwriting Scholarship from University of Iowa for her Honors Thesis, One Woman which was produced in SWAN Day 2008.  She is a Semi-Finalist for The O’Neill Playwrights Conference, The David Calicchio Emerging Playwright’s Prize at The Marin Theatre Co, Seven Devil’s Playwright’s Conference and a Finalist for Mabou Mines Artist Residency. 

Her Full Length, “The Wicked Son” was named one of the Top Three Best New Jewish Plays by the Jewish Plays Project.  Other full length works include Light of Night, BIOLIFE, COURTING, Tiene Duende (It Has Soul), Riptide, and Atlantis Unearthed.  She was awarded a Special Effects Grant from Metro Screen Australia for her One Act that she adapted into a Screenplay, Amusement Bomber.  Her works have been published by PM Press, The International Center for Women Playwrights, and NoPassport Press for The Gun Control Plays.  

Cecilia is the Founder and Artistic Director of New York Madness.  She is a Member of the Women’s New Works Playlab at New Perspectives, the Dramatists Guild of America, The Cimientos Playlab at IATI Theatre, and The League of Professional Theatre Women. 

Coming Up...Cecilia Copeland and New York Madness

New York Madness

Cecilia Copeland is a Midwestern, Latin-American, Israeli, Non-Princess and legal resident of Australia who chooses to live in her adopted home, New York.

She climbed Masada at five years old, studied classical ballet and martial arts, was a dancer for MTV and owned her own cafe.  She wrote her first short story in kindergarten about a snowflake, her first poem about hating vacuum cleaners, and in writing her first play she answered the nagging call of uncertainty over her life’s path.  She is still writing plays some 13 years later. 

As a Graduate of the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory Studio in New York, she is also an Alumna of the Writers Workshops at University of Iowa BA with Honors and a Minor in Dance and Ohio University MFA. 

Cecilia’s plays have been Produced or Presented at the Culture Project, Cherry Lane Theatre, Ensemble Studios Theatre, HERE Arts Center, INTAR Theatre, The Anarchist Theatre Festival of Montreal, Stage Left Productions, 13th Street Repertory, CAPS LOCK PRODUCTIONS, The Disreputables, The Glass Eye’s Fresh Produced, Metro Screen Australia, and soon to be IATI Theatre among others.  She’s been commissioned by The Drilling Co, Overturn Theatre Ensemble, The Pink Ribbon Project, The Private Theatre, and The Performing Arts High School. 

She is the recipient of the Lennis J. Holm Playwriting Scholarship from University of Iowa for her Honors Thesis, One Woman which was produced in SWAN Day 2008.  She is a Semi-Finalist for The O’Neill Playwrights Conference, The David Calicchio Emerging Playwright’s Prize at The Marin Theatre Co, Seven Devil’s Playwright’s Conference and a Finalist for Mabou Mines Artist Residency. 

Her Full Length, “The Wicked Son” was named one of the Top Three Best New Jewish Plays by the Jewish Plays Project.  Other full length works include Light of Night, BIOLIFE, COURTING, Tiene Duende (It Has Soul), Riptide, and Atlantis Unearthed.  She was awarded a Special Effects Grant from Metro Screen Australia for her One Act that she adapted into a Screenplay, Amusement Bomber.  Her works have been published by PM Press, The International Center for Women Playwrights, and NoPassport Press for The Gun Control Plays.  

Cecilia is the Founder and Artistic Director of New York Madness.  She is a Member of the Women’s New Works Playlab at New Perspectives, the Dramatists Guild of America, The Cimientos Playlab at IATI Theatre, and The League of Professional Theatre Women. 

Some More Angela

Here's a section from Angela's Interview that didn't make the cut, but is still amazing nonetheless, where she describes her experience of being filmed in character for the show and having to interact with people on the street.

Angela on Filming in Character by Gina Femia on Mixcloud

You can listen to the original interview here

01 - Angela Santillo and The Unfelt Wonder

Being a playwright, I felt it was only appropriate to interview a fellow theatre artist for this first installment, so  on May 26th, 2013, I interviewed Angela Santillo about her solo show, The Unfelt Wonder, which will be performing at the Dixon Place Lounge on June 4th.

Throughout the course of her interview, we discussed the business of theater, her passion and struggles for being a theatre artist and the transformation of her solo show.

Angela performing a monologue from The Unfelt Wonder

Angela's insights on creating art and persevering in the theatre arts are inspiring and thought provoking.  It is my hope that fellow theatre artists can relate to what she says and that people outside the field are able to get a deeper insight into this career.  So...without further ado...:

The Project Project 01: Angela Santillo and The Unfelt Wonder by Gina Femia on Mixcloud

Angela Santillo is a New York based playwright and actress. Her plays have been workshopped and performed at Dixon Place, Pan Asian Rep, Abingdon Theater, The Nightborn, Communal Spaces, foolsFURY Theater, Play on Words Productions, Playwrights Center of San Francisco, Sarah Lawrence College and Saint Mary’s College.  Her play Sera (dir. Rebecca Engle, Saint Mary’s College) was a national finalist for the 2010 David Mark Cohen Award and was also given a Distinguished Achievement Award in Playwriting by the Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival.  A lover of devised and ensemble created work, writing collaborations include: Oh, the MOON! with choreographer CatherineMarie Davalos, Love in a Heat Death Universe with Benjamin Stuber, Aftermath, Maine co-created and performed with Jeanette Plourde.  Recent acting credits include:  Sheila Callaghan’s Port Out, Starboard Home (world premiere, foolsFURY Theater at ZSpace and LaMama), Know How (film, The Possibility Project) andUnfelt Wonder (solo show, Pan Asian Rep's New Works Festival).  BA: Saint Mary’s College.  MFA: Sarah Lawrence College, recipient of the Lipkin Playwriting Award. 

The Unfelt Wonder

The doctors are talking, the public is debating and The Unfelt Wonder still wears big black gloves.  A twisted dark comedy performed by one, The Unfelt Wonder follows one woman’s attempt to escape the lifelong scientific experiment that has denied her physical contact with objects, people and herself.

The Project Project: What's Up With That?

I'm tired of immediacy.

Even more so, I'm tired of my own personal need for immediacy, to produce complete and finished pieces of work in every aspect of my life.  

I see this weariness most people; the rush towards completing a task in order to move onto, and complete, the next one.  It's my belief that we are a product obsessed society, more focused on giving reverence to the product than to the process.  There's a comfort in having something to show for the work that you've done, whether the result is negative or positive because it gives us something concrete to talk about and share with others.    

But we are always working on Something.  And while those Somethings have little goals we aim to accomplish, the longer journey of their completion and existence is often lost.  If Life is a journey and the projects that we pick up along the way are ones we choose to do because they're an extension of ourselves, then shouldn't there be just as much focus on the process as the product it produces?

That's why I started The Project Project, a long term experiment in which I will interview a person/band/collective every other week about a project they're working on and follow up with them once a year for the next three years.

Basically that's 25 different projects being tracked over a three year period.

That's a lot of  work horror excitement 

Definition of the word project: An individual or collaborative enterprise planned and designed to achieve an aim.

As you can see by the definition I copy and pasted straight out of a Google search, anything can be defined as a project as long as its purpose is to achieve an aim.  I'm interpreting it broadly and loosely so as to include as many different types of people as possible from as many different fields as I can.   This is not only so I can have different perspectives represented, but so theatre artists, doctors, scientists, bakers, musicians and athletes  all have a chance to c0-exist together and have their stories told and followed.  

We often get so entrenched in our own communities that we wind up knowing little else about the reality of other careers other than how they're poorly creatively portrayed on television and in the movies.  I not only want to learn about other people's lives, but hope that this project will bridge gaps between communities and allow them into other people's  worlds.  This will hopefully allow stereotypes to be smashed and perspectives to be widened by the participants and by those who follow the project as well.

Will this be a success?  

We'll find out in three years.

But for now, I hope you enjoy the journey.