December 28, 2007

Coming Home for "Third"

Third Director Rick Seer and Actor Maureen Anderman talk about coming "home" for Third:



December 19, 2007

'25 Questions for a Jewish Mother' Opens - Video

Judy Gold brought a new perspective to the South End last night in her opening performance at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. I saw the show with a friend of mine and we had a great time. The show is funny, and touching, and speaks to what makes a family these days. Leave it to Mom to reach right down and find the essence of what is really important.

Here's a new video clip for you.



Judith and the Moms are here through New Years Eve

December 16, 2007

Speak True: The Huntington and Codman Academy help students find their role

I recently connected with an extended family member via Facebook, and found out that she works with The Unity Project. Life is full of amazing connections. I love what the project is doing - especially how their programs use the Arts in their education and leadership programming. She asked me for a few Huntington links and I decided to send her some that related to our Education and Community Outreach programming. I did some looking around and discovered these fantastic videos from Dorchester's Codman Academy. Were proud of our connection with Codman, and we're proud of these amazing kids. Take a look at these videos. I think you'll understand why.

Speak True: Part 1


Speak True: Part 2


This year's annual Shakespeare Monologue Competition is 2PM, Thursday Dec 20th, 2007, at the Calderwood Pavilion

December 14, 2007

Third Cast and Artistic Team

Here's the full cast and artistic team listing for THIRD


CAST

Maureen Anderman (Laurie Jameson) previously appeared with the Huntington as Nat in “Rabbit Hole” and Sara Goode in “The Sisters Rosensweig” (for which she received a nomination from the Independent Reviewers of New England). Her Broadway credits include understudy for Vanessa Redgrave in “The Year of Magical Thinking,” Edward Albee’s “The Lady From Dubuque” (Tony nomination) and Michael Weller’s “Moonchildren” (Theatre World Award), and Off Broadway she appeared in Sara Ruhl’s “Passion Play,” A.R. Gurney’s “Later Life” and many more. Anderman has numerous regional theater, film, and television credits.



Graham Hamilton (Woodson Bull III) appeared Off Broadway in “The Two Noble Kinsmen” for the Public Theater/NYSF. His regional theater credits include “Hamlet” (South Coast Repertory), “Two Gentleman of Verona” (Shakespeare Festival/L.A.), and numerous productions at The Old Globe in San Diego. Hamilton’s film and television projects include “Untitled Paul Currie Project,” “How I Got Lost,” “Cold Case,” “Lincoln Heights,” and “Guiding Light.” Hamilton received his B.F.A. from The Juilliard School.


Halley Feiffer (Emily) has Off Broadway credits including Jenny Lyn Bader’s “None of the Above,” Eric Bogosian’s “subUrbia,” and Jules Feiffer’s “Feiffer’s People,” and more. Her regional credits include “Knock, Knock!” at the Vineyard Playhouse and “Jules’ Blues” at the Schoolhouse Theatre. On television and in film Feiffer has been seen in “Law & Order,” “You Can Count on Me,” “The Squid and the Whale,” and “Margot at the Wedding.” Also a playwright, Feiffer graduated last May from Wesleyan University.


Jonathan McMurtry (Jack Jameson) is a multiple award-winning actor who has appeared in more than 200 productions at The Old Globe since 1961 and starred in plays at most of the country’s major regional theatres. He has performed in all the major works by Shakespeare (“Macbeth,” “Henry IV,” “Henry V,” “Hamlet,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Othello,” and “King Lear”), and classics by Chekhov (“The Seagull” and “Uncle Vanya”), Beckett (“Waiting for Godot”), Inge (“Bus Stop”), Mamet (“American Buffalo”), and many more. On film McMurtry has starred with Sharon Stone, Reese Witherspoon, Sidney Poitier, and Lee Marvin, and has been seen on many television shows.


Robin Pearson Rose (Nancy Gordon) is associate artist of San Diego’s The Old Globe theatre. She was on Broadway in “Julia,” “Holiday,” “The Visit,” and others, was seen Off Broadway in “Nellie” and “Summer and Smoke” (Roundabout Theatre Company), and appeared in regional productions of “You Can’t Take it With You” (Laguna Playhouse), “All My Sons” (Old Globe; San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award, Best Actress), “Measure for Measure” (Williamstown Theatre Festival), and “Bourgeois Gentleman” (Yale Repertory Theatre). Rose’s film appearances include “Something’s Gotta Give,” “What Women Want,” and “Fearless.”


ARTISTIC AND PRODUCTION TEAM

Wendy Wasserstein is the celebrated author of “The Heidi Chronicles” for which she received the Pulitzer Prize, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards, as well as the Tony Award for Best Play (the first time the Award had been won by a women writing solo). Her other plays include “An American Daughter,” “Uncommon Women and Others,” “Isn’t It Romantic?”, and “The Sisters Rosensweig,” which the Huntington staged in 2005 to critical and popular acclaim. Her last play, “Third,” premiered in New York in 2005. Wasserstein’s career was cut short when she died in January 2006 at the age of 55, right after the premiere of “Third.” The lights of Broadway were dimmed in her honor, and in 2007 she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.


Richard Seer (Director) is a Boston University graduate who appeared—as an actor—in two productions during the Huntington’s 1982-1983 inaugural season, “Translations” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” An award-winning actor and director for more than 35 years, Seer performed on Broadway in the hit play “Da,” for which he won the 1978 Theatre World Award. He also has appeared Off Broadway, and on film and television. He has directed or acted in more than 60 regional theatre productions in the U.S. and Great Britain. In 1985, Seer received B.U.’s Kahn Award for directing; he became associate artistic director of the American Festival Theater in 1988.


The “Third” creative team also includes Ralph Funicello (Scenic Designer), Robert Morgan (Costume Designer), Matthew Richards (Lighting Designer), and Bruce Ellman (Sound Designer). Stephen M. Kaus is Production Stage Manager, Eileen Ryan Kelly is Stage Manager.

December 11, 2007

Huntington names new Artistic Director

The news is out.

Variety posted the well founded rumors yesterday and the Globe followed suit this morning with the publication of some preliminary information that we had given them in advance of today's planned announcements. Not that we can really blame them for stealing our thunder. I've been itching for this all to be done and public so I can talk about it too!

The News? We have a new Artistic Director to plan our next season and take over this summer after Nicky heads off to his new job at Williamstown. His name is Peter DuBois and you can read all about it here.

David Wimberly, the Chairman of our Board, came by the Theatre this morning to give staff the news in person. It was great to hear from him about the search, which has been going on for the last six months or so, how energized the search committee was by the process, and how strong the field of candidates were. Michael Maso then told us a little bit more about Peter, and talked about the work that we will need to do in order to facilitate the transition and plan a new season. As if producing a musical this spring isn't enough!

Notices to the full board, subscribers, and stakeholders have gone out in letters and email.

We've got a press office to give you the full works, so I will let them have at that. I will say that I had the pleasure of spending several hours with each of the finalists and am extremely grateful that the board gave the staff the opportunity to not only meet the final candidates, but to give the search committee our input. I am looking forward to collaborating with Peter and am excited about the energy he brings to his work. I expect great things and an even stronger Huntington in the years to come.

Now it's off to our first rehearsal Meet and Greet for Third. It's never dull around here, is it...

December 7, 2007

Comin' together

Here's the news and lots of it. I'll try to be brief:

Streamers final performances are this weekend - with a closing performance at two o'clock this Sunday afternoon. For more Streamers info including articles, reviews and video, visit here or read more from the blog here.

BU School of Theatre has both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and The Weavers up and running. The former is in Studio 210 through Dec 8th, the latter at the Wimberly through Dec. 16th.

Rehearsals for Third begin next Tuesday. We're looking forward to it and to having Maureen Anderman back in Boston. TheatreMania.com carries the casting news. Scenery construction is well underway. Our machine shop has been particularly busy as we gear up to try a new (really really quiet) method of moving scenery around on stage. This photo shows an example of their metal work. More on the physical production later.

Judy Gold was in town earlier this week to psych us up for her upcoming appearance in 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (starts Dec. 18 at the Calderwood Pavilion). We did brunch. She's tall, she's queer, she's Jewish, she's a (loud) Mother, and she is damn FUNNY! We're looking forward to it. Here's a short I found on You Tube - she talks about working with the crew backstage. Contains adult language.



I'm glad that we are not responsible for providing a stage manager and/or hair and makeup help.

We had a meet and greet yesterday with our four new Huntington Playwriting Fellows. I have to wait until next week to drop names, but it was great to meet them.

I've got new video for Shakespeare's Actresses and Ennio to share later as well.

Rehearsals for Shining City begin soon at the Goodman in Chicago. They'll pack it up and move it to Boston soon after they complete their run there. Goodman Artistic Director Robert Falls directs.

We have a prelim design meeting set up for She Loves Me next week. Yay. The entire artistic and production teams will be getting together for a few hours to brainstorm.

Our annual Holiday party is coming up. I'm looking forward the all staff meeting - with only eating, drinking and chatting on the agenda! Glad to say that we're getting one last shot at some darn good southern food served up at our favorite neighborhood bistro thanks to a certain Huntington overseer! We have the best board in Boston. No doubts.

We'll soon be sending of some new costumes for The 39 Steps to NY for the understudies. Rehearsals begin soon with previews starting January 4th at the Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre. BU students Rosie Garner and Kevin Bigger are heading to the city to reprise their respective roles as Production Assistant and Assistant to the Director. Congrats!

Our education department decided they don't have enough going on with all of our great programming for teens. We are now offering classes for adults! Check it out here.

Oh yeah, and one more item: Another $25 ticket sale!!! Happy Holidays all!