First of all, I have to say that Kayla and Cordelia are incredible women. Not only are they so supportive of this project, but they have plunged in head first and taken on these roles with a new energy that is delightful to watch. Their interpretations of the text are unlike anything that I are or the rest of the ladies could ever think of and it's wonderful to work off of them and see how things shift for the newer and deeper level.
Second of all, everything we thought we were doing for APAP has shifted. Don't worry, we're still doing it, but we're going to approach it a little differently than before. Instead of doing a full length production like we were planning (over ninety minutes in length), we've decided it will be more practical and beneficial to develop a twenty minute "trailer" to showcase at APAP. This way we can showcase the "trailer" many times during the time we have the venue and give people many opportunities to come and see us (rather than a limit of ONLY three shows). We made this decision because we wanted to maximize in numerous areas. For one, we wanted to make sure all of the highlights in our show were seen (Harpy, Goddesses, Storm scene - all of the physicality, etc). We also wanted to ensure that people could come and see the show at a time that is convenient for them and in a way that is enjoyable. I'm not saying that ninety plus minutes of Shakespeare won't be enjoyable, but because there are so many other showcases to be seen during APAP, we decided it's better that people come and see us for 20 minutes rather than no one coming to see us because we offer an overwhelming ninety minutes.
We have launched another Kickstarter and appreciate any donations that anyone can spare to help pay for our Presenters Booth (area designated for networking with potential touring companies) and our Off Broadway venue on 43rd Street.
Click here to check out our Kickstarter page, find out more about us and find out how you can help us get to APAP!
In other news, we're also looking to raise money with a Christmas party set in the 1920s at the Hotel Chelsea! Yes, it's cocktails, live entertainment and Hotel Chelsea history at the tips of your fingers for the low cover charge of $10. So if you're looking for fun on December 3rd - stop by the Hotel Chelsea between 9:30pm and 12:30am. Guaranteed - you won't regret it. ;)
That's where we stand and sway from side to side and physicalize the storm... we're very busy rehearsing.
Until next time, which should be sooner rather than later,
TTL
Friday, November 19, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Plan
Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to send out an update on our company and our process! We're pleased to announce that we will be attending the APAP festival here in NYC this coming January (the 7th to the 11th, 2011). This festival is a wonderful opportunity to network with casting directors and producers and is the best next step for our Tempest. We will be welcoming two new members into our company as two of our founding members have, peaceably, decided to step aside and pursue other projects. We, of course, wish them the very best. :) In the meantime, we've welcomed Syracuse University Drama alumna, Kayla Levitt, into our fold and continue to search for our sixth member with, thankfully, two potential candidates in sight. We are excited to get our new cast members plugged in and up to speed with the piece. We're also looking forward to seeing how the piece shifts with two new talents in place! We think it will grow and expand in the best possible way.
We are looking at a lot to accomplish between now and January. We have, gratefully, secured preliminary funding this week from our supporter and producer, Scott Griffin. His generosity continues to both astound and bless us.
We need to become members of APAP, book a new venue and get in touch with as many people as possible. What is so great about our show is just how transportable it is. It can literally be packed into a few suitcases - just a few hats and a canvas thrown in - and be flown anywhere. (We did travel to Edinburgh and back with it, after all). It's also a really wonderful way to introduce people to Shakespeare. Because it's physically based and visually clear, people who are unfamiliar with the text will have no problem following and enjoying the piece. We think it makes for a fantastic night at the theater for all audiences, too. This includes kids, families and adults of all ages. We're very excited to market our show as an easy and inexpensive piece to pick up and tour.
We are also very busy working on our photo advertising with James Bareham. He and Murray have been so helpful in helping us translate our piece to fit this new and experimental medium. We had a rehearsal on Wednesday in which James used his iphone to capture our movement and what he did on just his iphone was spectacular! We can't wait for you to see the finished product that will go up on our new website - so definitely stay tuned!
All in all we are doing well and thriving in the Big Apple. City life is fast paced and we certainly stay busy, but that's the way we like it.
Wishing you the best as the holiday season approaches - and we'll be in further touch soon!
TTLs
Just wanted to send out an update on our company and our process! We're pleased to announce that we will be attending the APAP festival here in NYC this coming January (the 7th to the 11th, 2011). This festival is a wonderful opportunity to network with casting directors and producers and is the best next step for our Tempest. We will be welcoming two new members into our company as two of our founding members have, peaceably, decided to step aside and pursue other projects. We, of course, wish them the very best. :) In the meantime, we've welcomed Syracuse University Drama alumna, Kayla Levitt, into our fold and continue to search for our sixth member with, thankfully, two potential candidates in sight. We are excited to get our new cast members plugged in and up to speed with the piece. We're also looking forward to seeing how the piece shifts with two new talents in place! We think it will grow and expand in the best possible way.
We are looking at a lot to accomplish between now and January. We have, gratefully, secured preliminary funding this week from our supporter and producer, Scott Griffin. His generosity continues to both astound and bless us.
We need to become members of APAP, book a new venue and get in touch with as many people as possible. What is so great about our show is just how transportable it is. It can literally be packed into a few suitcases - just a few hats and a canvas thrown in - and be flown anywhere. (We did travel to Edinburgh and back with it, after all). It's also a really wonderful way to introduce people to Shakespeare. Because it's physically based and visually clear, people who are unfamiliar with the text will have no problem following and enjoying the piece. We think it makes for a fantastic night at the theater for all audiences, too. This includes kids, families and adults of all ages. We're very excited to market our show as an easy and inexpensive piece to pick up and tour.
We are also very busy working on our photo advertising with James Bareham. He and Murray have been so helpful in helping us translate our piece to fit this new and experimental medium. We had a rehearsal on Wednesday in which James used his iphone to capture our movement and what he did on just his iphone was spectacular! We can't wait for you to see the finished product that will go up on our new website - so definitely stay tuned!
All in all we are doing well and thriving in the Big Apple. City life is fast paced and we certainly stay busy, but that's the way we like it.
Wishing you the best as the holiday season approaches - and we'll be in further touch soon!
TTLs
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Up Next
Hey Everyone,
Thanks for reading and following us from Syracuse to Edinburgh to our New York Debut and now to our post-NYC Debut - we can't believe we've gotten as far was we have. Everything about this piece seems to snowball and grow into a new phase of the project that was, initially, completely unforeseen. It makes for many pleasant surprises.
Up next we're looking at starting a project with esteemed photographer, James Bareham. He is working on developing a sort of moving photography that moves a still without allowing it becoming a film. I can't do it justice by explaining it here and I also don't want to spoil the surprise! ...So I will leave the visual to speak for itself when it's completed.
We're also looking to legitimize our company by legally reserving the name "The Tempest Ladies." Holly has been a gem in researching this and I may ask her to make a guest appearance on the blog to explain this process in more detail since I, again, can't do it justice... am I good for anything? Well, at least I keep you in the loop. And you're very important to us! ;)
Once the name is legally reserved, we can open our theatre company's bank account! This is a very big step and will allow each of us equal access to the company's funds. We have a very egalitarian system.
As always, thanks for reading.
With Love,
TTL
Thanks for reading and following us from Syracuse to Edinburgh to our New York Debut and now to our post-NYC Debut - we can't believe we've gotten as far was we have. Everything about this piece seems to snowball and grow into a new phase of the project that was, initially, completely unforeseen. It makes for many pleasant surprises.
Up next we're looking at starting a project with esteemed photographer, James Bareham. He is working on developing a sort of moving photography that moves a still without allowing it becoming a film. I can't do it justice by explaining it here and I also don't want to spoil the surprise! ...So I will leave the visual to speak for itself when it's completed.
We're also looking to legitimize our company by legally reserving the name "The Tempest Ladies." Holly has been a gem in researching this and I may ask her to make a guest appearance on the blog to explain this process in more detail since I, again, can't do it justice... am I good for anything? Well, at least I keep you in the loop. And you're very important to us! ;)
Once the name is legally reserved, we can open our theatre company's bank account! This is a very big step and will allow each of us equal access to the company's funds. We have a very egalitarian system.
As always, thanks for reading.
With Love,
TTL
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Now We Want Spirits to Enforce, Art to Enchant
A HUGE thank you to all of our friends, family and supporters. You made this past weekend worthwhile! We feel so grateful to say we've had such a successful and thrilling debut in NYC. It would never have been made possible without your love and enthusiasm for our work. Thank you for thinking of us and encouraging us to take our piece to the next realm.
We look forward to what is up next for us - that is, of course, to be determined in a cast meeting coming up this Thursday night. We will definitely keep you posted!
Thanks for reading, following and, well, being as wonderful as you are.
With Love,
The Tempest Ladies xoxoxo
We look forward to what is up next for us - that is, of course, to be determined in a cast meeting coming up this Thursday night. We will definitely keep you posted!
Thanks for reading, following and, well, being as wonderful as you are.
With Love,
The Tempest Ladies xoxoxo
Thursday, September 23, 2010
What's Past is Prologue
Hi Everyone,
We've arrived to NYC opening day and are excited and ready to roll. We can't wait to see your smiling and supportive faces sprinkled throughout our audiences this weekend. You have all been so kind and encouraging. We couldn't ask for a better base of people to build on.
We've had a busy week. We had a line through on Sunday where we literally said all of the lines of the show from start to finish out loud. We were grateful to find the words were still there and spent a lot of the line through using different voices and dialects and rapping and singing our way through the text. When we got to the goddess scene, we sounded like a party of ghouls bemoaning a deathday. It was a lot of fun and very entertaining.
On Monday, we got into the space on 43rd street and tried the muslin canvas out. We've gone from a 'full screen' space in Syracuse to a 'wide screen' space in Edinburgh and now we're working with a 'mini camcorder' space in NYC. But we've adjusted and the show is filling the space nicely. We also did a sort of delirious run on Monday night in which we marked through the show physically, hitting all of our physical cues within the space and playing any instruments we might play when we're not in the scene. The inner monologue of this experience went something like this: "Okay, lights up. And sway, sway, sway. Storm. Fall. Up. Exit center. Shake the muslin. Fall out. On stage. Lines, lines, lines - exit left. Sit on side. Play instrument...NOW - exit left. Enter center. Acting, acting, acting. Exit right. Enter right. Acting, acting, acting...Harpy." This proved to be useful as, like with the text, we were reassured to find the show was still very much present in us physically.
Tuesday night came and we did a stumble through of the show with a full run. Energy was a tad wonky, but important discoveries were made. One of those being that because we'd had a month between Edinburgh and NYC, our choices had been allowed to percolate and sink in deeper. There was a greater trust in the show and our characters and we found we are now able to play and improvise within them, which is really delightful and a lot of fun.
Wednesday we had a solid run of the show. It's running at the time in needs to and we've figured out the space. Any technical issues were sorted out - especially thanks for Holly's brother, Will, who adjusted and ran lighting through the show.
Today is Thursday - the day we open. We're thrilled to say we're sold out for tonight with limited seating available tomorrow. We're sold out on Saturday and have small groups of seats available for Sunday and Monday. If you still want to come, it's not too late! Email tempestladies@yahoo.com.
Looking forward to seeing so many of you this weekend.
All the best,
The Tempest Ladies xoxo
We've arrived to NYC opening day and are excited and ready to roll. We can't wait to see your smiling and supportive faces sprinkled throughout our audiences this weekend. You have all been so kind and encouraging. We couldn't ask for a better base of people to build on.
We've had a busy week. We had a line through on Sunday where we literally said all of the lines of the show from start to finish out loud. We were grateful to find the words were still there and spent a lot of the line through using different voices and dialects and rapping and singing our way through the text. When we got to the goddess scene, we sounded like a party of ghouls bemoaning a deathday. It was a lot of fun and very entertaining.
On Monday, we got into the space on 43rd street and tried the muslin canvas out. We've gone from a 'full screen' space in Syracuse to a 'wide screen' space in Edinburgh and now we're working with a 'mini camcorder' space in NYC. But we've adjusted and the show is filling the space nicely. We also did a sort of delirious run on Monday night in which we marked through the show physically, hitting all of our physical cues within the space and playing any instruments we might play when we're not in the scene. The inner monologue of this experience went something like this: "Okay, lights up. And sway, sway, sway. Storm. Fall. Up. Exit center. Shake the muslin. Fall out. On stage. Lines, lines, lines - exit left. Sit on side. Play instrument...NOW - exit left. Enter center. Acting, acting, acting. Exit right. Enter right. Acting, acting, acting...Harpy." This proved to be useful as, like with the text, we were reassured to find the show was still very much present in us physically.
Tuesday night came and we did a stumble through of the show with a full run. Energy was a tad wonky, but important discoveries were made. One of those being that because we'd had a month between Edinburgh and NYC, our choices had been allowed to percolate and sink in deeper. There was a greater trust in the show and our characters and we found we are now able to play and improvise within them, which is really delightful and a lot of fun.
Wednesday we had a solid run of the show. It's running at the time in needs to and we've figured out the space. Any technical issues were sorted out - especially thanks for Holly's brother, Will, who adjusted and ran lighting through the show.
Today is Thursday - the day we open. We're thrilled to say we're sold out for tonight with limited seating available tomorrow. We're sold out on Saturday and have small groups of seats available for Sunday and Monday. If you still want to come, it's not too late! Email tempestladies@yahoo.com.
Looking forward to seeing so many of you this weekend.
All the best,
The Tempest Ladies xoxo
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Aknowledgment and Praise
Thanks Jana for all of your wonderful updates! (Isn’t she doing a tremendous job keeping you all informed?) It has just crossed my mind that there is someone who also deserves praise and acknowledgment for all of their hard work on the project. As you look on our site you see our new promotional picture. That picture was designed by my 14(!) year old brother Will!
While we were in Edinburgh we wanted to get a jump start on advertising for our NYC debut. I contact Will via Starbucks wifi and told him everything we needed and he came up with this amazing design! He also designed the back for our postcard mailing making sure we had all of the necessary information but also kept to postcard regulations!
As if he wasn’t already wonderful, he has offered to fix our lighting for us on Monday and operate our board during the show. So clearly, my brother is superman. If you want to check him out here is his website: wsh5.com or follow him on twitter: WSH5.
Thought you all needed to know how amazing my brother is!!!
All for now,
Holly (for the Tempest Ladies) xoxoxo
While we were in Edinburgh we wanted to get a jump start on advertising for our NYC debut. I contact Will via Starbucks wifi and told him everything we needed and he came up with this amazing design! He also designed the back for our postcard mailing making sure we had all of the necessary information but also kept to postcard regulations!
As if he wasn’t already wonderful, he has offered to fix our lighting for us on Monday and operate our board during the show. So clearly, my brother is superman. If you want to check him out here is his website: wsh5.com or follow him on twitter: WSH5.
Thought you all needed to know how amazing my brother is!!!
All for now,
Holly (for the Tempest Ladies) xoxoxo
Monday, September 13, 2010
10 days!
We have ten more days until we open in NYC for our Off-Off Broadway debut! We are more than a little excited!
We spent yesterday evening at an alumni cocktail party, welcoming new SU Drama Department Chair, Ralph Zito. Ralph is a wonderful man and the department is very lucky to have him. The girls and I are a little jealous that we're missing out on him as head of the department. However, we were fortunate enough to have Ralph in our opening night audience in Edinburgh and are thrilled to be connected to him as recent alumni.
We had a meeting last night after the alumni gathering to update each other on the latest happenings from each of our ends.
Holly was pleased to report that Ann Clarke, the Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University, is giving us the box office earnings made during our time at The Fringe. This is more than generous. We are so grateful, blessed and inspired by Ann and her continuously giving spirit.
Laura and I, having talked with Lisa Nicholas, an SU alum and the Tepper Semester coordinator, were inspired to make follow up calls with the industry. This meaning that we will each take some of the contacts we have sent mass emails/mass mailings to and give them a follow up call so that they can hear our voices and know that we are really interested in having their eyes - or their assistant's eyes - at the show.
The seats are filling up FAST, which is really encouraging. We have Friday and Saturday nights sold out and the other days are at least half full - if not over half full! We're so pleased to find we will have strong audiences!
We also made a schedule for the time between now and when we open that will go something along the lines of:
A line through on Sunday, September 19th. Get into the space on September 20th to tech with lighting and the muslin piece of canvas we use as a back drop. We will rehearse 7-11pm on Monday and 7-11pm on Tuesday. Wednesday we will do one final run from 6-8pm before we open the show on Thursday, September 23rd. :) Lots to do...!!
That's the latest. Thanks for reading and hope all is well with you!
Jana for the Tempest Ladies xx
We spent yesterday evening at an alumni cocktail party, welcoming new SU Drama Department Chair, Ralph Zito. Ralph is a wonderful man and the department is very lucky to have him. The girls and I are a little jealous that we're missing out on him as head of the department. However, we were fortunate enough to have Ralph in our opening night audience in Edinburgh and are thrilled to be connected to him as recent alumni.
We had a meeting last night after the alumni gathering to update each other on the latest happenings from each of our ends.
Holly was pleased to report that Ann Clarke, the Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University, is giving us the box office earnings made during our time at The Fringe. This is more than generous. We are so grateful, blessed and inspired by Ann and her continuously giving spirit.
Laura and I, having talked with Lisa Nicholas, an SU alum and the Tepper Semester coordinator, were inspired to make follow up calls with the industry. This meaning that we will each take some of the contacts we have sent mass emails/mass mailings to and give them a follow up call so that they can hear our voices and know that we are really interested in having their eyes - or their assistant's eyes - at the show.
The seats are filling up FAST, which is really encouraging. We have Friday and Saturday nights sold out and the other days are at least half full - if not over half full! We're so pleased to find we will have strong audiences!
We also made a schedule for the time between now and when we open that will go something along the lines of:
A line through on Sunday, September 19th. Get into the space on September 20th to tech with lighting and the muslin piece of canvas we use as a back drop. We will rehearse 7-11pm on Monday and 7-11pm on Tuesday. Wednesday we will do one final run from 6-8pm before we open the show on Thursday, September 23rd. :) Lots to do...!!
That's the latest. Thanks for reading and hope all is well with you!
Jana for the Tempest Ladies xx
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