new company logo!

barefoot theatre company is proud to announce the new company logo featuring the classic foot print.

the design is courtesy of Dave Buchwald - who also photographed the company in May of 2008 at D.U.M.B.O Brookly, New York.

January bareNaked Reading Series...

This past Tuesday, the bareNaked Reading Series featured a new play by C. J. Thom titled Franklin Grimes.

The reading was directed by Barefoot Associate Director and co-founder, Michael LoPorto and featured: Jeremy Brena, Sabrina Cataudella, Charles Everett, John Gazzale, John Harlacher, Steven R. Wienblatt and Mark von Sternberg reading stage directions.

Live music, electronic indie punk sound were provided by David Triggiano with Christopher LoPorto on drums. They first appeared in the bareNaked Reading Series Weekend this past December with new works by Mary Gallagher, Carmen Rivera and students of South Side High School.

The evening was sponsored once again by the Bean Post Pub and theatres at 45 Bleecker. It was a successful evening all around and a lot of fun!!! Thank you - OUR AUDIENCE for attending the reading and hanging out afterwards. See you at our next reading!

bareNaked Reading Series TONIGHT @ 8pm

Please join us tonight for our thrid installment of the bareNaked Reading Series featuring a new play, Franklin Grimes by C.J. Thom, directed by Michael LoPorto with Jeremy Brena, Sabrina Cataudella, Charles Everett, John Gazzale, John Harlacher, Steven R. Weinblatt and Mark von Sternberg.

Musical guest - returning once again - Electronic Indie Rock by Dave Triggiano.

The Theatres at 45 Bleecker
Bleecker Street and Lafayette Street
Admission: $10

Drinks and Live Muisc following the reading.
See you there!!!

barefoot reading series....

On November 25th 2008 we held our first ever bareNaked Reading Series hosted by the theaters at 45 Bleecker. Our mission with the reading series is to provide playwrights with the opportunity to hear their new play in front of an audience while they're in the midst of their process - to see and hear what works and what needs improvement.

The new play is directed with minimal rehearsal time in order to keep it fresh and raw and then presented in a safe, fun environment that's celebrated with drinks and live music.

An evening of theater, live music and drinks!!!!!! and cheaper than a movie ticket: $10.

Following the success of our first reading with a new play by Joseph Sousa, we followed up with a bareNaked Reading Series Weekend - with three nights of new works by

high school students, emerging and established, award winning playwrights. In 2008 we went out with a bang as we presented the bareNaked Reading Series on three consecutive nights: Dec 18, 19, 20 all at the downstairs theater at 45 Bleecker.

The first evening featured a combination of short plays by established award winning playwrights: Mary Gallagher (also on barefoot's advisory board), Carmen Rivera and students of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, New York. The high school students are taught in the drama department by Pamela Seiderman, a director and Barefoot Theatre Company member.

The following evening, December 19th, we presented a short play by another advisory board member, Joe Pintauro and several short plays by our very own Literary Manager, Stephen Gracia.

On December 20th, our final evening we present a brand new, never before heard full-length play by a third advisory board member, Israel Horovitz. The play also featured three students from South Side High School.

The directors were Michael LoPorto, Pamela Seiderman, Francisco Solorzano and Joli Tribuzio (last seen in Dog Day Afternoon) and featured over 35 actors. An overall success with audiences coming out even during a snow storm, the bareNaked Reading Series promises to be a tradition of great night of theater, live music and festivities.

Be sure to keep and eye and ear out for our upcoming readings.

Up Next: A new play by C.J. Thom and directed by Michael LoPorto on Tuesday, January 27 at 8pm; mainstage at the theatres of 45 Bleecker.

Watch out for more exciting photos from past events on facebook and myspace.

barefoot company members meet...

Every season the barefoot theatre company comes together for a meeting to discuss future plans, as well as review past productions...this past fall just before our first ever bareNaked Reading Series - we meet in Brooklyn at Ozzie's Coffee Shop. Here are just a few pics of the company at work....

At the top you can see our Director of Development, Anika Solveig at work with minutes, with from her left - John Gazzale, Jeremy Brena and Charles Everett on her right. The bottom pic you'll spot our Associate Director and one of four founders - Michael LoPorto with Chiara Montalto in the middle and Stephen Gracia, our Literary Manager on the right.

The meetings are lead by founders; Francisco Solorzano, Producing Artistic Director, Victoria Malvagno, Managing Director, Michael LoPorto, Associate Director, and Anika Solveig, Director of Development.

company members...

This past fall, company members Dedra McCord-Ware and Francisco Solorzano auditioned in Los Angeles for the Actor's Studio West.
Dedra McCord-Ware currently resides in Hollywood, CA as does another company member, Christopher Whalen.

2008: Barefoot in Gloucester

Immediately following the closing of Dog Day Afternoon, Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano, Managing Director, Victoria Malvagno and company member Kendra Leigh Landon drove up to Israel Horovitz's theater - the Gloucester Stage Company, Eric Engel, Artistic Director. Israel Horovitz invited the three members to take part in the staged reading of his collection of short plays titled: 6 Hotels. Three out of the six plays were developed by Barefoot which included: The Hotel Play, The Audition Play and Beirut Rocks.

Keep and eye out for a full production of 6 Hotels as part of Barefoot Theatre Company's upcoming project: 70/70 Horovitz Project (a year-long, world-wide event celebrating Israel Horovitz's 70th Birthday with 70 of his plays.

Pictured at top: Kendra Leigh Landon at rehearsals out back at the theater in Gloucester, Mass.

Second pic - Sean Meehan and Francisco Solorzano rehearsing

Beirut Rocks on stage with Israel Horovitz

in audience.

Third pic - Meehan and Solorzano.

Fourth pic - playwright Israel Horovitz.

2008: summer at theatre row theatres

This summer included a lot of firsts for the Barefoot Theatre Company with the production of Dog Day Afternoon at Theatre Row Theatres. It was our most attended production with almost every single performance sold-out, most reviewed, and overall successful to date. The production also marked barefoot youngest actor featured on a stage - Mateo Francisco Solorzano at 9 months old appeared on stage as Jimmy opposite Joli Tribuzio for select performances.

In addition, the ensemble found themselves having numerous cast parties and gatherings even after the show closed in late August - taking place at bars, restaurants, and even a pool party at company member Gil Ron's house in Queens, New York.

Stay tuned for a revival of the stage adaptation of Dog Day Afternoon in the near future.

2008: Dog Day Afternoon Benefit Performance...

During the run of Dog Day Afternoon at Theatre Row Theatres - barefoot held a benefit performance for the company that included a Q&A with guests from the Sidney Lumet film: Gary Springer and Sandra Kazan with special guest P.F. Kluge. The Q&A was sponsored by Barefoot Wines & Bubbly and moderated by our very own company member Pamela Seiderman.

In the film directed by Sidney Lumet and screenplay by Frank Pierson (winner of the Academy Award for best screenplay for Dog Day) Gary Springer played the 3rd bank robber, Stevie who managed to escape the bank. Sandra Kazan played Deborah, one of the 7 bank tellers being held hostage. Both discussed what it was like to be in a rehearsal process prior to shooting with Sidney Lumet and Al Pacino. They went on to talk about being on the set and experiences that made a lasting impression on them as they were making movie history. Both couldn't help but comment on how well barefoot had captured the feeling of being back on that set and being held hostage and living the moment to moment experiences of going through the stockholm syndrome that the real people these characters were based on experienced.

P. F. Kluge co-wrote with Thomas Moore the article, Boys In The Bank for LIFE Magazine that was later bought by Warner Bros Pictures and made into the film that it is today. Mr. Kluge talked about his experience with interviewing everyone who had gone through the real ordeal in Brooklyn, New York and what it was like to live through it at the time. Mr. Kluge has been supportive of the stage adaptation since it was first thought of some 6 years ago. After attending a Barefoot Theatre Company production, Blue Collar - two plays by Israel Horovitz at the 78th Street Theatre Lab he insisted and encouraged Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano to pursue the project.

It was our pleasure to have such artists join us at Theatre Row Theatres.

Extra special thanks to Actor's Equity Association and Theatre Authority, Inc. as well as our sponsor Barefoot Wines & Bubbly.

Brooklyn College Alumni Magazine

During our production of Dog Day Afternoon at Theatre Row Theatres, Barefoot Theatre Company founders, Michael LoPorto, Victoria Malvagno, Francisco Solorzano and Literary Manager Stephen Gracia were interveiwed for the Fall Brooklyn College Alumni Magazine. Barefoot along with fellow alumni Sarah Benson, Artistic Director of SOHO Rep were interveiwed about current works and success in the theatre community.

The interview was first seen online but lately chosen to be part of a larger story of the collaboration of Brooklyn College Alumni in the professional field after graduation.

In the magazine you can catch a production photo from this past summer's production of Dog Day Afternoon which will soon be posted on myspace and facebook.

All photos from Dog Day Afternoon at Theatre Row Theatres were taken by Yanick Salazar.

Top photo: LtoR: Michael LoPorto, Stephen Gracia, Francisco Solorzano and Victoria Malvagno at Brooklyn College.

Center photo: Cast in a scene from Dog Day Afternoon at Theatre Row Theatres.

Bottom photo: Charles Casano, and company members, John Harlacher and Kendra Leigh Landon in a scene from Dog Day Afternoon at Theatre Row Theatres.

Francisco Solorzano at The Cherry Lane

This week, Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano joins the New York Playwrights Lab as he directs Israel Horovitz's newest play, The P Word at The Cherry Lane Theatre as well as acting in a new play by Michael Hollinger, Naked Lunch, to be directed by Ian Morgan (co-Artistic Director of The New Group.)

The events will include short and full lenght plays by acclaimed playwrights and members of the New York Playwrights Lab - Stephen Adly Guirgis, Richard Vetere, Daniel Reitz, Neena Berber, Ellen Melaver, Michael Hollinger, Israel Horovitz, Richard Wesley, Nicole Burdette, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, David Bar Katz, Lynn Nottage...

bareNaked...

join us for drinks, live music and a brand new play for bareNaked Readings Series - Franklin Grimes by C. J. Thom, featuring company members, Jeremy Brena, Charles Everett, John Gazzale, John Harlacher with Sabrina Cataudella (last seen with barefoot in Blue Collar: North Shore Fish by Israel Horovitz), Mark von Sternberg, and Steven R. Weinblatt (last seen as Mulvaney in Dog Day Afternoon this past year.) Directed by barefoot's associate director, Michael LoPorto.

Dog Day Afternoon adapted and directed by Francisco Solorzano

In addition to great reveiws from The New York Times and others:

WOR RADIO –
Loved it! Stunned by how well it was done…different than the movie! Just terrific!!!

Drama Desk - The Siegal Colum
This Dog Has Its Day!
The Barefoot Theatre Company took on a mighty challenge recently in turning Sidney Lumet's famous film Dog Day Afternoon into an Off-Off-Broadway play. The movie, after all, was created as much in the editing room as it was by the performance of its extraordinary cast led by Al Pacino. But damn if they didn't put on a rough and ready version of that script; this was a vibrant and exciting piece of stagecraft that deserves to be remounted in front of a larger audience.
Even more impressive was his tight, muscular direction of the piece done with a large, talented cast in one intermissionless act . Solorzano also cast himself in the Pacino role of Sonny, throwing himself into it with gleeful zest. Simply put, we were mighty impressed with this production.

NewYorkTimes.com

I had the rare fortune to see the play before I saw the Sidney Lumet film. Knowing next to nothing about the movie or story, I was touched by the relationships in the play – characters stuck with each other, dealing with instant fame, threat to life and limb and discovering what their life choices had led to (not just Sonny and Sal but all of the bank employees). Intrigued, I put the film on my Netflix to see more…. Sidney Lumet's film is in indeed a masterpiece, and very much, as the reviewer notes, a time capsule of the turmoil of the 1970's. But this play is not about that – and why I imagine the "Attica" scene was cut – the focus was on the characters and the compressed environment they were living in. What better place to explore that than the intimate setting of the theatre stage.
I highly recommend seeing this extremely well-acted and sharp production. But if you've seen the movie, don't expect to relive the social turmoil of the 1970's – that was done. This stage adaptation focuses on something more universal: the characters and their inescapable environment. - Mark von Sternberg (posted at New York Times.com)

2008 a look back continued...

A couple months ago we began blogging past events, productions and meetings in 2008 and now we continue in order to bring you up to pace with some exciting news about our future and the work ahead of us.
It's been a busy year starting with the addition of three new Advisory Board members, Pierre Dulaine, Yvonne Marceau and Austin Plendleton. They join playwrights, Mary Gallagher, Israel Horovitz and Joe Pintauro. It's been with the support of our Advisory Board that we've had such successful year.
So there was a lot happening in 2008 beginning with the announcement of Dog Day Afternoon having a full run at Theatre Row Theatres, continuing with company members working consistantly (Chris Whalen can currently be seen opposite Lisa Kudrow in P.S. I Love you - playing all the time on HBO - DVR it!)

We also had some great parties, the Boston Theatre Marathon with all three barefoot company members returning to roles in Beirut Rocks, Francisco Solorzano and Kendra Leigh Landon appearing in three new plays by Israel Horovitz at the Living Room, rehearsals for Dog Day Afternoon as the heat began to rise all over New York City during the hot summer months and a lot more leading to the our bareNaked Reading Series - so stay tuned as pictures and brief details of our past events in 2008 get posted and shared with you all. Thanks again for visiting.

Barefoot Theatre Company's ensemble

Here we are!
This past year we gathered over at D.U.M.B.O (down under the manhattan bridge overpass) to take a couple shots of the ensemble.

Pictured from left to right: Lorraine Rodriguez (seated), Joanna Leigh Jacobsen, John Gazzale, Anika Solveig, Christopher Whalen, Charles Everett, Kendra Leigh Landon, Victoria Malvagno, Jeremy Brena, Francisco Solorzano, Michael LoPorto, Pamela Seiderman, Chiara Montalto, Gabriel Buentello, John Harlacher, Stephen Gracia and Amanda Plant. Company members not pictured, Anna Chlumsky, AnaMaria Correa, Ruben Luque, Gil Ron, and Dedra McCord-Ware




















these photos kick off the exciting continuation of our blogging of A Look Back at 2008 - take a look back and catch up on what's been going on.

We have an exciting year ahead of us!

In addition to our upcoming website, we will be introducing a new look to our logo designed by Dave Buchwald (photographer of Company Photos).

Thanks again for visiting.

The Barefoot Theatre Company

Monster Guides and Multi-Sided Dice

Barefoot company member John harlacher (last seen in our BareNaked reading series) has had his feature film Urchin turned into a roll-playing game by Clint Krause who will be running a game of “Urchin” starting at midnight on Sunday the 18th at ConQuest NW in Seattle, Washington.

"Urchin is a crazy storygame which involves playing crazy homeless people who live under the subway system in New York. I ran it at midnight at last year’s Conquest and I also ran a midnight game at Dragonflight. It’s a lot of fun, but I think it should always be played late at night when you’re really tired."

Happy New Year

Dear Barefoot Theatre Company Friends and Family,

First and foremost, we hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season and wish you all a Happy New Year!

2009 promises to be an exciting year for the Barefoot Theatre Company as we continue our collaboration with our very own Advisory Board member and award winning playwright Israel Horovitz - more details coming soon!

Keep an eye and ear out for exciting news to follow including a look back at 2008 that will begin with production photos of Dog Day Afternoon, most recent bareNaked Reading Series and details of our upcoming events. Website COMING SOON!

Best,

F. Solorzano

Producing Artistic Director