12th Season Review - FINAL ENTRY, 2011

Before we prepared to take the summer off and begin work on our 2011-2012 Season we managed to produce one of our most exciting presentations. In collaboration with The Cherry Lane Theatre we produced and c0-presented Israel Horovitz's SINS OF THE MOTHER reading. The reading was part of Cherry Lane Theatre's reading series, TONGUES. the reading was directed by our very own playwright and Advisory Board Member, Israel Horovitz. The cast included Academy Award winner, Chris Cooper, Ethan Hawke, Michael Stuhlbarg and Barefoot Theatre Company Ensemble Member, Francisco Solorzano with stage directions by Frances Uku.

We were beyond thrilled to have Chris Cooper (American Beauty, Adaptation - for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) join us this time around. All three, Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Reality Bites, Dead Poets Society), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man, Boardwalk Empire, The Grey Zone), and Francisco Solorzano have been part of the development and presentations of Horovitz's full length comic-drama.

The reading on Monday, May 2nd played to a packed house in the beautiful Mainstage at The Cherry Lane Theatre. Special thanks to the staff and crew at CLT and especially Founder/Artistic Director, Angelina Fiordellisi.

Barefoot Theatre Company presented a staged reading of the play as part of the opening of 70/70 Horovitz Project (a worldwide, year-long festival celebrating Israel Horovitz' 70th Birthday with readings and productions of 70 of his plays). The reading was directed by Jo Bonney and took place at 45 Bleecker Street Theatre with Bobby Cannavale, John Doman, Michael Stuhlbarg and Francisco Solorzano. Since its developments, workshops and readings the play has gone on to be produced across the United States including Olympia,WA; Manalapan, FL and Gloucester, MA (Harlequin Stages; Florida Stage; and Gloucester Stage Company). We look forward to seeing more of Horovitz' latest work in the near future.

Photos, Top to Bottom: Ethan Hawke, Chris Cooper, Cast of May 2nd Reading with from LtoR: Francisco Solorzano, Israel Horovitz, Ethan Hawke, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chris Cooper.

12th SEASON REVIEW (a look back)... SPRING/CLOSING, 2011

So following an incredibly exciting and definitely busy Winter...we presented a SPRING BASHthat featured a BEAT BOXIN CONTEST as well as LIVE MUSIC by Ensemble Member, Aidan Koehler! The evening also featured the Cast and Crew of our Spring Production, Teeth Of The Sons by Joseph Sousa and directed by Nicole Haran.

We packed the house at NYC's CENTRAL BAR

with the party going all night with Ensemble Member, LYNN COHEN dancing the night away!! Special thanks to ALL who attended and enjoyed our SPRING BASH!

So what does one do after a night of celebratio?!

We GET BACK TO WORK or PLAY in our case. Rehearsals began for our Spring Production that was being directed and led by our very own, Co-Founder / Co-Artistic Director, Nicole Haran. The production opened to a weekend of sold-out seats and rave reviews. Once again we gathered at A.O.C. on Bleecker for a night or Opening Night fun!!!

"...moving play from Barefoot...marking them as a company to keep an eye on." - NY PRESS

"Nicole Haran's smart, unshowy direction and Josh Iacovelli's detailed living-room set contribute to the verisimilitude." - BACKSTAGE

"... jagged, emotional escalation and sharp narrative focus epitomizes the kind of work that Barefoot brings to the stage." - HUFFINGTON POST

"This is the kind of theater that I love and desperately search for -- a show in an intimate space with quality acting and an engaging story. The fact that the ticket is actually affordable makes Teeth of the Sons a rare gem." - TheEasy.com

"I am always impressed with Barefoot Theatre Company’s productions, and TEETH OF THE SONS is no exception." - ELJNY.COM

"Nicole Haran deserves credit for humane and sensitive direction. " - RLBRODY.COM

During one of our Dark Nights, in honor of Lanford Wilson who recently passed away, we held a FREE Reading of BALM IN GILEAD featuring Barefoot Theatre Company Ensemble and special guests. The FREE event took place at The Studio Theatre at the legendary Cherry Lane Theatre. Barefoot Theatre Company has been fortunate to work on and present full productions of Lanford Wilson's HOME FREE! and BALM IN GILEAD.

Closing up our 12th Anniversary Season, we developed and presented our BASEMENT WORKSHOP SERIES which involves a staged reading presentation of a work in progress; featuring LIVE MUSIC and FREE DRINKS. The new works get rehearsed for at least one work and make use of sound, set, costumes and props to help better visualize the text in its process of development. The two works we presented were also featured in our bareNaked Reading Series (now presented FREE to audiences) and our DIRECTOR'S LAB (ensemble members only development process). First we presented Samantha Fontana's solo piece, VILLAGE ILIAD directed by Victoria Malvagno and Tim Plaehn's WEST ASHEVILLE directed by Nicole Haran.

The closing of our season with the BASEMENT WORKSHOP SERIES was one that we'll definitely remember. We had a full house and had to, unfortunately, turn some audience members away at the door. It was an excellent evening that once again featured the LIVE MUSIC of our very own Aidan Koehler.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE STAFF AND CREW OF THE CHERRY LANE THEATRE for an EXCITING SEASON!!! And to YOU, our audiences, members, friends, and families.

Barefoot Theatre Company

12th SEASON REVIEW (a look back)... WINTER, LA 2010

From New York City to Los Angeles!

This past Winter JAN/FEB we dedicated some time to bridging the gap between the theater community on the East and West Coast. Taking up residency at the Art of Acting Studio in Los Angeles, California, NYC's Barefoot Theatre Company presented the Inaugural West Coast presentation of the bareNaked Reading Series (no sets, no props, just words). The evenings featured new plays from emerging and established playwrights followed by a Q&A, Live Music and Free Drinks.

Special Thanks to Tom Oppenheim, Nina Capelli, Johnny Yoder for the residency / collaboration.

The cast includes Barefoot Theatre Company Ensemble Members, Will Allen, Samantha Fontana, Daniel Graff, Therese Plaehn, Joseph Sousa, Christopher Whalen, Victoria Malvagno, Francisco Solorzano, Alona Dadiani, Anika Solveig, Lucy Boyle, Cristina Fernandez, Jessica Langer, along with special guests A.J. Handegard, Heather Roop, students of AOA and more...

Ensemble Workshop with Students of AOA featuring the Barefoot Theatre Company Ensemble and new works by Mike Reiss (writer and producer of The Simpsons).

Collection of New Shorts from Emerging Playwrights that include:
Daniel Graff, Joseph Sousa, Lina Patel, Lila Rose Kaplan and more...

Directed by Therese Plaehn, Christopher Whalen, Victoria Malvagno, Francisco Solorzano and more...

West Asheville by Tim Plaehn directed by Nicole Haran (Co-Founder / Co-Artistic Director)

Mid-East Pieces by Israel Horovitz directed by Francisco Solorzano

LIVE MUSIC featured, The Public Trust, Byram Band- Brothers Jonathan and Benjamin Byram and Gina Pensiero.

The Art of Acting Studio, 1017 North Orange Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90038

12th SEASON REVIEW (a look back)... WINTER 2010

Following our Fall Production directed by Victoria Malvagno at The Cherry Lane Theatre in rep with our 2nd Annual bareNaked Reading Series during the dark nights we took another moment to CELEBRATE the Upcoming Winter Holidays!

Central Bar located on East 9th Street hosted our 2010 Holiday Party with some incredible music, friends, family and drinks!!! We had an incredible time all around. Our partying went on into the night as we began preproduction and rehearsals for our first ever HOLIDAY FREE READING EVENT.

On Wednesday, December 22nd, The Players Foundation hosted our Free Reading of Israel Horovitz' stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol: Scrooge & Marley. Audiences were treated to Free Eggnog and Cider.

We were extremely lucky to gather at the gorgeous, legendary PLAYERS CLUB in Gramercy Park.

The event was directed by Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano and featured: Jeremy Brena, Therese Plaehn, Dan Graff, Samantha Fontana, Betty Hudson, John Harlacher, Steven R. Weinblatt, Marissa Pierini, Anthony Pierini, Nicolette Pierini, osh Iacovelli, Adian Koehler, Lauren Rovere, Zach Cohen, Mike Kennedy, Mike Demarco, Mairead Koehler and more!!! FEATURING LIVE MUSIC!

We're excited to bring you some more PARTIES and FREE Events!!! Thank you to all the artists and audiences who showed a tremendous amount of support this year!!!

Barefoot Theatre Company; pictured - TOP: Ensemble Members, John Harlacher & Francisco Solorzano; BOTTOM: Cast of Scrooge & Marley being directed by Francisco Solorzano.

12th SEASON REVIEW (a look back)...2nd Annual bareNaked Reading Series, Fall 2010

During our 12th Anniversary Season which took place at the legendary CHERRY LANE THEATRE we brought you our 2nd annual bareNaked Reading Series (no sets, no props, just words) featuring LIVE MUSIC and FREE DRINKS.

Our new Literary Manager, Therese Plaehn along with our Co-Artistic Director, Nicole Haran managed to bring us the most exciting reading series we've produced to date! Together, they gave us a line up of incredibly talented playwrights, emerging and established.

Featured playwrights: Kristoffer Diaz, Jose Rivera, Mike Reiss, Jason Furlani, Lucy Boyle (ENSEMBLE MEMEBER), Kyle Bradstreet and students of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, NY. Readings were directed by Nicole Haran, Tea Alagic, Heidi Hendlesman, Deborah Kampmeier, and Pamela Seiderman.

the readings featured Ensemble Members with Special Guests:

Lisa Anderson, Jeremy Brena, Jason Beaubien, Michelle Beck, Anna Chlumsky, Lynn Cohen, Ronald Cohen, Mark G. Cisneros, Audrey Esparza, Charles Everett, Gabe Fazio, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Susannah Flood, Dan Graff, John Gazzale, Patrizia Hernandez, Luca Pierucci, Therese Plaehn, Francisco Solorzano, John Ventimiglia, Jennie West, Christopher Whalen, Ian White, Sally Wingert and more...

The reading series allowed us to focus on our mission of fostering new playwrights and their work during their process of writing and developing a new work. You'll be seeing more of these works soon!

Special thanks to all of our MUSICIANS who really gave us an incredible time at The Cherry Lane Theatre every night after each reading...

Literary Manager / Acting Ensemble Member, Therese Plaehn is currently working with Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano & Co-Artistic Director, Nicole Haran on our 3rd Annual bareNaked Reading Series as well as our Workshop Series.

Pictured: top - Kristoffer Diaz' F**KING VIGWAN featuring T. Ryder Smith, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Francisco Solorzano, Therese Plaehn, Daniel Graff, Michelle Beck, Jennie West, Jeremy Brena, Jason Beaubien, Ian Kerch, and Patrizia Hernandez.

below - Caitlin Fitzgerald and Patrizia Hernandez with playwright Kristoffer Diaz.

12th SEASON REVIEW (a look back)...CELEBRATIONS/FALL 2010

During preparation for our Fall Production and putting together our final line-up for our 2010-2011 SEASON, we found a few moments to enjoy some down time with friends, family, drinks and plane ole celebrations!!!

SMASHED, which featured new works took place at The Sackett in Parkslope, Brooklyn. We enjoyed the setting so much that we ventured back a month later on October 24th to simply celebrate the year to come. Special thanks to Michael and Ann Ragolia for allowing us to take shop at The Sackett. The Barefoot Theatre Company met there and discussed future plans and goals beyond the Season...

Soon after the Toast to 2010-2011 SEASON, Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano returned to the West Coast to meet up with Ensemble Members, Christopher Whalen, Joseph Sousa, Jessica Langer, Cristina Fernandez, Will Allen, Alona Dadiani, Dedra McCord-Ware and Danelle Eliav for the WEST COAST celebration and sneak peek of our Spring Production, Teeth Of the Sons. Ensemble Members, Joseph Sousa and Will Allen read an except for a large audience in the beautiful loft, HIGH-LITE located in the heart of Downtown, Los Angeles. The event was an overall success. We raised a good amount of money for our Spring production.

So, while Ensemble Member, Victoria Malvagno was in Brooklyn, New York rehearsing for our Fall production, several of us were preparing for the Spring production with the event on the West Coast in Los Angeles. Additionally, our 2nd Annual bareNaked Reading Series was beginning to form while our new Literary Manager, Therese Plaehn began work on submissions and recruiting some of the most prolific playwrights, actors, and directors...

Thank you to all who attended our parties, who drank, ate and laughed with us before our 12th Season even began.

12th SEASON REVIEW (a look back)...SMASHED/FALL 2010

As we near our announcement of the upcoming 2011-2012 SEASON we're taking a few days to catch you up on the success of our 12th Anniversary.

To back track a little bit: before going into production for our first ever presented solo work directed by Ensemble Member, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Victoria Malvagno at The Cherry Lane Theatre - we were busy with readings, workshops and parties to help celebrate our upcoming 12th Season.

We dove head first into our BAREFOOT BAR THROWDOWN in the Birthplace of Barefoot Theatre Company, BROOKLYN! The fundraiser for our 12th Season took place at The Wicked Monk in Bayridge, Brooklyn with great success.

We were off and running with events and and presentations coming straight off our 70/70 Horovitz Project and CUNY's McCaulay Honor's College at Hunter College (where we conducted workshops on Ensemble Collaboration to over 400 Students followed by a full presentation at the gorgeous Marvin Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College of The Indian Wants The Bronx, What Strong Fences Make and Beirut Rocks which culminated with a Q&A with the playwright of plays presented, Israel Horovitz).

Soon after our end of summer fundraiser we moved quickly to bring you some works in progress with our WORKSHOP presentation, SMASHED. The Workshop Series took place at The Sackett in Parkslope, Brooklyn and featured works by Kristoffer Diaz, Jason Furlani, Kyle Bradstreet, Tim Plaehn, Joe Pintauro, Daniel Graff, Danelle Eliav, Mark von Sternberg and Kristin Wheeler. Many of these works have moved on to the next stage of their process, for example:

UPDATES:

Ensemble Members:

Daniel Graff's short play was soon featured in the L.I.C Short Play Festival followed by BTC's first annual bareNaked Reading Series, LA; Mark von Sternberg's piece was also featured in the L.I.C. Short Play Festival and featured Ensemble Member, Jeremy Brena.

Resident playwrights:

Tim Plaehn's short play turned into a full-lengthplay that was then featured in the bareNaked Reading Series, LA followed by a fully staged workshop presentation at The Cherry Lane Theatre for our bareNaked Workshop Series.

Barefoot Family Members collaborations:

continued as we presented full-length plays of Kristoffer Diaz, Jason Furlani, and Kyle Bradstreet in our 2nd Annual bareNaked Reading Series which took place at The Cherry Lane Theatre; Kristin Wheeler's short play was adapted by the playwright into a film and recently wrapped on production. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!!

The presentation at The Sackett, owned and operated by Michael and Ann Ragolia provided us with the opportunity to present new and exciting works in an intimate site, specific environment filled with drinks, music, friends and family. It was another successful collaborative process which allowed us to explore theatrical works with a high level of story telling and rich characters. The audiences' feedback was truly incredible and definitely an important tool in our development process for new works. Creating a safe environment for constructive criticism where playwright, director and actors actually hear the audiences response (both during and after the process) is a key element in our growth as an ensemble. It's all about the work and the process it takes to create some of the most exhilarating and thought provoking pieces of theater we have to offer.

The evening was directed by Co-Artistic Director / Co-Founder, Nicole Haran, LAByrinth Theater Company member, Brian Roff, John Hurley, BTC Ensemble Members, Luke Leonard, Francisco Solorzano, and family member, Kristin Wheeler.

The Cast featured: Ensemble Members, Jeremy Brena, Charles Everett, Samantha Fontana, Thomas James Lombardo, Daniel Graff, Francisco Solorzano, Therese Plaehn, Jennie West Mark G. Cisneros with special guests, Lisa Anderson, Ian Kerch, Kristen Wheeler, Andrew McLarty, and Douglas Taurel.

Next Up: a look back at our Sneak Peek at Spring Production presentation / benefit in Downtown, Los Angeles, November 2010.

12th SEASON REVIEW (a look back)...FALL PRODUCTION.

Over the next couple weeks we will give you a glimpse into the process and productions featured in our 12th Anniversary Season. We're very excited about our upcoming year but before we get into announcements, we'd like to take a look back and move forward with an incredible sense of accomplishment and success.

Our 12th Anniversary Season kicked off with some major parties, fundraisers and collaborations. Our very own Co-Founder and Managing Director, Victoria Malvagno, continued her collaboration on Montalto's Emergency Used Candles. Malvagno first directed the performance piece presented as part of the Emerging Playwright's Festival. This solo piece has been in development with the Barefoot Theatre Company since early 2009. The play had its first ever public reading under the development and producing team of BTC as part of our bareNaked Reading Series in conjunction with our 70/70 Horovitz Project in May of 2009.

SYNOPSIS:

'Emergency Used Candles is a tale set in Brooklyn about the profound effect a grandfather and his granddaughter have on each other as one's life is ending while the other's is just beginning. Written and performed by Chiara Montalto,'Emergency Used Candles is based on the playwright's own experience growing up as a caretaker to her grandfather."

Committing to our mission of fostering playwrights and new works, we continued to contribute our time, talents, fundraising efforts, and audiences to this solo piece in order to bring it to it's fullest potential. It seemed obvious for us to move forward and present a staged version of this new script as part of our Workshop Series after the success of the bareNaked presentation. We were able continue the development process at one of our artistic homes, the American Ballroom Theatre with the Workshop Series. The event was presented with free drinks as well as some live dancing!!! A success all around!!!

Immediately following the Workshop presentation, the core team began work on supporting and encouraging Ms. Montalto to submit her work to other festivals and theater companies but Malvagno saw something that was very much a part of Barefoot Theatre Company. What Malvagno saw was the potential to take an artistic risk and direct a theatrical, solo performance driven with fire and passion as seen in the works of and by John Leguizamo, Anna Deavere Smith and Chazz Palminteri.

Prior to this development process and production of Emergency Used Candles, Barefoot Theatre Company was best known for works that included ensembles of at least 12 actors and sometimes as large as 19 and 28. So, a solo piece was definitely an artistic risk but Malvagno was ready to take us on a journey that would live up to our mission and objectives.

As our working relationship with The Cherry Lane Theatre began to flourish, the timing seemed right to present a full production in their Studio Theatre located in the historic building on Commerce Stree / Cherry Lane. We immediately went into preproduction in the summer of 2010 in preparation for the Fall 2010 opening of Emergency Used Candles to be directed by Victoria Malvagno.

Our Fall Production (presented in November) was a success, audiences of all ages came out to show their support and the final two performances, with full houses and no standing room available proved we did our job. Another highlight: Director, Malvagno made her Off-Broadway directorial debut and found her collaborative counter part in the likes of Lequizamo, Palmintari and Smith with understudy, Samantha Fontana. Since their work on Montalto's Emergency Used Candles, Malvagno and Fontana have been fast at work on a new work that will be sure to keep you laughing long after the lights have gone out.

The 2nd Annual bareNaked Reading Series was featured during dark nights in November with works by acclaimed playwrights, Lucy Boyle, Jose Rivera, Kristoffer Diaz, Jason Furlani, Mike Reiss, Kyle Bradstreet, allowing us to establish working relationships with some of the best collaborators around - more to follow on that experience in our next blog entry.

"Choose good partners and partners who complement your skill set. I've had so many great partnerships and the most fruitful have been with people who have been able to expand my knowledge and experience and for whom I believe I've been able to do a similar thing. It's great to have someone to bounce ideas off of before you have to say them out loud to the world." - Anne Carey (Producer)

pictured: top - EUC production poster designed by F. Solorzano.

bottom - Samantha Fontana & Victoria Malvagno during the Red-Carpet Opening Night of Joseph Sousa's Teeth Of The Sons at The Cherry Lane Theatre this past Spring.

Stay tuned for more highlights from this year's productions and events including our presentation of Horovitz's Sins Of The Mother featuring Chris Cooper, Ethan Hawke, Michael Stuhlbarg and Barefoot Theatre Company's Producing Artistic Director, Francisco Solorzano.