Phase 3 Productions

Rhythm of Revenge honored at Pittsburgh New Works Festival Gala

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:27:00 +0000

Maggie Mayer (left) and Delilah Brewer-Picart (right)

The cast and crew of Rhythm of Revenge were reunited at the Pittsburgh New Works Festival's Gala. The Gala celebrates the work of all of the talented artists who make the New Works Festival possible. Phase 3 is honored to be part of the festival and offers most sincere congratulations to all of the Donna Award nominees and winners.

Phase 3's production, Rhythm of Revenge was nominated in every category for which it was eligible. Congratulations to Phase 3's nominees Bria Walker and Liz Roberts for their performances as Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Playwright Kathleen Conner Combass was nominated as Best Playwright for her excellent script and Dek Ingraham was nominated for his direction. The show itself was nominated for Best Production.

It is with great pleasure and pride that Phase 3 congratulates our 2010 Pittsburgh New Works Donna Award winners, Maggie Mayer as Best Leading Actress for her courageous portrayal of "Barbara" and Delilah Brewer-Picart for her lithe and loving turn as "Minona".

This show was an amazing experience for everyone involved. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of it!

Dress, tech, AAAH!

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:07:00 +0000

Thoughts from the cast of Rhythm of Revenge

We were finally at the Father Ryan Arts Center Monday night. The dressing room was rich with excitement and sweets. Cloth was wrapped, hot rollers set. In costume and with props, we, a cast of 8 women, were called to the stage. As the theatre manager explained the basic rules of the house, I looked out to the empty audience. I have been fortunate enough to perform on many different stages, literally and figuratively, and I always prefer small intimate "black box" theaters. Dramatic arts are meant to thrill three of the five senses. Plays and musicals are suppose to stir emotion within you and take you in, for a small bit of time, then thrust you back to reality. You should want to reach out your hand and touch the experience.

After our run-thru, a few cast members were very concerned. "What can we do to bring it up more?" This is the beauty and magic of Dress/Tech. Its the first time in costume, with lights and sound. Its the first time in the space of the stage, and she is an energy unto herself. Like a first date, you must know your boundaries and be willing to risk crossing them. You must be respectful, and remember to laugh at yourself. (We MUST laugh as a cast, otherwise we might take on horrible addictions.) And you should enjoy the moment you are there, because it will be over before you know it.

10 days to open!

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:01:00 +0000

Delilah Brewer-Picart

Actor, "Minona"

Since the content of the play is so deep and heavy, as a cast we make a conscious choice to laugh before every rehearsal. A critical prop was introduced and the dark humor flew. I believe its a true nod to how far we have come as a society to look upon such an ugly representation of the collective American past and laugh out loud. A friend asked me how was work. Its rehearsal, I corrected, and its PLAY. Only in theatre can you portray such ugly and enlightening characters, and then break bread. The cast brings such a wonderful energy, wise and naive, young and seasoned. I am eager to what opening night will bring!

Rhythm of Revenge

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:55:00 +0000

First Thoughts: Rhythm of Revenge

noreply@blogger.com (Dek Ingraham) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:49:00 +0000

Thoughts about the play from director Dek Ingraham...

OK, I'll admit it...I was a more than a little bit afraid of this play when we chose it. What business does a little gay white boy from Ohio have directing a play about 8 women and a lynching of a black man that happened in Florida in the 1930s? It is textually dense, emotionally difficult and more than a little culturally uncomfortable. All the more reason that it needs to be seen.

I've had to wrestle my own demons just in the preparatory work for this show. I've had to examine racism and white privilege in ways that I have had the luxury of being oblivious to. I've come to realize that even this act of examination is a luxury afforded to me by the color of my skin. If I choose to stop looking so intensively at the issue, I can without any negative consequence. It isn't something that I have to deal with on a daily basis. I've always been able to walk into a barber shop and know that someone there will know how to cut my hair. I've never had to wonder whether I've gotten a job or lost a job because of my race or ever had to deal with coworkers who wonder about the same. I'm not asked to speak for my race in panel discussions or interviews. My good or bad behavior is not used by society to reflect upon my entire race. We live in a society where millions of people are burdened with these things everyday and the privileged, for the most part aren't even aware. The lynchings may not be as common as they once were, people of all colors can ride next to each other on a bus or use the same water fountain, but we are not even close to creating equality. The new enemy of equality doesn't wear a hood and burn crosses, it goes about its day, completely unaware of its unspoken privilege.

Ultimately, the discussions with the cast in rehearsal may be vastly more important than the final artistic product. I have been deeply affected personally and I would venture to say that many in the cast will say the same. I hope that those who see performances of this show are spurred into conversation. We aren't going to solve anything with this play--even I'm not that optimistically naive. However, we can plant a seed. Knowing that the problem exists and naming it is the first step towards correcting it. I don't have the answers. I am not speaking from a position of authority or great knowledge. I am just stumbling through and trying to make sense of it all. I suspect that I'm not alone.

Rhythm of Revenge by Kathleen Conner Combass
part of the 20th Annual Pittsburgh New Works Festival
September 23 - September 26. Thursday and Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 5 and 8pm; Sunday at 2pm
Single tickets are $10 and may be purchased online from ProArtsTickets or by calling 412.394.3353.
For a full festival schedule, visit the Pittsburgh New Works Festival website

Phase 3 Announces PNWF Play Selection

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:58:00 +0000

Phase 3 Productions is proud to announce that we will be producing Rhythm of Revenge by playwright Kathleen Conner Combass for the 20th annual Pittsburgh New Works Festival.

The July 19, 1935, lynching of Rubin Stacy was captured in a series of photographs displayed in the book Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America. One of the collected pictures exhibits four young girls and their reactions to Stacy’s hanging, bullet-ridden body. Their faces reveal what happens when innocence is continually exposed to hatred and horrifying brutality.

Rhythm of Revenge is a fictional account of the four photographed girls’ lives set twenty years into the future. Names and incidents surrounding the event are fabricated. Mary, Barbara, Grace and Abby have been reuniting every year to commemorate their participation in the spectacle lynching of a nomadic black man. This year carries more importance than the others because it marks the twentieth anniversary of the lynching. As the women begin their reunion, individuals seeking revenge interrupt their celebration.

Rhythm of Revenge will be performed during the third week of the festival. Performances are Thursday and Friday, September 23 and 24 at 8pm; Saturday, September 25 at 5 and 8pm; and Sunday, September 26 at 2pm. For a full festival schedule, please visit www.pittsburghnewworks.org/on-stage/.

For more information, including audition registration and ticket sales, please visit the Pittsburgh New Works Festival web site at www.pittsburghnewworks.org/.

Meet the Artists: Kathleen Hagerty

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:58:00 +0000

Kathleen Hagerty has been acting in theatre and film for 7 years, beginning as a student at Penn State University. Her roles there included Gorgeanne in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Loureen in Poof!, Maria in School for Scandal, and Simone in Ataxia of the Mind (a new work by playwright Chrissy Pryor.) Kathleen moved to New York, NY after college where she studied with a number of talented acting coaches, including Ragnar Freidank, instructor at Colombia University and director of the award winning short film Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn. While in New York, Kathleen added to her acting credits the roles of Amiens in As You Like It and Flavius in Julius Caesar, along with several small parts in films and commercials. One of her first roles when she returned to Pittsburgh was Jess in the full-length independent feature Invisible Cities, written and directed by Squirrel Hill native Ian Wolfson. She also has performed many times under the direction of Sean O’Donnell at The New Olde Bank Theatre in Verona. Her roles there include Nelly Windrod in The Rimers of Eldritch, assorted roles in A Night of Female Monologues, Leader of the Old Woman Chorus in Lysistrata, and Young Mona in Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. She is thrilled to be working with Ms. Grande and the entire cast and crew of Lion in the Streets.

Meet the Artists: Sheridan Singleton

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:26:00 +0000

Sheridan Singleton is extremely excited and pleased to be appearing in a Phase 3 Production. She is currently a junior at Point Park University where she is pursuing a B.A in Acting. She would like to thank God and her parents for allowing her to be here and giving her support. She would also like to thank her teachers at Point Park University for the excellent training she has and continues to receive, as well as the director, cast, and crew of Lion in the Streets. Finally, she thanks her supportive friends and her Pittsburgh Family for being just about the greatest people ever.

Meet the Artists: Jocelyn Snyder

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:21:00 +0000

Jocelyn Snyder is thrilled to be working with P3P! She is a native Pittsburgher and holds a B.A. in musical theater from Point Park University. When she is not on the stage, Jocelyn is a sultry jazz singer, an extremely new member of the Irony City Improv Troupe, and plays the part of “waitress” at Pamela’s diner. She’d like to thank Melissa for this amazing opportunity, Rachel for all her help, and the cast for their talent and eccentricities. She dedicates this performance to Mary Catherine.

Meet the Artists: Allison Scarlet Jaye

noreply@blogger.com (Dek Ingraham) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:59:00 +0000

Allison Scarlet Jaye is an actor, writer, playwright, singer/songwriter and University of Pittsburgh alum. With artistic roots in California, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and New York, Allison has carried major roles in Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tales of the Lost Formicans, The Vagina Monologues, new works in Pittsburgh and the New York City Fringe Festival. Her own plays have been produced bi-coastally, and her first album, “daughter of a gypsy psycho,” was released in 2006. She is excited to make her Phase3 debut with such a generous and talented cast and crew, and sends the deepest love and thanks to her friends and family.

Meet the Artists: Adam Pribila

noreply@blogger.com (Dek Ingraham) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:46:00 +0000

Adam Pribila is excited to be a part of Lion in the Streets. NYC: Heads of State (Giancarlo) at The Access Theatre, The Lion in Winter (Philip) at The Bleeker Street Theatre. REGIONAL: Rock n Roll (Piper) at The Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, Romeo and Juliet (Romeo) and Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick) with Shakespeare Theatre of Northern Virginia, Thoroughly Modern Millie (Bun Foo), Little Me (Yulnick), Evita (Ensemble, Person u/s) with Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre. In Pittsburgh you may have seen Adam in Prime Stage's recent production of Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio), Open Stage's The Mineola Twins (Kenny/Ben) or The Theatre Factory's Songs for a New World (Man 2). TRAINING: B.F.A. in Acting, Shenandoah Conservatory.

Meet the Artists: Eric Davidson

noreply@blogger.com (Dek Ingraham) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:41:00 +0000

Eric James Davidson is a Pittsburgh native with a BA in Theatre from Messiah College. He is excited to be making his Phase 3 debut. His most recent productions include Titanic (Etches), Love's Labour's Lost (Dumaine) and Romeo and Juliet(Tybalt/Paris). He is also currently pursuing his MAT and teaching certification in Special Ed while working with special needs kids. It is a very busy life, but I have a great support team.

You're the Critic: The Fantasticks

noreply@blogger.com (Dek Ingraham) — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:15:00 +0000

We've spent the last month telling you all about our production of The Fantasticks. Now we want to hear from YOU!

Did you love it? hate it? Let us know! Leave us a comment below.

The Opening Night of The Fantasticks, 50 Years Later - Playbill.com

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:05:00 +0000

The Opening Night of The Fantasticks, 50 Years Later - Playbill.com

The Fantasticks - A Great Show, A Great Investment!

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:16:00 +0000

‘Fantasticks’ Pays Back for 50 Years
Michael Falco for The New York Times
Read the original story in The New York Times here

Published: May 2, 2010
The American economy was in recession, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was yo-yo-ing in the 600s when Marjorie and Malcolm Gray found a new investment to offset a battering in the stock market. It was the spring of 1960, and after dropping by a neighbor’s home on Long Island to hear a couple of hopeful musicians play songs from their new Off Broadway musical, “The Fantasticks,” the Grays bought a stake in the show for $330.

The other day, 50 years later, Ms. Gray. now a widow, received her latest dividend from the musical, a $200 check in return for that stake. She has earned about $80,000 so far on the original $330 investment, or an average of $1,600 a year since 1960. And she will continue to receive money until 2020 because of the investment terms for the original production, which ran a record-setting 42 years at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village.

Investors or their heirs will make money from all “Fantasticks” shows — including a current revival Off Broadway and a forthcoming run in London — for 18 years following the final performance of the original show, which took place in 2002. The 18-year period is not unusual (though 10 years is more typical today). What has turned “The Fantasticks” into an extraordinary legacy for the investors, many of whom are now in their 80s and 90s, was the longevity of the 1960 production, the 50th anniversary of which will be celebrated by the surviving investors on Monday.

“We would’ve just been happy to earn our $330 back and get free tickets to a couple of performances,” said Ms. Gray, who is 80. “But the ‘Fantasticks’ money helped put our three children through college and paid for trips to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Israel. It’s certainly been handy to have around for 50 years.”

While these investors will never earn as many dollars as those who made much bigger bets on blockbuster musicals like “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Wicked” with much higher ticket prices, “Fantasticks” backers will still most likely enjoy a more sizable profit in percentage terms: accountants for the show estimated their total return at about 24,000 percent since 1960.

Requiring only a two-member band and the barest of sets, the musical is inexpensive to produce, and “The Fantasticks” is one of the most widely produced in the world, with more than 11,000 productions to date in 3,000 cities and town in all 50 states, as well as in 67 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. The original investors make money off of each of these productions.

“These investors hit a gusher,” said Charles H. Googe Jr., the chairman of the entertainment department at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, who often works on theater contracts but is not involved with “The Fantasticks.”

“A lot of money is being made on ‘Phantom’ and ‘Wicked,’ but it may never reach the profit margin of ‘The Fantasticks’ because they are such big and expensive productions whose costs eat up profits,” Mr. Googe said. “ ‘Wicked’ could run as long as ‘The Fantasticks’ and pay its investors back handsomely, but it’s hard to imagine a rate of return ever again like this. Inexpensive, popular shows like ‘The Fantasticks,’ ‘Stomp’ and ‘Nunsense’ have proved to be unexpectedly good investments.”

Over the 50 years an investor in the S&P 500 who reinvested dividends (and did not pay brokerage or other fees) would have earned 9.8 percent a year before taxes. On a $330 investment, that would amount to almost $35,000. A “Fantasticks” investor who simply cashed every check and put the money in a mattress would now have $80,000, a return of 11.6 percent a year. But if you assume that the money paid out $1,600 a year over 50 years, and that the investor did not spend the cash, but instead invested it in Treasury bills, the safest investment around, that backer would now have about $422,000, a return of 15.4 percent a year.

If $1,600 a year hardly seems like much of a windfall, several of the original investors said in interviews that their “Fantasticks” money went a longer way in, say, 1970, by which time profits from the show were steadily increasing. That year the New York City subway fare was 30 cents; the average ticket price to a Broadway show was $8; the best suit at Brooks Brothers cost about $200; a Harvard undergraduate education cost $4,070; and the median American income was $8,734.

“Money has never been incidental, especially earlier in our careers, but I certainly didn’t expect to have a steady lifetime stream of income from ‘The Fantasticks,’ ” said Donald Farber, 86, who handled legal matters for the 1960 production and helped recruit investors. (He and his wife Anne, 85, invested as well.)

“A lot of times during that first summer of the show, there would only be two or three people sitting in the audience. People kept telling us to close. Annie and I would go to the playhouse and drink five scotches apiece just to deal with our nerves about this show that we fell in love with,” said Mr. Farber, who had never invested in theater before.

The tale of young lovers torn apart by warring families, perhaps most identified with the bittersweet song “Try to Remember,” “The Fantasticks” opened on May 3, 1960, and ran for a record-setting 17,162 performances before closing in 2002. With music by Harvey Schmidt and a book and lyrics by Tom Jones, the show remains the longest-running musical in the world; the New York production of “Phantom” is not quite half its age.

Many of the original investors in the show were not experienced theater hands but rather friends and neighbors of some of the artists and executives involved in the show. (Neither Mr. Farber, the lawyer, nor the show’s accountants could say precisely how many of the show’s 52 original investors are still alive.)

It was a struggle for those “Fantasticks” executives to recruit investors for the no-name show. They held several “backer’s auditions” in New York City and on Long Island (including at the Farbers’ former home in Merrick) to raise money for the show’s $16,500 budget. A typical Off Broadway musical today, by contrast, costs more than $1 million to mount.

Ira Kapp, 86, said he became an investor out of guilt: he attended a late-night run-through rehearsal in 1960 and quickly fell asleep. The next day he told his wife, June, that he felt bad for nodding off and that the least they could do was invest.

“That’s the luckiest investment I ever made in my life,” said Mr. Kapp, who receives three checks of “Fantasticks” money each year. “I’ve made more money overall from stocks, certainly, but no investment return of ours has ever approached ‘The Fantasticks’ percentage-wise.”

Those returns have helped investors pay for first and second homes, medical emergencies and decades of gifts, they said. And the show forged a special bond between some of them and their children and even grandchildren, as the investors take them to the show — which is now in its fourth year of revival Off Broadway — and they listen to the CD soundtrack together.

“My three grandkids love the show, they can hum or sing a few bars of ‘Try to Remember’ like so many people can,” said Muriel Neufeld, 90, who, with her husband, Stanley, went in on a share with three other couples for $82.50 a piece. “I’ve heard that the show has played all over the world, but it’s also a show that will run in its little way through all of the generations in my family.”

Jerry Orbach sings "Try to Remember" from "The Fantasticks"

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:14:00 +0000

Meet the Inspiration for the Show: Brian Keenan

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:26:00 +0000

Playwright Frank McGuinness has stated that the story of Irish hostage Brian Keenan was his inspiration for writing Someone Who'll Watch Over Me. Watch a video of Mr. Keenan returning to Lebanon below and keep scrolling down for more information about this remarkable man. Phase 3 Productions opens our production of the show next week!

Brian Keenan was born into a working class family in East Belfast in 1950. He left Orangefield School early and began work as a heating engineer. However, he continued an interest in literature by attending night classes and in 1970 gained a place at the New University of Ulster in Coleraine. Other writers there at that time included Gerald Dawe and Brendan Hamill. In the mid 1980s Keenan returned to the Magee College campus of the university for postgraduate study. Afterwards he accepted a teaching position at the American University of Beirut, where he worked for about 4 months.

On the morning of April 11, 1986 Keenan was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad. After spending two months in isolation, he was moved to a cell shared with the British journalist John McCarthy. He was kept blindfolded throughout most of his ordeal, and was chained hand and feet when he was taken out of solitary.

The British and American governments would not negotiate with terrorists and Keenan was effectively ignored. Because he was travelling on both British and Irish passports, the Irish government made numerous diplomatic representations for his release, working closely with the Iranian government. Throughout the kidnap they also provided support to his two sisters, Elaine Spence and Brenda Gillham, who were spearheading the campaign for Brian's release. He was released from captivity to Syrian military forces on August 24,1990 and was driven to Damascus. There he was handed over by the Syrian Foreign Ministry to the care of Irish Ambassador, Declan Connolly. His sisters were flown by Irish Government executive jet to Damascus to meet him and bring him home to Northern Ireland. He now lives in Dublin.

He returned to Beirut for the first time since being released 17 years later, and described "falling in love" with the city.

Meet the Artists: Dek Ingraham

noreply@blogger.com (Dek Ingraham) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:40:00 +0000

Well, I can start by saying that it’s a real pleasure to be directed by Lisa Grande again! Some of my favorite experiences in the theatre were shows directed by her. I was her student at Marietta College and her collaborative directing style has heavily influenced my own when I’m sitting in the big chair. This is the first time that I’ve gotten to act with her since moving to Pittsburgh in 2005, so I’m really happy to be in this show!

Lisa is the person who first introduced this amazing little play to me about 10 years ago when I was a student in her Irish Drama class. When she brought it up as a possibility for this season, I was excited to rediscover this gem of a script. At first, I was a little bit afraid that the play was a bit of a “museum piece” since it is set in such a specific time, but as I read it again, I discovered just how timeless this play really is. The relationships between the three characters are incredibly realistic. It has just as much to say about the kinds of love and friendship that exist between adult men as it does about the nature of violence. It is an incredibly complex play that is absolutely effortless for an audience to feel and comprehend in performance. The more time that I spend with it, the more of a masterpiece of Irish drama I find it to be.

The rehearsal process itself has been a ton of fun. Ricky and Rich are great to work with onstage. Lisa and Cory are really insightful and keep the spirit of rehearsal light—much needed when working on a play with such strong emotional investments! Sometimes we devolve into giggling like 14 year old boys with some pretty inappropriate comments, but it’s all part of finding our relationships as artists and funneling that into our relationships as characters. Who ever thought that being chained to a wall could be this much fun? That’s part of the magic of this play. There is such joy found in such misery. It says volumes about the human condition without ever getting preachy or wallowing in self indulgence. The story is told with such dignity and humor that it really is impossible to resist.

Well, it will be great to get back at rehearsal after our week hiatus thanks to Snomageddon. I hope you’ll join us for this very special show!

--Dek Ingraham, Actor (Edward)

First Thoughts: Someone Who'll Watch Over

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:49:00 +0000

I recently sat in on a read through of Someone Who'll Watch Over Me. One of my first thoughts was that it was surprisingly funny. As Production Manger for Phase 3 Productions, my job at these rehearsals isn't to be entertained. I'm there to make sure that we aren't missing a prop, the actors aren't going to hurt themselves by tripping over the set and that nothing violates the fire code. My job is the nuts and bolts (and lights and speakers and backstage crew) of putting on a show. I was distracted from that by jokes the characters make. They poke fun at movies, quip about stereotypes and genuinely earn some laughs. They do it while chained to a wall. The humor was unexpected.

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me isn't a typical show though.

Frank McGuinness doesn't give us the typical narrative. There are no villains. Even the easy answer, making the terrorist holding these three men hostage into villains, never happens. These terrorist are as unseen as any person who might rescue the hostages. That brings up the next point: there aren't any heroeseither. Even the three hostage aren't heroes. Sometimes the situation gets to them and they say things that hurt each other. They get angry or scared. They give in to despair. They break down. What Someone Who'll Watch Over Me gives us is real people.

That reality is the ultimate strength of the show. We care about these characters because they are real. We care about how they will survive because these men could be anyone we meet on the street. They had lives before being chained to a wall in Lebanon. That life included mistakes, selfish choices and annoying personality traits. Michael admits to being a 'sanctimonious prig.' Edward is an absent father and cheating husband. Adam came to Lebanon to study the victims of war but not really help them. All three of them have wonderful things about them too. Michael loves his mother. Edward has wit and energy. Adam can calm the other two when they start giving up. They tell each other stories to entertain. Thy sing songs. In the middle of horrific conditions, Adam, Edward and Michael struggle retain there sanity and some something of their humanity. They even tell jokes.

That's what I love about Phase 3 Productions. My job is to make the theatre happen. The theatre that Phase 3 Productions makes is worth it.

-J.R. Shaw

Production Manager

Getting Some Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Dek Ingraham) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:05:00 +0000

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness (opening Feb. 27) is a fictionalized story of the hostage crisis in Lebanon that began in the mid-1980s. Over the next few weeks, Phase 3 will be trying to put this play into perspective by giving you a glimpse at the events that inspired it.

Lebanon Hostage Crisis

The Lebanon hostage crisis refers to the systematic kidnapping in Lebanon of 96 foreign hostages of 21 national origins - mostly... more

Start date: 1982

Get one for any topic!

Casting Alert: The Rage of the Stage Players

noreply@blogger.com (Dek Ingraham) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Physical, Thin, Lithe Male Performer Sought ASAP for Great Creature Role in Original, Dark Monologue Show

The Rage of the Stage Players, a Pittsburgh-based theatre group dedicated to alternative and offbeat stage productions including horror, mature fantasy, and dark comedy (and who recently brought you our warped fairy tales Alice’s Adventures in “Wonderland” and Dorothy in Oz), is currently seeking a lithe and very physical performer with a knack for characterization to join our original monologue show slated for late May/early June. The show features bizarre monologues which are comedic, graphic, horrific, eerie, and just plain strange.
The show will feature an ensemble cast of highly adaptable actors and actresses. Physicality, open-mindedness, and a strong sense of creativity are all absolutely essential. We welcome any and all (from Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas only, please) who are intrigued, willing to work, and comfortable with themselves.

Please note that this is NOT a production for the easily offended. It often features harsh themes including violence and sexual overtones...clearly not appropriate for all audiences, or anyone who is sensitive to controversial material. However, if you've been looking for something different, you enjoy dark and irreverent humor, and you'd like to be a part of an original stage production, this may just be your chance! This particular male role also involves INTENSE character/sfx makeup, so if you have an aversion to that, this isn’t for you. If you like monsters though, this is a great opportunity.

Rehearsals will be very sporadic throughout the coming months and will take place in the South Park area outside of Pittsburgh. It is not an intense time commitment as these monologues are not very long. Please note that we are a voluntary, not-for-profit organization, and all roles are NON-PAID.

If your interest is piqued, please email a headshot (or recent/clear photo), as well as accurate physical stats (important), and an acting resume, to rageofthestage@yahoo.com. More details on the specific role may also be given at this time. Auditions will take place on an individual basis, once an actor's physical stats and experience are found to match our needs. Auditions are by appointment, in the South Hills area.
For more information on our company, and photos from past productions, please go to http://www.myspace.com/rageofthestage

Behind the Scenes: Rehearsal

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Watch the cast create a moment in Roberto Zucco.

Fight Night

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:46:00 +0000

Check out some behind-the-scenes footage from Fight Director Tonya Lynn's rehearsal with the cast of Roberto Zucco!

Meet the Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:01:00 +0000

Meet the artists working to bring Roberto Zucco to the stage! Today, meet actor Jamisa Spalding. Watch this space to meet them all!

Meet Jamisa

Originally from Louisville,KY, Jamisa Spalding is currently a Senior Acting major at Point Park University. Previous works include Ora in Diane’s Heart at Kuntu Repertory Theatre directed by Dr. Vernell Lillie and she was featured in Juneteenth Legacy Theatre’s Performance of Lifted: A musical.

-This is an amazing piece of art that slaps the audience in the face with it unadulterated realness. The whole concept of the play is to take anyone for a wild ride. I am very honored and pleased to be working with Dek. He is a genius and it will be interesting to see the reaction that the audience has to every character. Every person can relate to the situations that the play offers, even though some are extreme archetypes, the text can’t help but to carry so much weight with people. They will leave the theatre feeling pity and fear for every character that they encounter.

Meet the Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Phase 3 Productions) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Meet the artists bringing Roberto Zucco to the stage. Today, meet actor Matt McNear. Watch this space for more artist bios and behind-the-scenes information!

Meet Matt

Matt McNear recieved his B.A. in Theatre from Slippery Rock University in 2008. Most recent credits include Jonathan Turino in The Margins, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 08, the title role in Macbeth at SRU last spring, and the voice of Audrey II in SRU's production of Little Shop of Horrors.

-It's great to be working on this piece with such a talented group. I look forward to feeling the reaction of our audiences when they're confronted with the world we're creating here. It's a dark place. Cruel. Relentless. The process has been rewarding thus far, and I'm thankful to Dek and the rest of the cast/crew for their support. Enjoy.