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Gun Control Action Program, January 26 2013

NoPassport Theatre Alliance & Press    force/collision   Theatre J    Twinbiz

                                                                                                       Present

 GUN CONTROL THEATRE ACTION

Saturday January 26, 2013

Theatre J

Gonda Theatre, Georgetown University

Directed by force/collision

 

ORDER OF PIECES:

            The Wake by Caridad Svich

            Hello, My Name is Joe by Amina Henry

            Rand by Jennifer Maisel

            Gun Play by OIiver Mayer

            Cecily by Neil LaBute

            Happiness by Chiori Miyagawa

            Change by Elaine Avila

            See Dick and Jane Get Ready for School by Gary Winter

            Right After Virginia Tech  by Laura Zam

            Electric Midnight Emergency Call by Lynn Manning

            The Next Time by Cecilia Copeland

            What Are We Going to Do About Little Brother? by Zac Kline

            A Poem for Sandy Hook by August (Gus) Schulenberg 

DRAMATURGY NOTE:

Artists must react. Artists must react to the world around them to be fully engaged as artists and citizens. They must react to what they see in the world that inspires beauty, and also what troubles them, what makes them questions, what makes them want to effect change and makes them want to seek out a dialogue with others. The artist’s responsibility is not to answer questions, but surely to ask them. Today we are asking questions, today we are engaging in that dialogue. Gun control is a serious topic not only in this county, but around the world. NoPassport Theatre Alliance and Press (Caridad Svich, founder) in collaboration with Theatre J, force/collision and Twinbiz put out a call for new writing about gun control. We received over a hundred submissions from playwrights, poets and theatre-makers of all regard with vibrant and important reactions to the recent events in Newton, Auora and the continued conversation and debate about guns in America and across the globe.  The pieces you will hear today represent just a small fraction of the writing we wish we could share, but also represent a vibrant first step in the conversation.  The conversation about gun control must be had. It must be had in our capitols, in our schools, in our town squares, in our churches and mosques and synagogues, and in the lobby of our theatres. We ask you to watch the plays this afternoon and enjoy, but also ask you to engage with us in this crucial dialogue. Some pieces are calls to action, some are calls to question, some are prayers, but all are part of conversation that we must be having and have too long ignored.

                                                                                                                                Zac Kline

                                                                                                                                NoPassport Dramaturge

COMPANY:

Frank Britton is a native Washingtonian, alumnus and faculty member of the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, and a two-time Helen Hayes Award nominee in the category of Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play, and is currently appearing in The Minotaur (Rorschach Theatre). Recent appearances include Shape (DC World Premiere and NYC Premiere at La MaMa ETC--force/collision, Core Ensemble/founding member); Marathon '33 (The American Century Theater); The Bacchae, Les Justes (WSC Avant Bard--Acting Company Member--nearly a dozen productions, including the titular role in Richard III); and has also appeared in productions with many area theatres including Arena Stage, Round House Theatre, Synetic Theater, Theater Alliance, SCENA Theatre, Constellation Theatre Co., Forum Theatre, Spooky Action Theater, and regionally with the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and Baltimore Shakespeare Festival. Many, many thanks to Caridad and all involved.

Sarah Elizabeth Ewing, a force/collision member, has trained in Washington DC and Los Angeles. Through her work with force/collision and The Rude Guerrilla Theater Company (Orange County, CA) she has been fortunate to perform in the world and US premiers of The Nautical Yards (Ensemble), The Sacred Geometry of S&M Porn (Margaret), and San Diego (Amy). Regional credits include: NYC: Shape (Ensemble); LA/OC: HAMLETMACHINE (Hanged Woman), The Municipal Abattoir (The Girl), The Gift (Janie), Bus Stop (Elma), and A Lie of the Mind (Sally).

Dexter Hamlett, in 2012 appeared in Eric Ehn's, Shape, produced by Force Collision at La Mamma ECT. As well as Factory 449.s The Ice Child, an urban horror, and a fortunate trip to London to work for the first time in 30 years with Isolte Avila and David Bower in, Signdance Collective's, New Gold.  He began the year working on the Heritage O’Neill, Moon for the Misbegotten as Phil Hogan. The body of his work on the west coast, he studied theater at Cal Arts and is truly mad.

Mark Krawczyk is an actor, a teacher, and an advocate for gun control. You can learn more about him at www.markkrawczyk.weebly.com.

Jocelyn Kuritzky has performed in and/or developed shows with 13P, PS 122, The Chocolate Factory, Clubbed Thumb, Dixon Place, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Greenpoint Division, HERE Arts Center, La MaMa E.T.C., the Lark Play Development Center, Les Freres Corbusier, Little Theatre, MCC Theater, the Museum of Modern Art, New Dramatists, New Georges, The New Group, New York Stage and Film, New York Theatre Workshop, Page 22, Primary Stages, The Public, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Red Bull Theater, Shelby Company, Soho Rep., SPACE on Ryder Farm, Target Margin, & Working Theater. She also performs regularly with her critically acclaimed theater company, Woodshed Collective, where she is a core member and the actor in residence. Her film credits include Peace After Marriage, opposite Louise Lasser, and The Girl Next Door. She has assisted directors Trip Cullman, Kip Fagan, Carl Forsman, Will Frears, Victor Maog, Ian Morgan, John Gould Rubin, & Michael Sexton, as well as collaborated with musician Duncan Sheik. www.jocelynkuritsky.com

John Moletress is founding director of force/ collision. OFF-OFF BROADWAY: La MaMa ETC: Shape. REGIONAL: Stages Repertory Theatre: Mistakes Were Made; Steel River Playhouse: Pippin; The Crucible. DC AREA: The Nautical Yards, Magnificent Waste (World Premiere), The Saint Plays, Airswimming, 4.48 Psychosis (Capital Fringe Festival Award winner), What A Stranger May Know, Collapsing Silence, Foreign Tongue (World Premiere). OTHER: Founding Director, force/collision; Co-Founder of Helen Hayes Awards' John Aniello Award winning Factory 449; Kennedy Center/American College Theatre. Festival educator/respondent; 2012 Mayor's Arts Award finalist; JohnMoletress.com

Karin Rosnizeck is a founding member force/ collision and performed in SHAPE and The Nautical Yards. Other roles: Magdalena Sanger (Marathon ’33), Nanni (The Ice Child with Factory 449), Mrs. Winsley/ Nurse in Stop Kiss, title role in The Gnädiges Fräulein, Countess Geschwitz in Lulu, Camille Claudel in The Sculptress.  She will next appear in the silliest play ever written - The Little Theatre of the Green Goose -with Ambassador Theater.  Karin has also worked as dialect coach and script consultant for German plays (Studio Theater, Theater J) and translated Cold Country by Swiss playwright Reto Finger for Zeitgeist. She holds an M.A. in English and French literature and believes in soft power.

Sue Jin Song is a founding member of force/collision. She has numerous film, television, and theatrical credits (locally and regionally). She received her MFA in acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Sue Jin is gratified to be taking part in this evening's readings. It's nights like this that made her want to be an artist. She hopes this night brings healing, provokes thought, strengthens community, and inspires action. These deaths will not be in vain.

Howard Wahlberg is a former Director of Marketing for Arena Stage. Selected previous credits: No Rules Theatre Company’s Stop Kiss, directed by Holly Twyford, and Suicide, Incorporated; The Gaming Table (u/s, Folger Theatre), Time Stands Still (u/s Studio Theatre), Cry for the Gods, (Capital Fringe Festival). Howard studied the Meisner technique with Kathryn Gately at Mason Gross School of the Arts, as well as improvisation, pantomime, and clowning with Tanya Belov, Ronlin Foreman, Steve Smith, Glen “Frosty” Little, and Lou Jacobs at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College.

Laura Zam Laura Zam is a writer/performer specializing in one-person plays. Venues: The Public Theater, EST, Woolly Mammoth, and others nationally and internationally. Her newest play Married Sex was recently commissioned by Theater J. Awards include Tennessee Williams Fellowship, Soros Foundation grant, and Artist Fellowship (DCCAH). Laura has published in Time Out, Velvet Magazine, and Monologues for Women, by Women II, among others. She’s also worked with trauma survivors all over the world, including teens from the Middle East and wounded veterans. She has an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Brown University. LauraZam.com.

Rachel Zampelli is an actress based in Washington, DC. Her most recent work includes Dying City (Signature Theatre) and Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson (The Studio Theatre 2ndStage). Rachel received her BA in Theater at Santa Clara University. She is looking forward to finishing up this season at Signature Theatre playing Meg in Beth Henley's Crimes of the Heart, directed by Aaron Posner and Marta in Stephen Sondheim's Company, directed by Eric Schaeffer.

SPECIAL THANKS:

Ari Roth, Theatre J staff, Georgetown University, Dr. Derek Goldman, Dept. of Theater and Performance Studies, Toby Clark,  Associate Director of Programs,  Dept. of Theater and Performance Studies, Dept. of Theater and Performance studies staff,  Molly Smith, Suzanne Blue Star Boy, Tony Adams and all the wonderful authors who contributed pieces to Gun Control Theatre Action.

PLEASE CONDISDER:

Please give a listen to another artist’s response to the tragedy in Newton, ABC’s in Heaven by Carla Gordon and Wayne Richard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nLet4FwuWw