Manhattan Repertory Theatre @manhattanrep-blog - Tumblr Blog

THE PLAYWRITING WORLD HAS CHANGED!

Why you need to bring your play to life!

This past June, we produced the Full-length play THE BIGOT by Gabi and Eva Mor at Manhattan Rep as part of our play production program. We sorted through the script and made important cuts and changes with the playwright. We created clear, distinct characters and relationships, and we worked with the actors to bring those characters and relationships to life. It was an exciting, beautiful, powerful production.

Since bringing The Bigot to life in June, The Bigot has been picked up by FIVE theatres across the country for productions in 2018. In my experience I have never seen any play so successful so fast.

https://www.thebigotplay.com

Why? Because the playwrights had more than just a script. They had a fantastic video of the production (which comes as part of the Play Production Program) and they had articles and notices about the play. The play developed an online vibe which was palpable for the production was so good.

A play is a three dimensional experience, so why are you trying to sell your plays with one dimensional scripts? You submit and send out your plays and wait and wait and wait. Why don’t you take your career seriously and bring one of your plays to life, and get your work known? Have a New York City premiere?

It is a new world out there when it comes to plays. The old submission rules don’t really apply or they TAKE FOREVER! Theatres want to know that a play has been successful, and successful in NYC is even better. Why invest in a play that has no legs? Producing costs are too expensive nowadays to risk a play from an unknown playwright, UNLESS IT HAS A VIBE ON IT, from being in a successful NYC production.

So it is time for your to bring your play to life and get it out into the world! Give it a New York City premiere! Develop a vibe on your play. Put together a short video trailer with excerpts from your play to sell your play to theatres around the country like the playwrights of THE BIGOT did. Use more than just a script to get your work out into the world. LEVERAGE YOUR PLAYWRITING POSSIBILITIES!

Life is too short not to!

So check out our Play Production program.

http://manhattanrep.com/play-production-program/

We have produced over 25 full-length and short plays for playwrights around the globe since March 2017, and we do really wonderful work!

Don’t miss this opportunity to jump start your career!

If you have any questions about our Play Production Program, please feel free to email me at [email protected].

with best regards,

Ken Wolf

Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre

WHY YOU MUST BRING YOUR PLAY TO LIFE!

A play is an experience. A live event. Energy is exchanged in real time between actors, and between actors and audience. It is a live morphing ever changing experience!

Playwrights write scripts that are someday turned into Plays. A script is turned into a play when a Playwright, Director, Designers, Technicians and Actors literally bring it to life right off the paper.

Playwright's don't write plays. They write the MAP for a Play which is then brought to life by the Director and the creative team in conjunction with the actors.

A script that has been brought to life, what we call a play, is not 1 dimensional, like a script. It is Multi-Dimensional, for it is not only in 3 dimensions but there is the emotional dimension too. A script brought to life, real life, becomes a play. And it is awesome!

This is why you NEED to bring your script to life. Life is different than on paper. Everything changes. What might look good on paper, or sound good on paper might BE HORRIBLE in reality. Things that you love about your script might seem hokey when brought to life. Relationships might seem unclear and your script when brought to life might not be that great.

Which is why as a playwright YOU MUST go through the play development process. The process of bringing your play to life! You will learn what works. You will learn what doesn't work and FIX it in real time rehearsal. And what looked so simple and perfect on paper is BIGGER, FULLER, more exciting and more fun when brought to life.

You are NOT a serious playwright until you bring one of your plays to life, even if it is just in your living room, or a Library Reading Room somewhere, but you HAVE TO BRING YOUR PLAY TO LIFE, if you hope to truly be a playwright.

But how the heck do you bring your play to life? Find some friends. Put together a scene or two and present it in your living room for other friends. Find a festival in town where you can bring your short play to life in front of a supportive audience, or even hire us, here at Manhattan Rep to bring it to life as part of our PLAY PRODUCTION PROGRAM.

http://manhattanrep.com/play-production-program/

But whatever you choose to do, you can't sit in your little office night after night simply writing scripts, sending them out as if they are finished, and pretending that you are a playwright.

Get big now. Be bold. Bring one of your plays to live in a simple self production. It is challenging and tough at times but you will learn so much and it will jumpstart your playwriting career ten fold!

THE JOY OF CUTTING!

Now you may find this hard to believe. Really hard to believe. But in my humble opinion, 90% of the plays I see and read today, (I see and read a lot of plays) whether they are short plays 10 - 20 minutes or full-length plays, 90% of all the plays can be cut at least 15% if not more. Even short plays. Yes, in a nut shell, most plays today need to be cut. And often, drastically.

Cutting dialogue and even whole scenes from your play is like giving birth. It can be painful, long and arduous, but then the cutting process is over, often, you will have a better play. But to be honest, it is really hard to do, because often, WE LIKE WHAT WE WRITE, and when WE LIKE WHAT WE WRITE, it is really hard to cut it, even if it doesn't serve your play or your creative intention.

So how do you know what serves your play?

Start with these two questions:

What is the story you are telling? (Write it out in 30 words or less.)

and

What do you want the audience to do after they see your play? (Again write it out.)

If you get clear on the story you are telling, clear on the core of your piece, you will easily see dialogue, and even whole scenes that don't serve your intention. I have read so many plays that are ALL OVER THE PLACE - yes, they are often clever, or funny, or heart-wrenching, but they are just TOO MUCH. (Like the Christopher Nolan Batman movies - come on Christopher just tell one story really well. Let's really do that Joker story!) Get clear on the core, on, as they say, the THROUGH-LINE of your story, and you will easily see what needs to be shredded.

Also if you get clear on what you want the audience to do after seeing your play, you will easily see what in your play is not leading towards that intention. Maybe you want the audience to stop being so self-centered, and become self-aware and more spiritual. Or maybe you want the audience to begin accepting others and to love more unconditionally. Or maybe you want them to start taking chances in their lives, but whatever it is, the clearer you are on what you want the audience to do, the easier it will be for you to CUT all that doesn't serve your creative intention.

When you start writing a new play, just let the creative juices fly. Knowing that you will be cutting a play drastically will let your creative imagination go wild which is what you want. Then get clear on the story and your audience intention and CUT CUT CUT.

Learning how to cut whole scenes and internal dialogue is, in my humble opinion, the most important skill you need to be a great playwright. CUT CUT CUT so that your play is concise, succinct, clear, focused and on point. You can always add stuff back in if you want, but dare to rip, shred, and CUT CUT CUT your play to uncover the amazing butterfly within.

#playwriting #Drama #Comedy #Pl #Oneactplaycompetition #plays #Fun #Cutting #shortplays #playcompetitions #New York City #theater #Theatre #Manhattan Repertory Theatre #manhattan rep #ken wolf #playwright #submissions

What’s a good idea for a play?

So you have an idea for a play? How do you know if it is any good?

Here is my litmus test for to see if an idea will hold water for the long haul:

1. Are you passionate about this idea? Does it excite you emotionally? Does it actually make you feel good - raise your adrenaline when you think about it?

Passion will fuel the creation of any play. Make sure you are passionate about your idea so it drives you.

2. Has this idea caused you to envision the entire play? Or major elements or scenes of the play? Do you find this idea following you around? Are you thinking about it a lot of the day?

If you idea is causes you to begin to obsess about it - it is a good idea!

3. Were you looking for this idea, or did this idea just fall in your lap?

Seeking ideas is fun and exciting but I find my best ideas are thrust upon me sometimes in very strange ways. An example of this was when I got the idea for New York City's first One Man One Dog show DAD AND THE DOG that we have produced on two occasions at Manhattan Rep. I was sitting with my mother and sister at a family social gathering eating and chatting with our Dog Roma in my arms. We started to talk about growing up, and somehow, we brought up how when I was 11 my father and mother had a huge fight and she took the five of us and ran away to Willow Grove, PA to live with her parents, and she left my father home in our house with our dog Missy. When we finally returned 6 weeks later, the dog was at least 20 pounds heavier and my father was different, changed somehow. That Summer, alone with Missy, was the beginning of his transformation from being a very troubled man to being incredibly selfless and crazy loving to his five kids. As I was sitting there, it hit me. "I should do a play about that Summer." And then, I looked down into my arms, and Roma stared up at me and smiled, and it hit me again "And Roma and I will star in it!" It was a scary, wonderful discovery, and I knew it was a play that needed to be created. As it turned out, we received some wonderful reviews - Roma's reviews were actually better than mine. And it was the most exciting experience I have ever had on stage. Literally hanging out with Roma, embodying my father's journey was simply amazing.

4. Is this idea important? How will it affect others? How will it affect you? This is the diesel fuel of a play. If your play idea is somehow connected to some grand message that YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE it is a good idea, and it will power you to write it to its conclusion. DAD AND THE DOG was important for it showed how even in the worst situations, we can persevere with the power of love and the connection to our creator. If your idea can affect people, go in the back door and shake up negative beliefs in people, it is a good idea.

How will it affect YOU is an important question! How will you feel when you see this play up on stage? Will it make you laugh? Will it help you heal? Now you will notice in these questions I didn't include,

"Is the idea commercial?" Bad place to start. For if you start from there, you will be writing a "commercial play" not one from your passion, and most often, IT WILL SUCK. Not the place to start. And bottomline, any good play written from the heart, dealing with an important issue about life or love or society or belief systems etc etc will probably prove to be commercial too, for a play like that becomes universal!

So is your play idea good? Start there.

#manhattanrep #manhattanrepertorytheatre #plays #@drama #comedy #play #playwriting #playwrights #create #playcreation #New York City #New York #42ndstreet

PAGE TO THE STAGE

The process of writing a play is a challenge. The process of casting directing and putting up a play is also a challenge. How the heck do you do that AND bring your vision to life? Page to the Stage is back at MANHATTAN REP. Last year we ran this amazing playwriting and production course and it was a huge and wonderful success. Five playwrights participted and brought their vision to the stage over 4 months. It was super exciting for all and what was created was remarkable. So Page to the Stage is returning to Manhattan Rep beginning Mid-DECEMBER and culminating with performances in April! If you have ever wanted to write a play and then see it come to life on 42nd St in the heart of the theatrical center of the universe, please check out what Page to the Stage has to offer. This course covers everything from how to write a compelling play to how to cast, direct, promote and ultimately, how to bring your characters and story to life! In this 72 hour, 18 week seminar, we cover it all as we do it, with hands on work, discussion as we develop your work and more. And this class is crazy fun too! Info on Page to the Stage can be found at: http://www.manhattanrep.com If you are serious about getting your vision made into REALITY, sign up for this course and go for the ride! It's time to bring your play to life! With best regards, Ken Wolf Manhattan Repertory Theatre

DEVELOPMENT - What's Next at Manhattan Rep!

A PLAY IS NOT WRITTEN.

A play is alive.

Alive.

That is one of the things that makes it different from let's say, a movie, or a painting. It is friggin' alive. Continually affected by the instant feedback of a live audience. That is the essence of the awesomeness of the theatre. It's alive!

A PLAYWRIGHT WRITES A SCRIPT.

Yes, just a script.

The script is eventually given to a director who, with set, costume, lighting designers, and actors, bring the script to life, often, but not always, with the help of a playwright. So a playwright doesn't write a play. The Playwright draws a map which the director, designers and actors interpret and bring to life on stage.

This process of interpreting a Playwright's map is called DEVELOPMENT. And a script is not a play until it goes through this process.

This past spring, I worked with four playwrights developing four short plays in a class I called "Page to the Stage." In this class, I worked with these playwrights step by step as they wrote their "scripts", and then we cast, and I, with the collaboration of the actors and the playwrights, directed and developed their scripts, transforming them into 4 amazing short plays in full production at Manhattan Rep which were quantumly richer, funnier and more dramatic than the original words on paper. It was an incredible experience for all and it illustrated the IMPORTANCE of development for playwrights.

A play is not written.

A PLAY IS A COLLABORATION OF TALENTS AND A PLAY IS ALIVE!

So I have been thinking about this a lot. And as we celebrate our 9th year on 42nd St presenting new work (August 17), moving forward we are going to be focusing more on development and how we can help more playwrights get their work off the page and into this development process.

First off, this Fall, we will be offering our new play development program where playwrights from ALL OVER THE WORLD can literally hire Manhattan Rep to develop one of their plays for four performances. We will cast, direct, and DEVELOP it with the playwright (digitally and by phone if necessary) over 6 weeks which means, cutting, rewriting, trying new things, and transforming the script into a brand new collaborated production. (If you are interested, please email us at [email protected] for details.)

Secondly, we are going to be presenting more of what I call “EVENTS" where we freely offer playwright/producers an opportunity to present their short plays (20 minutes or less) for two performances at Manhattan Rep. We run the sound and lights and essentially curate an exciting evening of theatre. There are no Manhattan Rep based fees in any way for the playwright/producers. Our intention is to run one of these Events every month, (except for the months we are running our One Act Play Competitions,) so playwright/producers can try out an idea or characters for a longer play, or simply see if their dramatic or comedic conception will work in front of a live audience. Getting characters off the page is soooooooo important in the development of a play, short or long.

(Currently, we are accepting short plays for our August Event - August 12 and 13, 2014.)

Thirdly, we are going to be offering more playwright development classes, like the above mentioned Page to the Stage class, not only for short plays but for full length plays so that new or un-produced playwrights can, with our guidance and insight, develop their plays over time for full production at Manhattan Rep.

Lastly, we are going to limit our full-length play series to brand new never produced before plays that we can be "hands on" with, that we can collaborate with, that we can help "develop" engaging the playwright/producers in a more essential way. We are going to give constructive feedback on the play, the direction, the acting choices and more. Talk about where the play can go from here etc and etc. So presenting your play at Manhattan Rep will be not only fun, but instrumental in the on-going development and process of bringing your play to the next level of production, on the road to Broadway.

And starting in October, we are going to be collaborating with an Off Broadway review site, so that every full length play at Manhattan Rep is reviewed.

The last thing I want is for Manhattan Rep to be a FESTIVAL HOUSE, where a Festival producer CRAMS in as many plays as possible into any given time frame with limited tech time offered and often no dress rehearsal.

We are not interested in putting up a McFestival. It's not happening here.

I am super excited about Manhattan Rep's more focused direction as a resource for unbridled theatrical creativity in New York City. If you have any ideas or suggestions about anything that we can do here, please drop me a line at: [email protected].

It's time to bring your play to life.

With best regards,

Ken Wolf

Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre

HOW TO AVOID THE TRENCHES!

We have all been there. THE TRENCHES. That place where the show looks like it will never come together. That crazy place where all your time, money and effort seems like it will be wasted! That dark hole of production when real life drama has manifested from the simple process of putting up a play!

OH MY GOD, SO NOT FUN! THE TRENCHES! THE TRENCHES!

And then, after the play is up or after the play is over, you have a drink and you tell funny theatre stories.

But man, the TRENCHES are bad.

This month, Manhattan Repertory Theatre is offering something really special for first time and beginning playwright/producers. A 21 week seminar that meets on select Saturdays where one can learn the TRICKS of the trade to help AVOID THE TRENCHES. A 21 week course on playwriting, casting, directing and putting up a show, where one actually writes, directs and puts up one’s own play!

I don’t think ANYONE has every offered this type of Seminar. And I am psyched out of my mind to offer and to be able to mentor 10 passionate playwright/producers through the playwriting production process.

In this seminar, I will share some profoundly useful strategies for writing, casting, directing and putting up one’s play from my 25 years of writing, directing and producing, and I will mentor the 10 playwright/producers through the process of the same - culminating in two fully produced performances of each of their 1 act plays at Manhattan Rep in April.

If I knew 20 years ago what I know now about writing, casting, directing and producing now, I could have saved myself a lot of time in THE TRENCHES. There could have been a little more fun in the midst of the drama of getting one of my plays up and alive on stage. This seminar, more than anything else will show the some of the best practices to write, to cast, to deal with actors, to direct actors, to lead a production team effectively, to set interpersonal boundaries that work and more. And each participant will write, cast, direct, and see their play come to life on the Manhattan Repertory stage on 42nd St.

Can’t wait.

We are still accepting applications until November 12 for the seminar that I call:

PAGE TO THE STAGE

Playwriting and Production Seminar

More info, class dates and complete curriculum can be found at:

http://manhattanrep.com/page-to-the-stage-seminar/

If you have ever dreamed about seeing your play on stage, but had no idea where to start, this seminar is for you. If you have any questions about this seminar, feel free to email me at:

[email protected]

Save yourself from THE TRENCHES. Come join us!

With best regards,

Ken Wolf

Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre

#Manhattan Repertory Theatre #Drama #plays #playwriting #playwrights #comedy #1 act play #seminar #New York City #Put up your own play

The Short Play

It's a COOL art form - the short one act play.

You need to set it up, take your audience on a journey and then, reach a climax and or a resolution. In 25 minutes or less.

Yeah, it is a COOL art form.

We are currently running our Fall One Act Play Competition 2013. 37 plays are participating for a $1000 cash prize, and so far, it has been very very cool!

This week, we are presenting 11 of the 37: We have a 15 minute Rock Musical about Miniature Golf, a bizarre therapy session where the therapist needs a therapist, a man who talks to action figures while making a snack, two tales of diverse and or perverse seduction, a story of a famous Method Actor who holds a real gun to a man's head, a play where an audience member becomes part of the drama which becomes comedy, a tale of how the death of a close friend changes everything, crazy teacher tales, what happens when love shifts to power and control, and a wild story of two older women discussing their sexual adventures!

Yeah, super cool.

This is our 12th One Act Competition and the work this time is better than ever!

Some plays are deeply dramatic, while others are over the top hilarious!

Please come check out the amazing work as we celebrate this COOL short form!

For a complete listing of our Fall One Act Play Competition 2013 plays,

please log on to:

http://www.manhattanrep.com

ALSO, (this is cool too!) we are accepting submissions for our WINTER ONE ACT PLAY COMPETITION running 1/07/14 - 2/07/14. So if you have a COOL play and you want to compete with it in January for a $1000 cash prize please log on to:

http://www.manhattanrep.com

for all of the submission info, requirements and to check out our Competition Guidelines to see if this is something you might want to participate in.

Each play is given a minimum of 5 performances at Manhattan Rep in Times Square, NYC!

Please check it out. It's really cool.

With best regards,

Ken Wolf Artistic Director Manhattan Repertory Theatre

http://www.manhattanrep.com

#$1000 #prize #1 Act play #fun #drama #comedy #New York City #Manhattan Repertory Theatre

On Becoming Dad

It’s Father’s Day, and usually on Father’s Day I try not to think about Dad because I miss him so much, even though its been 24 years since he died.

When your Dad is alive, Father’s Day is a celebration. When your Father has passed on, Father’s Day is bittersweet. It has been bittersweet for way too long.

But this year, it is a little different for I have recently resurrected Dad, brought his essence, and his likeness on to the stage at Manhattan Rep in my new play DAD AND THE DOG.

We produced it last November and this July, Dad is returning.

It’s strange and wonderful for I portray my father which is a journey in itself, but I also act with a real live dog, our amazing actress of a “Morkie” Roma Pierro-Wolf.

Last November, I had the time of my life in this compelling extremely heartfelt drama portraying Dad and acting opposite Roma. Obviously the audience felt the same for we received rave reviews.

When I was young, my father was kinda crazy, angry, violent and sad. In the Summer of 1969, my mother took me and my four brothers and sisters and ran away to her parent’s house in Pennsylvania, and she left Dad alone for 6 weeks in our suburban house in upper Westchester with our Dog Missy. When we returned 6 weeks later, Dad was transformed, a very different Dad, and Missy had gained 30 pounds.

Dad and the Dog outlines my Father’s journey with our Dog Missy that fateful Summer of 1969.

Coming back to the role of playing my father after 8 months is exciting for there are elements of his transformation I need to delve more deeply into, and I again, I get to act with my dog Roma, who is the best most present scene partner I have ever worked with in my life. (We actually spend 65 minutes on stage together.)

This production is going to be amazing fun, and most importantly, a passionate loving tribute to the most amazing man I have ever known.

After that Summer of 1969, Dad became self-less, so crazy loving to his 5 kids that it didn’t even make sense. He became my BEST FRIEND and from then on, he was ALWAYS there for me and my four brothers and sisters.

Come meet my father, Hank Wolf. (And the adorable Roma Pierro-Wolf.)

Dad and the Dog plays Wednesday July 17 at 6:30 pm, Friday July 19 at 6:30 pm, Saturday July 27 at 3 pm, and Thursday August 1 at 6:30 pm. You can make Email reservations at [email protected].

Dad has taught me a lot.

He taught me to forgive.

He taught me to never hold a grudge longer than 10 minutes.

He taught me that every individual has the power to Choose their path and to Change their path.

And most importantly, he taught me about the infinite transformational power of Love.

I am the man I am today because of him.

Happy Father’s Day, Hank Wolf!

I love you so so much!!

With best regards, Ken Wolf Artistic Director Manhattan Rep

#manhattan rep #manhattan repertory theatre #father #Dad #drama #comedy #Dad and the Dog #Ken Wolf #Dog #Roma Pierro-Wolf #one man one dog show

Celebrity Stalker Dog Dad!

Now I am not a celebrity stalker. Yes I did walk up to Howie Mandell and chat with him when I saw him on the street paths of Capri many summers ago. And I patted Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl on the back when I ran into him on 23rd St. “I love your work on Gossip Girl!” (Pat. Pat.)

But for the most part, I try and give celebrities their space when I see them in public… AND WHEN THEY COME TO MY THEATRE.

“Thanks for coming to the show tonight. It is an honor meeting you.” I warbled to EDWARD ALBEE when he attended a play here a couple years ago. I just happened to be working the door and Mr. Albee showed up. Wow, couldn’t ask for a more A-LIST playwright! And here at our 46 seat theatre on 42nd St.

About a year later, John Patrick Shanley showed up to see a show. Again, luckily I was working the door. “Thanks for coming to the show tonight. It is an honor meeting you.” Wow! Another amazing A-Lister!

But this week, regretfully I left an hour earlier on the fateful and amazing night when Meryl Streep, her daughter, Mamie Gummer (of Emily Owens MD fame) and Tracy Ullman attended a performance of our Spring One Act Competition.

Would I have patted Meryl on the back? No. Absolutely not. Chatted? Maybe. Showed them all pictures of our Dog Roma, the co-star in my One Man One Dog play DAD AND THE DOG? Yes. Without a second thought. And I am sure they would have thought of me as the Artistic Director Stalker Dog Dad. BUT WHO CARES!!!

Meryl Streep, probably the greatest female actor of our time, with her daughter, Mamie, and the amazing Tracy Ullman all joined in on the fun at Manhattan Rep. It made me realize again that A - LISTER or not, so many of us are alike. We are creators, passionate about this gift of Theatre and of Acting that we have been given. We are all members of this crazy wonderful creative club of artists sharing our work in the world.

I was told that Meryl and Mamie talked with cast members on the way out that night. Isn’t that awesome?

And I missed them…

No chat. No pat on the back.

But so super wonderful cool!

So if you feel you are out of the loop, come join the creative club here at Manhattan Rep. We are having submissions for our Fall One Act Play Competition and for our Autumn Play Festival (for longer plays 40 min to 2 hours.) Or just join our email list for email casting notices from producers at Manhattan Rep. (Find it at the bottom of our home page at http://www.manhattanrep.com) Come join the creative club here. And who knows, one day you may be the A-Lister visiting Manhattan Rep!

with best regards,

Ken Wolf Artistic Director and Stalker Dog Dad Manhattan Repertory Theatre

It's Magic!

It's an interesting challenge.

A one act play in 30 minutes or less.

Beginning, drama or comedy, and then, a satisfying conclusion. And how do you make it compelling, moving or just plain funny? It's an interesting challenge.

I just love it.

Next week, we begin our 10th one act play competition at Manhattan Rep, our Spring One Act Play Competition 2013, and I am psyched out of my mind. We have 32 AWESOME one act plays competing for a $1000 cash prize, with a total cast of well over 100 actors. For the next month, it is going to be a veritable cornucopia of amazing theatre here at Manhattan Rep. Each creative team is hungry to win, and also hungry to perform in our usually sold out houses. This Spring, we are offering each play (for the first time) FIVE performances each, not including the Semi-Final round or the Finals. This competition is really going to be fun!

The thing I love about the one act play competitions here is that I often see the birth of a full-length play in 15 minutes. "Wow, it works, but heck there is more to this story!" - so the playwright takes the characters or the situation and expands it, grows it, develops it and in 6 months to a year, it is this new full-length theatrical adventure.

And it began as a 15 minute play at a play competition.

The reason this happens is because PERFORMANCE is MAGIC. In performance things are discovered. The playwright and director can see what works and what doesn't. The energy from the audience feeds the actors in wild ways and what was OK in rehearsal, all of a sudden, becomes NEW, EXCITING, DIFFERENT and IMMEDIATE.

You can write all day and all night as a playwright but ultimately it is a waste of time. Plays need performance, early in development, because a play is not on paper. It is a live, moving, evolving, present-moment thing, and it's MAGIC.

So come check out our Spring One Act Play Competition at Manhattan Rep. We are running almost every night in May (except for Sundays, 3 Mondays and Memorial Day Weekend.). The plays are looking real good, and once we pop into performance next week, MAGIC is sure to manifest.

More info on our Spring One Act Competition can be found at:

http://www.manhattanrep.com

Also if you have a short play, 7 to 30 minutes, we are accepting submissions for our Fall One Act Play Competition which will take place next September at Manhattan Rep.

Info on submissions for our Fall One Act Play Competition can also be found at:

http://www.manhattanrep.com

So come experience some theatrical magic, or help us manifest some more!

with best regards,

Ken Wolf

Artistic Director

Manhattan Rep

#one act play competitions #Drama #Manhattan Repertory Theatre #Manhattanrep #New York City #Fun #Plays #Festivals #actors #directors #New works #Spring One Act Play Competition

PARTY TIME, ANYONE?

It is funny the metaphors we use to understand life.

Some say “Life is a bowl of Cherries!”

John Lennon was quoted as saying

“Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.”

And here is one of my favorites by Miguel Angel Ruiz:

"Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes, but Life is changing all the time.”

And here’s a scary one: “Life sucks, then you die, so roll a blunt and let’s get high. If at first you don’t succeed, try again with better weed.”

Metaphors often rule our perceptions of the outside world They are like mini belief systems. They often create the context to how we see things and how we respond to the world around us.

So why the heck am I starting this blog post sounding like a third-rate Anthony Robbins?

Well, we are having a party.

At Manhattan Rep.

In April.

And you are all invited!

Jen, Roma, the Wonder dog, and I were originally planning on the being away in Mid-April and Manhattan Rep was going to be about 80% dark. Some family issues manifested that have changed our April getaway, so we came up with a really cool way to CELEBRATE the fact that we are NOT going away. And to quote John Lennon again - this is what happens when you are busy making other plans:

Over the course of two weeks in April, (April 10 - 21) we will be presenting upwards of 12 NEW short plays 40 to 60 minutes in length, each play getting a minimum of 3 performances and we are offering MORE rehearsal time (in the theatre you will be performing in) than ever before, and at reasonable times - Weeknights and Weekends. (There will be no weekday 9 to 5 rehearsal! - for some of us regretfully have day jobs!) And as ever you can store your props and costumes from your first tech rehearsal until closing night. And there will be no security deposit or audience minimum, just a low-priced participation fee to insure your participation in the Play Party.

Acceptable plays will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis which means that if we like your play we will accept it within 3 days of receiving it, so that you can have more time to prepare and get your show ready for an April Opening, which also means the sooner you submit the better your chances are to be in the PLAY PARTY. Information for submitting your play production is posted below and the complete guidelines for THE PARTY can be found at htt://www.manhattanrep.com

LIFE IS A PARTY. That’s a good metaphor!

Time to create some AWESOME theatre!

with best regards,

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre

-------------------

Seeking NEW never-produced-before short play productions (cast, directed and ready for the stage) 40 minutes to 60 minutes for Manhattan Rep’s 1st ANNUAL PLAY PARTY at Manhattan Repertory Theatre April 8 - April 21, 2013.

To submit your play production please email: The complete play, a synopsis of the play, the running time of the play, the set and lighting requirements, and a creative team leader contact email address to:

[email protected]

by Wednesday March 6, 2013.

Please put "PLAY PARTY SUBMISSION" in the subject heading.

Applicants will be contacted by Wednesday March 13, 2013 (if not sooner) as to their acceptance.

Accepted plays will be considered on a first - come first served basis. (The earlier you submit, the better your chances of being accepted.)

Each play will be given a minimum of 3 performances, and receive 5.5 hours of rehearsal time in the theatre you will be performing in: (2 hours straight rehearsal, 2 hours for tech and 1.5 hours for dress rehearsal) which will be scheduled for you on the weekends between 8 am and 11 pm or on a week night between 5 pm and 11 pm.

NO PAY. NON-EQUITY ONLY.

Once accepted there will be a $100 participation fee. There will be no additional Security fees or deposits or Manhattan Repertory Theatre based production fees.

#Manhattan Repertory Theatre #play submissions #comedy #drama #short plays #fun #rehearsal in the theatre #Play Party #play festivals #one act play competitions

On creating a context where we can serve the playwright, director and actor better...

So we have been here on 42nd St. and 8th Ave for over 7 years now. The first 6 years were on the third floor until the noise from the Halloween Haunt forced us to move. But ultimately, it was a happy accident for the new space is bigger, brighter and more user friendly for production. So we couldn’t be more thrilled! (We actually had Thanksgiving here with a huge group in the new space and it was awesome!)

But as with anything over time, I have been thinking about how to do what we do better and still survive in the Big Apple. And it got me thinking about what exactly it is we do.

We provide a beautiful clean theatre in the heart of Manhattan for creative teams to come and develop their work with little or no expense on their part. We provide support and trouble shooting on new works. We help with casting, finding directors, we rent rehearsal space to festival participant at low cost and we often brainstorm on ways for creative teams to monetize their production so that they can pay for miscellaneous production costs. (Sometimes we even provide coffee!) We run a professional house with shows that start on time (or within 5 to 10 minutes if reservations are a bit late) and we try to make it fun. Fun is challenging at times for there is often off stage Drama, but we try our best to create a safe, supportive, clean environment for artists to CREATE.

A safe, supportive, clean environment for artists to create.

The challenge is how can we do what we do better given our limited resources. Manhattan Rep is one of the few theatres in Manhattan that survives 95% on ticket sales, (the other 5% is on rehearsal rental for festival participants and participation fees for our One Act Play Competitions.) So bottom line, we can’t give away free seats, or even lower our ticket sales for that is how we survive. And I actually like it that way. We are not surviving on how many Theatre Angels we can get to give us money. We are surviving on how many patrons we can bring in to see some AWESOME new theatre.

One of the things we are trying out is THE FEBRUARY EVENT which is going up this month on Thursday and Friday February 21 and 22nd. THE FEBRUARY EVENT consist of 11 short brand spanking NEW theatrical plays or “adventures” going up at 6:30 pm and 9 pm each night. The 6:30 pm show consists of 5 ‘theatrical adventures” and the the 9 pm show consist of 6 others. 8 out of the 11 presentations are from previous Manhattan Rep producers. I like that. I want producers/playwrights/actors to think of Manhattan Rep as their creative home.

So I am super excited about this presentation. It is sort of like old home week at Manhattan Rep. I will be running the sound and light board because I love it, and I will be treated to two nights of some AWESOME new theatre.

Will patrons come? I hope so. You are officially invited. These plays are brand new and they have never been performed before. And they are pretty awesome too. So please come check them out.

Tickets reservations can be made at: [email protected]

But now back to my original musing: How can we do what we do better?

Write me at [email protected].

Let me know your thoughts, your ideas, concepts that you might think could work to bring more new work to Manhattan Rep in whatever form. (I AM DYING TO DO A DANCE SHOW.) Also, if you have an idea you would like to pitch me on, do that too! Not that we will go with every pitch, but I am open to creating and expanding in new ways as we move into our next 7 years.

A safe, supportive, clean environment for artists to create.

7 years and I still like it.

With best regards,

Ken Wolf

Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre

#Manhattan Repertory Theatre #Drama #plays #actors #directors #playwrights #play festivals #one act play competitions #fun #support #create

GO FIND THAT MAGIC PLACE!

Everyone has a magic place.

My magic place is creating. Whether I am writing, acting or directing, magic lives in creation. And the magic shows up in wild and wonderful ways.

For me the magic is in NOT KNOWING. Isn't that funny? But yes, that's it. NOT KNOWING. For in my NOT KNOWING, I discover things, things I could never have thought of. I experience things, things which are astounding, or funny, or just plain miraculous, or ridiculous, but isn't all of that what truly great art IS? ... and it all starts from that place of NOT KNOWING. That place for me is magic.

But NOT KNOWING is also very scary, for when you're in that place of NOT KNOWING - you don't have answers, just a lot of questions. You don't have the security of KNOWING what will work. UNKNOWING can be quite unsettling.

We were taught from a very early age to KNOW, and we were taught "if we KNOW we would be successful."

I don't think that "belief system" works in the creative magic place. Knowing is often the enemy of creativity. It is yesterday's answer. It is society's common ground solution. It's what's been done before.

I see a lot of plays here at Manhattan Rep, and many of them are excellent, but the ones that truly excite me, are the ones that don't truly work YET, the ones that have taken an alternate path to telling a story, and are in that process of discovery in front of a live audience. That's fun. The audience is often in NOT KNOWING with the actors and creative team, and that's so friggin' cool.

Years ago, when I was young and kinda nutty, I was writing a one man musical in an Opera workshop that I was taking at Masterworks Laboratory Theatre on 22nd St. The workshop culminated in an evening of Opera and Musical theatre. This evening was one of the most fun evenings of NOT KNOWING in my theatrical career.

So here is the set up for my musical. It starts off like a Puppet play. I am dressed up in a trench coat with a clown mask on. I am singing a story about my parents and how fucked up they were. At one point, I open up my trench coat to reveal 5 little puppets to symbolize my family. The whole thing is done very Brecht-like presentational style and it's really kinda scary.

Then we move into the first scene. I am playing my father with crazy face make up on and I am dancing with a giant Puppet of my mother. I am singing "I'm in the Mood for Love." And then, as the actor, I screw up the song and I stop. (This was all set up from the start. The teachers of the workshop are in on it. ) I ask them if I can start again. They pretend to be disturbed that I broke out of character but they let me start again. I start, and then I mess up again. You could hear a pin drop. Long silence. And then I start to sing a song (with accompaniment) about how I can't do this, that I am all fucked up and then I run out of the theatre. I come in another door, and I am at home, and I sing a dramatic tale of woe and love lost etc. etc.

So here is the amazing cool thing that happened during the amazing cool discovery of trying out this piece in front of a live audience.

Opening night, my father attended the show. I sang my first crazy song trench coat puppets and all, segued into "I'm in the Mood for Love" again crazy Brecht puppet style, broke out of character pretending not to be able to sing, started again, broke out of character, and then sang my song of needing to leave and I ran out of the theatre.

As I was getting ready in the wings to make my entrance to "my apartment" on stage, I felt a hand touch me on the back. It was my father.

"Ken, are you OK?" he said.

"Dad, it is part of the show, me running out. It's part of the show."

"What?"

"I gotta make my entrance. Go back and find a seat. I love you."

And I made my entrance leaving Dad in the wings.

My mini-musical was a huge success. People flipped over it. They just loved it.

But the best part for me, was the magic that happened offstage in the wings. I totally got that the wonderful little man I called Dad really really loved me. So much so he ran from the theatre to help his son.

Who would have thunk it?

So start creating now. Put up that play you have been putting off. Go create in that magic place. Yes, you might produce a great play, or you might learn something else too, and maybe you might have some awesome fun in the process.

We are currently accepting play production submissions until February 6 for our New Works Spring 2013 play festival.

Info is on our site at:

http://www.manhattanrep.com

Risk NOT KNOWING.

Find your magic place.

Go for it.

Create!

With best regards,

Ken Wolf

Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre

SEVEN YEARS!! Wow! Amazing! "THE NEXT BIG THING IS HERE!"

Last Friday, Manhattan Rep celebrated 7 years of helping playwrights bring their plays to life in New York City. And we are still thriving! And we have a gorgeous new space in the heart of Times Square at 8th and 42nd St.

It has not always been easy, but it has been fun. For years, as a young actor, I always dreamed of having my own theatre space in Manhattan, and now, years later, it is a reality. And we have produced over 700 plays in our tenure here. It is crazy. Jen and I both feel blessed to have this opportunity to present new work in the entertainment capital of the world - the Big Old Apple.

It's funny. Last month, on the outside of our building, there was a giant poster for THE DARK NIGHT RISES, and I loved it, for I am a bit of a comic book geek. (Again, come check out my office at MRT and you will understand all.) But this month, the billboard covering the building is SUPER AWESOME! It is a billboard for some Samsung phone. And the copy reads: THE NEXT BIG THING IS HERE.

Too funny.

But what is even more interesting - where it says "HERE" is exactly over the outside of the walls to where Manhattan Repertory Theatre is housed in the building.

I love it.

So personally, I am not one to sit on my laurels. We have a myriad of new projects in store at Manhattan Rep, including a new free Manhattan Rep member site to help artists connect, more Performance Studio acting and playwrighting classes, more play festivals and competitions, and some new plays by yours truly, including New York City's first One Man - One Dog play, DAD AND THE DOG, coming up in November.

If you have a play, submit now for our Fall Play Festival 2012 (Deadline is Tuesday August 28. info is on our site at: http://www.manhattanrep. com!) Come join the fun at Manhattan Rep. We do our best to support you through the process of putting up a new play, and we try to make it fun too.

And gosh darnit, it has been 7 years. And I feel like we are just beginning!

with best regards,

Ken Wolf

Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre

Because you have to do it!

Art is funny.

Yes, funny.

It really has no definition (in my mind at least) but in the minds of “the media” art is all about the meaning. “How moving this is!” How different!“ How avant garde!” and on and on…

And this can become a trap for a creative.

In my opinion, Art is created because IT HAS TO! It is not created to be different, or moving, or (this is my favorite) created to be sold or to MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL!

Art is created because IT HAS TO BE! A story needs to be told, a feeling needs to be expressed, an intuition needs to be followed, something needs to change!!!!

And Ouch! Wham! Bam! ART IS CREATED!

It doesn’t start with oh this could be a commercial success la de dah!!!

It starts with the fire comet nova flames of THIS HAS TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!

And this has to happen NOW!

Obsession, again in my opinion, creates the best art. A story that NEEDS to be told, will get told. My best plays were my “revenge” plays. Plays where I took situations in my life which I had no control over and changed the context and told the story because I had to. No, I didn’t diss people, I told the story of being dissed, or pissed, or hurt, or being Mad as Heck and how I, or the characters in my play, grew from the challenge.

Those plays got written and produced. Because they had to.

9 years ago, I developed PTSD and conversion hysteria from training in Yoga.

What?

Yeah, it sucked.

I spent 3 years trying to figure it all out. I would experience random anxiety, and at times my body would cramp up so that I couldn’t walk. No body knew really what it was. It was so severe, scary, unknown.

I videoed my entire experience for 3 years - video diaries where I would talk to the camera, yoga sessions, and I even videotaped therapy sessions, you know the old fashioned sit down and talk thing, but with me my body would literally bounce and shake in session.

For those three years, I was obsessed with finding a cure, partly because I wanted my life back and partly because I made a commitment to present this “Experience” as a play or a film to help others with similar symptoms. In Dec. 2006, I miraculously cured myself completely of all of my symptoms (the moment captured on video.)

My one man play THE PEOPLE IN MY HIPS was then realized. Martin Denton of nytheatre.com said “THE PEOPLE IN MY HIPS is unlike any theatre piece I have ever seen.” And he gave it an awesome review. I received other equally awesome reviews. THE PEOPLE IN MY HIPS wasn’t “conventional” art, but it was so valid, important and unique.

And it came from the place of THIS HAS TO HAPPEN.

So do you have a story that needs to be told?

Maybe It’s time to create some Art.

With best regards,

Ken Wolf Artistic Director Manhattan Repertory Theatre

#manhattan #repertory #theatre #plays #festivals #New York #City

WHAT IS YOUR SUPER POWER?

CREATIVITY is my super-power!

I am a big comic book nerd. If you come into the office at Manhattan Rep, you will find super-hero posters by such artists as Jack Kirby, Jim Lee, George Perez and Alex Ross. It is my little Fortress of Solitude. I just love it there.

And this month, because the new Batman movie is opening (THE DARK KNIGHT RISES)-hanging right out side the windows at MRT is a giant 10 story DARK KNIGHT RISES billboard! It is crazy awesome fun! Looking for Manhattan Rep this month? Just look for the HUGE Dark Knight Rises billboard on 42nd and 8th.

So I am this Super Hero geek and proud of it for the Super Hero mythos has programmed me to believe in possibility, to believe that it is possible to surmount even the wackiest of obstacles if one puts one’s mind to it and never gives up. And my super power that helps me succeed is my CREATIVITY.

I believe there is always a creative solution to any problem. You may not see it right away, but if you invoke the Goddess of creativity inside you and get curious, creative answers will appear. ABSOLUTELY!! It might take a little while but keep listening to that still strong voice inside, and watch miracles manifest.

Last October, Manhattan Rep was annihilated by the crazy sounds of the newly opened Times Scare directly underneath us. Luckily, management found us a new space, but it needed to be built, and we had 20 more plays in our Fall Season.

So I ripped off my shirt, (like Superman) and invoked the Gods of Creativity (much like Captain Marvel from the 40’s,) and went about solving some crazy ass problems.

We moved plays to other theatres, pushed some ahead a few weeks, and went about building our new space. It was in the middle of “Mercury Retrograde” an astrological time where communication is messy, relationships are strained and things simply break. There was DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA all around me, but I refused to participate, my Super Power, my creativity was too hard at work.

I don’t know from electric. We had no money to hire an electrician but we had to reopen the theatre fast. My creativity kicked in. I tore down the ceiling in the old space and removed our lights and dimmers IN ONE PIECE! Carefully rolled it up, and brought it up to the 6th floor, and installed it. AND IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM. Nutty, maybe even crazy but the job got done.

I refused to believe in practicality. My sole focus was creatively getting the job done fast. I created new ways to measure, new fast ways to paint. New ways to use tools and new ways to drill and securely fasten into 100 year old plaster.

People moaned and screamed. People thought I should sue and demand renumeration, and I knew I had to get the job done, that was the most important task at hand. We needed to keep our commitment to these 20 creative teams and insure their show was produced.

And we did it. Everyone had their play produced, and the NEW MANHATTAN REP emerged, like a Super-Powered Phoenix rising from the ashes and DUST of the old MRT. And then we received renumeration from the powers that be. It all worked out.

And CREATIVITY was the Super Power which created the miracle of the new Manhattan Repertory Theatre.

We have all we need to transform our lives. If we would just get clear in intention, and utilize our innate Creativity! But often, using Super Powers is risky, so we keep our shirts on, and invoke the Gods of Practicality…

…and life goes on.

All is Status Quo, and dull…

CLIMB OUT OF YOUR BATCAVE, or YOUR FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE!!

Risk. Trust your creativity. Be brave. Be bold.

You are a Super Hero.

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