The Lounge Series 2010 starts off with Kari Bentley Quinn’s UNBLESSED

Please join us at Jimmy’s 43 to raise a glass, share some food and hear a new play at our first Lounge Series event of 2010.

The Lounge Series: No. 1
Unblessed
a staged reading of a new play by Kari Bentley-Quinn*
directed by Laura Pestronk*

In small town Nebraska, a young woman named Jenny shows up at the doorstep of her estranged best friend Tina after she was drugged and raped by someone who offered her a ride home from work. When Jenny is denied emergency contraception by a pharmacist for religious reasons, the consequences affect both the women’s lives more than either of them bargained for.

Unblessedwas written over the last year and workshopped at our monthly Pack meetings.  We are so excited to share it with you and hear what you think.

Featuring:  Gayton Scott*, Kat Garson, Polly Lee*, Gerald Kimble, Mark Watson, Christina Shipp* and Julian Stetkevych*.

Tuesday, January 12
7:00 PM

Jimmy’s 43
43 East 7th Street

Food wine and beer are available.  We hope to see you there!

For reservationsplease email laura@packawallop.org

*indicates Pack Member

marea opens tonight!

Marea tells the story of Maria, a woman obsessed with classic Italian cinema, chianti and photography.  As her relationship with her partner Claudia unravels, she begins hearing noises behind a mysterious locked door in their apartment.  Soon, the appearance of a mysterious woman wielding a straight razor, a surprise visit from her maniacally religious grandmother, and a laced cup of tea unravel Maria’s reality and send her on a hallucinogenic journey from New York to Miami to Havana to discover the truth behind a tragic family secret.

4 performances only!

tickets

PACKAWALLOP PRODUCTIONS
Scott Ebersold and Alejandro Morales, Artistic Directors

presents
a work in progress presentation of

MAREA
a play by Alejandro Morales
directed by Scott Ebersold

featuring:
Maria-Christina Oliveras*
Polly Lee*
Maggie Bofill*
Judith Delgado*

scenic design by Jo Winiarski
costume design by Jennifer Paar
lighting design by Scott Bolman
video and projection design by Daniel Heffernan
sound design by Brandon Wolcott
properties by Buist Bickley
production stage management by Josh Parken-Ring*
casting by Judy Bowman
production management by Julian Stetkevych
assistant director Laura Pestronk

artistic associates:
Marc Solomon
Susan Louise O’Connor
Polly Lee
Julian Stetkevych

*appears courtesy of Actors Equity

When a mysterious woman wielding a straight razor appears in Maria’s apartment, reality unravels and she is sent on a hallucinogenic journey from New York to Miami to Havana to discover the truth behind a tragic family secret.

December 3, 4, 5 at 7PM
December 6 at 2PM
Tickets $18

for tickets: www.here.org or call 212-352-3101

www.packawallop.org

Packawallop welcomes “The Pack” 2009-2010

In a continuing effort to better serve or community of artists, last year Packawallop formed a new ensemble group called “The Pack”.

We gathered together a select group of talented theater and film artists who met once a month to share work, explore new ideas and share their experiences with fellow Pack members.

This proved very a successful and valuable resource to all its members and because of this we gathered together another group to form “The Pack” for the 2009-2010.

Packawallop is proud to welcome the following to “The Pack” 2009-2010. Our first meeting will be Monday, August 14th.

Michele Aldin, Isaac Butler, Tom Caruso, Drew Cortese, Anton Dudley, Neil Hellegers, Birgit Huppuch, Matthew Nichols, Wendy Seyb, Christina Shipp, Daniel Talbot, Travis York, Jeff Beihl, Britney Burgess, Scott Ebersold, Kyle Fox, Christina Gorman, Zabryna Guevara, Drew Hirshfield, Joanna Howard, Simon Kendall, Polly Lee, Sevrin Mason, Alejandro Morales, Ashley Morris, Susan Louise O’Connor, Gayton Scott, Julian Stetkevych, Pia Wilson, Josh Sohn, Crystal Skillman, Joan Rosenfels, Michael Tisdale, Adam Szymkowicz, Michael Frederic, Kari Bentley-Quinn.

If you are interested in joining the pack please contact Laura Pestronk or Kyle Fox at packleaders@packawallop.org

Packawallop seeking positions for upcoming workshop

Packawallop Productions is seeking 2 positions for its upcoming mulit-media workshop production of “marea”. The tech and public presentations will run over one week – November 30-December 6. Pre-production will begin in September.

1. A Technical Director: The TD will be responsible for the smooth application of all technical elements of the production, organizing and implementing the set build, load-in, and strike as well as being the point person for communication between the venue and all technical aspects of the production. As this is off-off-broadway, the budget is modest but there is a fee. It is a great resume and networking opportunity for an up-and-coming TD.

2. Production Stage Manager

3. Stage Manager

Please send a cover letter and resume to info@packawallop.org, and indicate which position you are interested in.

Please pass this along to anyone you think might be interested.

brava, susan louise o’connor

Our own Susan Louise O’Connor is stealing the show in Broadway’s Blithe Spirit!  If you haven’t seen it yet, please do!  It’s witty, crisp and delightful.  Oh, yeah, and there’s someone named Angela Lansbury in the show and we thought she was pretty good too!

“But one of the most remarkable performances comes from Susan Louise O’Connor as the Condomines’ new maid, Edith.”–Hartford Courant

“Susan Louise O’Connor is a delightfully polished screwball in the small but crucial role of an inept maid.”–The New York Times

“Susan Louise O’Connor, playing the Condomines’ maid Edith, also proves to be a marvelous physical comedienne, as the mentally slow, but overly eager to please, Edith rushes through her duties around the living room.”–American Theater Web

“Susan Louise O’Connor steals each of her scenes as the jittery maid. In this company, that’s saying something”–Backstage

“Susan Louise O’Connor, as the hapless maid, nearly steals the show with her slapstick physical comedy.”–Hollywood Reporter

“The craftiest little scene-stealer on the premises is Edith the maid, who comes in two speeds — lunge and lope. She is played by a Broadway-debuting Susan Louise O’Connor.”–Playbill.com

artistic community members polly lee and crystal skillman at rising phoenix!

Come check out the new show by our pals at Rising Phoenix!!!  And show lots of love to our very own Polly Lee and Crystal Skillman!

NOBODY
A new play by Crystal Skillman
Directed by Daniel Talbott

Featuring MacLeod Andrews, Jessica Dickey, Kathryn Kates, Polly Lee, Haynes Thigpen, and Molly Ward

Thursday February 19th
Friday February 20th
Saturday February 21st
Monday February 23rd
Tuesday February 24th
Thursday February 26th
Friday February 27th
Saturday February 28th

All performances at 6pm
Please note: no performance on Wed. or Sun.

“Commissioned and written specifically for the moody and extremely intimate close quarters in the basement space of downtown restaurant Jimmy’s No. 43 [at 43 East Seventh Street], Skillman has written a play in which six people come together, each for their own reasons, at a restaurant on the Lower East Side,” according to Rising Phoenix. “Obsessively going over the events of the day, they grasp at trying to come to terms with their disjointed lives and their singular, unsettling dream.” – Playbill article, Kenneth Jones

susan louise o’connor cast in broadway’s blithe spirit!

Packawallop Company Member Susan Louise O’Connor has been cast in Broadway’s Blithe Spirit revival with Christine Ebersole and Angela Lansbury!

Check out the article in Playbill.

alejandro morales part of the emerging writers group evenings at the public!

A ten minute excerpt of Alejandro Morales’s the october crisis (last seen at this year’s Fringe Festival) will be part of the Public Theater’s 2 evening festival of works by 2008′s Emerging Writer’s Group!  The writers in this group are sensational, so do check out both nights!

the moment screening!

We will be having a special screening of our new film project The Moment on February 6th!  To obtain your tickets please email info@packawallop.org with your name and the names of the people in your party.  There are a limited number of seats.  Reservations are absolutely essential.  (NYU security has informed us they will not allow anyone to enter the building without a reservation.)

We’re excited about the film and hope to see you soon!

NYU Tisch School of the Arts,
lower level, room 018

A special invitation-only screening of Packawallop’s new short film, The Moment.

We will open the evening by presenting another Adam Szymkowicz short film, The Question, directed by Sam Buggeln.

Immediately following join us for post-screening drinks at Swift, 34 E 4th St.

The Moment

When Jane goes in to talk to her boss, in a instant of clarity, she notices something different in him that she never saw before.  He sees it too in her.  A new world opens up for them.  Anything could be possible if they could just hold onto that moment.

“Jane”
Susan Lousie O’Connor

“Barry”
Jeff Biehl

Directed by
Scott Eberold

Written by
Adam Szymkowicz

Produced by
Lauren Fritz
Scott Ebersold
Marc Solomon

Director of photography
Greg Emetaz

Edited by
Andrew York McNown

Sound and Music design by
Ryan Maeker

Art Direction by
Nicholas Vaughan and Kate Rusek

Costume, Hair and Make-up design by
Kate Rusek

Script Supervisor
Barry Paul Hitchcock

Craft Services and Production Assistance
Jennie Crotero

Packawallop Productions, Inc.
Scott Ebersold and Alejandro Morales, Artistic Directors
Susan Louise O’Connor, Marc Solomon, Polly Lee, Board of Directors

william bell at melvillepalooza!!

image courtesy of Robert Schatz

packawallop will present a workshop production of alejandro morales’s william bell directed by scott ebersold at the metropolitan playhouse as part of the melville festival featuring david grimm, michael tisdale and julian stetkevych.

in a not too distant future, after an economic collapse, luxury liners shelter the very rich from the squalor of the cities. summoned by his superior lucas brown, william bell must entertain edwards, a drunk passenger. in a dark bar on board the ship, the connections between all three men is illuminated forcing them all to confront what they desire and what they’ll never possess. inspired by melville’s billy budd.

friday, january 16 at 10pm
sunday, january 18 at 1pm
tuesday, january 20 at 7pm
saturday, january 24 at 7pm
$18 click here for tickets: http://www.metropolitanplayhouse.org/melvillapalooza.htm

william bell
by alejandro morales
directed by scott ebersold

featuring
julian stetkevych
david grimm
michael tisdale

assistant director: laura pestronk
sets: alejandro morales and scott ebersold
costumes: kate rusek
sound: ryan maeker
fight choreography: lisa kopitsky

image courtesy of robert schatz

note: william bell runs 30 minutes and will be presented with the first lowering by laura livingston