My job as a director is always to identify and pursue the story. In Ghost Card, the story is actually a structure. Literally. We are building the piece on Allan Wexler’s Two Too-Large Tables sculpture in Hudson River Park, and the structure itself has provided our fundamental narrative prompt.

A table and chairs — an ordinary, utilitarian and ubiquitous object in our lives — is fragmented and broken into unexpected shapes and angles. Chairs face every which way, each in an absurd relationship to the table. The sculpture evokes a strong sense of chance, as you never know quite what you will find in any given seat. Each chair opens a new perspective to create 26 unique views evoking the mundane, the intimate, and the epic.

As co-directors, Hassan and I have listened closely to the table’s fundamental story. We’ve spent many rehearsal hours exploring the sculpture’s angles and quirks through improvisation and experimentation. We have allowed the site to speak to us — and it has told us a story of the aching, hilarious beauty of human experience.

Building on that story, we have collected dozens of true “table stories” from people in all walks of life. We have attached 26 of them to the sculpture, one for each chair. Drawing upon a common theme of card games and the table’s element of chance, we invented a card game through which we deliver the stories to the audience. Finally, we cast our dancers as a ragtag group of “hungry ghosts” who haunt the site and feed on the stories of the living.

I’ve co-directed before, but I’ve never experienced the level of clarity and productivity that I have in collaborating with Hassan. I’m not sure if it’s because of our complementary training (me as an ensemble-based director, he as a contemporary choreographer), or because the site itself is so evocative. Probably both. And through working with him, I have connected to a network of performers who are game to try stuff, experiment, and take risks. The implicit trust underlying each rehearsal is a true gift.

It’s a pleasure, working with this team of intelligent movers and makers. Their physical expressiveness, imagination and grace is a constant inspiration. I can’t wait to share this piece with you!

During my time away, I got to co-create an amazing lineup of projects.  I devised, co-wrote and co-directed two full-length productions with my fellow MFA artists.  I delved into mask, digital media and post-colonial theory with Lisa Loomer’s ¡Bocón!  I made my stilt-walking debut as an electrified techno-archetypal spider in Immerge, devised a site-specific meditation on Ovid and Proust in The Echo Project, and tried my hand at composition and choreography in my thesis show Nation.

The project I’m most proud of, though, was my FullStop.LAB-affiliated project, The 7 Layers of Bastian Bachman.  This epic piece of site-specific theater began as a brainstorm in a design concept class.  Tasked with creating a dream project under no constraints, my co-creators and I envisioned a massive-scale immersion into the perceptive world of a musical genius suffering from a brain tumor.  Two years later, in February 2014, with the support of our mentor Jake Pinholster and a grant from ASU’s Herberger Institute, we brought the dream to life at the historic Icehouse in downtown Phoenix.

7 Layers was a giant of a project.  Our team of 30 artists conducted hours of research, drawing inspiration from Oliver Sacks’ Musicophilia, Hofstadter’s Godel Escher Bach, and the music of John Cage, David Bowie and Philip Glass. We used fugue structures as narrative inspiration, utilizing repetition, reversal, simultaneity and counterpoint to create Bastian’s fragmented internal experience.  The audience guided itself freely through this malfunctioning mindscape, piecing together their own unique experience of one man’s journey to make things right before time runs out.

The piece was a profound artistic journey – and the journey is not yet complete.  As I transition back to New York and into an increased presence with FullStop, I’m embarking on the next phase of the project.  A cross-continental team of composers, designers and dramaturgs are on board to bring the piece to life as a FullStop production.  This is a long game, potentially years in the making.  Stay tuned over the coming year of developmental concert-readings, video shorts, space research updates and long-range production plans.  Our goal is a monthlong New York run in late 2015 or early 2016 in NYC.

I’m grateful to Leta for her patience and support as I immersed in my training the last three years.  Returning to New York with this complex project in tow would sway many a lesser producer, but our amazing Leta is all in!  If you have recommendations for spaces, want to get involved in the creative process, or want to donate to the project’s development, please contact me at mweaver@fullstopcollective.org.

It’s so good to be home.  

Watch a highlights video of The 7 Layers of Bastian Bachman here!

Join FullStop Collective as we raise funds for The Belief Project!

Saturday, January 25th – Doors at 8pm

Theaterlab

357 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018 (btwn 8th & 9th Ave)

Featuring Live Music By

Elizabeth Seldin

Alexis Thomason

Chris Norwood

Lord Lorax

Emily Rupp

Diana Oh is GOING ROGUE 

Booze – Jello Shots – Baked Goods – Raffle Prizes

Tickets are $10 in advance – $15 at the door

Visit us on Facebook for the latest.

Tickets HERE!

Tease your brain and whet your appetite for FOREPLAYS 2013: Spring Fever!

Thursday, February 28, 2013

7pm (game starts at 8pm)

Teams of 5 compete in trivia rounds inspired by the plays and theme of this year’s FOREPLAYS.

We’ve got cool prizes, hot people, and cheap drinks. And TRIVIA!

(Who knows, maybe you’ll even find a date for the show)

$10 per person
OR $40 for a complete team of 5

For advance tickets: http://trivia2013.brownpapertickets.com/

@ Jack Dempsey’s
36 West 33rd Street

 FullStop is back from the holidays we’re breaking the New Year in with FOREPLAYS 2013: SPRING FEVER.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS by Lucy Gillespie in FOREPLAYS 2012

That’s right SPRING fever. This year, instead of in the deep darkness of February, FOREPLAYS will be happening in March. It’s be a celebration of the glorious sexiness of spring, when the winter blues give way to frisky sexual rejuvenation! And this is your chance to answer the call of the wild and AUDITION for our frisky, fun, annual event!

 The Line Up:
HORNY ORDERLY A Symphony of Sex and Sorrow
by J. Julian Christopher
directed by Leta Tremblay
 
H.E.
by Nic Grelli
directed by Trent Anderson
 
SPRING FLING ’98
by Sarah Bernstein
directed by Lillian Meredith
 
THE FEVER
by Alexandra Bassett and Claytie Mason
directed by Wheaton Simis

FOREPLAYS 2013: SPRING FEVER will perform at Galapagos Art Space March 14-15 at 8pm. Rehearsals will be in February and early March.

 Auditions are by APPOINTMENT ONLY.

This is a NON-EQUITY production.

AUDITION INFO:

When:
Saturday, January 26, 10am-3pm
Sunday, January 27, 12-5pm

Auditions will be in 10 minute slots (there will be no callbacks).

Where:
Shetler Studios
244 W 54th St, Floor 12

How to book:

Email FOREPLAYS@fullstopcollective.org with AUDITIONS in the subject line. If applicable, indicate audition time preference, and please include headshot and resume if possible.

Preparation:

No need to prepare a monologue. We will provide various sides at the auditions from the plays for you to choose from.

Please feel free to ask any questions. See you there!

We are now accepting submissions for FOREPLAYS 2013: Spring Fever!

That’s right SPRING fever. This year, instead of in the deep darkness of February, FOREPLAYS will be happening in March. It’ll be a celebration of the glorious sexiness of spring, when the winter blues give way to frisky sexual rejuvenation! And this is your chance to answer the call of the wild and write a play for our frisky, fun, annual event!

Some pointers:
– Your play should be 15-20 minutes long
– It should be inspired by this year’s theme: Spring Fever
– Keep in mind that our acting talent pool is generally in their 20s or 30s
– Character count should be kept to six or less (but choruses are doable and always fun)
– Remember, FOREPLAYS isn’t just an evening of short plays – it’s a theatrical event. There’s booze, music, videos, hanging out, socializing, and awesome-ness. So we’re looking for plays that reflect that spirit – have some fun! And don’t forget to consider the space (Galapagos is set up with tables and booths surrounded by water, with a stage at the front and a metal walkway linking the front to the back, as well as a mezzanine with cafe tables. There’s a lot of red and black. It’s pretty sexy)

So go forth, and get ready for spring. The deadline for submissions is December 16th at 6pm.

All plays should be submitted to FOREPLAYS@fullstopcollective.org

By Lucy Gillespie

Directed by Brian Hashimoto

A bookish American student abroad gets in over her head in a life of sex and drugs.
Her mother gets a phone call…

Auditions will be held
Saturday, September 22nd and Sunday, September 23rd
from 12-6pm

Callbacks: Tuesday, September 25, 7-10pm

Auditions are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

Please e-mail info@fullstopcollective.org to reserve an audition slot and indicate if you have any time constraints.

Auditions will consist of reading sides. You will be given the location of the auditions, a copy of the script, and sides to prepare via email when your audition is confirmed.

OUTFOXED will have a three week run at Access Theater in Tribeca November 29-December 16. Rehearsals will begin Friday, October 26 and will be scheduled weekday evenings and weekend afternoons depending on availability.

Seeking actors for the following roles:

Alyssa Maddox – 19: An American Girl, studying in Perugia

Jean Maddox – 46:  An American Housewife, now Paralegal.  Mother to Alyssa

Melissa Heath – 20:  An Anglo-Trinidadian Girl, studying in Perugia

Donatella Presutti  – 34 – An Italian Official

Damiano Sesso – 24: An Italian Boy, a Doctor’s son and resident of Perugia

Desmond Mbana (Also plays Carson,Stu, Italian Boy / Rodolpho) – 30: A Ghanaian living in Perugia, Bar-Owner

1 Male Chorus (David/Official/Mark/Italian Man/Italian Boy/Etc) – early/mid-twenties

1 Female Chorus (Rachel, Italian Woman/ Hilary/ Etc)

CDB: The first question might be a little obvious, but curious minds wonder… why are you doing this?

BH: I mean, why not? Right? I cycle regularly anyway and love being on my bike, and I have been wanting to do longer rides. Also, I’ve been wrestling recently with a need to do things that make a difference and not just to say I’ve done them. I’ve been urging myself to do epic stuff, and I feel like I need to also do it so that I’m reaching people, saying something, furthering a dialogue, etc. So then I had the idea of cycling to the O’Neill and then it struck me, “do it for a cause, you dummy!” And this cause is very worthwile and close to us here at FullStop that know Megan and the journey she went through with her own mother. The show has a lot of insight into the world of healthcare and all of its absurdities, but perhaps more importantly it’s about the family that has to rise to the occasion and help those who are affected by these terrible afflictions.Which is why we’ve partnered with Help Hope Live, which is an organization that helps support patients and their families waiting for organ transplants.

CDB: Ok, but 60 miles? Are you ready for that?

BH: Yeah, I’m pretty sure I can handle it. I’ve done 60 miles in a day before, but I also had a long stop in between, napping on the beach. This is the first time I’ll be going straight through with as little stopping as possible, except to hydrate and tweet, of course. I’ve never done this ride before, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I hope the hills aren’t too crazy. But the route is mostly hugging the coast, so I’m hoping it’s pretty scenic. And 60 miles really isn’t that long. I need to work up to 100 miles a day or more.

CDB: Why 100?

BH: Because the more I think about it, the more I really want to do ride my bike across country within the next couple years, and in order to do that I need to be ready to ride 100 miles a day and do it for a few consecutive days. If I’m practically going to live on my bike for a few months, 60 miles is relative chump change.

CDB: How does someone prepare for this type of exercise?

BH: Really, “just get on your bike and ride”, to quote Freddy Mercury, haha. Seriously though, I’ve really made my bike my main commuting option in New York. I really only take the subway in the summer time when it’s pouring or I have to run out to Brooklyn after work and don’t want to ride back late in the dark. I think I’ve ridden the subway a small handful of times in the past couple months. With daily commuting, I average probably 10 miles a day, which isn’t much really, but then I’ll ride downtown on errands and out to Brooklyn on the weekends on slightly longer rides. And then when I have a free day on the weekends, I’ve been trying to do a long cycle day. I’ve cycled out to Rockland Lake up the Hudson River and back (about 50 miles round trip), out to Red Hook and back (about 30 miles round trip), and then a couple trips out to Rockaway Beach (60 miles round trip).

CDB: And you do this by yourself?

BH: For the most part, yes. I’ve had a couple friends join me for parts of the longer journeys, fortunately, but I’ve done the Rockland Lake and Rockaway rides completely solo before.

CDB: How long are you on the bike by yourself for those trips? And seriously, what is it like to be on the bike for that long, without conversation or music even?

BH: The Rockaway Beach ride is about 2.5 hours each way, so 5 hours total on the bike on that trip. This one looks to be between 5 and 6 hours. For me, it gets to a really zen point at times. Maybe not so much when you’re going up a huge hill, or at the very end of the ride when you’re fighting just to keep your legs moving and cursing every slight incline for making you work harder at that point, but it’s an incredible mental slate-cleaner and really becomes somewhat addicting to a degree, just to be out by yourself traveling with the wind blowing by. It can definitely be challenging at times, though, especially being in a city where you are often overwhelmed by the sheer amount of interpersonal contact you have on a daily basis. But being from California and having a love of the silence that comes from being out in nature, I find it a welcome relief. Of course, it’s always nice to have a fellow rider, if only to keep you from talking to yourself like a madman….

CDB: You’ve totally done that, haven’t you?!

BH: You go up a steep hill that’s a mile long and see if you don’t start talking to yourself and cursing the universe, haha! I mean….. no, never….

CDB: Right…. So what do you need to do this type of trip? Can someone like me who hasn’t ridden a bike in years just pick up any bike and go for it?

BH: Well, I’m sure anyone COULD pick up any old bike and do it, I mean anything’s possible if you set your mind to it, I believe. That said, you can make your life a little easier in certain ways and prevent unnecessary injuries and fatigue with certain equipment and clothing. And also, like any demanding physical activity, you want to build yourself up properly and get your body used to it. If you get on your bike and try to go for 100 miles on rough terrain, you might be able to do it, but you might also injure yourself if your body isn’t ready for it. In terms of gear, I used to have a folding bike to get around in the city, but going out to Brooklyn on it got to be very tiring and I started to realize I needed something better designed for longer rides and carrying more gear. So on a whim back in the spring, I up and got myself a Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike (awesome name, right?) which is specifically designed for going long distances (like, literally across the world kind of distances) and carrying copious amounts of equipment. Once I got that I started going everywhere. Then, once I started going long distances, I started to find a need for specialized clothing like padded shorts for relieving stress on your rear, gloves for keeping your hands from going completely numb for days afterward (it happened once), and cycling shoes for the same purpose (FYI, Toms are NOT a great shoe to wear for long rides, trust me). Then I have waterproof bags and such for keeping stuff dry in case I get caught in the rain. There’s tons of specialty equipment out there for this kind of stuff. I’m slowly building up my equipment stash. Next on my list is a tent and sleeping bag for doing a multi-day cycling/camping trip.

CDB: That all sounds awesome!! And expensive…

BH: Yeah, I definitely save up for things and add them on periodically, but this is also serious cycling I’m getting into. Good, high quality gear costs money no matter what hobby or activity you seriously get into. Between cycling and photography, though, I don’t think I could have picked two more expensive hobbies, haha. But I’m passionate about both of them, so it works out fine for me.

CDB: Well, I know we all wish you the best of luck on your upcoming journey and we’ll be following your progress!

BH: Thank you!

As a reminder, we have a campaign going for CAUSE OF FAILURE with IndieGoGo. Please check it out for more information on what we hope to obtain by producing this play and how you can help. IndieGoGo Video

FullStop is also proud to announce its partnership with Help Hope Live, an amazing organization that provides resources and support for patients who are awaiting or recovering from organ transplants. Transplantation is a long and costly process; and many crucial expenses are oftentimes not covered by insurance. Help Hope Live helps bridge that gap, and is making a difference in the lives of patients and their families all over the country. In keeping with the themes at the heart of CAUSE OF FAILURE, FullStop will donate 10% of our box office proceeds to this important organization. You can learn more at the link below, and purchase tickets at http://www.fringenyc.org/basic_page.php?ltr=num.

Thank you for your support!

Auditions will be held
Tuesday, May 22nd and Wednesday, May 23rd
from 6-10pm

Shetler Studios
244 West 54th Street (btw Broadway and 8th Ave)
Penthouse 9

Auditions are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

Auditions will consist of reading sides. 
Please e-mail info@fullstopcollective.org to reserve an audition slot and indicate if you have any time constraints.

Cause of Failure will have 3-6 performances in the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival. All performances will take place in August, but specific dates, times, and venue are TBD. Please be available during the months of July and August for rehearsal and production.

Seeking actors for the following roles:

Maggie Johns
Young woman, an aspiring writer. Socially isolated and a little naive, with a sarcastic streak and quick wit. Emotionally sensitive and empathetic, but extremely intelligent. Early 20s.

Ann Johns
Maggie’s mother. Classic mom: frank, funny, strong, irreplaceable. A fighter with a mischievous side, and an underlying vulnerability. She has congestive heart failure. Late 40s (age flexible).

Doctor
A representation of a doctor, as Maggie perceives it. DOCTOR evolves as Maggie’s perception of medicine evolves, from incompetent villain to professional ally. Played by one actor. Male or female. 30s-50s.

Paul
A community college writing professor, bookish and intense. Late 20s.

Cory Johns
Maggie’s brother. Perpetually transient, a magnet for bad luck, lovable, funny, and unreliable. Late 20s/early 30s

Bill Johns
Ann’s brother. A business owner accustomed to doing things his own way. Compassionate and stubborn, with a complicated past. Early 50s (age flexible)

Heart
Wiley, vulnerable, manipulative, damaged.
A single stark female.
A massive borglike entity.
A shape-shifter.

Cruella DeVille
The cartoon in all her glory.

Chorus
A crowd of concerned friends, family, community members, churchgoers, paramedics, germs, sea creatures, nurses, organs, water, extensions of the Heart itself.