The Deep End Productions

LIFE In A Marital Institution opens off-Broadway!

"Full of Laughs and Insight" - The New York Times Highly Recommended Hit is Back!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A VIDEO EXCERPT OF THE SHOW.

Regulars of The Insights & Revelations Performance Series may have caught James Braly's Life In A Marital Institution (20 years of monogamy in one terrifying hour) in May 2006 when the piece was first shown. Last summer, the show enjoyed a very successful engagement at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and then premiered off-off Broadway at 59E59 Theaters in New York City, for a critically-acclaimed, sold-out 4 week run in Feb/March 2008, produced by The Deep End Productions and Little Johnny Koerber. We are proud to announce the show's move to an Off-Broadway Theatre.

2007/2008 Season Wrap-Up

What a great season this was. Thanks to all of you that turned out for our presentations, setting the record for audience attendance this year!

The season began in September 2007 with an open rehearsal of Classic Stage Company’s upcoming production of Richard III, starring Michael Cumpsty.

Artistic Director Brian Kulick led the cast in a rehearsal of key scenes from the play, discussing the context and various approaches to the play, the characters, and each particular scene. Often, Kulick asked the performers to repeat sections of the scene, utilizing differing intentions and interpretations. In this way, the audience was introduced to the inner workings of taking Shakespeare from the page to the stage, gaining a deeper insight into Shakespeare’s artistry along the way.

Michael Cumpsty at the post-show reception surrounded by Purchase Drama students.

SOLD OUT: An Open Rehearsal from the Producers of Spring Awakening

Atlantic Theater Company’s Port Authority

From the producers of Broadway’s eight-time Tony Award-winning Spring Awakening, comes an open rehearsal of the New York premiere of Port Authority. Two members of the stellar cast of Port Authority - John Gallagher, Jr. (2007 Tony Award winner for originating the role of Moritz in Spring Awakening) and Brian d'Arcy James (Tony Nominee, Sweet Smell of Success) - will be mid-way through their rehearsal process when they join us. Hear about their creative rehearsal process and witness director Henry Wishcamper discuss various interpretations and acting approaches with the cast as he rehearses and re-rehearses select portions of the script. Get a behind the scenes look at the creative process of bring a New York Premiere to The Atlantic Theater Company.

After the performance, there will be a discussion and reception with the artists.

Brian d'Arcy James

John Gallagher, Jr. with "Tony"

In Port Authority, we meet Kevin, Dermot and Joe, three generations of Irishmen. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Dublin, each man’s story is a beautifully woven tale of failure, loss and the elusiveness of love. With great wit and humor, Tony-nominated playwright Conor McPherson (this season's Broadway hit, "The Seafarer," as well as "Shining City," "The Weir," and "Dublin Carol") expertly exposes the heart of the common man.

Show Recommendations

Dear Friends,

It is my hope that you will find out about all kinds of performing arts events through this blog. I will continue to add links to connect you to information about shows in the city and in Westchester, and I will update this letter to let you know about any interesting shows I have seen. Also, you can check out the Beyond Wicked" post on this site, which is a reprint of a monthly arts column I write for The Examiner of Pleasantville and Mount Kisco; there will often be more show recommendations there.

Please also let me know what you are getting out there to see. You can do so by filling out a comment (below) and then I can share your report with other readers. People have told me they are hesitant to write in because they are not confident about their writing skills. Please feel free just to write in the name of a show and that you liked it; it does not have to be a full review.

And now, some recommendations:

Whether or not you saw the open rehearsal of The Atlantic Theater's "Port Authority" as part of our Series, I strongly and happily recommend that you go to their production in the city. I saw the show's opening last week and the production was far above even my ridiculously high expectations. The play itself is moving, heartbreaking, poignant, and even hilarious at times. The cast - Brian d'Arcy James, John Gallagher Jr., and Jim Norton, are remarkable. It is a real chance to see three of the theatre's finest actors at the top of their game. This is a meaningful evening of theatre on every level.

Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is now playing at The Pearl Theatre in the East Village, with the lovely and talented company member, Rachel Botchan, as Gwendolyn.

2007/2008 Season Sponsors

The 2007/2008 season is sponsored by the following generous community businesses, all in Pleasantville. Please do business with them, and thank them for helping to bring great art and conversation to Northern Westchester:

Art of Wine, 1 Cooley Street

Cold Stone Creamery, 64 Washington Avenue

Glass Onion Originals, 4 Washington Avenue

Jackson & Wheeler Restaurant & Bakery, 25 Wheeler Avenue

Sir Speedy Printing Center, 467 Bedford Road

The Village Bookstore, 10 Washington Avenue

We also would like to thank our Producer's Circle Members:
Executive Producers: Joan & Sam Ginsburg, Liz Holland & Ron Vogel, Lisa & Jon Roberts, Evy & Brian Rosen
Co-Producers: Lucy Reyes-Robin & Dana Robin

The season is also supported by The Joseph & Sophia Abeles Foundation, the David Schwartz Foundation, and Jacob Burns Foundation, which awarded The Deep End a matching grant. If you would like to make a donation toward the match (or have another idea about how we can meet the match), please call Anna Becker at (914) 764-4028.

Join The Producer's Circle

We are pleased to announce the formation of The Producer's Circle for the Insights & Revelations Performance Series and would like to welcome new members this season, Joan & Sam Ginsburg, Liz Holland & Ron Vogel, Lisa & Jon Roberts and Lucy & Dana Robin, as well as returning members Evy & Brian Rosen. strong>

Members of the Circle will enjoy special privileges as well as become a significant supporter of the Series. Your membership fee can be counted toward our Jacob Burns Foundation matching grant too, so your dollars will be worth twice as much. Please take a look at the benefits of membership, and give Anna Becker a call at (914) 764-4028 to join or find out more:

INSIGHTS & REVELATIONS PERFORMANCE SERIES PRODUCER’S CIRCLE
2007-2008 Season (4 presentations)

Benefits of Joining:

Guaranteed, reserved VIP seating

Invitation to a Pre-Theatre Reception and Artist Meet and Greet

Listing in the program as a member of the Producer’s Circle

Listing on the Series web site as a member of the Producer’s Circle

Note: A portion of your membership in the Producer’s Circle is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Details are available upon request.

Beyond Wicked: Arts off The Beaten Path, 4/22/08

BEYOND WICKED
Exploring the Arts Off the Beaten Path

Poetry In Bloom

By Anna Becker

It’s April and literary festivals and poetry readings are springing up all over. It’s no surprise to you, I’m sure, that New York City is home to some of the most important and inspiring literary organizations this world has to offer. Here are a few suggestions of events that will transform, inform, and revive your spirit after a long winter’s rest…

The theme for this year’s PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature is Public Lives/Private Lives, which couldn’t be timelier. How do we draw a line between our private and public selves? When must we tell private stories for the public good? How, as readers, writers, and citizens, do we confront threats to our privacy? What is still considered private in the Internet age? The writers in this year’s Festival – which

Directions to the Rosenthal JCC Theatre

The Richard G. Rosenthal JCC
600 Bear Ridge Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570
914-741-0333

From the Saw Mill Parkway, Northbound

Exit at Marble Avenue. At end of ramp, turn right at the light onto Marble Avenue. At the next light, turn left onto Broadway/Route 141. At the second light, turn right onto Lake Street. Take to stop sign at end of road and turn right onto Bear Ridge Road. The JCC will be on your right.

From the Saw Mill Parkway, Southbound

Exit at Manville Road. Continue bearing right at stop sign. Turn right onto Pleasantville/Bedford Road. Go through the town of Pleasantville. Make a right at the traffic light at Broadway/Route 141 (Michael's Tavern will be across the street), and make your first left on Church Street. Church turns into Bear Ridge Road. The JCC will be on your right.

From the Taconic:

Taconic to Pleasantville/Bedford Road exit
Make a right at stop sign
Bear right at next stop sign onto Bedford road
Continue to the end of Bedford Road and, at the light, make a right onto NY-141
Make the 1st Left onto Church Street which becomes bear Ridge.
Drive about 1-1/3 miles to #600 Bear Ridge Road

Route 117:

You can also take Route 117 from the north or the south and you will come to the intersection for Rt. 120 towards Armonk/Rye. If you are driving south on 117, you will make a left onto Rt. 120, and driving north you will make a right.
Follow Rt. 120 and make a right onto Bear Ridge Road. The JCC will be on your left after about 1/2 mile, #600 Bear Ridge Road.

Interstate 684 to Exit 3, Armonk:

Follow Route 22 South to Route 120 North. Stay on Route 120 to Bear Ridge Road. Make a left onto Bear Ridge Road. The JCC is approximately 1/2 mile on the left.

Contact Us

Anna Becker
Producer
The Deep End Productions
P.O. Box 547
Pound Ridge, NY 10576-0547

(914) 764-4028

ab@thedeependproductions.org

TICKET INFORMATION

Reservations strongly recommended.

You can purchase advance tickets online or by phone around the clock. Details are below. You can purchase tickets at the door on the evening of the performance on an as-available basis beginning at 6:30 p.m. There will be a message on our phone line - 914-764-4028 - on the day of the performance to let you know whether tickets are still available. Online ticket sales are not available on the day of performance.

Seating is unreserved though, in our intimate space, every seat is a good one... $5 per ticket discount coupons are available three weeks in advance of the performance, courtesy of the following sponsors at their stores in Pleasantville:

Art of Wine, One Cooley Street

Cold Stone Creamery, 64 Washington Avenue

Glass Onion Originals, 4 Washington Avenue

Jackson & Wheeler Restaurant and Bakery, 25 Wheeler Avenue

Sir Speedy Printing Center, 467 Bedford Road

The Village Bookstore, 10 Washington Avenue

Coupons can be redeemed via phone or internet orders .

Online:

By Phone: Call Smarttix at (212) 868-4444 for credit card orders.

For more information, contact Anna Becker, Series Producer, at (914) 764-4028 or annabecker@verizon.net.

Performances take place at the Rosenthal JCC Theatre, 600 Bear Ridge Road, Pleasantville, NY  10570 (off Rt. 120 between Armonk and Chappaqua). 

A discussion and champagne/dessert reception with the artists follows each performance. Late seating is not guaranteed.

Beyond Wicked: Arts Off The Beaten Path, 2/19/08

BEYOND WICKED
Exploring the Arts Off the Beaten Path

YOUR STORY OR YOUR LIFE

By Anna Becker

I am currently in the trenches, producing solo shows by two of New York’s finest storytellers. One is Life In A Marital Institution (20 years of monogamy in one terrifying hour) in which James Braly tells tales from the home front about married life, and the other is Wanderlust, where Martin Dockery leaves home to backpack through West Africa. I believe the attraction to storytelling – for audiences and for me – has a lot to do with our current screen-induced hypnotic state. Being in the room with a live person telling a story about their lives provides, believe it or not, an even stronger rush than bowling on the wii.

Beyond Wicked: Arts Off The Beaten Path, 1/15/08

BEYOND WICKED
Exploring The Arts Off The Beaten Path

By Anna Becker

AND THE TONY AWARD GOES TO…

When you think of the Tony Awards or the Pulitzer Prize, you think of Broadway, right? You might want to re-think. Here are a few fun facts about just where all the prize-winning plays really live…

For 10 of the last 12 years, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama has been won by a not-for-profit, Off-Broadway theatre…Last year, 76% of all the Tony Awards went to shows which premiered at or were produced by not-for-profit, Off-Broadway theatres, including The Atlantic Theater Company’s Spring Awakening and Lincoln Center’s The Coast of Utopia…Since 2000, plays that premiered at off-Broadway theatres have been produced more than 300 times at regional theatres across the country.

With these impressive statistics in mind, here are a few recommendations for new plays from off-Broadway theatres that might just be the next Tony or Pulitzer nominee:

Insights & Revelations in the NY Times

On November 11th, The Insights & Revelations Performance Series was featured in the New York Times, Westchester Section. The article, written by Laura Mogil, is a wonderful representation of what we do.

Click here to read it online

Best of Westchester 2007!

The Insights & Revelations Performance Series has been honored with a "Best of Westchester 2007" Award. The 2006-2007 season was truly special and we are delighted to have been noticed for it.

But we're just getting warmed up! We're heading into another exciting season, filled with a wide range of theatrical works in varying stages of development. As always, each will conclude with a post-performance discussion and reception with the artists, so that we can gain some deeper insights into the artistic process.

Take a look at what we have planned for the coming season by clicking the individual links to your right...

Beyond Wicked: Arts Off The Beaten Path, 12/18/07

Wishing You A Dramatic New Year

Under the Radar Festival’s “Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea” – photo credit: Neil Hanna

As I look at the myriad festivals of dance, theatre, and music coming up in the new year, I am reminded of the Mary Tyler Moore show when Rhoda once recounted all of the incredible cultural organizations in New York as her reason for living here. When Mary pointed out that Rhoda didn’t actually get out to any of those venues, Rhoda said “But when you live here, look at what you’re not doing! You can’t not do these things anywhere else!” In hopes that you might be a little more proactive than Rhoda, I thought I’d provide you with my New Year’s theatre-going itinerary.

To ring in an artful new year, I will start downtown at The Public Theater for the Under The Radar Festival that spotlights international emerging and master performing artists. This year they promise an intense and wild celebration and, with producer Mark Russell at the helm, I’m sure they will deliver. In his words: “This is a festival all about seeing something new, something that might challenge your view of the world or at least clean the windows for you. This is a theater festival with a big picture, and many small performances!”

This year’s Under the Radar Festival will include works from England, Ireland, Australia, Brazil, France, Austria and Belarus, as well as Seattle, San Francisco, Harlem, Brooklyn and “that alternative state of consciousness; Oklahoma.” Most of the shows run under 90 minutes, but at least one will operate as an installation with business hours. Shows take place January 9th - 20th.

Christine Ebersole in American Songbook – photo credit: Melanie Dunea

Then I will head uptown for American Songbook, opening January 23rd, the much-celebrated musical series at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The Songbook will feature Broadway, bluegrass, country, rock, R&B, and soul, including Canadian chanteuse K.D. Lang performing selections from her new album Watershed; Sixties music in the hands of John Lloyd Young, the Tony Award-winning star of Jersey Boys; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icon Patti Smith; and two-time Tony winner Christine Ebersole.

Across town at City Center, The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players will launch its Gilbert & Sullivan Fest 2008, presenting six classic shows over the course of four weeks in January and June The line-up includes big faves, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, and The Mikado, as well as productions of Princess Ida and The Gondoliers. Ask about their Free Kids Nights too.

Heading back downtown to Dance Theatre Workshop, I’ll enjoy Fresh Tracks, a dance festival of new and edgy choreography. In addition to performances, the artists also participate in open discussions to foster an understanding of their creative process. January 4th and 5th only.

Even further downtown in Soho, I will cap off my New Year’s Festivities at HERE Arts Center for its 10th annual hybrid performance festival in January, CultureMart. The Festival blurs the boundaries among dance, theatre, music, new media, puppetry, and visual art, melding these forms to the artist’s vision. It provides a vital testing ground where you can sample art in progress, provide feedback, and play a crucial role in the development of new work. Check out Culturemart 2008, and let their images fill your imagination.

So I urge you to make a New Year’s resolution to do a little better than Rhoda this coming year by actually getting out your front door and experiencing the passion, celebration, and great artistry that lie behind your backyard and just a little Beyond Wicked.