#EverydayInferno

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Sam Ogilvie, playing “Al Jolson/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I know I'm not allowed to say EVERYTHING. So I'll make an actual decision... The large group sections. A lot of the creation of these different places are done by the ensemble and its movement. The limited set means that we have more variety and also create the scenes through our interactions with the world and each other.

What's your favorite line from the show and why?

HELGA - I'm no apologist for the white race, but I wonder, if they're so thoroughly reprehensible, why we accept their dirty money for our schools and foundations.

ANNE - It's the money they've made through the oppression of our people. They owe us that, and more.

I love this interaction because it displays the complicated discussions about race that members of the black community were having (and still are), in terms of working with or against white people when fighting oppression. Helga's position here is more uncertain because of her mixed-race heritage, and though she identifies more with her black friends, she feels a lack of belonging as they decide to attack white people in general. She feels like they attack her as well.

What's the biggest challenge this piece has posed to you?

Not losing character choices in the shuffle. Our show is incredibly fast-paced and moves from location to location very quickly. The biggest challenge as part of this ensemble is making big and unique choices for even the smallest characters. Otherwise, we could lose the audience as they attempt to identify where we are on the map. This also means learning about five different accents (including a foreign language).

SAM OGILVIE (Al Jolson/Ensemble) is an NYC-based actor and a Core Member of Everyday Inferno. Select theater: Reigning Women (Spicy Witch), The Fall (FringeNYC), Roaring Girl (Everyday Inferno), A Map to Somewhere Else (Everyday Inferno), Signal Season of Dummy Hoy (NYDT); Workshops: Rape of Lucrece (Shakespeare Exchange), Maybe a Mexican? (Toccara Castleman); TV: Hamilton: Building America (History Channel); Web: Adventures of Hot Head, Adventure Capital. Adventure Capital will be appearing throughout festival circuits around the country. Beyond acting, Sam also moonlights as a professional zombie, appearing in plays, music videos, and commercial events in his brain-eating form. In the writing realm, his first full-length play, The Music Box, is currently in development with Everyday Inferno. BFA: NYU-Tisch. Website - www.sam-ogilvie.com.

[frontmezzjunkies]

Glassheart: Everyday Inferno Sputters With Beauty and Love

#frontmezzjunkies reviews: #Glassheart by #ReinaHardy @everydayinferno @AccessTheatre

Meghann Garmany, Christopher Alexey Diaz. All photos courtesy of MDH Photography.

Glassheart: Everyday Inferno Sputters With Beauty and Love

By Ross

Now if i’m not mistaken, in the classic fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast (published in 1740), which the new play, Glassheartby Reina Hardy is based upon, a Prince is turned into a hideous beast after he refuses to let a fairy in from the rain. Only…

[the-working-actor]

"The Turn of the Screw" #everydayinferno #ScottDavidReeves

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Tyler Johnson, playing “James/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater 154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I'm excited to be sharing snippets of the black experience in a different time period. To me there's something about the story that's still relevant to today's time, it's really neat that I get to offer that perspective.

What would your character’s Karaoke song be?

I am confident that James would get on stage at the bar and dedicate Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ to Helga. Out of all the men in the play, he loves her the most.

What is the best or worst piece of advice about acting you've ever been given?

A random actor who looked a lot like me in a dream I had, said:  “Tell the truth. Even if your character is lying.” That's always stuck with me.

TYLER JOHNSON (James/Ensemble) hails from Kannapolis, NC and is a proud graduate of The American Musical & Dramatic Academy of New York. His stage credits include: A Sketch of New York (actor) and 'T.I.S.E Best of The Best of The Best Showcase' (writer, actor). His film credits include 'Tethered' (Aaron) and 'Last Party in New York'. When he's not acting he enjoys a good time with friends, working outdoors and He's also very thankful to be working with The Everyday Inferno Theatre Company in his first professional play! Tyler would like to thank the good Lord Jesus, his family, teachers, friends and the city of Kannapolis for their never ending support!

[everydayinferno]

A Note on Dreams of Malinche: Todd Backus

For one night only, Everyday Inferno Theatre Company presents Nora Sørena Casey’s Dreams of Malinche, a new play about broken friendship, broken families, and Hernan Cortez’ legendary mistress.

Friday, March 10th at 7:30 PM South Oxford Space, The Great Room 138 S Oxford St Brooklyn, NY 11217 Space is limited, reserve your free seats

Hey there,

My name is Todd Backus and I mostly work in new play development. In fact, I met the fine ladies of Everday Inferno when I participated in their Developmental Lab last year. After the lab was over I got an email asking for recommendations for plays to workshop and I immediately thought of Nora Sørena Casey’s Dreams of Malinche.

Nora and I have been collaborators for years. She’s a playwright that uses this incredibly natural mix of the poetic and the everyday to tell incredible stories about ordinary people working to get by. When she first showed me Dreams of Malinche I knew it was something that had to be seen. It, like many of Nora’s plays, is epic in scope and also deeply personal. It tells this beautiful, heartbreaking story of high school friends realizing how different their lives are and will be and it’s juxtaposed with this rarely told story of Mexican history, or, as Emily says, “before America was America.” It’s an excellent story whose immensity was frightening and thrilling at the same time.

I was ecstatic when Everyday Inferno asked for project pitches because I was certain they would be a good fit for the play. I felt that Everday Inferno would be able to give the show what it needed: a strong, diverse, female creative team and time and space to play and grow. I’ve been cheering from the sidelines this whole project through and I’m over the moon about the upcoming reading and I can’t wait to read the latest draft that comes from this beautiful collaboration between artists I know and love.

Enjoy the show! -Todd

Todd Backus is is a director, producer, illustrator and most recently the Literary Manager at Portland Stage in Maine. He likes plays that juxtapose poetry and real life in ways that make you ponder your place in the universe. While he misses Nora, Ben, and his PowerOut family back in NYC (poweroutnyc.com) he's looking forward to workshoping their plays soon... in the wilds of Maine.

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Chris Wight, playing “Uncle Peter/Uncle Paul/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater 154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

The 20s are such an inflection point for white supremacy in the US - Birth of a Nation, lynchings, and blackface, but also the seeds of change are taking hold as evidenced in part by the Harlem Renaissance. I’m hoping we capture some essence of Helga’s journey as a woman caught between many worlds and show through the lens of her journeys how the world has changed since then, and how it hasn’t.

What would your character’s Karaoke song be?

Uncle Paul is quite fond of In Bluebird Land by Valdemar Eiberg.

What do you wish the theatre had more of?

An audience beyond wealthy older white folks; a reach to audiences that could most benefit from having their worldview challenged and expanded.

CHRIS WIGHT (Uncle Peter/Uncle Paul/Ensemble) just wrapped Deya Danielle Drake's Escape for FringeNYC. He is a long-time Artist Member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre and 'Friend' of Flux Theatre Ensemble; there and elsewhere he's appeared in new works by David Ives, Lucy Thurber, Liz Duffy Adams, Jen Silverman, Rachel Bonds, Tennessee Williams (in the premier of Spring Storm with Peter Sarsgaard), Cassandra Medley, Cherie Vogelstein (36DD with Judy Gold), David Lindsay Abaire (Crazy Eights opposite Rosie Perez), Sheri Wilner, Olivia Dufault, Jon Marans, Kathleen McGhee-Anderson, Arthur Giron, Jeffrey Sweet, David Zelnick, Adam Szymkowicz, Cheryl L. Davis, Julie Selbo, Joshua Conkel, Amanda Keating, Christina Quintana, J. Holtham, John Augustine, Robert Simonson, Michael Louis Wells, Ryan Dowler, Maria McCarthy and many other acclaimed writers. Recent films include the independent features Dreamelia and The Motion of the Sun, also shorts Character Assassins (opposite June Squibb), Amy Staats' Mary & Louise, etc. www.chriswight.net

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Synead Nichols, playing “Sary/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I'm extremely excited and proud to be a part of a work that was written by a woman of color. The importance of working on a piece/narrative that I can relate to is very important to me. It allows me to connect not only to the work on a deeper level, but there is less of a struggle being authentic. With the way most industries are set up, holding a real space for non-binary women of color has been nothing short of impossible. Even in art, we have to constantly fight to be heard or seen but for one night...I exist on many planes. I could only be grateful for an opportunity like that.

What does "going home" (our 2018 season theme) mean to you?  

"Going home" means a lot to me right now at this time in my life. It's about a return to self. A return to my "home"- the heart. I've been experiencing so many changing faces/phases over the last few years and although it’s not been an easy road, I’m so lucky to have the chance to explore this space; to find my way home.

What’s your favorite line in the show (yours or someone else’s) and why?

My favorite line is when my character Sary addresses her friend Clementine in regards to Helga and says "Don't be so chinchy, Clementine." That line just throws me for a loop. Go ahead, say it. It kind of makes me tingle. The sound of the “ch” and the “inchy”....so gritty.

SYNEAD NICHOLS (Sary/Ensemble) is a New York-born musician, artist & activist who was named one of Teen Vogue's 17 Rising Stars Who Personify Black Excellence During Black History Month. Synead has been honored by the NAACP as a history maker in her crucial role in community organization and has been a keynote speaker at Harvard's Alumni of Color Conference in 2015 in connection to social justice and organizing the Millions March NYC in 2014. Synead started on her performance track as a classically trained dancer studying at The Alvin Ailey School, Harlem School of the Arts, and LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts and studied acting at Stella Adler, CAP 21, the William Esper Studio, and abroad at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts in London. In the last year, she released new music ("Lost In The Wild"; "Zenith") which premiered on Apple Music's Beats 1 with Ebro Darden. She has also had the opportunity to work on several film & television projects ("Mercy Mistress", "Sasquatch") with diverse and vibrant creatives in New York City and abroad.

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Malloree Hill, playing “Aunt Katrina/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

There are so many lovely and very relevant themes and topics explored in this play, but I most relate to the idea of trying to find a place where you belong. I've lived in three different states and all of them vastly different from one another. Finding your way, finding your place, your people in each of those places is not easy, at times it can feel like you will never belong anywhere. I think we are all just trying to find a place in this world that feels like our own.

What’s your favorite line in the show (yours or someone else’s) and why?

I have so many favorites but this exchange always stands out to me....

".... you're still seeking something, I think."

"..... If you discover what it is I'm seeking, do tell me!"

What do you wish the theater had more of?

Intersectionality, accessibility, and stories that challenge an audience to open their hearts and minds to worlds beyond their own field of vision.  

MALLOREE HILL (Aunt Katrina/Ensemble) is a proud Everyday Inferno company collaborator and has previously been seen in EITC's Iphigenia Among the Taurians, The Roaring Girl, Supertopia, If On A Winter's Night..., as well as the first public reading of Quicksand. Additional NYC credits include: Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, The Trojan Women, Romeo and Juliet, and The Tempest. Regionally Malloree has worked with the Utah Shakespeare Festival in their touring production of The Taming of the Shrew. She is originally from Texas and received her BA from The University of Northern Colorado.

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Michael Quattrone, playing “Axel/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you the most/ are you most excited to share, and why?

What amazes me the most about this play and the overall story is the scope. The character of Helga travels across the country, and abroad, raising an array of challenging topics - gaze, intersectionality, tolerance, acceptance. I think what this story helps with is the understanding that these conversations, and the inherent problems from which they derive, have existed for a while, and remain necessary to continuously address in a diverse and changing society.

What would your character's Karaoke song be?

Definitely answering for the character Axel Olsen: I think it would be a toss up of "Fame" by David Bowie, and "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaac....BONUS! I found a Danish pop hit specifically for this answer called "Fly on the Wings of Love" by none other than the duo - The Olsen Brothers!!

What is the best/ worst piece of advice about acting you've ever been given?

A professor was once describing a metaphor as an example of needing different approaches for different styles saying "Your favorite tool might be a hammer. A hammer is a great tool and very useful in many situations. But you wouldn't use a hammer to make eggs.” He's not wrong...

MICHAEL QUATTRONE* (Axel/Ensemble) is proud to be making his Everyday Inferno debut! He has performed regionally and in the New York area. His credits include The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), A Christmas Story (Engeman Theater), Body Awareness (Avram Theater), and John Merrick in The Elephant Man (Broadhollow Theater). He holds a BFA from Hofstra University and is a recent student of The Barrow Group. He is a member of AEA. www.michaelquattroneactor.com

*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Gabrielle Laurendine, playing “Helga”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I think what resonates most with me is the sense of importance and precedence that is placed on the idea of community and belonging that is still crucial to the average person's experience today. Helga is a person born both in and out of two different cultures and her overwhelming urge to find a foothold in either one is one of the driving forces of the story. In our current social and political climate there can be so much division and splintering off, and the idea of community and solidarity with you fellow man can be lost, or be used to gang up on other groups. Finding a people where you can truly be yourself with, share ideals and struggles with and have them relate to you and what you're going through is such a basic but joyous feeling and is one that any person of any color or creed can instantly relate to.

What would your character’s Karaoke song be?

Helga's karaoke song would probably be “Black or White” by Michael Jackson.

What is something about you that surprises people?

I think something that surprises people is how old I am vs. how young my face looks.

GABRIELLE LAURENDINE (Helga) is an actor and comedian who is so thrilled to be starring in her first show with Everyday Inferno! She's a recent graduate of St. John's University who's so excited to be showing off her professional acting chops. When not rehearsing or auditioning, you can usually find her re-watching Tony's performances or binging bad movies. Recent roles include Lucetta/Sir Eglamour/ Third Outlaw in Two Gentleman of Verona.

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Michael Anthony Jones, playing “Green/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater

154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

What resonates with me most about the play is the variety of sub-cultures within the Black culture. We are not just one type of people. i.e. We are religious, family oriented, blue collar, educated, social leaders, political leaders, etc.

If you could have a fantasy dinner party and invite three guests (alive or dead, but they must be real people), who would you invite? What food are you serving?

I would invite Marcus Garvey, Mother Teresea, and Paramahansa Yogananda. I'm serving Jollof Rice and Banana Pudding.

What is the biggest challenge this piece has posed to you?

Learning blocking, dance and text in a non-linear way.

MICHAEL ANTHONY JONES* (Green/Ensemble) has performed in plays such as August Wilson's Women (AUDELCO AWARD), Fences (AUDELCO AWARD), Wild Children (written by Vincent Pastore of the HBO series The Sopranos), 365 Plays/365 Days, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Black Girl, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. His films include, Family Matters, with Arthur French, No Tips; No Love, A House with Many Windows, and An Unremarkable Life (with Charles Dutton). His writing credits include the plays, It Takes a Village to Raise…Hell, produced by The Marian Holding Theatre, Family Matters, produced at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, Angela's Justice, produced at Theater for the New City and Josh: The Black Babe Ruth, produced at Woodie King, Jr's New Federal Theatre. Numerous screenplays written and was commissioned to write The Skin I'm In, a play that is touring the N.Y. Public Schools. www.saucemike.webs.com

*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Marissa Stewart, playing “Anne/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater 154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I love ensemble-based shows and the creative journey we go on through telling this story. The play feels grand and intimate at the same time. I am excited for my teenage cousins to watch the play and see people that look like them on stage.

If you could have a fantasy dinner party and invite three guests (alive or dead, but they must be real people), who would you invite? What food are you serving?  

Michelle Obama, Beyonce and Ellen DeGeneres. It would be more of a dance party, let's be real. Food would be on the side to keep us fueled during dancing and would consist of unlimited sushi and pinot noir. Plus all the fries. Halfway through the dance party our special VIP guest would arrive: the notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

What do you wish the theatre had more of?

Outreach and accessibility for youth and marginalized communities.

MARISSA STEWART* (Anne/Ensemble) is an actor and teaching artist originally from sunny San Antonio, Texas and is beyond thrilled to be in the cast for Quicksand. Upon receiving her Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, she made the big move to New York. Some of her favorite credits include playing Horatio in an all-female cast of Taming of the Shrew, Juliet for the School Visit Program at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as well as performing Thornton Wilder's short plays at the Moscow Art Theater. When she isn't acting, teaching, dancing, or traveling, Marissa can be found riding her super cool bike across the boroughs of NYC.

*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association

[everydayinferno]

Quicksand Interview: Monica Rodrigues, playing “Karen/Audrey/Ensemble”

IRT Presents Everyday Inferno Theatre Company’s QUICKSAND By Regina Robbins

IRT Theater 154 Christopher St, NYC December 1st-15th, 2018 Tickets: $5-35

“They say that if one stands on the corner of 135th street and 7th avenue long enough, one will eventually see all the people one has ever known. It’s pretty true, I guess. Everyone comes to Harlem sooner or later.”

In Regina Robbins' Quicksand, heightened theatricality, live music, and dance combine to immerse the audience in the 1920s: an era of incredible progress and unimaginable inequality. As we follow the journey of Helga Crane, a biracial woman, from the deep south, through Chicago, New York, Denmark, and back, historical figures of the period appear unexpectedly; Broadway star Al Jolson sings “April Showers” on a New York City street, W.E.B. Du Bois lectures in a lady’s bedroom, and Paul Robeson performs a scene from The Emperor Jones. Infused with the flavor of the roaring 20s, this lively production will pull you back to a past eerily similar to our present.

What about the play resonates with you most/are you most excited to share and why?

I think Helga’s journey is very relatable in this story especially for women in our current social and political climate. The Harlem Renaissance was such a movement in its own that very much created a shift in society at the time. So much of the cultural and racial prejudice that we see outlined in Quicksand is still very prevalent (unfortunately) today. It’s rather stifling the similarities between present and past, and serves as a reminder that things currently need to be changed to provide inclusivity for all.

What would your character’s Karaoke song be?

Audrey’s power anthem would DEFINITELY be “I’m Coming Out” by P!nk since she starts ALL the parties.

What is something about you that surprises people?

Fun fact about me? I can beatbox.

MONICA RODRIGUES (Karen/Audrey/Ensemble) is thrilled to be rejoining the NYC theater scene as a member of the Quicksand cast. She was most recently seen originating the role of Deborah Chessler in the East Coast premiere of Soul Harmony: The story of Deborah Chessler and the Orioles in Westchester, PA. Some of her favorite credits include Mimi in Rent and Lulu in Cabaret. A big thank you goes out to all of her friends and family for their constant support and encouragement.

[everydayinferno]

The Melting Pot Interview: Alex Keegan, Director

THE MELTING POT by Carol Lashof presented by Everyday Inferno Theatre Company

The Access Theater 380 Broadway, NYC March 16th-24th, 2018 Tickets: $5-$18

“Here you stand in your fifty groups, with your fifty languages and histories, and your fifty blood hatreds and rivalries. But you wont be long like that, brothers, for these are the fires of God you’ve come to these are the fires of God.” In Carol Lashof’s incendiary world premiere play, the blossoming relationship between two recent immigrants stalls at the crossroads between the promises of the future, and horrors of the past. At the turn of a century that feels startlingly familiar, young lovers David Quixano and Vera Revendal enter the American crucible and are re-formed. Through a rich blend of languages, cultures, humor, and music, The Melting Pot weaves text from Israel Zangwill’s 1908 smash melodrama of the same name with voices from the early 20th century culture wars, creating an entirely new work that lays bare the wonders and wounds of immigrant America.

What made you want to direct The Melting Pot? The play raises pertinent questions about what it means to be American – what it has meant historically and means in 2018. I’m specifically interested in how the play touches upon immigration and explores how one can maintain one's culture, roots etc. while also becoming an American citizen. I'm further excited about exploring Zangwill’s melodrama – I’m fascinated by melodrama’s structure, and Carol has combined sections of Zangwill’s The Melting Pot in a manner that allows us to play with melodramatic tropes. The piece also provides a canvas for embracing ensemble staging - I'm generally drawn to plays with large casts and in this, everyone's on stage the whole time, which offers an opportunity to explore communal storytelling.

The Melting Pot is set in the very early 20th century, but has definite relevance in 2018.  Is that something you’re focusing on or considering in your direction? How? Yes definitely - the original context of The Melting Pot was so specific to its period and yet Zangwill's piece resonates today. The play certainly raises questions about American identity that were pertinent in the early 20th century and arguably have remained pertinent through present. We're of course in an especially interesting moment to examine the idea of cultural fusing, nationalism etc. Currently, identity politics are at a forefront of conversation and the concept of American nationalism is increasingly complex - exploring this idea of America as a melting pot feels pressing. We've aimed to remain aware of the original context in which The Melting Pot would have been performed, while also building a bridge to presenting this remix in a 2018 context. Specifically from a design standpoint - we're aiming to fuse elements of 20th century with elements of modern day. I'm specifically interested in this question of how one progresses post trauma - something Zangwill's The Melting Pot actively explores in examining a Kishinev pogrom, and that Carol [playwright] further explores in interweaving Zangwill's melodrama with a narrative of a nurse who's survived a pogrom in Odessa. For both of these characters - persecution and trauma have deeply affected their young lives. America thus presents comparative safety as well as offering a possible beacon of hope. How does one start anew and pursue the American Dream when coming from an experience of such deep-seeded persecution and violence? Can the American Dream offer a truly hopeful chance at obtaining a better future? These questions fascinate me in context of the original Zangwill play, and are quite relevant when looking at immigration and asylum seekers in 2018 America - especially in examining the concept of the American Dream and who it's built to serve.

What do you wish the theatre had more of? Aesthetically I gravitate towards heightened theatricality and moments where theatre defies expectations of what's possible. Broadly, I'm drawn to theatre that subverts expectation, that transforms space, that tells stories dynamically and inventively - I always wish to see more theatre that exists outside of the language of realism. On a representation front, I wish the American theatre more accurately reflected the wide range of narratives that exist in America and internationally. Representation is perhaps one of the largest services theatre can provide for a community - there's something immensely powerful in seeing oneself reflected onstage, and there's likewise a great importance in finding empathy in stories far from one's own experience. To this end I wish theatre consistently committed to representation - in programming, in audience cultivation, and in equitable hiring practices.

What is the biggest challenge this piece has posed to you? The greatest challenge for me in this piece is a question of tone - how does one make consistent Zangwill's melodrama in conversation with the choral sections of the play? There's great humor in much of the Zangwill text, and these comedic sections are often juxtaposed with truly horrific accounts of mass-brutality. Creating a consistent balance in tone presents a challenge that requires vigilant attention. Ultimately, as is often the case, the challenge is ensuring we're telling one unified story. So, moments in the Zangwill play that might exist in high melodrama when Zangwill's play is presented might not be appropriate being so heightened in this remix's context.  Therefore, managing thru-line and tone are two aspects I consistently have an eye on in rehearsal.

What do you hope the audience will be talking about after they see the play? I hope they will leave considering how questions of American identity have been relevant throughout time, considering the concept of the melting pot as it existed in the early 20th century vs. present day. The play largely asks audiences to bear witness to individuals reflecting on trauma - and then presents a potential path forward. My hope is the play can spark audiences to consider how we listen, especially to immigrants who are aiming to build a future within the opportunities America provides while also maintaining culture and heritage. Can the melting pot concept allow for one to both embrace an American identity and maintain a deep connection to one's roots?

Why is affordable theatre important? Affordable theatre is SO important - having access to theatre (and to the arts at large) is critical for any community. Theatre potentially allows us space to reflect, to feel, to empathize, to learn, to expand etc., but without access, this experience is limited and becomes an elite privilege. Affordable theatre therefore is a necessary means of broadening audience, of welcoming as many individuals as possible into an artistic space, of providing critical access that allows for the conversation surrounding a play to expand and further allows for theatre to remain a vital art form.

“Going Home” is the theme binding the plays in Everyday Inferno’s 2018 season.  What does “going home” mean to you and how do you see your play within our theme? The Melting Pot certainly fits within this theme - and is perhaps as much about creating a home as it is about going home. At the narrative's center are individuals who've immigrated to America and are aiming to create a home within a new country. The play also largely contends with how one lives between - how can one maintain affection for a birthplace even if that place has become unsafe? What are the traditions of home that are not tied to a specific place? Religious traditions are perhaps the largest aspects of home that are carried by the Quixano family to America - so there's a degree to which "going home" metaphorically is tied to practicing religion. The play also arguably offers David's symphony as a potential new metaphor for homecoming - how can one create art that articulates the bittersweet state of having to forge a new home after fleeing a dangerous one?

For me, going home on a literal level means returning to my parents' apartment in Manhattan where they have lived since I was born - I feel immensely fortunate to have had this consistency of a literal home. That said, I also find there's a certain homecoming in the process of learning how to live on one's own. Especially as someone who has relatively consistently lived away from home for months at a time for work - I tend to find fragments of home in places I've studied, worked, or otherwise resided - all places where I've forged a path towards learning how I define home on my own terms. I'm obsessed with the nostalgia we can have for spaces - even ones we've long left behind. There's a part of me that will likely always define "going home" as having the opportunity to return to places I once lived and experience them anew. What current theatre artists are on your radar?  What excites you about their work? I just saw Folk Wandering, produced by Pipeline Theatre Company - which was moving and exciting both as a production and as an investigation of unique artistic process. I'm generally excited about companies that push the boundaries of how we think about making theatre and support methods of collaboration that are perhaps deemed untraditional. To that end: Pipeline Theatre Company, One Year Lease, The TEAM, The Civilians, Ars Nova etc. are some organizations whose work I'm always excited to follow.

Some upcoming shows I'm looking forward to seeing: Dance Nation by Clare Barron / dir. Lee Sunday Evans (Playwrights Horizons) The House That Will Not Stand by Marcus Gardley / dir. Lileana Blain Cruz (NYTW) Is God Is by Aleshea Harris / dir. Taibi Magar (SoHo Rep) Relevance by JC Lee / dir. Liesl Tommy (MCC) Transfers by Lucy Thurber / dir. Jackson Gay (MCC)

Alex Keegan’s directing includes Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters (Geva Fellowship/SUNY Brockport), ensemble-generated Aplomb (The Habitat), Margot Connolly’s Tough, Krista Knight’s Selkie (Williamstown), Gracie Gardner’s Primary (Sanguine / IRT), and new work with Cherry Lane Theatre, O’Neill Theater Center YPF, The Flea, MCC FreshPlay, and The Wild Project. Member/Alum: SDC Associate, Rattlestick’s Middle Voice Company, Williamstown Directing Corps, NYTW Adelphi Residency, Geva Directing Fellowship, The Drama League's Artist Residency, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, The Civilians R&D Group. Assistant Directing – Broadway: 24 Hour Plays; Williamstown: Boo Killebrew’s Romance Novels… (dir. Moritz von Stuelpnagel), Sam Hunter’s A Great Wilderness (dir. Eric Ting); Woolly Mammoth: Clare Barron’s Baby Screams Miracle (dir. Howard Shalwitz). BA: Brown. In fall 2018, Alex will begin pursuing her MFA in Directing at Yale School of Drama

[everydayinferno]

Glassheart Interview: Meghann Garmany, playing “Only”

GLASSHEART by Reina Hardy presented by Everyday Inferno Theatre Company

The Access Theater 380 Broadway, NYC October 19th-28th, 2017 Tickets: $5-18

“In the empty living room of a shabby apartment, a Beast is crying. There is just enough light to see that he is monstrous, and clutching something precious to him.”

Beauty never showed up. Centuries after the curse, the Beast and his last remaining magical servant are holed up in a ramshackle apartment, managed by a mysterious landlady with a suspicious taste for gingerbread. When an eligible maiden moves in next door, “happily ever after” feels agonizingly within reach, but we all know that in fairytales, nothing is exactly as it seems. Full of humor, magic, and belief in the life-altering power of love, Glassheart is a witty and decidedly adult take on a classic tale that explores the space between light and dark, and the sacrifices we make in search of an ordinary life.

What household object would you not want to live without? Truthfully, the first thing I do when I get home at night is turn on a lamp and turn off the overhead lighting.  One of my dearest and oldest friends, we’ve known each other since we were six and we were college roommates, loathes over-head lighting.  I do too.  I don’t know if it’s a habit I picked up from her or something I’ve always done, but yeah, I really do love lamps.  They make the home a better place.

What about the play are you most excited to share? There’s so much I’m excited to share, but currently I’m most excited to share the moments of magic.  In the rehearsal rooms, we’ve built in these moments of magic for ourselves surrounded by folding chairs, rehearsal blocks, and fluorescents; I am so excited to explore these moments surrounded by everything the design team has created and to share these moments with an audience.  The feeling of a roomful of people experiencing a moment of wonder together is palpable and so thrilling to be a part of, let alone orchestrate! Also…CANDY. I’m very excited to share candy.

What do you wish the theatre had more of? Ah, here’s my soap-box…now what do I do it with?  The short version, I wish the theatre was as diverse as the world around us, and I wish it was more accessible to the world around us.   The long version, the theatre could use a lot.  It could use more women, people of color, LGBTQIA people, and people with disabilities. They all possess the ability to create and to produce creative work.  Like the world around us, all of these groups could use more representation.  I’d love to see more diverse stories, from life-experiences and identities I’ve never had.  On a personal note, more queer representation and experiences would be great.  I’d love to play a lesbian that gets to be happy and live their life and maybe…I don’t know…not die horribly or have something horrible happen to them.  I’d love to play a lesbian in a story that has nothing to do with being a lesbian.  Sometimes it happens, I’ve had theatre experiences here that have opened my mind to other cultures and experiences, pieces of history I was oblivious to or had only seen through a white perspective, or encountered a gay character in a story-line that had nothing to do with them being gay.  But yeah, “more of” that.  There are lots of voices and stories that aren’t just waiting to be heard, they are already there, you just have to listen.  

I also think it would be great if more people could afford to go to the theatre. Perhaps if the audiences in commercial theatres began to hold as much diversity and experience as the people in the streets, the diversity and experiences on stage would begin to reflect that.  I’m not sure what the answer is here, but I know it’s not found at a “discounted price” of $85.  More ticket initiatives? Government funding? How do we find something that’s feasible, but also sustainable in the commercial world?  I could talk myself in circles on this one.

I’ll also just go ahead and say that I’m really proud to work with Everyday Inferno. They are a very female driven company telling stories centered around women, but they also really work to take whatever steps they can towards inclusivity and affordability. It’s not a perfect check box.  There will always be mis-steps and more that can be done, but to work with a company that keeps trying and to know they’re not alone in that, that other companies and artists are also trying, it keeps me hopeful.

What would your character’s Karaoke song be? I think Karaoke decisions, like many choices in life, are based on current mood and level of consumption.  If Only’s letting loose and shining bright, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness.  If she’s on a bender and The Beast is having a particularly bad day, “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia.  But at the end of the night, as the bar begins to clear and the last drinks are poured, she makes herself a warm spotlight and shuts the place down with “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston.

MEGHANN GARMANY* (Only) is a core company member of Everyday Inferno and has been seen previously in EITC productions including Reina Hardy’s A Map to Somewhere Else and the development of Nora Sørena Casey’s Dreams of Malinche and Regina Robbins’ Quicksand as part of the 2017 Access Theatre residency. Other credits include The Mask of the Jaguar King (The Schoolhouse Theatre, Croton Falls NY), Bonesetter: A Tragislasher (Spicy Witch Productions), The Woman American (Samuel French OOB Festival), and Fengar Gael’s Devil Dog Six. Meghann is an alumna of the Theatre Arts Department of Virginia Tech. She is thrilled to go on yet another magical journey with Everyday Inferno and hopes you will continue to join and support us. @MeghannGarmany (Twitter and FB), @TheGarm (Instagram), www.MeghannGarmany.com

*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association