The Gene Frankel Theatre (located at 24 Bond Street) will be presenting the Shotgun Theatre Festival: Theatre Under the Gun, which will run January 8th-10th and January 15th-18th. The festival aims to create spontaneous theater in a compressed period of time while allowing an audience to witness the theatrical process in its entirety; from auditions and casting through the staging of twenty eight original works. The festival will provide a vivid and unique glance into the world of theatrical and artistic production, while providing a platform for playwrights, actors, and directors to exercise their craft in an exciting and creative environment.
The January 8th and 15th shows are "audition nights," where actors will perform monologues and short solo performances (including dances, songs, and stand-up). The playwright and director teams will also be picked live in front of the audience on those two evenings, and the casts will be determined.
The "performance nights" take place January 9th, 10th, 16th, and 17th, and each evening will see seven short original works be performed (all inspired literally or metaphorically by a shotgun). The works will each have been written in the time between the previous audition night and that's evening's performance. Each performance night will also feature a guest music artist performing in between the plays. They include singer/songwriter Neely Bridges (1/9), and musicians Rueben Butchart (1/10), Michael David Bryson (1/16), and Don Peavy (1/17).
At the conclusion of each performance night, the audience will select two plays to move onto the final day of the festival, January 18th, where one of the eight audience favorites will be awarded the festival winner by a panel of esteemed guest judges. After the festival, the winning play will be further developed into a full length production, to which The Gene Frankel Theater will donate its theatre space to. Musician Dan Costello will be the guest music artist on 1/18.
The Shotgun Theatre Festival is being presented by Gail Thacker/The Gene Frankel Theatre, Janus Surratt, Diamondo Stratakos, and the City Actors Theatre Company.
Performance times are at 8pm, except for the final night of the festival which begins at 7pm. Tickets are $10 for each night (tickets for the final night are $20), and festival passes may be purchased for $25 (one weekend) or $60 (all festival pass). Tickets can be purchased at The Gene Frankel Theatre, at 24 Bond Street (just off of Lafayette).
For more information on The Gene Frankel Theatre, visit www.GeneFrankel.com.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL, EMAIL: SAMMORRISPR@GMAIL.COM
THE Gene Frankel THEATRE
Gene Frankel, who passed away in 2005, was a solid force in American theatre, film and television for several generations. He is credited with jumpstarting Off-Broadway theatre, in which he directed plays like Enemy of the People, Brecht on Brecht, Gun Play, and his version of Genet's The Blacks. A three time Obie award winner, Frankel's list of credits and credentials made him one of the most recognized directors in American Theatre. His classrooms produced a wealth of talent, whose influence is seen in all aspects of theatre, film, and television. Walter Matthau, James Earl Jones, Anne Bancroft, Raul Julia, and Frank Langella are a few of the actors who have been taught or directed by Frankel.
The goal of the Gene Frankel Theatre is to nurture and inspire the work of contemporary playwrights who create original material that question social issues and ideologies. We strive to represent our time and culture by seeking a new mythology that will challenge our perceptions. Currently, with Artistic Director Gail Thacker at the helm, The Gene Frankel Theatre is still thriving with classes, workshops, and vibrant downtown theatre. The Gene Frankel Theatre seeks new voices that explore and question our relationships within the challenges of contemporary society. In its effort to be supportive of the artistic community, the theatre is building an exhibition space to display visual art in the lobby, creating a fully artistic experience for theatergoers.
