2014 EstroGenius Festival Kicks Off Today in New York City
By: BWW News Desk Oct. 02, 2014
Manhattan Theatre Source announces the performance schedule for their 15th Annual EstroGenius Festival, a multimedia performance festival showcasing female voices from a variety of disciplines, running October 2-November 2 at Stage Left Studio (214 West 30th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue) and the 4th Street Theatre (83 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery).
Tickets ($18) are available online at www.estrogenius.org or by calling 866-811-4111. SOLA VOCE October 2-11 at Stage Left Studio (214 West 30th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue).
THE SHOWS:
The Tinder Scrapbooking Love Guru Victoria
Written, Directed & Performed by Cat Migliaccio Victoria is the Queen of Tinder, Goddess of Scrapbooking and a Love Guru to woman helping them find the right mate with some backups to bless this earth with BABIES!! Double Bill: Thu 10/2 & Sun 10/5 @ 7:30pm
Written & Performed by Melanee Murray; Directed by Nicole Zylstra Albie Davis is a singer with a heart of soul. But the world doesn't seem to be ready for Albie's blend of outspoken word, creative freedom and righteous take on pop culture, hip-hop and hairweaves. In order to find her way in a world dominated by Beyonces, booty, bling and the rappers who love them, Albie makes a drastic choice- a choice that might lead her to the brink of either mega-fame or mega disaster. Double Bill: Thu 10/2 & Sun 10/5 @ 7:30pm
The Big Giant Bookstore
Written & Performed by Barbara Suter; Directed by Terence Mintern The Big Giant Bookstore is an amusing and heartfelt examination of the life of a retail bookseller working in the children's department on the fashionable Upper West Side of Manhattan dealing with nannies, parents and their privileged progeny while waiting for her first novel to be published. There are several postponements and the bookseller finally takes a cue from Dr. Seuss and demands her book be released from the publisher or be given a definite pub date, "I'm tired of sitting on the prickly perches," she says. The piece is about writing and reading and the stories we need to tell. Fri 10/3 & Wed 10/8 @ 7:30pm
It's Not My Decision
Written, Performed & Directed by Wolf C.R. Midwesterners turned New Yorkers Mark and Sharon are recently separated when Sharon falls in love with another woman, Betsy; a harsh, sometimes crude, but loving and searching to be patient, lesbian from the Bronx. Sharon, currently in a psychiatric hospital for Bipolar Disorder, has been followed by her young and delusional sister, Aurea, who is on a search to be a famous actress in NYC, but mostly on a search to understand her sister Sharon, sexuality, feminism, and food and body control. Mark is now in individual therapy, facing his own prejudices he has concerning queerness, race, religion, and manhood. Double Bill: Sat 10/4 @ 2pm & Fri 10/10 @ 7:30pm
OVERHEARD
Written & Performed by Kirya Traber; Directed by Sara Lyons Kirya Traber embodies a diverse cast of characters on a subway ride across the city. Public and private collide as strangers encounter an unconventional individual who challenges their fundamental conceptions of what it means to be female bodied, to be Black, and to be an artist. Through hauntingly honest character monologue, personal narrative, dance, and song, Traber asks how minute moments of personal choice can define our experience in a world of predetermined roles.
Double Bill: Sat 10/4 @ 2pm & Fri 10/10 @ 7:30pm
Downtown Mermaid
Written & Performed by Catherine Boruch; Directed by Shawn Belpano
New York City never sleeps-- it just gets drunk and passes out sometimes... A New Jersey Girl's journey through Manhattan's rock and roll scene and public relations life to find what it's all really about. Quirky, funny, fast and innovative...a show you will not soon forget. Double Bill: Sat 10/4 @ 8pm & Sat 10/11 @ 5pm
Music for Dogs
Written by Paula Meehan; Performed by Katherine O'Sullivan; Directed by Siobhan Dunne Janey Mack has a legacy to leave behind when she gets a bad prognosis from her doctor. The legacy is funny and poignant. Double Bill: Sat 10/4 @ 8pm & Sat 10/11 @ 5pm
The Wildflower Garden- An Acquired Taste
Written & Performed by Jane Bennet; Directed by Barb Katz Disraeli When I was diagnosed with MS almost eight years ago, it was time to stand still or to move forward. Double Bill: Sun 10/5 @ 2pm & Sat 10/11 @ 8pm
There's Iron in Your Future
Written & Performed by Mindy Pfeffer; Directed by Aimee Todoroff As she enters the wild world of triathlon training and prepares for her first Ironman triathlon, Mindy discovers her "inner athlete" and learns more about herself than she ever expected. Double Bill: Sun 10/5 @ 2pm & Sat 10/11 @ 8pm
Dear Susan
Performed by Shay Roman; Written & Directed by Roxanne MtJoy A young woman corresponds with Susan G. Komen. A play about health, women, and politics. Double Bill: Thu 10/9 @ 7:30pm & Sat 10/11 @ 2pm
Chore Boots
Written & Performed by Janet Schlapkohl; Directed by Tim Budd A girl grows up in rural Iowa with a dream of life on the farm. National events, the war in Vietnam and the farm crisis are understood through the rules of softball, school constraints and farming; Pay Attention. Watch it. Humor and good nature survive. Double Bill: Thu 10/9 @ 7:30pm & Sat 10/11 @ 2pm
October 16-November 1 at 4th Street Theatre (83 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave & Bowery)
Sarah's Program Co-Producer Sarah Engle; Co-Producer Jen Thatcher Thu 10/16 @ 8pm, Sat 10/18 @ 5pm, Sun 10/19 @ 6:40pm, Thu 10/23 @ 8pm, Sun 10/26 @ 4pm, Mon 10/27 @ 8pm, Thu 10/30 @ 8pm & Sat 11/1 @ 1:30pm
Heartland
Written by Andrea Clardy; Directed by Deborah Long Two women meet in a faraway airport.
A Place for Owls
Written by Fiona Jones; Directed by Dina Vovsi Without context, information can be deadly.
G Train Exodus
Written by Jessica Fleitman; Directed by Christie Clark
The story of a failed artist who tries to leave New York City forever, and the subway train that won't let her go. A tale of transformation and transportation.
Written by Vivian Neuwirth The teacher a student will never forget becomes a legend the world will never forget - John Kennedy Toole.
Goodbye Avis
Written by Celeste Koehler; Directed by Willow Norton
Emma and Miriam have arrived for the viewing of their dear friend Avis. Unfortunately (or not) there has been a mixup and now the ladies must decide what's best for everyone concerned.
Producer Andi Cohen; Assistant Producer Ruthie Scarpino Fri 10/17 @ 8pm, Sun 10/19 @ 1:30pm, Mon 10/20 @ 8pm, Tue 10/21 @ 9pm, Sat 10/25 @ 1:30pm, Sun 10/26 @ 6:30pm, Tue 10/28 @ 6:30pm & Sat 11/1 @ 5pm
Glutton for Punishment
Written by Catherine Noah; Directed by Angela Dumlao
A woman who has spent her life following the yogi path to enlightenment discovers in the afterlife that the Catholics were right all along - and now she must outwit the devil to save her soul.
Written by Lisa Bruna; Directed by Elizabeth Ostler A call-it-like-it-is executive on her way to an important meeting gets trapped in her worst nightmare when the antiquated elevator she's riding gets stuck between floors, and the only other rider is the next-door neighbor she's made a long-time habit of avoiding.
A Bottle of Vodka
Written by Connie Schindewolf; Directed by Sharon Hunter
Two alcoholics are thrown into a room with no doors and a bottle of vodka; are they in heaven, hell, or somewhere in between?
Written by Bekah Brunstetter; Directed by Melissa Skirboll A first date. With herpes. "The beauty of this piece stems from playwright Bekah Brunstetter, who has taken a mundane concept and added a dimension that brings with it a subtle sense of urgency-as if time is running out and only love matters." NYtheatre.com
Snow White Zombie
Written by Brent Lengel; Directed by Sara Stevens
Zombie Apocalypse. In Fairytaleland. 'Nuff Said.
Producer Deb Long; Assistant Producer Margaret Stockton Sat 10/18 @ 7:30pm, Sun 10/19 @ 4pm, Tue 10/21 @ 6:30pm, Fri 10/24 @ 8pm, Sun 10/26 @ 1:30pm, Tue 10/28 @ 9pm, Wed 10/29 @ 8pm & Sat 11/1 @ 7:30pm
Parkersburg
Written by Laura Jacqmin; Directed by Rebeca Lewis-Whitson Three women dig for coal on the day when they must find a vein or lose their jobs
Overnight
Written by Natalie Bates Overnight examines the conventional limits on friendship between two women in their thirties, one of whom has been recently widowed. What happens when someone refuses to accept the superficial gestures of condolence? Overnight explores the unknown regions of a deeper companionship.
What's the Catch
Written by Kathryn Zaniboni; Directed by Amber Gallery When Rodger returns to his childhood home with his wife and daughter to sell the family fishing boat, he's forced to face his past, his family's future, and everything in between.
For Abby
Written by Holli Harms; Directed by Jenn Bronstein At a quiet retreat in the mountains, a woman waits for a new friend but when an old one shows up she has to confront a death she has been avoiding for over 30 years.
Maid's Door
Written by Cheryl Davis; Directed by Mary Hodges A play about a maid, her family, and the meaning of a door.
GIRL BY HEARD
Wed 10/22 @ 8pm at 4th Street Theatre (83 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave & Bowery)
Created in collaboration with Antiquity Now, Generations is an ensemble performance devised by Girl Be Heard Company Members in collaboration with women and girls of all ages and writings from women across history on how gender-based violence affects us all.
Sat 10/25 @ 7:30pm at 4th Street Theatre (83 East 4th Street between 2nd Ave & Bowery) See sneak peaks of new work by 2014 Commissioned Choreographers Deborah Lohse, Maura Donahue/InMixedCompany and Zoe Rabinowitz. Each of these powerhouse dance makers is creating a dance work, culminating in WiM main stage performances in May 2015.
ESTROGENIUS FESTIVAL: Founded at Manhattan Theatre Source in 2000 by Fiona Jones, EstroGenius is an annual celebration created largely in reaction to the many talented female artists in the downtown theatre scene without adequate opportunities to present their work. The festival is committed to showcasing art that explores deep and complex female characters and giving voice to women who aren't often heard in the theatre. As one of the most inclusive festivals of its kind, EstroGenius also accepts submissions from men, as long as their work features a strong female voice. Previous EstroGenius playwrights have included Liz Duffy Adams, Bekah Brunstetter, Sheila Callaghan, Wendy Caster, Kara Lee Corthron, Cheryl Davis, Quirara Alegria Hudes, George Hunka, Andrea Lepcio, Melissa Maxwell, T.D. Mitchell, Mac Rogers, Crystal Skillman, and Saviana Stanescu. www.estrogenius.org
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