Welcome

Welcome
John William Tuohy lives in Washington DC

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Rome, 1959.


 

Nothing to see here folks


 

I adore B&W photos

 

Karol Kállay. Filled with Light, New York. 1965

                                                     Ray K. Metzker. Valencia, 1961.



                                                 Vivian Maier. Chicago, IL, 1960.


                                                 Oman by Mario. H.   Impressionnant

*** OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS ***

 




Broom Street Theater in Madison, Wisconsin is working on a multi-year short play project to try and make sense of states.  Every summer for the next several years, we're going to run a short play festival based on the states. Our inaugural festival was in 2023.

Here's how it works:
You're from a state. You passed through a state. You left a state. You love a state. A state left its mark on you.
Write us a short play. Something to do with that state.
This summer, we're looking East. We're accepting plays about these states, and especially looking for plays by denizens (or former denizens) of these states:

Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont

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The Centenary Stage Company, a professional theatre in residence on the campus of Centenary University in Hackettstown, NJ is accepting submissions for the Women Playwrights Series (WPS) and Susan Glaspell Contest.

The WPS is a developmental program dedicated to providing a working forum for the unique and under-served voice of women writing for the theatre today. Each season 3 new plays are selected for a collaborative workshop process, with a professional director and actors, which takes place in a brief rehearsal period of approximately 1 week, allowing time for the playwright to hear and adapt their work with other professionals. The process culminates in a presentation of the work for the general public as part of the series, giving CSC audiences larger exposure to new work, as well as offering the playwright an opportunity to get feedback from the audience during the development process.

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The 2024 WATERWORKS Festival is now accepting submissions

~ CATEGORIES ~

EMERGING ARTISTS
For writers and writing teams 16 to 25 years old

DEBUT ARTISTS
For writers and writing teams over 50 years old.

UNSTAGED WORKS
No age restrictions for writers or writing teams.


*** FOR MORE INFORMATION about these and other opportunities see the web site at https://www.nycplaywrights.org ***


*** WHY MUSICALS? ***

In the fall of 2015, the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical was released. This was the first ever broadway recording to reach the top 100 on the Billboard rap charts. It was a success that was unheard of for any musical.

With this success, musicals have become central figures in our culture. Hamilton has become the catalyst that blew them into the limelight.  They have become entertainment for people of all ages as they have become more accessible with cast recordings becoming available via streaming services and recordings being published.

Then, in 2016, the Hamilton Mixtape brought focus to the problems of modern day America. Starting in December of 2017, Hamildrops, a service that provides new Hamilton content every month, lead to 2018 being dubbed the “Year of Hamilton” A song narrating Benjamin Franklin’s life, Ben Franklin’s Song, and a music video for “Wrote My Way Out” from the mixtape were some of the popular early releases from the content creators, who include the writer and original star of the Broadway production, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

More...
https://standard.asl.org/10311/culture/impact-of-musicals-on-culture/


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This, says Boag, is something that’s universally human. It’s why dance and music can connect us when words alone can’t, or language barriers get in the way. It speaks to us on a deeper level – and this ability to connect and express emotionally through movement and music is something we develop as children, long before we learn to intellectualise or articulate these things. “Think of how we communicate with our children when they’re non-verbal, in a sing-songy voice. And how we learn our ABCs: we sing them,” says Boag.

So, there you go; it makes sense that kids will sing songs from their favourite musicals to within an inch of their life and watch those movies on repeat. I, like many, haven’t grown out of it.

More...
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/linmanuel-miranda-birmingham-city-university-hamilton-broadway-elsa-b1875343.html

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From The Beggar’s Opera to Avenue Q., musicals have commented on social issues for as long as there has been musical theater in America.

People have always gone to the theater expecting to be entertained. What do you find interesting about theater which talks about social and political issues as entertainment? Why do you think we have such a long history of doing this? How does this relate to our first amendment right of freedom of speech?

Avenue Q broke many barriers in terms of subject matter for musical theater. Can you think of a subject matter that has not yet been addressed by musical theater that now could be? Do you think there is a subject that might still present challenges as a tale for a musical venue or that would still be considered taboo for musical theater? How do you think we benefit by examining these difficult subjects through the lens of story, song and dance?


There will always be issues of huge social importance to face; wars, poverty, injustice to name a few. At the community level there are also always topics of contention between people or groups like budget issues, environmental concerns, bullying and the like. What do you think might happen if your school, or community (or family) got together to put on a musical to deal with pressing issues you are facing? Could this be a way to learn about and talk about a difficult topic in a creative and maybe even a humorous or light hearted way?

More...
https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/theater/musical-theater-in-america/

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As in many subcultures, musical theatre lovers have secret handshakes that allow us to recognize each other. Say you are speaking to a group and out slips the phrase, “And things being as they are…” If, before you can utter another syllable, someone emphatically interjects, “The back of the police station is out!”, you know you are with your people.

We are a relatively tiny group that glories in our smallness, who can recite in our sleep every nuance of every lyric from every great cast album. Arcane trivia spills from us like charm from Robert Preston. Kevin Daly, a theatre connoisseur on Twitter, has become something of an artist in this form of classic musical speak. He punctuates some of his funniest comments with, “This is for about six of you” or, “I was very popular in high school, can you tell?” He presides over a universe that worships lady deities of a certain age: Bea Arthur, Dorothy Loudon, Barbara Harris, Barbra Streisand, Imelda Stanton, Chita Rivera, and of course Angela Lansbury, the one and only Mame (Daly is still incensed that the costumes weren’t acknowledged by the1966 Tony nominating committee). One day he might observe, “Sigmund Romberg didn’t have to go that hard when he composed the ‘French Military Marching Song’ for The Desert Song.

More...
https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/01/30/is-the-musical-progressive/


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If you have never been or seen a Broadway musical show, then you don’t know what you are missing. For those that haven’t, they may think that these events are overrated or not for them. Others may feel as though nothing beats seeing a movie. However, these 6 reasons why Broadway musicals are so great, may change your mind.

Before you say “what’s so special about Broadway”? or “what makes a live musical show so popular”,? there are few things you need to know. Do keep in mind that if the show you want to see is very popular, you may have a hard time getting a ticket. Most performances are sold out days or weeks in advance. Also, Broadway shows can be expensive, depending on the seats and show you see. Still, it is still an experience which can be worth it and will last a long time. Although these are some of the top reasons why theater or Broadway shows are so popular and great, there are many others.

More...
https://blog.ambient-mixer.com/benefits/6-reasons-why-broadway-musicals-are-great/


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“Here Lies Love” is hardly the first musical to be rooted in dark history. “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” looks at the life of the seventh US President, satirically depicting his deadly campaign to drive Native Americans out of their land.

“Cabaret” is set in Weimar Berlin, on the eve of the rise of Hitler, and more recent productions feature heart-stopping visual references to the concentration camps where 6 million Jews were systematically murdered. “The Sound of Music” is about a family’s flight from Austria ahead of its annexation by the Third Reich.

“Allegiance” highlights the experience of Japanese Americans who were unconstitutionally uprooted from their homes and incarcerated in camps during World War II. And in “Assassins,” Stephen Sondheim manages to upstage his earlier “Sweeney Todd” by making a musical focused on real-life murderers and attempted murderers of American presidents.

Each of these, like “Here Lies Love” and “Evita,” have also been accused of insensitivity and bad taste for turning tragic events into hummable, choreographed spectacles. Each has been attacked for simplifying, romanticizing  or outright misrepresenting facts in their efforts to make history into entertainment.

And yet, there’s also the reality that these entertainments often push audiences with limited awareness of these real-world events to become interested in them and investigate them further.

More...
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/opinions/here-lies-love-philippines-marcos-broadway-yang/index.html


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There is nothing…and I mean NOTHING like a song that you can sing along with at a full belt, no matter how bad a singer you are. Broadway songs are mostly built for this kind of thing. It all began with Ethel Merman, balls afire, sending that big sound (sans microphone) over an entire orchestra of musicians. We all want to be Merman. We want to be heard. How many of you have belted “Defying Gravity” and were so caught up in the belting that you were pretty sure you would fly at the end of the song? Deny it if you like, but your rubber ducky audience and shampoo bottle microphone tell us otherwise!

 

More...

http://markrobinsonwrites.com/the-music-that-makes-me-dance/2014/12/3/the-top-ten-reasons-why-we-love-broadway-musicals

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*** OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS ***



Now in its 35th year, NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals is the cornerstone of NAMT’s mission to be a catalyst for nurturing musical theatre development and production. Every year, we feature eight musicals in short presentations for an audience of over 700 industry professionals. We look for new musicals at all stages of development from the broadest possible range of voices.

***

SheNYC is the City’s premier festival showcasing new, original works by gender-marginalized writers, composers, & directors.
Musicals – musicals of any size, shape, and form are welcome to apply. Just keep in mind that 2-hour run time limit. You can submit a show that runs longer than that in its current form, as long as you’re okay with making some trims for the festival.
Plays – again, plays of any size, shape, and form are welcome to apply!

***

great weather for MEDIA seeks flash fiction, short stories, dramatic monologues, and creative nonfiction for our annual print anthology. One prose / creative nonfiction piece, two if both under 500 words. Maximum word count: 2,500. Please include the word count on the first page.

*** FOR MORE INFORMATION about these and other opportunities see the web site at https://www.nycplaywrights.org ***


*** CATHARSIS ***

The goal, the telos, of theater, as set out in Aristotle’s Poetics, is catharsis. Aristotle emphasizes this point in his summarizing section, “What has been said” at the beginning of Poetics. As Belfiore states, “The definition of tragedy, the conclusion… include[s] the final cause (telos) of tragedy, and Aristotle’s phrasing, ‘Accomplishing katharsis,” suggests that Katharsis is this final cause’”(158). In his definition of tragedy, which he considered the only worthy form of performance, Aristotle stated that tragedy would “Effect through pity and fear, the purification of such emotions” (23). Acknowledging that catharsis is the goal of theater demands that we interrogate the term, which has been contested and debated by scholars since Poetics was rediscovered in the Renaissance. For a proper evaluation of the ways in which The Theater of Cruelty as laid out by Artaud shares this desired effect, we must come to an understanding of what Aristotle actually meant by a cathartic theater.

More...
https://bostonexperimentaltheatre.com/artauds-aristotelian-overture/


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Aristotle. He knows a lot, right? And if you choose to believe Aristotle, then you must believe all the mechanics of tragedy that Mike is about to lay on you. This week, we're looking at Aristotle's rules for the basic elements of theater, and how those can be used to bring about catharsis, the emotional release triggered by onstage trauma. You know you love the catharsis.

VIDEO:
https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/crash-course-theater/tragedy-lessons-from-aristotle-wviqal/


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As a performer turned director, Mitchell recalls the first time he felt a calling to be on stage. He was in eighth grade and touring Scotland as a member of his middle school’s production of Cole Porter’s "Ain't Misbehavin’." The experience was mind-opening and solidified in him the desire to pursue a career in musical theater.

Since then, he attended Florida A&M University, performed in powerful plays like author Alice Walker’s stage adaptation of "The Color Purple," and ultimately received a Bachelor of Arts in theater. Shortly after, he began teaching elementary school theater and directing throughout Tallahassee. The journey he took his first time directing helped to shape his approach to arts education.

Although he was only 28 while directing high school students in the production of playwright Samm-Art Williams' "Home," he knew he could tell stories through theater. “I’m a teacher. I tell people I'm not training actors. I’m not training technicians. I’m training another generation of theater appreciators,” says Mitchell. Currently, he teaches kindergarten to 5th-grade musical theater at Apalachee Tapestry Magnet School of the Arts.

Mitchell’s process is one that values the actor. He likes to think of himself as an “actor’s director” whose primary goal is guiding actors toward discovering their character and story. The catharsis chased by actors and audiences alike is one Mitchell relies on to help push the story forward.

For Mitchell, the intimacy shared between the audience and the actors leads to such a catharsis, and as a director, he feels honored to share in such a moment.

More...
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/entertainment/things-to-do/2023/07/21/director-chases-catharsis-with-james-baldwins-the-amen-corner/70440340007/


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As I watched Broken Theater unfold, all of these emotions felt almost too accessible. Waves of anxiety, love, and bitterness crashed over me. I thought it was all going to fall apart. It never did. The stakes among the creators are high, personal but shared. Broken Theater is a gift that the actors, musicians, and dancers gave each other under the watchful eye of Smith, who for the past decade has forged a reputation for creating rich tents for others. Watching Broken Theater, I felt wrung out by some ancient ocean. Catharsis is a rare medicine. I swam out of the theater bathed in it—smiling like a maniac baptized in love.

More...
https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2023/06/13/broken-theater-american-modern-opera


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When I go to the theater, the search for catharsis is the same, but the result is more discouraging. I find even less catharsis at the theater than I do online. And this time, the problem isn’t me. The Internet is flooded with cathartic content and can deliver it in an instant. Anyone with a smartphone carries catharsis in their pocket. It has theatre hopelessly outmatched.

As such, the best shows that I have seen in Chicago no longer focus on enacting a private catharsis. They’ve gotten out of that game altogether. Instead, they seek to create a communal catharsis, one in which the barrier between the actor and the audience is broken down, and the experience is shared freely, back and forth between them. It’s something that can only be created IRL, the one place the Internet still can’t quite reach.

More...
https://magazine.art21.org/2015/10/13/long-live-catharsis/


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The purpose of catharsis can be transformational, or its purpose can be to reconcile the individual to the status quo, the consensus view of reality.

That’s why Brecht wanted his audiences to experience the Verfremdungseffekt instead of catharsis. He wanted them to look askance at the consensus view of reality, the status quo, and ask why it was like that.

Some rituals are intended to be transformational. Their purpose may be to accustom the participant to their new status in life (which is the case with rites of passage), or it may be to awaken them to new ways of looking at the world, in which case it is more like the Verfremdungseffekt (distancing effect), which provides a new perspective on life.

More...
https://dowsingfordivinity.com/2020/05/18/theatre-and-ritual/


***

An act performed on stage is not that straightforward. Though the protagonist may resolve their problems by the end of the play and vent all their negative emotions during the process, there is an audience that can feel them too. The theatre is a curious place. The stage and the seats represent two complementary worlds: fiction and reality. 

 

Catharsis is a process which connects the two. It is a wave of emotion that spreads across the audience. The term means ‘purification’ or ‘purgation’, and refers primarily to pity and fear. Aristotle was the first to mention it in his acclaimed work Poetics, and believed that if the audience could actually release all the negativity along with the character, they would be able to cope better with similar situations in life. Since Aristotle did not provide any definition of the term catharsis or describe it in detail, we may come up with our own explanation. We could possibly conclude that the portrayal of a character then was not so much about the narration of a story as it was about imparting a lesson to the spectators. They were to actually feel catharsis in its true sense, for the actor was feeling it intentionally all the while.

Although the term ‘catharsis’ has been defined many times over the centuries, it seems that catharsis is, till date, viewed by most as a process experienced during a performance, a play or dance, or even while watching a movie. The COVID-19 pandemic witnessed a novel kind of catharsis - a purgation of the negativity that had bottled-up during the lockdown. A study shed light on a trend that gathered pace during the pandemic. People preferred to watch films or TV series that dealt with epidemics, contagions, or viruses. It is somewhat counterintuitive that individuals chose to watch movies or TV series that discussed the very pain they were going through themselves. But viewing a similar situation on screen served as a means of an emotional release for the growing audience. The spectators could project their fears and uncertainties onto the movies or TV series which not only depicted but also suggested possible solutions to the situation they had to face in real life, albeit unrealistically.

More...
https://www.monkprayogshala.in/blog/2022/6/3/catharsis-purgation-pleasure-or-a-precautionary-measure

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How about that novel? Hows that going?