Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Letter From Artistic Director Robert Lyons

The following letter has been posted on the Soho Think Tank/Ohio Theatre website:

Dear Ohio Theatre lovers,
The horrible rumors you've heard are true. The building has been sold. The future of our beloved Ohio Theatre is in jeopardy. I've been waiting for the sale to close before sending out information. The sale has now closed.
We were originally told we had to vacate the first floor by the end of this January! I am currently negotiating with the new landlord to allow us to stay through June. At least. That would mean the spring schedule would continue as planned:
January: Target Margin 10 Blocks on the Camino Real
March: Soho Think Tank Red-Haired Thomas
April: New Georges Angela's Mixtape.
May: Voice&Vision/Crossing Jamaica Ave I Have Been to Hiroshima Mon Amour
June: Clubbed Thumb Summer Works 09.
Beyond that, the future is uncertain.
Some changes have already gone into effect. We no longer have the 6th floor of the building. That means no more rehearsal space and no more 6th FLOOR SERIES.
On the other hand, we ARE planning to produce ICE FACTORY '09 (at the Ohio Theatre or elsewhere). So folks who are interested should continue to apply.
It is difficult to overstate what a blow this is to the downtown theatre community. (Not to mention to the quality-of-life in New York City in general.) Thank you all for your calls and emails of support. As the situation continues to clarify, we will figure out how to best channel our collective feelings of shock, frustration, sadness, and anger.
In the meantime, our doors are open and theatre continues.
Best,
Robert Lyons

This is really, really sad news for the Off-Off Broadway scene. The Ohio was the last of the "big" spaces. Let's hope the the economic down-turn and all of the resulting vacant commercial properties will mean a few new, great theater spaces popping up...


Monday, December 22, 2008

Two Fringe Shows Headed to Off-Broadway

Two of my favorite shows from this year's Fringe Festival are headed to the Soho Playhouse for legit Off-Broadway runs beginning in January.


For Tickets & Info: www.sohoplayhouse.com

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Ten Favorites from 2008

In the order in which I saw them...



1.
Amazons and their Men
by Jordan Harrison
directed by Ken Rus Schmoll
staring Rebecca Wisocky
Clubbed Thumb at Ohio Theater






2.
Happy Days

directed by Deborah Warner,
staring Fiona Shaw
at BAM



3.
Poetics: a ballet brut
Created by Nature Theatre of Oklahoma
Under The Radar Festival @ The Public



4.
Deep Trance Behavior in Potatoland
Written directed and Designed by Richard Foreman
Ontological Hysteric Theater at St. Mark’s Church





5.
NTUSA's Moliere's Don Juan
National Theater of the United States of America
@ Chocolate Factory in LIC





6.
Top Girls
by Caryl Churchill
Directed by James Macdonald
Manhattan Theater Club
Biltmore Theater (Broadway)




7.
Gentleman Caller
By Ann Marie Healy
directed by Brooke O'Harra
Clubbed Thumb: Summerworks 2008 @ Ohio Theater





8.
Frequency Hopping
Written and directed by Elyse Singer
Hourglass Group at 3LD




9.
Blanche Survives Katrina In a FEMA Trailer named Desire
Written & Performed by Mark Sam Rosenthal
Directed by Todd Parmley
Performed at FringeNYC




10.
Blasted
By Sarah Kane
Directed by Soho Rep artistic director Sarah Benson
@ Soho Rep

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Monday, December 01, 2008

Ivo van Hove does John Cassavetes @ BAM

off off broadway theater theatre Ivo van Hove Ivo van Hove brings his stage adaptation of John Cassavetes' film Opening Night to BAM. Performances begin tomorrow, December 2nd. Ivo van Hove's productions are always cause to drop everything and attend. Just a heads up, though: Running time: "140min, no intermission...In Dutch with English titles".

Opening Night
Part of the 2008 Next Wave Festival
Dec 2—6 at 7:30pm
BAM Harvey Theater

For Info, tickets and one of those cool BAM trailers: CLICK HERE
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