Tag Archive for: Jennifer Haley

PASSION FOR NEW WORK

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We are the CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL. We are the theater of today…the theater of the Now. We are producing five new American plays in rotating repertory that are present and immediate. This is who we are, what we are and how we will be remembered by future generations. We are responsible for helping to create the destiny of the American theater. We are paying attention to the world. We are listening to contemporary writers who are attuned to our world and whose stories help us define these tumultuous times.

The artists at the Contemporary American Theater Festival are united by their passion for new work. We are united by newness. We are united by this quote from American playwright Steven Dietz (CATF 2009):

“The theater is not about nostalgia. The theater is not a museum. Plays don’t hang on walls, oblivious to time. The theater is a rehearsal of the present moment.”

Great stories beg to be told. And true artists are compelled to tell them. Playwrights are the theater’s storytellers. Max Baker, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Jennifer Haley, Michele Lowe, J.T. Rogers and Lee Sellars are the storytellers of the 2010 Repertory. Their stories will broaden our minds, engage, provoke, inspire and ultimately connect us.

I have selected five new plays by these six artists… because they have written original stories that embody an independent spirit and a distinctive voice. They believe in the power of story. They believe in the power of sharing the most private of feelings in the most public of spaces–the theater. They are not afraid to confront pain and difference, conflict and joy, in the safe environment of the theater.

We all share a passionate belief that we can grow as a society only if we find the strength to confront and consider ideas and issues that may make us uncomfortable. We share the belief that a community without art has no voice, no memory of our stories and aspirations…a community without art is no community at all.

 I believe that making art…making theater…especially in this moment… is a form of social activism. It is a statement of belief in the power of community.

I have always believed that a contemporary theater must aggressively go to the edges of society and tell the stories that no one else will tell. To involve people at the deepest level…we need stories. Stories fulfill a profound human need to grasp the patterns of living–not merely as an intellectual exercise, but within a very personal, emotional experience. To do this we must engage our audience with the power of story. We must engage their emotions…AND…the key to their hearts is a story.

Please share your ideas and comments with me.

Ed Herendeen

PRE-PRODUCTION 2010

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Now that we have announced the season we are beginning the pre-production phase of the 2010 Festival. This includes early design discussions with the playwrights, directors and designers and pre-casting meetings with Pat McCorkle, CATF Casting Director.

Yesterday we had a designer/director telephone conference with our set designer Bob Klingelhoefer, Peg McKowen, costume designer and Max Baker the director of The CATF World Premiere of THE EELWAX JESUS 3-D POP MUSIC SHOW. Max responded to Bob’s preliminary ideas and sketches for the set design. Bob and Max had a productive conversation RE: Max’s concept for the production. Lee Sellars also join the conference call. Lee wrote the music for EELWAX and will play Ignatz in the production. Max wrote the book and lyrics and in addition to directing EELWAX he will also play Mr. Shine. Peggy McKowen shared some of her initial ideas for the costumes. It was a free style conversation. Bob and Max will continue this discussion via email etc and we will all get together in April in New York to look at more sketches, renderings and a white model. I was pleased with the progress that we made in this first conversation.

I have a telephone conference with Bob Klingelhoefer this morning to discuss the preliminary design ideas for INANA by Michele Lowe. I am meeting with Michele in New York on Monday to talk with her about her play. And next week we will continue to have discussions with Laura Kepley, the director of The World Premiere of BREADCRUMBS by Jennifer Healy. Bob and I will also begin to discuss my director’s concept for Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s new play LIDLESS. Peg McKowen is designing the set/environment for WHITE PEOPLE by J.T. Rogers. She and I have started talking about the “world of the play” in WHITE PEOPLE which we will produce in the intimate 75 seat Performance Space in the new Center For Contemporary Art.

So the design process has begun…Next Tuesday I am meeting with Pat McCorkle and her staff to discuss casting the 2010 Repertory Acting Company. We will hold our New York auditons in mid April.

Ed Herendeen

2010 REPERTORY

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Finally a new blog. I am ready to begin to post new blogs RE: our 2010 REPERTORY. The snow is beginning to melt in Shepherdstown. Man…what a winter! The local newspapers are calling our recent snowfalls” THE STORM OF THE CENTURY!” Shepherdstown was a winter wonderland. Life here simply stopped for over a week. Time seemed to stand still. We lost electrical power at my house for two and a half days during the first 28′ snow storm. It seemed like the snow would never stop falling. But…I can now say that I am ready for Spring.

Needless to say the STORM OF THE CENTURY has put CATF behind schedule. We are putting the final touches on the 2010 FESTIVAL GUIDE and hope to have it to the printers later this week. Please let me know when you receive it in the mail. I am interested in hearing your thoughts about our upcoming Five Play Repertory. Let’s begin to have a conversation on this Producers Blog.

I returned from Philadelphia on January 28th where I was directing the World Premiere of THE ECLECTIC SOCIETY by Eric Conger at The Walnut Street Theatre. Rehearsals began on December 26th and we opened on January 27th. It runs until March 7th. So if you are in the Philadelphia area…check it out. www.walnutstreettheare.org  I had a BLAST! working at the Walnut. The play is doing well and is playing to full houses. Which is great…because…it is an 1,100 seat theater.

Last November Lee Sellars and Max Baker invited me to attend a private concert reading of their new Performance Theater Musical THE EELWAX JESUS 3-D POP MUSIC SHOW. I was blown away by the reading. I am looking forward to introducing you to this imaginative new work this summer. We are producing the World Premiere on the Frank Stage in our rotating repertory of Five new American plays. EELWAX JESUS will rotate with Michele Lowe’s beautiful new play INANA. I attended a reading of INANA in Denver and decided to produce it on-the spot. I am pleased to welcome Michele to the CATF Repertory.

J.T. Rogers is returning to the Festival with a controversial newly revised draft of WHITE PEOPLE which we will perform in our intimate 75 seat Performance Space. The CATF Studio Theater will feature two brand new works: BREADCRUMBS by Jennifer Haley and LIDLESS by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig.

We have a strong Five Play Rep in 2010. I recommend that you begin to make your travel and lodging plans now. Serious theater is back…thinkTheater 2010 is coming…

More about the 2010 Rep later.

Ed Herendeen