Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company

Sh*t PFTC members say

2012-01-14T01:48:00.004-05:00

Sh*t (insert your favorite group or type of people) say has become a recent Internet phenomenon.
Here at PFTC we can play this game too. This is because we too say a lot of sh*t. Here's our top eleven quintessential utterances.
If we are missing some let us know.

1. When can we meet?

2. NO U-hauls!

3. Can I get student tickets for that?

4. I love this theater. We should totally do a show here.

5. Are you ready for more coffee?

6. Can you CC me on that?

7. New pages coming tomorrow.

8. Can we add that to the budget?

9. I'm at Gizzy's (pronounced Jizzy's)

10. You're the worst. (Subtext: you're the best.)

and our very very favorite...

11. YOU SAID YES!

In honor of Turkey Day: A short list of the people we are thankful for at PFTC

2011-11-23T17:11:00.006-05:00

Over here at PFTC, there is so much to be thankful for. Here's a very short list of some of the people who have said "yes" to PFTC. We couldn't have done it with out you guys. Warm wishes to you all on your Thanksgiving!

Love,
Diane, Erin, and Ross

Darren Mallett, Alex Kaplan, Lauren Connolly, Ariana Shore, Katie McClellan, Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Cody White, Niki Budnick, Nikki Mirasola, Karen Marshall, Eric Schwartz, Mike Gurrieri, Anthony Comis, Sara Andreas, Harmony Stempel, Molly Stoller, Robby Sandler, Melanie Zooey, Courtney Smith, Dahee Kim, Bekah Hernandez, Alda Leung, Jose Luaces, Jillian Watson, Alex Numeroff, Glen De Kler, Stephen Gelpi, Randall Pollard, John Bixler, Panicked Productions, Thomas Recktanwald, Lauren Kirby, Kelly and Lindsey, Rachel Park, Elliot Crown, Brittany Vaughan, Whitney Fincher Gelpi, Sus and Chlo on the Go, IndieTheatreNow, Kyle Axman, Pearl Taylor, Bar 82, Joseph Rende, Brett and the City, Jenny Dunne, Erin Rashbaum, Sue Smith, Anthony Hollock, Alex Paige, Clyde Voce, Chris Harbur, Eddie Austin, Nichole Yannetty, Rebekah Voss, Lindsey Gentile, FringeNYC, Erin McDonald, The Austin family, The Zelenka family, The Evans family, Brad Bauner, Kim David, JD Salinger, Kristen Hamill, Cory Sylvester, Professor Thom's, Kelly Swindall, Tim McCann, Nick Cobey, Professor Thom's, Holly Williams, FringeNYC, Gizzy's, and many many more.

Here's to friendship and PFTC plans for the future

2011-11-02T00:29:00.003-04:00

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”
― William Shakespeare

Happy Halloween from PFTC!

2011-10-29T13:27:00.005-04:00

It's been an exciting Fall for PFTC.

Here are all the FUN places you can find us:

ONLINE... Two PFTC plays are published and available for purchase on IndieTheatreNow

Finger Paint: by Erin Austin and Ross Evans
-Martin Denton of nytheatre.com calls it “sexy, funny, and intriguing”!
http://www.indietheaternow.com/Play/PlayDetail/171
and
FIT: by Erin Austin
-Selected by IndieTheatreNow as one of 11 top Fringe 2011 picks!
http://www.indietheaternow.com/Play/PlayDetail/172

NYC... Check out Venus in Fur on Broadway. Assistant directed by PFTC co-artistic director Ross Evans

Hong Kong... Fit actor Harmony Stempel is a Timeout Magazine Top Five Pick for her one-woman show in the Hong Kong Fringe Festival

On Set.. Company members Darren Mallett, Ariana Shore, Alex Kaplan, and Lindsay Gentile are shooting episodes of "Brett and the City". Coming soon to a computer near you!

FINALLY, get ready for a new season filled with the launch of PFTC's Book Club, exciting collaborations and a return of Shakespeare’s Sons and Daughters.

www.plasticflamingo.org

AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK and FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @PFTCo

Fit at Fringe: A smash hit!

2011-09-25T18:32:00.001-04:00

PFTC WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR MAKING FIT: A new play a SMASH HIT
AT THE 2011 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL.

Hear what the critics had to say -

"Austin’s dialogue, Ross Evans’s direction and three fine actresses keep things interesting and unexpected"
-Heather Lee Rodgers, nytheatre.com

"A high level of writing and acting, compassionate direction, and a live string trio playing traditional Scottish songs combine to create an original and involving look at three generations of women.' *BACKSTAGE CRITICS PICK
-Robert Windeler, Backstage

In addition, Fit was selected by Nytheatre.com to be a part of their Best of the NYC Fringe series. We are proud to announce Erin Austin’s play Fit will be published with IndieTheatreNow this fall.

Also, look for a past PFTC hit appearing on IndieTheatre Now soon. More details on all of this coming soon.

Time is Ticking!

2011-07-31T12:26:00.003-04:00

As I write this, there are only 32 hours left to donate to Plastic Flamingo's World Premiere Production of Fit: A New Play.

Now is your chance to help keep PFTC creating theatre for years to come!
It's also just a good time to click on this link and see our awesome video about Plastic Flamingo. Thank you again Darren Mallett.

We have some unbelievable donors. Join them, score some music from the show, and nab a t-shirt all while making Flamingos happy. What a win for all!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/10200831/plastic-flamingo-presents-fit-a-new-play

Pictures from the Fit Marketing Video Shoot

2011-07-21T15:11:00.002-04:00

Some fun stills from our Fit marketing video shoot.
Featuring:
Lauren Connolly
Harmony Stempel
and
Molly Stoller

Nytheatre.com checks out Fit

2011-07-19T23:54:00.003-04:00

Nytheatre.com asks us about Fit and we spill.

Nytheatre: What does your show sound like?

Erin Austin: Jonathan Cody White has arranged some gorgeous modern takes on traditional Celtic tunes that are performed live by our actors and musicians in Fit. The audience hears this play through the ears of Mary, the show's protagonist. She is a twenty year old American woman in Scotland for the first time. The resulting sound is Celtic, mystical, and foreign tinged with a modern American feel.

NyT: People who like your show would also like which famous movie or tv show?

EA: Fit has the sexy Scottish slums appeal of Trainspotting. It deals with addiction and mental disorders in a similar fashion to Showtime's Nurse Jackie- with humor. And if you like plays that are just a step to the left of realism- where the magical and the musical can happen, you will enjoy Fit.

NyT: Your show is the only one in 2011 FringeNYC that...

EA: is about the power of Celtic Women – raving influences in the hearts and minds of men and future generations.

NyT: Groucho, Chico, Harpo, or Zeppo?

EA: Harpo. Just like that Marx brother with his harp, in Fit we use music to make you laugh. Hopefully we also use music to make you think and keep you entertained.

Read the full interview at http://www.nytheatre.com/fnycpreview.aspx?s=12960

Plastic Flamingo is bringing Fit: A New Play to the New York International Fringe Festival.

2011-07-16T15:37:00.002-04:00

Want to become a part of the NYC Indie Theatre Scene?
Want to help bring Fit to life on the NYC stage?
Want to keep Plastic Flamingo thriving for years to come?

Then Check out our video and DONATE NOW!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/10200831/plastic-flamingo-presents-fit-a-new-play

Every Dollar Counts!

ANNOUNCING OUR FRINGE NYC DATES AND VENUE

Fit will make it’s World Premiere at Teatro LATEA

107 Suffolk St. 2nd Floor
Btw RIVINGTON and DELANCEY

FIT PERFORMANCE DATES

Wednesday 8/17 @ 2:00 pm
Thursday 8/18 @ 6:15 pm
Friday 8/19 @ 9:15 pm
Thursday 8/25 @ 2:00 pm
Saturday 8/27 @ 9:30 pm

For more information and to check out our newest video visit us at
http://www.plasticflamingo.org/productions.html

Kelly and Lindsey in the NYIT Festival!

2011-07-14T13:35:00.004-04:00

Kelly and Lindsey are funny. You know this from their youtube videos, their open mic nights, and the notes they leave in your gym locker.

Now you can see them in the Midtown International Theatre Festival. Kelly and Lindsey Do New York: A non lesbian love story opens this Sunday (7/17) Also it is directed by PFTC's ROSS EVANS.

I'm asking these women the tough questions.
Erin: You guys have been performing together for quite a while. How and when did you meet?

Lindsey: I met Kelly about 3 years ago at an improv class at the Upright Citizens brigade. It was level 101 and she had the most disgusting mouth in the class. Seriously would not stop talking about doodie. What a monster.
Kelly: that's interesting, because when I heard her foul mouth I remember thinking, "wow she's beautiful". It was then that I fell in love.

E: Do you ever argue when you are coming up with material/writing?

L: We don't argue actually. We talk about what would be funnier, sometimes having a difference in opinion and we get it on our feet to see what is funnier. We usually agree on what we are writing because it is so US.
K: Lindsey will throw a line out that's very Lindsey and I will throw a line out that is super Kelly and it just kind of works.
L: Kelly still wants to bring back the German Doctors, which were characters in our first show and THEY DID NOT WORK. PLEASE tell her they did not work.
K: YOU HOLD YOUR TONGUE.

E:Who are the funniest comedians we should be paying attention to these days?

L: We love local artists like Ophira Eisenberg, Adam Wade, Tom Shillue and Ali Wong.
K: Get into it!

E: Your show focuses a lot on dating and love in NYC. So, what is the best way for a guy to pick up girl in a bar?

L: I don't have a clue because men don't talk to me. They actually run away from me. Because I am a troll with branch hands. So all I can say is, if you want something GO FOR IT.
K: But don't be creepy

E: You guys are babes, any beauty secrets for us?

L: Hmmm, i think the key to good hair is not brushing it. I seriously DO NOT brush my hair. I didn't have a brush until my mom left hers here last time she was in town.
K: We also bathe in the blood of virgins to keep our youth

E:If you have to compare yourself to another duo in show biz who would it be and why?

L: We like to say we are like Lucy and Ethel meet Ren and Stimpy.
K: We definitely get our poop jokes from Ren and Stimpy.
L: And Kelly has fleas.

E: Are your parents coming to the show? Is it weird to make sex jokes in front of your parents?

L: Yes, our parents are coming to the show. Actually our entire families are coming... even my cute little nana. We are both a little concerned about the big black dildo, but our parents are pretty cool and I think they will totally feel confident about paying our college tuitions and we are writing a show about trying to get laid.
K: I'm still pretty concerned about the big black dildo.

E: Any advice for artists who want to write and perform their own work?

L: It's tough, it's a lot of work. But just think, you are in control, it's your baby, and you have the choice whether you should abort it or keep it.
K: This is why we must support organizations like planned parenthood.... wait, what was the question?

E: What is your best "how many does it take to screw in a light bulb" joke?
L: How many comedians does it take to screw in a lightbulb? I don't know but what are you doing later? Wanna make out?

Get tickets and join me at the show at http://www.midtownfestival.org/ I'll be sitting by Lindsey's nana.

More photos from our fundraising party

2011-07-13T16:43:00.004-04:00

Here are some more delightful pictures from our past event. If you missed it and want to support PFTC visit our kickstarter site and donate today!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/10200831/plastic-flamingo-presents-fit-a-new-play

Plastic Flamingo and K & L PartAAY

2011-07-07T23:51:00.003-04:00

Fun. Fun.... Fun.
Plastic Flamingo Fundraiser with Kelly and Lindsey. Comedy, music, and booze.
Photos by Niki Budnick
See all of our photos from the party on our facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Plastic-Flamingo-Theatre-Company/95145323755

Our friends at Panicked Productions get absurd!

2011-07-06T14:59:00.006-04:00

Not to brag, but we have cool friends. Case in point, our former classmates/partners in theatre crime are producing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in the Midtown International Fringe Festival this month. And here is the twist- they are using an all female cast. Cool. Anyways. I wrangled Glenn De Kler, director of R&G away from rehearsal for five minutes and got the real answers on the show- Panicked's take on the modern classic, Stoppard's idea of "cool", and how The Big Lebowski and Shakespeare are related.

EA: R & G is a really difficult play. Just ask 10th grader Erin in English class. What themes or ideas in this play made you want to bring it to life?

GDK:I also read this play for the first time in High School. I remember I loved it right away, but it was purely for the rapid-fire comedic banter, and the farcical energy of the whole thing. It wasn’t until my slightly more brooding college years when I revisited it, that I really appreciated the existential layers. I've always been interested in the “absurdist” genre, which immediately appealed to me because of the name alone, and the idea that life and the whole pretentious intellectual pursuit of finding the ultimate meaning of life is, well, absurd.

EA: Gender role reversal. I love it. Were there obstacles in this directorial choice inherent in the script or was it smooth sexual identity sailing?

GDK: The identies in the play are so fluid already. The other characters confuse Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with each other, and they even get mixed up themselves. We're also having the Tragedians play all the Hamlet characters. So, there's a fair amount of identity confusion inherent in the show. I told all our actors at the beginning that I didn't want them to play men, we're going to keep all the same pronouns and play the parts naturally. When we first applied for the rights, I was a little concerned that we wouldn't get approved because of the gender reversal, even though I felt that it was still in the spirit of the play. In the end though, Mr. Stoppard felt the same way, or, at least his literary agent did.

EA: The great thing about absurdism is that it can be portrayed in so many styles, tones, etc. What kind of production should we expect to see from Panicked?

GDK: A quote that I came across when I was doing my first research for this show was an observation Tom Stoppard made. He said he'd seen numerous productions of this show and two of them were failures. Those two productions did not treat the show as a comedy. I want to stick close to what made me love this show the first time I encountered it, the Laurel & Hardy/Martin & Lewis energy of R & G. I mean I love the existentialist metaphors, but I don't want to focus on that. Those ideas are all inherent in the text, and those fans will get them. I want everyone to have a good time, so we're going to "keep the laughs coming too fast to ponder the nature of existence."

EA: R& G elaborates on two characters that we don't get to know too much about in Hamlet. What short lived or barely there characters come to mind in popular culture: movies, literature, plays, etc. that you would like to see star in an existential riff on their original brief roles?

GDK: Wow. I barely know where to begin. One of the first people that comes to mind is Donnie from The Big Lebowski. Now, most people would assume that he is a main character, but it isn't until his eulogy that I learned he was a surfer. I knew all along that he was a good bowler, and a good man, but what else didn't we know about Theodore Donald Kerabastos? Also Bluto from Animal House, again, someone that seems like a main character, and even delivers one of the most rousing calls to action in cinematic history, but in the end we're left wondering: "Who were you John Blutarsky?" Perhaps it would be more impressive for me to say I'd like to know more about Charles Foster Kane, but, there it is.

EA: Like many famous and successful actor/director duos, you are directing your wife: the lovely and talented Jessica De Kler. What is that process like?

GDK: Admittedly, I was a little concerned about what that would be like, but it's turned out to be a complete joy. She may not have the confidence in my organizational abilities, or my tidiness around the house, but she definitely knows how dedicated I am to storytelling and has confidence in my vision for the show. She was also a little apprehensive at making a return to the stage after nearly six years, but I had complete faith in her and campaigned for a few months for her to take on the role. She' gotten right back on the bike, like I knew she would, and she really shines It's been great to be able share in this thing that we both love so much.

EA: Tell us about Panicked Productions. Why the name? What is your mission? And what is next?

GDK: Panicked Productions was born in 2006 when we did a revival of Boys' Life at Ensemble Studio Theater, in a space that we got for free because it wasn't air conditioned. We came up with the name because we were feeling pretty panicked at the time, and it was originally going to be a placeholder until we thought of something else. But once we were finished we had all fallen in love with it, so it became the official name we registered. Panicked has and will always be dedicated to providing opportunities to emerging theater artists. That includes us at the moment, but when we inevitably become outrageously successful, we'll have to find another way to produce our works. Panicked will always be about cultivating the next generation of theater.

As for what's next, it's an exciting time because R&G is the first half of our first two show season. Coming in the fall is a show called Follow the Leader. We challenged six playwrights, including a couple, ahem, Flamingos, to create scenes based on the word "cult", leaving the interpretation entirely up to the playwright. The results have been really diverse and interesting, and we can't wait to launch into production right on the heels of this show.

For more information on Panicked Productions visit:http://www.panickedproductions.com/
To get tickets to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern visit: http://www.midtownfestival.org/

Have fun with Kickstarter and help us make a play!

2011-06-30T14:28:00.003-04:00

It's official. You can now give us money!

Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company is taking Fit a play by Erin Austin, directed by Ross Evans, to the New York International Fringe Festival in August 2011.

Fit is a play about three generations of women, all at the age of twenty. Mary tends to her grieving grandfather, Fiona grapples with motherhood, and Lauren prepares to flee. Celtic music, dresses, and mental disorders pass through all three women. Will this granddaughter, mother, and grandmother, all at the age of twenty, overcome their ghosts and find a good fit? Austin's play celebrates the tradition of Celtic music and the uniquely comical and often mystical culture of Scotland. Also, it explores the deeply rooted psychological emotions tied into a woman's quest for beauty and physical perfection- emotions that defy age, time, and country.

While every member of our cast and crew are working gratis, we still need funds for festival fees, marketing, costumes, lighting and set.

PARTY with Kelly & Lindsey and Plastic Flamingo!

2011-06-14T23:14:00.002-04:00

Come out and party and support Plastic Flamingo and Kelly & Lindsey!
Help us bring our two productions to the New York stage this summer:
K&L are at The Midtown International Theatre Festival with their show Kelly and Lindsey Do New York: A non-lesbian love story
and
Plastic Flamingo will present Fit: A New Play by Erin Austin and Directed by Ross Evans at Fringe NYC.

LIVE MUSIC!
COMEDY!
RAFFLES!
SILENT AUCTION!!! (SHHHHH!!!)

$15 FROM 7-8PM
OPEN BAR FROM 7-8!!!!!
$10 AFTER 8PM

Who knew supporting the arts could be so fun??

PLUS: A portion of the proceeds go to disaster relief in the Midwest!!!

Check us out at
http://kellyandlindsey.com/
and
http://plasticflamingo.org/

Fit: A New Play at Fringe

2011-06-07T00:16:00.002-04:00

Fit will be premiering at The New York International Fringe Festival in August.

More details to come. But for now check out our listing on the FringeNYC website. http://www.fringenyc.org/basic_page.php?ltr=F

Stay tuned for theater location and dates.

Aaaaand here is our logo! Thanks to our artist Danielle Riechers and our graphic designer Alda Leung.

Season Wrap-Up

2011-05-29T14:28:00.003-04:00

Well guys, PFTC has officially ended is first real season. And what a season it was.

We began with the "Get a Clue" Festival at Bar 82 in November. We brought together artists of all kinds for two weeks of crazy ten minute play making.

In March, we moved to Under St. Mark's Theater where we did a reading of Fit by Erin Austin- a play that was accepted into the NYC Fringe Festival and will be performed this August!

Following, Fit was a reading of Team Awesome by Ross Evans. And it was...awesome. (USM)

May was all about Single's Night. 7 writers, 7 solo plays, and a sold out show!(USM)

Get ready for Fit this summer. We also have a couple of surprises up our sleeves.

Singles Night ONE WEEK from TODAY!

2011-05-16T15:07:00.005-04:00

Join us for an eclectic night of short plays by:
Erin Austin
Brad Bauner
Ross Evans
Lindsey Gentile
Kimberly Lew
Brett Sanders
Rebekah Voss
That remind us that there is no I in team, but there is a ME.

Featuring:
Jenny Dunne
Lindsey Gentile
Nick Hardin
Alex Kaplan
Joseph Rende
Brett Sanders
Pearl Taylor
Directed by:
Darren Mallett and Diane Zelenka

Doors open at 6:30. Bar opens at 6:30. Show at 7.
$5 at the door

Seating is limited. To secure a spot email
us at plasticflamingotheatre@gmail.com

PFTC presents Fit: A New Play at The New York International Fringe Festival!

2011-05-13T17:01:00.004-04:00

It's official. The Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company will present Fit: A New Play by Erin Austin in The New York International Fringe Festival this August.

There will be Celtic music, laughter, and Scottish accents that will blow your mind. So get ready for an exciting summer from the Flamingos right in line with the paint filled success of Finger Paint! (Backstage.com's Critic's Choice for FringeNYC 2009)

Make sure to catch all the PFTC fun as we bring Fit to life.
Follow us on twitter. http://twitter.com/#!/PFTCo
Friend us on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Plastic-Flamingo-Theatre-Company/95145323755
Check out our website. plasticflamingo.org

TEAM AWESOME pictures

2011-05-03T21:40:00.002-04:00

Team Awesome

Written By Ross Evans
Directed by Rachel Park
SM: Bekah Hernandez
Featuring:
Sara Andreas
Erin Austin
Michael Gurrieri
Joshua Robinson

Photography By Niki Budnick
http://nikileighphotography.com/

Team Awesome

2011-04-25T09:27:00.001-04:00

PLASTIC FLAMINGO THEATRE COMPANY
INVITES YOU TO ATTEND A STAGED READING OF

TEAM AWESOME (A PLAY IN VERSE)
BY ROSS EVANS

MONDAY APRIL 25TH

PLEASE ENJOY THE BAR AT THE THEATRE @ 6:30

READING BEGINS AT 7 @UNDER ST. MARKS
94 ST. MARKS PLACE [1]
BETWEEN 1ST AVENUE

ELLIOT'S WRITING. JOSHUA'S POETICALLY
TRANSCRIBING. NAOMI'S PLAYFULLY DELIGHTING. WHILE ADRIENNE IS IGNITING WHAT MIGHT THROW THE WHOLE BALANCE OUT OF WHACK. TEAM AWESOME
(A PLAY IN VERSE) IS A LINGUSTICAL, FAMILIAL ATTACK._

FEATURING: SARA ANDREAS*, ERIN AUSTIN*, MICHAEL GURRIERI*, AND JOSHUA ROBINSON

STAGE MANAGER: BEKAH HERNANDEZ

DIRECTED BY RACHEL PARK

*DENOTES MEMBERS OF ACTOR'S EQUITY ASSOCIATION

THE READING IS FREE, BUT SEATING IS LIMITED.

FOR YOUR RESERVATION PLEASE EMAIL US AT
PLASTICFLAMINGOTHEATRE@GMAIL.COM

www.plasticflamingo.org

Spoken Word, Team Awesome, and all that

2011-04-16T22:58:00.008-04:00

So apparently April is National Poetry Month. We couldn't have picked a better time to bring you the world premiere of Team Awesome- a play written entirely in verse.

Ross first introduced me to spoken word poetry about 2 and a 1/2 years ago. He got me watching a lot of Def Jam poetry. (This one is my favorite he showed me.) I dare you not to watch it and smile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZsmneEtdWU
Of course NYC is the epicenter for almost all art forms. (Yes, I'm a snob.) So, we started seeing some live spoken word, slam poetry, and other forms of rhyme-age. Here are some of the best places to check out live poetry in the city.

Nuyorican Poet's Cafe: The Nuyorican presents groundbreaking works of literature, music, theater, performance art, poetry slam, hip hop, visual art and champions established as well as rising artists from every background imaginable.
http://www.nuyorican.org/
Bowery Poetry Club: Poetry, Comedy, Theatre, Beer, Repeat: Poetry, Comedy, Theatre, Beer.
http://www.bowerypoetry.com/
KGB Bar: Admission is free, drinks are cheap and strong, and the level of excellence is such that KGB has been named best literary venue in New York City by New York Magazine, the Village Voice, and everyone else who bestows these awards of recognition.
http://www.kgbbar.com

And of course, check out Team Awesome on 4/25 at Under St. Mark's. It's a great play and I'm honored to be a part of it and have our company bring it to life next week.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=137748046297458

yours in rhyme and rhythm,

ea

Photos from our Fit reading

2011-04-06T01:55:00.003-04:00

Alright guys, I am no photographer of any sort. However, I took pictures of wonderful actors. In case you missed the reading, here are some rehearsal shots of Fit.
By Erin Austin
Featuring: Anthony Comis*, Lauren Connolly, Elliot Crown*, Joseph Rende, Harmony Stempel, Molly Stoller
Musical Direction: Jonathan Cody White
Directed by Ross Evans

Interview with Sara Andreas

2011-03-30T13:23:00.005-04:00

Sara Andreas is currently performing in Catch Me If You Can at the Neil Simon Theater. She was recently seen on the First National Tour of Legally Blonde (u/s Serena, Margot, Pilar, Brooke), and is a founding member of The Plastic Flamingo Theater Company. She took a few moments to catch us on up on her Broadway debut.

Ross Evans: Can you tell us a little about Catch Me If You Can and your involvement?

Sara Andreas: It's based off the movie with the same name (sans the musical part of course). I am swinging the show, which means I am not on stage every night, I am just there in case someone gets injured, or falls ill, or is on vacation, etc...

Ross Evans: So as a swing, how many roles does that mean you cover?

Sara Andreas: I cover 10 tracks in the show.

Ross Evans: Wow. That's insane. Memorizing that many tracks has to be one of the toughest jobs in all of theater. For which part are you most excited to go on? Which are you most dreading?

Sara Andreas: There are three tracks in the show that are the belt your face off black girl tracks. Wait, is that not PC?

Ross Evans: We will allow it.

Sara Andreas: Good. Originally, they scared the crap out of me. But funnily enough for the past two weeks, I've been on for one of those tracks, and it's been SO fun! I mean don't get me wrong, I was scared s***-less the first night I went on but now it's fun.

Ross Evans: Being un-PC is fine, but we will edit out the swearing.

Sara Andreas: Fair.

Ross Evans: Now, between them, your creative team shares 11 Tony's can you tell us what's it's like working with such theater Royalty?

Sara Andreas: It's f**** amazing!

Ross Evans: Swearing.

Sara Andreas: Sorry. I don't think I have an intelligent enough vocabulary to describe it properly. First off, Jack O'Brien is a genius! The way he describes things is amazing! Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman are brilliant as well, and the coolest people you'll ever meet! And well Jerry, let's just say I am obsessed with him! The way he creates really astounds me, he has a hundred ideas for every section of the show and 99% are good ones. He's so good at telling the story through dance, and so fun and wonderful to be around. All of them work so well together, it's really astounding!

Ross Evans: Sounds like quite an experience. So, working on a new musical is always a daunting task, can you tell us how the show has changed from it's first rehearsal until now?

Sara Andreas: It's actually changed quite a bit since rehearsal started. Numbers have been completely cut out of the show, choreography is constantly being changed, as well as scenes and songs. Since we're still in previews we have rehearsal every morning from 12-5, where we change entire numbers and implement the new changes in the show that night.

Ross Evans: And then re-memorize those changes for 10 different tracks?

Sara Andreas: Exactly.

Ross Evans: You're a rock star.

Sara Andreas: I know.

Ross Evans: Can you tell us what it was like stepping into a Broadway theater, and thinking "I get to perform here every night?!".

Sara Andreas: Probably one of the best feelings I've ever felt. Even better was the moment right before I ran onstage my first night on. I almost started crying (out of happiness obviously) and then realized I had an entire show to do, so I better suck it up!

Ross Evans: You only get that moment once, and I can't even imagine how special it must feel. Now to the tough stuff -- With such an exciting season on Broadway this year, can you give us three reasons (besides seeing you) to catch Catch Me if you Can?

Sara Andreas: My favorite thing about the show is that it's a father and son love story. And not in the creepy catholic church kind of way. It's a relationship you never really see addressed in musical theater and Norbert and Aaron, are really quite amazing. Also the choreography and music is nailing it! It's a really fun show!

Ross Evans: Finally, now that you are a big Broadway star, are you still pumped to do PFTC shows for little to no money? (We need it in writing)

Sara Andreas: Dzuh, as long as you give me more then three lines Ross!

Ross Evans: Not to worry. I wrote you a new scene today. Well, we couldn't be happier for you, Sara. We are all proud as can be at Plastic Flamingo, and can't wait to check out your Broadway debut.

To purchase tickets to Catch Me If You Can visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist, or/1515546?camefrom=CFC_NED_CATCH_TICKETS, call (877)250- 2929, or go to the box office at Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street)

Plastic Flamingo Theatre Presents Fit

2011-03-24T17:32:00.002-04:00

FIT
by Erin Austin

MONDAY MARCH 28th at 7 pm
@ UNDER ST MARK'S
94 ST. MARKS PLACE
BETWEEN 1ST AVENUE & AVENUE A

Three generations of women, Celtic music, and a mystical meeting. Fit is about the identity of beauty… and the beauty of identity.

Featuring: Anthony Comis*, Lauren Connolly, Elliot Crown*, Joseph Rende, Harmony Stempel, Molly Stoller

Musical Direction: Jonathan Cody White

Directed by Ross Evans

*denotes members of Actor's Equity Association

SEATING IS LIMITED. FOR YOUR RESERVATION PLEASE EMAIL US AT

PLASTICFLAMINGOTHEATRE@GMAIL.COM

www.plasticflamingo.org

Join us after the reading for a drink next door at Vbar St. Marks!
http://vbar.net/vbarstmarks/

Unofficial Offices: Gizzi's

2011-03-21T01:27:00.006-04:00

First of all, we have no idea how to pronounce the name of this coffee shop. The mystery lies in that first elusive letter. Is it a G like in the word "guesture"? Is it a G like in the word "Guinness"? The Frat boy in me really hopes it's the first kind of G. And that's how the Flamingos pronounce it.

Gizzi's is the greatest coffee shop for a theatre company meeting ever. Trust us, we've tried most of them.
http://www.gizzisnyc.com/

Here's a list of why we love working/meeting/and spending time at good old Gizzi's.

* 's denote the bonuses that for whatever reason do NOT apply to Ross Evans.
-Free Wi-fi
-* Friendly service. They will even bring your food/coffee to you.
-They have a flat screen TV that played muted silent films and cartoons.
-Their "large" cup of coffee comes in a soup bowl with a handle. I don't joke about these things.
- They play a fantastic Fiona Apple-heavy mix.
-They have amazing chocolate croissants. * They heat them up for you for extra great-ness.
-Super location in the W. village. En route back to the subway station you have to pass the pet store on 6th avenue with the puppies in the window.

It's UM's showcase week..it's PFTC's FOUR year anniversary

2011-03-07T17:12:00.008-05:00

So the UM showcase is today. Break legs, you talented kids, you. More info here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/UMiami-NYC-Showcase/129878253747805

A performance like this makes old people (us) nostalgic. Here are a couple of pictures of us during our showcase week. March 2007: This was the first time Plastic Flamingo hit NYC as a unit. Four years later we are bigger, more opinionated, and still great friends. That's worth a celebration.

Captions from top picture to bottom:
*Warming up inside the Time's Square McDonald's post MTC's brilliant production of Blackbird.
*Student rush seats to In The Heights at the late 37 Art's Theater.
*Snow in the village. Back when we still took pictures of snow...
*The Slaughtered Lamb
*Priceless-ness

8 Minute Musicals and PFTC's Erin Austin in one Theater

2011-03-07T16:20:00.004-05:00

Are you marching through March without any music in your life? We have an evening for you. Plastic's own Erin Austin is a featured writer in this year's 8 Minute Musicals.

Don't miss...
"Marshall and Jane's Adoption Appointment"
Music and Lyrics by Bonnie Gleicher
Book by Erin Austin

Sunday, March 13 at 7pm and 9pm
Monday, March 14 at 7pm and 9pm

TBG Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, NYC 10018

for tickets visit http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?EID=&showCode=8MI2&BundleCode=&GUID=669bda96-8aed-4ae1-b873-02327b80a2e1

http://www.8minutemusicals.org

Interview with Stephen Svoboda

2011-03-01T09:31:00.003-05:00

Stephen Svoboda is the playwright and director of Odysseus Died of AIDS playing at The Lion Theatre- Theatre Row in March. He’s also one of my favorite teachers ever. We flagged him down and picked his brain in prep for the NYC production.

Erin Austin: I first saw Odysseus in my sophomore year in the UM studio theatre. But I know it’s been around longer then that. When did you first start writing Odysseus DOA?

Stephen Svoboda: Back in 2001 when I was in graduate school at Ohio University. It has gone through 14 drafts and many title changes, but the basic version of the play wasn't really finished until 2005. Now it has just been fun to workshop the play around the world and do all the fine-tuning.

EA: Have you always been interested in Greek mythology? Where did the inspiration come to combine a modern tale about AIDS with the Odyssey?

SS: I’ve been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was little and feel head over heels in lust with Harry Hamlin as Perseus in the original Clash of the Titans. The inspiration to combine the play came when I was having a serious block as to how to proceed with the play. The show is about a dying man achieving glory, about living a life worth being remembered, and the play didn't seem to have enough size to hold up such a large conceit. When the Odyssey became a part of the story everything fell into place in 2 weeks of re-writing. It was essentially the key that unlocked the last crucial piece to the play working.

EA: You’ve seen this play performed in multiple cities, countries and with different production values, rehearsals, etc. How have the audience reactions been different at each restaging? How have they been similar?

SS: The play is like a machine. No matter what version of the play I've seen, from readings to full on technical productions, it always has the same emotional impact on the audience. They laugh and then they cry. My favorite review from the run in Syracuse was from a young woman who said, "The play was so good I had to blow my nose in my scarf." I think the lights, sound, projections and all that help makes the story clearer and utilize the theatricality of the script. This also allows me to re-create for the audience the character's feelings of being trapped and overwhelmed. There is no intermission. I want the audience to laugh and cry, but most importantly I like capturing the idea that death is inescapable.

EA: Ha. “I had to blow my nose in my scarf.” That’s awesome. I think a lot of the audience reaction (in reference to the drama as well as the comedy) comes from how much we can relate and identify with the characters. Is there a particular character you are especially attached to? And if so, has it changed over time?

SS: I will always be incredibly attached to Elliot and Resean. Elliot is the "me" character. I wrote this play when I thought that I would die from HIV at a very young age and I wanted to confront the fears of losing myself and saying good-bye to my mother. His journey of gathering the troops and creating something memorable is very much my journey everyday. Resean is my inner voice. A few years ago I was doing some Hypnotherapy and meditative healing and during the session the shrink asked me to imagine a person of strength and compassion visiting me. It was Resean. (Not even a real person). You can't help but smile and feel calm when you are in the presence of her character. This production has been a little different. The mothers have taken on a new connection with me as a writer. In the past they were in my mind simply the antagonists, or really the people who couldn't let go, but recently a little boy I was trying to adopt from Tanzania died from AIDS related illnesses, and all of a sudden I was able to play the role of parent and child when looking at the play. I think it has helped me to humanize the mother's in this production.

EA: Yeah, she’s so harsh but her stakes are so high. My heart just broke for her… Okay, we are going to change directions here. Who are your biggest influences, theatrically speaking?

SS: Theatrically speaking I am a huge fan of work that mixes up genre and styles. I really like to mesh historical styles with postmodern theatrical techniques. This play, hopefully, combines the epic nature and imagery of Aeschylus, the alienation of Brecht, and the characters of Paula Vogel. I think that plays should experiment with form and embrace theatricality. You don't need elaborate, overdone sets. You simply need to engage the audience's imagination. I hope we do that in this production.

EA: Okay, so in a perfect world I would write, direct, and act in everything all at the same time- and pick out the pre-show music. Obviously this is impossible. What’s your advice for those of us who like to direct our own plays?

SS: Make sure you can have distance. I am a re-writer. Writing the first draft for me is the hardest part of the process. I can script doctor someone else's work in a heartbeat, I think that is from 8 years of being a playwriting teacher, but writing that first draft is a real struggle. I think this really benefits me as a director. I try to come into the process as if it is a re-writing and doctoring process. I use the production to solve the kinks in the script. I've been known to change something at the last minute, because truly the play is never really finished. I also recommend working with talents actors and designers that you trust. People whose instincts are similar to yours, but will call you out if the play isn't working.

EA: What’s coming up next for you?

SS: Well, right now I am running two Arts Center's in upstate NY; one in Syracuse and one in the Adirondacks, so I am always busy. I am currently directing a production of the Wizard of Oz with a rock 'n roll score that stars 40 kids from a local school and 20 adults with developmentally disabilities and then in June I will be directing a professional production of Peter Brook's Conference of the Birds in a 140 year old church on an island. The cool thing about my current job is I really get to participate in the full spectrum of what theatre is.

EA: Thank you Stephen. Can’t wait to see Odysseus.

Odysseus Died of AIDS
Written and Directed by Stephen Svoboda
Theatre Row - The Lion Theatre
410 West 42nd Street (Between 9th and 10th Avenues)
New York NY 10036

Cast Members:
John Bixler, Laura Austin, Maha McCain, Temar Underwood, Adam Perabo, Brett Davenport, Kate Metroka, Darian Sundberg, Binaifer Dabu, Nathan Young

Unofficial Offices: The Marriott Marquis

2011-02-23T15:43:00.003-05:00

We're starting this blog series off with a bang by sharing one of our FAVORITE PFTCo offices. The Marriott Marquis lobby is where it as AT, people. We've been meeting there since one of our favorite acting teachers in college told us about it in 2007.(Thanks Jen!) We're sharing our office space secret with you because we love you. In case you are considering an office relocation: here's the breakdown of the Marriott lobby. Just use discretion in who you tell: No one likes a crowded office.

PROS:
-Awesome glass elevator that whisks you up to the 8th floor.
-No pressure to buy anything to sit in the space.
-Comfy chairs.
-Tons of space with desks and outlets for your (or Ross's) dying laptop.
-Starbuck's downstairs that gives an Actors Equity discount.
-Clean, spacious bathrooms. Perfect for using as a pre-audition dressing room
-Location is a pretty good compromise for the Sunnyside, Williamsburg, Village, Crown Heights crowd. (us.)

Cons:
-Sometimes big companies will rent out the Marriott lobby for a conference or convention, leaving poor Flamingos frantic for a new location. And the McDonald's in Times Square is a serious downgrade.
-The Marquis people are big fans of playing saxophone covers of really bad pop songs from the 80's. Erin Austin is not.

Overall Evaluation:
The Marriott Marquis has the distinct ability to make you feel posh (ooh water fountains and people in business suits!) and homeless (let's face it, we're loitering squatters) all at the same time. However, any sort of identity crisis it provokes is assuaged by how much work we've gotten done in that lobby. We love you Marriott Marquis. We dread the day your elevators require room key activation.

Unofficial Offices

2011-02-17T16:34:00.005-05:00

It's during FringeNYC 2010. I'm at a West Village bar with a good friend of mine. He's in the middle of directing and producing his play over at the Kraine Theatre. We're in the middle of downing some kind of Brooklyn beer on tap, when he throws his hands in the air. "All I want in life is an office."
I didn't know it until that moment, but then, oh then I did. "Me too." I reply with the slurred hop induced emphasis on the "Me" and "too".

Fact of the matter is here at PFTCo and with most indie NYC theatre companies, we are office-less. At least in the traditional sense. In the non traditional sense, we have some of the most interesting offices... well ever.

This post is a preview for the newest addition to the Plastic Flamingo Blog. Look forward to articles featuring the many offices we work from. From awesome apartments to park benches to coffee shops to lobbies- we've found some thrifty and very productive unconventional work spaces.

We're still hoping one Christmas Santa will give us a P Flam office on the 7th floor of some important building with big windows and cubicles and rolly chairs. Until then, look forward to a viral celebration and investigation of where we operate in the feature "Unofficial Offices" .

*I realize Unofficial Offices has got to be one of the most bland titles for a blog ever created. If you have a better title for this new section of the site please email suggestions to plasticflamingotheatre@gmail.com.
Subject Line: I am wittier than Erin Austin by a lot.

Stay tuned.

Most UNromantic Plays that we love

2011-02-15T16:45:00.006-05:00

How was everyone's Valentine's Day? Exciting? Romantic? Steamy? Expensive? We here at PFTC love romance. In fact most of us are self titled Romantics. That being said, we could all go for some post Valentine grit. Here are our picks for the most UNromantic plays that we absolutely adore...in the least mushy way possible.

Time Stand Still: Told through the clear-cut style of photo-journalism, this new play teaches us that sometimes even people truly in love can't make a relationship work. And sometimes men are just happier with perky and kinda dumb young women who work in event planning. There is one romantic element to Time Stands Still: the set design. I've never seen a loft in Williamsburg that big or awesome. But I'll keep looking.

Doubt: A Parable: Even the name is a mood killer. Nuns, pedophiles, The Bronx. Lord Jesus, I love this play.

The Last Five Years: Nice work, JRB. You found a way to make a MUSICAL- a genre that is inherently romantic- not. Since we see the ugly downfall of these lovers right at the top- all we can do is enjoy their descent into loneliness... in musical reverse.

Incest Plays:
We're looking at you Fool For Love and How I Learned To Drive. Don't get me wrong. We love sex and we love to watch plays about it. Unless those characters involved are related. Then we just get awesomely skeeved out.

Anything By Neil Labute:
...No seriously, anything.

JCW at Recoup Lounge 2/11

2011-02-05T23:08:00.004-05:00

Are you spending your weekend night sitting at home blogging and eating olives out of the jar? Or is that just me? Anyways, if this sounds familiar- let P Flam remedy next week's social calendar for ya.

Plastic Flamingo Jonathan White is performing this coming Friday at Recoup Lounge. He's pretty awesome. You should probably check it out.

JCW Live
Friday Feb. 11th
9:00pm

The Recoup Lounge
210 Rivington Street
New York, NY

http://www.jcwband.com

Announcing our 2011 Season Auditions

2011-02-01T15:18:00.006-05:00

ANNOUNCING OUR 2011 SEASON AUDITIONS

The Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company is casting its 2011 Reading series.
Seeking: Both Equity and Non-Equity NYC Actors of all ethnicities.

Fit: By Erin Austin
Three generations of women, Celtic music, and a mystical meeting. Fit is about the
identity of beauty… and the beauty of identity.

Seeking:
MARY: 20-year old female
LAUREN: 20-year old female, requires Scottish accent
FIONA: 20-year old female, requires a Scottish accent
YOUNG IAN: Mid to late 20’s male, requires a Scottish accent
IAN: Mid to late 60’s male, requires a Scottish accent
CHRISTOPHER: Mid to late 20’s male
*The characters of MARY, LAUREN, and FIONA sing traditional Celtic songs
throughout the play.

Team Awesome (A play in verse): by Ross Evans
Elliot's writing. Joshua's poetically transcribing. Naomi's playfully delighting. While
Adrienne is igniting what might throw the whole balance out of whack. Team Awesome
(A play in verse) is a linguistical, familial attack.

Seeking:
ELLIOT – mid 20’s male.
JOSHUA – mid 20’s male
ADREINNE – mid 20’s female
NAOMI – mid 20’s female
*All four actors must be comfortable with language in verse.

SINGLE’S NIGHT by The Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company
An eclectic night of short plays that reminds us that there is no I in team, but there is a
ME.

Seeking Actors of all ages and types.

Auditions will be held at 10 am on February 21, 2011. At Roy Arias Studios.

Auditions will be granted upon submission. Please submit headshot/ resume to
PFTCAuditions@gmail.com by THURSDAY 2/17/2011. Sides will be sent along with your time
slot.

www.Plasticflamingo.org

10 Theaters we wouldn’t mind getting stuck in during a blizzard…

2011-01-26T23:25:00.005-05:00

Tonight, as Darren and I walked west into the incoming ice pellets, I began regretting our decision to ever leave the warm and sheltered theatre where we had just witnessed a reading.

Now that I’m home and partially thawed, I realize this was a rash thought. The unnamed theater we were at- as lovely as it is (and I truly do love it) has a terrible bathroom. This would not make a fun snowed-in situation.

However, in the spirit of 2011’s Snowpocalypse and our company’s undying love for NYC theaters, I present a list of local spaces (in no particular order) where the Flamingos would happily hibernate through the Artic months.

1. The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center. 107 Suffolk St. L.E.S. I have never seen a show here and not sweated my ass off. Plus there’s an attached beach themed bar with real sand. Steamy and classy.

2. HERE Arts Center. 145 6th Ave. Soho. This is the theatre space equivalent to your buddy’s house in high school with the cool parents who let you drink in the basement. They will let you get away with anything. They let us freaking paint each other on stage there during Finger Paint… Things could get crazy.

3. The Foxwoods Theater. 214 W. 43rd St. Midtown. Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark is there… Things could get crazy.

4. Dixon Place. 161A Chrystie St. L.E.S. Four words. Full. Service. Bar. Inside.

5. The Snapple Theatre. 1627 Broadway. Midtown. There are a lot of Snapple facts on those bathroom walls. I need more time to figure out which ones are real.

6. Regal Union Square Stadium 14. 850 Broadway. Union Square. I know this isn’t that kind of theatre. But we’ve seen some really interesting impromptu live performances there. And we gotta catch up on the Oscar nominees at some point.

7. 2econd Stage. 305 W. 43rd St. Midtown. We would just chill in the audience and make some poor technician open and close those big blinds in the house stage left on a regular basis. Those things are fantastic.

8. 3LD Art and Technology Center. 80 Greenwich St. Financial District. The location isn’t grand. Diane dubbed it “even too downtown for Erin”. But once you’re inside you get a choice of watching performances on chairs or on brightly colored throw pillows. Awesome.

9. The Chocolate Factory. 49th Ave. L.I.C. Okay, I haven’t been here yet, but this just sounds like a good place to be for obvious (and hopeful) reasons.

10. The Wild Project. 195 E 3rd St. L.E.S. This place is one of the only “green” theatres in the area. How or why it’s “green” remains an enigma. But dagnabbit, us Flamingos like to feel righteous about our hypothetical theatrical hideaways.

Spelling Bee at Paper Mill

2011-01-20T17:45:00.006-05:00

Our own Ross Evans is assistant directing Spelling Bee at the esteemed Paper Mill Playhouse. Some of the flamingos are journeying to Jerz tomorrow to see it. But coming from someone who has already seen the dress rehearsal (Erin): Trust me- it's fantastic.
for tickets go to www.papermill.org

Plastic Flamingo Announces 2011 Season!

2010-12-21T12:17:00.006-05:00

Fit
by Erin Austin
March 28th at 7 p.m.
Three generations of women, Celtic music, and a mystical meeting. Fit is about the identity of beauty… and the beauty of identity.

Team Awesome (A play in Verse)
by Ross Evans
Monday, April 25th at 7 p.m.
Elliot's writing. Joshua's poetically transcribing. Naomi's playfully delighting. While Adrienne is igniting what might throw the whole balance out of whack. Team Awesome (A play in verse) is a lingustical, familial attack.

Single's Night
by members of The Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company
Monday May 23rd at 7 p.m.
Join us for an eclectic night of short plays that reminds us that there is no I in team, but there is a ME.

ANNOUNCING OUR 2011 HOME

UNDER ST. MARK'S
94 St. Mark’s Street (Between 1st Avenue and Avenue A)
ALL PLASTIC FLAMINGO PERFORMANCES OF THE 2011 SEASON WILL TAKE PLACE AT UNDER ST. MARK'S THEATER IN THE EAST VILLAGE.

www.plasticflamingo.org

Team Awesome Photos

2010-12-14T01:20:00.003-05:00

Thanks for everyone who came out for the reading of Team Awesome. Your next time to see it is April 25th at Under St. Mark's.

Team Awesome Reading this week

2010-12-06T22:40:00.004-05:00

The Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company will host the premiere reading of Team Awesome on Wednesday December 8th.

Team Awesome is written by Ross Evans

The reading will feature:
Sara Andreas
Erin Austin
Michael Gurrieri
and
Joshua Robinson

For information or to RSVP to this event, email us at Plasticflamingotheatre@gmail.com

Get a Clue! Play Fest Pictures

2010-11-23T19:34:00.006-05:00

What an event! Thanks to everyone who came out to support PFTCo. Six plays written, directed, rehearsed and PERFORMED in under a week. Here's the breakdown of this monumental undertaking- and some fun photos that proof it actually happened.

A Homeless Halloween
By Ross Evans
Directed by Rachel Park

On the Ledge
By Melanie Zooey
Directed by Dave Chase

So a Lady Walks into a Bar...
By Erin Austin
Directed by Glenn De Kler

Untitled
By Schuyler Brumley
Directed by Darren Mallett

Or Ya Just Happy to See Me?
By Erin Rashbaum
Directed by Anthony Hollock

Ann vs. Jo
By Brad Bauner
Directed by Rob Egginton

Fast Art and Plastic Flamingo

2010-11-12T13:27:00.003-05:00

If Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in one night at a dinner party, just imagine what kind of art can blossom in a full week. We’re expecting these flowers of possibility to be six fully directed and acted plays based on the guidelines of the popular board game, Clue. It’s Plastic Flamingo’s first foray into “fast art” and we want you there!

It’s no surprise this style of quick and dirty theatre known as “fast art” works well in NYC. We’ve all got twelve jobs and only one of them pays. We all rely a little too much on 5 hour energy shots to push us through that last hour on the clock, and we all enjoy the exciting and often unpredictable results of artistic exercise.

One of the most well known NYC variations on “fast art” is the event The A Train Plays, where, yes, plays and musicals are created on the blue line, the city's longest subway route. Playwrights, actors, and directors make the subway car their office and rehearsal space. They have limited time to conceive and rehearse their new creations. How limited is their time? Well they have as long as it takes the train to get from W 207th street to Rockaway and back.

This coming Sunday, the appropriately titled The 24 hour Play Festival will start its egg timers. The performance will be at The American Airlines Theater on Monday November 15. This year it will feature among others, Claire Danes, Elijah Wood, and Sarah Silverman.

It was only a matter of time before those of us at Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company jumped onto the quickly moving “fast art” train. But in typical Flamingo fashion, we’re making up our own rules. We already spend too much time on subways and 24 hours is over too quickly. In Get A Clue! Play Fest, our 6 writers will have 2 days to create a short play. Directors and actors will get the rest of the week to rehearse. Sounds easy? We’re also making these writers incorporate the weapons and settings of the board game Clue into their plays. And directors and actors will be rehearsing without the comfort of a provided rehearsal space. So if you see a group of actors running lines on the A train, you’re getting a sneak peak for Sunday.

It’s a mystery as to what plays you’ll see on November 21st. But I can tell you we’ve assembled a group of eclectic and wildly talented artists. We’ll see you at Bar 82 on Sunday. Because let’s be honest, you’re in New York and you like it fast.

`Erin

Co founder of Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company

Fit Reading: 10/25/10

2010-11-11T01:48:00.003-05:00

Diane Zelenka and Lauren Connolly perform in Erin Austin's premiere reading of Fit.

Venus Fly Trap

2010-11-08T12:21:00.002-05:00

Looking for some theatre action before the Get a Clue! Play Fest on November 21??

Of course you are, you theatre junkie. Check out Jose Luaces in Venus Fly Trap at The Workshop Theater. You will love it!

http://www.theactivetheater.com/

PFTC to Announce 2011 Season!

2010-11-01T22:11:00.001-04:00

Things just got serious. For the first time ever, we've organized an entire season's worth of mind-blowingly good theater. "Get A Clue" to learn more...

"Get A Clue" Short Play Festival & Fundraiser

When: Sunday, November 21st at 4:00pm

Where: Bar 82 (136 2nd Ave - between St. Mark's Pl & East 9th St)

Price: $5 suggested donation

We have assembled an amazing team of playwrights, directors, and actors for our "Get A Clue" Short Play Festival. Not only will there be great theater, but there will be insanely cheap drinks, snacks, and a "What's in the Box?" mystery raffle where you can win fabulous prizes!

SUS and CHLO

2010-08-21T15:24:00.003-04:00

Check out friends of the Flamingos. SUS and CHLO is a travel show featuring Susannah McLeod and Chloe Thorsbakken. They are beautiful, funny, and now you can watch them travel the country.

Follow them on http://susandchlogo.blogspot.com/

And check out their Taos video.
http://vimeo.com/14311200

Meet and Greet with Lauren Connolly

2010-08-03T17:10:00.003-04:00

You've seen her in PFTC shows from the very beginning. You just saw her in RIP JD. She made lattes and spoke with a Southern accent. She's talented, she's hot, and she can surf. Meet Lauren Connolly.

Where are you right now, specifically?
Lounging on my lime green couch with my feet up on my soon to be painted yellow coffee table in my brand new apartment! We've also got a red rug and teal curtains...my roommate and I are very colorful individuals!

What are you wearing?
My pajamas: comfy shorts and a Yankees tee shirt

So tell us, what do you wish you were wearing?
My pajamas: comfy shorts and a Yankees tee shirt...what i wish is that i didn't have to change to head to work soon

Oh. No fun. How about this: When is the last time someone clapped for you?
When I was performing in Plastic Flamingo's RIP JD!

When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
Hmmmm, well I've been doing a whole lot of work with Ross and Erin and the Plastic Flamingo gang lately...nobody in their right mind would boo them!!!

Ok, that is very sweet but who then, is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company member... and why?
I'll never tell. (insert evil laugh here)Jose Luaces...he likes to throw my cat across the room.

What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
Honestly, i haven't read a really good book in a while...we need a PF book club

Hmmm. Not a bad thought. If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
I'd be the biggest baddest police officer you ever did see!

Are you comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
No way!

You would be a good cop. If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
Probably something Shakespearean so I could walk around in pretty clothes and recite poetry...but no tragedies! A comedy!

Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
Someone who can write a good farce. That's what my day usually feels like when I work my Times Square restaurant job.

What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
Roller blading through the Theatre department at UM during the Apocalyptic Revelations dress rehearsal...so much fun...and Jonathan White skating around dressed up as a giant cockroach certainly didn't hurt the fuzzy memory experience!

No. No it did not.

Monday Meet and Greet with Nikki

2010-08-02T14:36:00.002-04:00

Time to meet the other Nikki that keeps Plastic Flamingo afloat. Nikki Mirasola is a rock star ninja marketing machine. Enough from us. Hear's what she's got for ya.

Where are you right now, specifically?
Sitting at my desk in my UES apartment.

What are you wearing?
I'm wearing a black and grey polk-a-dot tshirt and jeans. I love jeans. They are by far the best fashion invention to date.

What do you wish you were wearing?
Nothing. They don't call me Nakey-Nikki for nothing.

When is the last time someone clapped for you?
On Friday.

When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
I was boo-ed two weeks ago standing up for my beloved Philadelphia teams.

Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member and why?
I'll never tell. (insert evil laugh here)Ross...by far. haha

I would have been a star if I were born __
I don't think this question is for me because I'm still planning on being a star...

What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
Nothing actually. I just finished reading John Grisham's "The Firm" and am waiting on Elizabeth Gilbert's "Committed".

If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
Well other than PFTC I don't. It's always been, and will always be the Music Industry for me!

Are you comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
The only thing you get sleeping your way to the top is a bunch of diseases. Being a "dick/vag tease" is definitely the way to go.

If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
Julius Caesar.

Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
Erin and Ross, of course!

What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
I don't have one...yet...

Monday Meet and Greet With Niki

2010-07-26T16:05:00.003-04:00

Time to meet Niki Budnick. As company photographer, this lass has put Flamingos in black glasses, in high heels eating lo mein, and jumping mid air while walking down Berry Street. She's talented, she's fun, and she takes a mean picture. Read our interview, then check out her website. http://nikileighphotography.com

Where are you right now, specifically?
I'm at work, sitting at my desk on the 4th floor of the GE building at 30 rock. Yep that's right-- my life is documented on popular television sitcom!

Okay Tina Fey, what are you wearing?
Jeans, tank, sweater, and fantastic bangs.

What do you wish you were wearing?
A giant parka. It's about 30 degrees in my office.

When is the last time someone clapped for you?
When I starred in Anything Goes. I was part of the SECOND ensemble, which was added due to overwhelming parental outrage when they found out their children just didn't cut it for the 6th grade musical.

6th grade. The last year theatre is a fair game. When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
I've NEVER been boo-ed! But, I should have been boo-ed when I tripped walking UP the subway stairs last week - spilling coffee all over the floor and narrowly missing an innocent bystander.

Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member and why?
Oh please, this is a heated question! Of course I love you all!

I would have been a star if I were born __
To a famous family, you know, the Vanderbilt's, Roosevelt's, Hilton's... Jenner's....

What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
"War Journal" by Richard Engel - those who know me well know I have a ridiculous crush on him and that I also have a small obsession with the duel wars we are fighting right now.

If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
Selling photographs for a million dollars a piece.

Are you comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
Oh please, how do you think I got my job ; ) jkjk

Sure, you're kidding. Emoticons. If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
I'm more of a film geek, so I would say I'd live in the world of Amélie Poulain.

Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
Based on the dream I had last night I'd say Christopher Nolan.

Augh. Spinning tops. What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?

Anything and everything involving BANDITS. (aka CP fun day)

Feeling Nostalgic

2010-07-25T12:38:00.005-04:00

It's been over three years since Plastic Flamingo was conceived. Here's to friendship and art and combining the two. A collection of fun photos of some PFTCo gang in action from 2007.

Monday Meet and Greet with Jose

2010-07-19T12:35:00.005-04:00

The one, the only Jose Luaces answers some tough questions for Plastic Flamingo. Stop by and see him next month at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Ya know, if you are in Scotland and all. Check out www.reeltoreal.co.uk/theatre for more information.

-Alright, Jose. You are the hardest person to keep track of because you are always performing somewhere exotic and new. So, where are you right now, specifically?
The office of my parents house in Miami. Im taking a weekend vacay.

-What are you wearing?
Shorts that i bought in china and an american apparel t-shirt.

-What do you wish you were wearing?
Leopard skin tights, and thats all. its hot!

-When is the last time someone clapped for you?
When i was doing Reel to Real in China

-Yeah, yeah. China. When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
Every single morning and night in the shower. I sing for Jesus, sometimes he listens and sometimes he doesn't. My roommates love it

-Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member and why?
I think that is pretty obvious. Gold medalist in Douce Baggery!

-I would have been a star if I were born ____________
When Vaudeville was around I can Shmackt with the best of them

-What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
The US airways magazine that I found very interesting.

-If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
Id be a Club Bouncer or a Fish Doctor

-Are you comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
Depends who is on the top!

-If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
Suessical its so fantastical!

-Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
The people who wrote Speed with Sandra Bullock

-That sounds very appropriate. What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
I dont know if this is an official plastic flamingo event but it might as well be. When All of us have game day in central park. I LOOOOOVVVEEE it!

We say it counts. Plastic Flamingo will always take the credit for a good party.(See game day picture above.)

PLASTIC FLAMINGO ON YOUR TV

2010-07-15T10:00:00.003-04:00

So after an Amazing run of RIP JD: A Celebration of Death at the Brick Theater as part of the Too Soon Festival, the show is going to be featured on the small screen.

That's right NYC, make sure to check out a review of Plastic Flamingo's newest creation on HI! DRAMA on Saturday July 17th from 1:30-2:00 PM on TW Ch.56, RCN Ch.83, Verizon Ch. 34,
www.mnn.org

RIP JD will be featured alongside our friends at the Too Soon Festival, Happily Ever After.

DON"T MISS IT!

Some fun RIP JD pictures to get you through the last day of the work week...

2010-06-18T15:12:00.003-04:00

Sara plays Randall.
Darren plays Katie.
Kyle plays...dead.
Come see RIP JD: A Celebration of Death tomorrow night at 9:15 pm at the Brick Theater.

Catcher in the Rye: Number 4 book with a Psycho Fan Base

2010-06-15T00:39:00.002-04:00

Check out "Kids in the Class" the first scene in RIP JD to see our take on the reader and their serial killer impulses from Catcher. Check out all five books that Cracked featured. http://www.cracked.com/article_18568_the-5-greatest-books-with-psychotic-fan-bases.html
The Classic Book

It's doubtful that, by telling the story of a whiny 17-year-old reminiscing on things that happened to him when he was a whiny 16-year-old, J.D. Salinger intended to give sweaty man-birth to a new gospel. It was just a story, and a rather simple one at that: It's a few days in the unremarkable life of Holden Caulfield, a teenager who pretty much hates everything (like every teenager) except children (like those creepy camp counselors).

Camp counselors ruin everything.

The Offenders

Apparently Holden's self-centered whining makes people want to kill celebrities. And not in a small scale, "fuck those guys" kind of way. No, in a "call the national guard, everybody is dead oh god they're all dead" kind of way.

Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon five times outside the Dakota apartment building in New York, claiming Catcher in the Rye was his inspiration. After committing the crime, Chapman even pulled out the book and started reading while still steps away from the murder scene. He signed, "This is my statement, Holden Caulfield" on the inside cover. So he either the chubby adult murderer thought he was Holden, or he thought Holden was real and could absorb all knowledge imprinted upon his book. When both options for your mental state are that crazy, it doesn't even matter which one was the case; doctors just diagnose you with "clinical craziness."

Robert John Bardo stalked a lengthy list of actresses before murdering Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989, also while carrying a copy of the book. A copy was also found in the possession of John Hinckley, Jr., the attempted assassin of Ronald Reagan. And those are just the celebrities; you know, the important people. The novel has been linked to a number of lower-profile murders over the years since its release.

Why the Bullshit Interpretation is Exactly That

It's been speculated that Chapman killed John Lennon in order to preserve his innocence--which is odd considering Lennon was like 40 years old at the time. Not exactly an age of wide-eyed wonder, 40. If you see a 40 year-old man riding a big wheel and asking why the sky is blue, you don't shoot him to preserve innocence, you ask around to find his caretaker and make sure his helmet is on tight.

But even if Lennon was about to enter puberty at the age of 41, the book doesn't support that action: Holden, while initially wanting to protect children, realizes that he's no role model, and they're all better off left alone anyway. Sure, some of 'em will fall off that cliff, but how else are kids gonna learn not to play in rye?

Monday Meet and Greet with Erin

2010-06-07T13:30:00.006-04:00

Erin is a writer/actor/director and co-founder of PFTCo. You can catch her this month in RIP JD: A Celebration of Death at The Brick Theater.

Today, you can judge her based on her responses to these very important and revealing questions. We're all about hard hitting journalism here, people.

> Where are you right now, specifically?
On my stoop outside my apartment in Williamsburg. I claim it as my own, even though I am certainly not the only tenant in the building. If you had a stoop as amazing as mine, you would demand full rights as well.
>
> What are you wearing?
My Brooklyn Bowl uniform. I have to go to work in about five minutes. I'm stalling.

>
> What do you wish you were wearing?
Pajamas. Making plays, taking names, breaking hearts, yelling at Ross, these activities require lots of energy. I could use a nap.

> When is the last time someone clapped for you?
Yesterday June 6th- at RIP JD.

> When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
> You know it's been a while since I've heard anyone boo anyone and it's such a bold statement. Can we bring booing back the way Justin brought back sexy? ...Also, I should probably be booed for writing monologues that suggest JD Salinger was a rapist. And perhaps I should be booed for making a Justin Timberlake reference.

> Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member?
Jonathan White. Harder questions please.

> I would have been a star if I were born ____________
On any other day besides Friday the 13th. I blame any misfortune on my bad luck birth date. Sometimes mother's can be so selfish.

> What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
I haven't read since high school. ...Wow that joke is a lot funnier when Ariana makes it in RIP JD: A Celebration of Death playing this June at The Brick Theater. http://www.bricktheater.com/toosoon

> If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
Marketing and advertising, clearly.

> Are you comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
The top of what?

> If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
Rent. Minus the needles and that Christmas song they sing 60 times. I want to live in Alphabet City in the early nineties and wear combat boots.

> Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
Tennesse Williams. Everything sounds better when it's said by him.

> What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
> You just asked the most nostalgic company member that question? Here are some highlights.
> -Directing with the Dream Team on Buddha Nosh.
> -Standing backstage during Apocalyptic Revelations and hearing the audience gasp when the Barranger/Lindsay reveal happened.
> -Getting painted on/painting other people in Theatre Row Studios and the Here Arts Center...and then dealing with the strange looks on the subway rides home.
> -Prosecco first reads with Ross
> -Company meetings at COSI and stuffing my face with their amazing free bread.
> -The after party of the Finger Paint read at Diane's apartment. If you were there, you know why....OK and that's my cue to stop.

RIP JD Promo Video

2010-06-04T11:06:00.002-04:00

Karen Marshall, you rock Plastic's world.

Starring:
Darren Mallett
Kate Luckinbill

and Erin's bedroom

MONDAY MEET AND GREET: KATIE McCLELLAN

2010-05-31T22:50:00.002-04:00

It's time to meet PFTC's Katie McClellan. She is a 2009 'Canes grad, and making her second Plastic appearance this June in RIP JD. We love her over here in Flamingo land, and we think you will too.

> Where are you right now, specifically?
Sitting in my living room, having just finished making dozens of cold calls to various studios and rehearsal/performances spaces to see if we can post flyers/postcards promoting Plastic Flamingo's latest production, RIP JD, running at the Too Soon Festival. Yep. The things I do for these people...
>
> What are you wearing?
A grey tunic dress, short navy leggings and flipflops. An outfit that lends itself to very good ventilation, as we've been holding rehearsal for RIP JD in a sauna (a.k.a. the unairconditioned Triskelion Arts Center)

>
> What do you wish you were wearing?
Workout clothes. Have not the energy available for that today though.

> When is the last time someone clapped for you?
At my restaurant two nights ago when I grooved to My Baby Takes the Morning Train in the middle of the floor. The place was very very dead. And I love that song.

> When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
Don't remember. Honestly. But someone definitely should have booed me when I was starving before work and ate dinner via sampling the Whole Foods by-the-pound selections for about 10 minutes and bought nothing.

> Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member and why?
Chris Teutsch. His name is impossible to spell.

> I would have been a star if I were born ____________
to Meryl Streep. Or a Baldwin. Any Baldwin.

> What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
I have been on the tenth page of about 4 or 5 different books for the last 2 years.

> If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
Something where I'd be traveling and making lots of money - 23 and not a care in the world.
Which is why I'm in the theater I guess - since that doesn't exist.

> Are you comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
Nope. I'm a morning person.

> If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
I'm actually pretty keen on this world - all play worlds have atleast something that I wouldn't like about them, and I feel like you can't really tell what the world would be like from 90 pages of just the characters' realms of reality.

> Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
Wendy Macleod. I just like her.

> What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
Standing next to the giant blow-up flamingo to get my picture taken. Putting your head right up against that thing makes your hair pretty "fuzzy"...
Aaaand I'm done.

Plastic Flamingo Blog Presents: The Cast and Crew of RIP JD!

2010-05-27T10:25:00.005-04:00

Come see these eggheads work their magic this June at The Brick Theatre's Too Soon Festival.

Monday Meet and Greet with Darren Mallett

2010-05-24T00:26:00.006-04:00

He's talented, he's smart, he's handsome, and today he's getting grilled PFTCo style. Meet Darren Mallett, associate director of the upcoming RIP JD: A Celebration of Death. Recent Plastic Flamingo credits include assistant directing Buddha Nosh and playing Gerold in "Reviewed".

Where are you right now, specifically?
Sitting on my bed.

What are you wearing?
Black and blue flannel pajama pants and my middle school P.E. t shirt

What do you wish you were wearing?
My gym clothes!! I should've of been there HOURS ago.

Alright Darren, if you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
At a morgue because there is no life without theatre! Seriously...probably entertainment journalism.

Are you comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
Are my parents reading this?

When is the last time someone clapped for you?
Any time I enter a room there's spontaneous applause.

When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
Booing at me? Don't be silly.

Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member and why?
I'll never tell. (insert evil laugh here)

I would have been a star if I were born...handicapped.

What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
1984 by George Orwell, never finished it in high school. Big brother... that ish is SCARY.

If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
Put me in the world of Noises Off my favorite farce!

Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
Erin Austin, no one understands me more.

What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
Finger Paint promotional video. Diane and Whitney covering me in paint as I lay on a twister board in my underwear. Good times.

Indeed, sir.

RIP JD: A Celebration of Death

2010-05-21T12:49:00.003-04:00

THE BRICK THEATER, INC.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH

THE PLASTIC FLAMINGO THEATRE CO.
PRESENTS
RIP JD: A CELEBRATION OF DEATH

AS PART OF THE TOO SOON FESTIVAL

JUNE 4-27 @ THE BRICK

Sat. 6/5 at 3 pm

Sun. 6/6 at 7 pm

Sat. 6/12 at 4:30 pm

Sat. 6/19 at 10 pm

Fri. 6/25 at 9 pm

RIP JD: A Celebration of Death is a timely exploration of cult figure and author JD Salinger. This fast paced ensemble driven comedy probes the mystery associated with the man and his art. Through homage, meditation, and mockery, this provocative collage asks who really owns art - its creator or its audience?

Featuring: Erin Austin*, John Bixler*, Lauren Connolly, Alex Kaplan, Katie McClellan, Ariana Shore, Jonathan White.*Appearing Courtesy of the Actor’s Equity Association

RIP JD: A Celebration of Death will run 6/5 at 3pm, 6/6 at 7pm, 6/12 at 4:30pm, 6/19 at 10pm, and 6/25 at 9pm as part of the Too Soon Festival at The Brick (575 Metropolitan Avenue between Union Avenue and Lorimer Street, Brooklyn). Tickets ($18) may be purchased online at www.bricktheater.com or by calling 1-866-811-4111.

Erin Austin (Playwright) Erin Austin is an actor/singer/playwright living in New York City. She is an Equity actor who has performed throughout the country. Erin was last seen in Plastic Flamingo’s Finger Paint at FringeNYC (a Backstage.com Critic’s Pick at FringeNYC 2009). Her playwriting credits include Buddha Nosh, Finger Paint*, Hindsight*, MayDay*, and Apocalyptic Revelations* (*co-written with Ross Evans). She is a proud co-founder of Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company. A Tampa native, Erin earned her B.F.A. in musical theatre from the University of Miami.

Ross Evans (Playwright/ Director) Ross was the co-writer/director of Plastic Flamingo’s FringeNYC hit, Finger Paint. As a director, Ross has worked on White Christmas (Broadway), Jane Eyre at the Guthrie Theater, NYC: An Egg a Day(Red Room) Reconstructing Mama (Theater Row), Glimpses of the Moon (Oak Room), and at the MUNY Theatre on several projects including, The Producers, 90 Years of MUNY Magic, and My One and Only. Other directing credits include Baby Makes Seven, The Tempest, Keep It Short and Light Years. As a writer, original productions includeHindsight, Finger Paint, Keep It Short, Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses and MayDay (All co-written with Erin Austin). He also wrote additional material on the award winning The Penguin Tango. Mr. Evans is a co-founder of the Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company.

Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company was founded in 2007 by Erin Austin, Ross Evans, and Diane Zelenka. Past NYC Productions have included FingerPaint (FringeNYC 2009, Backstage Critic’s Pick), May Day, and Keep it Short. Plastic Flamingo remains committed to nurturing new works created and performed by and for the newest generation of theatre artists. www.plasticflamingo.org.

Recent Praise for Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company:

“This play is messy, carnal, funny, and emotionally complicated. The writing (a joint effort by Erin Austin, and the director, Ross Evans) is daring in its creativity” Heather Rodgers, nytheater.com

“A marvelous work of theatrical brio… (The play uses) humor and a surprising depth of feeling… a pleasure to watch thanks to Ross Evans' tight direction…Shore really excels…acting as a sparkplug for every moment she's on stage.” Tom Penketh, Backstage

“...the valiant leading man played with poise and subtlety by John Bixler.” Broadway.com

The Brick was founded in 2002 by Robert Honeywell and Michael Gardner. Formerly an auto-body shop, a yoga center, and various storage spaces, this brick-walled garage in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was completely refurbished as a state-of-the-art performance space. Since then, The Brick has launched, produced, and presented hundreds of world-premiere stage works from New York emerging artists and theater-makers from around the globe. The theater company is a proud member of New York’s burgeoning Indie Theater community and informal home to an ever-expanding family of artists and avid theatergoers. It is also the winner of the New York Innovative Theater Awards Caffé Cino Fellowship Award 2009.
www.bricktheater.com

An Egg A Day Photos

2010-05-18T13:30:00.011-04:00

Production photos from "An Egg A day" part of the sold out run of Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses.

Written/Directed By Ross Evans
Asst. Directed by Holly Williams
Featuring: Alex Kaplan, Lauren Connolly

Lighting: Bekah Hernandez
Composer: Lizzie Hagstedt
Producer: Robby Sandler

Photography by Niki Budnick

BUDDHA NOSH photos

2010-05-15T14:30:00.002-04:00

Production photos from "Buddha Nosh" part of the sold out run of Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses.

Written/Directed By Erin Austin
Asst. Directed by Darren Mallett
Featuring: Katie McClellan, Diane Zelenka, Joshua Robinson, Jonathan White, and Michael Gurrieri

Photography by Niki Budnick

Monday Meet and Greet - Ross Evans

2010-05-10T17:47:00.003-04:00

Today on the PFTC chopping block, we've got company co-founder Ross Evans. Ross directed and co-wrote Plastic Flamingo's FringeNYC hit, Finger Paint, as well PFTC's most recent production Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses (The Egg portion). Next up, Ross will be directing RIP JD: A Celebration of Death (co-written with his partner in crime, Erin Austin) at the Brick Theater as part of the 2010 Too Soon Festival

Where are you right now, specifically?
Brooklyn, my apartment, sitting on my purple velvet couch.

What are you wearing?
My jeans, a P Flam t-shirt, and the jacket (those who know me are painfully aware which jacket. Think 80's ski instructor.)

What do you wish you were wearing?
One of Ariana's muumuu's sounded pretty sweet.

When is the last time someone clapped for you?
Yesterday.

When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
Today.

Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member and why?
Ross.

What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
Philip Roth's The Plot Against America. I once lost my bag at a bar, and Erin had to pick it up for me. The bartender asked what was inside, she guessed "some papers and a couple really nerdy books." The bag was returned with no more questions.

If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
Trophy Husband

So then you're comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
How do you think I've made it this far?

If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
Paula Vogel's Hot N' Throbbing

Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
Sarah Ruhl - I say that for no particular reason, besides the fact that I"m obsessed with her stuff.

What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
Three way tie -

1. The rehearsal of Apocalyptic where we were drenched from the monsoon outside.
2. The first "paint rehearsal" of FInger Paint
3. The Finger Paint rehearsal where Nick, Ariana, and I had sex in unison with chairs.

Cast Party Photos

2010-05-10T15:53:00.003-04:00

Congrats to everyone involved in Eggs and Edamame. What a success!

Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses

2010-04-28T13:30:00.004-04:00

Join us for the latest Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company Production.

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR
EGGS AND EDAMAME: THEATRE IN TWO COURSES*
Our latest evening of theatre, featuring "An Egg A Day" and "Buddha Nosh", is now on sale!

EGGS AND EDAMAME: THEATRE IN TWO COURSES.....

An Egg a Day
written by Ross Evans

In a world where chickens are invisible, eggs fall from the sky, and strangers kiss on the street, Emily and Robert are trying to comprehend their budding romance. In this absurdest boy meets girl tale, we follow the couple as they navigate through their first, and possibly only, month together. An Egg a Day examines the elusiveness of memory, the challenges of connection, and how the unexpected events in our lives shape who we become.
featuring ... Alex Kaplan & Lauren Connolly
directed by ... Ross Evans
assistant directed by... Holly Williams

Buddha Nosh
written by Erin Austin

It’s ten minutes until closing at the trendy Pan Asian restaurant, Buddha Nosh. Jean wants a table, a birthday drink, and something slightly spiritual. Her singular experience doubles, however, when she meets Tim, a fellow solo diner. Then, it triples, when she starts hearing a strange, possibly all-knowing, disembodied voice. Instead of just getting tofu, Jean’s served a huge helping of gong banging, romance, and fist fights. Where in this city can a girl seek refuge these days? Buddha Nosh is a comedy about spiritual, social, and emotional independence; and of course, the loneliness, eccentricities, and beautiful possibilities that accompany that freedom.
featuring ... Katie McClellan, Michael Gurrieri, Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Cody White, & Diane Zelenka
directed by ... Erin Austin
assistant directed by ... Darren Mallett

Show dates:
Thursday, May 6th @ 8:00 p.m.
Friday, May 7th @ 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 8th @ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 9th @ 2:00 p.m.

Show location:
The Red Room
85 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003

*An Equity approved showcase

THESE TICKETS WILL BE SELLING OUT FAST, SO BUY ONLINE TODAY BY CLICKING HERE!

https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/728955

visit us at plasticflamingo.org

Monday Meet and Greet with Sara

2010-04-26T16:35:00.003-04:00

Today we are interviewing Sara Andreas. Sara is currently touring the country in the national tour of Legally Blonde The Musical. You've seen her choreography and her acting chops in many a Plastic Flamingo production. She's stupid talented, funny as heck, and we miss having her in NYC!

Where are you right now, specifically?
Milwaukee WI....unfortunately

What are you wearing?
Black spandex pants and a black sweater...travel day attire

What do you wish you were wearing?
PJ's but clearly I am procrastinating on my computer and have not yet changed or showered.

When is the last time someone clapped for you?
Yesterday

When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
I should be boo-ed daily

Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member and why?
Do I even need to say it?

Okay Sara, we know you are a reader. What are you reading right now (and don't lie)? Just started Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and am already hooked!

If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
Prostitute...oh wait I am an actress, same thing....then it would have to be a constitutional lawyer.

So then you're comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
As long as he's cute...and straight....and not a Jew...I am going to be a swing the rest of my life...(it's ok I am Jewish I can say things like that.)

If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
ANY McDonagh play Duh!

Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
...Whoever wrote Up In The Air...

What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
Our first show Apocalyptic Revelations!

Reviewed Photos

2010-04-25T15:12:00.010-04:00

"Reviewed" By Erin Austin
Directed by Ross Evans

Ferrel and Zooey Photos

2010-04-22T12:38:00.005-04:00

Happy Thursday! The sun is shining, there is a breeze in the air, but I refuse to go out and sit in McCarren Park until I share these fantastic pictures from the Short Play Lab festival over the weekend with you.

We are posting photos from "Reviewed" next. Keep checking in with the blog to see them later this week.

"Ferrel and Zooey" By Ross Evans
Directed By Erin Austin
Ferrel: Tim McCann
Zooey: Holly Williams

Photography By Niki Budnick

Eggs and Edamame Tickets

2010-04-20T15:12:00.001-04:00

TICKETS ON SALE!!!

Expect Humor, Heart, and occasional Audacity

An exciting announcement for PFlam's PFans, PFriends, and PFamily!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR
EGGS AND EDAMAME: THEATRE IN TWO COURSES*
Our latest evening of theatre, featuring Ross Evans' An Egg A Day and Erin Austin's Buddha Nosh, is now on sale!

Buy Tickets to "Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses" by clicking here!

Show dates:
Thursday, May 6th @ 8:00 p.m.
Friday, May 7th @ 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 8th @ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 9th @ 2:00 p.m.

Show location:
The Red Room
85 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003

*An Equity approved showcase

THESE TICKETS WILL BE SELLING OUT FAST, SO BUY ONLINE TODAY.

A FLAMINGO PARTY!
Join us at the Black Sheep Bar and Restaurant on Saturday May 1 from 8 - 11, for a red carpet event where you can learn about the company and its newest production, Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses, while also enjoying drink specials and live music! No cover! For more information check out Our Facebook Event.

COMING UP...
You think May looks exciting? Wait 'til you hear about June! (Which rhymes with "Too Soon")

STILL BRAND SPANKING NEW BLOG
How to keep track of all this exciting theatre? Check out our new blog. http://plasticflamingotheatre.blogspot.com/ Expect interviews with company members, excerpts from our artist's work, and fun musing on many topics. Interested in contributing? Send your poems, your editorials, your rantings, etc to plasticflamingotheatre@gmail.com.

HAPPY TUESDAY FROM PLASTIC FLAMINGO!

Monday Meet and Greet with Ariana

2010-04-19T08:47:00.003-04:00

This week we ask Ariana Shore some personal questions. She finds a way to make them ridiculously personal.

Ariana was last seen in The Short Play Lab Festival yesterday as Mira in Plastic Flamingo’s production of “Reviewed”.

Ariana, where are you?
I'm sitting on my couch, in my apartment, laptop in lap.

What are you wearing?
I'm wearing a turquoise muumuu right now. It goes past my knees. Sexy.

Yeah… So then what do you WISH you were wearing?
I wish I were wearing my green muumuu. It has a bear on it, holding
A pot, a plant, and a shovel and it says “HARRY POTTER”. Get it? I
Love it. The cotton is so soft.

When was the last time someone clapped for you?
The last time someone clapped for me was last night, in my bedroom.

ha, no. I really don't remember.

When was the last time someone booed you?
The last time someone booed me I definitely remember. I left a party early because I was tired and hungry and that combination turns me into a gremlin-- When I explained this to the party people they booed me. NO, I didn't deserve that! I would have literally turned into a gremlin in front of their eyes. Inappropriate at a midtown bar. Now at a bar in the East Village....

Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo member?
WHAT? My least favorite member? You gotta be kidding me. I'm a
classy lady in a muumuu. I can't gossip like this ok fine twist my
arm. Well, I guess I will say Ross because if I said anyone else
they would take it personally and I think Ross is the ONE person who could care less if I like him or not. Don't get me wrong, that's an awesome quality... I wanna be like Ross.

Careful, he’s now going to make that into a t-shirt or something. Finish this sentence:
I would have been a star if I were born _________ Black.

What are you reading these days?
I'm reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I'm sick of
the ridicule I get for not reading past the fourth book. Bullies.

What would you be doing with your life if you weren’t an actor?
If I weren’t working in the theater I would be a dermatologist. I
think picking pimples is my real talent.

Interested in sleeping your way to the top?
No, I'm not going to sleep my way to the top. Not that anyone has
offered me the opportunity.

If you could live in the world of ANY play, what would it be?
It would probably be in any Nicky Silver play. Just to interact with any of those characters would be hysterical. Except in Pterodactyls... I don't wanna live in that play. NOOOOOO.

Based on your day today, who should adapt it into a play?
Based on the day I'm having, the MOST talented person in the world. You would need all the talent in the world to make a girl sitting on the couch, in her muumuu, watching 'The View' something worth watching.

Okay, give us a warm and fuzzy Plastic Flamingo memory.
My favorite Plastic Flamingo memory would be the rehearsal for Finger Paint where Nick was under a sheet, pretending to go down on me, yet I looked down and found him by my belly button. We then spent the next 20 minutes explaining to Nick where my "lady" was and how to pleasure a woman. He was horrified. I loved every second of it.

So did we.

Don't Fret. We've booked your weekend.

2010-04-15T14:10:00.002-04:00

What To Do This Weekend…

Close your eyes and follow along. Actually, keep them open and read along.

It’s Saturday night at 8:30. You’ve finished up your shift at work and you are ready to go out and hit the town. Apron folded up, cash tips in hand; ready to knock back a drink or two. But wait a second… who goes out before 11:00 pm these days? You have some time to kill. Why don’t you come check out some Plastic Flamingo Theatre?

We have two ten minute plays in the Short Play Lab Festival at the Where Eagles Dare Theatre on West 36th Street. You can come check out Ross Evan’s play “Ferrell and Zooey” Directed by Erin Austin featuring Holly Williams and Tim McCann. Tim does a hot dog roll and Holly wears plaid. It’s nuts.

Scenario number two. It’s Sunday afternoon at 1:30. You’ve just left church… Okay…you just rolled out of bed and you’re thinking, “I slept my day away, the least I can do is go get some culture.” Head on down to Where Eagles Dare Theatre for the second and final day of The Short Play Lab Festival. Also featured in this concoction of theatre is Erin Austin’s play “Reviewed”. It is directed by Ross Evans and stars Jonathan White, Ariana Shore, Darren Mallett, and Kelley Swindall. While we cannot offer you a piece of the Funfetti cake featured in the play, we CAN guarantee Jonathan White sporting a party hat.

To sum it up, you can see two Plastic Flamingo shows along with other emerging playwright’s work on Saturday the 17th at 9 pm and Sunday the 18th at 2 pm.

Information on the Festival is at this link. See ya this weekend, Flamingos!

http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?EID=&showCode=SHO91&GUID=cb284b39-6ce3-4900-b7c8-3e3a1f76940c

Monday Meet and Greet

2010-04-12T11:52:00.007-04:00

Today we are grilling company member Anthony Comis. (The guy in the picture above who's petting a pumpkin.)He is a Philly born actor now living in Hell's Kitchen...when he's not in a van. Right now, Anthony is on the road, entertaining thousands with his slave master routine in Theatrework's Freedom Train. Plastic Flamingo fans will remember Anthony as the tongue tied tangoing Jacob in last summer's Finger Paint.

Where are you right now?
Sitting at my Dad's house in Philadelphia reading the paper and
drinking a cup of coffee.

Let's keep this professional. what What are you wearing?
A long sleeved "OPENING DAY DEFENDING WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!!"
Phillies t-shirt. A pair of Nike sweatpants. Calvin Klein underwear. A
pair of non matching socks, one clean, one dirty.

What do you wish you were wearing?
A nice pair of dark jeans. A crisp dark green button down (it
brings out the color of my poo brown eyes...) and a nice tailored
sports coat, probably a nice earthy gray. Cole Haan shoes.

Okay that's specific. When is the last time someone clapped for you?
Yesterday. But it was hundreds of 10 year old's so I doesn't count.
They clap for the dust falling from the lights.

And when, Anthony, was the last time you were booed?
Yesterday. If you whip slaves you deserve to get boo-ed.

Just between us, who is your very least favorite Plastic Flamingo member?
Alex Kaplan. I don't know him that well, but there is just
something about him that...I don't know...creeps me out.

Finish this sentence.
I would have been a star if I were born... TALLER.

Okay. True. So what are you reading these days?
Catcher in the Rye.

Suck up. What would you be doing if you weren't working in theatre?
Playing Shubert's Sonata in B flat Major at Carnegie Hall.

So are you interested in sleeping your way to the top?
Not a chance.

Okay, we will have to pimp out other company members then. If you could live in the world of any play, what would it be?
Depressing, but True West.

Really? That's strange. Based on the day you are having, which playwright should adapt it into a show?
Sam Beckett. Nothing has happened nor is going to happen. Wait!
I'm going to the dentist at 3pm.

Okay that's depressing. Can you give us a warm and fuzzy Plastic Flamingo Memory?
The all day Saturday extravaganza that occurred after the 1pm
Finger Paint show at the Fringe. Anyone that stopped by Spring Lounge
knows what I'm talking about.

Warm and fuzzy. Literally.

April Updates

2010-04-10T17:26:00.000-04:00

Your favorite flamingos are staying busy and we've got some awesome updates for you.

10 MINUTE PLAYS

If you're in New York City check out The Short Play Lab Festival at Where Eagles Dare Theatre on April 17 and 18. Ross Evan's play "Franny and Zooey" and Erin Austin's play "Reviewed" will be featured in the production. The plays will be directed, performed, and produced by Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company.

EGGS AND EDAMAME
We begin rehearsals this month for Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses. Set your calendars for the weekend of May 6th. More details to follow.

THE SUBJECT WAS FLAMINGOS
Don't forget to check out Lauren Hirsch's new gig as assistant stage manager for The Subject was Roses at the Pearl Theater. For a full calender and ticketing information please check out http://www.pearltheatre.org/current/subjectroses.php

BIG SUMMER PLANS
Also, expect more fun Flamingo festival activity in June. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know more...

BRAND SPANKING NEW BLOG
How to keep track of all this exciting theatre? Check out our new blog. http://plasticflamingotheatre.blogspot.com/ Expect interviews with company members, excerpts from our artist's work, and fun musing on many topics. Interested in contributing? Send your poems, your editorials, your rantings, etc to plasticflamingotheatre@gmail.com.

Monday Meet and Greet

2010-04-05T15:06:00.003-04:00

You’ve seen their work in Plastic Flamingo Productions. Now it’s time to meet the artists who make it all possible. Plastic Flamingo Blogspot proudly presents Monday Meet and Greet, where we get the chance to know our company members a little better through a series of hard-hitting questions.

Mr. Robby Sandler is a Producer/Lyricist/ Playwright from Miami, Florida. He now resides in New York City. Look for his work with Plastic Flamingo this May. He’s producing Eggs and Edamame: Theatre in Two Courses.

Where are you right now, specifically?
Sitting at a desk at Rubie's costume company, eating lunch from a box.

What are you wearing?
A green sweater, jeans and Steve Madden knockoff shoes.

What do you wish you were wearing?
A sarong. Pants are a terrible idea.

When is the last time someone clapped for you?
Debuting a new song at Big Night Out a couple months ago.

When is the last time someone boo-ed you or should have?
When I did a production of A New Brain and couldn't throw paper balls behind me while walking in a circle.

Who is your least favorite Plastic Flamingo Company Member and why?
Diane Zelenka because she can't plate crackers worth a damn.

I would have been a star if I were born THINNER.

What are you reading right now (and don't lie)?
Margaret Atwood's Year of the Flood.

If you weren't working in the theatre, what would you be doing?
I'd be a confectioner.

Are you comfortable sleeping your way to the top?
Yes, but nobody else is comfortable with it.

If you could live in the world of any play what would it be?
How to Succeed...

Based on the day your having, who should adapt it into a show?
BECKETT.

What is your favorite Plastic Flamingo fuzzy memory?
Being asked to become a Flamingo.

RIP JD Reading

2010-04-02T14:27:00.003-04:00

A couple of shots from the premiere reading of RIP JD: A Celebration of Death on 3/29/10.

A little poetry/ monologue

2010-04-02T13:35:00.004-04:00

Hey Guys,

Very excited to have this new forum to share some of the inner workings of Plastic Flamingo with all of you.

Today, I thought I'd share a little poetry/ monologue from my newest show (very much still in it's infant stages), Team Awesome.

JOSHUA
Silence that’s thick enough to drown in, but only when you’re all the way submerged. Now, you’re half way where you’re floating, right across your nose, the water lines diverged. The bubble you’ve created by blowing on the wind, think enough to pop it but you can’t hardly breath it in. You’re eyes are on land, but your soul is foreboding. The world built around you is slowly eroding. So you let yourself go, deep down under the blue, just lubricate your mind, it’s a simple thing to do. Like you’ve suddenly stopped something, like you suddenly halt time. Cause when you return it may not be there, maybe silence wins this time. Silent drowning is the answer, keeps the clouds from turning grey. The only time you’re certain what’s inside you’s there to stay. You’re eyes are on land, but your soul is foreboding, The world built around you is slowly eroding. And, yes, you hear your breathing as your body holds it breath. Knowing you’re not dying, yet close enough to death. Everything is muted, yet the voices they stay clear, and all you have to do is block out everything you hear. You’re eyes are on land, but your soul is foreboding. The world built around you is slowly eroding. But right at the bottom, the damn thing it changes, bargain to stay? Doesn’t want your exchanges. So, back to the surface you slowly begin and all that’s gone now is your nuanced filled grin. But you’re still going to fight, keep your outlook austere. Still, hoping everything you left behind did a “poof” disappear. You’re eyes are on land, but your soul is foreboding. The world built around you is slowly eroding. Damn. You see it come to focus, as you’re hoarding new found air. The world, it just kept spinning, outmaneuvered your solitaire. You’re eyes are on land, but it all becomes clear, everything you left behind is still waiting right here. Man, I hate it under water with the silence and the fear, cause when the journeys over it drops your ass right back here.

Also, had the opportunity to check out The Amoralist's Happy in the Poorhouse last night, (Plastic Flamingo's Kelley Swindall served as a PA on the production.) Definitely a show worth checking out before it closes in late April.

- P Flam out.

The Good Ear Review Posting

2010-04-01T14:53:00.003-04:00

Check out Erin's monologue on The Good Ear Review today.

http://thegoodearreview.com/

We're Now A Blog

2010-04-01T14:41:00.002-04:00

Hey Fellow Flamingos, Friends, and Family,

Thanks for following our brand spanking new blog. We have lots of fun and intriguing posts to come. We plan on featuring new work by Plastic Flamingo artists, a meet and greet featuring sordid details about your favorite company members, and various musings and chatter.

If you have a poem, a monologue, a favorite cookie recipe you'd like to see on the Plastic Flamingo Blog, send it our way, you bantering Bards. Email us at plasticflamingotheatre@gmail.com with your submission.

Happy April to all. Keep checking in to see what we're up to.

-The Plastic Flamingo Theatre Company