Thursday, November 19, 2009

Accepting Submissions for 2010 Ensemble



Open Call for Rising Sun Performance Company
Accepting Submissions for 2010 Ensemble

Seeking: Non-Equity Actors/Actresses, Playwrights, Directors, Designers, Interns, Technicians, Stage Managers & Teaching Artists
Multi-Faceted, Double & Triple Threats and Unique Talents a Plus
Minorities are highly encouraged to apply/audition

Auditions dates TBA

2010 Theatrical Season will include: NYC stage Premiere of the Major motion Film “Last Supper” (Long term development), Play Reading Series & 4th Annual One Act Series; As well as education & ensemble development opportunities.

Ensemble Company: Committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwrights, Rising Sun Performance Company's mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships, and contributing new works and revitalized pre-existing work to the national canon. Rising Sun Performance Company realizes this goal by providing a safe artistic home which stimulates risk-taking without limits of genre or agenda. Based in the Lower East Side of NYC, RSP is run by artists for artists to allow them to create their own opportunities instead of their opportunities creating them.

Ensemble members are expected to carry a part of the responsibility of the financial, artistic and production quality and be committed to the success of the entire season. The commitment level is to the company and not individual productions or performances.

The Ensemble is NO PAY, profit sharing is possible based on the success of the season and individual shows.

Prepare: 4 minutes of material: can include: 2 contrasting monologues, 1 minute each. 16 bars accapella and/or prepared movement/dance pieces are also welcome but not required. Original material encouraged

Send Headshots & Resumes by January 10th
To receive more information & request an appointment email: submissions@risingsunnyc.com & rspcasting@gmail.com

Friday, October 9, 2009

Free Theatre Class Day!



Sunday October 18th
10am to 4PM


Rising Sun Performance Company Presents the launch of its

2010 Theatre Educational Department!


To help introduce our program to the theatrical community we are offering a FREE day of classes to the public!


"Without the support of Rising Sun, I would never have been able to make it as an artist in New York City."


"The family-like atmosphere allowed me to grow significantly as an actor"


"...there are no other people I know that are as passionate, caring and committed to everything they do."


WOW, thats just some of what former students, guest artists & ensemble members have to say about their learning experiences with Rising Sun!


We believe strongly in nurturing theatre artists at every level, and to kick off our 2010 educational programming Rising Sun is offering a day of free sample classes!


Come take a free class with Local & Nationally renowned Theatre Artists that come from varied backgrounds such as Blue Man Group, The Actors Studio, NYU, Clowns without Borders, and many other impressive credits! (Teacher bios are at bottom of email)


Space is limited! REGISTER TODAY!

All Classes are Free & Open to all skill levels!!

Beginners, mid-career and professional students are welcome!


Email us at submissions@risingsunnyc.com &

Please be sure to include the following information:

Full Name,

Phone number,

Email and

which classes you want to attend!




More feedback from former students & ensemble!


" It was great to have the opportunity to be challenged and grow as an artist, to find a home and people that are as passionate as you are. It is a great place to work, grow, expand, learn, and challenge yourself in a safe and supportive environment"


"I loved the people I worked with they were all just stellar people: kind, considerate, passionate about what they did, talented, and supportive. New York was hard at times but "Rising Sun" was easy. In a place that sometimes was so cold artistically "Rising Sun" was warm"


"I could not ask for better exposure as a beginning actor!"


Attendees are welcome to participate all day, in a single class or multiple classes.


Teachers & Workshops & Schedule subject to change


10AM- Sign in, welcome & Registration

10:30AM First Class- Physical Theatre with Peter Musante- class description coming soon

11:30AM Second Class- Playing the Villain with Kitt Lavoie

On Playing the Villain: A discussion and series of script analysis and acting exercises focused on the traps inherent in playing the antagonist in a play, how to avoid those traps, and the critical ways in which refusing to play “the bad guy” makes a character all the more dangerous. An introduction to an approach for creating an expansive world and history for a character – and the ways to make that history work to create a textured, nuanced, personal, and deeply accessible performance.


12:30PM Third Class- Monologue Coaching and Cold Readings:

How to get your foot in the door- With Jason Tyne-Zimmerman

Monologue Coaching and Cold Readings: There's more to auditioning than just showing off your talent. Talent aside, you also need to make people want to work with you. By considering the gestalt of the audition situation, you can showcase yourself more effectively and show off your talents more clearly.Please bring your standard audition material. A prepared monologue is recommended to attend this class

1:30PM Fourth Class- Viewpoints and Composition: How to listen to and follow your impulses. with Jason Tyne-Zimmerman

Viewpoints is a vocabulary for thinking about and acting, movement, and gesture. It is not a "technique" in and of itself, but will allow you to identify internal impulses and external catalysts to enhance and support any acting technique that you already know.

Please dress comfortably and be prepared to move.

2:30PM Fifth Class- Lucid Body with Christine Maddox: Class description coming soon

3:30PM Class Enrollment & Q& A

4PM End of Day


Teacher Bios


Peter Musante is a Brooklyn-based actor/musician currently performing Off-Broadway in Blue Man Group. As a Blue Man, he's worked in Chicago, Boston, Orlando, Bogota, Colombia and can be seen in ad campaigns all over Vegas and Brazil. Out of blue, he has taught improv to kids, improvised in drag at Universal Studios Hollywood, crooned cowboy tunes in Tokyo, worked as a standardized patient for medical students and, most recently, developed workshops for children with autism. After graduating from UCLA's School of Theater in 2005, he played Huck Finn in Big River at Vista, CA's Moonlight Amphitheater and won the San Diego Theater Critic's Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical.


Kitt Lavoie has directed more than seventy-five shows in New York City, including the original productions of more than thirty plays. He is author of seventeen produced plays and musical books, including Twice Rather Perish and The Median Line (both winners of the Herbert J. Robinson Award for Dramatic Writing). Kitt also works regularly as an associate stage and television director Lonny Price, with whom he has recently worked on the Roundabout Theatre’s Broadway revival of 110 in the Shade (starring Audra McDonald and John Cullum), the American Premiere of Night Season by Rebecca Liefkowitz, the PBS filming of the Tony Award winning John Doyle revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, and the New York Philharmonic production and PBS filming of Camelot (starring Gabriel Byrne), as well as the feature film version of Athol Fugard's play Master Harold... and the boys, starring Freddie Highmore and Ving Rhames, which is currently filming in Cape Town, South Africa. Kitt has also appeared onstage as Macbeth, Benedick (Much Ado...), and Roy Cohn Angels in America, among others, and has designed sets/lights for more than sixty shows. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the Actors Studio Drama School, is a founding member of the Professional Playwrights Workshop at the Players Club and is a Member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC). Kitt is Artistic Director and co-founder of The CRY HAVOC Company. Most recently his work was published by Samuel French and he was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Original Short Script. (www.cryhavoccompany.org). http://www.kittlavoie.com/


Jason Tyne-Zimmerman earned a Masters degree from NYU (New York University) in Educational Theatre and a Masters of Fine Art from NU (Northwestern University). At Rising Sun he has directed "Baby with the Bathwater", "And That's the Way It is (if you think so)", and an invisible theatre project in the style of Augusto Boal. Additionally, he has acted off-Broadway in "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding", "An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein", and "A Change of Seasons". Jason has been working with Rising Sun since 2002.


Teaching philosophy: In teaching the arts, I make it my primary objective to facilitate the creation of the artists' vision, to utilize the artists' mind and body as a tool, and to focus on the creative processes of the artist. With all things, my teaching is always student-centric. I never expect my students to speak with my voice or create the art that I would create, but I do expect my students to be open to new processes to create their own art.


Christina Maddox - Bio coming soon


Akia (Director/Founding Artistic Director) has been is an active member of the flourishing Off-Off/Indie & Off Broadway theatre communities having produced, directed, and performed with numerous NYC companies since 1997. She is the Company Manager for the New York Production of the International Hit “Blue Man Group” at the Astor Place Theatre. She has worked as Associate Producer/ Production Coordinator for The Puerto Rican Traveling theatre, where she co-produced the Playwrights Unit Reading Series and INSIGHT 13 Series, as General Manager for the 1st annual FRIGID Festival and as Volunteer Coordinator for the 2009 FRIGID Festival. Proudly, she is the Founding Artistic Director of the Rising Sun Performance Company, now in its eighth season, and has been involved on all levels with each of its 35+ productions. In addition she is a Board Member of The Paul Butterfield Fund & Society, and Company Manager & Producer for The New York Innovative Theatre Awards, where she serves on their honorary awards committee as Sub-Committee Chairman and as an At-Large Judge.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Goodnight Lovin' Trail at FRINGE!

We had a fantastic time down in Wilmington Delaware. It was a truly bonding experience and we hope to take Goodnight Lovin' Trail out on the FRINGE Circuit next year.


Nic, Olivia, Akia & Matthew
We're missing JPB, Tiffini, Elaine & Lindsay on this trip! :(




Rehearsal, they take it to the streets!
Olivia & Nic



Mid-Rehearsal Nic & Olivia singing the closing song







We transformed a raw store front into a performance space
We used the street and environment as real elements into the show.
It was great!








Nic Mevoli in character outside the venue





Nic, Akia & Olivia

Monday, September 28, 2009

Getting Ready to Hit the Road!!

We had our last rehearsal for Goodnight Lovin' Trail yesterday, it went well.
We hit some rough emotional spots and it was good to spend some time working on them.
We're all getting excited to hit the road on Wednesday!
If you're in the area come check the show out!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Its our Birthday!

So we're having a birthday and you're invited!
Monday September 14th
We're kickin it Old School and going to have a party filled with Games, Drinks, Dancing and fun.
Party Favors, Balloons, Twister, Musical Chairs, Birthday Cake and BEER!

What do you want to do at our Birthday Party? Let us know!

Please write us a Happy Birthday Message in the comments below!
Thanks for keepin us going after all these years!
Cheers
Akia & the Crew..

Monday, August 31, 2009

Off to watch rehearsal

So, I'm excited to dash off to get a sneak peek of all the hard work that Travis and the Dotty crew have been doing. They don't know I'm stopping by, so it will be fun to see them working in the "raw".

Its a big cast, a new show and outdoors, there are so many challenges with this, but its exciting!
We haven't done any children's theatre in 3 years, and its nice to get back to it!

I'll update from my sneak peek later!

Akia
Founding Artistic Director..

Here is the fabulous cast & crew of Dotty Dot!

See Dotty Dot for FREE!
September 19th, 20th, 26th & 27th!


Alexia Tate (Dotty Dot) has lived in NYC for the past 12 years, via Cincinnati, Knoxville, and Ithaca, NY. Favorite roles include Drummond in INHERIT THE WIND, Mrs. Howell in the first national tour of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND THE MUSICAL, Leslie Ann in Paula Vogel's HOT N THROBBING, and Captain Blaze in The NYC Fringe Festival's CRUISING TO CROATIA. After studying at Cincinnati's School for the Creative and Performing Arts in the early 80s, Alexia returned to theater training 23 years later at T. Schrieber Studio in New York. When not performing, Alexia enjoys playing ukulele and solving crossword puzzles.

Nicole Nicastro (Mom Dot) is extremely excited to be a part of the Dotty Dot cast. She just got off the national tour with VeggieTales Live! where she played Bob the Tomato and was a featured dancer!! Some of her favorite regional credits include A Chorus Line (Morales), High School Musical (Gabriella), Lucky Stiff (Rita LaPorta) and 42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer). Nicole will once again be heading off to Abilene, KS to do the comedy Moon Over Buffalo this October! Nicole would like to thank Travis and the Rising Sun Company for letting her join the family!!

Elaine Jones (Musician) is a recent graduate of humanities from San Francisco State University and a seasoned painter and contractor. Elaine is the technical director for the Horse Trade Theatre Group. She is currently making her breakthrough into the NYC musical scene as the musician for Dotty Dot The Musical. Elaine is thrilled to be working alongside such a talented cast and crew an honored to be a part of another Rising Sun production. Special thanks to Mom, my two Dads, Kim and Laura.


Flor Bromley (Mary Ann) recently made her NYC debut with Rising Sun's Production of “Twisted”. In her native Peru, she graduated from La Escuela de Teatro de la Universidad Catolica and appeared in several plays and events as an actress and as a storyteller. She moved to New York to pursue her dream of performing on Broadway, where she recently graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She has recently appeared as Bebe in an Spanish production of “La Noche de los Asesinos” in Stamford, CT. She is proud to be a member of Rising Sun. She dedicates this performance to her parents and Steve.

Nicole Howard (Polka Dot) holds a,B.F.A. in acting and music performance from C.W. Post of Long Island University. She recently performed with Rising Sun in the Twisted one act series. Some of her favorite acting credits include, 365 Days Plays with the Public Theatre, Lucy in A Christmas in Greenwich Village, Mary in Flesh and Blood, and Maggie in Ah! Broadway. Nicole can also be seen in the film BLOG, which was recently shown at the Film Gate International Film Festival. Untitled Hearts, Nicole’s first staged performance of her written work, was recently produced here in NYC. She can be reached at NIKI930@aol.com

Katherine Stults (Jenny) recent theatre credits include: The Doctor and the Devils, Phaedre, King Lear, Trojan Women 2.0, Not Another showcase, Macbeth, and Waiting For Godot. TV/Film credits include The Post Show, Guiding Light, As The World Turns, Tom’s Phone. She is a company member of Rising Sun Performance Company and a co-founder of Rag n’ Bone Theatre Company. She has a BA in Theatre Arts from Drew University and has studied conservatory at the Michael Howard Studios and The British American Drama Academy.



Ryan Bowie (Hamilton) is excited to be working with the Rising Sun Performance Company and the cast of Dotty Dot. He was last seen at the Maples Repertory Theatre as Jack Chesney in Charley’s Aunt and Freddy Eynsford Hill in My Fair Lady. Previous credits include Jonas-The Giver, Ryan Evans- Disney’s High School Musical, Joe Hardy-Damn Yankees, Jack-Into the Woods, Dick-Dames at Sea, Matt-The Fantasticks, Bobby-Crazy for You, Finch-How to Succeed in Business…,and David in Sorry! Wrong Chimney! Ryan has a BA in Vocal Performance and a BA in Theatre-Acting. He leaves New York in October to lead the cast in Jack Frost Saves Christmas and Plaid Tidings.


Dan Vidor (Bottomless Pit) hails from Baltimore, Maryland and received his B.F.A. in acting from UMBC and is an alumni from The Atlantic Theater Summer Intensive. His Baltimore credits include The Bald Soprano, Action, The Ubu Plays, Silence Cunning Exile, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, and Oklahoma amongst others. New York credits include: Bardolatry, Under Milk Wood, and The Merchant of Venice. He is an active member of The Rising Sun Performance Company. Dan can also be seen in the 28th street film: Book of Lore. He is thrilled to be apart of Dotty Dot. Thank you to all of my friends, family, and teachers for your constant support.


Travis Kendrick (Co-writer/Lyricist, Director, Choreographer) graduated from Point Park University’s Conservatory of the Performing Arts with a B.F.A in Musical Theatre, and has worked professionally as an actor and stage manager around the country since. Favorite directing credits include: Richard Greenberg’s Life Under Water and “Gloryday” from Michael John LaChiusa’s See What I Wanna See (PPU), Echos and Louder Than Words (People International Inc.), and “Little Red Cap, a Kabuki Fairy Tale (Experimental Theatre Project). Assistant Directing credits include: Seven Doors (Premiere Theatre and Performance) and Seize The Day (People International Inc.). He is a founding member/committee member of the Experimental Theatre Project, where he has collaborated on many original projects such as Illusions, Generation I, and as the co-writer and director of the original staged reading and workshop performances of Dotty Dot. Travis is a member of Rising Sun Performance Company, and wants to thank Akia for this opportunity, and the rest of the company, his friends and family, and Ryan for all their love and support!



Michael McManus was born and raised in The Bronx, NY. A Rising Sun Performance Company member, who is an actor, writer, lyricist and also an artist working with collage, paint, sculpture, metal work and welding. Michael is excited to be making his stage design debut with Dotty Dot.



Tiffini Minatel (Costume Design) first came to New York City on April 8, 1991 to become a great NYC theater actress! Many roles, jobs and life events later, she has found herself on the other side of theater and loving it! Her first foray into performing was at the tender age of 6 when she and her best friend, Sabrina, performed their version of Wizard Of Oz in the backyard, with Sabrina being Dorothy, and Tiffini being everyone else, including the stage manager and producer! Should have known then! After “retiring” from the restaurant business and enjoying 1-½ years of not working, Tiffini decided it was time to get back to the theater! She started working with Rising Sun as an Administrative intern in September of 2006. She was interested in learning how to transfer her restaurant operations skills to theater, her first love. So far Tiffini has learned how to: manage theaters, hire actors & techies, find inexpensive/free rehearsal space, find & use free publicity, write grants (sort of!) and how to throw a successful fundraiser party! And she’s still not done learning! Her goal is producing a show and learning everything it takes to do so! Thank you for coming to see the show and supporting her on her journey!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

We've entered the Blogosphere!

Welcome to our Blog!
We'll be posting our adventures in Off Off Broadway producing and living here!

Sitting here in the offices of Horse TRADE Theatre Group (home of the Red Room, Kraine, UNDER St Marks Theatres), our home, where we run the spaces on Tuesday nights..

Penny's open mike is running over at St Marks and we're working on installing new speakers in the Kraine, Red Room is the last venue for me to close down.. Then its off to the Bronx!

I sit here in the office where I've spent time, working, playing, drinking, stressing, planning, dreaming for the past 4 years... and its home.. a happy place full of memories...

As we get ready for the New Season ahead (shhh... many surprises in store!) I find it amazing the history in the walls around me, not only my own but of many many other theatre companies, producers, dreamers, workers,..... So many stories, so many lives intertwined without ever knowing it.

Anyway, welcome to our blog, welcome to our musings, our writings, our trial and tribulations..
May you have fun with us on this exciting journey....

Akia
Founding Artistic Director
Rising Sun Performance Company