EMINENE of FringeNYC gets FOUR STARS! 2 Shows Remain

EMINENE

[FOUR STAR REVIEW]

Set in a war-torn no-man's-land of the future, Barton Bishop’s sci-fi play chronicles the tumultuous journey to safety of a nameless young runaway and her mysterious companion. With strong acting and a surprisingly linear plot filled with strange and scary encounters, the show doesn't disappoint. Kudos go especially to Britney Burgess, in the title role, for her effortless transformation from tough-talking refugee to haunted housewife—and to Michael Sharon for his ability to bring the fantastical script down to reality. Is there a universal message that a preapocalyptic audience can glean from Bishop’s story, mired as it is in a world of immortality and intrigue and two-headed monsters? Constant struggle for basic survival is an experience that is happily alien to most Fringe-goers, but perhaps that is the point. “Make sure to feel your comfort,” Eminene's comrade tells her. So go visit a life surrounded by danger—and leave much more appreciative of your closet-size but relatively safe East Village apartment.

—Katelyn Manfre, Time Out New York

ALSO...

NYTheatre.com's Positive Review Here

"Eminene is a very vivid piece and well worth seeing."
"Like the best science fiction, it resonates on deep human themes within a genre that allows for extremes"
"In addition to a strong cast and interesting script, the production is well supported by the very fine set and lighting by Andrew Lu"
"Director Matthew J. Nichols keeps the cast focused and energized."

CLICK HERE FOR TIX TO LAST 2 SHOWS

Get them before they SELL OUT!

Sun. 8/23 @ 7:15pm

Mon. 8/24 @ 5:45pm

The New School for Drama Theater

151 Bank St. (West and Washington St.)

Only 3 More Chances to Catch EMINENE at FringeNYC!

Three Remaining Performances of Barton Bishop's provocative sci-fi drama, EMINENE.

Presented by Zootopia Theatre Co. at The New School for Drama as part of FringeNYC

Thu 8/20 @ 5:45pm Sun 8/23 @ 7:15pm Mon 8/24 @ 5:45 pm

CLICK HERE to purchase $15 Tix!

Show Website

EMINENE Premieres at FringeNYC

Written by Barton Bishop; Directed by Matthew J. Nichols.

Zootopia Theatre Company presents Eminene as part of the 13th New York International Fringe Festival - FringeNYC

She is a runaway girl from a warring tribe. He is a mysterious stranger haunted by a specter from centuries past. Together they must journey across a post-apocalyptic landscape in search of a safe place. Eminene by Barton Bishop is a harrowing tale of science fiction that explores the pursuit of stability in an unstable world, drawing parallels to today’s immigration dilemma and the moral quandary that a secure society faces with the knowledge of horrors beyond its borders. Set in a distant and unforeseeable future, Eminene features armed border patrols, outer-world refugees, forged identities, two-headed mutants, and more.

Featuring Britney Burgess, Ellie Dvorkin, Morgin Felicia, Michael Sharon, and Christopher T. VanDijk

Tix just $15 and on sale now! CLICK HERE

Five Performances Only!

SAT 8/15 @ 9:15pm; SUN 8/16 @ 4:45pm; THU 8/20 @ 5:45pm; SUN 8/23 @ 7:15pm; MON 8/24 @ 5:45pm

The New School for Drama Theater
151 Bank St. (between West and Washington St.)
New York, NY

STILL THE RIVER RUNS Receives 6 New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominations!

Zootopia Theatre Company's production of Still the River Runs was just nominated for 6 New York Innovative Theatre Awards !

We are extremely proud of our nominees:

Still the River Runs - Outstanding Production of a Play
Drew Cutler - Outstanding Original Music
Jaron Farnham - Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Steve French - Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Andrew Lu - Outstanding Lighting Design
Matthew J. Nichols - Outstanding Director

The award recipients will be announced at a ceremony in September.

Check out Zootopia's new show Eminene HERE!

Buy $15 Tickets Online HERE!

Maine! Maine! Maine!

Want to be jealous?

I just came back from a 4 day vacation in Maine. Just me, my lady, her best friend, and her boyfriend (also a good friend, Frenchy). Frenchy's family has a cabin on Damriscotta Lake. We rented a car and drove up, then Brit and I took a bus and a train back to leave the lovebirds alone and get back to our respective day jobs. (Heavy sigh.)

But Maine was beautiful. Here are some word images for ya:

A rustic brown cabin with yellow trim. Inside, there are various nautical decorations, including signs for the bedrooms, labeling them Captain's and Crew's Quarters.

Pontoon boat.

Lake Baths.

Loons.

Yellow Perch. Baby Bass.

Baby birds, newly hatched.

Steamed Lobster on the Firepit. Twice.

Toasted Marshmallows and Smores.

Croquet. Board games. Puzzles.

Screened Porch, looking out onto still waters.

Hammock.

Pipe smoking. Beer drinking.

Tiki torches.

Rock shore climbing to Pemaquid Lighthouse.

Too many stars to count. Galaxies. Shooting star.

Ayuh.

IT Girl

How lucky am I? I'm engaged to a glamour girl.

My fiance and Co-Artistic Director, Britney Burgess, is nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award. She's included in the Featured Actress category for her role as Margaret in Zootopia Theatre Co.'s inaugural production of Professional Skepticism. I'm as proud as punch!

We went to the nominating ceremony a couple weeks ago, and it was a good time. Free beer. Free snacks. And Britney won two tickets to the show Beast at NY Theatre Workshop in a raffle. Good times.

Here's a link to the complete list of nominees.

Wanted: More Time to See Movies

I plan to post on my experience directing and producing Still the River Runs real soon. I thought I would do a rehearsal log, but it just wasn't in the cards. Now it's 11 days since we've closed, and I can begin to look back objectively, I think.

One glorious thing that's happened is I now have time to actually go see movies!

I saw Wanted last weekend. Brit and I chose between it, The Reportedly-Not-S0-Incredible Hulk, and Wall-E (reportedly the best film of the year so far). The only reason we did not see Wall-E was to avoid the kiddies, but since it's been out a few weeks now, and everyone will be going to see The Dark Knight this weekend (can we say Box Office Record?), now might be the time to pounce.

I go to the movies for different reasons now. Before living in New York City, going to the cinema was one of the only things to do to stave off boredom. Now that I live in the bustling metropolis, however, there is so much to see and do that I treasure the moments when I can curl up and watch a DVD with my fiancee more and more. Perhaps it is a sign of getting older. Now I save going to the cinema for blockbuster event films (the kind that are served better big and loud) or those Oscar bait entries that I simply gotta see before the ceremonies!

Wanted is one of those films served best big and loud. It is shamelessly derivative of Fight Club and The Matrix. It is based off a British comic series that seems as if it was created solely with the idea that it would be immediately optioned for the screen. The artists even designed two of the main characters around the likenesses of Eminem and Halle Berry! Ultimately, however, they got James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie. Much better. The movie has a few logic problems and unanswered questions, but I have to say I felt like I got the right amount of bang for my buck. DVD just wouldn't cut it. James McAvoy makes an endearing and charismatic would-be action hero, and Angelina Jolie is God's Eye Candy. Actually, I was most intrigued by Angelina's character of The Fox. The character doesn't say much in the film, and Angelina certainly doesn't need to, but she creates a magnetic sense of mystery about her with a single smoldering glance. I love the action she takes near the end of the movie.

A buddy of mine mentioned being slightly bothered by the violence in Wanted, or at least the apparent lack of mourning for the loss of innocent lives caught in the crossfire, particularly in a harrowing train sequence. I now find that statement ironic, particularly with his penchant for videogames such as GTA, which can be a bit nihilistic at best. Ultimately, his argument doesn't hold water once the origins of the story are taken into account. The movie focuses on The Fraternity, an organization of assassins, a group not noted historically for their respect for human life. In the comics, the group is an organization of super villains, also not noted for their mercy. And there is a point where McAvoy's character questions his new-found occupation as killer. However, it turns out that even killers have to have a code, and it is the crumbling of this code that leads to the final blockbuster, shoot-em-up ending. Fans of the film will be able to enjoy another inevitable permutation soon enough: Wanted, the Videogame.