Coyote REP Theatre Company

The Review (Or How to Eat Your Opposition)

2011-05-18T07:27:00.008-04:00

The Review (Or How to Eat Your Opposition)
By Donnetta Lavinia Grays
Directed by Isaac Byrne
Monday May 23rd 7pm
Ripley-Grier Studios
520 8th Avenue, 16th Floor Studio 16D
(Between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, New York 10018
($5 suggested donation)
RSVP at info@coyoterep.org

PERFORMANCE

I did a show some time ago, one I shall not mention to protect the innocent (myself included), that was somewhat challenging for me character wise. It was a demanding little piece of work, but fun and I found myself growing in the part as time and the rehearsal process went on. I was, you know, processing. We went into previews and I had still not quite gotten a handle on my role fully, but felt confident that once the audience was there I would navigate that delicate dance that performers and audiences do in the theater and it would, in fact, help me fill those gaps in my performance.

After the second preview I was growing in confidence and finding a rhythm. In the meantime I had a deadline to make in order to update my professional acting website and so I searched the internet for past reviews, quotes, images etc, to post. BIG MISTAKE. Because, of course, I came across a blog that actually had a full on review of our show! While we were still in preview performances! The reviewer dragged me through it, illuminating the same holes that I knew I was struggling with, going so far as to suggest alternate casting for the part I was playing. I was furious, felt as though the trust between critic, performer and audience had been severely violated. And I was embarrassed. But, the worst of it was that I let his words get to me. I allowed him to fill that space of joy that I needed to continue my creative process and turn it toxic.

Eventually...I got over it. Did an assessment of the situation and found myself vindicated by having reached the personal goals that I set for myself with that specific production.

And then, after the show closed and the noise died down, I thought to myself...what was that?!? That was an interesting journey. Let's delve into that relationship a little more. Criticism and its effect on the artist. For better or for worse. I began thinking about the Ben Brantley's of the world and their sway over million dollar investments, star making roles, scripts that (after years of development or, on the flip-side, was some one’s get rich quick scheme) have finally made it to the light of day. One good review from the likes of a Brantley or an Isherwood can mean the difference between an extension or the extinction of some one's life work.

But, here's the thing...we in the theater, if we can afford it, are used to taking notes and making changes. We really are. Actors, Directors and Playwrights negotiate feedback every day, it's our job. Do we change the work we create on stage completely based on some review? Not necessarily but...we could. (take the three week hiatus to improve Spiderman for example) I have seen good reviews effect actors to their detriment or elevation just as much a poor reviews. But, theater is this living breathing thing. You will never see the same show twice throughout the run of a production and actors try new subtleties with every performance.

So my question evolved into this: How far could this go? What if criticism made an artist...change. What if your artistic integrity, the precious collection of things you know for sure, is called into question by a critic? What then?

ART

I don't know the first thing about visual art. Ignorant on all counts. So, of course, this is the world I chose for this play. This world seemed like the better place to test a theory on artistic integrity than any other art-form. All a visual artist has is her hands and her inspiration. Whereas an actor (in my world) must be an interpretive conduit of someone else’s art the visual artist says, "this is unfiltered 'me-ness' here on this canvas, on this wall or on this blade of grass. It is what I believe is most important in the world and these are my views on it and this is my mind and how it works." And it's final. Once it's on display it's unchanging until the next piece is revealed. It can be a very naked existence.

So, I took to the internet again to help get some insights into this world that I'd never visited. I came across a paper written by Dr. Claire Bishop (lecturer and author of Installation Art: A Critical History) entitled "The Social Turn: Collaboration and Its Discontents."

In it she argues, "The social turn in contemporary art has prompted an ethical turn in art criticism. This is manifest in a heightened attention to how a given collaboration is undertaken. In other words, artists are increasingly judged by their working process—the degree to which they supply good or bad models of collaboration—and criticized for any hint of potential exploitation that fails to "fully" represent their subjects, as if such a thing were possible. This emphasis on process over product (i.e., means over ends) is justified as oppositional to capitalism's predilection for the contrary."

I found this concept fascinating and wanted to learn more about the evolution of contemporary criticism.

I emailed her. Told her about the idea for the play.

She emailed me back! She didn’t think I was nuts for looking her up. Thank god!

We meet in a Cuban restaurant in Park Slope along with Joe Scanlan, currently the Director and a Professor of Visual Arts in the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, and talked for hours over mojitos about the differences and overlap of criticism in our respective fields. And it was that afternoon when Naomi's the first monologue was written.

SEX

“In the mainstream theater, I guess I'd have to say that there is still a painful dearth of girl-on-girl action. There are lesbians in plays nowadays, but please, can we have some hot lesbians who are sexual and like to make out? Not to objectify dykes completely, but I would vote for a more public displays of sexuality.” - That's a quote from Moe Angelos, one of the founding members of the Five Lesbian Brothers, from an interview in GO Magazine back in Oct. 2009. I was actually interviewed by Kathleen Warnock along with Moe, Carloyn Gage, Sarah Schulman and others for a piece entitled "Dyke Drama: The Enduring Power of Lesbian Theater"

Now, a lot was covered in the article. And I am not saying that The Review (Or How to Eat Your Opposition) has this quote as its foundation, but it definitely has stayed with me throughout the writing process. Because if I unpack what Moe is saying here. She simply wants to see truth in lesbian relationships on stage. As do I. So my central characters help bring to life the ideas of artistic and personal integrity and happen to be gay. These women suffer moral dilemmas and power struggles in the same way that being asked to take out the trash on my way out is a lesbian act in my household. And, yes...there's sex.

About the playwright.

Donnetta Lavinia Grays is an actor and playwright living in NYC. Her plays include the cowboy is dying, The B Factor, The New Normal and Absence of Faith. She is a founding member of Coyote REP and currently serves as its Artistic Director. More at www.donnettagrays.com

They Were Ours by Larry Manogue and William Walter White

2011-05-10T09:35:00.026-04:00

They Were Ours
By Larry Manogue and William Walter White
Based on a book by John Campbell
Directed by Beth Gardiner

Monday, May 16th 7pm
Ripley-Grier Studios
520 8th Ave, 16th Floor Studio D
(between 36th and 37th Street)
New York, NY, 10018
($5 suggested donation)
RSVP at info@coyoterep.org

From Larry Manogue

“THEY WERE OURS” is a play about 43 soldiers from Gloucester County , NewJersey , who died during the Vietnam War. In December 2008, I attended a children’s theater production in Woodbury , N.J. of a Christmas play I wrote many years ago. After the show, the director approached me. Marianne asked, “I have a friend who wrote a book about the soldiers from our county who died in Vietnam . Could you turn it into a play?” I was dumbfounded. This was the first time I had ever met her, and the only writing she’d ever seen of mine was this children’s play from years ago. I mainly write comedies, (at least that’s what I think they are). I’ve never written about something with the heavy subject matter of war and death. How would I even write an adaptation? I told Marianne to send me a copy of the book, and said I’d think about it. In February 2009, she emailed asking if I had read it yet. No…I hadn’t. I was working on another play and the thought of reading a 300+ page book was the furthest thing from my mind. I showed the book to Bill--- he grew up in the county too--- and he was interested in reading it, when flipping through it, he noticed the author grew up in the same town as him. He was moved by the book, and offered to collaborate on the play with me. Still, how would we even go about writing an adaptation? In April 2009, we read the latest course offerings from Primary Stages School of Theater (ESPA). We had already taken several playwrighting classes there, and for their summer session a new course was: Adaptation by Rogelio Martinez. I called Bill and said, “I guess we’re supposed to write this play next.” So we signed up, and started working on the play two years ago.

By October 2009 we completed the first draft, had an informal reading, and were discouraged—it ran over two and a half hours and it was just too much to sit through. Little by little we worked on edits and rewrites. Working on this blog entry, I found the old email from November 2009—when I proposed having a staged reading in the South Jersey theater, where Marianne approached me. In it I wrote:

“The process of writing this play has been a life changing experience. Looking at their pictures in uniform, it appeared as though the photographs could have been taken last week. Reading the stories of these young men and the survivors they left behind were very powerful in their own right, but we couldn’t help but think about the parallels with the situation our country is in now. We both felt a sense of duty to these young men who went to war so many years ago and yet were shipped out yesterday.

We feel we've become very close to the men and women in these stories and were inspired by their courage, compassion and love for each other and country. This is a first for us in many ways. Neither of us had ever attempted an adaptation before, nor had we ever collaborated. We certainly never expected to be writing a play about the Vietnam War. We both have very different styles, and approaches, yet once again the insight of another writer, so close at hand was integral. “

In February 2010, we had a staged reading of this early draft at the Sketch Club Players Theater in Woodbury, NJ directed by Marianne—the woman who put us on this journey. We also finally got to meet John Campbell, the author of the book. We received a positive response from the audience, but we knew there was still more work to be done.

We met Donnetta Lavinia Grays, artistic director of Coyote Rep, while she was working on “The New Normal” in a playwrighting class at ESPA instructed by Cusi Cram. We were trying to put a cast together for an informal reading in NYC and we asked Donnetta to be part of it. She wasn’t able to do it, but she invited us to join the Antreaders Group here at Coyote Rep. “They Were Ours” fit Coyote Rep’s mission statement of plays about ordinary people doing extraordinary things… so we brought this play to Antreaders, and revised it a few more times. It’s been a real challenge trying to write a play telling 43 stories, with 90 characters portrayed by 10 actors, and trying to keep it under two hours.

Working on this play has given me a new appreciation for those who serve our country, and life itself. There are no guarantees in life—so many of these young men died before they reached age 22. I’m blessed that I came of age in a time without war, and I am here to help tell their stories. And they are some great stories. John Campbell took seven years researching the subjects in his book. Many of the people he interviewed shared funny stories and memories…that’s how I’d like to be remembered one day. We know war and death is a tough subject matter. Hopefully we’ve balanced the sadness with light. We hope you’ll also give yourself permission to smile and laugh, as you’re introduced to 43 guys who have become a big part of my life these past two years, stealing a piece of my heart in the process.

From William Walter White

I first became involved with this piece, when Larry told me he was
asked to adapt a book about Vietnam into a play. I have to admit, I laughed. It's not a project I expected him to ever undertake. Not that I didn't think he could do it; I just never thought it would be a subject he would tackle.

When he handed the book over to me, the first thing that struck me was the photographs of each soldier. They were so young...it was as if they were taken last week. These weren't pictures of soldiers from the two World Wars.

Everything looked so much more contemporary and current. The second thing to strike me was finding out the author of the book, John Campbell, grew up in the same small town as I did, Colonial Manor, NJ. I read the first story and that was that. I asked Larry if he would mind a collaborator. So far, this has been a two year journey for Larry and me, intersected with John's own twenty to forty year journey; depending on what years you're counting. It has been both an honor and a privilege to work on this project with Larry. I know it has changed me.

Photos of the soldiers included with the blog are:

Stephano J. Fiducioso… February 11,1947 to November 2,1967

Donald F. McDowell… August 24,1945 to December 26,1967

Augustus J. Ponto, III… September 29,1945 to June 10,1967.

About the Playwrights

Larry Manogue has written “The Jersey Girls” (produced off-Broadway at The Actors’ Playhouse), “For Better or Worse”, “Stuck in Traffic”, “Rowhomes”, “Help Wanted: Santa” and “Tuesday Night Threesomes”. His plays have been read or developed at Primary Stages/ESPA, Theater Row Studios, Coyote Rep, Theatre 603 and the Woodbury Sketch Club Players Theater. He is a graduate of Temple University.

William Walter White's other play’s include “Comrades,” “Supreme Beings,” and “Your Mother's Eyes/ Your Father's Smile.” His plays have been read or developed at Primary Stages/ESPA, Theater Row Studios, Coyote Rep, and the Woodbury Sketch Club Players Theater.

SICK by Greg Ayers

2011-05-05T12:21:00.009-04:00

SICK

By Greg Ayers

Directed by Paul Dobie

Monday May 9th 7pm

Ripley-Grier Studios

520 8th Avenue, 16th Floor Studio 16D

(Between 36th and 37th Streets)

New York, New York 10018

($5 suggested donation)

“You wanna see something really scary?” Does anyone else have that first scene from Twilght Zone: The Movie etched into their brain? My answer is always just excited and enthusiastic as Albert Brooks’ character- “Yes! Yes, I do! Show me, please, now.”

OK, maybe he didn’t answer exactly like that in the movie- he was cooler about it than I usually am. But I can’t help it, scary get me excited. And just like Albert Brook’s character, I’ll usually end up regretting saying yes. You see, although I love to be scared, I also have an overactive imagination. Watching a scary movie or listening to a scary story, although thrilling at the time, will almost always come back to haunt me. I’ll lose a night or two of sleep because I’ll have convinced myself that the only way to keep the nasty things that live in the dark at bay is to keep my eyes open. But still, I say yes. I don’t know what it is- maybe it’s the adrenaline rush or the glimpse into the unknown. Whatever it is, it has a hold on me.

Growing up I never imagined theater could be scary. Going to see community theater productions of Plaza Suite and the Odd Couple kinda gave me the impression that theater was a little (or a lot) hoaky. I still loved it and wanted to be part of it, I just sort of accepted that if I were to succeed, I would need to be hoaky too. Fine. No problem. I can do hoaky.

But all those preconceived notions about the limitations of theater were shattered when I saw my college’s production of Wait Until Dark. In that last scene, in the dimly lit apartment, where Roat is coming at Suzy with a knife while she frantically tries block the light coming from the open refrigerator- chills up my spine.

Of course it helped that the actor playing Roat in this particular production was especially good at bringing the creepiness. He would adlib horrible but wonderfully scary things like “Suzy. Suzy, I’m coming. I’m coming Suzy. Do you see me, cause I see you.” I remember, leaning forward with all my muscles tensed up, captivated by what I was seeing- This aint Neil Simon! My heart was racing. I desperately wanted her to get away from him- but how could she?- he was just inches from her. Then black out. She unplugged the refrigerator! Then a scream cut through the darkness- Suzy’s scream. WHAT HAPPENED?!

That moment has stayed with me for close to 15 years. It inspired me to write SICK.

About the Playwright:

GREG AYERS is a proud member of Coyote REP. His two other plays are Rated M for Mature and John and Greg's High School Reunion (which he co-wrote with John Halbach). As an actor, he's currently appearing in Alky, which will run at the PIT in June/July. Greg is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.

2011 Works-in-Development Series in here!!

2011-04-28T10:42:00.005-04:00

Coyote REP is committed to nurturing the original work of the company's playwrights. The annual Works in Development Series is an intensive, ten-month program which provides a structured series of workshops culminating in a public presentation of readings in May. This year, Coyote REP is excited to present 4 wildly different and unique projects. Talk backs are featured after each reading. For more information please visit us at coyoterep.com Seating is extremely limited. RSVP at info@coyoterep.org. Include your name, name of the play and number of seats requested

The Dogwatcher
By Emily Bohannan

Monday, May 2nd 7pm
Ripley-Grier Studios
520 8th Avenue, 16th Floor Studio 16D
(Between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, New York 10018
($5 suggested donation)
RSVP at info@coyoterep.org

The inmates of a Georgia prison tell their stories to an advocate to try and save the program that brings one hour of humanity to their week - but is their savior using his powers for good, or is he more like his subjects than they know?

SICK
By Greg Ayers
Directed by Paul Dobie
Monday, May 9th 7pm Ripley-Grier Studios 520 8th Avenue, 16th Floor Studio 16D (between 36th and 37th Streets) New York, NY 10018 ($5 suggested donation)
RSVP at info@coyoterep.org
with Chris Bert (the Green), Alex Brightman (Wicked, Spidermusical), Andrea Caban (Questions My Mother Can’t Answer), Jessica Disalvo, Ben Hollandsworth (A Little Journey), Brian Munn (Wicked), Tom Patterson, and Anita Sabherwal (Future Anxiety)

8 am: Get the kids off to school. 10 am: Get baked with you brother.
7 pm: Defend the house from zombies

They Were Ours
By Larry Manogue and William Walter White
Directed by Beth Gardiner
Monday, May 16th 7pm Ripley-Grier Studios 520 8th Avenue, 16th Floor Studio 16D (between 36th and 37th Streets) New York, NY 10018 ($5 suggested donation)
RSVP at info@coyoterep.org

with Rob Bradford, Le-Anne Garland (Genderf*ck), Jason Alan Griffin (Dancing Fools), Jeanne LaSala (Spoiled Bea), Joel Leffert (The Memorandum), Tim McKiernan, Teresa Meza, Tom Patterson, chandra thomas (Forgive to Forget)

Forty-three soldiers from one small county in Southern New Jersey go to war and die for their country. They were deployed over forty years ago, yet shipped out yesterday. One soldier returns and must tell their stories through those they left behind, because … “they were ours”. Forty three stories, eighty characters, ten actors …a theatrical adaptation of the book “They Were Ours: Gloucester County’s Loss in Vietnam”, by John Campbell

The Review (Or How to Eat Your Opposition)
By Donnetta Lavinia Grays
Directed by Isaac Byrne

Monday May 23rd 7pm
Ripley-Grier Studios
520 8th Avenue, 16th Floor Studio 16D
(Between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, New York 10018
($5 suggested donation)
RSVP at info@coyoterep.org
with Jeanne LaSala (Spoiled Bea), Lea Robinson, Lusia Strus (Enron), Elizabeth Whitney (The West Street Gang),

Naomi is an artist whose career is taking off...finally. But at what cost? Enter a young critic (Dana) who challenges Naomi's artistic integrity and by doing so finds herself with a challenge of her own. Art or artifice? Depends on your point of view.

Directions to Ripley-Grier Studios:
Subway 1, 2, or 3 & A, C or E to 34th Stop, at Penn Station. Walk uptown to 520 Eighth Ave. Between 36th and 37th Street. 16th Floor.

Tickets on Sale NOW for THE NEW NORMAL by Donnetta Lavinia Grays

2010-09-14T12:25:00.012-04:00

Coyote REP Theatre Company Presents
The World Premiere of

THE NEW NORMAL
by Donnetta Lavinia Grays
directed by Isaac Byrne
October 13th-23rd, 2010 (Limited Two Week Run)
Starring Nell Mooney*, Michael Mason, Andrea Caban* and Emily Rossell*

Dates and Times:
October 13th-15th 8pm (Previews)
October 16th 8pm (Opening Night)
October 17th 2pm and 8pm
*October 18th 8pm
October 20th-23rd 8pm

Tickets $18
Available online at Brown Paper Tickets (*Special Monday Night Performance)

About the Show:
Meet Anna, a 30 something funny and frank southern warrior living and thriving in Seattle with her rocker husband and 3 year old kid. As a mom, a wife and a survivor she's handled more than her fair share of drama, but nothing could have prepared her for this. The New Normal: Sometimes survivors need a survival guide.

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The New Normal is a groundbreaking original full-length play developed by Coyote REP Theatre Company and written by Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Inspired by the life of 2009 Puget Sound Survivor of the Year Anna Warren Schumacher, it is a hard hitting play that tells the unique story of how a young woman finds humor and grace in the unexpected challenges of survival.

Starring Nell Mooney*, Michael Mason, Andrea Caban* and Emily Rossell*

*Actors Appear Courtesy of Actors Equity Association

THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

Sound SFX system provided by a generous donation from Stage Research

Coyote REP on CBS New York's Komen Special Sept 11th

2010-09-09T08:25:00.005-04:00

Set your TiVo's, Kids!!

We are proud to announce that Coyote REP will be featured in CBS 2 New York's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Special airing Saturday Sept. 11th at 7pm.

Artistic Director and Playwright Donnetta Lavinia Grays sat down with CBS 2 News Reporter Cindy Hsu to talk about Coyote REP's upcoming production of THE NEW NORMAL which premieres October 13th-23rd at Wings Theatre.

Ms. Hsu also spoke to the woman who served as inspiration for the piece, 2009 Puget Sound Susan G. Komen Survivor of the Year Anna Warren Schumaucher, via satellite from Seattle.
Please tune in to meet Anna and hear tell her story in her own words.

The segment traces the friendship between the playwright and her muse and details what moved CR to develop and produce this groundbreaking new work about a young woman's unique story of survival.

Stay tuned this blog and our website for more information about THE NEW NORMAL!!

4th Annual Rising Moon Gala!

2010-08-30T10:00:00.004-04:00

Hello Friends,

Things are in full swing for our 4th Annual Rising Moon Gala and Fundraiser. We have some exceptional auction items and stellar Broadway entertainment lined up and we want you to join the party!!

Join us Wednesday Sept 22nd 7pm at The Players Club for food fun and a fantastic evening to help support our 2011-2012 Season!!

Go to www.coyoterep.org for more information and to get your tickets today!

Fringe Frenzy!! Answers to "Questions"

2010-08-12T15:16:00.008-04:00

Questions My Mother Can't Answer opens Sunday the 15th!!

You got questions about "Questions"? Here are the answers:

Where can I see this amazing show?

Questions My Mother Can't Answer will be presented at New York Theatre Workshop's 4th Street Theatre (located at 83 East 4th Street, between Bowery and 2nd Avenues)

What is the performance schedule for the show?

You only have five chances to see the show:

Sunday, 8/15 @ 10:15 PM
Sunday, 8/22 @ 1:45 PM
Tuesday, 8/24 @ 2:00 PM
Thursday, 8/26 @ 6:45 PM
Friday, 8/27 @ 9:15 PM

How much are tickets?

Only 15 bucks!

How can I buy tickets?

Follow this link (Here) to TICKETWEB. A full calendar and online ticket purchasing are currently available. You may also purchase your tickets at the door.

What is the official website?

www.questionsmymothercantanswer.com ...and it is awesome

Tell me more now!! What's the talk about town?

Broadway World Feature: Here
NYTheatre.com Feature: Here
Behind the Fringe Feature: Here
Join us on Facebook and let us know you'll be comin': Here

What's the history of the piece?

Read more about Andrea's process: Here

I love the show. I've seen it and want to tell the world!!

Great! There are two ways to show your love!

VOTE for "Questions": in the Innovative Theatre Awards categories listed: (HERE)
VOTE for "Questions": as an Fringe Audience Favorite: (HERE)

...Okay kids. You are now fully armed and ready to go. The fine folks at Coyote REP sure do hope to see you there as we usher in our first trip to the Fringe!!

Questions my Mother...Fringe Kick-Off Cocktail Party & Fundraiser

2010-07-22T12:22:00.002-04:00

Mark your calendar! Join Coyote REP, Andrea Caban, Rachel Eckerling & the rest of the creative team of Questions My Mother Can't Answer for a cocktail party and fund-raising event to kick off the upcoming Fringe Festival!

Your $10 admission fee lets you enjoy lots of great food donated by some of New York's landmarks (Patsy's, Levain Bakery, Mcgee's and Crumbs to name a few), receive one raffle ticket for the Questions My Mother... Can't Answer- Donate Your Birth Control Money Raffle (items include a Slingbox, an iTouch, gift certificates to Josie's Restaurant & Giggle Baby Products, personal training at Equinox, private in-home Pilates instruction & of course tickets to the show, to name just a few), sip on McGee's generous drink specials, and buy some more raffle tickets!

RSVP to the event (click here) so we know to expect you. And tell your friends! The more the merrier!!

If you can't make the event but would still like to contribute to the cause, go to www.questionsmymothercantanswer.com and click on 'Donate This Month's Birth Control Money' on the right nav. No contribution is too big or small. Really.

Can't wait to see you there!

The When:
August 2 · 6:00pm - 9:30pm

The Where:
McGee's Pub, 3rd Floor

240 West 55 Street

New York, NY

Questions my Mother Can't Answer: The FringeNYC Dates!

2010-07-13T13:19:00.006-04:00

A FringeNYC Official Selection!

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Questions My Mother Can’t Answer, a moving and funny one woman show written by and starring Andrea Caban, recipient of the 2008 New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, will be part of the 14th annual New York International Fringe Festival – presented at New York Theatre Workshop's 4th Street Theater.

SCHEDULE!

SUN 8/15 @ 10:15pm

SUN 8/22 @ 1:45pm

TUE 8/24 @ 2:00pm

THUR 8/26 @ 6:45pm

FRI 8/27 @ 9:15pm

Andrea’s on a mission: she interviews eight “women-of-a-certain-age” including a sexy Moroccan ballroom dancer, a donations-only prostitute, and her Aunt Shirley, about getting pregnant, staying married and finding a flow. As she embarks on a healing journey after a personal tragic event, Andrea looks for guidance from a variety of female role models, only to find that there are no role models…that we are all flawed and that life isn't about avoiding accidents, or tragedy, but how we deal with it.

Produced by Coyote REP Theatre Company www.coyoterep.org, directed by Rachel Eckerling, co-director of this season’s acclaimed The Diary of a Teenage Girl at 3LD Arts & Technology Center and frequent collaborator of Francis Ford Coppola on both theatre and film projects. The creative team for Questions My Mother Can’t Answer will also include Grammy Award-winning sound designer Marcelo Añez and lighting designer Jason Teague.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

Official Show Site:
www.questionsmymothercantanswer.com

FringeNYC (This get's you right to the show's Fringe link)

or visit us at
www.coyoterep.org

Feelin' Fringey?

2010-06-29T21:52:00.017-04:00

Hey Friends! Here's a note from Andrea Caban about her upcoming FringeNYC show Questions my Mother Can't Answer! Check it out!

~~~

52 days until FringeNYC kicks off and I’m yet again jumping into the role of the lone wolf in the spotlight facing a pack protected by the dark. That notion used to scare me a lot more than it does in this moment. I think the story I’m telling in this piece and the journey of creating this piece for myself has helped me face a lot of fears about life & art. So laughing at myself and bearing my soul in front of a crowd of strangers, family and friends seems more like fun than anything else.

I’m in California now, reading the play for old friends and getting ready to learn it. Yes, I do have to make time to memorize the words I wrote. You’d think it would be a given, but no.

Through May and June, Rachel Eckerling, my lovely director helped me develop the arch of my story as it threads together the stories of the eight women I interviewed. And as soon as I get back to New York, I start rehearsals with Rachel, and the rest of my amazing team, including my Grammy award winning sound designer and my company manager who just happens to be my loving husband. So I’m a lucky woman, I know that.

But for now, I’m here in California re-connecting with old collaborators, classmates from grad school & dear friends, most of whom are women. In QMMCA, I’m searching for answers about how to be a good wife, when to be mother, and how to heal myself after a tragic event. As I snuggle into my old friendships here in Cali and indulge in some of this most-needed quality time that I’m ashamed I didn’t make a priority before now, I’m realizing in a very visceral way that all my friends are struggling with the same things I’m exploring in this piece. I knew that instinctively before coming out here, but now I really know. And I know the specifics. And I think we early thirty-somethings are taking a look at our lives and what we had expected our lives to be by this point, and it’s not always easy to take in the whole truth. Some of us are achieving everything we set out to and still haven’t found happiness, some of us are still looking for that one person to share life with, and some of us are in life or death situations because what we are is not at all what we expected to be.

I’m more inspired than ever to tell my story and be as honest and simple as I can be in hopes that it will push my girlfriends to face their stories and move beyond them. And their girlfriends and their boyfriends, and their mothers and their fathers. I have high hopes.

So I guess I’m really not very alone after all is this ‘solo’ piece. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Meet Mike! Our New Literary Manager

2010-06-24T22:12:00.008-04:00

It's the week for special announcements at Coyote REP!

And here's a great one.

Mike Caban has been named CR's new Literary Manager! He's smart. He's experienced. He ours! Meet the man who will help shape seasons to come at CR.

Welcome aboard, Mike. We are lucky to have you.

Get to know Mike Caban:

Mike Caban is excited about joining Coyote REP as Literary Manager. He first became involved with Coyote REP through his wife Andrea, also a company member, in late 2007 as a volunteer working on their annual Rising Moon Fundraiser. Since then, he has worked with CR as an actor in their successful radio play Deception, and is now honored to take on a more substantial role in the Company.

Mike brings considerable experience in working behind the scenes of a theatre company, as he was co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Jobsite Theater, an acclaimed theater based in Tampa, FL. From their humble beginnings playing at a minuscule art gallery that once was a row home in a bad neighborhood, to their present home in a state-of-the-art black box space at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Mike was there for the first two years and came to appreciate the work involved in rallying a group of like-minded artists -- all of whom were close friends from university --into working as a company and cultivating an audience. As an actor, he knew he wanted to do shows that spoke to him, that were politically and socially relevant. As a co-founder, he was influential in working with the other members by encouraging them to pick interesting, under-celebrated works by
established playwrights, and presenting them with a fresh, innovative perspective.

But by far his favorite part of that group’s repertoire was the Original Works program, which invited new voices -- starting with the founding members of the company -- to create plays and present them in their October-November slot. Now as a writer, director and company board member, Mike learned first-hand the challenges involved in fostering brand new work and sharing it with their nascent, hungry audience.

To Mike, the most alluring aspect of Coyote REP is their ambition and courage to look from within, to encourage the company to create what they present, and to do so with tremendous success. It is his hope that as Literary Manager at Coyote REP, he can continue in that track with this impressive group of artists and help to discover new playwrights -- be it the person across the table from him or even in the mirror -- and to cultivate an audience that will be back again and again, knowing that they will always have a home for fresh work at Coyote REP.

FringeNYC 2010: Questions my Mother Can't Answer by Andrea Caban

2010-06-23T10:35:00.007-04:00

Coyote REP is proud to announce that Andrea Caban's beautiful new solo endeavor Questions my Mother Can't Answer has been named an official selection for the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival! You might remember that Questions was recently presented as part of our Works-in-Development Series and was a huge hit with our audience.

Coyote REP will mount 'Questions' as part of FringeNYC at New York Theater Workshop's 4th Street Theater (79 East 4th Street).

The Fringe Festival dates this year are August 13th-August 29th 2010.

Please stay tuned to our blog and website for details on dates and times.

About The Show: (From the show's official website: www.questionsmymothercantanswer.com)

Questions My Mother Can’t Answer, a moving and funny one woman show written by and starring Andrea Caban, recipient of the 2008 New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, will be part of the 14th annual New York International Fringe Festival starting August 13 through August 29 – presented at New York Theatre Workshop's 4th Street Theater.

Andrea’s on a mission: she interviews eight “women-of-a-certain-age” including a sexy Moroccan ballroom dancer, a donations-only prostitute, and her Aunt Shirley, about getting pregnant, staying married and finding a flow. As she embarks on a healing journey after a personal tragic event, Andrea looks for guidance from a variety of female role models, only to find that there are no role models…that we are all flawed and that life isn't about avoiding accidents, or tragedy, but how we deal with it.

Produced by Coyote REP Theatre Company www.coyoterep.org, directed by Rachel Eckerling, co-director of this season’s acclaimed The Diary of a Teenage Girl at 3LD Arts & Technology Center and frequent collaborator of Francis Ford Coppola on both theatre and film projects. The creative team for Questions My Mother Can’t Answer will also include Grammy Award-winning sound designer Marcelo Añez and lighting designer Jason Teague.

CHASE COMMUNITY GIVING

2010-06-19T08:55:00.001-04:00

Well Kids,

They're doing it again and, yes, we may be a long shot but I encourage you to vote for Coyote REP in the Chase Community Giving event happening right now on Facebook.

It only takes a second and it will help us keep our programs running. The smallest prize of 20k will help the Works-In-Development Series continue for oh, ten years!!

SO give us a vote won't you??

Thank guys,
Donnetta

The New Normal

2010-05-14T10:29:00.019-04:00

The New Normal
By Donnetta Lavinia Grays
Directed by Isaac Byrne

Monday May 24th 7pm
ART/NY Bruce Mitchell Room
520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor
(between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

So, back in 2007 I am on the receiving end of a mass email from my mentor Joy Vandervort-Cobb at The College of Charleston in South Carolina. She writes that a former student and friend, Anna Dorcas Warren (Schumacher), is participating in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk for the Cure and that we should support her by sending in what we can. I see the words diagnosed in 2006, battle, fight, baby…and I don’t quite get what I am reading. I mean, Anna is around my age. So, even with those specific words on my computer screen I think to myself, “I wonder who Anna’s walking for?” Seriously, I could not make the connection from “diagnosed with breast cancer” to Anna herself. I think, instead “Dude, Anna got married?? Anna’s got a baby?? Hot dog! I really need to get in touch with that chick!" Then my mind wonders to a couple plays we did together while we were in school and…yeah, I think that was that.

For one thing, this says quite a bit about my attention to detail, but moreover, in my mind Breast Cancer had always been this sort of disease of age. I mean, I knew my neurosis would have me spending the better part of my 40^th birthday cooped up in some doctor’s office demanding another look-see at my mammogram results. There were commercials, morning talk shows and Oprah at 4pm all telling me that there was a threshold. I knew my facts. But, I also knew that Anna was maybe a couple seconds older than me (she was 32) so, there was no room whatsoever for her to fit into that medical community and media driven equation. No room. So, I couldn’t really see the words in that email as the truth. I guess I was shocked and shockingly ignorant.

And then there was Facebook.

I had lost touch with Anna for a while. And then, through the magic of Facebook in early 2008 we found each other again. We chatted. We exchanged inappropriate jokes as is our nature. We laughed “LOL” style. And then I clicked on a link attached to her profile page which led me to her personal blog.

Man…there were pictures. I saw my friend’s beautiful bald head. I saw my friend’s beautiful baby boy, Silas. Her husband, Kevin. I saw her being a Southern girl dealing with Seattle. Yeah. But, I also saw her…drinkin’, partyin’ and cussin’ with other beautiful bald ladies, putting ketchup on anything that moved, cracking jokes and being the firecracker I remembered from school. I saw Anna living. I saw Anna’s babyface making this incredible turn into adulthood and around that corner comes this disease to meet her full on. And I broke. I did. I broke out into tears. I broke into laughter reading about her son’s potty training stories and I broke open with so much love for her and a clearer understanding of why her diagnosis didn’t really sink in for me. The public dialogue about women under 40 being diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer had not reached me and so, it wasn't a part of a reality that I could digest in reference to her.

That dialogue hasn’t reached a lot of people. And that’s what both Anna and I want to change with this play.

The New Normal is based on Anna’s blog which she maintains to this day. It details not only her struggle with breast cancer, but also the joys and pains of being a mother, wife, daughter and a member of a community of young women facing there lives as survivors.

The characters’ development in the play (of Anna and of those in her family and community) have been dramatized and fictionalized, of course, in order to ground the argument that young survivors are invisible to a certain extent and that this specific illness affects relationships and families not only the women who are diagnosed. Their portrayals are amplified to reveal truths.

The New Normal received an initial workshop with Coyote REP in June 2009. Invited guest artists during that workshop were a collection of individuals who either knew Anna while she was a theater student at The College of Charleston, Coyote REP members or artists who where familiar with creating documentary theater: Emily Ackerman (The Civilians), Blaire Brooks, Safiya Fredericks, Chad Goodridge, Carla Musgrove, Laura Rikard and Jeanne LaSala. These artists were invaluable in helping to sculpt a time frame and context for over 300 pages of blog entries.

The first draft received a public reading and fundraiser in August 2009 by Coyote REP at New World Stages. The cast for the reading included Emily Ackerman, Blaire Brooks, Andrea Caban, Jennif er Ferrin, Chad Goodridge and David Lee Nelson. The event also included guest speakers from the Young Survival Coalition.

Ultimately, I want to illuminate a major point that I learned

from reading Anna’s blog and knowing her as a human

being. The humor in her blog is directed at the illness the majority of the time. This is not by coincidence. I think she says through her humor, “look, it’s the people in my life who are sacred NOT this disease. I have it, but I get to define it. Not the other way around.”I hope that this sentiment is reflected in the work Coyote REP has started to create.

Donnetta Lavinia Grays is the Artistic Director and is a Founding Member of Coyote REP Theatre Company. She worked with Director Bill Rauch as an Altvater Fellowship Recipient at Cornerstone Theatre Company and served as Stage Manager and assistant to Fredrick Bailey on the original production of Beth Henley’s Sister’s of the Winter Madrigal at Moving Arts Theatre in Los Angeles. Donnetta also served as an assistant to Woodie King Jr. on various projects for New Federal Theater including BLACK BEAUTIES: Celebrating 100 Years of African-American Women on Broadway. Donnetta has written the cowboy is dying, her first solo play effort, which she performed with Coyote REP in 2008. Her play THE B FACTOR received a reading at Henry Street Settlement’s Abrons Arts Center as a part of the 2002 Women of Color Arts and Film Festival and a reading with TOSOS Theater Company in 2009 as part of their Robert Chesley / Jane Chambers Playwrights Project. She has also presented her written work at Pride Goes East and with Kathleen Warnock’s Drunken Careening Writers series at KGB Bar. Other works-in-progress include ABSENCE OF FAITH, and THE REVIEW (working title). Poetry featured on shortpoem.org.

Acting Credits; with Coyote REP, the cowboy is dying, DECPETION, PATRIOT ACT (AN OCCURRENCE AT YANKEE STADIUM Broadway: IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY (Cover), WELL (Cover). Off- Broadway: SHIPWRECKED! AN ENTERTAINMENT (Primary Stages) Regional Theatre: NO CHILD…(2 Connecticut Critics Circle Awards) JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE (Baltimore’s Center Stage) WELL (Huntington Theatre, Arena Stage), A RAISIN IN THE SUN, THE ROYAL FAMILY (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). TWELFTH NIGHT (Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Co.), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Charleston Shakespeare Co.),Television: RUBICON, MERCY and LAW & ORDER: SVU (all recurring), THE SOPRANOS , LAW & ORDER and LAW & ORDER: CI. Film: THE WRESTLER (Darren Aronosfsky dir.) SHOOK and the Emmy Award winning documentary WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Proud member of AEA, SAG and AFTRA. Also a member of TOSOS Theater Company. BA: College of Charleston. MFA: University of California, Irvine. www.donnettagrays.com

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

a rhyme for the UNDERground

2010-05-02T21:46:00.008-04:00

a rhyme for the UNDERground

written and performed by chandra thomas

Monday, May 17^th, 7pm

The Barrow Group Theater

The Studio Theater

312 West 36th Street (at 8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

“Oh, you’re developing a solo show. . .why would you do that?”

A dear friend asked me this question about a year ago when i mentioned that i was in the midst of developing a rhyme for the UNDERground.

“I don’t even go to see one-person shows anymore,” he further explained as i gave my knowing smile.

Frankly, i understand the reluctance to see yet another solo show. i too have had to endure more than my fair share of overindulgent, dry, self-congratulatory one-person shows. Of course, through the mire there are some beautiful, standout gems, but it often seems like you have to wade through much “mire” to get to the “gems”.

And, as a rhyme continues to evolve, it has truly been amazing journey so far shaping this gem. :^)

The idea for this play started when subway fare was only $1.50. The New York Historical Society was running an exhibit about the enslavement system in New York and i went to the exhibit. Being a native New Yorker, i had known vague details about the lives of enslaved Africans in New York, but the general stuff, like how Broadway and Wall Street were built by enslaved Africans during this era in New York’s history and there was an African burial site uncovered several years ago in downtown Manhattan. You know, general stuff. What captivated me about the exhibit (and is so crucial in untangling this nation’s history) were the personal accounts and specific stories that were instrumental to recounting the intricate history. So, in this flood of images and facts and reflection, for some reason the name Violet stood out among the many placards and signs. Violet was (. . . well, to be honest, all i remember of Violet these many subway-fare hikes later, is that she was an enslaved woman in New York City.) But on the subway ride home right after leaving the exhibit i just scribbled on one of the papers i had collected during the tour, “What if Violet saved a teenage girl today?” (i co-founded a non-profit, performing arts-education organization to work with teen girls so they are sort of always on my mind!)

“What if Violet saved a teenage girl today?”

It is from this simple question that a rhyme for the UNDERground began.

When i finally started to find answers to that question (right around the giant fare hike to $2), the piece was a multi-character, multi-actor play. But as the play called for more poetry, dance, original songs, spoken word and rap, it became clear that there was actually one central voice in the play—the voice of the character “chandra”. All of the other characters were, in fact, connected to this core character in a way that necessitated a single actor performing the entire piece. From “chandra’s” central humanity these other (now EIGHTEEN) characters were there to shape, guide and transform her. It has been amazing (and frightening!) to see that these other characters have always been and always will be pieces of the puzzle that compose this woman trying to figure out her journey.

My friend who asked that inciting question at subway fare price $2.25 has RSVPed as a “Maybe” to the Facebook invitation for the special workshop performance on May 17^th, as part of Coyote REP’s Works-In-Development Series . (Please note that i did NOT send him that invite :^) So he just may be there. . .

Either way—

Albertine

Sam

Denitra

Jameel

Thomas

Fria

Malik

DaStruggle

Christina

Estrella

Male Voice

Lela

Dr. Barkley

Ernie

SaKeisha

Ray

chandra, and, of course,

Violet

will be there on this stop on the ride of a rhyme for the UNDERground.

Join the trend on Twitter:: #arhyme

Originally from New York, chandra thomas is an actor/writer/producer. As an actor, performances include No Child... (2009 Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Leading Actress), Coney Island Avenue (NYTW), Reflections of a Heart (Theatre Row). Other theatre performances include contemporary and classical works at Classical Theatre of Harlem (AUDELCO nomination), Public Theatre, Guthrie, Women's Project Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theater, Cherry Lane Theatre, P.S. 122, among others. On screen, chandra has most recently performed in co-star roles on The Good Wife and Law & Order: CI as well as a supporting role in the upcoming independent feature Sweet Lorraine. As a writer, her other plays include Standing At..., A Woman/B Woman, LETTERS (co-created), and many poetry/spoken word pieces; she is also currently working on several screenplays, including the feature LoveMatters. chandra is the co-founder of viBe Theater Experience, an award-winning, non-profit, performing-arts education organization empowering teenage girls in New York City. a rhyme for the UNDERground is her first full-length, solo play. Of course there is more info at www.NYchandra.com.

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

What She Means

2010-04-26T09:33:00.018-04:00

What She Means by Rebecca Tourino
Sunday, May 16th 7pm
The Barrow Group Theater
The Garret Studio
312 West 36th Street (at 8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

Although my grandmother is still living she is, to me, already gone. I don’t really see her anymore; looking at her, there’s hardly a trace left of the woman I knew. Alzheimer’s disease has taken her, and with her, a wealth of tenderness, a volume of knowledge, a hundred impressions of my younger self. Growing up, she was both my memory and my mirror. What do you do when your mirror breaks?

As an artist, my work had always smoothly reflected me just as my grandmother had. I knew who I was and what I had to say, but mostly because she'd always been there. After losing her I forgot, for a time, how to write. It was disorienting. Maybe I became as confused as she was. I couldn’t make sense of anything. I couldn’t make sense. I wrote the play for her.

I’m a mother now, trying to balance professional and creative aspirations with the most challenging full-time gig I’ve ever known: the care of my two-year-old son. My grandmother always made it look easy. I’m learning, of course, that of the many adjectives one could use to describe the parenting of young ones, “easy” is not one of them.

What She Means is about memory, childhood, grief, and the bewildering process of creation. It's also the first of my plays that I've acted in, and, as such, it's become personal in a way that's new to me. The main character is a writer trying to write a play about someone important to her. Five adult actors play children helping to tell her story. Writing the play, I found myself asking far more questions than I answered. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because the story is personal? Maybe because it deals so directly with feeling small and powerless in the face of a big loss? Or maybe simply because I was immersed in transcribing the voices of five kids? Anyone spending extended time with children, of course, had better get comfortable with questions quickly.

How do you tell a sad story? What if nobody cares?

How can you make a gaggle of ten-year-olds do what you want?

Is it even possible to form words from a place of mute grief?

And what's that cabbage doing onstage, anyway?

Some losses are almost too big to handle, even if you're a grownup. I'm not sure I've come to terms with my real-life loss yet. By the end of What She Means, my counterpart has managed to strip artifice from art to reveal a few hard-won personal truths. The most straightforward conclusion I can draw from my own work, this time, is that I think my grandmother would like watching it. For me, most days, that's almost enough.

(Images, above, by Lorretta Lux)

Rebecca Tourino is a teaching theater artist living in Brooklyn. She’s written two other full-length plays: The Naked Eye Planets, awarded the Coyote REP Moon Award and produced at the American Theater of Actors in New York and Quickening, produced in Los Angeles by Lucid by Proxy and in New York by the Albertine Theater Company. As an actor, Rebecca’s credits include PCPA Theaterfest, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Cabaret Theater, Rogue Music Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the East Bay Actor’s Collective, among other regional credits. She’s also happily nudging her way into the directing area, working most recently with Coyote REP and Invisible, LLC. BA, UC Berkeley; MFA, UC Irvine; Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts.www.whatshemeansblog.com

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

Questions My Mother Can't Answer

2010-04-22T16:53:00.014-04:00

QUESTIONS MY MOTHER CAN'T ANSWER by Andrea Cabab

Sunday May 10th 7pm Bruce Mitchell Room
ART/NY
520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor
(between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

I got the idea to write "Questions My Mother Can't Answer" (a working title by the way) after one of the performances of my last solo show, "You Got Questions? I Got Answers!" That piece was a documentary theater collage derived from the interviews I conducted with 8 New Yorkers about when they feel the most isolated and when they feel the most connected. A friend of mine brought her mother to the show. Her mom commented to me that I interviewed people of all different races, genders, & ethnicities, but I had no one in my play that represented her generation, the voice of women in their early 60's. I felt a little guilty I hadn't included anyone of that age. And then I felt a little curious.

Then I started finding friendships, lots of friendships, with women around my mom's age. My husband thought it funny that while my peers were going out for drinks until the wee hours, I was making dinner dates with 60-something year old women I met on the subway! I started to wonder what it was these friendships were giving me that perhaps my relationship with my mother did not. So I started asking for interviews. And unlike with my first piece, every women I asked said yes! There was absolutely no shame in their stories...they were pleased to be able to tell me about the moment they found out they were pregnant, about the fall of their first marriage, and a few things they wouldn't tell their own daughters.
So not only was I gaining the benefit of delving into the lives of these highly fascinating and highly flawed women, they were finding release in the telling of stories, that in some cases, they had never told anyone before. And they had never told anyone before because no one had ever asked.

I tell people when I work in this way, I start from a curiosity and follow my nose until a play presents itself to me. I titled this one before I knew what the heck it was going to be about. So when I interviewed my mom, I was shocked at and grateful for the answers I got. I don't think I'm giving too much away by saying that.

Andrea Caban is an actor, writer, producer, and teacher. She last appeared in Craig Wright's The Pavilion in the role of the narrator and 17+ other roles at Boise Contemporary Theater. Andrea received the 2008 New York Innovative Theater Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for her documentary-based play You Got Questions? I Got Answers! Her play also earned Outstanding Short Script & Outstanding Performance Art Production nominations. Regional and New York credits include productions at The Public Theater, Williamstown Theater Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Long Wharf Theater, New World Stages, HERE Arts Center, GAle GAtes et al, and The Hayworth Theater in LA. BA: University of South Florida. MFA: University of California, Irvine. www.andreacaban.com

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

RATED 'M' FOR MATURE

2010-04-12T12:40:00.023-04:00

Coyote REP is very excited about the work we are showcasing in or Works-in-Development Series at ART/NY and The Barrow Group Theater. We asked our company playwrights to share more about the pieces they are featuring for the month long May event.

RATED M FOR MATURE by Greg Ayers
Sunday May 9th 7pm Bruce Mitchell Room
ART/NY
520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor
(between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

Let me make one thing clear: I love video games. I always have. I can still spend an entire weekend playing any one of the Final Fantasy games. Videogames will always occupy a special place in my heart because I grew up on them. Some of my earlier memories include playing Jungle Hunt and Joust on the Atari 2600. Back when I was in elementary school, owning a specific game could be viewed as a status symbol. I remember being the first of my friends to own Super Mario Bros 2. I suddenly had people begging, yes, begging me to let them come over and play the game. And, I admit, I may have taken advantage of my new position of power by demanding that everyone share their fruit rollups with me in exchange for 10 minutes of game play. So what if I was drunk with power? I was ten. And I was having fun. And for me, that’s what videogames are all about: having fun. Entertainment. But somewhere along the way, for some people, videogames have become a serious addiction. That’s not so fun.

I suppose there are a few reasons I decided to write Rated M for Mature. The first being, I had recently read an article about a teenage boy who shot both his parents in the head because they’d taken away his favorite videogame. And then, a while later, I heard about a couple in China who were so wrapped up in creating a second life for themselves in an online game that they neglected to feed their newborn baby, which ended up starving to death. Clearly, these are two example of love for videogames gone wrong.

Another reason I was inspired to write this play is because I find teenagers to be some of the most fascinating and exciting people out there. I can vividly recall the pain that shaped my teenage years. The pressure. The bullying. The frustration. The anger. But I’m now at an age where, although I can still empathize with the plight of teenagers, I also feel a tinge of fear whenever I see a group of them

on a subway platform. I feel disconnected from them. And at times, I feel intimidated. I mean, do they really need to talk that loud? Really??

Rated M for Mature is a play about all of the above. The confusion and disconnect some parents feel towards their children. The pain and frustrations of being a teenager. And the need to escape life by immersing one’s self into an online fantasy world.

----

Greg Ayers co-wrote and starred in John and Greg's High School Reunion, which premiered at last year's New York International Fringe Festival. As an actor, some of his favorite credits include Small Tragedy at the Aurora Theater, HOLES at the Orpheum Theater, and The Lion in Winter at PCPA Theaterfest. Greg is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings

WORKS-IN-DEVELOPMENT SERIES MAY 2010!

2010-04-10T13:28:00.008-04:00

Coyote REP Presents its inaugural
Works-in-Development Series
May 9th-May 24th, 2010 ART/NY and The Barrow Group Theater

You are invited to support the works of Coyote REP's up and coming playwrights by attending this month long festival of new work! We have always been a company that supports work from within our ranks. But in 2009 we began specifically encouraging our members to write plays for development by the company. The goal is to learn the process of developing a piece of theatre as a company from its beginning ideas all the way through to a full Coyote REP sound or stage production.

We ask that you come out and witness the seeds of this process, offer feedback and lend your own support to these promising writers!

*Talkbacks to follow each reading.

Rated 'M' for Mature
By Greg Ayers
Directed by Paul Dobie

Sunday May 9th 7pm
ART/NY Bruce Mitchell Room
520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor
(between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

Eric, a lonely sixteen year old, is addicted to living vicariously through his avatar in an expansive online video game. But when he starts to neglect his real life, his computer is taken away. How far will he and his friends go to get it back?
---
Questions My Mother Can't Answer
By writer/performer Andrea Caban

Monday May 10th 7pm
ART/NY Bruce Mitchell Room
520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor
(between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

Questions My Mother Can't Answer by writer/performer Andrea Caban, is a documentary-based collage of the true mythologies of women from her mother's generation and her search to fill in the blanks of her own mythology. Andrea navigates through the stories of 8 women as they reflect on growing up in the 50's, getting pregnant in the 60's, raising children, having sex, finding happiness & becoming characters in a play.

---

What She Means
By Rebecca Tourino
Directed by Michael Lluberes

Sunday, May 16th 7pm
The Barrow Group Theater
The Garret Studio
312 West 36th Street (at 8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

A writer in the very act of writing a play, five children trying to take over the story, and the mysterious old woman they all love. Battles of will. Games of tag. Existential crises. Inexplicable cabbages. What She Means is about memory, childhood, grief, and the bewildering process of creation.

---

a rhyme for the UNDERground
by chandra thomas
Directed by Tia Hodge

Monday May 17th 7pm
The Barrow Group Theater
The Studio Theater
312 West 36th Street (at 8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

“a rhyme for the UNDERground," in a sentence, is not your mother’s solo show! This new work follows chandra, a social researcher, as she interviews people from all over the world as they travel on the New York City subway. While she thinks her interviewees are there to help her with her book, she quickly discovers they are really there to save her from the precipice. Actor/writer chandra thomas journeys through 17¼ characters in her humorous and moving play infused with poetry, songs, spoken word and dance.
---

The New Normal
By Donnetta Lavinia Grays
Directed by Isaac Byrne

Monday May 24th 7pm
ART/NY Bruce Mitchell Room
520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor
(between 36th and 37th Streets)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)

Anna is a spontaneous and fun-loving 32-year-old; a hot mama with a new baby, new family and a new life in Seattle. Just as her new life is kicking into high gear she is handed a diagnosis of Breast Cancer that changes her plans. This is a story of survival. This is a story of humor. This is the story of a family fighting with this disease…and it’s also the story of survivors feeling each others breasts at cocktail parties…This is The New Normal.
---

You are invited to attend the talkbacks following each reading.

To reserve seats, email info@coyoterep.org with the following information:
Subject: Reservations
Name:
Email:
Phone Number:
Desired Reading(s):
Desired Number of Tickets:
($5 Suggested Donation at the Door)

*Seating is limited so make your reservation early!

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

New Member!!

2010-01-06T00:07:00.003-05:00

Coyote REP welcomes its newest members.

Chandra is an accomplished actress and theater artist and we are very excited to have her as our newest member.

Find out more about her here:

http://www.nychandra.com/

News Time

2009-12-30T15:51:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to the Company's announcement of our new Artistic Director in BroadwayWorld!

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Donnetta_Lavinia_Grays_Assumes_The_Role_Of_Artistic_Director_At_Coyote_Rep_20091229

check it out!!

A Very Special Message From Our New Artistic Director

2009-12-19T14:43:00.000-05:00

A Very Special Message From Our New Artistic Director

Dear Family,

As we celebrate this holiday season and wind down the final days of 2009 I want to take this time to say thank you for supporting Coyote REP these past four years. It is also my pleasure to let you in on some of the exciting changes we have made and give you some insights into our upcoming season!

Jeanne LaSala has served as Artistic Director of Coyote REP from its inception. In fact the meetings that took place in her 5^th floor walk up apartment almost five years ago are what inspired the creation of our company. She has stood at the helm of Coyote REP's multiple sound plays and stage productions and she has coordinated each of our Rising Moon Galas/Fundraisers. I truly respect her standard of excellence and hard work and this is why I was so humbled when she, with the support of the company, nominated me as her successor. I am also happy to announce that Jeanne will continue on as our Executive Director and we will work together to make sure that you get the most out of your theatregoing experience. As CR's newest Artistic Director I hope to both continue and expand upon what Jeanne and our founding members envisioned just a short time ago. I believe that our 2010 season and our long-term list of initiatives do just that.

Coyote REP has sharpened its mission statement in order to emphasize our goal of developing striking and provocative theater for both our stage and online productions. In May 2010 we will present our first ever Works-in-Progress Series. This series will showcase new works by our member playwrights in a collection of readings and bare bones staged productions. We invite you to become a part of the development process by witnessing these innovative new works as they are being shaped by our company.

One piece that has benefited greatly from your feedback is our most current work in development, The New Normal. Coming on the heels of our successful Fall Rising Moon Fundraiser, we are continuing the development of The New Normal for an October 2010 run. The New Normal is a passionate, realistic and often humorous look into the world of young breast cancer survivors. The play is based on the experiences of survivor Anna Warren Schumacher as detailed on her online blog. Coyote REP was honored to share a portion of the fundraiser's donations with the Young Survivor Coalition. A rough presentation of the piece, coupled with inspirational stories shared by members of the YSC at this very special event, inspired a second draft.

In addition to our readings and stage productions, we are hard at work finding the next set of extraordinary sound plays to produce. We are seeking new plays from within our ranks and through direct submissions from playwrights across the nation in order to add to the exciting productions that are still available on iTunes.

Coyote REP recognizes our role as a part of the greater New York City theater community and we understand that it is only with a tremendous amount of support that we have come as far as we have. This is why we are laying the foundation for new educational and outreach programs. Coyote REP has the power to give the gift of theater to patrons who may be shut-in or to those who are sight-impaired. It is our goal to use our innovative forms of theater to better serve these communities.Â We are also interested in sharing our knowledge and skill with others and will begin offering performance-based courses for adults and children in the coming months.

I am so very excited about the strides we are making, not only for our upcoming season but for the extended future. Several of our members have come forward to help our Founders' vision come to fruition. Please check out our website and see just how our company has grown! Our company is revitalized, reorganized and ready to meet the adventures that lie ahead. We thank you so much for your support and ask you to continue to come along with us for the ride!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Donnetta Lavinia Grays
Artistic Director
Coyote REP Theatre Company

2010 Running Season Schedule

Visit www.coyoterep.org for more on our 2010 season!

May 2010:
NEW WORKS SERIES

JULY 2010:
The Fourth Annual Coyote REP Play Circle

SEPTEMBER 2010:
Our Annual Rising Moon Gala and Fundraiser

OCTOBER 2010:
WORLD PREMIERE
The New Normal

Coyote REP Sound Plays available now for podcasting online

DECEPTION, by Jeremy Dobrish, directed by Glenn Kalison

GIRL, by Megan Mostyn-Brown, directed by Josh Hecht

THE BOY AT THE WINDOW, by Douglas Braverman, directed by Olivia Mora and Teresa K. Pond

PATRIOT ACT (AN OCCURENCE AT YANKEE STADIUM), by Robert Emmet Lunney, directed by Richard Romagnoli

COYOTE RISING by Tira Palmquist, directed by Jeanne LaSala

****************
Coyote REP would like to invite you into the Den.
Visit www.coyoterep.org
to make a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE online donation.
****************
Shop for great looking Coyote REP items at our store on CafePress!

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Donnetta Lavinia Grays

ASSOC.ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Glenn Kalison

PRODUCING DIRECTOR
Andrea Caban

ASSOC. PRODUCING DIRECTOR
Lyndsey Goode

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jeanne LaSala

MANAGING DIRECTOR
Carla Musgrove

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Rebecca Tourino Collinsworth

MARKETING DIRECTOR
Corey Allen

MEDIA DIRECTOR
Greg Ayers

EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Richard Padro

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Safiya Fredericks

RESIDENT SOUND DESIGNER
Mitch Greenhill

****************
Coyote REP
P.O. Box 655
New York, NY 10159
www.coyoterep.org
****************

Something's Brewin'

2009-12-18T13:22:00.001-05:00

So, a lot is shaking and coming up for the new year.

Check out our website in the coming days for some big announcements including new posts, new programs and new productions.

Also, yeah, we caved. we are tweeting...twittering...or some other word that sounds more titillating than the law allows.

follow us at http://twitter.com/CoyoteREP!

We will keep you posted!

in the meantime. If you haven't check us out on iTunes please do. All of our past Sound Plays are still available for download. Including last year's episodic series of Jeremy Dobrish's DECEPTION directed by Glenn Kalison.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=260521762

Stay tuned guys!! and happy Holidays!!

Welcome!

2009-12-14T15:51:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Coyote REP's new and improved blog space! Please join us here for the most up-to-date information on how we are rockin' and rollin' in 2010!

And how we feel about it!!

Happy Holidays and visit us fairly soon for some very cool updates!

best,
Donnetta

Coyote REP Theatre Company's Lone Wolf Series

2008-03-15T23:29:00.000-04:00

The Lone Wolf Series: Our 2008 Production for the Stage

We cordially invite you to attend the Lone Wolf Series, our repertory stage production of one-woman shows offering unique takes on Coyote REP's season theme of "Isolation." The series features original works by (clockwise from top left) Donnetta Lavinia Grays, Heidi Tokheim, Andrea Caban and Jeanne LaSala. Each performance will showcase two of the four pieces running in repertory for two weeks.

Tickets are $18 for all performances and are available through Brown Paper Tickets at the following link:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/30204

The Lone Wolf Series
May 15-25, 2008
The June Havoc Theater
Abingdon Theater Arts Complex
312 West 36th Street (Just west of 8th Avenue)
New York City

One of our company missions is to support and foster work from within our ranks. Among our membership, we possess not only accomplished performers, directors, and designers, but stellar writers as well. We were determined to spend the 2008 season showcasing our versatility. Accordingly, we put out a submissions call to all Coyotes far and wide in search of solo performance pieces. Ultimately, we selected four as especially emblematic of the collective identity of our company; each show is personal, moving, a little quirky, and represents a brave step toward the theatrically new and unexpected.

This season's theme, "Isolation," serves as a counterpoint to our first season's theme, "Community." 2008 seemed a worthwhile time to focus on the resilience of the individual and how our inward explorations and unique opinions can serve our interactions as a society.

THE FOUR LONE WOLVES

In the cowboy is dying, Donnetta Lavinia Grays fuses storytelling and original music in a semi-autobiographical tale of self-discovery. Grays' piece is a comedic look at God, romance, and the wondrous limitations of childhood expectations.

STELLA BY STARLIGHT, by Heidi Tokheim, follows the journey of Stella, an aspiring jazz piano player who is female, white, and unemployed. One fateful night, she meets Herbie Hancock, who teaches her how to swing ... and that changes everything.

Through movement and text SPOILED BEA, by Jeanne LaSala, deals with isolation as it forces its way into the life of a dancer who, due to a tragic accident, is no longer able to communicate with the outside world. Rather than succumbing to the horror of her situation, Beatrice finds humorous, poignant and creative ways to connect with the characters that populate her new world and to access the freedom and beauty that dance inside of her.

And ANDREA CABAN's untitled theater piece mixes anthropology and psychotherapy. She investigates the gaps between isolation and connection through interviews with ten New Yorkers and her father.

Photos by Deidre Schoo

Coyote REP Honors Jeremy Dobrish and John Martello

2007-10-25T15:29:00.000-04:00

The Second Annual Rising Moon Gala and Fundraiser

THEATRE COMPANY HOLDS GALA FUNDRAISER AT THE PLAYERS’ CLUB TO RAISE MONEY FOR THEIR UPCOMING SEASON. MANDY GONZALEZ AND CHRIS JACKSON (STARS OF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL IN THE HEIGHTS) AND LYPSINKA WILL PERFORM. PLAYWRIGHT/DIRECTOR JEREMY DOBRISH AND John Martello, Executive Director of The Players’ Club, WILL RECEIVE MOON AWARDS.

PRESS INVITATION: Sat 11/3/07 @ 8 pm, The Players’ Club, 16 Gramercy Park South

New York, NY – Come and celebrate Coyote REP’s second season. Cocktail reception begins at 8:00 pm and will be followed immediately by a reception and auction. Entertainment will be provided by award-winning actor John Epperson, aka Lypsinka, and Broadway stars of In the Heights, Mandy Gonzalez and Chris Jackson, followed by a presentation of the “Moon” Awards.

COYOTE REP will present 2 “Moon” awards at the Gala, honoring outstanding contributions to the theatre. Jeremy Dobrish will receive the Moon Award for Outstanding Playwriting for his play Deception and John Martello will receive the Moon Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Theatre. A sample of the items up for auction and raffle are: 2 tickets to the Tony Awards, 2 orchestra tickets to the Broadway show of your choice, tickets to a taping of Saturday Night Live and Live with Regis and Kelly, 2 Day-Hopper Passes to Disney World in Orlando, FL, VIP tickets to Finding Nemo, a 2-night stay at a suite in the beautiful Lexington Hotel in downtown Orlando, NY Giants tickets, and much more!

Jeremy Dobrish is a director and playwright. Off-Broadway directing credits: ELECTION DAY (Second Stage), IN THE WINGS (Promenade), DRIFT ('06 NY Musical Theatre Festival) SPAIN (SPF and currently MCC), TED KACZYNSKI KILLED PEOPLE WITH BOMBS (Clurman), THE JOYS OF SEX (Variety Arts Theatre, Excellence in Directing Award – NYC Fringe Festival), THE TUTOR with Anthony Rapp (York), CLASS MOTHERS '68, and THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) (Century Center). Dobrish has also directed at WPA, The Kirk, Soho Playhouse, Actor's Playhouse, and two seasons with the Young Playwrights Festival. Regional credits include: THE GIRL IN THE FRAME (Goodspeed), TEREZIN (Village Theatre), and SLEUTH (Hangar). His adaptation of CURIOUS GEORGE tours the country with THEATREWORKS USA. Jeremy is an Artistic Associate at Second Stage and was the Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed Adobe Theatre Company from 1991 until 2004. Adobe work includes NOTIONS IN MOTION, THE HANDLESS MAIDEN, BLINK OF AN EYE, SUPERPOWERS, and ORPHEUS & EURYDICE.

John Martello has been an actor, producer and director for nearly 35 years. As an actor, he has appeared in dinner theatres, regional theatres and Off-Broadway in everything from Shakespeare to SUGAR BABIES. Off-Broadway, Mr. Martello produced the musical revue DAUGHERTY & FIELD OFF-BROADWAY, which ran for a year and was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the acclaimed one-man show DAMON RUNYON’S TALES OF BROADWAY, which Mr. Martello also wrote and performed. He is currently in the process of producing Simon Gray’s THE OLD MASTERS for Broadway in 2008. As Executive Director of The Players, Mr. Martello has produced hundreds of presentations over the last 15 years, including evenings honoring Jason Robards, Julie Harris, Christopher Plummer, Gregory Peck, Marian Seldes, Peter O’Toole, Tony Bennett, Carol Burnett, Gerald Schoenfeld, Angela Lansbury, Edward Albee and dozens of other theatrical luminaries. He was the recipient, in 2001, of the Pirandello Medallion (presented by the Pirandello Society of America) to acknowledge his performing, producing and directing the work of that great playwright.

COYOTE REP is a not-for-profit theatre company dedicated to balancing process and production, committed to developing, producing and inspiring original plays through innovative means: (R)ecorded sound plays, an (E)lectronic documentary and (P)roductions for the stage - REP. Coyote REP was founded by and is comprised largely of graduates from UC Irvine’s Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre Program. Coyote REP produces its sound play series at WNYC studios. A documentary, which follows the members of the company through the highs and lows of producing in New York, is currently running on YouTube. For more information, visit the company’s website, www.coyoterep.org.

THE PLAYERS’ CLUB: 16 Gramercy Park South (East 20^th Street between Park and Irving)

Gala Fundraiser: November 3, 2007, 8 pm Cocktail Reception, Entertainment, Raffle and Auction

Running time: 2 hours Ticketing Information www.coyoterep.org

Trains: 6, R, W to 23^rd Street or 4, 5, 6, N, R, Q, W, L to 14^th Street/Union Square

Lypsinka and Cast of "In The Heights" To Join Gala Event

2007-10-25T15:15:00.000-04:00

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE ACT NOW!!!

TWO MORE REASONS NOT TO MISS

THE EVENT OF THE SEASON!

Coyote REP is thrilled to announce that,

in addition to a fabulous performance by

Lypsinka

Mandy Gonzalez and Chris Jackson

of Broadway's upcoming hit In

the Heights

will serenade us with the hottest songs

from their newest show and many more!

And here are some of the wonderful items up for AUCTION:

* 80GB Ipod Classic and a part in one of Coyote REP's sound plays

* One week New York Film Academy Scholarship and a one hour consultation with Head of the Acting Program

* Two VIP tickets to the Drama Desk Awards and VIP pre-show Party
* Complementary Admission for two to Metropolitan Museum of Art with guided tour and luncheon in the Trustees Dining Room

* Fabulous Spa Services at Erno Laszlo Institute at Bergdorf Goodman plus a beautiful gift basket from Erno Laszlo, the line of products used by Grace Kelly!

* Tickets to a taping of Saturday Night Live

* Two Day Hopper Passes to Disney World in Orlando, FL, VIP tix to Finding Nemo, the hottest new Disney show in the park, and a two night stay at a suite in the beautiful Lexington Hotel in downtown Orlando

And so much more...

Remember, you have to be there to bid on them,

so reserve your tickets today!

Rsvp online today at www.coyoterep.org

Coyote REP Theatre Company

The Review (Or How to Eat Your Opposition)

They Were Ours by Larry Manogue and William Walter White

SICK by Greg Ayers

2011 Works-in-Development Series in here!!

Tickets on Sale NOW for THE NEW NORMAL by Donnetta Lavinia Grays

Coyote REP on CBS New York's Komen Special Sept 11th

4th Annual Rising Moon Gala!

Fringe Frenzy!! Answers to "Questions"

Questions my Mother...Fringe Kick-Off Cocktail Party & Fundraiser

Questions my Mother Can't Answer: The FringeNYC Dates!

Feelin' Fringey?

Meet Mike! Our New Literary Manager

FringeNYC 2010: Questions my Mother Can't Answer by Andrea Caban

CHASE COMMUNITY GIVING

The New Normal

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

a rhyme for the UNDERground

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

What She Means

What She Means by Rebecca TourinoSunday, May 16th 7pmThe Barrow Group TheaterThe Garret Studio312 West 36th Street (at 8th Avenue)New York, NY 10018($5 suggested donation)

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

Questions My Mother Can't Answer

The New Play Development Program is our commitment to nurturing the original work of our company's playwrights. This intensive, ten-month program provides a structured series of workshops culminating in our May Works-in-Development Series, a public presentation of readings.

RATED 'M' FOR MATURE

WORKS-IN-DEVELOPMENT SERIES MAY 2010!

*Talkbacks to follow each reading.

---

New Member!!

News Time

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Donnetta_Lavinia_Grays_Assumes_The_Role_Of_Artistic_Director_At_Coyote_Rep_20091229

A Very Special Message From Our New Artistic Director

Something's Brewin'

Welcome!

Coyote REP Theatre Company's Lone Wolf Series

Coyote REP Honors Jeremy Dobrish and John Martello

PRESS INVITATION: Sat 11/3/07 @ 8 pm, The Players’ Club, 16 Gramercy Park South

Lypsinka and Cast of "In The Heights" To Join Gala Event

What She Means by Rebecca Tourino
Sunday, May 16th 7pm
The Barrow Group Theater
The Garret Studio
312 West 36th Street (at 8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10018
($5 suggested donation)