The Review (Or How to Eat Your Opposition)

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

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

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!!

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

The New Normal

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, Jennifer 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

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.