Humana Festival Update - Day 2
posted by brad at 10:29 PM
Ok, it's about 12:30 am (9:30pm to me and my LA internal clock).
Here's the gorey details of Day 2 at Humana:
1:30 pm - Strike-Slip, by Naomi Iizuka and directed by Chay Yew. I really liked this play, and so did everyone else that I overheard discussing it. Unfortunately, it can't help being compared to the movie Crash, as it revolves around three multi-cultural families in Los Angeles and how there lives intertwine. The playwright was originally commissioned by the Taper/Center Theatre Group to write a play about people living in Los Angeles, and the ever-present threat of an earthquake. I heard a lot of people saying how much they liked it on the way out of the theatre. One actress in particular - Ali Ahn- was a real standout amongst a universally great cast. Even better, I just realized she's an LA actress.
5:00 pm - Batch: An American Bachelor/ette Party Spectacle. An interesting piece of performance art, but can't really say it was "a play." Some fun theatricality, but I missed the "connection" and didn't find myself investing much.
Dinner - Vincenzo's, Italian - awesome. Veal to die for.
9:00 pm - Ten Minute Plays. They announced the three winners of the Steinberg Foundation's New Play awards at the top of this program and then we watched three short plays. "I am not Batman" by Marco Ramirez, followed by "Clarisse and Larmon" by Deb Margolin and they closed out with "Mr. and Mrs." by Julie Marie Myatt. I liked the Batman script the best.
One thing has been consistent for every performance, whether I liked the play or not... the acting has been excellent. Across the board.
After the Ten Minute Plays there was a big reception for all attendees and it was a great time for us to meet some folks. We had good conversations with some playwrights and literary agents about our company and LA theatre. Hopefully we can keep talking with these new connections and ultimately work on a project with them in the future. It's been great having some of the board here too - they're completely fearless. They're great conversationalists and made some great introductions for us. Earlier in the day we had the distinct pleasure of running into our friend from Abrams, Beth. Always good to put a face with a name and it gave us a nice opportunity to catch up with her and she was kind enough to introduce us to a few other agents later in the evening.
No doubt, this trip is going to prove beneficial for the company. So, while I'm getting away with not spending 16 or 18 hours a day at the theatre this weekend like eveyrone else is (Tech and Dress rehearsals)... hopefully the work we're doing here in Louisville will make up for it. :)
Robert and I also strolled down to what we thought was a great Blues bar to listen to some music, but found a less than stellar cover band whose repertoire had way too much Skynyrd and G-n-R, so we bailed. Ok, I gotta get some sleep - 4 plays to see tomorrow.
Be Furious.
Here's the gorey details of Day 2 at Humana:
1:30 pm - Strike-Slip, by Naomi Iizuka and directed by Chay Yew. I really liked this play, and so did everyone else that I overheard discussing it. Unfortunately, it can't help being compared to the movie Crash, as it revolves around three multi-cultural families in Los Angeles and how there lives intertwine. The playwright was originally commissioned by the Taper/Center Theatre Group to write a play about people living in Los Angeles, and the ever-present threat of an earthquake. I heard a lot of people saying how much they liked it on the way out of the theatre. One actress in particular - Ali Ahn- was a real standout amongst a universally great cast. Even better, I just realized she's an LA actress.
5:00 pm - Batch: An American Bachelor/ette Party Spectacle. An interesting piece of performance art, but can't really say it was "a play." Some fun theatricality, but I missed the "connection" and didn't find myself investing much.
Dinner - Vincenzo's, Italian - awesome. Veal to die for.
9:00 pm - Ten Minute Plays. They announced the three winners of the Steinberg Foundation's New Play awards at the top of this program and then we watched three short plays. "I am not Batman" by Marco Ramirez, followed by "Clarisse and Larmon" by Deb Margolin and they closed out with "Mr. and Mrs." by Julie Marie Myatt. I liked the Batman script the best.
One thing has been consistent for every performance, whether I liked the play or not... the acting has been excellent. Across the board.
After the Ten Minute Plays there was a big reception for all attendees and it was a great time for us to meet some folks. We had good conversations with some playwrights and literary agents about our company and LA theatre. Hopefully we can keep talking with these new connections and ultimately work on a project with them in the future. It's been great having some of the board here too - they're completely fearless. They're great conversationalists and made some great introductions for us. Earlier in the day we had the distinct pleasure of running into our friend from Abrams, Beth. Always good to put a face with a name and it gave us a nice opportunity to catch up with her and she was kind enough to introduce us to a few other agents later in the evening.
No doubt, this trip is going to prove beneficial for the company. So, while I'm getting away with not spending 16 or 18 hours a day at the theatre this weekend like eveyrone else is (Tech and Dress rehearsals)... hopefully the work we're doing here in Louisville will make up for it. :)
Robert and I also strolled down to what we thought was a great Blues bar to listen to some music, but found a less than stellar cover band whose repertoire had way too much Skynyrd and G-n-R, so we bailed. Ok, I gotta get some sleep - 4 plays to see tomorrow.
Be Furious.
posted by brad at 10:29 PM
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