The Parchment

By:  Alex Klein / Kenneth Requa

photo by Chris Hall

Today we bring you the last in a four-part series of posts that will help you get to know the beautiful and talented cast members of DITCH.

Alex Klein is also making is onstage debut with MTC, although he’s a charter member who was also an active part of the process that brought MTC’s first production, LIE WITH ME, to the stage. Currently he can be seen as William in DITCH.

Without giving too much away, what is your favorite aspect of the character you are portraying in DITCH?

Throughout this whole process, I’ve really enjoyed exploring Will’s practically bi-polar relationships with Bill and Beth and how much he is defined by his interactions with each.  Parts of Will are subverted or accentuated based on his comfort level with them. All of this informs and helps create a full, fun character to play that makes my weekend nights a blast. Read the rest of this entry »

by Todd Veneman / Kenneth Requa

Photo By Chris Hall

Today we bring you the third in a four-part series of posts that will help you get to know the beautiful and talented cast members of DITCH.

Todd Veneman is making his MTC stage debut, although he had a role in the audio play THE MILLER’S GHOST last fall, and he’s also developing an original play with MTC. Currently he is entertaining audiences as the hilarious and cynical Bill in DITCH.

Without giving too much away, what is your favorite aspect of the character you are portraying in DITCH?

I think Bill makes a special connection with everyone who likes to rush home and watch TV.

If you could play any role written for the opposite sex, what role would that be?

This is a tough one, but I think I’d like to play Laura in THE GLASS MENAGERIE by Tennessee Williams. In most of the performances I’ve seen, the actresses never really found the funny. Read the rest of this entry »

by Nina Millin/Kenneth Requa

Photo by Chris Hall

Today we bring you the second in a four-part series of posts that will help you get to know the beautiful and talented cast members of DITCH.

Nina Millin is making her MTC stage debut as the boisterous Elizabeth, a role which she read at the very first MTC reading of DITCH way back in 2007.

 Without giving too much away, what is your favorite aspect of the character you are portraying in DITCH?

There’s actually quite a bit I respect about Elizabeth. At this very moment, I think I have to say her unapologetic nature. If you asked me this tomorrow or even 5 minutes from now the answer could be completely different!

 If you could play any role written for the opposite sex, what role would that be?

Willy Wonka.

Read the rest of this entry »

Amber Hamilton boasts the distinction of being the only performer to have appeared in both of MTC’s world premiere stage productions, having appeared as Susan in LIE WITH ME last year. Currently she’s bringing to life the character of Beth. Here’s what she has to say about the experience…

Without giving too much away, what is your favorite aspect of the character you are portraying in DITCH?

I respect that Beth was brave enough to walk away from the altar to follow her heart and find true love. I love how quick she is to forgive and constantly seeks to find the good in everyone. She’s optimistic and fights for what she feels in her heart even when the odds are against her. Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

Loreli Deleon

I figured I’d write a little blog update because frankly every other MTC’er is TOO busy! As I type the whole team is in the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood conquering the great “10 out of 12” cue to cue and then a full run. For those non-theatre insiders, “10 out of 12” is the only day the union allows for a 12 hour work day with a 2 hour break to use for meals. A “cue to cue” is basically the first time lights, costumes and sound are added- so you trudge steadily through the script perfecting each moment. It can be tedious. It’s a lot of hurry up and wait. It’s usually the day the actors only get to say a few lines because the focus is mostly technical. It’s actually a lot like working on a film come to think of it.

With almost 300 tech cues- Ditch is a monster for a “small theatre” production. Today will be an essential, but very long day.

It’s my lunch break at the office, even though I am at my desk tired after a long weekend and drinking an AWAKE Starbucks tea the size of my bladder (as if this will “wake” me up/although it reminds me of the Big Gulps I used to drink during my Psych Lectures in college. The act of drinking kept me more awake than the actual caffeine)… I am feeling a bit lonely.  Although, historically cue to cue makes me want to gouge my eyes out- it bums me out not to be in the darkened theatre for 12 hours. Read the rest of this entry »

by Ryan Mulkay

Liz Brown as Susan and Ryan Mulkay as Ian

He was a character I won’t soon forget. Probably because he was so cool. Or was he simple? Slow? Smart? Good vocabulary, but not very street smart. Edgy? Well, if you consider his line of work. In love? Yes, he is definitely in love. In over his head? Yes, he is definitely in over his head. This is Ian. This is how I approached such a character. A seven-layer dip of creation if you will. So much to work with. Ian is someone who is constantly being thrown curve balls and is fighting to keep up—but who isn’t? That’s just life. Although, his curve balls seem to be a bit faster. Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

(Illustration by Loreli Deleon)

Tomorrow will be the very first DITCH rehearsal I won’t attend… The show previews on the 29^th and opens on 30^th and my role as the playwright is becoming less and less needed in the production process.

Don’t get me wrong, I may still be around to change a phrase here and a word there. However, the play is the play at this point. The last round of major changes was submitted over the holidays and as we began 2010 the play, on the most part, is complete. Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

Illustration By Loreli Deleon

I’ve known Loreli Deleon since middle school back in Fairfax, Virginia. I am honored to say that through the years she has been the best of friends and developed into one of the most talented artists I know. Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

I’ve always wanted to write a love story. But i’ve always wanted to write honestly about love… the experience of it. So I wrote DITCH.

I believe to write honestly about love you have to explore self as much as the romance. I think our relationship with ourselves dictates our ability to successfully love others… our ability or inability to communicate. The dysfunction that troubled communication causes… especially when love exists.  Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

On Monday afternoon I finished mixing Kristi Falls Behind, the final chapter of The Miller’s Ghost. Now it’s online, completing the story. I’ve been so consumed by this project over the past three months that I’m having a little trouble adjusting to life without having the piece to work on. It’s the sort of feeling I used to have at the end of each semester in college. Read the rest of this entry »

by Ryan Mulkay

Ryan Mulkay rehearses the role of Ian

I was first introduced to Lie with Me at its Los Angeles staged reading following its workshop with Mutineer Theatre Company. At the time I was not yet a member of the company and simply came to the show to be entertained and show support to friends. I enjoyed the play, though a bit different from the current script, and ironically was immediately drawn to the role of Ian. Later, I saw the show when the Mutineers did a full production of the play, though by this time, I was a member of the company. Again, I was a fan, so it only seems natural that I would eventually become involved in a production of the show – right? I think so. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

As it turned out, Steve and the Attic, the third chapter of The Miller’s Ghost, was much more difficult to produce than either chapter 1 or 2. It wasn’t any longer, and probably used fewer individual sound effects, and certainly had a lot less music. It only had four characters in it, and I’d already made the mix decisions for three of them back in chapter 1, since Laurie, Steve and Spieler were still in the living room. Where the first two chapters almost always had some kind of sound bed going on (crowds, rain, river, etc.), chapter 3 was often rather still. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

Not really – I wasn’t born until the seventies. But my dad was. He began playing guitar in the late fifties, and by his senior year of high school in 1964, his band was playing at parties nearly every weekend.

Coincidentally, one of the first scenes of The Miller’s Ghost takes place at a house party in 1964. I didn’t want to have to worry about the expense and legal hassle of licensing a hit song from that year to help set that scene. So who better to play at Spieler’s house than my dad’s band? Read the rest of this entry »

by Ginger Steiner

Super Nervous

A few weeks ago I had an audition for Mutineer’s next production, Ditch written by the talented Ms. Taylor Coffman. I had not had an audition in quite a long time, so you can imagine I was super nervous. Yes, I know it was an audition for the theater company that I am a member of, and the people who were auditioning me are my friends. Yes, it was the most comfortable environment an actor could hope for when auditioning, but I was still super nervous! There were other very talented women up for the same role, and I knew I had stiff competition. I had to bring my A game if I wanted this role. I was also nervous because the people who were auditioning me are people who are not only my friends, but talented artists–people who I respect and whose opinions I value. They would know right off the bat if I was
doing a horrible job. Read the rest of this entry »

By Amy Schloerb

Right after my mom passed away I went to see a therapist for a while. She charged me way too much money, wanted me to get angry at my mom, and suggested I write a play to help deal with my feelings. I stopped going to see her.

Later, I realized she was right about one thing; I needed something to do, something to create, something to focus my energy into regarding my mom. And one day, while I was poking around on Facebook, I noticed that my friend was doing a 365-day photo series. Every day for one year he would take a picture of something and post it on his profile page. My first thought was, “Wow that’s cool!” which was closely followed by the thought, “I want to take a picture of something every day that reminds me of my mom.” Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

The first installment of The Miller’s Ghost is just days away.  I’m grabbing every spare moment I can to assemble the hours of raw recordings I have into something that resembles the piece I’ve been hearing in my head.  It’s tough to find those moments, since during the week I’m only able to work while my baby is napping, and that is often just 45 or so minutes at a time.  Still, little by little, it’s coming together.

Editing the performances hasn’t been too hard.  During the recording phase, I used the technique that served me as a music producer.  I have a different colored pencil for each take (blue for Take 1, red for 2, green for 3, purple for 4.  Hopefully 4 takes is enough!).  I write the time each section begins into the margins of my master script, and circle it when I know I got what I wanted.  When I’m ready to edit, I can see at a glance which audio file to use, jump right to that spot, and select that portion of the audio. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jon Cohn

Early on in the pre-production process for Lie with Me, Keith (artistic director and playwright) decided to open up the auditions to the entire DC casting pool rather than rely solely on the wealth of talent in Charter’s company and artistic associates.  Prior to flying east for casting I contacted several trustworthy DC theatre colleagues to provide recommendations of actors that I should see for our production. Read the rest of this entry »

by Ryan Mulkay

by Jon Cohn

In December of 2007 I met up with friend and playwright Keith Bridges to catch up on all things life and theatre while visiting family in Washington, DC over the holidays.  Keith is the Artistic Director of Charter Theatre and was in the midst of rehearsals for the latest piece he penned called F.U. (Forgive Us…what’d you think we meant?) under the capable direction of Joe Banno, another creative colleague and friend of mine.  During a delightful breakfast in Georgetown he offered to do an original play commission for Mutineer as part of a collaborative development process that I was interested in exploring.  Read the rest of this entry »

by Ginger Steiner

So is anyone else disturbed by all the Beatles stuff that is penetrating the media lately? I know that this isn’t the first band that all this madness has happened to, and I am sure that it will not be the last, by any means. I guess it is just a little unsettling seeing these iconic figures as a video game–a video game that we can play where we can be just like them.

Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

Friday night is the culmination of four weeks of recording for The Miller’s Ghost. Marketplace Productions, my employer back in the days before I became a stay-at-home dad, was kind enough to allow me to use the Frank Stanton Studios in downtown LA. I’ve been there for eight hours each of the past four Saturdays, bringing in just about every available member of MTC to give voice to the characters I created.

The four narrators are played by myself, Jon Cohn, Myron Davis and Amy Schloerb. We each had several pages of narration to get through, so I scheduled two to three hour solo sessions for each of us. For the dialogue scenes, involving various other actors, I made sure that the narrators changed their position (sitting vs. standing), used a different microphone, and/or changed the pattern on the microphone (easily accomplished with the AKG 414s that now fill the talk studios). Even without any colorations I might add during the mix, this should make our voices sound different between narration and dialogue, which should help the listener as we go back and forth in certain passages.

Read the rest of this entry »

by Jon Cohn

After my first shoot with Natalie Young, it didn’t seem to take long for the photos to make it out into the universe.  Select images have been published in a South African photography magazine called “Migrate”, and Natalie was also invited to exhibit a series of the images in China this winter at the Lishui International Photo Festival .

Despite my absolute adoration of Natalie and her work, the passion for our ongoing collaboration, and my intrinsic desire to be able to take some credit for the photography, I feel that I should recognize Natalie as the obvious creative eye behind this project (unless she insists on sharing credit with me).
Read the rest of this entry »

by Jon Cohn

I first met photographer Natalie Young in 2004 while I was working as staff at The Groundlings and she was hired to take portraits of the Groundlings past and present for a then upcoming 30th Anniversary event.  We bonded in photo sessions with some of their best-known alumni, but it wasn’t until my going away party from the Groundlings in 2005 and after several bourbons that I took the opportunity to confide some of my theatrical aspirations with Natalie.  Among them was the interest in figuring out a way for us to collaborate on something beyond her taking my headshots. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

Today I distributed the final draft of The Miller’s Ghost to the rest of MTC. Here’s how it came together:

While I wrote three songs during my vacation in Oregon, I didn’t so much as open the file for TMG. It was too difficult for me to alter my headspace between composing music and writing a scary story. But with a pod meeting scheduled for the Tuesday night after my return (about 48 hours later) I had to find my way into the right headspace in a hurry. As I recall, I wrote something like 17 pages in that time, completing the first two chapters: The House on the Hill (mainly exposition) and Karl’s Tale (the ghost’s origin).
Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

Sunday night’s Ditch workshop was amazing. Thanks to all who lent a hand.

It all started as a cozy read-through in our apartment the week before. In just 3 rehearsals, Jon practically staged the entire piece. Sometimes in very close quarters… Nina, Todd, Amber, Peter and Ron were patient and amazing with the pages of edits I sent them each day. James was great about lending another ear and even more sound input as I rushed to edit between breaks at work and rehearsal. Ginger was a rock throughout, taking care of everything at rehearsals so the rest of us could create in such rushed circumstances… It was not an easy week, at least for me. It’s all a bit of a blur now… Read the rest of this entry »

by Maria Mastroyannis

MTC,

Thank you.
Thank you to all of us for being honest and passionate.
Thank you for being the place where we can not only speak our minds, but where we encourage and expect each other to speak from our hearts.
It’s why I became an actor, struggled to become an actor…in order to find that place from which to be honest and real.
Thank you for being the place where we can put all that into our work, unfettered by the noise and clutter of what’s expected ‘out there’. Read the rest of this entry »

by Kenneth Requa

For a recent table read of the Untitled Prom Musical, I asked those participating if any of them would be willing to bring their laptop and read from a digital copy of the script. The musical has 9 speaking parts, and the script is nearly 100 pages long, which is a lot of trees and toner to use on a very early draft that will be outdated as soon as it’s read. Many were able to oblige, and those who asked for paper copies didn’t do so because they’re in the deforestation business. There is a tangible difference between reading from (and certainly taking notes on) a digital copy versus good old-fashioned laser-jet and paper. This is a creative process, and the tools we use can have an effect on our perceptions of the work. Read the rest of this entry »

by Ilona Piotrowska

by Ginger Steiner

Boys wrestling

My brother inspires me, all the hard work and dedication he puts into a traditional family sport (Swiss Wrestling), that he loves. Despite the toll it is taking on his body. (He is the one about to get tossed) Read the rest of this entry »

by Ilona Piotrowska

The building in which we grew up before moving to the States. Our apartment windows (3) are right behind the red doorway, on the first floor.

The day of the Chernobyl disaster: Wroclaw, Poland, April 26th, 1986.

I remember being outside and for some reason none of my friends were out playing. I remember my parents calling me to come inside (we lived in a very typical communist apartment building complex). I was told not to go out because of the radiation wave that was coming through from the explosion in Chernobyl — that’s what they were advising on TV and radio. The whole nation was told to go to the doctor the next day to be given iodine. I remember my brother getting sick and being taken to the hospital. Was it due to the radiation? I don’t know. That is all I remember from that time. Read the rest of this entry »

by Maria Mastroyannis

Recently my family and I went to Portland, OR on vacation–one, to visit some good friends and two, because we love hanging out there.  We stayed in Hawthorne, in the southeast section of the city, east of the river.  In some ways, Portland is the opposite of LA…everyone in Hawthorne has a vegetable garden, everyone rides their bikes everywhere and it feels green, green, green, and shady.

On our first evening walk (and we walked everywhere) we stopped for some tacos, and watched as about 25 nude bike riders whizzed by.  Welcome to Portland!  The next day a passing biker cheerfully recited some poetry at me–by the sound of it, made up on the spot.  Cooky things like that.  As for the vegetables everywhere, I was impressed.  Sometimes it’s hard enough keeping up with our local farmers’ markets, let alone growing our own vegetables. Read the rest of this entry »

by Kenneth Requa

My high school World History teacher had a big sign up in the front of his room that said simply, “Warum”, which is German for “Why”. It may seem a bit cynical. After all, it’s more fun to ask “Why not?” But, it’s often an important question to ask of ourselves, and one I asked myself when I was recently invited to join MTC.

Why get involved with a theater company like Mutineer? There is a finite amount of time in a week, so why commit an indefinite amount of time and energy to THIS group? That is time and energy that won’t be spent at the gym or at the piano. It’s a commitment that will, inevitably, prevent me from doing something ELSE that I’d like to do.  In a world where technology allows us to parcel out our time and energy in smaller and smaller packets, why fragment it further? Read the rest of this entry »

by Myron Davis

I have unashamedly been listening to Michael Jackson’s 2001 Number 1 hit “You Rock My World” on repeat in my car. I’ve watched the full-length short film and various other music video-length versions of the same. As I watch the video two thoughts go through my mind: 1) Calling him talented would almost be an understatement. 2) What a waste that he’s dead.

My writing/producing partner, with whom I’m working on a web series, attended the funeral service at the Staples Center with his wife. While visiting them a few days after the service, his wife handed me the funeral booklet with personal messages from family and friends along with photos of MJ. One message struck me; it was from his sister LaToya. She said that while watching the 1980 Grammys, he began crying because he had only won one Grammy. He promised her he would win more Grammys and sell more records than anyone on his next album. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Utt

When I first arrived here, a local friend told me the L.A. rule regarding left turns:  “After the green light changes back to red, two cars are allowed to turn left. If a third car tries, it will be honked at or cut off.”

Seeing my skepticism, my buddy offered to test the theory at every intersection for the next half hour.  Sure enough: Two cars, no problem; Third car, derisive honking.  It took me a while to acclimate, but I could see the reasoning.  After all, without that protected left arrow, sometimes the only cars able to get through the intersection were the two turning after the red light.
Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

photo by steev-o

From a young age, I’ve just been one of those people who aims to please… probably not the healthiest thing… probably still isn’t. When I think of myself as a performer, it’s pretty clear how this need manifests–the joy I get from making people laugh… making people think… inspiring people… There is a distinct connection between myself and this hope to connect to others–for them to “like” me.

But, I often wonder: When does this “need to please” become destructive in art?

As I write, I often get feedback. Much I actually take; some I try to apply, but it doesn’t quite fit. And, I have to ask myself: Who does this play belong to? Me? Or them? Or everyone? Read the rest of this entry »

by James Utt

MTC will soon decide upon its next production.  In addition to budget, cast size, set design and other considerations, there is the eternal debate:  Comedy or Drama?

It’s doubtful that any theatergoer seeks out one format exclusively.  I know I don’t. For example, in the span of a week, I saw Oleanna at the Mark Taper, Dame Edna at Ahmanson, and The Elephant Man at Andak Stage Company.

I recently saw shows that blended elements of both. The barbed political wit of The Geffen’s Farragut North and the dating ridiculousness of Macha Theatre’s He Asked for It lightened their darker subject matter. Read the rest of this entry »

by Ilona Piotrowska

So the 1945 Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers surfaced up this week.
This was recently posted on the Northeast Ohio Performing Arts List.

1945 Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers

Actors waiting in the wings (photo by wcmcwi)

Equity member Kathleen Freeman died of lung cancer in August, 2001 while she was appearing on Broadway in her Tony-nominated role of Jeanette in The Full Monty. Equity Councillor Jane A. Johnston, a longtime friend, was executrix for Ms. Freeman’s estate. Among Ms. Freeman’s papers she discovered a yellowed document containing A Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers. Ms. Freeman was a daughter of a small time vaudevillian team and it was her childhood experience of touring with her parents from which this Code of Ethics sprung, Ms. Johnston writes. She also notes: “What is particularly interesting about this list of dos and don’ts for the theatre is that it was written in 1945 when Kathleen was establishing one of the first small theatres in Los Angeles and she was 24 years old. I wish I had been told some of ‘the rules’ when I was a young actress instead of having to pick them up as I went along.”
Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

Check out this video. A group of artists collaborating to make this in a week of time. Watching this kinda thing will surely lower your blood pressure.

by Ilona Piotrowska

Silver Lake Mi Amor mural

At the intersection of Hyperion and Sunset, an area known to many as the Sunset Junction, there is a beautiful mural called Silver Lake Mi Amor painted on the side of a surplus store. I live only half a block away and pass it almost every day. The mural is quite new, painted within the last two and a half years, and it depicts local celebrities. I haven’t lived here long enough to figure out who all of them are so I went online and searched for clues to figure out who those mysterious characters are. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any information. Plan B: I decided to contact the artist herself, the lovely Annie Sperling, and ask her about it. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Utt

I enjoyed Hamlet 2 the other night.  Even though it’s a comedy about the self-absorption and insecurity of actors — embodied almost too well by Steve Coogan — the movie illustrates some useful principles:

•         Personal stories — like the fight for a father’s approval — are universal stories.
•         Take the risk; don’t let fear hold you back.
•         Creation is more productive and fulfilling than whining.

In the film, Dana Marschz, an actor whose biggest claim to fame is an infomercial for the Jack LaLanne Juicer, has been relegated to teaching drama in an Arizona high school.   After being notified that the principal is killing the arts program, Dana is inspired to save his classes (or go out with a bang) by writing a sequel to Hamlet. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

I’m in Sunriver, OR this week visiting my wife’s family. It’s a gorgeous setting amidst the pines and meadows of the high desert, and I’m surrounded with good company and good food. Yet I’m making an effort to tear myself away from all that for at least two hours every day in order to work on the musical and the audio play. With so many friendly hands to help out with my baby, this is the best chance I’ve had to bear down and work in many weeks.

Coming into this week, I’ve written a little more than 40% of the ghost story and three songs for the musical. By the time I head back to Pasadena on the 19th, I hope to have at least completed Act One of the musical (four more songs) and finished a complete first draft of The Miller’s Ghost. It’s an ambitious workload, but I’ve got large amounts of the work pre-composed in my head, and I always work best when I’ve got a deadline staring me in the face. Read the rest of this entry »

by Ilona Piotrowska

2009 Capital Fringe Festival Button

I spent some time recently in Washington DC, and besides doing the obvious sightseeing and checking out Charter Theatre’s location for this fall’s DC premiere of Lie with Me, as luck would have it, I ended up being there during the Capital Fringe Festival.

Naturally, I decided to attend some of the plays and support the local art scene. From an experimental piece trying to step into a black hole, to Laurie talking to her vagina named Lucy, to a New York-style yoga class–the shows I saw were both hit and miss. But while sitting in one of the black box theaters I turned to my companion and asked: How did Fringe get started anyway? Well, it turns out there is a little story behind it.   Read the rest of this entry »

by Ginger Steiner

We had a stab lab today (see Taylor’s blog post, What is this thing called STAB LAB???). We worked on Taylor’s play “Ditch”, a piece that is about a relationship between a man and a woman and their inner struggles to deal with that relationship. I got to read the part of Elizabeth and I got to say a line that really hit home for me: “When does my life actually actually start?”

My birthday is coming up in a few days, so it has got me thinking. A year older, another year wiser, but am I where I thought I would be when I’m thirty…ISH? No! I had so many dreams of what life would be like. A loving marriage to a man who adores me. Shuffling the kids off to baseball practice. A house with a big back yard and maybe a pool, and finally, the family dog that would go on every family trip with us. The whole nine yards. At least that is the path that everyone in my family has seemed to have taken. The generic “Leave it to Beaver” dream. Really looking back, was that my dream or was it just expected that I would have those things since that is what my parents did? What their parents did…and so on?
Read the rest of this entry »

by Ryan Mulkay

It’s sometimes the hardest thing to do. Recently I embraced the idea that I was coming up on my one year anniversary of residency in Los Angeles. So far I can say that this town has been good to me—even in the harsh times it is going through. But, I had a thought. In the apartment complex in which I live my roommates and neighbors (6 young men in total) all moved here with a common goal. In one sense or another we moved here to work or perform in the entertainment industry. Though we spend plenty of time together as friends, we had yet to put a project or creative venture into motion. It would only make sense, right? We had all the means and know-how but had not yet put one in motion… Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

Anne Lamott (Photo by mdesive)

So I’ve decided to re-read Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird. I read it in college a couple moons ago, and now seemed a good time to read it again. The first page struck me as she says simply:

“The first thing I tell my new students on the first day of a workshop is that good writing is about telling the truth. We are a species that needs and wants to understand who we are. Sheep lice do not seem to share this longing, which is one reason they write so very little.” Read the rest of this entry »

by Myron Davis

Women: While growing up in the black church and within a black family, respect was something that was drilled into me. I was surrounded by strong, assertive women who spoke their minds; the men were no slouches either.

Now as a man, I have some amazing female friends. My life would be so different without their love, support, protection and insight. As an artist and observer of the human condition, I have learned so much from them. I’ve learned as they’ve shared their guy problems with me how much of themselves they hide and how often they’ve sought self-worth as women through different relationships, education and careers. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Utt

Titan Arum

I went to the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens last month to see the Titan Arum or “Corpse Flower.”  With a bloom reaching six feet in height, this native to Sumatra is considered the world’s largest flower, but it is just as famous for the odor of rotting meat it gives off to attract insects.   Titan Arums can go many years between blossoms so when I found out that one was right here in our own backyard, I hurried to Pasadena to see it.

After a few minutes in a line filled with curious adults and kids, I got to see Titan Arum for myself. It’s about the size of  Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.   It was reaching the end of its short bloom cycle, so instead of decaying flesh, the Titan Arum smelled more like cabbage.  Even without the corpse odor it was still worth it to see something firsthand that I only read about. Read the rest of this entry »

by Ilona Piotrowska

Mercury Fur (photo credit: Andrew Rothenberg)

For the past two months, I’ve been assistant stage managing for a show produced by needtheater called Mercury Fur. The controversial play, written by Philip Ridley, is an apocalyptic drama which centers around the planned sacrifice of a child. The text consists of many stories told by various characters. One night I sat down and wrote a story of my own that I think has a bit of that Ridley feeling to it, but I could be wrong. Here it is:

I open my eyes. Darkness. Can’t see anything. Where da fuck am I? A bed, I feel a pillow next to me. Drip, drip… Leaky faucet? What happened? A smell of urine fills my nostrils, my throat. Why can’t I see anything? What time is it? I slide my body to the edge, try to sit up. Cold, wooden floor underneath my bear feet. Drip, drip, drip… Help. I feel nauseous. Panic, sweat on my temples. I brush the hair off my face; it comes off. What da? My hair? A wig? It’s a wig. Why am I wearing a wig? Fuck it. I want to get out of here. Read the rest of this entry »

by Ginger Steiner

Crack Dip

So, I got a lot of great comments on my last blog “LA living!” and one major question. “What exactly is Crack dip?”. It is a delightful highly addictive sausage dip that I try to bring to every Mutineer company meeting. I introduced it to the Mutineer family one late night rehearsal for “Lie With Me”. I was just trying to be a good stage manager, making sure my people where fed. So, I brought my crack dip and my chips with a hint of lime and served it to my hungry crew. And, that was it; they were hooked. One bite and they were crack dip junkies.
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by Taylor Coffman

You might be wondering… as am I… what’s next for MTC??? Well in my personal opinion, it could be one of the amazing things percolating in what we MTCer’s call STAB LAB. What started as a workshop for scenes and audition sides has truly evolved into where the magic is happening! (although scenes and audition sides are still more than welcome). Its name came from an email exchange between Jon and me–and, well, my suggestion for calling it STAB LAB was actually half a joke–but it stuck and now there’s no going back. I do admit though it’s a perfect title. Mutineers probably stabbed each other a bunch. And it’s our way of “taking a stab” at new material…
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by Myron Davis

I was walking down the street in my neighborhood and thinking about what I need to be doing to kick my career to the next level as a director-writer-actor. The main answer that came to me was to “be prolific.” What prolific meant to me as I walked was to focus on quantity, not to the exclusion of but with preference over quality. I needed to get my momentum going by just making more mistakes i.e. learning by doing.

When I was living in Queens, NY, I finally made the decision to get comfortable on the guitar. I committed to practicing four hours a night after I got home from work. I remember one night getting home around 1 A.M. from seeing a buddy perform and picking my guitar up to start my 4-hour session. I made some horrible sounds with that guitar, but after a while I started to make “something approaching music.” Read the rest of this entry »

by Jon Cohn

I have long believed that theatre artists were far more successful at their craft when they had the opportunity to experience the world that they live in rather than submerge themselves in rather extensive programs to learn about it.  That’s not to say that training is irrelevant or unimportant–just a feeling that an equal measure of life is a vital supplement to more effectively and accurately observe, reflect, and comment upon the human condition.

Mutineer Theatre Company recently passed its one-year mark.  We are a brand-new non-profit theatre company in the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.  We are actively developing multiple original projects that all have the potential to be produced on our stage and at the same time we are strategizing our financial development efforts so that these endeavors can be actualized.  I find that I am tempted by the thought of submerging myself in all of the work that must be done for Mutineer and allow for no other outside activities or distractions.  But then it occurs to me that this would not only be a disservice to our company and to myself as an artist but also to the theatre community at large if I didn’t get out there to see what shows were running.   Read the rest of this entry »

by Maria Mastroyannis

Upon my suggestion, three of us Mutineers went to see La Didone at the Red Cat last week.  My husband and I had seen Wooster Group’s ‘Hamlet’ there last year, and loved it.  That production had simply employed a fast-forwarded Richard Burton film recording of Hamlet from 1964 as a sort of choreographic skeleton upon which to hang this full length production of the play.  The result was a surprisingly brisk, expressive and witty work.  I came away thinking, ‘Well, of course, how else to do Hamlet’, the idea and its execution were so elegant, simple and somehow complete. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

About half of the company gathered at my house last weekend for a table read of Act One of “Prom Night!” It wasn’t going to be practical to present any music in this format, since the folks reading the various characters weren’t necessarily singers, and I hadn’t necessarily written most of the songs. I volunteered to read the part of Nathan, whose big solo I had already composed, so that I could at least sing the few things I had somewhat determined musically up to that point. Mainly, people just recited the song lyrics.

But the real purpose of the afternoon was to help Kenneth find out what was working and what still needed to be tweaked. The read-through took about 55 minutes, so we figure that when all of the music is added Act One will run a little over an hour – basically, an ideal length. Those who were new to the material generally laughed in the right places, and at the end most were excited to find out what happens next. In that respect, the draft was in good shape. Read the rest of this entry »

by Amber Hamilton

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.  (Find out more about Matt)

I really just want to see the world.  Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

So, I am just sitting here with my notes, reflecting on yesterday’s “Ditch” workshop, eager to keep writing. I feel like I’m almost there, but every time I share this piece, it always seems to spurn more discussion, more ideas… which is AWESOME. But then I have to ask myself, “How the HELL do I know when I am finished???”

This piece is kinda surreal, so there are so many potential avenues to explore and potential places to invest. It’s fun that way. But, how and when does a writer say, “This is it. Take it or leave it.”? AND should a writer ever say that? Especially, of a piece of theatre, which in comparison to many art forms, is very much “alive”. It’s constantly being reinterpreted and explored. It’s physically being LIVED by the people performing it.
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Jerzy Grotowski

by Ilona Piotrowska

Flipping through some old journal entries, I came across something I wrote years ago about “Poor Theatre”. The term “poor theater” was coined by Jerzy Grotowski, a Polish stage director and theatrical theorist. It means theatre which eliminates all nonessentials like costumes, sound effects, lighting, sets, and makeup. The idea behind it concentrates on redefining the relationship between the actors and the audience. Once the spectacle is stripped of the “riches”, the emphasis relies on the essence of the performance. The very basics can be utilized in place of the elaborate schemes, for example direct lighting and shadows, or the use of one’s voice as a music element. Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

written June 4th, 2009

This Monday I played the recording of my teacher’s ghost story for a few Company members.  In its original form, it has three parts: one taking place around 1900, one in 1963, and the other in 1964.  These amount to a story within a story within a story.  I intend to add a fourth part, set in the present.  I have only the loosest idea of what will happen there.  Through discussing the piece, it has become clear that the story works because of the first person perspective in which it is told.  Rather than have all the parts told by one master narrator, I will give each of the four parts to an eyewitness of those events, putting all of them in the first person. Read the rest of this entry »

by Myron Davis

(Not really a review as much as a shout-out)

The Creative Fête is an opportunity for actors, musicians and other performers to take the stage one night each month to perform things they’re working on. The fête is the creation of a group called The Nursery (Ellie Araiza, Benjamin Maixner, Sean Riblett and Bill Voorhees). I was greeted by Bill Voorhees a long-time friend from Sacramento who invited me. He told me I could perform, spectate or both according to my desire. I chose to spectate as I didn’t have anything I really wanted to showcase. Read the rest of this entry »

by Luke Goldstein

I’ve always been a fan of storytelling. Nothing beats the feeling of being in a room with a bunch of people who are intently locked into the tale you are pouring out. You get to take them on a journey, hopefully to somewhere they’ve never been before. It wasn’t until my junior year in college that I had the epiphany that I was no different from the people out here in California who actually make a living doing that very thing. My route was a touch roundabout, but eventually I set foot in the “land of make believe” and began my quest to become one of the many talented and working storytellers in this town. Read the rest of this entry »

by Amber Hamilton

A few days ago I celebrated my 29th birthday.  For the last nine years, I’ve been counting down to 30, and here I am with one year left to go.  Why I’ve made my 30th year such a landmark in my timeline, I’m not sure.  Perhaps it’s because society seems to hint that by your 30s you need to be successful…you need to be somebody…you need to have money in your bank account.  Maybe it’s because all my friends back home are married with kids, and I feel that if I’m not settled down by the time I’m 30, I never will be.  Or, perhaps it’s because I can hear my father in my ear telling me throughout my twenties not to stress, and that by the time I’m 30 I’ll have everything figured out.  Well, with one year left in my twenties I don’t know a damn thing.  Read the rest of this entry »

by James Richter

This year I made three creative resolutions:

1. Write, arrange and produce a Christmas album
2. Write and produce an audio play
3. Write a musical

I don’t know where I’d get the money to actually produce an album, but the other projects are underway, thanks to the good folks at Mutineer Theater company.

After “Lie with Me” wrapped up, I got the ball rolling on the musical, which we have given the working title of “Prom Night!”  My good friend, Kenneth, has had the idea for this show for some time, and only needed some teamwork and structure to begin fleshing things out.  We met for an afternoon this spring to outline a two-page treatment, which we presented to a group of MTC members.  They were very enthusiastic about the concept.  Read the rest of this entry »

by Taylor Coffman

I’ve been writing a play for ALMOST ten years… it’s funny to read the “wisdom” of my early 20’s. I probably shoulda followed more of my own advice.

Currently, I’m on the East Coast taking the closest thing I’ve had to a vacation in a while. Been writing and pumping new life into this play… exploring new avenues… painfully cutting scenes that have clung to the page through the years. But, I am excited to see the changes. I also found this quote which hits on themes that I explore in the play… and is true for us all: Read the rest of this entry »

by Ginger Steiner

Being a part of the whole Mutineer team has made me challenge myself and push myself creatively…..There are so many talented, smart, interesting people in our group. Sometimes I have to admit that it can be a little intimidating. I consider myself the shy one…..I am the girl that in a large crowd of people tends to get lost….I came to this city with big hopes and dreams of stardom and movies: You walk off the bus and someone signs you to a movie deal…..”What, you mean that shit doesn’t happen in real life?” And I am the shy one….What the hell was I thinking moving to this big city?….It doesn’t matter how talented I am; if I can’t sell myself, I will never make it in this town….My heart is permanently attached to my sleeve, so the business end of “Show Business” would have eaten me alive. Read the rest of this entry »

by Myron Davis

You must be the change you want to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi

No matter how true or profound some quotes actually are, for some reason once they get added to enough bumper stickers and t-shirts they can start to sound naive or cliché. I used to hear or read the phrase above by Gandhi (one of my cousins uses it on her voicemail greeting) and think of it in the geopolitical sense. But, recently I have started to think of it as being powerful in small things. Read the rest of this entry »