Capturing the "Snowpocalypse" with my Fuji X100

Monday's blizzard was supposed to be an historic event, according to New York City's Mayor De Blasio. While the snowfall didn't set any records, there was quite a bit of wintry weather through the evening. With a travel ban issued across the city, the streets were mostly free of cars, so I set out with my Fuji X100 (in a ziplock bag) to explore the neighborhood.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Trailer

A year ago, I was the Airealistic Project Manager for Theatre For A New Audience's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Julie Taymor. We opened the Polonsky Shakespeare Center with this visually stunning production, and Airealistic was responsible for all of the flying and rigging in the show. The production was a great success, and Julie filmed the show during the final week of the run, and now the film will make it's debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. I'm not sure how well it will transfer to the screen, although the trailer is fantastic, so it should at least hold up visually.

An immersive cinematic record of director Julie Taymor's (The Lion King) virtuosic stage production of Shakespeare's immortal fantasy.

Julie Taymor in the New York Times

The New York Times has a lengthy profile on Julie Taymor in anticipation of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Theatre for A New Audience. In the piece, Susan Dominus tackles the issue of flying early on:

Ms. Taymor, who has directed the most successful musical of all time (“The Lion King”) and perhaps the most troubled (“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”) said she knew just how time-consuming creating flying scenes can be — and presumably, also, how much can go wrong. But over time she warmed to the idea; for the grand entrances of Puck and Titania, both of whom are played by adults, “it didn’t seem right to just have them walk onstage,” she said.

This time around she’s kept the flying technology simple. That Ms. Taymor has included flying at all in the production, which was scheduled to begin performances Oct. 19 at the brand-new Brooklyn home of Theater for a New Audience, suggests that she is undaunted by her experience on “Spider-Man.” But for her first foray back into New York theater since, she has chosen the embrace of the familiar, working with her close friend Jeffrey Horowitz, the theater’s founding artistic director, with whom she first collaborated almost 30 years ago.


Colbert Mocks Nestle Resource Water

Stephen Colbert takes on Nestle and features our performance at the Resource Water launch. Personally, I like that he takes Nestle to task, but still showcases our work. I can't embed the video here, but you can check it out by following this link: http://on.cc.com/O4E2d4

Airealistic Performance for Resource Water

After stage managing the Airealistic show, Breaking Surface a few months ago, I continued stage managing for the performance they created for the launch of Nestle's Resource Water.

Experience a one-of-a-kind spectacular featuring breathtaking aerial choreography and acrobatic dance, from the national launch of resource Natural Spring Water. Continue your journey: http://www.facebook.com/resourcespringwater http://www.twitter.com/resourcewater

Breaking Surface at Theatre For A New City

We just finished a run of Breaking Surface in the East Village at Theatre for the New City. I've been consulting and working on the production as the Stage Manager as well as creating a lot of images and putting together the trailer for the show.

Breaking Surface is Flying-Dance-Theater over water. Inspired by performance that blurs genres, the tale swings between romance, adventure & farce. Dynamic physicality & surprising perspectives carry the audience into the sketches of a man with aquatic longings. Acrobatics, dance & physical story-telling take us on a journey into childhood fantasy. Presented by AiRealistic, this new creation by Gwyneth Larsen & William Mulholland is built on the moment of tension- or anticipation- when we have committed ourselves to the unknown but have yet to take the first step.




Richard II

KING RICHARD II
I have been studying how I may compare
This prison where I live unto the world:
And for because the world is populous
And here is not a creature but myself,
I cannot do it; yet I'll hammer it out.
My brain I'll prove the female to my soul,
My soul the father; and these two beget
A generation of still-breeding thoughts,
And these same thoughts people this little world,
In humours like the people of this world,
For no thought is contented. The better sort,
As thoughts of things divine, are intermix'd
With scruples and do set the word itself
Against the word:
As thus, 'Come, little ones,' and then again,
'It is as hard to come as for a camel
To thread the postern of a small needle's eye.'
Thoughts tending to ambition, they do plot
Unlikely wonders; how these vain weak nails
May tear a passage through the flinty ribs
Of this hard world, my ragged prison walls,
And, for they cannot, die in their own pride.
Thoughts tending to content flatter themselves
That they are not the first of fortune's slaves,
Nor shall not be the last; like silly beggars
Who sitting in the stocks refuge their shame,
That many have and others must sit there;
And in this thought they find a kind of ease,
Bearing their own misfortunes on the back
Of such as have before endured the like.
Thus play I in one person many people,
And none contented: sometimes am I king;
Then treasons make me wish myself a beggar,
And so I am: then crushing penury
Persuades me I was better when a king;
Then am I king'd again: and by and by
Think that I am unking'd by Bolingbroke,
And straight am nothing: but whate'er I be,
Nor I nor any man that but man is
With nothing shall be pleased, till he be eased
With being nothing. Music do I hear?

Music

Ha, ha! keep time: how sour sweet music is,
When time is broke and no proportion kept!
So is it in the music of men's lives.
And here have I the daintiness of ear
To cheque time broke in a disorder'd string;
But for the concord of my state and time
Had not an ear to hear my true time broke.
I wasted time, and now doth time waste me;
For now hath time made me his numbering clock:
My thoughts are minutes; and with sighs they jar
Their watches on unto mine eyes, the outward watch,
Whereto my finger, like a dial's point,
Is pointing still, in cleansing them from tears.
Now sir, the sound that tells what hour it is
Are clamorous groans, which strike upon my heart,
Which is the bell: so sighs and tears and groans
Show minutes, times, and hours: but my time
Runs posting on in Bolingbroke's proud joy,
While I stand fooling here, his Jack o' the clock.
This music mads me; let it sound no more;
For though it have holp madmen to their wits,
In me it seems it will make wise men mad.
Yet blessing on his heart that gives it me!
For 'tis a sign of love; and love to Richard
Is a strange brooch in this all-hating world.

NYC Photowalk with Trey Ratcliff

Trey Ratcliff is in New York City, and tonight I took part in his NYC Photowalk. Hundreds of photographers showed up to meet Trey and get HDR tips directly from him. It was a great event and a beautiful evening in New York City.

Bullet For Adolf Opening Night

Last night, Emily and I celebrated the opening of Bullet for Adolf. After months of work, including pre-production, sever​al weeks of rehearsal and three weeks of previews, the show was ready to open. It was a fantastic night, with a responsive audience, and we had a great time at the party.

Emily Davis and Will O'Hare celebrate the Opening Night for Bullet For Adolf​

Bullet For Adolf Rehearsal Photos in New York Magazine

Gregory Costanzo has been documenting our rehearsals over the past few weeks. He's a photographer who really knows how to capture the moment, shooting primarily on film, and it's been great to have him in rehearsal. New York Magazine ran a spread with a few of his photos last week, but you can see all of his shots by following the link below:

http://www.vulture.com/2012/07/photos-woody-harrelsons-off-broadway-bullet-for-adolf.html#

​Photo by Gregory Costanzo

​Photo by Gregory Costanzo

Bullet For Adolf - First Day of Rehearsal

Today is the first day of rehearsal for Woody Harrelson's play, Bullet For Adolf, which will run Off-Broadway this summer at New World Stages. I'm the Associate Director after working as the Assistant Director for the premiere of the play in Toronto last year. I'm looking forward to the read-through this afternoon, and I'm really looking forward to starting rehearsals. Woody certainly knows comedy and I learned a lot from him last year about how to craft a great joke.

For more information on the show, check out the website for the show: www.bulletforadolf.com

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