BWW Special Feature: 99 and Under the Radar; Coming Attractions

 

Welcome to 99 AND UNDER THE RADAR: A LOOK AT INDIE THEATER'S MOVERS AND SHAKERS, BroadwayWorld's new weekly series that showcases standout productions and production companies from the independent theater scene in New York City. Each week, independent producer Michael Roderick will be discussing the latest goings on in the theatrical wings, highlighting those with potentially bright futures. 

This Week's Topic: Coming Attractions

One of the biggest challenges with catching great shows in the Indie Theatre community is catching them before they close. Often as soon as review is up and without an extension, the average audience member ends up with three chances to catch the show. With that in mind, this week will check back in with four of our 10 to watch in 2010 and provide a preview of what's coming up.

The Nerve Tank has been very busy preparing for their latest show, Live Feed. From the press release: "The Cold War meets the War on Terror. Bodies meet the floor. LIVE/FEED is a movement theater mash-up that focuses on the actors' physical relationships with each other and with the performance space. The text becomes a navigational tool for these discoveries. Inspired by an apocryphal quote ("May you live in interesting times"), the project deals with issues of control in a violent and chaotic landscape. Featuring original music and immersive, site-responsive design." This company always creates brilliant and thought provoking work and this piece is sure to provide plenty of visual as well as mental stimulation thanks to their committed performers, adept work with technology, and fearless commentary. More info and tickets can be found here.

Impetuous Theater Group has teamed up with The Brick Theater and come blasting out of the box with a brand new play by Crystal Skillman. From the press release: "A Medieval man tortures a terrorist in 15th Century Prague while a young tourist in the 21st Century befriends a stranger. A play about the danger of crossing over, between now and then, THE VIGILorTHE GUIDED CRADLE is a chilling portrait of the art of torture and those desperate enough to use their ability to create... no matter the cost" The production is being directed by the incredibly talented John Hurley and if their last production is any indication of what's to come, this show looks to be incredibly intense.
More info can be found here.

9 Thirty Theatre Company will be presenting their unique interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream this month. From the Artistic Director: "This exciting Dream explores how unbalance leads to the bizarre set in deforested Africa" This production is set to explore the story and combine it with very specific environmental concerns and messages combining activism with Shakespeare. That's pretty smart. 9 Thirty takes the time to make environmental concerns part of our current cultural conversation and that is something that should be pretty amazing to watch. To see more info, check here.

Flux Theatre Ensemble is doing something very exciting this month as well. After having some rights difficulty with J.B., the company's artistic director wrote a show with the concept of Jacob wrestling the Angel and will have a new show called Jacob's House. From the press release: "This darkly comic riff on the Biblical story of Jacob explores the legacies of violence and power and the cost of wrestling with the divine. The four year old Flux Theatre Ensemble is the proud recipient of two NYC Fringe Festival Awards, the Village Voice Audience Favorite Award and of 7 New York Innovative Theatre Award nominations. They have received critical acclaim from The New York Times (Anita Gates), Backstage, New York Press, nytheatre.com and Off Off Online." Since Flux always does phenomenal work, this will be sure to please. For more info, check here.

There's a lot on the horizon and there's plenty of time to get tickets, so get on out there and see some great theatre today. 

Read more of Michael's insights at www.oneproducerinthecity.typepad.com.