A New Year Has Begun!

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:35:52 -0400

I am now able to sit down and reflect on a busy summer that has morphed into a fall of infinite possibilities. I am in the process of building Main Street Arts and I am 16 years wiser, than when I started MSA in Nyack, NY in 1994. It is interesting how life is so cyclical and always full of opening doors. I had an fantastic summer in touring with the kids. The 13 tour to Florida was amazing and the kids were unbelievable both in their demeanor and in their performance. I have never been prouder of any group. The weather was brutal but they performed like seasoned veterans and with purpose and intensity.

Gibby was quite different. I was disappointed in the lack of commitment and passion of the group and it reflected on the performances whether they were at 59th Street or in Edinburgh. The trip was marvelous whenever we were not performing. London was everything I could want and more and Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities all time. It was magnificent. Luckily, I got to see good theater there at every opportunity and I got to meet some great people. I do not have any bad feelings towards the cast of Gibby, rather I wish that they all take a hard look at themselves and approach any new opportunity with a different attitude and with more passion. I know I have reviewed my failings and will approach any trip in the future with a different resolve.

The start of Main Street has been also full of ups and downs. We are slowly putting ourselves together and creating our image as we move forward. I have some great classes cooking and some amazing students who are making me feel so energized with their boundless energy and enthusiasm. I am also surrounded by incredible people, whom astound me every day with their loyalty, love and energy. John Burton has been a godsend, he is a man of passion and purpose and it is so rare to find such a caring person. He has opened up everything to help the kids and I here develop a real program. My dear friend Jim Gerth is my rock and I could not even begin to think of doing anything without him by my side helping, advising and laughing. It is with this in my heart that I move forward one small step at a time enjoying each day.

I do also have to say that my father influences me so much. I spent the better part of my early life trying to live up to him. Now I just want to express how much I love him and to let him now how much of him I carry with me each and every day.

Sincerely;

Paul
Executive Director
Infinity Rep
Main Street Arts Children’s Theatre

NOTES FROM HEDDA GABLER

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:29:02 -0400

Just finished NOTES and it was an amazing evening. I spent the better part of 23 hours working to make it happen and it would not have happened without the dedication and work of the Company, their parents, Angela, John, Trish, Jeannie and many other volunteers. It was a memorable experience, yet without time to breathe we are off to the races and producing our first Infinity mainstage of the season. Ibsen’s HEDDA GABLER. I have some favorite playwrights some of which are Ionesco, Feydeau, Ibsen, Chekov, O’Neil, Shepard and Williams. Anytime that I get to produce and direct one of these giants I consider myself fortunate.
This current production has an eager and talented cast and promises to bring this tense, explosive play to new heights. I hope you all will have a chance to come and see it.

Sincerely;

Paul
Executive Director
Infinity Rep

Auditions! Auditions! Auditions!

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 16:42:09 -0400

So much of the month of September is made up of auditioning for everything under the sun.

This fall my focus has been on HEDDA GABLER, JUNGLE BOOK, URINETOWN and DEAR EDWINA. Each play is vastly different yet they all share actors who are striving for that one special role of a lifetime. (That is until the next play and next role of a lifetime) In each instance I am always asked “what can I do to better improve my chances for success?”. I often give the same answer.

Don’t focus on the part, focus on the audition. That sounds confusing but in effect it is true. When you over focus on a part you place undue pressure on yourself and also place your entire self worth on your success or failure in landing that role. Auditions are nerve racking enough without putting even more pressure on yourself. When you focus on your audition, you are focusing on making sure that you are showing your very best to the director, choreographer, music director. Then they will place you in the part they feel will fit you the best. Which is what they are going to do no matter how much stress you place on yourself. If you have shown your very best in the audition then you can walk away satisfied and feel good about your work no matter the outcome.

Once you have the part. If you get the part you wanted, then you should strive to prove that you deserve that part every single day whether it be in rehearsal or in performance. Remember that your attitude and work ethic do create an impression that can help you the next time you come to an audition in front of the same director, choreographer, music director. If you did not get the part you wanted. You should strive to prove you deserved it by taking the part you were given and just pouring your soul into it and making it spectacular. Your work will be noticed and the next time casting happens it will reflect.

Remember there will always be the next part in the next play that is just to die for. Approach each role with enthusiasm and passion and you will always be successful and more importantly happy.

Sincerely;

Paul
Executive Director
Infinity Rep

Notes From A Hospital Bed

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:51:40 -0400

This event has quickly become one of my favorite things that happens here at The Pulse. First of all this event brought three amazing individuals into my life. Jeannie Sweeney of The Childlife Team from The Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, Angela Uzzo a volunteer who made this all happen and the driving force behind it all Mr. John Burton of Trish’s Ribbon.

I was approached by Angela about organizing a small reading of some poems written by children staying in the hospital. This was at first going to be something on a small scale. I immediately saw it on a much larger platform and committed both Infinity Rep and The Pulse to help sponsor and host this event. I then got to work wit Jeannie and was moved to tears when I saw the quality, passion and depth of the poems. I knew right there that this was going to be amazing.

I met with Maxine and Kendall, who were the leaders of Infinity and they too got caught up in the excitement of the event. It really became an obsession to make the words come to life. The entire company pored themselves into the poems and they slowly became magical. We did a performance at The Maria Fareri Hospital and it gave a glimpse into what the finished evening at The Pulse was going to be. The performance took place at the Pulse and the emotion that encompassed the audience and the performers was amazing. It truly was a shared experience, not about ego but about expressing the feelings and voices of these children.

On October 18th, we are producing the 2nd Annual Notes From a Hospital Bed. Rehearsals are now in progress and everyone is scrambling to make the event memorable. I suppose the biggest compliment I received last year was from Brenda Fareri, Maria’s mom, when she said that “the event was truly in the spirit of Maria’s wishes” To me now that has become a standard. The company and I want to live up to that and honor Maria and the kids who wrote those poems. We want not just to raise money for the Childlife program but to make others aware of the voices that cry out and to see the beauty and the love that exists in these words.

We all hope you are able to be a part of this very special event.

Sincerely;

Paul
Executive Director
Infinity Rep

Theatre in my life

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 16:05:12 -0400

I am often asked why is Theatre so important to me. I am always at a loss for words in describing what it means to me. Words cannot do it justice.

Theatre by its nature is the ultimate collaborative artform, in fact I would argue that until the audience shares in the experience, the art form is incomplete.

I love how theatre is all inclusive and always searching and reaching to explore the human condition. We all strive to find what the truth is in our work. How does our work resonate? The director meeting with his design team and expressing ideas and watching those ideas germinate and grow in directions beyond his reckoning. The cast taking the words written and the music and allowing it to touch them and to use their own unique talents to shape them in ways unseen by the author. The director guiding them and working with them to explore different avenues. The constant rehearsing were we polish and bounce ideas off each other and we hungrily attack each moment, leaving no stone unturned. The costumes and set added as we drop our creations into the world we have created. Watching the actors light up in wonder as they explore there new sandbox. Lights, the band, sound all enhancing, sharpening the focus. Finally, the moment the audience enters and is welcomed to our world and taken along on the ride that we have carefully crafted for them. Their every response feeding the moments occurring on stage. The culmination is that we have all together experienced something completely unique. We can do the same performance again but it will never be the same, it will always be different.

Theatre teaches us to work together, to think creatively, to constantly seek to improve ourselves, to listen, to understand that we always have choices and it is important to think through them. Most importantly theatre teaches us to not fear failure. It has been said greatness cannot be achieved without failure. Those of us who are afraid to fail will not allow themselves to find greatness. An artist must be resilient and forgiving. We all fall, we all fail, what determines our character is how we react after those incidents. A good actor will brush themselves off, understand the problem and grow to the next challenge. I have been fortunate to have theatre be in my life for 30 plus years, and I am still learning, growing and supremely grateful.

Till next time;

Paul
Executive Director
Infinity Rep