Season 6: How Dare We?

God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza
October 5-6, 12-13
Proposed Performance Venue: RagTag Cinema

Winner of the 2009 Tony Award and the basis for the 2011 movie adaptation Carnage, Yasmina Reza’s contemporary comedy of manners centers around a playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys which brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter.  At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters.

The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello
December 6, 7, & 8
Proposed Performance Venue: The Blue Fugue

The Santaland Diaries gives us a glimpse of what a slacker’s Christmas must feel like. Out of work, our slacker decides to become a Macy’s elf during the holiday crunch. At first the job is simply humiliating, but once the thousands of visitors start pouring through Santa’s workshop, he becomes battle weary and bitter. Taking consolation in the fact that some of the other elves were television extras on One Life to Live, he grins and bears it, occasionally taking out his frustrations on the children and parents alike. The piece ends with yet another Santa being ushered into the workshop, but this one is different from the lecherous or drunken ones with whom he has had to work. This Santa actually seems to care about and love the children who come to see him, startling our hero into an uncharacteristic moment of goodwill just before his employment runs out.

short Women’s Play Festival 5
March 7, 8 & 9, 2013
Performance Venue: The Bridge

IAT’s annual short Women’s Play Festival features new, short works by women playwrights from around the country and directed by local women theatre artists.  Performed in March as a part of Women’s History Month, this annual festival celebrates the work of women artists.

Distant Music by James McLindon
April 25, 26 & 27. 2013
Performance Venue: Eastside Tavern

On a snowy night in an Irish pub, Connor, Maeve and Dev meet, each agonizing over an irrevocably life-changing decision. The three fight over religion and beer, whether truth exists at all, the differences between the Irish and Irish-Americans, the many failings (according to Dev) of the latter, and, finally, the capacity of stout to explain, metaphorically and metaphysically, most of life. As the evening unfolds, each is eager to tell the others exactly what they should do with their lives and equally resolved not to discuss his or her own. Ultimately, Maeve’s determination to force Connor to confront their feelings for each other, and Dev’s weakness for eavesdropping on them through the heating vent, bring all three face to face with their futures.

The line up for IAT’s Season 6: How Dare We include:

God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza
October 5-6, 12-13

The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello
December 6-8

5^th Annual short Women’s Play Festival (featuring 6 short plays by women playwrights from around the USA)
March 7-9, 2013

Distant Music by James McLindon
April 25-27, 2013

How to apply:
1. Write a short letter stating your interest in directing one of these shows. Your letter should include the title of the play you are proposing to direct, a statement describing your approach to the show (aka director’s concept or vision), and your approach to working with actors.
2. Along with your letter, please include your resume (and representative photos from your directing portfolio, if available).  Also, be sure to include contact information.
3. Email your application materials to board@iatheatre.org no later than 5 pm on Friday, June 8.

Directors for the 2012-2013 season will be selected and announced by July 4.  We look forward to reading your applications!

A few special notes:

• Only directors who are also women will be considered for the short Women’s Play Festival 5.
• We are a purposefully nomadic theatre company that is interested in site-specific or site-representative work, so each production will occur in a different downtown Columbia venue.  While we do have tentative locations in mind, we would also be interested in any proposed locations you feel are appropriate to the show you are applying to direct.
• We are a theatre company founded on the “Poor Theatre” aesthetic, so the focus of our work is on directors working with actors and minimal stage design.
• As a professional company, IAT is dedicated to making sure all artistic staff – including selected directors! – are paid a (small) stipend for their work.
• If you would like to read the scripts for God of Carnage, Santaland Diaries, or Distant Music, we will be partnering with 9^th Street Video on Hitt Street to make copies of each script available for free overnight check out and perusal.  Scripts will be available by Friday, May 18. Any directors who fail to return checked out scripts will be responsible for replacement costs. (Yes, we trust you, but we have to say that – just in case.)
• Further questions can be directed to Artistic Director Emily Rollie (e.rollie@iatheatre.org).

Drumroll please…..

October 5-6, 12-13 – God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza

Winner of the 2009 Tony Award and the basis for the 2011 movie adaptation Carnage, Yasmina Reza’s contemporary comedy of manners centers around a playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys which brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter.  At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters.

December 6, 7, & 8 – The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello

The Santaland Diaries gives us a glimpse of what a slacker’s Christmas must feel like. Out of work, our slacker decides to become a Macy’s elf during the holiday crunch. At first the job is simply humiliating, but once the thousands of visitors start pouring through Santa’s workshop, he becomes battle weary and bitter. Taking consolation in the fact that some of the other elves were television extras on One Life to Live, he grins and bears it, occasionally taking out his frustrations on the children and parents alike. The piece ends with yet another Santa being ushered into the workshop, but this one is different from the lecherous or drunken ones with whom he has had to work. This Santa actually seems to care about and love the children who come to see him, startling our hero into an uncharacteristic moment of goodwill just before his employment runs out.

March 7, 8 & 9 – short Women’s Play Festival 5

IAT’s annual short Women’s Play Festival features new, short works by women playwrights from around the country and directed by local women theatre artists.  Performed in March as a part of Women’s History Month, this annual festival celebrates the work of women artists.

April 25, 26 & 27 – Distant Music by James McLindon

On a snowy night in an Irish pub, Connor, Maeve and Dev meet, each agonizing over an irrevocably life-changing decision. The three fight over religion and beer, whether truth exists at all, the differences between the Irish and Irish-Americans, the many failings (according to Dev) of the latter, and, finally, the capacity of stout to explain, metaphorically and metaphysically, most of life. As the evening unfolds, each is eager to tell the others exactly what they should do with their lives and equally resolved not to discuss his or her own. Ultimately, Maeve’s determination to force Connor to confront their feelings for each other, and Dev’s weakness for eavesdropping on them through the heating vent, bring all three face to face with their futures.

Stay tuned for the upcoming call for directors!

Matt Friedman – Matt Fotis

Sally Talley – Ashton Botts

A big thanks to all those who auditioned – we were very pleased to see such a wealth of talent!  Stay tuned for more audition opportunities with IAT (and the announcement of our line up of shows for Season 6: How Dare We).

LILLIE MEANT MURDER by Claudia Barnett, directed by Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri & stage managed by Emma Squire
Lillie – Brooke Underwood
Bollander – Matt Ingram
Haggerty/Judge – Nathan Bryant

DRIVING HOME by Margaret Hoffman, directed by Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri & stage managed by Emma Squire
Parker – Brooke Underwood
Barrow – Nathan Bryant

ELEPHANTS & COFFEE by Aoise Stratford, directed by Amy Darnell & stage managed by Christine Snyder
Woman – Emily Adams
Elephant – Shane McDermott

STRIKE by Aoise Stratford, directed by Amy Darnell & stage managed by Christine Snyder
Terry – Christopher Murrell
Terri – Emily Adams

ESTRAGON’S BOOT by Daniella Vinitski, directed by Cece McFarland & stage managed by Carrie Winship
Kirby – Matt Ingram
Sheila – Kelsey Kennedy

MIRANDA’S TEMPEST by Daniella Vinitski, directed by Cece McFarland & stage managed by Carie Winship
Miranda – Emily Adams

Thank you to all those who auditioned for this year’s short Women’s Play Festival.  We look forward to seeing you at future IAT auditions and in attendance at the Festival, March 9-11 at 7 pm at The Bridge.

End Days by Deborah Zoe Laufer, directed by Emily Rollie (performed at The Blue Fugue, October 29 & 30/November 5 & 6, 2010)

Smudge by Rachel Axler, directed by Rory O'Carroll (December 2-4, 2010, performed at The Blue Fugue)

short Women's Play Festival: Third Time's a Charm, plays by Eliza Bent, Claudia Barnett, Kimber Lee, Ellen Struve, & Pamela Turner (February 17-19, 2011, performed at Columbia College's Launer Auditorium)

Superior Donuts by Tracy Letts, directed by Shawna Mefferd Carroll (April 22-24, 2011, performed at The Muse Cafe & Gallery)

All auditions will be held at First Presbyterian Church (in the Cafe) and will consist of cold readings from the scripts.

Roles are available for actors of all ages, genders, and heights! (It might be the short Women’s Play Festival, but, YES, there ARE roles for guys, too.)

Performances will be March 9, 10, & 11 at The Bridge, 7:30 pm curtain.

This year’s plays and playwrights are as follows:
ELEPHANTS AND COFFEE; STRIKE
by Aoise Stratford (from Ithaca, NY)
directed by Amy Darnell & stage managed by Christine Snyder

DRIVING HOME
by Margaret Hoffman (from New York, NY)
directed by Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri & stage managed by Emma Squire

LILLIE MEANT MURDER
by Claudia Barnett (from Murfeesboro, TN)
directed by Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri & stage managed by Emma Squire

ESTRAGON’S BOOT; MIRANDA’S TEMPEST
by Daniella Vinitski (from Boulder, CO)
directed by Cece McFarland & stage managed by Carrie Winship

And that’s not all…..this year, the playwrights will be joining us in CoMo for the festival AND we’re collaborating with several local women musicians to make it an entire evening of arts and fun.

So bring a friend (or two!) and come out to audition!