JANUARY 2012

This month is officially The Month of the Class. I'm treating myself to the tough love of Paul Davis, David Cady, and James Callari. A hefty dose of constructive criticism to start the year off!

I'm also coaching a great kid to compete in the English Speaking Union's Shakespeare Competition. He is 15 and performing Angelo's slimy speech to Isabella. He has such an inspiring work ethic and is finding wonderful layers to explore. I'll post updates as the competition approaches.

DECEMBER 2011

Just spent 2 glorious weeks at New Dramatists for their PlayTime developmental lab. I was working on a new play by Chiori Miyagawa inspired by the tsunami in Japan, Tom Waits, and "Bobby Jean." It is an astounding work. I am so grateful to Alice Reagan, who directed, and the wonderful actors and New Dramatists folk for the experience.

NOVEMBER 2011

I am directing an awesome group of 8th graders in As You Like It. Every time I work on this play I discover something new. Orlando and Adam's love kills me.

I'm taking an onscreen class with James Calleri. Oh, I am learning so, so much. I can't wait to put it into practice.

OCTOBER 2011

Tickets are on sale for Prison Light! Think the movie Brazil meets The Office. I play Pembroke, the boss from Hell. The awesome Alice Reagan directs.

Tickets and info: http://here.org/shows/detail/760/

I've also been workshopping Uncle Vanya with Target Margin. David Herskovits and his gang are feeling out a whole slew of translations. I always feel so lucky to be in a room with these energetic, creative, wildly fun people.

SEPTEMBER 2011

Next week I start rehearsals for Prison Light, by Austin Flint. It opens in October at HERE. I play the menacing boss. It's directed by Alice Reagan, with whom I've wanted to work for years.

More info soon!

SUMMER 2011

I'm off to the Berkshires for the Drama League retreat! Acting and eating and hiking and Shaw. I'm playing Ann in Man and Superman and working with the freshest crop of Drama League directors.

I just spent two weeks exploring Yiddish theater with David Herskovits and the Target Margin gang. A Mekhaye!

I am thrilled to continue work on Kobi Libii's improv project.

He's got fascinating ideas about turning improv work on its head.

He has gathered a fantastic group to experiment with and this time we are filming our work.

APRIL-MAY 2011

Tickets are on sale for The Tempest! Come see me play Stephano, the drunken butler, in Target Margin's wild ride of a show.

• Ben Brantley NYT Article
• New York Times Review
• The L Magazine Review
• NYTheatre.com Review

It runs May 4th - 27th at HERE in Soho.

MARCH 2011

I just spent a week working with the fabulously talented Kobi Libii.

He is working on a new way of approaching improvisational work and gathered a group of actors/guinea pigs to test out some ideas.

The room was relaxed and fun and I had a blast!

The other night I did a shoot for the film Know How, produced by The Possibility Project about kids in foster care. I was mugged over and over again until 4:00am. I got a few bumps and bruises and only three hours of sleep, but had a great time with a very worthy project.

FEBRUARY 2011

It's official!

I am playing Stephano, the drunken butler, in Target Margin's production of The Tempest this May.

We are going to workshop it for 2 weeks this month at the Chocolate Factory.

Also, Judy Bowman's on-camera class has been a revelation. I'm learning fresh approaches and thinking in a new way about performance. I feel recharged!

JANUARY 2011

The new year is already busy and fruitful!

During this brief hiatus from The Tempest, I'm taking an on-camera class with the fantastic Judy Bowman.

I've also been called in and called back for a number of commercials lately, so I'm eager to pursue those opportunities more aggressively in 2011.

It was so lovely to eat pizza, drink fresh sparkling water, and read aloud Sheri Graubert's new comedy about small town environmental politics. I can't wait to see the next draft!

NOVEMBER 2010

In preparation for a Spring production of The Tempest, Target Margin has gathered 6 actors to work on various scenes. This month, I'm playing the Boatswain, Iris, and Trinculo — a more varied group would not be possible! As part of the workshop, we spent a morning at the Metropolitan Museum finding inspiration in classical sculpture and romantic paintings. The show is going to be remarkable.

My November is sponsored by Shakespeare; I'm also co-directing a production of Romeo and Juliet with 13-year olds. The kids are smart and understand the text very well. Their challenge is to express it emotionally and physically. I rush from rehearsing The Tempest to a room full of 30 kids, who are so new to the rhythms and picture of a play that no entrance or gesture is taken for granted. I'm trying to approach my own performance work with such freshness and daring.

OCTOBER 2010

I'm spending an incredible and inspiring week doing table work on The Tempest. Around the table: Kristin Linklater, Michael Kahn, David Herskovits, Michael Sexton, and scholars Ruth Carpenter and Rich McCoy. The week culminates in a panel discussion sponsored by The Shakespeare Society at 7:00 on Monday, October 25th at The Mint Theater. I'll be reading Antonio!

SUMMER 2010

I'm strapping on a corset for the first time in years to play Lady Fidget in a New York production of The Country Wife by William Wycherly, directed by Bradford Cover. Come by The Chernuchin Theater on W. 54th this July!

• PRESS RELEASE
• REVIEW in Backstage

MAY 2010

I'm having a marvelous time tinkering on The Tempest with David Herskovitz in a two week workshop at the BRIC.

APRIL 2010

It's been so lovely to work with old friends on an all-girl choral piece of "Visions of the Blessed Bruder Klaus" by Sibyl Kempson, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll. The performance is on Sunday, April 25th at Glasslands. It benefits Andrew Dinwiddie's show Get Mad at Sin! Come by if you can!

I'm playing a mad scientist in a two week workshop of Do Clones Dream of Identical Sheep? by Jon Kern, directed by Heidi Handelsman, sponsored by New Georges. The reading is April 12th at The Room at 7:30.

MARCH 2010

I'm commuting to Brooklyn to play an explosively angry church lady in Thank You, Kind Spirit, directed by Alisa Matlovsky in Target Margin's The Unknown Williams lab series. We open March 18th at The Bushwick Star.

JANUARY 2010

I am stranded on an ice floe on a work-in-progress showing of Staying Afloat by Lenora Champagne at Dixon Place. There are two showings: January 22nd and 23rd. It would be lovely to see you there!