IDA - Orange Theatre & Scottsdale Community College - October 27, 28 & 29

ORANGE THEATRE & SCOTTSDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESENT NEW ADAPTATION OF GERTRUDE STEIN’S “IDA”

Inspired by Modernist Novel, Downtown Phoenix Performance Group Creates New Work in Innovative Student-Professional Collaboration

Orange Theatre will present “Ida”–a new play with live music based on Gertrude Stein’s book of the same name–at the historic Synagogue Beth Hebrew in downtown Phoenix on October 27, 28, and 29 at 8pm.

Like the cubist novel that inspired it, “Ida” centers on a woman who is well known for being well known. Director Matthew Watkins explains, “Ida is never her own person. That’s how she survives. Both as a woman and as a celebrity she constantly has to sell herself. To really sell herself she has to be whatever those around her wish her to be. Throughout her life she is kept one step away from knowing who she really is. My guess is this will ring true to many in the audience.”

This new work is the result of a unique collaboration between Orange Theatre and Scottsdale Community College’s nationally recognized School of Film + Theatre. This is the first time SCC has invited professional guest artists to stage an original co-production with students in their Theatre Arts program. The goal of the project was to give students the experience of creating high-quality, technologically-sophisticated, contemporary work from scratch.

For two months, Orange’s team has been working with students, teaching skills and leading them through a process to transform Stein’s words into a piece of their own. Together, the ensemble has developed an exciting play that draws upon Stein’s book and their own personal experiences with its themes.

Six student actors will take the stage alongside two professional performers. They will be joined by a live band led by Mario Yniguez of the band Harrison Fjord. This highly choreographic piece features movement co-created by Watkins and Molly W. Schenck and sound and video design by Stephen Christensen. The scenic designer is Sabrina Reed, and David Barker contributes fight choreography.

Downtown Phoenix audiences who have been eagerly awaiting Orange Theatre’s latest offering will be able to see the show in their own backyard come the end of the month. After an initial run at SCC, “Ida” will transfer to Synagogue Beth Hebrew, a beautiful historic venue located at 333 Portland St. in Phoenix. Performances will take place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (October 27-29) at 8pm.

Tickets for the downtown shows are pay-what-you-can at the door (cash and cards accepted) or $20 for advanced reservations at orangetheatre.org. The show will run approximately 70 minutes. Street parking is available near the venue, and the nearest light rail stop (Central and Roosevelt) is within a short walking distance.

In recognition of the extraordinary educational potential of this partnership, Scottsdale Community College recently won a Lifelong Learning Arts Engagement Grant of $2500 to help fund the project from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, which receives support from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Orange Theatre has also launched a fundraising campaign to support some of the additional costs associated with offering this unique educational opportunity at a community college. Donors who give at least $50 can receive a reserved front-row seat at the show.

thingNY collaborating with Orange Theatre and the Oh My Ears Marathon Concert

New York City violinist and composer Jeffrey Young is coming to Phoenix this month to perform with Paul Pinto, a fellow member of New York experimental music collective thingNY. This duo will make its Arizona debut with two projects: creating new collaborative work with Phoenix experimental theatre collective Orange Theatre, and performing a comedic, political experimental opera that they composed on the 3rd annual Oh My Ears marathon concert.

January 17-23, 2015: genre-crossing New York ensemble thingNY debuts in Arizona in collaborations with Phoenix experimental theatre company Orange Theatre and experimental music organization Oh My Ears

January 17-22, 2015
thingNY and Orange Theatre collaborative residency

January 22, 2015, 8pm
Public showing of work from thingNY-Orange Theatre residency
Orange Theatre
1711 W. Culver St. Unit 7
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Free, no tickets required

January 23, 2015, 12-10pm
Third Annual Oh My Ears Marathon Concert
Including a performance by Paul Pinto and Jeffrey Young of their experimental opera
Mesa Arts Center
One East Main St
Mesa, AZ 85201
Tickets $15 at the door or online at ohmyears.com

From January 17 to 23, Jeffrey Young and Paul Pinto, members of New York theatrical experimental music collective thingNY, will travel to Arizona to collaborate with Orange Theatre and Oh My Ears, two experimental art collectives that are reshaping the scene in the Phoenix metro area. Orange Theatre pioneers experimental, multimedia performance projects that local press have called “thought-provoking” and “surprisingly beautiful.” Oh My Ears supports new and experimental music in the Phoenix area by organizing an annual new music marathon concert and year-round events.

From January 17 to 22, Pinto and Young will be in residence with the seven core members of Orange Theatre at their home space in downtown Phoenix to explore how a theatre company and musical ensemble and can create new work collaboratively. For this brand new collaboration, their work together is funded by a grant from the Network of Ensemble Theaters, a national organization that exists to propel collaborative theater work to the forefront of American culture and society. The two ensembles will share methodologies, develop new performance exercises, and collaboratively create material around the theme of maps. A related topic to be discussed is how the physical layout and differences between the art scenes in New York and Phoenix deeply affect the work of each group, including the orientation toward public transit in New York and toward cars in Phoenix, the greater availability of space to work in Phoenix, and the higher concentration of experimental artists in New York.

The thingNY-Orange Theatre residency will conclude on January 22 with a public showing at 8pm of work developed over these six days. The showing will include an opportunity for members of the public to speak with the artists about their work.

On January 23, thingNY joins forces with Phoenix experimental music organization Oh My Ears (OME) for a performance on the Third Annual Oh My Ears Marathon Concert, which will take place from 12 to 10pm at the Mesa Arts Center. Young and Pinto will perform their work Jeff Young and Paul Pinto, Patriots, Run for Public Office on a Platform of Swift and Righteous Immigration Reform, Lots of Jobs, and a Healthy Environment: An Opera by Paul Pinto and Jeffrey Young. Created in 2011 as a parody of contemporary politics and politicians, the half-hour piece focuses on issues of immigration and national identity. Young and Pinto collaboratively created the text, music, and staging, scoring the piece for their own voices, violin, percussion, a turntable, and lots of cardboard boxes. In …Patriots…, instrumental music alternates with sung and spoken words, zany and humorous topical quips alternate with personal, pointed critiques of the political zeitgeist, fully notated sections merge into structured musical and textual improvisations, and tonal harmonies mix with startling, untraditional musical effects. Young and Pinto’s performance of ...Patriots… is part of their first tour of the Southwest, with performances in Arizona, California, and Baja California including border towns on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border, where immigration is a daily conversation.

HERAKLES - Orange Theatre - December 11 - 20, 2015

Experimental ensemble Orange Theatre will present “Herakles,” based on the Greek tragedy by Euripides, at their warehouse performance space in downtown Phoenix this Dec. 11-20. A work-in-progress preview of "Herakles" played to packed houses for three nights last May; this new iteration is the finished version of that show.

The play tells the story of an ancient Greek hero, Herakles (aka Hercules), who kills monsters all over the world but faces his own demons when he returns home to his family. Remarkably topical for a script written almost 2500 years ago, “Herakles” engages with themes of masculine violence, trauma, and war that we are still grappling with today. Katrina Donaldson, who plays the title role in the show, explains her experience of the character: “Herakles is the epitome of a man’s man, so it’s really interesting, as a woman, to take on that role. There’s a lot of attention right now on how women get by in a patriarchal society, and to understand and live that dynamic while also playing this character–a patriarch and someone who conquers the world through force–is a really exciting challenge.”

Orange Theatre's gender- and genre-bending interpretation will be staged in the round, and much like at an art installation, audience members will be free to walk around the performance space and view the the show from different angles. The show integrates video with live actors, musicians, and a dancer to create a dynamic new piece–part concert, part movie, and part play–inspired by the ancient tale.

“Herakles” will take place at Orange Theatre’s performance space at 1711 W Culver St. (between 19th and Grand Avenues) in Phoenix. Show times are Dec. 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, and 20 at 8pm, plus late-night performances on Dec. 12 and 19 at 10pm.

All tickets are pay-what-you-can with cash or credit card, and they are available at the door or via the company’s website, orangetheatre.org. Due to limited space, only 25 tickets are available for each showing, so audience members are encouraged to reserve spots online in advance. Free street parking is available near the venue.

The production features original compositions by Phoenix-based musicians Joshua Hill (of The Hill in Mind) and Jordan Tompkins (of Twin Ponies), who play live during the show, and choreography by Molly Schenck. Performing the legendary roles are William Crook as Amphitryon, Katrina Donaldson as Herakles and Lykos, Jenny Gerena as the Daughter, Kerin Martinez as Megara, and Jenny Strickland as the Chorus. Orange Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Watkins directs and designs the set. Sound designer Stephen Christensen uses a custom-built system to wrap the performance space in 360 degrees of audio. Media and live video are designed by Tucker Bingham, and Joya Scott is the dramaturg.

Orange Theatre's Fifth Anniversary Celebration - October 24

from our friends at Orange Theatre:

Orange Theatre is back this October with two exciting events. The company will present their latest work in progress, “ELEKTRANOSTOP”–based on an ancient Greek revenge cycle–early in the month. Then, the group will follow up with a party and concert in honor of its fifth anniversary on Oct. 24. Acclaimed synthpop duo and recent LA transplants Bogan Via will be back in Phoenix to celebrate with the ensemble and fans.

The company will offer a sneak peek at 20 minutes of material from “ELEKTRANOSTOP” for two nights only on Oct. 8 and 9, 2015 at 8 p.m. The show will take place at Orange Theatre’s warehouse performance space at 1711 W Culver St. (between 19th and Grand Avenues) in downtown Phoenix. Orange Theatre is dedicated to making art accessible to everyone, so as always, show tickets are pay-what-you-can (cash or credit card), and they are available at the door or via the company’s website, orangetheatre.org. Free street parking is available near the venue.

Orange Theatre has based “ELEKTRANOSTOP” on Sophocles’ and Euripides’ plays about the house of Atreus, which tell the story of Klytaimestra, a queen who kills her husband Agamemnon to get revenge for his sacrifice of their young daughter, Iphigenia. Two of the remaining siblings, Elektra and Orestes, then conspire to murder Klytaimestra as payback for their father’s death, sparking a cycle of violence. Orange Theatre’s new adaptation incorporates contemporary texts, personal material, and inspiration from killing-spree films like “Badlands” and “Natural Born Killers” to create an inventive new production that speaks to a modern audience. As the latest in a recent string of exciting multidisciplinary collaborations with local artists, the ensemble is working with Dario Miranda of Phoenix band North Brother Island, who has composed original music and will perform live in the show.

Director/scenic designer Matthew Watkins leads the artistic team, with sound design by Stephen Christensen and media design by Tucker Bingham. Joya Scott is the dramaturg. The acting ensemble features William Crook, Katrina Donaldson, Carrie Fee, and Kerin Martinez.

Later in the month on Saturday, Oct. 24, Orange Theatre will host a fundraiser and fifth anniversary party from 7:30pm to midnight, also at the Culver St. space. As one of very few experimental performing arts ensembles to survive this long in Phoenix, the group is excited to share the festive occasion with supporters and collaborators from their first five years. As artistic director Matthew Watkins states, “Stephen Christensen and I founded Orange Theatre in our living room. We are thrilled to have come this far, with our own venue and almost a dozen shows under our belts. We couldn’t have done it without our audiences and supporters, who have proven that there is an appetite for experimental theatre in Phoenix and that the pay-what-you-can ticket model can work in the long term. We’re really looking forward to celebrating with them in October.”

Bogan Via, fresh off their west coast tour, will join The Hill in Mind, Grace Rolland of Run Boy Run, and other local musicians playing live sets at the party. Admission is $22 and include a free drink. Guests can buy tickets at the door (cash or credit card) or online via Orange Theatre's website, orangetheatre.org.

Next up for Orange is the full production of “Herakles,” a piece that played to sold-out houses as a work in progress in May, 2015. This expanded, final version of “Herakles” will run Dec. 11-20.

Orange Theatre announces Digital Performance Lab free public demonstration on June 25th

From our friends at Orange Theatre:

This month, Phoenix’s critically acclaimed Orange Theatre will launch a new initiative, the Digital Performance Lab, with the support of the Arizona Commission on the Arts’ Art Tank grant program, which makes strategic investments in the state’s most exciting arts-based ventures.

The Orange Theatre Digital Performance Lab is a residency that brings together digital media designers, developers, and actors to collaborate on the creation of new, interactive technologies for the stage. The goal of the program is to provide the time and space for true experimentation and collaboration among these groups, a rarity in the American theatre.

Orange Theatre will host a free public demonstration on Thursday, June 25 at 7:30pm at the Lyceum Theatre on ASU’s Tempe campus. (The Lyceum Theatre is located at 901 S. Forest Mall, Tempe, Ariz., and nearby public parking is available at the corner of University and Forest Aves.)

In this demonstration, the actors and designers will showcase the capabilities of the technology developed in this year’s Lab: a network of portable, matchbook-sized wireless sensors that have the power to send and receive information; track performers, objects, and set pieces as they move around the stage; and visualize that tracking data in real-time and locate it on a 3D rendering of a theatrical set. This allows instant triggering of complex lighting, sound, and media cues and opens up the possibility for creating truly unique, interactive theatre experiences.

Orange Theatre’s system is especially exciting because it can be implemented for only a few hundred dollars, as opposed to the many thousands that similar systems available on the commercial market cost. The company plans to make the software and hardware developed in the Digital Performance Lab available to other independent performing arts groups for an affordable price.

This year’s Lab collaborators include resident designer-developers Ian Shelansky and Eric Brickley, along with consultant Matthew Ragan. They will be joined by Orange’s acting ensemble of William Crook, Katrina Donaldson, and Carrie Fee, as well as the troupe’s technical director and sound designer, Stephen Christensen.

In January, the ensemble pitched their vision for the Digital Performance Lab to a panel of community and arts leaders at Art Tank West in Peoria. Going up against multiple worthy projects, Orange Theatre won the $10,000 top prize by making the strong argument that Arizona is suffering a drain of young creatives who are drawn to well-known hubs of artistic innovation like New York and Los Angeles. Orange Theatre co-founders Matthew Watkins and Stephen Christensen proposed that the only way to halt this trend is to support innovative projects like the Digital Performance Lab that offer paid opportunities for young artists and technology experts to do exciting work without leaving the state. As one of Arizona’s only experimental, multimedia performing arts ensembles, Orange Theatre is perfectly situated to design and launch this program.

Future plans for the Digital Performance Lab include an education program that teaches best practices for actor-designer collaboration and a digital performance resource library based in Phoenix. Pending additional grant funding in future years, the company hopes to make the residency an annual program.

Sadly, due to the state legislature's recent cuts to their budget, the Arizona Commission on the Arts has been forced to put its Art Tank initiative on indefinite hold, which means that vital seed funding like Orange Theatre received for this innovative program will not be available to other local groups in the near future.

This year’s Digital Performance Lab will take place at ASU’s Lyceum Theatre because Orange Theatre’s warehouse performance space in downtown Phoenix is still under renovation to add air conditioning to the facility. The company will present their next show at their own space this October. More information about the ensemble and its work can be found at orangetheatre.org.

HERAKLES - Orange Theatre - May 8 - 10, 2015

Orange Theatre presents their latest work-in-progress, Herakles, based on the Greek tragedy by Euripides.

In Orange Theatre’s unique multimedia reimagining of the play, live video and sound effects help tell the story of Herakles, the famous hero who returns home from his adventures to save his family from a tyrant, only to be stricken by a madness that causes him to murder his wife and children. This new work incorporates contemporary texts, live music, and the company’s personal material into the original story, offering a striking, modern take on the age-old tragedy.

Orange Theatre will offer a sneak peek at 20 to 30 minutes of material from this new piece for three nights only on May 8, 9 and 10, 2015 at 8 p.m. This will be the first show at Orange Theatre’s newly renovated warehouse performance space at 1711 W Culver St. (between 19th and Grand Avenues) in Phoenix. All tickets are pay-what-you-can with cash or credit card, and they are available at the door or in advance via the company’s website, orangetheatre.org. Free street parking is available near the venue. The performance on Saturday, May 9 will be followed by an after-party with bar and DJ.

Director/scenic designer Matt Watkins explains, “This work-in-progress showing is the first step in the long-term development process we recently began using to create all of our work. It lets us build each show in stages, take artistic risks and really engage with our audience, letting them in on our process as a piece develops. The audience response has been great; people say they love watching our shows change with each iteration. We’ve wanted to tackle ‘Herakles’ for over two years, and we’re really excited to show our audiences what we’ve been working on.”

Watkins leads the “Herakles” artistic team, with media design by Tucker Bingham and sound design by Stephen Christensen. Joya Scott is the production dramaturg, and John Perovich is the script dramaturg. The production features choreography by Liliana Gomez and original music by Joshua Hill and Jordan Tompkins. The acting ensemble includes Katrina Donaldson as Herakles, William Crook as Amphitryon, and Carrie Fee as Megara.

This new project is only the latest in a recent string of exciting events for Orange Theatre, one of Phoenix’s few experimental performing arts groups. In January, the ensemble won the top award – a grant of $10,000 – at Arizona Art Tank, an initiative of the Arizona Commission on the Arts that rewards innovative arts-based ventures. They were also the winner of Phoenix New Times’ 2014 Big Brain Award for Performing Art.