I AM MY OWN WIFE
Written by Doug Wright
Directed by David Carta
Starring Ben Katagiri
February 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th, March 4th & 5th @ Albany Barn
Thoughts on I Am My Own Wife…
When actor Ben Katagiri approached us with an idea to stage I Am My Own Wife, we were so impressed by his vision, passion, and dedication. It is technically the largest show we've done so far, and the larger-than-life persona of Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf makes us take a good, hard look at how we see ourselves versus how we are perceived by others.
Click here to read “One Actor, 35 Parts” Times Union Cover Story written by Steve Barnes
AUDIENCE FEEDBACK ON I AM MY OWN WIFE
"Ben Katagiri is an extraordinary actor - words are not adequate to describe his talent. What a magnificent production."
"Stunning production from beginning to end. Really a once in a lifetime experience to see theater performed so exquisitely.”
“This is what theater should look like!"
"Wonderful! Strong performance and great production all around!"
"What an impressive performance! Ben is fantastic -he navigates this incredibly difficult piece with professionalism and grace. Bravo!"
"I had tears in my eyes by the end. You could feel Ben’s passion and dedication throughout the whole performance. Amazing show."
Written by Doug Wright, "I Am My Own Wife" explores the astonishing true story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf. A transvestite and celebrated antiques dealer who successfully navigated the two most oppressive regimes of the past century-the Nazis and the Communists--while openly gay and defiantly in drag, von Mahlsdorf was both hailed as a cultural hero and accused of colluding with the Stasi.
LONELY, I’M NOT
Written by Paul Weitz
Directed by Aaron Holbritter
Starring Ian LaChance, Brigitta Giulianelli, Angela Potrikus, Rich Angher, Rhiannon Antico, & Sammy Lawkins
May 20th, 21st, June 3rd, 4th, 10th, & 11th @ Albany Barn
THOUGHTS ON LONELY, I’M NOT…
We were immediately drawn to this script because it had so many elements of a classic romantic comedy, but was peppered with some very real, sometimes dark themes-depression, feelings of inadequacy-that really made it stand out as a unique piece. It also had a very cinematic feel to it, which spoke to our inner movie nerds.
CRITICAL FEEDBACK ON LONELY, I’M NOT
"An accomplished regional premiere"
"Director Aaron Holbritter — who also designed the excellent sound and projections — effectively pairs [Ian] LaChance with Brigitta Giulianelli, [...] who's every bit a foil and complement to the talented LaChance."
"[...] this production offers a rich, nuanced portrait of specific, wholly realized people in a particular time and place."
"This damaged-boy-meets-defensive-girl story has the sweet suspense, elliptical construction and off-kilter charm of an ideal Hollywood rom...-com" (NY Times). At an age when most people are discovering what they want to do with their lives, Porter has been married and divorced, earned seven figures as a corporate "ninja," and had a nervous breakdown. It's been four years since he's had a job or a date, and he's decided to give life another shot. LONELY, I'M NOT is a comic journey that follows Porter as he meets an ambitious, sightless young businesswoman who is overcoming her own obstacles to emotional success.
PARALLEL LIVES
Written by Mo Gaffney & Kathy Najimy
Directed by Aaron Holbritter
Starring Carissa Lopresti & Emer Geraghty
November 18th & 19th @ Albany Barn
Thoughts on Parallel Lives
Aaron, Carissa, and Emer staged this show in 2007 and it was a huge success. It's smart, poignant, and unbelievably funny, and we were itching to get the gang back together to do it all over again. The fall of 2016, in the middle of the election season, seemed like a perfect time to do it.
AUDIENCE PRAISE FOR PARALLEL LIVES
"'Parallel Lives' is tears-running-down-your-face funny!"
"This was absolutely fabulous!"
"Amazing talents! Great direction. Have not laughed that hard since watching "Forbidden Broadway" in The City."
"Hilarious...Just what I needed!"
In the opening scene, two Supreme Beings plan the beginning of the world with the relish of two slightly sadistic suburban wives decorating a living room. Once they've decided on the color scheme of the races, a little concerned that white people will feel slighted being such a boring color, they create sex and the sexes. Afraid women will have too many advantages, the Beings decide to make childbirth painful and to give men enormous egos as compensation. From this moment, the audience is whisked through the outrageous universe of Kathy and Mo, where two actresses play men and women struggling through the common rituals of modern life: teenagers on a date, sisters at their grandmother's funeral, a man and a woman together in a country-western bar. With boundless humor, PARALLEL LIVES reexamines the ongoing quest to find parity and love in a contest handicapped by capricious gods—or in this case, goddesses.
TIMELINE
Thoughts on Timeline…
Timeline was the ultimate exercise in collaboration for us; we created, wrote, directed, and produced a 3-part show spanning 100 years that had to maintain a common through line. That might sound overwhelming, but after creating Divided, our first originally written production, we were more than ready for the challenge.
TIMELINE is made up of the following original plays:
ACT ONE: THE GAMES WE PLAY
WRITTEN BY CASEY POLOMAINE
DIRECTED BY EVAN JONES
December 31, 1899 - A young woman seeking escape finds refuge with a handsome stranger and discovers a path to a new life.
ACT TWO: OLD ACQUAINTANCES
WRITTEN BY AARON HOLBRITTER
DIRECTED BY CASEY POLOMAINE
December 31, 1949 - A young couple finds one another and some extraordinary truths in a rapidly changing world.
ACT THREE: CUTTING CORNERS
WRITTEN BY EVAN JONES
DIRECTED BY AARON HOLBRITTER
December 31, 1999 - A brother and sister try everything they can to fix one small mistake with potentially global consequences.
