Category Archives: SKIN FLESH BONE

Insomnia Scribbles and Career Musings…

So here’s what I was thinking at 4:30am, about the time I stopped fighting it and accepted that the night (and likely most of tomorrow) was lost to insomnia…

Lately I’ve had a great deal of difficulty with motivation.. with drive. I have loads of projects – production projects and art projects, around the house projects and holiday projects and I like the idea of every single one of them. When I can’t work on them because I’m not in the apartment or because I have to do the day job, I’m anxious to roll up my sleeves and dive in but then, when I do have the time, and I’m looking at a day free of responsibilities except those where I answer to myself alone, a strange thing happens – I just can’t motivate myself to pick up a paintbrush and paint or load up the editing project and just work on it…even reading a new book (as opposed to the comfort books that I’ve read a gazillion times) is something I have to consciously force myself – truly drive myself to do…

I don’t feel depressed, or even particularly sad (though I am willing to admit that maybe I am depressed and this is how depression manifests itself in me – kind of the way I don’t feel “stress” I just get a headache or my stomach goes wonky. It’s visceral – literally in my viscera – not emotional so maybe my depression (if depression it be) manifests itself as physical inaction… I don’t know.) What I do know is that it’s been a problem for awhile. Since before I left New York in fact, (though it was, of course, exacerbated by dad’s illness and then his death. That definitely broke a part of me that I have come to understand will just always be broken – scabbed over and not as tender as it was at first, but honestly? Never healed…) But that’s actually not what this is about. This is about something else. This is about a realization I had lying here at 4:38 am after not being able to sleep and embracing my old friend insomnia…

Here it is (and it’s ironic (or perhaps just obvious) coming in the midst of my insomnia) but I realized that: I’m. So. Tired. I spent twenty years in the grind of New York City and for pretty much all of those years I pushed and drove myself towards the career I’ve always wanted – directing. Every job I had, every choice I made was about trying to build that career. Trying to get to the place where I would be paid to do what I love and what I’m good at.

First I just hustled and tried to find gigs as a director. Unpaid? No problem! You’re going to let me direct? I’m in. And after all of that work, I didn’t level up in my career and I still wasn’t getting paid. So, after many long years of production work and unpaid directing gigs (and the ever present day jobs, don’t forget the day jobs), I started a production company. I found scripts and I found money and I made show after show after show. No script? No problem – here’s a book I like, I’ll somehow get the rights. I’ll adapt it for the stage. I remember having a conversation with a new friend (well new at the time) and we were sitting in Republic Noodles in Union Square and I’ll never forget it – we were talking about my choice to make Dreamers of the Day, about the fact that I had the rights and was starting the stage adaptation and my friend said to me,

- Wait, you’re going to adapt the book?

- Yes

- Have you ever done that before?

- No

- I mean do you even know how?

-No

- Cause that seems really hard. I don’t know if you can just decide to do that.

But, you know what? I totally did it. I just waded in and created a really beautiful show. I had tons of help, and a super talented cast and crew that made that show happen but I was the driving force. That show happened because of me. Its existence on stage happened because I pushed and I drove myself through version after version.

When the asshats broke into our apartment  in Brooklyn and took my computer with the most up-to-date version of the script on it (side note: always back up your work in three different places, my lovelies) I spent my sacred vacation week on the Cape – not kayaking, or hanging with the family, or eating fried seafood, but hunkered down recreating the lost pages and improving the script and bringing that project to life. And it really was a wonderful show. A show that I truly believe, had the “right people” seen it, could have launched my career. It didn’t. I guess the “right people” (the career launching ones) didn’t see it.

It was ephemeral and lasted for too short a time and I moved on. To show after show after show. Pushing and driving and though I was doing it for the love of the work, and though the work itself was exhausting but truly rewarding, there was always a part of me that hoped, “this time will be different. Even if I don’t suddenly find myself making a full-time living at this directing thing, with each show, I’ll hone my craft and my work will get a bit more recognized with each project. Even if the shows don’t sell out, I’ll start getting some reviews, I’ll start getting some traction and I’ll build my career. Slowly and steadily, brick by ridiculously heavy brick, I will build.”

And so I pushed. I drove. I forced myself to believe and hope each time that I’d get better and stronger and my career would start to be a career. Through Full Disclosure and Skin Flesh Bone and Persuasion and In the Ebb at an amazing venue at Fringe – surely Fringe will make a difference! The work is good. The work is solid. The work can’t help but be noticed. People will see it. My career will grow. Through Bella’s Dream and Within Arm’s Reach – through all of these great shows full of creative original work from a collection of super-talented people. “Something’s gotta break my way,” I told myself again and again and again and again.

And then Farm Story – a TV show – an independent television show with a ridiculously talented group of people. It felt like everything just came together on that project. I drove and I pushed and I forced and it happened. And I thought surely, this is it. Everything else has been building to this. Everything has brought me to here. This can’t help but be a success. Even if it doesn’t go as a show, clearly this is a calling card that will get all of these people work that will launch us all – it’s too good. How could it not? HOW COULD IT NOT?

Spoiler alert. It didn’t. And I think that’s when it started to happen. This inaction started to settle in. In fits and starts, just a little bit at first, but it just started to pull me down. I’m just so damn tired. It’s really hard to push and drive and force and believe. It’s really hard to know you have something to say and a creative voice to say it with and to struggle to find money, to make it happen again and again and again and to still not get anywhere. To be almost 50 with this thing, this not-really-a-career-BUT-surely-more-than-a-hobby-please-god-tell-me-it’s-more-than-a-hobby thing. To have spent 20 years – more really since you’ve been driving towards it since college, since high school, since 6th grade. More than half your life pushing towards this thing and time and time and time and again…you look up, you emerge from a fog of work and ambition and drive and self-whip-cracking, you pull your head out from under the most recent project and look up to see…

…that nothing’s changed. No that’s not right, lots of thing have changed – you’ve changed. You’ve got more experience and you’ve learned new things – techniques and insights and new things to say. You’ve made new friends – created these little pockets of new family. You’ve gained people and you’ve lost some. Oh, and you’ve aged. Of course, you’ve aged. The inexorable march of time, well that hasn’t stopped. So yeah, you’ve changed but your career? Your trajectory? That’s just been on the same plateau for years. Forever.

“You’re fooling yourself,” you think, but no, you just have to keep going. You start a podcast “this will be the thing or if not the thing at least a thing that will help. That will get those creative juices flowing and who knows maybe this will be the thing.” And then a film. You’ll make a short film because who knows, maybe this will be the thing. Because, that’s the trick, you see – you always think, you must always think “but this time will be different. Maybe THIS. WILL. BE. THE. THING.”

But already the inaction is settling in. And the tired is settling in. You’ve been driving and pushing for 20 years…of course you’re tired. “I know,” you think, a move, a new place, with new projects. This will be the thing” but that inertia has you. It might be too late. And you watch your friends moving up, moving on – so excited for them, so proud of them, but also sad for yourself, because know you’ve been left behind but “that’s ok because you’re not left behind, you’re just on a different track and your track will lead to a station – a good station – you just have to keep going”…except you’re just so tired. 20 years – more – of self-making is tiring. And when it gets you nowhere even more so. You can’t give up because who would you be if not this but how? How how how do you keep driving? No, seriously, I’m asking… How? Because holy good lord, I sure don’t know…

…and then you think, “I don’tknow,” but maybe…maybe, maybe, maybe it starts with saying it all. With writing it out and putting it out into the world. Maybe it starts with using a sleepless night and a semi-coherent 4am scribble as a pause, a refreshing I-don’t-know-what-but-maybe-something and you get up from your sleepless-rest and feel, “Is it? Could it be? Maybe, hopefully, a little bit of drive?”

So, you cross your fingers and you do what you’ve done forever…

You pick yourself up.
You splash some water on your face.
You sit down at your computer and open your project and you push yourself…
You push yourself hopefully to greatness but at least…
at the very least…
to action…

Five years is wood, right?

That’s right folks! As you may have seen in our newsletter, GTTP is FIVE YEARS OLD this month!!!!!

And, in celebration of this milestone, we’ll be having a whole bunch of events throughout the season, including shows (of course) – speaking of which, have you bought your tickets for The Sandman’s Coming? (I may have mentioned – they’re on sale now) – workshops (we’re planning two workshops – improv and audition skills – for October and several throughout the rest of the season – stay tuned for details), cabarets – we’re ironing out the details of a storytelling cabaret that will be happening during the run of The Sandman’s Coming (tickets on sale now) that we hope you will join us for – seminars (we’re currently putting together a seminar for early career directors – details to follow) and parties - at the very least we’re planning an anniversary celebration that should coincide nicely with the winter holidays – so we hope you will stay tuned…but, that is actually not what this post is about. This post is brought to you by the number 5 because this post is about our 5 year anniversary or our 5th birthday or however you want to look at it, this post about us having made it, in an over-satureated, theater town, to our 5th season!!! A milestone we would not have seen if it weren’t for all of you out there!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your continued support. And, since this post is about a specific number, I thought I’d give it to you by the numbers – 10 to be exact – so here you go…

1 – as in – ONE DREAM that refused (and continues to refuse) to die. For me the dream of directing was so powerful that it started us all on this journey. It’s been a weird and wonderful trip so far – a dream trip, one might say, and I hope we’re just at the beginning…

2 – as in – the number of novels GTTP has adapted into stage productions (Dreamers of the Day, and Jane Austen’s Persuasion) – see our Past Productions page and previous blog posts for details on these amazing and exhilerating shows.

3 – as in – the third novel GTTP will adapt for the stage after we premiere our adaptation of Ann Napolitano’s Within Arm’s Reach, in late winter/early spring of 2014. I know, I know you’ve been hearing about this for over a year but it is now OFFICIALLY on the calendar, people! It is on the calendar and the script is halfway completed. We’re currently deciding on a performance venue and we are aiming for a late February/early March production run. Stay tuned for details.

4 – as in – the number of times GTTP has performed at The Secret Theatre. One of our all time favorite performance spaces, The Secret Theatre is consistently bringing new and innovative productions to their little corner of Long Island City – not so secret anymore. We hope to be back at our unofficial home in the spring, but in the meantime, if you’re looking for quality indy professional theater in Queens, check them out and take in a show.

5 – as in – we’re five years old, y’all!!!! Haven’t you been reading this post?

6 – as in – the number of theater women (who haven’t worked directly with GTTP and aren’t Tahitians per se but that) I have connected with thanks to/because of my work with GTTP. Connections I would not have made if GTTP didn’t exist – women I can’t imagine not having in my life. They include – Jane Dubin, producer - ANN, Peter and the Starcatcher and unFRAMED; Patricia Klausner, producer – Pippin; Caroline Rothstein, writer, performer and producer, http://bodyempowerment.tumblr.com/Bailie Slevin, a former theater professional who is now on a mission to bring fiscal health and education to the entertainment community – a mission she pursues through her company Entertaining FinanceMelanie Jones, writer, performer, dancer and producer – Endureand; last but not least Jake Lipman, actor, director, producer and founder of Tongue in Cheek Theater who will be doing a performance of How I Learned to Drive at the other Shetler Studios Theater during our run of The Sandman’s Coming. These women have been incredible – helpful, motivating, supportive, and generally wonderful people I’ve been honored to share the female theater community with. I hope that they are only the beginning of this circle of incredible theater women that GTTP has entered into.

7 – as in – the number of different aviatrices (the aviatrix is what we call our logo), our incomparable graphic designer, Christine Diaz, has designed to individually accompany each production (we don’t have one for Dreamers of the Day or the first In the Ebb  as we sadly hadn’t yet discovered the awesomeness that is Christine at the time we were doing those shows). When she came on board, she branded GTTP and continues to design all of our beautiful production art. To see all of the aviatrices, check out our About Us page.

8 – as in – the number of productions presented by GTTP since we opened our doors (curtains) - In the Ebb, by Camilla Ammirati, Dreamers of the Day, adapted from the novel by Mary Doria Russell, Skin Flesh Bone, by Camilla Ammirati, Full Disclosure, by Ruth McKee, Cat Lady without a Cat, by Carrie Keskinen, Jane Austen’s Persuasion, adapted for the stage by Laura Bultman, In the Ebb (Redux), by Camilla Ammirati and Bella’s Dream by Dana Boll. More details on each (except for Bella’s Dream because I haven’t had a chance to upload the pictures but will hopefully do it soon) can be found on our Past Productions page.

9 – as in – the number of productions we will have under our belts when The Sandman’s Coming opens on October 24th. Did I mention? Tickets are on sale now.

Which brings me to: 

10 – as in – years – our next big milestone – that, with your help, we’ll reach in another five.

Thanks for getting us here! We hope you’ll continue to join us on this extraordinary, exciting, incredible journey!

See you at the thater!!!!

The Hazards of the Life of A Producer…

This is a pretty good illustration of my last few weeks. This past week, in particular, was a kind of crazy week on the island of Tahiti (made crazier by my day job helping babies be born but that’s another story that you can see details of here).

I think the best illustration of the insanity is the sheer number of projects/plays I have running through my head right now (some will not have titles because I haven’t made official announcements but you’ll still get the picture):

1) Full Disclosure – as you may have seen, I wrapped up Full Disclosure this past week by sending out the last of the RocketHub rewards. Although it didn’t require me to actually keep the show in my head, it is a project that I couldn’t put to bed until last week. (Speaking of which, if you are supposed to receive a RocketHub reward and you haven’t yet, please let me know. I sent out emails to settle the rewards but I didn’t hear back from everyone who was owed something and it’s very important to me that those rewards get fulfilled.)

2) Skin Flesh Bone – Did my taxes last week so there was discussion of both Full Disclosure and Skin Flesh Bone in the settling of the year end budget. But that too is now put to bed.

3) Cat Lady Without A Cat – as you all know, I am co-producing 3 performances of Carrie Keskinen’s Cat Lady Without A Cat. Tickets available here. Join us March 9th at 8pm or March 10th at 2pm or 7pm. It’s a fun show that’s still in development so the talkbacks we have after each show will give all of you an opportunity to give your feedback on what’s working and what’s not in the show. (see – you get to be more than just the audience, you get to be a part of the development of a show!)

4) Persuasion – Although the show is a bit of a ways off, I’m currently on the hunt for a performance space. No, no, no, don’t worry. There is no rift between Tahiti and The Secret Theatre. In fact our relationship is stronger than ever (see item 5). It’s just that The Big Theatre (the site of last year’s Skin Flesh Bone) at The Secret Theatre is booked for all of June with their own exciting projects and so it looks like for Persuasion we might have to temporarily relocate. :( Bummer, BUT, I am currently asearching. I saw a great space last week (part of my crazy week) and I’m currently running the numbers to see if we can book it. I’ll keep everyone posted.

5) The Day Job by Julia Blauvelt – This is the one-act that I’m directing for The Secret Theatre’s One Act Festival – The One Act Factor, which opens mid-March. Another contribution to last week’s craziness were the two rehearsals I had with my terrific cast and the one production meeting.

6) Fringe Festival Show – As I mentioned last week, I applied for the New York Fringe Festival this year. In order to apply I needed to put together a budget and a plan for what that show would be – which meant poring over a bunch of scripts and deciding what GTTP could reasonably put together within the time frame (should we get accepted, that is). I’m psyched for what we chose but it’s been another show cluttering my head.

7) The Fall/Winter show – This one is one that I’m very excited about and VERY close to signing an agreement for, but until papers are signed I can’t reveal what it is. That being said, the budget and the begining directing/producing have already begun so that I could apply for grants.

8 ) The Gala – I know, I know, it’s not a show, but for it to be the kind of Gala I want, it’s definitely a production. So, although it runs along similar lines as Persuasion, (Jane Austen themed event and all) it does have a different slant then the play and so, requires a different set of skills entirely.

9) 3 plays for a New Play Festival – I agreed to be a reader for a new play festival. So, on top of the other stuff I was doing last week, I read and evaluated 3 plays. It’s been a bit hectic, but I did turn in my evaluations! Yay…but yeah, those shows have been circling my brain as well.

10) unFRAMED – This is a terrific one-man show by poet, playwright and artist Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, that I’m interning on. It has it’s next showing at The InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia March 30th-April 1st (actually it’s next showing is at Sing Sing Correctional Facility but I’m pretty sure that one’s not open to the public). If you happen to be in Philly the last weekend in March or if you find another opportunity to see it, I highly recommend it. Details on the show’s booking schedule can be found here.

Yeah, I think that’s it, but seriously that’s 10 different projects zipping around in my head, (as Eddie Izzard would say, “[10 shows] in one head? No one can live at that speed” and that doesn’t even begin to cover the business stuff. The business stuff is always on my mind – budgets, marketing, audience growth, five year plan, strategic planning, but this week it’s been the artistic stuff – character, set, prop, sound effects, lighting, etc – circling like crazy…Oh, and the podcast. We recorded Carrie Keskinen’s podcast on Friday. It should be posted in the next day or so. Basically, I’ve become that person. That person who responds to the simple question, “how are things?” with something resembling the following:

“Oh, great. Busy, but great. I mean just this week I was at  rehearsals, a production meeting, a theater tour, a seminar on theater business, a podcast recording, a show that I was judging for The NY Innovative Theater Awards, and 2 births (day job). Not to mention the hours I sat in front of my computer trying to get folks out to see GTTP’s next show (It’s called Cat Lady Without A Cat and tickets are available here). Oh, and I totally have to finish a grant application. And, did I mention that I’m looking for in-kind donations for my Gala? Did I tell you I’m organizing a gala?…Oh, how are you?” Really I think the person who asked me the question was just making small talk but my head is spinning and I can’t seem to just answer, “fine. How are things with you?” Really, right now the only thing I can guarantee at any given time is that of all of the tasks I set for myself at the beginning of each day there will be at least 3 major things I haven’t accomplished by the end of the day. Not the least of which is catch up on like 3 episodes of Justified. I’m missing my shows, people! That is the level of dedication I have to my art. I’m missing enjoying the art that other people have put out there for me.

Happy New Year!!!!

Yes yes yes I know, I’m a few weeks late. But that’s OK – I mean it is in fact still the new year. Come to think of it it will technically be the new year until December 31st 2012 so really, when you look at it that way I’m totally ahead of the game, right? Either way, it’s that time of the year… Time for the wrap-up, the recap, the update, so hear we go…

2011 was quite a year for GTTP!!!

For the first time in GTTP history, thanks to all of your support we were able to have two shows in one year. June brought us Skin Flesh Bone. This original play about language and life had a 12 performance run on the main-stage at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City (our un-official home). The play featured 3 company members, Maria Silverman, David Eiduks and Kiwi Callahan and 2 newbies to GTTP, Laurel Lockhart and Gavin Alexander Hammon. Check out the picture gallery from the show on our past productions page, here.

After a summer spent re-organizing the structure of GTTP we had a successful 2011-12 kick-off party at SideBar in Manhattan. A bunch of you came out to help us kick off the new season and get ready for our December show, Full Disclosure by Ruth McKee. This one woman show (another first for GTTP) about a pregnant realtor desperate to sell her listing, featured Tahitian Kiwi Callahan, and ran for 14 performances at The Poco Space at The Secret Theatre in LIC. Pictures from FULL DISCLOSURE are also on display on our past productions page. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the thumbnails to display (clearly I need a full time tech person to manage the website, right?) so in order to see the photos click on the photo spaces and they should come up for display.

In addition to our performances, in 2011 GTTP started a regular podcast series, Tahiti Dispatches. Through interviews and performances, Tahiti Dispatches provides a glimpse into the behind the scene world of GTTP shows and ultimately NY independent theater beyond our little island. You can hear previous podcasts here, and stay tuned for our January/February podcast, an interview with Dana Boll. A frequent GTTP collaborator, Dana is also a choreographer, dancer, writer and actress – another female theater artist making her way through the crazy world that is NY independent theater.

New people! Thanks to the shows and the podcasts, 2011 brought some new faces onto our little island. In addition to the aforementioned new actors who joined us, Laurel Lockhart and Gavin Alexander Hammon, SKIN FLESH BONE also brought us Sam Gordon, our amazing lighting designer. Sam joined us for SFB and decided to stick around after the show as the newest member of the GTTP Ensemble. The beginning of our 2011-12 season brought us amazing fundraising coordinator, Shanai Jensen and amazing marketing coordinator Saira Jesani. Without Shanai and Saira, GTTP wouldn’t have had nearly as much success with the start of the new season and we’re looking forward to a long partnership with both of the lovely ladies. FULL DISCLOSURE brought us Ruth McKee, an amazing playwright not just of one woman shows. Ruth is an amazing and prolific playwright and we look forward to many future possible collaborations. And, lastly but not leastly, because of the interactive nature of FULL DISCLOSURE we brought in improv guru, Brett Wean, to help us out with a few if the more improvisational moments of the piece. Thanks to Brett’s experience and expertise, we were able to find a way to connect with audience members in ways we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. We look forward to working with Brett again in the future.

Along with the shows and podcasts and the people, 2011 marked GTTP’s 3rd year in operation, which for the first time opens the door to grant opportunities. So far we’ve applied for two grants and are in the process of four more applications. Keep your fingers crossed and the good vibes flowing for good news in the upcoming months.

So, to sum up, GTTP had an incredible 2011! And that’s in no small part thanks to all of you!!!! So THANK YOU all for your support! We couldn’t do this without you all!!!

So “what’s next,” you say. Well, I’m so glad you asked. Let me tell you what we have in store for 2012…

First up on our docket is GTTP’s first ever co-production (with AND – Artistic New Directions) of Carrie Keskinen’s CAT LADY WITHOUT A CAT. In this hilarious and moving one woman show, Carrie Keskinen explores what it means to be mistaken for the stereotypical “Cat Lady” without owning a single cat. (I know what you’re thinking, “but Jess, spoiler alert, now we know she doesn’t have a cat.” Trust me there’s more to see and enjoy than just the reveal that she doesn’t actually have a cat.) Currently in rehearsal, CAT LADY WITHOUT A CAT will have a 1-3 performance run (most likely at The Secret Theatre – didn’t you see the mention above about it being our un-official home?) in March. More details to come once they are settled so please keep checking back. Additionally, our March podcast will feature an interview with Carrie Keskinen talking not just about creating and performing this show but also what it’s like to be a working actress in the big apple.

Following CAT LADY… this spring we will be hosting our first ever Gala Event in support of our summer production (and our last production of the 2011-12 season), PERSUASION. An adaptation of the Jane Austen novel of the same name, PERSUASION, which has been adapted by Tahitian Laura Bultman, will go up in early summer.

Stay tuned on our website, blog and facebook for announcements about the exciting year we have ahead of us.

Thank you again for all your support in 2011!! We couldn’t do this without all of you and we look forward to seeing you in 2012!!!

Last Performance of SKIN FLESH BONE, tonight!!!

For anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, tonight is your last chance to see this exciting new show from Going to Tahiti Productions. Join us in Long Island City (a 15 minute subway ride from Midtown) at 8pm. Tickets are available at the box office door. For more details, check out: http://goingtotahitiproductions.com/skin-flesh-bone/

See you tonight at the show!!!!

Sad news for the SKIN FLESH BONE family…

Last weekend, Laura Bultman, our beloved Stage Manager, suddenly lost her grandmother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Laura as she heads to Guatemala for the funeral. Laura is such an instrumental force in Going to Tahiti Productions and her absence for these few performances will be acutely felt. I will do my best to perform her duties in her absence, but know I can’t come close to filling her shoes. I apologize in advance for missed or late light and sound cues and want it known that they are my mistakes and not hers.

Travel safe, Laura! We love you and look forward to your return!

“It’s better than SPIDERMAN!”

SKIN FLESH BONE has opened and the audiences loves it. One attendee saw SPIDERMAN THE MUSICAL the night before and preferred the characters, the script, the performances, the set, the sound design, and the costumes of SFB to that other little show that recently opened in this big bad town.

Laurel Lockhart in a scene from SKIN FLESH BONE

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SFB Performances continue through June 25th. For details go to: http://goingtotahitiproductions.com/skin-flesh-bone/

 

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:

https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/834315

or by calling Ovationtix at 866-811-4111.

David Eiduks* and Maria Silverman* in a scene from SKIN FLESH BONE

Performances are:

Thursday, 6/16 at 8pm

Friday, 6/17 at 8pm

Saturday, 6/18 at 2pm

Saturday, 6/18 at 8pm

Sunday, 6/19 at 2pm

Sunday, 6/19 at 8pm

Tuesday, 6/21 at 8pm

Wednesday, 6/22 at 8pm

Thursday, 6/23 at 8pm

Friday, 6/24 at 8pm

Saturday, 6/25 at 8pm

 

Kiwi Callahan and Gavin Alexander Hammon in a scene from SKIN FLESH BONE

 

 

 

OPENING NIGHT!!!!

It’s time to play the music…It’s time to light the lights…

The set is up, the lights are on, the sound cues are loaded and the actors are ready to go! That must mean it’s opening night. Join us tonight at the Secret Theatre for opening night of SKIN FLESH BONE.

As a special bonus, immediately after the performance tonight there will be a talkback with members of the cast and crew.

For details and tickets click herehttp://goingtotahitiproductions.com/skin-flesh-bone/

LOAD IN!!!!!

In about an hour, we will start the SKIN FLESH BONE Load In. We’ll be bringing all of our stuff in to The Secret and we’ll start construction of the sets. Today we’ll spend the day getting settled into the place that will be our home for the next two weeks. It should be a busy few days of set construction, sound engineering, lighting the stage, costume prepping, set painting and general tech madness. I remember tech week for high school drama club being insanity. It’s no less insane at the professional level but it definitely seems to have shortened. Now, instead of a full week of hell week, we get a hell four days. It should be quite the experience. And, really, seeing as hell week is one of the reasons we all do this theater thing, can you really call it hell week? Perhaps it should be renamed to “Incredibly Stressful But You Know We Love It” Week.

Anyway, time to put on my paintin’ pants – let the tech insanity BEGIN!

ROCKETHUB Campaign comes to an end.

So the ROCKETHUB Campaign has ended. :( But don’t feel that means you can’t still support GTTP and SKIN FLESH BONE. If you didn’t get a chance to support us on ROCKETHUB but would still like to donate, just click the DONATE tab above for directions on how to contribute to Going to Tahiti Productions. And, to everyone who has contributed already:

THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!

A THOUSAND TIMES THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Although we didn’t quite make our goal, it was still an incredibly successful campaign. Raising several thousand dollars in a month’s time is no small feat and we REALLY APPRECIATE everyone who joined our little SKIN FLESH BONE family. We hope you enjoyed the little behind the scenes updates on the RH blog and hope you will make it to The Secret Theatre, starting WEDNESDAY, for the 12 performance run of SKIN FLESH BONE!!! For everyone who donated, we will be contacting you shortly with details about your rewards. Thank you again.

With your support GTTP will continue to bring you exciting and innovative independent theater!

Lots of Updates on ROCKETHUB

Check out our ROCKETHUB site: http://rockethub.com/projects/1589-skin-flesh-bone for lots of updates. We’ve got the trailer up on the site and guest blog entries from new people every day this week. Take a look and while you’re there, feel free to become a fueler!

 

THE TRAILER IS LIVE!!!!

So, we did a little video preview for SKIN FLESH BONE. Check it out here:

http://rockethub.com/projects/1589-skin-flesh-bone

And, while you’re there feel free to become a fueler!

ONLY 9 DAYS LEFT for us to hit our goal and for you to get in on the behind the scenes SKIN FLESH BONE action!!!

The show is blocked…

So, on Friday we finished blocking the show. Granted it’s just a first pass and everything I’m sure will change during the next week and a half of scene work, but at least we have a rough framwork on which to build the show and the actors have rough blocking they can use when memorizing (which I’m thinking they spent some time doing during this 3 day weekend). Tomorrow we dive in with scene work though the first two hours of rehearsal will be dedicated to recording voiceovers for the show and shooting elements of a trailer we’re putting together. That’s right, you heard me, we’re putting together a little trailer! Yeah, I love me some previews. But again, as is my tendency, I digress – as soon as those things are done, we’ll be up to our ears in scene work. My favorite part. :)

Blocking almost done…

The blocking rehearsals are almost done and then we move on to scene work. Hopefully we’ll crank out the last 20 pages today and then we get a break for Memorial Day weekend (during which we humbly ask that you Drink (water) to Tahiti! You know that 8th beer/wine/cocktail you were going to have? We ask you instead to consider using that $10 to fuel SKIN FLESH BONE, at RocketHub: http://rockethub.com/projects/1589-skin-flesh-bone) But I digress, where was I? Right. Blocking. So, blocking should be finished today (except for a few short scenes). Next week: Scene Work! Below David Eiduks and Maria Silverman work out a scene from SKIN FLESH BONE…

 


18 down 57 to go…pages that is…

It’s amazing the freedom you have when you finally secure a set designer. I had a meeting with the set designer over the weekend, and, after meeting with him, I finally have a pretty good idea of what our set will look like. Thanks to that, we’ve started blocking the show and after 1 rehearsal we’ve gotten through the first 18 pages. Today we’ll continue with more of the same (actually, who am I kidding, for the next week we’ll continue with more of the same) and hopefully, by next week, the show will be completely blocked.

In other production news, we’re in the process of gathering props and costumes. Although this show is less difficult than DREAMERS OF THE DAY was (in other words we don’t need to find a vintage 1918 cigarette case or the exact type of robes that Lawrence of Arabia would have worn), I’m discovering that the sheer number of props for this show could get a leetle bit crazy. Seeing as our stage manager is also of our props master, I would like to apologize here, in writing, to Laura. Sorry. And I love you. AND You’re awesome.

One Week Down…

First week of rehearsals has come to an end. It’s been a great week of table work. We’ll probably continue more of the same for another couple of days and then we’re on to the blocking. Of course, before blocking can begin in earnest we’ll need a set design. It looks like we may have found a designer though, so the chances of actually having a set design are looking up.

In the meantime, our RocketHub campaign continues. Be sure to stop on by our page and get in on the behind the scenes action. Join the SKIN FLESH BONE family here: http://rockethub.com/projects/1589-skin-flesh-bone

On another note, for anyone who didn’t see it on our main page, tickets for SKIN FLESH BONE are now on sale. You can get tickets here: https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/834315, on our home page, or on our events calendar page.

Postcards are being designed and printed even as we speak and the marketing blitz is about to begin!

And we’re off…

On Wednesday the actors gathered…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The script was read…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, the snacks were consumed…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SKIN FLESH BONE is off to a great start!!!

RocketHub

Have you always wanted to be a part of a NEW YORK CITY theater production?

Have you dreamed of having signed programs, or exclusive backstage videoblogs of a show coming together?

Well you are in luck my friend because GTTP has partnered with to give everyone a chance to get in on the action. For the next 30 days, you can get in on backstage access to SKIN FLESH BONE! Be a part of the project and get exclusive rewards available only to our fuelers. There are rewards for all levels of contribution! There’s also a blog with a production diary from members of the cast and crew. As we move through rehearsals, there will be exclusive content on the RocketHub blog. Checkout the details at: http://rockethub.com/projects/1589-skin-flesh-bone

Be a part of the SKIN FLESH BONE experience! The more the merrier, feel free to re-post the link to your friends!

As I’m sure you saw on our home page – GTTP has chosen our next show. This exciting original script, written by yours truly’s insanely talented sister, Camilla Ammirati, will get its first NYC performance run with Going to Tahiti Productions. Pending AEA showcase approval, the show will open at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City, NY on June 15th and run for 2 weeks. Tickets will be available soon, but in the meantime, mark your calendars and keep an eye out on our blog here for production updates as we get into it. For those of you just dying to know, “but what’s going on right this second in tahiti-land?” I can tell you that we have spent the last two weeks making some revisions to the script, filing all the necessary production paperwork with Actors’ Equity Association and securing our performance space at the secret theatre. In other words, it’s been a whirlwind two weeks. More production updates to come!!!