Letter From Algeria has OPENED!!!

Drum roll please, we have a show!!! A spectacular show! Ground UP is super excited to have opened the world premiere of Michael Ian Walker’s Letter from Algeria. On Saturday, October 30th, we had our opening night to a full house! It was quite spectacular and exhilarating. I have been so fortunate to be a part of this production from the beginning.

To watch it grow, evolve and cultivate into this full production has been mesmerizing.

So many times in theatre you hear about new works getting produced and in most cases, what you see is the end result. I was able to actually watch this from beginning to end. The play came to us as a script submission. From there, Ground UP decided this was too good to keep from a theater audience. This is where the journey began. The play grew to life and got on its feet via a staged reading during Ground UP’s annual New Works Reading Series. After an incredible response from the audience we decided it was time to evolve the play. The next step in this evolution was to work shop the play. We were super fortunate enough to have the chance to do this and at the same time make it a part of our educational program down at the University of North Caroline – Chapel Hill. Using the students of our educational program, the Ground UP Team did a full staged workshop presentation directed by our very own brilliant and talented Kate Middleton. By her side were Michael Ian Walker (Playwright) and Adam Fitzgerald (Director of the NY World Premiere). All there collaborated with the amazing students of UNC to cultivate the final script. From UNC, the production traveled back to NYC where it became the great show that it is today. Now with wonderful poster and graphics designed by Wade Ferguson Dansby 3 and PR by Lanie Zipoy, we are sending the word out about our show!!

It’s been quite an opening week for us. So much goes into a full scale Off-Broadway production. To be honest, there were points were most of us were ready to pull our hair out. Yet, after and exhausting tech week, we were ready!!!! The coming together of the set, lights, props, costumes, and actors was stunning to watch. Have you seen the set yet??? Travis McHale, our resident scenic and lighting designer has OUTDONE himself. This is art at its best!! I may be biased but come see the show and prove me wrong. What he has done is breathtaking. My hats off to Dan Wheeless, Katherine Fry, Kate August and Jerry Sipp (TD and carpenters) who hand built this massive set. Remind me to never get them angry when they are holding a screw gun in their hand. To add to this we have an amazing looking cast costumed by our very own Amanda Jenks, Don’t think I’m not planning to heist Tim’s suit after the run… I want that suit!! Don’t be surprised if Hugo’s tie goes missing either. Let me also mention Ian Wehrle and Alex Wise, who together bring some pretty awesome sound and music to the show. The combination of sets, lights, costumes and sound create a terrific ambiance and feel for this show. Adam Fitzgerald has done a wonderful job directing the show and he could not have done it without this tremendous cast. You must, and I reiterate, you must come see Patrick Murney, JD Taylor , Amanda Jane Cooper and Rufus Collins, who do an amazing job in this show. Thank you to Guy Olivieri, our casting director) for finding these gems. Their performance is one that shouldn't be missed. They have brought this show to life and the amazing young lady parenting this show is Devan Hibbard, our stage manager. Even though the show has opened, Devan’s work continues every single night as she takes the reins and runs the show. She’d have less work if there weren’t so many props to set. This is Mauricio Miranda and Andrew Slater’s fault. LOL. Kidding guys. You did great and a note to you as well. I’m keeping the soccer ball!

After all this work from all these individuals, we opened Letter from Algeria and the response has been overwhelming. Every night the audience comes out and tells me they have loved what they have seen. Opening night was quite an accomplishment for us and in good ole fashioned Ground UP style, we had a party to celebrate this event. After all, it was Halloween weekend, so why not celebrate with the monsters and goons.

So this is how Letter From Algeria came to the stage and these were the people that made it happen. Like I said, to watch it grow, evolve and cultivate into this full production has been mesmerizing and I’m so thrilled that we get to share it with you! Thank you to everyone for their hard work, labor of love for the theatre, and dedication to the arts. We have collectively worked hard to produce a phenomenal show. A show that I do hope you can come and see. This edgy and exhilarating play is only running for two more weeks, so hurry up!!!! Don’t miss out. Tickets are available at http://www.groundupproductions.org/.

WORLD PREMIERE!
OCTOBER 29th - NOVEMBER 20th
ABINGDON THEATRE COMPLEX (36th street between 8th and 9th Avenue)

Hope you enjoy the show and here are some great photo’s shot by Randy Morrison.
· Photo 1 (Left to Right): Patrick Murney & Amanda Jane Cooper
· Photo 2: Rufus Collins
· Photo 3 (Left to Right): Amanda Jane Cooper & JD Taylor

Oh, and BOO – here’s one from the opening party!!!
Sincerely,
Phil Ruvelas, Managing Director

P.S. It’s been a year since the Letter From Algeria staged reading which means that it’s time again for our annual New Works Reading festival. Stay tuned and check our website for details!! In February you might be seeing the next great work so don’t miss out. You too can then say you were there from the beginning!

Waffles Anyone?

Last November, Michael I. Walker's play LETTER FROM ALGERIA was the breakout hit of our From the Ground UP reading series. Less than 12 months later, we are set to open a production of the play with a fabulous cast -- Rufus Collins, Amanda Jane Cooper, Patrick Murney & JD Taylor -- and creative team (director Adam Fitzgerald, set and lighting designer Travis McHale and costume designer Amanda Jenks).

We are thrilled to share this exciting new play with you, but why all this discussion of waffles when the play is called LETTER FROM ALGERIA? Well, the play begins in a dorm room in Brussels, Belgium. Three ex-pat American students meet and the rest is history.

In keeping with the Belgian theme, we're offering a few surround events -- fun activities, food and drink -- to round out the theater-going experience. On Halloween, Sunday, October 31st, we're offering Belgian brunch items at intermission. On November 2nd and 10th, our friends at 36 West Bar and Grill, right next door to our theatre, is offering pre-show and post-show, respectively, deals on Belgian beers. Look for the coupon in the program.

Join us as we transport you to Belgium, a country known for its waffles, fries and fantastic female tennis players (Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters).

We look forward to sharing LETTER FROM ALGERIA with you over the next few weeks.

And our Fabulous Cast for ALGERIA!!

Rehearsal is in full swing at 2 Fifth!

We went to SIX FLAGS! Again. Yes. Absolutely.

Team Ground UP tried to make "GUP" on a roller coaster to show company support!
We did it!
(Although we had to go on it once before to practice our mid-air acrobatics.)
PS, Flash Passes ROCK.

A bit from the world of costumes...

Hi all,

This is my first blog post (EVER, not just with Ground UP), so here it goes. To introduce myself a little, I'm Amanda, the resident costume gal and Letter from Algeria's costume designer. I'm a relatively new addition to the Ground UP family. I first got involved after doing a show (TACT's The Late Christopher Bean) with Kate last year. It has been really lovely being a part of everything and I'm so happy to be involved.

It has been a really exciting process so far. We had something incredibly generous happen to Ground UP as far as costumes are concerned. We were granted access (read: FREE!!) to an amazing warehouse of costumes located in Pennsylvania to pull from for this show by a wonderful film designer. We're talking 5 buildings filled with clothing. An entire house that had been purchased because the warehouse building was full and they needed more room. Rows and rows of clothing for the taking. I can not say thank you enough! And of course a huge thank you to Michael Walker, our talented playwright, for making this happen.

This show is a lot of fun because I get to play with fashion. This isn't much of a jeans-and-tees kind of show. Particularly, the female character, Ali, has been enormous fun to design. She's the kind of person that is always playing a character. Each outfit has its own style, its own theme, but always fabulous and statement-making. And always fantastic heels! I love working with a character that can take so many risks and have such freedom. Maybe I'll post some sneak peak pictures later.

Until then, it's time for me to get ready for our first fittings tomorrow. Wish me luck! I hope it all fits!

-Amanda

Ground UP Productions Needs YOU!

My name is Adam Gerdts, and I am new to the Ground UP Board. However, I am not new to Ground UP.

Kate approached me in 2005 to direct THE HOUSE OF YES and then PROOF; two fine productions which anchored our inaugural season. Shortly thereafter, life saw fit to return me to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Around the same time, Kate began educational out reach to dramatic art students at UNC-Chapel Hill, and our collaboration continued. Over the next few years, I grew my relationship with Ground UP not only as a director, holding workshops for undergraduates, but as a fundraiser.

While building a diverse directing resume in basements and dives, in downtown avant garde strongholds and midtown bastions of mainstream, I also fell into a development career. I found within myself a knack for encouraging generous people to give to causes about which they are passionate. Now, please allow me to employ that trait with you.

Private support is crucial to the continued expansion and growth of Ground UP. Gifts from individual donors currently make up an astonishing 75% of our operating budget. We truly could not survive without our generous and loyal donor base. Please consider investing in Ground UP, in our commitment to helping undergraduates transition into theatre careers, and in our passion for staging new work and new classics.

Please visit our website to support this important work with any amount of gift, or please e-mail me at adam@groundupproductions.org.

Thank you.

Desiging my face off...

Hi from Travis -
We are quickly building the set for LETTER FROM ALGERIA. This is our biggest effort ever, and it's so exciting. Check back, I'll post some teasers as we make progress.
Here's a little selfless promotion... I designed the lighting for THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at the fabulous Westport Country Playhouse. It's a stunning production of the new adaption and it's running for about 3 more weeks. So if you are going to Connecticut or love this story, check it out. After all, "Travis McHale's lighting is often subdued, rightly turning strident in the most urgent or confrontational moments."

We got a nice notice in the times too http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/nyregion/10theaterct.html?ref=anita_gates

Playing with New Plays

Hi Everyone -

I'm Michael, the playwright behind Letter From Algeria. We're back from an amazing trip to UNC, where we got to see the play up on its feet in a great workshop production driven and performed by students. It is a rare and exciting opportunity for a writer to get to test a script out on such a big scale. No one in New York gets to see his or her work put up, staged, and in front of a live audience before going into rehearsals for a NYC production - it was a pure Ground UP treat. The entire creative team and I learned SOOO much from the UNC process.

But now that we're back north, we've hit the ground running again. We have gathered a fantastic cast for NY (really, they're gonna blow you away), and this past week, we started rehearsing, exploring every line and dissecting each moment. It's an exciting time for the author of a new play - great actors always bring something new and unexpected to your words. So yet again, I feel like I am learning a ton about how to communicate LoA's story. And the great thing about rehearsal is, we get to play with the play. Together, the actors, director, and I try out scenes, turn ideas on their heads, and try things again. It's an invigorating, terrifying, and awesome process.

People often ask me why I write plays. Creating theater is, unlike any other medium, a truly collective experience. No play is created in a vacuum. Putting a show up on stage is, by definition, a collaboration. And an audience's experience hopefully reflects that communal approach. A community came together to tell this story. Another community is created as people watch and absorb the story at the same time. In its greatest moments, that feeling of commonality is palpable both under the stage lights and out into the dark seats. We all go through something together for two hours, and we all come out differently at the end. Why do I write for the theater? Because when it works, when everyone watching a show senses that synergy, it is the greatest, most transformative artistic experience I know.

Letter From Algeria is about many things, but at its roots, it's about four people searching for community and struggling (and failing) to find common ground. Here's to hoping that we all do a bit better together, artists and audience, as we play with this new play.

Can't wait to see you at the theater!

- Michael

Blog Post from Algeria

Ok, not quite. More like Blog post from NC, but close, right?

So our NC production of Michael Walker's Letter from Algeria ended on Sunday, and I think we are all (undergrads, post-undergrads, Ground UP peeps, etc.) enjoying a few deeps breaths post-show week. And what a fantastic week it was, to be able to (super-quickly) pick up where we left off after our epic trip to NYC and get the show into a theater, ourselves into costume, and an audience into the seats. The week began with a stumble-through of the show, where we ran it (with only minimal stopping for things like, I don't know, making up a door where there wasn't one...my bad) on stage, off-book, for our UNC designers. After the terror of that adventure gave way to sheer adrenaline, the rest of the week became a whirlwind of quick changes, sound cues, silhouetted entrances...you know, super glamorous stuff :)

Opening night was, in a word, insane. In a good way, of course, and for a lot of different reasons. As with any show, you expect there to be new places for laughs and the like once an audience gets into the mix...but with Algeria, you also have to add in places for gasps, "oh no!s" and breath holding, leaning-forward-in-your-seat silences. Add in a dash of "oh dear god I have to change this dress in .00001 seconds" and "was that my line...oh god, I hope that was my line but we have only been off book for 4 days ack!" on the part of us actors (ok, well, on the part of moi) and the whole show went by in a high-adrenaline, beautifully-lit and scored rush.

After each show, we joined Kate onstage for a mini talkback, answering questions about the UnderGround program, the show, what have you. It is exciting to be part of a show that leaves people guessing, and every night without fail someone (usually more than one person) would ask for the "right answers" to secrets in the show...needless to say, we all worked hard to keep them guessing, giving indirect and shady answers...after all, no one likes a spoiler, right?

Overall, the week was exhilarating, exhausting, and everything in between, and I am so thankful to have played a part (pardon the pun) in it. I have learned so much from Ground Up, and I was proud to be able to share such a cool show with the UNC and NC community.

For realz.

sarah

Hey everyone!

My name is Catya McMullen. I am an Educational Associate for Ground UP and the Assistant Director of our educational residency's production of Letter From Algeria here at UNC. I am also still currently a Carolina undergrad, serving as a Producing Director for UNC's Department of Dramatic Art. Affectionately nicknamed "the mole," I get to be a part of hosting a company I am a part of.
I joined Ground UP after I Assistant Stage Managed Barefoot in the Park last summer and fell in love with the company and have been able to assist in the coordination of the education program.

It has been an awesome few days so far! I have been so impressed with the undergrad student body! Everyone rallied together and have been working SO hard to create what I anticipate to be a great show and great week! The idea for this started so long ago as an off book reading and it's really been watching my classmates' enthusiasm rocket this into a full scale production. There are students milling around I haven't even met! The word has spread and the campus is ready. Last night at FallFest, there were more people interested in the production of Letter From Algeria than anything else. And we had people in blue wigs and scrubs making a ruckus (including Josh Wolonick, cast member of Letter From Algeria).

We are in the midst of a hectic tech week and everyone is in great spirits, in true Tar Heel form. Everyone is communicating so well. As always, I am impressed with Kate. Her leadership and humor are preventing this from being stressfest '10.

I am so excited for opening night and that I get to be a part of this project, the Ground UP family and that this may be one of the most exciting residencies Ground UP has had. My classmates are really grateful for the additional experience and assistance this week is providing.

Catya

Tech Week, Here We Come!

Hey there!

Andrew Slater here! Recent UNC graduate and currently stage managing the Chapel Hill premiere of Letter from Algeria!

Working with GroundUP has been unlike anything I could have imagined for my first professional theatre experience post-graduation. Watching a company invest so much time, energy, and passion into the work they do has reaffirmed my love for this art and inspires me to work harder on all the projects I commit to. Everyone always warns you as an undergraduate that moving up to New York to pursue theatre is a guaranteed failure and that the people you meet there will only want to bring you down, but GroundUP has been the complete opposite. Their design team has spent the entire summer mentoring our UNC designers on this project, and Kate has been so engaged throughout the rehearsal process that you can't help but feel that you, too, are a part of this very welcoming company.

It's also nice to work with a group that has such high respect for new playwrights and new pieces of theatre. It's incredible to watch a group of actors breathe life into characters for the very first time, and to be able to look back on a completely original and exciting project and say that I helped create that. The themes and ideas within Letter from Algeria definitely hold relevance to younger generations and speaks to modern times in terms of how we interact with each other today.

We have finished up our rehearsal week in NY, and are headed back down to Chapel Hill to dive head first into a busy tech week starting Sunday, August 22nd. That night, however, we're taking some time off of rehearsal to visit UNC's Fall Fest, so be sure to look for us to find out how to get involved backstage with the show and how to sign up for the master classes that GroundUP will teach Aug. 28-31!

We're one week away from opening night so be sure to keep up with the blog and the facebook group! See you at Fall Fest!

Andrew

Way to go TARHEELS!

Just a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this week's Education Outreach Program for UNC-Chapel Hill, which by the way has now been named The UnderGround Project (Thanks UNC Students!!)

The week was a huge success thank you to the hard work of soooo many:
Master Class teachers, (Flor de Lis Perez, Joy Jones, Matthew Murphy, Guy Olivieri, and Adam Fitzgerald), NYC "tourguides", Ground UP's Guy, Seth, and Catya, everyone who dropped by the TARHEEL TAILGATE party or the stumble-through, and of course the fabulous cast and crew, that worked every second (and will continue to work every second) on this AWESOME play, LETTER FROM ALGERIA. Thank you Michael Walker for that!

It was a great week, with the second half quickly approaching August 21-Sept 1 at UNC! Stay tuned for more info, excitement, and another great Ground UP production in the Kenan Theatre at UNC Aug 27th-29th!

THE UNC CAST IS HERE!

Hi Everyone!

I'm Christine-- the Education Director for Ground UP Productions-- and I'm here to announce that what we've been working towards for 8 months is finally happening-- our first ever New York Internship Week for UNC undergrads!!

The three students that are up here with us this year are all cast in a workshop production of Letter From Algeria, which will be performed down in Chapel Hill at the end of August. We are keeping them very busy--- every day they have two master classes with theatre artists that have a history either with UNC or with us, and then rehearsals at night. So far they've had classes in movement, voice, monologue work, cold reading, and an introduction to what being a New York actor means from our very own Guy Olivieri. We also took them out on a tour of the theatre district today-- showing them Times Square, the Equity Building, The Actor's Fund, and several casting offices, among other things.

Rehearsals have been intense. It isn't easy to block such a complex show in six days, but the actors are diligent and Kate just knows her stuff, so it's coming together beautifully.

What has inspired me most throughout the week is just watching these students-- they are dedicated to both the work and each other in a way that you don't often see. They are so excited to be here; to learn everything they can about the city but also to soak up the artistic process. It makes me so proud of the work that we do, and so honored to be able to watch them grow. I can't wait to see how they and the show continue to develop both here and down in Chapel Hill!

This Friday night we are throwing a networking party for them-- A Tarheel Tailgate: A Networking Party for UNC Undergrads. It's a chance for them to meet other New York Artists and industry folk and start to build a network for themselves before they even move up here. Please come! If you want information about it, please contact me at christine@groundupproductions.org.

That's all for now! It's been a fantastic week. Thank you to everyone who made and continues to make it such a huge success.

Christine

Must-See Pix Additions...

OK, so 4 very, VERY important visual additions to previous blogs...

1. Post-Show with Guy after his STELLAR performance as Seymor in LITTLE SHOP...










2. The money-crazed Foxwoods Casino-Goers...



3. Dan the MAN at his awesome CAMP!



4. Our FABULOUS UNC CAST!
This first night with the UNC Cast or ALGERIA! Congrats all of you on a fabulous start to the week and a huge THANK YOU to the master class teachers!

Taking a gamble with A "Little" trip to Rhode Island

....and may I say, we won the jackpot. Well, I lost money but Kate tripled hers. The real winner of the night though was our very own Guy Olivieri who gave an outstanding and smashing killer plant of a performance as Seymour in Theatre By The Sea's Little Ship of Horrors!!!






Kate and I decided to do a day trip up to Rhode Island. Yes, yes, I know, we were nuts to want to drive from NYC to Rhode Island and back in a day, but oh man, oh man IT WAS WORTH IT. After 5 hours in a car and getting upset that we wouldn't make curtain, we arrived at 8 pm on the dot. Here we were in Wakefield Rhode Island running up the stairs to get our seats. We were here to support our dear friend and fellow Ground Upper. The show started and what we got was more than a man eating plant, we got a garden full of wonder. The show was wonderful and Guy was fantastic. It was so enjoyable that I honestly forgot that I had spent 5 hours in a car. The show directed by Amiee Tuner was so much fun. You hear horror (no pun intended) stories about summer stock but I have to tell you, Theatre By The Sea gave its audience a delightful show full of great talent, fun direction, and lots of fun music!



After the show, Kate and I were in no mood to head back. We wanted to stay, we wanted to have fun, we wanted to celebrate with Guy. So off we went down the street to the main part of Wakefield where we found a pizza joint. We ordered a pie and was told it would be ready in "15 minutes", so what do we do, we book it across the street to go to down a beer on the roof of an Irish Pub next to the ocean. No joke. Pretty amazing, right? We toasted Guy's awesome performance and great show then we ran back on over and downed an entire pizza pie. You see, in the 5 hour drive, we forgot to eat!!!



The night had come to an end and it was time to head back, well, I thought it was the end of the night. We said bye to Guy and started driving back to NYC through Connecticut when we passed Foxwoods casino. I never have been and we were so full of energy that we decided to make this a real road trip and be adventurous. So we parked the car and hit the slot machines. After losing miserably we both were not defeated. We were determined. We hit the tables, black jack that is, and my oh my. I went first and lost. Then Kate decides to go and as Kate has proven over and over again, she is a STAR! She was spectacular playing the role of the innocent southern girl trying her hand at a big man's game. Win after win after win she turns around and triples her money. That's right folks. She Tripled her money!!! She gave an Oscar performance and would have put Paul Newman to shame in the Color of Money.



Kate looked at me and goes "can I stop now?". I said Heck yeah girl. She cashed her chips in, we hit the road, stopped for caffeine and combos and headed back to NYC.



Our day was about theatre and taking a gamble and to be honest, that's what we do every day. We take a gamble in hopes that we can create astounding theater that you, our audience can love. It's a gamble, but when we win, we win big and that makes the early losses at the slot machine worth it!



- Phil

A Southern Touch

Hi everyone. My name is Josh Evans and I am a new member of Ground UP Productions. This is my first blog post…ever, and I am quite excited to that Ground UP can take my blog virginity.

One of the traits that attracted me to Ground UP Productions is their hands on approach with their patrons. In fact, it's quite southern. And as most of you know, our theatre company is full of graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We are proud to have brought that southern hospitality to the New York stage.

In fact, earlier this year we called over 50% of our patrons just to say, “thank you.” We send out personal emails and holiday cards, and even passed around cake at our annual Gala event (see the photos below).

The first half of 2010 has been special for us and it is because of our patrons we are able to have the programs that make us a southern transplant in NYC. In fact, at the end of August, we are heading down to Chapel Hill for the 5^th year of our Educational Outreach Program with the UNC undergraduate drama students…but you will hear more about that later.

I got run look at apartments now…you know how New York real estate can be. Thank you for reading my first blog post ever.

Make sure to visit us at groundupproductions.org for more info about our educational program and our upcoming fall production of LETTER FROM ALEGERIA.

See you on the boards.

-Josh

True Blood...

OK, so I just have to say that I am really really excited. And this doesn't have anything to do with Ground UP. Sorry.

Even in Season 3, True Blood is still one of my favorite TV shows.
And... I just booked a VO as a red-necky caller that doesn't understand why if "vampires been round for thousands of years, how come there ain't no mention of 'em in the bible?"

YAY.
I am very proud to be allowed to be red-necky once again.
Vampires rule. And my day job is officially weird.
ps: Eric is hot this season.

Surround Events Announced

Last year for our production of BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, we hosted several surround events, ranging from talkbacks with Penny Fuller, who starred in the play on Broadway in the 1960s, to hula hoop nights. They were a huge success, and we’ve amped up our surround events for LETTER FROM ALGERIA, our upcoming fall production. Performances run October 29 through November 20, 2010 at the June Havoc Theatre at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (312 W. 36th St., NYC).

LETTER FROM ALGERIA takes place in Belgium and Algeria, and many of our events reflect these two locations. Here’s a preview of our surround events. All are free with your admission to the show. Go ahead and buy your tickets now!

LETTER FROM ALGERIA SURROUND EVENTS

Saturday, October 30 - Opening Night Halloween Post-Show Bash. Celebrate the show’s opening with cast and crew. Enjoy candy and drinks!
Sunday, October 31 -- Belgium Brunch. At Intermission, we will serve yummy Belgian waffles!
Tuesday, November 2 -- Belgian Beer Garden. Pre- and Post-Show. Join us at 36 West Bar and Grill just next door; Dollar off Drinks with the Code Ground UP!
Wednesday, November 3 -- Belly Dancing. Enjoy a free Belly Dancing demonstration and class starting at 7:15pm in the June Havoc Theatre lobby.
Thursday, November 4 – Singles Night. Get ready to mingle during intermission and post-show with other singles.
Sunday, November 7 – North African Affairs. We will host a speaker on North African history after the matinee performance.

Tuesday, November 9 – Student ID Night. Young or old, bring your student ID and get $5 off tickets at the door.

Wednesday, November 10 – Belgian Beer Garden. Pre- and Post- Show. Join us at 36 West Bar and Grill just next door; Dollar off Drinks with the Code Ground UP!

We will announce a few other events in the next couple of weeks. We look forward to seeing you at LETTER FROM ALGERIA.

It was 102 degrees today!

Hey all,

It's Guy O. again. I'm writing from the tiny state of Rhode Island where I am working this summer. I'm playing Seymour in a production of Little Shop of Horrors at Theatre By The Sea. One of my very, very, very, very favorite plays!! If you're in Rhode Island, randomly - come check it out - the production is going to be AMAZING. Here's our Audrey 2.

Sorry for the shameless self-promotion. BUT, it does bring me to a point about Ground UP. We've been trying to find a musical to do, and we keep asking for the rights to Little Shop of Horrors, and getting turned down!! The publishing company doesn't want it done in Manhattan, so that if they decide to revive it, that they have first crack at it. Or something like that. They don't give very clear reasons. But Kate and I have been dying to do it for a few years now. It'd be great, right? We have a fun concept. Maybe one day we'll get the chance to do it for all of you.

Oh, and it was 102 degrees here today. Just saying. The theater is not air conditioned.

Going to take a dip in the ocean to cool off. Stay cool.

XO,

GO

I feel like an old man. Right now I am at summer camp (theater boot camp), I am 33 years old and I am surrounded by 9 year olds.
It is actually quite amazing to get a musical up on its feet in one week. There is no time for dress rehearsal, the only performance is the rehearsal! It is sink or swim with children who have never been in a performance, and by the end of this summer I will have produced five full scale musicals.
This blog is using up the 15 min of free time I have, but come August I will be able to build a full scale production of "Rent" with 2 paper clips, a flash light, and 6 rubber bands. Got to go there is the bugle call and it is chicken nugget night.

Old Man Dan

Fun 4th in VT...

HAPPY 4th of JULY everyone!
Hope that you all had a great weekend...



Here is a pic from our fireworks picnic in VT this weekend.
Travis, Mark, me and Wade!

More Pix...

Hey there. It's Nick here and I'm a new member of the Ground UP gang and am really excited to share some more pics from our awesome Gala (Also our 5th Birthday!!) Hope you enjoyed it and if you weren't there, here's what you missed!

The Pump Boys and Dinettes (Above)

Our awesome emcee, Guy Olivieri (Left)

And our delicious cake!! YUM!

We've celebrated the past and now we look to the future

Hey there,

Over the last couple of weeks we've spent a lot of time celebrating our past, having our 5th anniversary party, and talking about our past.

As we think about the past, it makes us excited about our future. There has been so much growth over the years and so much we are proud of.

We have had great productions, great sets, great graphics, and a great following in our patrons and audience. We've also continued to grow as a company. Just this week, we got two new volunteers who are eager to work with our company.

The thing that touched us the most after our gala were the amazing notes sent by our very own company members/staff who went on about how honored and proud they were to be part of such a company. That this company was unlike any they have ever worked with in NYC.

It is this pride, commitment, and excitement that will take us to the next level. It's important to not only learn from the past, but also to think of the future. To set our goals and dreams and accomplish them. We work hard to think about where we want to be and what we want to do!!!!

The upcoming months will be about our educational program, our NY residency for UNC students, our UNC residency/workshops, and the fall premiere of Letter from Algeria. This will involve lots of planning and work to make it all happen. Now that we've had our amazing Gala and celebrated, we are back at work to give you the future. A future for students and a futre for an original show that we hope will amaze and mesmerize you.

The other thing we plan to do is go beyond this fall. To go deep into the future and start thinking about next year and the year after that. Kate and Phil have started working on a five year plan for Ground UP and Kate continues to look at ways we can grow and expand, while keeping our intimate feel of family. Our excellence and high caliber of work is what we are proud of so that status quo will be the foundation of what we do next. We are asking you to join us, to stay with us, and go on this journey into the future.

Give us your thoughts and your ideas. What do you want to see from us? What can we do better? How can we become the best theatre company you ever knew?

We're excited to wok with the students and to make Michael's show a reality. We're excited to present to you this world premiere. We're beyond thrilled to then ride into our Winter Reading Series where again, we can discover the next great play of our generation. Before we know it, we'll be announcing our 2011 season. It is amazing how fast time flies when you're having fun.

Now that we've celebrated the past 5 years, let's move forward and look to the future the great things we will do in the next 5 fives.

Thank you for sticking by our side and hope you will be there with us on this amazing journey we've taken, building amazing theatre from the Ground UP!

Remembering Barefoot...

Hey gang, Travis here. I’m a long time board member and Ground UP’s resident lighting and set designer.

Of course I think our production values are one of the big things that set us apart from our off-off piers, but so do the reviews, our audiences and colleagues. I think one of our finest moments of stagecraft was for last season’s BAREFOOT IN THE PARK. The scenery for this show was quintessential Ground UP Productions’ aesthetic; environmental and romantically realistic.

Neil Simon threw the director and designer a real ringer with this play, even in the most ideal circumstances. And ideal, our circumstances, were not. This production took place at our beloved Manhattan Theatre Source, which has to be one of the quirkiest theatre’s in the city; awkward architecture, an out of place spiral staircase, the most obtrusive control booth in history, plumbing in the middle of everything and a 3 inch sag in floor at center stage. However, it is that terrible space which gave us many of the delightful hallmarks of our BAREFOOT. We know how to work that room and pulled all of our favorite tricks.

Most of the enormous challenges we faced were written by Neil himself. Here’s a brief list: the ledge outside of the window must be walked on, a broken skylight through which it snows AND the climactic dialogue is delivered, a functioning kitchen as well as so many specifics about entrances and exits. To top it off, Act 1 is a bare apartment, Act 2 is fully furnished. For us, this was the clincher as the only effective way in and out of the theatre is through the audience door which is less than three feet wide!

Between the director, Lon, the technical director, Dan, our fearless leader and czar of good taste, Kate, and myself, we rose to every challenge! Using our favorite seating arrangement, we took advantage of the good that the theatre had to offer; beautiful exposed brick walls and hard wood floors from the 19^th Century and the door to the adjacent apartment building’s stairwell (to be used as the stairs to our ‘5^th floor walk-up’). Using some of our beautiful stock windows and doors we created the rest of the room and wrapped the audience 360 degrees so they would be as close as neighbors, peeping in on the newlywed characters. The director and I worked very hard on placing our entrances to get the most comedy out of actors making exaggerated crosses from bedroom to bathroom and back. We gave Mr. Simon his required ‘sunken’ living room and, the cou-de-gras, the skylight. What gave the mother of all scene changes it grace was the brilliance of Kate and Lon, choreographing an a-vista moving man extravaganza that literally pulled furniture out from under the audience’s butts to put onstage. Take that Neil Simon!

I can’t believe how much we pulled off inside such a small theatre. But of course, there were things the set couldn’t accomplish in such little space, so I thought I’d just let the lighting designer fix it. Oh crap, that’s me!!!

Here are some pictures and drawings that give a little insight into the process of creating BAREFOOT IN THE PARK.
An early sketches, some ideas came to fruition, others changed















































All of which became...

























Technical Drawings




















And the result?...








































Thanks for checking us out!

Like I said... It's AMAZING!

So detailed, great fondant icing, on time delivery. Perfect!
Thanks Jolaade!

And for anyone that wants a great cake that was also delicious for an event, contact:
Jolaade Aboaba
J.A.D.A's Delights, LLC
2725 Linwood Rd.
Union, NJ 07083

973-946-2335
jadasdelights@gmail.com
www.jadasdelights.com

Dudes... Here's our AMAZING Cake!

BIG, BIG GALA SUCCESS!

So here's a clip (thanks Anne and Anne's iPhone!) from our 5th Bday party last Saturday.
I would have to call it a raging success, and thank all of the awesome performers who made it happen. Guy was the best emcee I have EVER seen and the cake, made by Jolaade Aboaba, was the most stunning thing ever. I cried. Like 3 times...
Major PROPS to J.A.D.A's Delights, LLC! THANK YOU!

More pix to come when I get them, but here is the birthday video.
Enjoy and thanks again all!

Update on the Gala

Hey y'all,

Every year when we throw our annual fundraiser, it's a lot of work. It's almost as much work as putting a show up. (Last year we did the Gala DURING the rehearsal period for Barefoot In The Park; it almost killed us.) This year's bash is going much easier. Perhaps we're getting the hang of it.

I'm so incredibly excited about the performers for this year's party. Normally we do one band, or something like that, but this year: a cabaret performed by Ground Uppers and friends.

Have you seen Molly Pope? She's a cabaret superstar who does an amazing show, aptly titled The Molly Pope Show, at venues like Joe's Pub. And sells them out. She's the real deal, people.

Rob Maitner has the funniest Facebook Statuses of anyone I know. And what he has prepared is so wacky - you're going to die. 90s style.

Natalie Douglas

asked me what she should do, and I asked her to do something classy. She's really well-known in New York. Did you know she's a MAC Award winner? Maybe she'll do some Nina Simone or Lena Horne.

You know our next play was written by Michael Walker. It's a drama. But, Michael also has a writing partner, with whom he writes amazing musicals. Check out Ewalt and Walker. There are going to be a few E&W songs performed at the gala. One by Eric Petersen, who is just about to go out on tour as the title character in Shrek: The Musical. We're lucky to have him!

Excited yet?

Who else? I don't want to give away all the secrets. But I'll tease you with these:

•A song extolling the virtues of New Jersey

•Something in French

•A dramatic reading of a beloved commercial

and

•A trip to The Frog Pad.

That's all you're getting, people.

Not too late to buy tickets. Hope to see you there.

Did I mention tons of food and all-you-can-drink?

The Frog Pad Lives On!

OK, so I never got a photo of the plaque that we apparently won from Cornell Business School for our Warehouse Project. However, I was at the WH this weekend getting stuff ready for the Gala and I found THIS!

So, in honor of our upcoming, Southern, 5 year anniversary, Gala to raise mula for the upcoming season.... I PROUDLY PRESENT.....
The FROG PAD HISTORIC LANDMARK Plaque!

For those of you who didn't see The People vs. Mona, this plaque commemorates the fact that the coolest juke-joint in Tippo, Georgia is now on the registry for historic places in America.

So congrats Ground UP for helping to make this happen!
...And here's to a FABULOUS Gala!

Vacation Weekend is Over, now it's back to work!

Hello,

I hope everyone is doing well? How was every one's Memorial Day weekend? Mine was pretty awesome. It was great to relax, go out, BBQ, hang with friends, and enjoy a weekend of pushing responsibilities aside. Well, that has ended today. It's time to get back to reality and back to work.

The next two weeks are going to be extremely busy for us. The entire company will gear up and do the work necessary to pull off our 5th anniversary Gala Bash (The Bootleg Revue). With just two weeks left to the big day we still have lots of planning and preparations to do, such as food, sound, decorations, auction items, rehearsals, script, PR, setup schedule, crew shifts, etc...

I know I talk about preparations and go into details about the behind the scenes action since this is the area I oversee, but I'm sure you, the reader is excited about one part. The talent!! The singers!! The performers who are going to be performing these wonderful musical numbers for you. We have incredible talent lined up. I have to personally thank Guy Olivieri who worked magic to put together an exciting and great show for you. What you see on stage will be there because of Guy. You might recognize some of the names (Kat Sherrell, Natalie Wilson, Natalie Douglas, Matt Hardy, Randy Klein, Gay Marshall, Marcie Henderson, Kyle Ewalt, Jillian Louis, Kevin McWilliams, Cole Burden, Rob Maitner, Molly Pope, Casey Densler, Michael Hicks, Karen Culp, Franklin Golden) and we also have the band "Happy Ending" singing some songs from their album Turn It On. Doesn't it sound like a great night???

Now here is the most important work we need to do this upcoming week - sell tickets!! Aren't you excited to see these talented individuals strut their stuff on stage? Let's make a deal, while I work with the company to get the show together, you work on getting people to join us for what will be an evening full of fun! Go to our website now to purchase tickets. Seats will go fast, so don't miss out. Again, our Gala is going be next Saturday, June 12th from 8-12, near Union Square, with great food, drinks, and of course, performances from all members of the company. Singing things from past shows, doing skits, and we are even going to have a pinata. Visit our website, http://www.groundupproductions.org/. to get tickets. Your purchase includes food, all you can drink, and a show. The truth is, your ticket will help us have another season and produce our upcoming world premiere. This is our biggest fundraising evening so we really need you there.

Come join us and in the meantime, I will forget my vacation weekend and get back to work!!


- Phil

Being on the other side

Everyone who knows us at Ground UP knows we love to do theatre! Our company is about putting on the best shows possible. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes to get a show up and running. Months of planning, scheduling, rehearsing, set building, all leading up to the performance. I love doing it, especially when I hear the audience laugh or even gasp. As much fun as it is behind the scenes, it's just as much fun to be on the other side. To sit back as an audience member, not worry about who's cue is next, what prop should be where, is quite a joy. Tonight I get to do such a thing. I get to be on the other side in the house. I'm going to see South Pacific at Lincoln Center. It's a musical theatre classic and this revival garnered tons of Tony awards. As an artist, we can only grow by looking at what others do, seeing their vision, and becoming part of the experience. Seeing other's visions mold us and influence us. So tonight, I will sit back and enjoy. Simply take in this masterpiece and all the joy it brings with it. It's a great change of pace from having to worry about budget, contracts, and ticket sales. Woo-Hoo.... you gotta love the other side.

Cornell Meeting at Pesce Pasta!

THE WAREHOUSE project is going great!

As I said, the awesome plaque that we won is on the way, but here is the dinner photo! Thanks again to Dan, Phil, Travis, Seth, Dean, Josh, Bill, and Liz Schuster!

Onwards and upwards to new, exciting things like leases and insurance! Yaaaay.

Blast from the past

Article from 2006 Playbill about our revival of Pump Boys & Dinettes at Manhattan Theatre Source in the West Village.

Pump Boys & Dinettes was our company's first production of a musical, and it was a resounding success. I still think its awesome we were the first company to revive it in New York City. I believe it did much to cement the bonds of friendship between GUP and the NYC theater community and it led to us producing The People vs. Mona the next summer.