email artpartytheatercompany@gmail.com for tickets

We’ve had long discussions/thought chains this spring about what makes something art.party. Is it because some of us are involved in it that makes it automatically art.party? (this crosses into Jess’ favorite metier, BRANDING).

The conclusion we came to was that when all of us work on an original piece that morphs the play’s form to reflect its themes, THAT’s art.party.

Thusly, the show on Tuesday night, CUPCAKES AND STRIPPERS: MIDWESTERN PLAYS BY JESS BURKLE (154 christopher street, WINGS THEATRE- email artpartytheatercompany@gmail.com to reserve your tickets!) is NOT art.party, though the proceeds from drinks + donations will go towards our shows in the fall.

We are psyched. It should be awesome. 17 fabulous actors, 5 new plays, lots of laughs.

ok, gotta go work on it.

-m

Tight budgets call for extreme creativity, so for the upcoming Bryant in the Park performance we’ve been discussing cheap, cheap materials. Conclusion: Plastic bags!(?) Oh, yeah. Cheap, recycled and grass-stain/water-proof. What more could you ask for? (*Cough, cough* besides a budget )

Now, let me just say, most plastic clothing is pretty (excuse me) trashy. It generally looks like you’re trying to wear a condom or a shower curtain. This is NOT the look we’re setting out for here. Classy, elegant, dashing. Let’s keep those words in mind. Now to get those creative juices flowing here is some plastic bag apparel inspiration: http://www.threadbanger.com/post/5599/recycled-plastic-bag-dresses

-A.

Heeeyyy, where the ART.PARTY at?

It’s ART.PARTY, you can cry if you want to…

Who rocks the party that rocks the body? ART.PARTY!

art.party.theater.company…because there’s no such thing as an ART.PARTY foul…

I’ll keep brainstorming!
Carolyn

We’ve made some changes to our website! Check out the updates on the Art, Theater, and Company pages, including news about our Bryant Park performances in August, photographs of Big Love and a link to our Donation page.

Our talented (and charming) graphic designers, Frank and Tim, have done a really beautiful job with this site. You can contact them at FrancisandTimothy@gmail.com with words of praise–or to hire them!

-L

Hey artpartiers!!!

We are excited to announce that art.party will be performing in Bryant Park on Friday afternoons in August: August 7, 14 and 21. 

A surreal Croquet game in the middle of Bryant Park, out of which will erupt poetry by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT, the park’s namesake. 

Want to be involved? Email artpartytheatercompany@gmail.com!

Look at these sketches Jess made! So fun!

"Midsummer" by William Cullen Bryant

"Hymn to the City"

We’re psyched! 

xx

m

Ok…not an Art.Party, but still an art party!

This Saturday June 20th, 2009 I will be one of the exhibiting artists at the pARTy in the Park in Norwalk, CT! pARTy  is a one day cultural arts festival organized by the Norwalk Arts Commission to showcase and promote local artists and musicians. There will be events like live music, artists’ booths, free yoga and a short-film festival tunnel all day!

I will have a booth exhibiting and selling my handcrafted, original and reconstructed Cosmic deBris clothing designs made from (mostly) recycled materials (also selling designs by Kate Goldwater of AuH2O) at the Oyster Pod (@ the Norwalk Maritime Center) from 12-5pm. Come check it out!!

PS. It’s a REALLY easy ride out from NYC on Metro-North. Take the New Haven line to South Norwalk and walk to the event!! (Or take a cab if you’re that lazy, but hey, if you’re coming from New York, 6 blocks ain’t nothin’ but a chicken wing) Get out of the city and spend a day by the water in bea-utiful CT!

(Ya-yeah local arts!!!)

For more information go to: http://norwalkarts.org/pip/info.php

Hope to see you there!

Alex T.

Our theater is made for an audience.

Seems pretty obvious, no? Jess, Mary and I had a discussion on Friday about this statement. They feel that most theater these days is just like TV, or, to quote Jess as I steal from our e-mail chain, “made as a masturbatory artistic gesture to one’s own brilliance. (i.e. They don’t serve cookies. They do serve long silences.) What it means is that we are always making theater that is welcoming and appreciative of the people that come to it. So, it will never smell like horse shit, be 200 degrees, or force the audience to cry from pain or boredom.”

And, can I be honest? Our cookies are damn good.

-L

The New York Music Theater Festival will be going up this fall in NYC from Sept 28 - Oct 18. This past weekend, all of the writers of the 25 NYMF 2009 musicals sat in a room and learned about what it takes to put on a musical. There were panelists (major Broadway producers in some cases) expounding on assembling a production team, marketing a show, selling tickets, re-writing scripts–it ran the gamut. (How do I know this? I am fortunate enough to count myself among these writers; my show, “Fantasy Football: The Musical?” will make its world premiere this fall at NYMF.)

What I found to be extremely interesting, however, was how much the word “trust” came up.

“Make sure you find a director you trust.”

“Don’t get involved with a marketing team you’re not absolutely sure you trust.”

Basically, the message was, work with the people you know. As I approach the 2 year anniversary of living in this City, I realize that I almost exclusively want to work with people I know. Sure, I meet new and fantastic people all the time, but they were generally introduced to me by people I know, so they’re a part of my extended network, and it’s like I know and trust them just based on the reference.

If you are among the hordes of college grads flocking to NY to make it, just make a ton of friends, and be someone that everyone trusts.

And don’t refer bad people. That earns you a lot of badness.

I would now like to use the blog in a utilitarian way: who has got catchphrases for ART PARTY??
I’ve got:
Join the party.
Welcome to the party.
Bring someone to the party.
Party hearty.

Etc.etc. Etc.

Counting on you!
Xx
m