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Thanks and Farewell from ActorsLife.com

January 10, 2012 By Kipley

As of January 10th, 2012, ActorsLife.com is no longer posting new content.

After nearly a decade of interviews, articles, videos, workshops, and more, I am grateful for the knowledge, the wonderful experiences, and the positive relationships this site has brought into my life.

Following the great advice from the many interviews on this site, I have built my own entertainment company which I am proud to say is now so busy that I no longer have the time to run the website.

Thanks again for the thousands of e-mails over the years – it has been a pleasure to correspond and an honor to play a role in serving the acting community for nearly a decade.

Best wishes & Break a leg!

Kipley Wentz

Filed Under: Featured, News & Events

Competition Jan 28/29: So ya wanna be a Broadway Star?

January 4, 2012 By Kipley Leave a Comment

The New Paradigm Theatre in Southern CT is hosting a competition/fund raiser called, “So ya wanna be a Broadway Star?”.  January 28th and 29th at the Stamford Hilton in Connecticut.

A two-day American Idol-type event that allows contestants to sing and receive comments from Industry professionals including:  Paul Bogaev (Musical Producer for Bway: Spiderman, Aida, Movies: Chicago, Nine, Dreamgirls) Jamibeth Margolis (Casting Dir for Bway: Phantom, Cats, Les Miz) Barry Moss (Casting dir for Bway: Little Women, Jekyll & Hyde, Tommy), Scott Bryce(Daytime Emmy nominee, As the world turns, Murphy Brown and Director for PBS) Richard Sabellico (NY Director: I Can Get it for You Wholesale, Annie, Wonderful Town)

Applicants can go to www.nptheatre.org for all the details and to see the list of prizes including a photo session, ten pack of classes from Actors Connection, 5 pack of classes from The Edge studios, Classes with Jamibeth Margolis, Richard Sabellico and Paul Bogaev and much more.

Three chances to be a winner.  Also a chance to get in on the ground floor of a new professional theatre company close to NY.   Kristin Huffman- Artistic Director & Jamibeth Margolis- Executive Director.

With a special guest host!  Nick Mitchell from American Idol!  Don’t wait as applications are limited.

Filed Under: Auditions, Featured, News & Events

The Quickest Way to Tell if an Actor is Serious About Their Career

January 3, 2012 By Kipley Leave a Comment

This is NOT a headshot

The quickest way to tell whether an actor is serious about his or her career is to look at their “headshot”.

Is it a professional photo? Or is it a snapshot taken on prom night? If you’re using a snapshot, you simply will not be taken seriously by producers, agents, and casting directors.

It’s like showing up to race the Indy 500 in a VW Beetle. Nobody is going to take you seriously.

The single most important tool for the professional actor is a headshot. A headshot is a photograph that measures exactly 8 inches by 10 inches, which is why they’re called “eight by tens”.

Every professional actor must have a headshot… It is your calling card. Even with new digital casting sites and tools, every actor must have a photo ready to mail in for auditions and hand to agents and casting directors.

You must have a professional headshot if you wish to be a professional actor.

However, simply having a headshot is not enough.

Without doubt, the number one complaint we hear from casting directors, talent agents, producers, and directors is that so many actors do not look like their photos.

It’s true that photo sessions and printing can be expensive, but it is essential that you keep your photos up to date.

Question: Does your headshot look like you?

You just answered yes, didn’t you.

But c’mon now, be honest… does your headshot really look like you?

As the director and producer of numerous feature films, short films, commercials, PSA’s, a web series, and countless plays, I’ve seen thousands of headshots over the years, and I can tell you from personal experience that many… oh, so many… actors look absolutely nothing like their headshot.

I’m not alone in this observation… This is a complaint I have heard from virtually every casting director, producer, and filmmaker I’ve interviewed over the past several years for ActorsLife.com.

  • Do you currently have a different hair color than you did in your photo, or have you significantly changed the length or style?
  • Have you gained or lost a significant amount of weight since you had your last photo taken?
  • Did you shave your head or grow a beard?
  • Has it been two or more years since you had new photos taken?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to get a new headshot. You should be instantly recognizable from your photo the moment you walk in the door.

Like it or not, the first casting decisions are made based on appearance alone. For example, a casting director may be looking for an “athletic brunette with long, flowing hair” for a specific role.

So, she flips through a pile of photos and finds a young woman who matches the description perfectly. She calls that actress in to audition, uses valuable time to meet with her… only to discover that the actress has put on 30 pounds and dyed her hair sort of reddish since she had her headshots done.

This actress has wasted everyone’s time and given a bad impression. And this kind of thing happens all the time.

I cannot stress this enough: make sure your headshot looks like you!

It may be “expensive” to get new photos, but without a great (and accurate) headshot… think of all the auditions you’re missing. In the long run, using a bad headshot can be much more costly.

For some excellent examples of what a headshot should look like, click here to check out the directory at Reproductions NYC.

Filed Under: Featured, News & Events

Do-it-Yourself PR for Performers & Theater Companies: Heather Moran at Girl Monday PR

August 7, 2011 By Kipley Leave a Comment

Heather Moran – Girl Monday PR

Heather Moran has not only been a publicist for Chicago Cabaret Professionals in Chicago for the past 5 years, she has also been notably performing throughout the midwest for over 12 years. One of the unique qualities about Heather Moran and Girl Monday is that she has been inundated as a performer in the entertainment business for years and have developed strong and long-standing relationships with the Chicago media at large.

Girl Monday develops an exceedingly personal, highly collaborative relationship with our entertainers that put your professional goals front and center. What sets us apart is our ability to customize extremely creative media campaigns tailored to the needs, personalities, and professional goals of your individual client. Girl Monday coordinates with media contacts to place stories that communicate both the image and information that you would like to convey. Girl Monday will also prepare you for interviews to ensure that your message is effectively communicated, as well as supporting you through the interviews.

Heather… congrats on your new PR company, Girl Monday PR. Tell me about the company, your experience, and how you got started in PR.

I have been a vocalist in Chicago for well over the last ten years and I have had my share of press. I have worked really hard to learn how to market myself and get my name out there. You can’t perform for very long to empty seats so I have been very successful in developing ways to get the word out.

Eventually, I started working for other fellow performers. In the late 90’s and early 00’s, I was doing publicity for a company that I was acting with called the Factory Theater, so I also have a strong knowledge base with the Chicago theater scene. For the last 5-6 years, I have served as a publicist for a singing organization in Chicago, called Chicago Cabaret Professionals.

What is your job description as a PR agent?

I basically offer publicity and promotional services designed to publicize your events and your career on a short or long term basis. Not only can I handle your PR, but I can create press material for you, as well as manage your website updates.  I am also going to be delving into social networking hubs for clients, managing banner advertising and using news groups to target audiences. A PR person is NOT an agent or manager and is not responsible for booking.

Why is it important for performers, theater companies, etc. to use PR?

Like I mentioned before, performing is a whole lot more fun when the seats are filled with other people besides your grandmother. In order to maintain doing what we love, we have to generate an audience. In this highly competitive market and mind-boggling information outlets, having an eye-catching strategy to get you noticed is the pack is key. It’s vital to have your information listed so the public knows you are there and gathering credibility from critics can really raise your profile. There is so much over-saturation right now and the key is to make people notice you.

Can you describe the process you go through when working with a client to promote a show? What should a performer know or do before working with you?

First of all, I need at least 6 weeks out, if possible to start getting the word out. Some publications have month-out deadlines. We need to create a press release in order to supply to media with the information they need. They are responsible for giving me all of this information and then I take over to spread the word. I have a strict schedule of press drops that I do, as well as personal follow-up contact with media contacts.

This is the thing: There is no guarantee that any PR person can get heavy-hitting critics in to see an event. I tell this to my clients up front. I give 100% and do the same job for everyone. It’s all about what catches their eye at any given time, or what else is going on in the entertainment scene. This is why I always consult people to really think about their product and make sure that it is something that will catch people’s attention.

What are the essential tools used for promotion, and how can actors ensure that their promotional materials look professional?

The protocol is constantly evolving, but at this time, I would say that the most important things that performers need are a good website, current professional photos and as much online media as they can gather. The days of snail mail are out. Most people don’t even want things faxed to them anymore.

Many communicate through email and social networking like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. When I create material for people, there are hard copies, but I also supply everything digitally. Therefore, clients can drop of press packets to a club owner at a venue, or they can submit all of their promotional information online.

What is a “press kit”, what should it look like, and what should be included in it?

A hard copy press kit, geared to a certain event or show should have as much information about the concept and the performers as possible. This may include biographical information, press reviews and/or quotes, photos, past venues, song lists and a media CD is highly recommended. A Media CD will not only include digital copies of all the paper information in the packet, but it will also include sound, video and photo media.

A digital press packet, also referred to as an EPK (electronic press packet) is information that you have accessible online, most likely on a press page or link on your website. This way, a potential employer can gather all the information about you that they need, without the fear of them losing your hard copy information under a pile of other potential performers.

In your opinion, how important is a website for a performer or theater company? What are the most effective ways to use a website?

In this day and age, it’s critical. It’s just the way of the times. And it should be easy to get around. If there is too much flash or annoying music that is hard to turn off, it can be a deterrent. Luckily, there are a lot of website design options out there that are convenient for all price levels. I have preferred vendors that I recommend to my clients that fall into many different price brackets.

Creating websites in a blogging atmosphere seems to be a new, cheaper way to get a site done and I have some great vendors who specialize in this. Not only is it more economical, but it is a lot easier for the performer to update their own information.

Getting quotes and reviews seems essential to promoting a show and ones’ self as an actor. What’s the best way to get a show reviewed by local papers?

I will be the first to tell you that it is not easy to get people to even sometimes call or email you back.  There is just too much competition out there to get noticed in the crowd.

Also, come on, let’s say it out loud.  Critics are scary.  They frighten us, we don’t want to bug them or tick them off.  We don’t want them create any type of negative idea about you even before they have seen you perform.  It’s as if everything they say matters.

You have to remember that without us (the performers of the world), entertainment writers and publications will have nothing to write about.  They really do need us as much as we need them.  It’s just that they get a LOT of information and we need to make sure they pick OUR information. You have to find a creative angle to catch their eye. If you are putting a show together, you simply have to consider these things.

Great idea: If you are doing a Mamet show, pick the month that he is celebrating his 65th birthday, or coincide it with a release of his new Broadway show opening. Or, if you are doing a cabaret show on Johnny Mercer, try to plan your performances around the 20th anniversary of his death.

Just know that while your friends and family may love coming to see you do a show entitled, “Songs that Remind Me of What I Ate for Breakfast”. But unless you already have an enormous fan base and following, it might be a hard sell. Help the press write the story and the angle for them and they are sure to sit up and take notice.

Mailing and handing out fliers and postcards is a common way to promote a show. Is this effective in bringing in an audience?

Snail mail is costly and frankly, I think you are better off these days getting your information out through email, social networking and marketing tools like constant contact.

Is it welcome or frowned upon to call media and industry on the phone to let them know about your show? Is there a certain protocol for making phone contacts?

I can tell you what you don’t want to do.  Do not pummel people with too much information.  In the times of subscription email, all it takes is one click on the unsubscribe button and you will never be able to get your information to that person at that email address again.  I like to schedule my drops: One month out, two weeks out, the Monday morning before the show, and that is it.

I believe in a good phone conversation.  Everyone is busy.   Get over that icky, 8th grade nervous butterfly stomach feeling and make the call.  Introduce yourself and acknowledge that you know they are swamped but ask them for a few minutes.

Tell them that you wanted to let them know that you were sending over your show information and that you wanted tgive them a heads up.  Take nothing personally and be proud of yourself that you made the call because you have a leg up on 99% of the people that e-bombed them that morning.  They will remember you.

Are there common mistakes you see actors make when promoting themselves or their shows?

Truthfully? Know thyself. Be realistic and know your demographic…who you appeal to. For musicians, know that your Indie grunge rock band is probably going to be a hard cell to the public library circuit.

And for those of you doing a Cole Porter review, don’t bother trying to book college tours. An actor has to be aware of what brackets they fill as well. The professional theater scene doesn’t cast a 20 year old as Willie Loman with baby powder in your hair. They are going cast age appropriate and that goes across the board for looks, type, size and age.

Filed Under: Featured, News & Events, PR & Marketing Tagged With: , , , ,

LISTEN NOW: Interview w/Simon Pegg – Actor, Filmmaker, Nerd

July 17, 2011 By Kipley Leave a Comment

Simon Pegg joins The Sound of Young America to talk about nerd rants, his philosophy on zombies, and his close-knit relationship with collaborator and friend Nick Frost.

He’s best known as the actor, writer, and director whose guiding hands have been involved in British TV comedy Spaced and films Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Paul.

His new memoir follows his own journey as the nerdy everyman; Nerd Do Well: A Small Boy’s Journey to Becoming a Big Kid is out now.

Click play to hear the full interview:

Flash required


Filed Under: Actors, Celebrity, News & Events Tagged With: , ,

The Governator is Back: Schwarzenegger Set to Star in “Last Stand”

July 15, 2011 By Kipley Leave a Comment
Arnold Schwarzenegger is famous as an Australian-American former professional bodybuilder, a model, actor, director, businessman and a politician.

Schwarzeneggers first comeback film will be a western with the title “Last Stand”

By Groshan Fabiola

The former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has made his Hollywood comeback as he is set to headline the Kim-ji-Woon-directed “Last Stand.”

In April 2010, Arnold Schwarzenegger was named as one among eleven “worst governors” in the United States due to various ethics issues throughout his term as a California governor. In early 2011, he also faced the scandal of being a father of a child with a longtime member of his household staff over a decade ago.

In January 2011, just several weeks after leaving office in California, Schwarzenegger unveiled that he was reading some new scripts for future movies.

And most recently, just several weeks Schwarzenegger left office in California, Entertainment company Lionsgate announced that the former California governor will appear in the company’s upcoming film “Last Stand,” an action thriller directed by Korean director Kim Ji-woon.

Lionsgate announced that Schwarzenegger will star Sheriff Owens, a former Los Angeles police officer who keeps the peace in the sleepy border town of Sommerton Junction, after bungling a police operation in Los Angeles.

The film “Last Stand” is set to start shooting in September 2011

Arnold Schwarzenegger To Star In Modern Western ‘The Last Stand’

Related links:

The Arnold Schwarzenegger Bodybuilding Program

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Gain Muscle Work Out

Arnold Schwarzenegger ‘s Secret Shoulder Exercises Revealed

About the Author:

Mary Rose is currently a lecturer on society. In her free time, Mary is fond of joining social activities. Her goal is to provide up-to-date news and articles on society and culture.

Articles Source: Arnold Schwarzenegger Makes Hollywood Comeback in Last Stand

Filed Under: Actors, News & Events

Ted Danson to Join Cast of CSI: Replaces Laurence Fishburn

July 15, 2011 By Kipley Leave a Comment

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 7/14/2011

Ted Danson, best known as Sam Malone on the hit sitcom “Cheers,” is going to join the cast of CSI.

Ted Danson has had a long career as an actor, of course, but he may always be best remembered for his role as Sam Malone on the hit series “Cheers,” a show that ran for the majority of the 1980s and into the 1990s. Since then, however, Danson has appeared in a variety of films and television shows, most notably the successful show “Becker,” which ran from 1998 – 2004, as the villain Arthur Frobisher on the series “Damages,” and then as a middle-aged, pot-smoking media executive on the quirky “Bored to Death.”

Now, however, Danson is returning to a major role on network television, and will reportedly join CSI. Danson will replace Laurence Fishburne, who played Dr. Raymond Langston for two years and who, in turn, had replaced the original star of the show, William Peterson. Said Carol Mendelsohn, the executive producer of the show, “You can create a new character on the page, but until the perfect actor comes along and breathes life into it, it’s just words. We’re very excited Ted Danson came along.”

Said executive producer Don McGill, “from the moment we all started talking about the role, it was clear he couldn’t be more perfect. Intelligence, wit, warmth, depth of character and emotion, he brings it all. And now he’ll have to bring latex gloves too.” Even though his time will be stretched a bit thin with his new role on CSI, Danson will also remain a regular on the aforementioned HBO series “Bored to Death.”

Filed Under: Celebrity, News & Events

ACTORS: Which political party most closely represents your personal views?

July 11, 2011 By Kipley 4 Comments



Filed Under: News & Events, Surveys

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June 28, 2011 By Kipley Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: Budget living, Featured, Health & Image, News & Events Tagged With: ,

Midtown International Theatre Festival: July 11-31

June 28, 2011 By Kipley Leave a Comment

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) announces performance schedules for the 2011 Season, running from July 11 – 31, 2011.  23 plays and 11 musicals have been chosen.  Tickets are $15-18 and are available at www.midtownfestival.org or by phone at 866-811-4111.

The Midtown International Theatre Festival, now in its twelfth year, celebrates the diversity of theatre.  The MITF welcomes theatrical storytelling across a broad spectrum of genres, forms, identities, cultures, and appetites.

The festival, traditionally held in summer, represents a fantastic, often paradoxical, adventurous and intriguing cross-section of the forefront of the theatre world.  The MITF proudly hosts production companies from across the country and around the globe, uniting talent in one of the biggest theatre capitals in the world.

The MITF’s 2011 Season runs from July 11 – 31, 2011 at

the June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor
the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor
the Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor
the Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor

For more information, visit www.midtownfestival.org.

2011 SEASON:

Alice: A New Musical, Book by Andrew Barbato, Music/Lyrics by Andrew Barbato and Leslie Desantis, Produced by Cellar Door

Wednesday, July 20 at 8pm; Saturday, July 23 at 8:30pm; Sunday, July 24 at 1:30pm; Saturday, July 30 at 11am

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

Hold onto your imagination, even above the rabbit hole.

What happens when you are caught between growing up too fast and holding onto your youthful imagination? Alice is about a young girl who runs away from her 13th birthday, only to discover that becoming an adult doesn’t have to mean letting go of your childhood.

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The Banana Monologues, By John Brennan, Jason Cooper, and Mary Cimino, Produced by Gregory Taft Gerard in association with Jason C. Cooper

Thursday, July 14 at 6pm; Saturday, July 23 at 8:30pm; Sunday, July 24 at 7:30pm; Wednesday, July 27 at 9:30pm; Saturday, July 30 at 4pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

A romance that splits below the belt.

A sexy comedy inspired by a true love story about a man, a woman, and his banana, Sgt. Johnson. When the layers of the relationship are peeled back, Gus tries to split from his girlfriend Alexis, but Sgt. Johnson stands firm.

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Between the Bricks, By Anthony Giorgio and Cecilia Ceresa, Produced by Blair Hotchner

Sunday, July 17 at 8pm; Wednesday, July 20 at 9:30pm; Saturday, July 23 at 10pm; Tuesday, July 26 at 8:30pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

Ding Dong the Wizard of Oz is…Dead.

We know what happens before Dorothy landed in Oz. We know what happens when she arrives, but what happens when she leaves? Does the glitz and glamour float away in a hot air balloon or can this mysterious place hold on to the magic?

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Boomers, The Musical of a Generation, Book, Music & Lyrics by Peter Baron

Friday, July 15 at 5pm; Saturday, July 16 at 5:30pm; Sunday, July 17 at 12pm; Wednesday, July 20 at 5pm; Friday, July 22 at 5:30pm; Saturday, July 23 at 11am; Sunday, July 24 at 8:30pm; Wednesday, July 27 at 5:45pm; Saturday, July 30 at 8:30pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

A true story…about you.

Boomers is an intimate, emotional roller coaster ride with Will and Laura, through three decades of world altering events. Their dreams and idealism collide with reality to forever alter their fairy tale existence.

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Children of God, Written and Produced by Charles Murray

Wednesday, July 13 at 8:30pm; Tuesday, July 19 at 8:30pm; Sunday, July 24 at 5:30pm; Saturday, July 30 at 12:30pm; Sunday, July 31 at 5:30pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

A modern musical mash-up of inspiration for the next generation.

An unforgettable story of hope told through the struggles of three amazing teenagers highlighted in song and dance, these Children of God will capture your heart. Our story follows a week in the lives of three amazing teenagers. DC is being raised by his step father, Tunica only has her grandmother and Will is in Foster Care. Each of them is special and deserves a chance. Children of God is an urban story of hope.

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Dad Doesn’t Dance, By Nora Brown, Produced by Small Pond Enterprises

Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30pm; Sunday, July 17 at 6pm; Thursday, July 21 at 6pm; Sunday, July 24 at 4pm; Friday, July 29 at 8pm; Saturday, July 30 at 2:30pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

A dancer from the wilds of Winnipeg tangos through five mysterious men to her ultimate dance partner, BioDad.

Dad Doesn’t Dance is a woman’s quest to find her biological father. She lived without a past. Clues from five mysterious men help her reach BioDad’s door in Hollywood. Does she have the courage to knock?

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The Dickening, By Ben Ferber and Donald McEwan, Produced by Fop! Productions

Sunday, July 17 at 6pm; Friday, July 22 at 6pm; Sunday, July 24 at 4pm; Monday, July 25 at 6pm; Saturday, July 30 at 8pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

A dicktastic romp featuring a smorgasbord of screaming.

Six hilariously absurd vignettes! One ball turns two soldiers gay. Three unwanted clients provoke one lawyer into a smorgasbord of screaming. Three office drones take one unexpected hostage. And much more!

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Dirty Paki Lingerie, Written and Produced by Aizzah Fatima

Saturday, July 16 at 2pm; Thursday, July 21 at 7:30pm; Wednesday, July 27 at 6:15pm; Thursday, July 28 at 6:30pm; Saturday, July 30 at 8pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

A glimpse into the secret sexual lives of Pakistani-American Muslim women.

In this touching, hilarious, and endlessly illuminating series of interactions, six Pakistani American Muslim females struggle to find their place at the chaotic juncture of two very different cultures.

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Don Gio, By Joshua R. Pangborn, Produced by Sidekick Productions

Saturday, July 16 at 4:30pm; Sunday, July 17 at 4pm; Monday, July 18 at 8pm; Thursday, July 21 at 6:30pm; Saturday, July 30 at 6pm; Sunday, July 31 at 8:30pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

Butlers, zombies, lesbians…it’s all just sex to him.

Don Gio, portly lover of pleasure, is after his next great conquest, the lovely Ana. However, to win her he’ll have to overcome several obstacles, including a long dead brother, a transsexual witch, and his affair with his butler in this gender-bending, hedonistic romp.

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Ethan’s People, By Richard L. Gaw, Produced by Buds of May Productions

Wednesday, July 13 at 6pm; Wednesday, July 20 at 8pm; Sunday, July 24 at 12:30pm; Thursday, July 28 at 8pm; Sunday, July 31 at 2:30pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

Four friends struggle to hold on to each other as the world around them falls apart.

In the wake of unspeakable horror, little Ethan writes a nursery rhyme. His parents and their friends struggle to hold on to each other as the world around them falls apart.

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Flowers: A Thorny Romance Story, By Carolyn M. Brown and D.E. Womack, Produced by All in Black and White Productions

Sunday, July 17 at 2pm; Monday, July 18 at 6pm; Saturday, July 23 at 7pm; Wednesday, July 27 at 8pm; Sunday, July 31 at 6:30pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

Love shouldn’t hurt…But sometimes it does…

Whether she’s a Fortune 500 wife and mother, Christian immigrant, lesbian poet, or a teenager in love, whenever a woman is hit she gets a bouquet of flowers and an apology. This is her story. Flowers intertwines vignettes, monologues, poetry and music to explore love’s journey.

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Fuel, Written and Produced by Joe Beck

Monday, July 11 at 8:30pm; Wednesday, July 13 at 6:30pm; Thursday, July 14 at 8pm; Saturday, July 16 at 8:30pm; Tuesday, July 19 at 6:30pm; Saturday, July 23 at 6:30pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

A new presidential Comedy.

Presidents team together to negotiate lower prices for the nation’s fuel supply.

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Gated, By Marisa Marquez, Produced by The Isa Company

Wednesday, July 13 at 8:30pm; Saturday, July 16 at 8:30pm; Wednesday, July 20 at 6:30pm; Saturday, July 23 at 1pm; Sunday, July 30 at 4pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

The new millennia answer to Our Town.

The illusion of the American dream built around the perfect home is torn down by the funny reality of suicide, mental disorder, child abuse, Iraq, erectile dysfunction and keeps this community Gated.

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Georgia & Me, By Sarah Ford, Produced by Small Pond Enterprises

Sunday, July 17 at 7:30pm; Saturday, July 23 at 1:30pm; Sunday, July 24 at 5:30pm; Wednesday, July 27 at 7:45pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

Does love and artistic fulfillment have to be at odds?

A woman thinks she has it all. Then the spirit of renowned painter Georgia O’Keeffe breaks down her door and challenges her to pick up the project she abandoned years ago. It’s never too late to find out who you thought you were!

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Hanky Panky, By Vicki Vodrey, Produced by Lot In Life Productions, LLC

Saturday, July 23 at 3pm; Sunday, July 24 at 8pm; Monday, July 25 at 8pm; Tuesday, July 26 at 8pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

Does EVERYBODY’S family act this way in the face of death?!

The Gunther family descends on Flowering Fields Nursing Home around the bedside table of their nearly deceased Patriarch. Old wounds are re-opened and new battle lines are drawn in the hilarious dark comedy.

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Home Movies, By Hank Winters, Produced by The Treehouse Theatre Company / Stephen Brown

Saturday, July 16 at 7:15pm; Friday, July 22 at 6pm; Saturday, July 23 at 6:45pm; Sunday, July 24 at 2:15pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

How much of our relationships should we exploit for art?

When emerging filmmaker Sam Wallach visits his hometown to tell his first love, Ellie Atkins, he’s made a film about her, we learn how much some people are willing to sacrifice to reconstruct the past.

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Kelly and Lindsey Do New York, By Kelly Wallace-Barnhill and Lindsey Gentile, Produced by Kelly Wallace-Barnhill

Sunday, July 17 at 5:30pm; Sunday, July 24 at 1:30pm; Monday, July 25 at 6:30pm; Tuesday, July 26 at 8pm; Sunday, July 31 at 4:30pm

The Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

A non lesbian love story.

In a city where craigslist crazies, dude-bro douche bags, and that guy who won’t stop exposing himself on the A train are the only eligible bastards around, two sexy, quirky twenty-somethings would be happy to just avoid dying alone. Will they find love before 30? Probably not.

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Lavender Shore, Written by Lawson Caldwell, Produced by Richard Manichello

Wednesday, July 27 at 6pm; Thursday, July 28 at 6pm; Friday, July 29 at 8:30pm; Saturday, July 30 at 2pm; Sunday, July 31 at 4:30pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

A 1930′s New York Socialite discovers she is married to two men, one of whom has fallen in love with someone else. Maybe the butler did it!

Harrison and his butler, Gerald, stranded for five years on an island, return to find Harrison’s wife, Daphane, married to Thomas. Harrison’s legally married to Daphane, but now loves Gerald. Thomas love Daphane. Daphane loves all the attention.

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Mad Mel and the Marradians, Written and Produced by Gary Morgenstein

Monday, July 11 at 6pm; Saturday, July 16 at 2:30pm; Tuesday, July 19 at 8:30pm; Sunday, July 24 at 6pm; Thursday, July 28 at 8pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

In this sci-fi comedy by Syfy Channel’s Gary Morgenstein, ancient aliens invade Earth. Only a writer can save the human race. Uh-oh.

Angry aliens. Doomed Earth. Uh-oh. In this sci-fi comedy by Syfy Channel’s Gary Morgenstein, a writer’s phony scholarship stumbles upon a deadly plot by ancient aliens. Now they invade. In pearls. Pray.

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Making God, Book, Music and Lyrics by Rodney Dickerman, Produced by Small Pond Enterprises

Saturday, July 23 at 8:30pm; Tuesday, July 26 at 6:15pm; Wednesday, July 27 at 8pm; Friday, July 29 at 6:15pm; Sunday, July 31 at 2:30pm

The Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

You know you’ve got a problem when being Evangelical Christian ain’t bein’ religious enough!

The wickedly dry story of a would-be messiah, who discovers the only way to be close to god is to replace Him. Arizona stand-up comic/musician Rodney Dickerman saves your soul in his new one-man musical (aided by a chorus of 3 holy rollers)!

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Mother Eve’s Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood, By Uma Incrocci, Erica Jensen, and Kirk McGee

Tuesday, July 12 at 8:30pm; Thursday, July 14 at 8:30pm; Saturday, July 16 at 12pm; Saturday, July 23 at 9pm; Friday, July 29 at 6pm; Sunday, July 31 at 2pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

Produced by Mother Eve LLC/Co-Executive Producers, Erica Jensen and Ashley Wren Collins

Help yourself to the Mother of all Rock Musicals!

Self-help guru Mother Eve helps women transform their lives – by teaching them to unleash their inner skanks, celebrate their cellulite, and explore their female flower power. This rock musical will show you how to love yourself as much as you love cheese!

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Ocean in a Tea Cup, By Joel Krantz, Produced by JK Entertainment

Tuesday, July 12 at 6pm; Friday, July 15 at 9:30pm; Sunday, July 17 at 3pm; Monday, July 18 at 8:30pm; Monday, July 25 at 8pm; Tuesday, July 26 at 6pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

A broken American soldier gets a second chance at life in post war India.

The war is over, but Ray Hauserman does not return home from India to the woman he loves. The shame of having broken his vow “never to kill” draws him to an Indian teacher who offers him a unique path to redemption.

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Peg O’ My Heart, Adapted as a Musical by Karin Baker, Original play by J Hartley Manners, Produced by Hell’s Kitchen Musicals

Saturday, July 16 at 2:45pm; Sunday, July 17 at 5:30pm; Monday, July 18 at 6pm; Thursday, July 21 at 6pm; Monday, July 25 at 5:30pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

She’s young, she’s strong, she’s Irish, and she’s about to change everyone’s world. She’s Peg O’ My Heart!

It’s 1920 and young Peg is traveling from lower Manhattan to upper class English society where the banks are failing and all hell is about to break loose. Who knew one young girl could single handedly burst everyone’s bubble. Come meet Peg…Peg O’ My Heart!

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The Picture Plane, Written & Produced by Bruce Colbert

Tuesday, July 12 at 6pm; Friday, July 15 at 6:30pm; Saturday, July 16 at 12:30pm; Sunday, July 17 at 4:30pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

What happens when art and life get mixed up?

A New York painter holds on to his faith that his other world will make some sense in this one.

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RIP!, Music, Lyrics, & Book by Dan Furman, Additional lyrics by Mary-Liz McNamara, Produced by Massimine/Roytman/Presentations and Wildly Productive Productions

Friday, July 22 at 8:30pm; Sunday, July 24 at 3pm; Wednesday, July 27 at 8:30pm; Saturday, July 30 at 5:30pm; Sunday, July 31 at 12:30pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

A story of love, revolution and what is possible.

The American Revolution arrives in the Catskills. When a battle goes wrong, a soldier escapes into a magical “Bowling Green.” Twenty years later, can Rip Van Winkle return home?

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Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, By Tom Stoppard, Produced by Panicked Productions

Wednesday, July 13 at 8pm; Sunday, July 17 at 2:30pm; Tuesday, July 19 at 6pm; Friday, July 22 at 8pm; Monday, July 25 at 8pm; Friday, July 29 at 6pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

An all female, all existentialist cast takes on Stoppard’s classic play-within-a-play.

An all female cast takes you on a ride with everyone’s favorite late 16th Century comedy duo as they head on the road trip of a lifetime. Tom Stoppard’s classic absurdist comedy will keep you laughing too much to ponder the nature of existence.

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The Royal Weight Watcher, By Franziska Huber and Susan Batson

Friday, July 15 at 7pm; Sunday, July 17 at 2pm; Friday, July 22 at 8pm; Saturday, July 23 at 5:30pm; Monday, July 25 at 8pm

The Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

Sarah Ferguson: A duchess hungry for love!

Sarah Ferguson is lonely. Chocolates and late night phone calls are her only companions at heart. An anti fairy tale about how the need for approval can weigh one down and make food and body image become a compulsive obsession.

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Sarke, By Lia Bakhturidze Sirelson, Produced by Dancing Crane, Inc.

Tuesday, July 19 at 6:30pm; Friday, July 22 at 8pm; Sunday, July 24 at 2pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

A Georgian woman tries to marry-off her daughter to a “rich” Georgian-American. (May have been the one he applied with.)

MITF’s first-ever foreign language production! Written in the Georgian language, Sarke tells the story of Veriko, an elderly Tbilisi woman, who tries to marry her daughter to a “rich” NY Georgian man. This entertaining yet tragi-comic clash between the old and new cultures forces us to see ourselves.

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Sex Curve, Written and Produced by Merridith Allen

Thursday, July 21 at 9pm; Monday, July 25 at 6pm; Tuesday, July 26 at 5:30pm; Saturday, July 30 at 9:30pm; Sunday, July 31 at 4:30pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

Hypothesis: Science can control who you fall in love with.

After a nasty break-up, biochemist, Marissa, invents a serum which blocks the effects of the love-inducing hormone, oxytocin. Along with her roommates, Marissa creates an experiment which declares war on love, sex, relationships and gender roles.

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Sistas: The Musical, By Dorothy Marcic, Produced by Dr. Dorothy Productions

Monday, July 11 at 6pm; Thursday, July 14 at 5pm; Thursday, July 21 at 8:30pm; Saturday, July 23 at 1:45pm; Friday, July 29 at 8:30pm; Sunday, July 31 at 3pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

The Story of African-American women told through popular music, from “God Bless the Child” to Destiny’s Child.

Using popular music to trace the development of black women from the oppression of the 1930′s through the Girl Groups of the 60′s to empowerment in the 90′s, this soulful and fun show takes the audience on a musical journey from pain to power.

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Surviving Love, By Robert Chionis, Produced by Daniel Wolfsbauer

Wednesday, July 20 at 8:30pm; Saturday, July 23 at 5pm; Sunday, July 24 at 12pm

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

The boy from Nowhere, USA finds his way out of “real America” and into the real world.

The story of an isolated gay youth who escapes to the big city and finds love during the onset of the AIDS epidemic, told through songs by William Bolcom, John Bucchino, William Finn, Ricky Ian Gordon, Adam Guettel, and Brian Lasser.

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Tea in a Tempest, Written and Produced by James V. O’Connor

Tuesday, July 12 at 8:30pm; Friday, July 15 at 7:45pm; Saturday, July 16 at 1pm; Saturday, July 23 at 4:15pm; Thursday, July 28 at 6:30pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

They say the truth will set you free – but not always.

A showdown between a philandering husband and his family forces him to face the music but things aren’t what they seem. Tea in a Tempest is a comedy about love, infidelity and the power of theatre.

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Trouble: A New Rock Musical, Book by Michael Alvarez, Music & Lyrics by Ella Grace, Produced by Saving Grace Productions

Thursday, July 28 at 8:30pm; Friday, July 29 at 6pm; Saturday, July 30 at 3pm; Sunday, July 31 at 8pm

The June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

24 Hrs. 6 Friends…and OMG, so much Trouble!

Nick and Jen’s true-love is being threatened. Hannah is hiding a secret from her boyfriend James, whose ex, Sarah, wants him back. And never-been-kissed Joe is striking up drama with the hottest guy in school. Trouble is out of control…

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Truth, Written and Produced by Ellis Gaskell

Thursday, July 14 at 8pm; Saturday, July 16 at 3:30pm; Sunday, July 17 at 12:45pm; Wednesday, July 20 at 6pm; Saturday, July 23 at 5pm; Tuesday, July 26 at 7:30pm

The Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor, NYC

When religion clashes with politics, sparks fly. It’s an old story, but with thought-provoking conjectures that are provocative as well as entertaining.

It’s a familiar story, but in a modern setting that evokes no particular era, Truth revisits Pilate’s trial of Jesus with fascinating conjectures that are absorbing, entertaining and perhaps controversial!

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Women and Guns, Written by Steve Gold, Produced by Maxwell Arts Group

The Main Stage Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, 4th floor, NYC

Monday, July 11 at 8pm; Wednesday, July 13 at 6:30pm; Friday, July 15 at 8:30pm; Sunday, July 17 at 12pm

Always Faithful.

A provocative new play by Steve Gold, Women and Guns tells the story of Marine MP Tiffany Hansen’s life from her first day in basic training to her subsequent deployment in Iraq. Along the way, she meets Bobby, a car mechanic who will become her companion and the psychological effect of her deployment both on her and Bobby is examined, as is her reaction to bloodshed in Baghdad.

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