nytheatre.com Wins Microsoft Grant

Today I am thrilled to announce that The New York Theatre Experience, Inc. has won a significant grant from Microsoft Corporation and Techsoup. This is major recognition for our small nonprofit company and we have been amazed and humbled by the news since we first learned it about ten days ago. The official announcement is here.

This grant comes as a result of our winning the Show Your Impact competition sponsored by Microsoft and Techsoup. Hundreds of nonprofits entered this competition. Each was asked to demonstrate how the software they received from Microsoft (through their donation program with Techsoup) benefitted the community they serve. You can read what we wrote here.

In order to be a finalist for this competition, we needed to show support from our community--and you may recall that I asked for that a couple of times on this blog. Thanks to the fantastic enthusiastic indie theater community, we did make the finals. And thanks to the Microsoft and Techsoup judges--who found merit in our write-up and felt that indeed NYTE has used technology in ways that have had a positive impact on our constituencies--we are one of three prize winners.

We will be receiving a $5,000 cash grant from Microsoft, along with a donation of $25,000 worth of Microsoft software.

So first of all: major major thanks to everyone who reads the nytheatre i blog and took the time to vote for nytheatre.com's submission in this competition. Rochelle and I can't begin to tell you how much your support means to us, and how excited we are that our friends and colleagues in the indie theater community made this grant possible for us.

Shout-outs to folks who really went the distance to help us make it into finals: Nita Congress, Julie Congress, Elena K. Holy, Gus Schulenberg, Matt Freeman, John Clancy, Jon Stancato, the folks at NYITA, and others whom I may have inadvertently left off this list.

So, what does this Microsoft grant mean to NYTE and to the folks we serve?

Well, one of the things that really thrills me is what this grant represents for the indie theater movement. Here we have a giant corporation--Microsoft--choosing to recognize a small nonprofit company whose bailiwick is promoting and advocating for indie theater. If that's not a major act of validation, affirming the importance and impact of the incredible art created by the thousands of playwrights, actors, directors, producers, designers, etc. who are both the main contributors to and subjects of nytheatre.com--well, then I don't know what is.

The other two winners of the competition--a food bank in Cincinnati and a service organization that created an intelligence hub for nationwide disaster relief coordination--exemplify the kinds of nonprofits that I expected to receive these grants. I am immensely gratified to know that what we do--helping to make sure that the world knows about the work of indie theater artists--is viewed by objective outsiders as being as worthy a cause as these others.

So, my friends and colleagues in the indie theater world: pat yourselves on the back! This grant is recognition of the great work you do.

Which brings me to the most important part of this long, rambly essay: what will the grant mean to the readers and artists we serve on nytheatre.com?

The cash grant, obviously, is a real boon for NYTE, especially given the current economy. But the real impact to our community of this Microsoft grant will come from the new web features and services that we will be able to develop as a result of receiving all this software. I have only just started to plan out what we will be getting and, more importantly, what we will do with it. Over the coming weeks and months, the new infrastructure/development plans that this software grant will fuel will become clearer and I'll be sharing them as that happens. But I do want to mention some of my preliminary ideas with you now.

First, we'll be able to upgrade our data base system to the most current full-featured version available. We'll also be able to upgrade the "back-end" development software--the programs I use to track and manage all of the data that feeds our websites--to the most state-of-the-art versions. Together, these will result in a variety of new features and enhancements to nytheatre.com that I hope we will start to roll out as early as this fall.

Some of the software grant will be in the form of applications geared toward administrative tasks, such as budgeting and project management. If we can make use of up-to-date software solutions to become more productive in these areas, we will have more time to spend on developing nytheatre.com "stuff" that is directly beneficial to our readers and users.

We should be adding some new web development software to our existing "repertoire" that will make us more effective in creating "Web 2.0" applications on nytheatre.com and also in creating mobile applications.

And we're looking at communications and other server software that may help us transform our entire workflow concept, so that we can be more efficient and perhaps facilitate how we work with our volunteer contributors.

Rochelle and I are having a blast right now, indulging in some pie-in-the-sky dreaming about where this grant can take us in the next 12 months. We're researching ebook technologies, language translation technologies, and a whole new paradigm in managing/thinking about the data that supports all of our websites. This is feeling like the most transformational event for our organization since our first NYSCA grant in 2002.

And--because this recognition (and funding) comes from a source outside of our traditional funding community (outside New York, outside the theatre world)--it is immensely validating to our organization and to our mission.

nytheatre NOW

The nytheatre i is back from our 4th of July hiatus.

And we come bearing NEWS about something NEW on nytheatre.com.

Maybe you've already noticed it... if you look at the sidebar on the left-hand column of the site, you'll see the links, right at the top under the heading "Now Playing": Tonight and Tomorrow. These take you to pages that display just what they say--listings of what's playing tonight and tomorrow, organized by the hour. So now, whenever you're thinking to yourself "Gee, I wonder what's playing tonight (or tomorrow)," it'll be super-easy to find out the answer. Bookmark these pages and refer to them often.

nytheatre NOW (as we are calling this new feature) is only the first of many improvements, enhancements, and additions to nytheatre.com that are coming over the next several months. I am eager to hear feedback about it--what you like and don't like. I also want to hear from you about what new features you'd like to see here on nytheatre.com. Comment here on the blog, or send me an email if you prefer.

But wait, there's more. We have created a version of nytheatre NOW specifically for the iPhone. It's a special feature, specifically designed to match the look and feel of the iPhone, and you can only see the iPhone version on an iPhone. (If you have your iPhone handy, check it out now: type www.nytheatrenow.com in your Mobile Safari browser.) (If you don't have an iPhone, you can use the regular nytheatre NOW feature on your desktop or laptop. Same information, just a different non-iPhone-esque interface.)

The iPhone version of nytheatre NOW is in beta right now, which means we are welcoming feedback from users as they try it out. Again, comment right here on the blog or send an email.

Why are we building a special iPhone feature? Well, we acquired an iPhone a few months ago, and I have to say that it's darned impressive. My sense is that more and more of our readers are using nytheatre.com on mobile devices like the iPhone. Our usage/traffic logs tell us that more than half of all readers who view nytheatre.com on a mobile device are on an iPhone. So this seems like a market segment to pay attention to. We plan to pay even more attention during the coming months. If you're an iPhone person, let me know...and let me know what you'd like to see, nytheatre-wise, on your device.

Gallery Players' Dominic Cuskern on Players Shakespeare and King Lear

As promised, here is my cyberinterview with actor Dominic Cuskern about the new "Players Shakespeare" program at The Gallery Players in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Me: This is a very exciting new project for The Gallery Players. Can you tell us what prompted you to start up "Players Shakespeare" and why this is an important project for the company?

Dominic: I have always wanted Gallery to do more Shakespeare. A couple of years ago I started a free Shakespeare Summer Camp for Teenagers. We did a one hour version of Romeo and Juliet. The play turned out well but I was very unsatisfied with the process. There was only me and 15 kids. Rehearsals proved difficult as too often there were kids with too much down time. I realized I needed a lot of help before I could undertake such a venture again.

I had also been asked by Shep Sobel, artistic director of The Pearl Theatre Company, to take a look at the role of Lear. He suggested it would be great to do that role somewhere before tackling it at the Pearl.

So this is some background to a dinner I had with friend and fellow Shakespeare addict, Sidney Fortner. She was bemoaning the lack of decent Shakespeare work. I noted that Gallery Players was dark in July and our imaginations sprang to work. I saw a rebirth of the Summer Camp and Sidney envisioned the Acting Apprentice program. Our modest budget helped sell the idea to the board and we were off and running.

Me: How have you assembled the ensemble for this production? What were you looking for when casting actors?

Dominic: We advertised auditions for actors who had both training and experience with Shakespeare. Some people who had worked at The Pearl expressed an interest in being involved. But we were looking for actors who were passionate about Shakespeare, who could act and who could handle text.

Me: What's the unique "hook" for your production of Shakespeare? People can see Shakespeare for free outdoors all summer long; what's going to bring them indoors to see your work?

Dominic: First there is Gallery's high reputation for good work and I do have a very small following of people who might be interested in seeing me tackle this role. Our production will also be as true to the Bard as we can make it without recourse to gimmicks or concepts. And with this weather, it's best to work indoors--less chance of cancellation!

Me: Are there any plans for work beyond this initial production of Lear?

Dominic: Once we knew we would be doing Lear we began to think of the longer range. I see Gallery getting back to the free Shakespeare Summer Camp for Teenagers. The kids would perform the same play as the adults are working on, although in an abbreviated form. I'm hoping that the actors in the evening production will filter into the camp and mentor the kids. I also see the teens attending the adult rehearsals and maybe being part of that production. We're also planning on helping those who want to understand and appreciate Shakespeare with something we're calling Bard Basics. We'll also do readings of the lesser-known plays, discussion groups, workshops and things we haven't even thought of yet.

I'd like to thank Dominic for taking time out of his schedule to share his thoughts with my readers. King Lear at The Gallery Players begins performances on July 23; get more info here.

Yoga in the Park with Rabbit Hole Ensemble

Our friends from Rabbit Hole Ensemble have come up with one of the most innovative--not to mention healthy!--ways to raise some money. On Saturday, July 18, from 4:00 - 5:30pm in Central Park, they are hosting a Yoga Class as a benefit for their upcoming FringeNYC production of Candide Americana. Here are the details:

Certified yoga instructor Jeffery Taylor will lead the class in an hour and a half of Vinyasa Yoga as we Salute the Sun and Cat-Cow with Candide. Jeffery Taylor has been teaching yoga for eight years, with clients including New York Sports Club and the Miami City Ballet. Suggested donation is $20, and reservations with payment must be made in advance on the Rabbit Hole Ensemble website. Deadline for registration is Friday, July 17th. The event is open to all levels of yoga practitioners—beginners welcome! Please bring your own mat or towel.

Learn more about this event (or register) here: http://www.rabbitholeensemble.com/involved/events.html

This certainly sounds like a way to improve mind, body, and spirit while helping a good cause.

Gallery Players Launches Summer Shakespeare

The Gallery Players, a theatrical institution for more than 40 years in Park Slope, Brooklyn, has recently announced an exciting addition to their schedule--a summer Shakespeare production. Here's the full announcement, courtesy of publicist Paul Siebold:

The Gallery Players of Park Slope has expanded its already broad scope of theatrical offerings with the creation of Players Shakespeare, a Summer Shakespeare festival and home for the Bard in Brooklyn. As good as its name, Players Shakespeare will focus its productions on Shakepeare's plays themselves and the players who bring them to life. Production elements - sets, lights, costumes, props - will be selectively chosen for their ability to support this creative work.

Players Shakespeare's inaugural production will be The Tragedy of King Lear with a long-standing member of the Pearl Theatre Resident Acting Company and Gallery favorite, Dominic Cuskern, as Lear. He will be joined by an exciting cast of experienced Shakespeareans, bringing to life this tale of two fathers and the terrible price they pay for letting pride, anger and greed destroy the natural order and proportion of their world.

Additionally, in keeping with the Elizabethan theatrical tradition of on-the-job training, every PS production will include at least two Acting Apprentices who will receive textual, speech and movement training along with appropriate mentoring toward performing multiple assigned roles. This Apprenticeship experience will add creative tools, improve technique, and build confidence for future projects in both classical and contemporary theatre.

On Tuesday night, I'll be running on the Good News Theater Blog my cyberinterview with Dominic Cuskern about Players Shakespeare and King Lear! So don't forget to check back in a couple of days.

Actors Fund Performance of WICKED

Another item from Broadway today: Our friends at the Actors Fund asked me to share that there will be a special performance of Wicked on Sunday, June 28 at 8pm at the Gershwin Theatre. Proceeds benefit the Actors Fund (http://www.actorsfund.org/). Click on their website link and you can purchase tickets to this and other upcoming events, which include special benefit performances of Blithe Spirit, Mary Stuart, and West Side Story.

Go here to learn about the many programs and services of the Actors Fund.

In the Heights Launches a Scholarship Competition

This Good News Item is from the world of Broadway:

In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community working hard to better their lives in Manhattan's Washington Heights. The characters are following their dreams, holding on to their traditions and culture, and sacrificing to create a better home for themselves and their children. The pride and joy of this community is Nina Rosario, the first to go away to college at Stanford University. However, Nina comes home for the summer with a jarring secret: she has dropped out of school because of financial pressures. Throughout the show, Nina struggles with her identity, her ambitions and her parents, who desperately want their child to get a good education. The only thing in their way is money.

Based on the struggles that many families face to afford college, and inspired by Nina’s story in the show, In the Heights has partnered with Clear Channel NY to create the “Graduate To New Heights Scholarship” to help a deserving student achieve their dream of higher education. To fund the scholarship, In The Heights with Clear Channel NY will auction five "once-in-a-lifetime" prize packages on a specially created website http://www.graduatetonewheights.com/. Each Clear Channel NY radio station (106.7 Lite fm, 103.5 KTU, Power 105.1, Q104.3 and Z100) will hold a 2-week auction with the first auction commencing Thursday, June 18, 2009 with a prize which includes having dinner and seeing the show with In The Heights composer Lin-Manuel Miranda. Other packages will include a private salsa lesson with In The Heights Specialty Latin Dancer and assistant choreographer Luis Salgado; A Spa Day and Ladies Night Out package; The Perfect New York Date Package; and a package which includes a special walk-on cameo role in the Broadway show. All proceeds from the auctions will go toward the “Graduate To New Heights Scholarship” fund, along with an additional $2500 contributed to the fund by In the Heights and Clear Channel NY.

Starting Thursday, August 27, 2009, through Wednesday, September 9, 2009, you can visit any of the Clear Channel NY websites (1067litefm.com, ktu.com, power1051fm.com, q1043.com, z100.com) and use keyword "GRADUATE" to be considered for the scholarship, or to nominate a student. You will be asked in 100 words or less to tell us why you or the student you are nominating deserves to win the “Graduate To New Heights Scholarship.”

The winner will be invited to attend a performance of In The Heights on Broadway at which time they will be presented with the “Graduate To New Heights Scholarship”. The winning student will be announced in September 2009.