Monday, August 31, 2009

metaDRAMA: Congratulations

I don't normally post press releases, but I'm a huge fan of good news, so allow me to paraphrase a few of them.

The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side, which I called "honestly terrific" is moving from it's extended off-off-Broadway run at PS122 to the off-Broadway theater down the street, you know, the one that used to be the Pearl, and is now just "Theater 80 St. Marks." (Which is an appropriate venue for their subject matter, given that a large chunk of it is about preserving the essential but perhaps not maximally profitable pieces of a neighborhood.) They'll be there from September 10th to October 5th, and while the tickets are now $40, the show is roughly three solid hours long, so it's still worth it.

The Fringe Encores were announced, and three of the six shows I recommended pre-Fringe made it. To Viral, Powerhouse, and His Greatness, congratulations--I'll have reviews up as I get over this stomach bug and can think straight. As for my other picks, they all won Overall Excellence Awards: Remission and The Event for best solo show, and Ether Steeds, for best ensemble. (Powerhouse also got best ensemble, and Viral picked one up for best play.)

And last, but certainly not least, the New York Innovative Theater awards, which I was delighted to participate in this year, just released the list of honorary recipients. Congratulations to Maria Irene Fornes, for the Artistic Achievement Award; to Materials for the Arts for the Stewardship Award; and to the Brick Theater for the Caffe Cino Fellowship. Click here to get your tickets, and click here to see their 2009 nominees, a list which turned me on to quite a few companies I didn't know before--a list that includes, to come full circle, the Amoralists (Amerissiah)--currently doing The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side.

4 comments:

Esther said...

Hope you feel better soon. The Fringe does sound like fun. Maybe I'll get to NYC someday for it!

Lorcan Otway said...

Dear Friends:
Wonderful blog, thanks for the kind words about Theatre 80 and the Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side. I must point out, however, the Pearl Theatre is not, nor has it ever been, Theatre 80. They are a former tenant here, they were "The Pearl Theatre" at "Theatre 80". Theatre 80 Saint Marks has been under the management and ownership of the Otway family for 44 years now - we are simply a little more visable.
Best wishes and thanks
Lorcan Otway
General Manager for the Otway Family,
Theatre 80 Saint Marks

Aaron Riccio said...

My apologies for the confusion re: The Pearl. (I'm young, and that's all I've ever known it as.) I'm just glad to see that Theater 80 continues as a theater, and hope it continues to serve that function.

Lorcan Otway said...

No apologies needed... thanks so much for the kindness of your post.
Lorcan