I’m excited to be making my directorial debut with La Musica Deuxième by Marguerite Duras starring Gopal Divan as Michel and Jessica Frey as Anne-Marie. A/Park Productions are presenting the show at Torn Page May 16-26. TICKETS HERE (photo credit: Diego Quintanar)
Westphalia doc on PBS tonight!
Sam Vladimirsky has made a beautiful short film about the recent production of Westphalia at Luna Stage for State of the Arts NJ. It’s screening tonight at 8:30pm @NJPBS and then will be available online. Can’t wait to watch and revisit this show!
WESTPHALIA OPENS AT LUNA STAGE
The World Premier of WESTPHALIA directed by Lila Rachel Becker opens on Sat Oct 21 and runs until Nov 12. Starring Steve Huack, Laura Jordan, Phoebe Lloyd, Neil Dawson and Sydney Lo. Tickets: https://www.lunastage.org/westphalia
One Year Directing Program
It‘s a directing heavy Fall for me as I start the one year directing program at the Barrow Group in New York, studying with Broadway director and Barrow Group AD Seth Barrish. Can’t wait to refine my skills working with actors in the rehearsal room and long term it’s a step forward to being able to realize some of the playwright-director projects brewing in my head.
INTELLIGENCE @ Edinburgh Fringe 2022
Delighted to be here with Dutch Kills Theater Company. We were the first show to run today at the beautiful Assembly Roxy Updoor Space. INTELLIGENCE runs Aug 3-28 2022 with the amazing Laura Jordan, Sarah Street and Joy Sunday playing the three diplomats. Walk through the beautiful Old Town and come see us at 12.40pm: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/intelligence
Stage Buddy Interview
Erin Kahn just interviewed me and Grace Oberhofer about the byzantine process of creating the Icons/Idols: Irene podcast during a COVID lockdown! You can read the article here: Stage Buddy interview
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW interview
I was just interviewed for Zach Calhoun’s long running theater blog PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW. You can read it here! http://zackcalhoon.blogspot.com/2021/05/people-you-should-know-helen-banner.html
FIRST SHOW BACK!
We’re finishing out the Byzantine Choral Project’s Archive Residency at the New Ohio Theater by creating a socially distanced immersive installation. We'll be opening at the end of April with an amazing sound design by Grace Oberhofer and Nathan Leigh and a really exciting visual design by Afsoon Pajoufah. So pleased to be back sharing work! Tickets for ICONS/IDOLS: IN THE PURPLE ROOM on sale now at https://newohiotheatre.org/2020-2021/icons-purple-room/
INTELLIGENCE @ High Desert, NSMU Feb 2-9
Excited to be working next with theater professor and director Mike Wise on a new draft of Intelligence as part of NMSU’s High Desert Workshop. Looking forward to being in the room with the students and talking about how another tough year of global diplomacy has changed the play since it was in production at NYTW Next Door.
OUTSIDE OF EDEN in 2020
After a great first look at Ice Factory 2019, OUTSIDE OF EDEN will be returning for a full run at the New Ohio Theater November 9-December 6 2020.
Hannah Eakin as Maria (Outside of Eden @ Ice Factory 2019) Image by Jo Chiang
OUTSIDE OF EDEN @ ICE FACTORY 2019
Play two of the ICONS/IDOLS tetralogy is coming to Ice Factory 2019 for 4 nights only next month. We’re expecting to sell out , so hop on your tickets here! : http://newohiotheatre.org/icefactory2019.htm
April 29 -- Brooklyn College Reading ALIEN COUNTRY
Looking forward to taking a new play into Emily Edward’s MFA Directing class at Brooklyn College today — great chance to have a talented group of MFA directors and actors read and discuss this brand new piece about capitalism, globotics and immigration. Also love their campus!
Footage from The Empress Arias concert at 54 Below on Feb 8
The Byzantine Choral Project had a great time presenting songs from the first three Icons/Idols plays at 54 Below. Thanks to our amazing singers and instrumentalists: Iris Beaumier, Faye Chiao, Isabella Dawis, Rachael Duddy, Hannah Eakin, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, Kay Weber, Joell Weil, Mark Ziegler, Lydia Paulos and Justin Zakrajsek. Here’s some footage from the night:
EARLY BIRD discount for INTELLIGENCE: Book before Jan 7!
Tickets: https://www.nytw.org/show/intelligence/tickets/
New website up for INTELLIGENCE!
Find out more details about the show and a ticket link at: www.intelligenceplay.com
ARCHIVE RESIDENCY 2018-2020
Big News! The Byzantine Choral Project was just awarded an Archive Residency at the New Ohio/IRT Theaters to keep on working on our ICONS/IDOLS tetralogy, meaning we get the chance to stage two more of the plays in the New Ohio’s fabulous space in the Archive Building on Christopher St. More updates to follow, but here’s the link to the launch party on Sept 30, where we’re singing ‘The Wheel of Sleep’ from PRINKIPO, the third play in the cycle: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/10332968
INTELLIGENCE @ NYTW Next Door Jan 2019
Very excited to announce that INTELLIGENCE, the semi-immersive play I've been working on with director Jess Chayes about three American women diplomats, will be part of the NYTW Next Door 2018-19 season, produced by Lucy Jackson in association with Dutch Kills Theater.
For the full season announcement check out: https://www.nytw.org/next-door-nytw/#NDYEAR2
JAMBOREE18 @ The Tank
It's JAMBOREE time again! Excited to be presenting the song 'The Nuns of Prinkipo' from ICONS/IDOLS: PRINKIPO at The Tank on 5/16 @7pm, along with a host of work by other JAM members.
2018 ICONS/IDOLS news!
Breaking....the trilogy has grown into a tetralogy because these Empresses were just too big for three operas... so by 2019, and thanks in part to developmental funding from Opera America, the ICONS/IDOLS series will include IRENE; PRINKIPO; THE EUNUCHS; and THE WILDNESS OF SIN.
We're hugely grateful to all the people and places helping us make this epic creative project a reality. Next month the Byzantine Choral Project creative team (composer Grace Oberhofer, director Colette Robert, music director Robert Frost and me as librettist) are off to the O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut for a mini-residency working on the new material we've written for the second play in the tetralogy. Then on March 25, we'll be presenting a concert presentation of PRINKIPO at The Tank: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3341783
In May, New Georges will be hosting an epic unsung reading of the libretti of IRENE, PRINKIPO and THE EUNUCHS as part of their JAMBOREE 2018.
And then in June, as a culmination of Grace's OPERA America's Grant for Female Composers, supported by the Virginia B. Toulon Foundation, we will be workshopping both PRINKIPO and THE EUNUCHS and presenting a double concert of both plays at OPERA AMERICA. Ticket details for all our presentations will be up on our website: www.byzantinechoralproject.com
La déroute @ Works on Water, June 19 and 20 at 3LD
I've been working on an opera with the composer Catherine Brookman and opera director Mary Birnbaum as part of my Water Residency at New Georges and we get the chance to show our work in progress at their amazing festival of water based theatre and visual art at 3LD Art and Technology Centre. Catherine will be singing the main role of Marie alongside singers David Skeist, Beth Griffith, Rachael Duddy and Jessie Shelton. Mark Van Hare will be doing sound design, Sarah Bennett is on percussion and Robert Frost is playing the keyboard. It's an amazing room of people to be working with and I'm so excited for our concert performance on Monday June 19 at 7.30pm and Tuesday June 20 at 1pm. Tickets are free on the door or you can reserve via www.worksonwater.org
