Moonlighting at the Hella Fresh Theater: Thanks for the memories!

Special thanks to John Rosenberg for bringing me on board with his show Alp D’Huez for Hella Fresh Theater, which was written by John. It was an honor to direct him and Jennifer Summerfield in this tightly woven, funny and tragic script that takes an intimate look at the moment of break up. We wrapped up the 4-week run in November at the Papermill Theater in Kensington, Philadelphia.

A man’s wife shows up to Paris a day early and won’t say why. What is she hiding? Why is he so upset by it? What did he do on Alp d’ Huez? This intense, mysterious, funny, and often heartbreaking tale shows all the problems of a marriage colliding at the least opportune time–on vacation in France when they should be having the time of their lives, and rooting on Lance Armstrong and team America in the Tour de France.

–Josh McIlvain

Playwright and Hella Fresh founder John Rosenberg has been hailed by City Paper as “an impetuous playwright [who] takes a radical approach to independent theater.” More details at www.hellafreshtheater.com.

Carter’s Play Takes A Bow

CARTER’S PLAY finished its inaugural run on May 19. Thanks to all for coming!

Carter’s Play is the anti-feel good play about low budget art-making. Featuring a play within a play, a set built on stage during the performance, emotional manipulation, sex, and cheapness all in the name of theater.

The White Space at Crane Old School, LP, 1417 North 2nd Street (2 blocks north of Girard, near Northern Liberties)

Carter’s Play

with Patti Moore, Jennifer Summerfield, Mark Cairns, Sarah Robinson, Chris Davis, Josh McIlvain Lighting & Scenic Design by Catherine Lee Directed by John Rosenberg Co-directed and Written by Josh McIlvain

READ ALL ABOUT US IN STAGE MAGAZINE

Art On A Budget…Life On Display: CARTER’S PLAY Brings New Meaning To ‘Backstage’

“For anyone who’s ever been involved in the creative process of producing low-budget theatre, one thing’s for sure: getting by with a little help from your friends, family, neighbors, enemies, (Ok, really ANYONE) is a must. This idea advances to a whole new meta-theatrical level in this original play-within-a-play, all while taking the audience on the journey of creating both. . . . Walking into the “White Space” at the Crane Art’s Old School building, there’s a very hip, performance-arty, museum-esque vibe that immediately let me know I was not in “Kansas” anymore . . . . It was apparent that THIS immediate audience would be seeing what a “real” audience never gets to see: the personal dramas and ensuing sex, hilarity, back-stabbing, etc, of the people behind the art. . . . Patti [Moore] lends an under-stated charm and honesty to all of her roles, especially when rehearsing a very hilarious sex scene from the play. . . . Jennifer Summerfield plays Chrissy as an identifiable actress, frustrated and struggling with a director wrapped up in his vision. Chrissy plays ‘Margo’ with a ferocious diva-ness and shines as she negotiates both characters quite seamlessly. . . . Mark Cairns, who plays the worn-down theatre owner and ostensibly the technical director, Tripp, does an hilarious job of representing a broken down and cynical theatre “techie.” . . . The fluid manner of transitioning between the two worlds makes CARTER’S PLAY all the more inventive and worth the trip . . . a sneaky two-act look into a heightened world of art-making and the accompanying scandal that comes along with, CARTER’S PLAY is assuredly worth the $20 price of admission.” Amanda Curry, read the whole review here.

WILD PUNCH finished its run, thanks to all who came!

John Rosenberg, Josh McIlvain, Annie Wilson. Photo by Erin Desmond.

Wild Punch: Dance Theater Adventures in Kensington

A joint presentation between SmokeyScout Productions and Hella Fresh Theater, Wild Punch features new plays by Josh McIlvain and John Rosenberg, and a dance work created and performed by Annie Wilson. Audiences experience these three bold works in three separate spaces created within the Papermill Theater. 1 show. 3 perspectives. 3 original works.

WILD PUNCH PRESS RELEASE

Wild Punch features: dancer-choreographer Annie Wilson’s dance graceful frsutrated expletive, a solo about her personal evolution as a dancer that involves a hilarious and touching first person narrative, dance, and an anything goes approach; Josh McIlvain’s play Waiting For The Boss (with James C. Tolbert & Josh McIlvain), a comedic drama about maintaining your sense of worth as you grow older in menial, underpaid labor, and the intimate personal revelations between coworkers who care nothing for each other; and John Rosenberg’s play Automated Fault Isolation (Anna Flynn-Meketon & John Rosenberg), a dark romance set in 1950s Alabama about a white high school girl and a soldier waiting for the person she has lured to a motel room.