MISSION STATEMENT
Project Theater Project aims to produce quality alternative amateur theater to foster positive social change and cultural development in our community. We will work with diverse and underserved populations including youth, the elderly, and the disabled. Amateurs will have a chance to be involved in theater in a meaningful way. These new voices will bring to the forefront issues that are current and important and that resonate with local audiences. Currently, the goal is to produce one show a year, though this may increase as PTP develops. The subject matter of shows will include material that is progressive, mature, and contemporary. Each show will contain a health based and an education component tailored to match the participants and subject of the show. Facilitators will create a curriculum for each performance that will contextualize the experience of the artists and a part of the proceeds will be donated to health organizations or will fund health education. We are committed to keeping the cost of attending shows very low. Adult tickets will not exceed $10. Free tickets will be made available to educational institutions and other community groups. This ensures that our shows are accessible to locals who might not ordinarily attend professional theater due to the cost. We aim to produce original works as well as shows that have been commercially produced.
RENT SCHOOL EDITION;
2011 Project Summary: RENT School Edition
This year’s show is the rock-opera, RENT, as performed by high school students. RENT tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in the Lower East Side under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Our process will utilize improvisation to work on group dynamic skills, conflict resolution, cooperation, and self-esteem. The ten hour education component includes a session moderated by a Philly FIGHT peer educator on a range of topics including, but not limited to, deciding when to have sex, teens dating adults, condom negotiation, oppression, and sexual orientation. Workshops are designed to provide young people with the knowledge and skills to maintain their sexual health and think critically about their social choices. This education component will also include a summary of the history of the early days of HIV/AIDS. One of the purposes of the show is to raise awareness of the lack of health care for artists in our community. PTP’s website will also be used to disseminate information about health care resources that are low or no-cost in Philadelphia and literature will be distributed at each show.
AUDITIONS;
For Immediate Notice:
OPEN CASTING CALL
Project Theater Project is excited to announce our production of RENT School Edition. Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent School Edition is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award® for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.
This adaptation has been carefully done to retain the dramatic intent of the groundbreaking rock musical, and consists of minimal changes to language and the removal of one song (CONTACT) to make it possible for students to perform this piece.
OPEN CALL INSTRUCTIONS:
Please prepare two songs of approximately three minutes in length. Project Theater Project prefers songs from the RENT soundtrack. Emotive songs or original compositions from the student’s repertoire are also considered appropriate audition material.
Please provide your own back-up music or plan to sing a cappella. Musical accompaniment can be provided for student use if from the RENT soundtrack or from other common karaoke tracks. Advanced notice is required. Please email projecttheaterproject@gmail.com to make arrangements.
This is a student and a non-union production. Headshots and resumes are not required, but will be accepted at the casting call. It is not necessary for students to have prior theater experience.
Students that are cast for roles in RENT will be required to attend sixteen three-hour rehearsals in September, October, and November and to perform in shows during the month of December. Parental permission is required.
Seeking high school students, age 14-21*.
If you have other inquiries or if you wish to help, please contact projecttheaterproject@gmail.com.
DATES of OPEN CASTING CALL:
September 10th, 8:00am-noon,
Sept. 11th, 8am-noon,
Sept. 17 10am-1pm (1:30-5 are call backs)
*special education law in Pennsylvania allows for high school students to be up to 21 years of age.
Rent School Edition is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684
www.MTIShows.com
CAST INFORMATION;
We are attempting to cast 35 teens for the following roles. We are asking that some performers consider playing two parts, being part of the chorus, as well as understudying a character. It is our goal to have each cast member have one main part and perform at least 5 shows as that part, with the option of performing a different part, and being part of the chorus in at least 4 shows. There will be a total of 10 performances. Our attempt will be to create a cast that works as an equal team for the production.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN;
ANGEL DUMOTT SCHUNARD - A transvestite street drummer infected with HIV. Incredible dancer with a magnetic personality.
BENJAMIN COFFIN III - Wealthy landlord of Mark and Roger's building. Benny wants to start a multimedia studio.
JOANNE JEFFERSON - A headstrong public interest lawyer, and Maureen's lover.
MARK COHEN - A filmmaker and video artist, determined to capture "real" life on film. Roger's roommate.
MAUREEN JOHNSON - A performance artist and Mark's ex-girlfriend.
MIMI MARQUEZ - A dancer with AIDS and a drug problem. Desperate for a place to feel safe and protected.
ROGER DAVIS - An edgy, struggling musician who's HIV+. He hopes to write one last meaningful song before he dies.
TOM COLLINS - An HIV+ computer genius who has recently returned to New York after an absence. Has a deep capacity for love and understanding.
(These characters will also be part of the chorus)
▪ Mrs. Cohen, Mark's stereotypical Jewish mother.
▪ Alexi Darling, the producer of Buzzline
▪ Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson, the wealthy parents of Joanne Jefferson
▪ Mrs. Davis, Roger's confused
▪ Mrs. Marquez, Mimi's Spanish-speaking mother
▪ Mr. Grey, Benny's father-in-law who wants to buy out the lot.
▪ The Man, the local drug dealer whom Mimi buys from and Roger used to buy from.
▪ Paul, the man in charge of the Life support group.
▪ Gordon, one of the Life support members.
▪ Steve, one of the Life Support members.
▪ Ali, one of the Life Support members
▪ Pam, one of the Life Support members
▪ Sue, one of the Life Support members
▪ Squeegee Man, a homeless person
CONTACT INFORMATION
Rich Wexler 215-260-1298
Email
projecttheaterproject@gmail.com
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_212343748806256
STAFF
Tammi Worsham - Program Manager
(Bio coming soon)
Melissa Santangelo - Theater Educator
is a member of Oubliette, plays harp & guitar, singer, circus artist, ballet,
was a member of The Pretty Lady, Come and Go/Foursome, Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, 2007 ---Ensemble The Broken Hipsters Mask and Wig Theater, Phila. 2003, The Producer’s Club II, NYC 2004, Philadelphia Fringe Cabaret 2005, Aerialist/Clown Carnivolution Sideshow Tiberino Memorial Museum, 2006-2007, Composer/Accompanist/Clown, The Good Puppet of Szechuan, Walking Fish Theater, Phila., 2009
Rich Wexer- Director
has been involved with musical theater since going to see musicals at age 11 such as “Chorus Line”, “They’re Playing Our Song”, and “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” to name a few. This led to becoming obsessed with musicals for the next seven years, which included “Falsettos”, “Les Miserables”, “Into The Woods”, and many, many, more. This eventually led to trying out for “Grease” in high school, and getting cast as a chorus member, and then luckily I was bumped up to play Kenicke two weeks before the show was to be performed. This experience led to then directing many camper and counselor shows at overnight camp. Unfortunately there were no musicians at the camp, so we did Accapella version of such musicals, with kids and counselors, as “Grease”, “Little Shop Of Horrors”, “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, and “Into the Woods.” A few years the love of singing and musicals went into puppets as he created with a puppet theater company called “The Krimpet Puppets”. His claim to fame was performing with Sufjan Stevens and Brother Danielson at the North Star Bar. Around that time he also began working and performing with Spiral Q puppet theater, as well as a mixed drag troupe known as “The Dumpsta Players”. His love of music then led him to create “Sherman Arts”, a community based promotions company that helped create community and support musicians in the Philadelphia area. He did this over 10 years and ran a successful music series at The Green Line Café and other locations where he was able to host such acts as Danbert Nobacon (of Chumbawamba), The Chapin Sisters, Birdie Busch, Scott McMicken (of Dr. Dog), Pattern is Movement, The Impossible Shapes, Jana Hunter, Greg Weeks (of The Espers), Pepi Ginsberg, Armchairs, as well as put out a few compilations with songs from such bands as Innocence Mission, Man Man, Denison Witmer, Buried Beds, Strand of Oaks, and many more. In 2003 he originated the role of Kenny and Senor Puppyhead in the production of “The Broken Hipsters” and indie rock opera created by Marc and Jay Sand, along with many other members of the Philadelphia Indie rock scene. The show was a huge success with productions at The Mask and Wig, The Fringe Festival, and a three day run at
In February of 2008 he started a community theater based company, with four other members, for the purposes of putting on William Finn’s “March Of The Falsettos”. The show about homosexuals, bar mitzvahs, Aids, and therapists, was a success and got press in all the major independent Philadelphia based papers including The City Paper, The Philadelphia Gay News, The Philadelphia Weekly, and the Philadelphia Metro.
