New Year's Resolutions 2007

It's time for that fun little party game: New Year's Resolutions. Despite being, um, meager and ineffective... like all statements of purpose, they say a great deal about us.

For example... if my New Year's Resolution was "I resolve to stop staring into the refrigerator when no one's around as if food will magically appear" it would tell you all a great deal about me.

If my New Year's Resolution was "I resolve to stop purchasing DVDs that I will only watch once just because one of the characters was in a comic book" that would be telling.

If my New Year's Resolution was "I resolve to finally write that play about the severed heads" it would make your minds expand with amazing possibilities. Wouldn't it? You know it would.

So... what are your New Year's Resolutions, oh readership-of-my-heart?

Don't pretend you've got better things to do. It's Friday and all the other theater blogs are "closed" until after the New Year. Let's just be honest with each other about that.

My Comments Section is Your Disappointment Playground.

I'm off

... to Pennsylvania for Xmas with the fam.

Travel safely, if you're traveling. And, if you're so inclined, enjoy Chinese Food and the Movies.

Onwards and upwards!

Tonight is the...

Final Performance of TRAYF! Come and see it! Come and see all of the plays!

Top Ten Year-End Things That Are On The Top Ten List Of 2007

Here is a list to commemorate 2007. It is of "Top Ten Year-End Things That Are On The Top Ten List Of 2007." They speak for themselves, and for you, and for me.

1. Iraq - Yup. Still there. We suckle huge balls! And not even for fun!
2. Spider Man 3 - Man, oh man. Wasn't that a massive letdown. Yes, yes it was. It was down, and it let me down, and they really shouldn't have bothered with all that Topher Grace shit. Also, I don't like that he calls himself Topher. My name is Matthew. No one calls me "Thew" for short, do they? No, no they don't.
3. Tracy Letts



4. Democrats Running for President - There are some. That's nifty. I wish Kucinich could astrally project his soul into someone electable.
5. Republicans Running for President - Even though Tancredo, the bigot, is out, he was able to astrally project his evil into the other candidates. Kucinich...take notes!
6. 100 Saints You Should Know - Oh the places we went! Like the lobby! And to the bar!
7. The Pretentious Festival - That was fun, no? Yes? You wouldn't understand.
8. Travels with Pammy. I went to Paris with my ladyfriend and it was exactly what you'd hope it would be. Also, we went to Sedona. That was good too. That's all under 8. It could be under 8 and 9, but forget it. It's all just one big "8."
9. Mike Daisey and a glass of water.
10. In Rainbows

Yes. Yes that's what is on this list. I will revise it in my head, periodically, but not on this webpage.

Teenager of the Year

Downloaded Frank Black's album "Teenager of the Year" last night. I used to have that album on...tape. Yes, I did. I'd almost forgotten how good it is.

At work today

My boredom is stunning. Wow! I've never felt quite this shockingly dulled!

So, I ask you to send me a Haiku. Make this Haiku about your respect for this blog. If you do so, I shall be overwhelmington. The joyfulness will strike me like Mjolnir. I will weep and beg for less happiness because it is driving me batsh*t insane.

This Humana Festival Rundown

Made me laugh pretty hard.

The truth hurts, kids.

Clayton Smerican

I am posting this because... I would like to find an actor named Clayton Smerican. I attended Governor's School for the Arts with him in...oh... 1992? Something like that.

If he Googles himself, perhaps he will find this posting and send a message to mattfr at gmail dot com.

If you know him (name is distinctive, no?) then let me know.

Time Chooses Putin as Person of the Year 2007

Seems that dismantling a free press and gutting democracy can be a very effective strategy for impressing Time Magazine.

Question

Do you find it difficult or tacky to talk about your charitable giving? If so, why? If not, why not?

I used to think of it as crass. I've changed my mind. In our culture, it seems to me that we can listen to frank talk about sexual fetishes, about violence, about religious differences and about politics. We can talk about personal health struggles and we can talk about our innermost thoughts on stage. But ask someone their salary, or how much they gave to the Red Cross, or why they're unable to give... that's considered too personal or too private to discuss.

It's an odd hang-up. One that I think the American public should examine.

So...how about you? Do you find this hard to talk about?

Blue Coyote Theater Group Year End Fund Drive

Hey everyone:

Donate to my crew at Blue Coyote Theater Group! Even a small donation goes a long, long way! It will take you mere moments to make a gift online!

Why donate?

We're proud to say that Blue Coyote Theater Group has continued to thrive in 2007. And we don't just mean settling into our new home at the Access Theater, or overseeing the exciting improvements there. The truth is that we continue to produce inspiring, irreverent, and unpredictable theater all throughout the year and nothing can hold us back…except cash.

In 2007, we:

• Continued to nurture the next generation of great American playwrights with acclaimed productions of David Johnston's The Oresteia, Matthew Freeman's award-winning Interview With The Author, and Kristen Palmer's Departures.
  
• Extended our wildly successful Standards of Decency Project, featuring nine original short plays by our favorite playwrights.
  
• Won a promotional grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council to redesign our website and install a BCTG sign on Broadway!
• Were named 2006 People Of The Year by NYTheatre.com!
• …and with our October presentation of Kristen Palmer's Departures, we reached an remarkable milestone: our 20th full-scale production.

To continue all these efforts, we're announcing the 2007 Year-End Fund Drive. Our goal is to raise $15,000 from our friends, family, and audiences. We're trying to get 50% of our patrons and fans to make some contribution, of any size, by December 31st, 2007. You can contribute by writing a check to Blue Coyote Theater Group at the address above or clicking on the Donate Now link below.

2008 is certain to be our best year yet, but we need your participation to pull it off. By making a contribution, you help ensure that our distinctive brand of theater makes it to the stage. And if you know someone who would like to give, but might not yet be on our list, please forward this email to them! Every little bit helps.

All the best to you and yours this holiday season,
The Coyotes
(Bob, Kyle, Gary & Stephen)

P.S. Save the date for Blue Coyote's post-holiday My Body Is A Temple Party on Saturday, January 12th, 2008. You'll want to treat yourself right!

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Add yourself to the Blue Coyote Mailing List here!

Nytheatre.com's People of the Year 2007

The official list and write-ups can be found here.

They are:

The Chocolate Factory
Theatre Askew
Kevin Doyle
Electric Pear Productions (I went to college with Melanie Sylvan. Go Melanie!)
FRIGID Festival
Mia Katigbak
Cyndy A. Marion
Metropolitan Playhouse
Edith O'Hara (if you do not have an entertaining story about 13th Street Rep, raise your hand)
Mac Rogers!
T. Schreiber Studio
Storm Theatre
Trav S.D.
Ken Urban
Jose Zayas

So...what do we think of the list?

I was on this list way back in 2004, for those who care.

A strange sentiment

Over at the Guardian, in a post titled "Why America has no national theater," George Hunka writes about the strength of the European theatrical tradition as opposed to the tradition in the US. I've often found this sort of logic puzzling: the divide between European history and American history is pretty damn thin. In fact, the US citizenry is made up of thousands of traditions, including and especially British ones.

I could go on, but most of it is standard Europe > US stuff.

It's the final paragraph that made me scratch my head:

"Given limited resources and simple practical production considerations, any national theatre must necessarily be exclusionary - exclusionary of work and production methods that don't conform to an ideology that any national theatre must necessarily reflect. The ideology of production informs any theatre, national or autonomous, of course. But given what's been done to the geopolitical scene by the American military and cultural power structure in the name of its citizens over the past 10 years, I'm loathe to think what might be done by the theatrical and dramatic community in the name of its citizens as well."

Besides being logically tenuous, this is unjustifiably hostile. To say the least. Strangely, it's not hostile towards the US government, so much as the US "theatrical and dramatic community." I'm baffled.

HUMANE!

The reviews are in for TRAYF at the Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee: The Second Coming!

nytheatre.com raves: "...HUMANE..."

Now that's a horse of a color that is different!

Come and see the festival to end all festivals of lights!

Important Question

What is it that makes me so wonderful? Why can't anyone else see it?

TRAYF at the Baby Jesus One-Act Jubliee: Second Coming

Note: Matthew Trumbull as Lobster, David DelGrosso as the Rabbi.

Come to see this here play. It is a hoot. We are "Josephs."

NY Magazine Best of the Year 2007

For the fun of the chattering class...New York Magazine's Best of Theater 2007. Agree? Disagree?

Methinks Zoe Kazan is doing well for herself, no?

What I Got For My Birthday

For those Matthew Freeman fan-sites that just need to know the details of my amazing life:

What I got:

A Star Wars Lightsaber Battle Game that you can hook up to your TV. It's for 8 year olds. I love it.

DVR.

The Twin Peaks Gold Edition Full Series DVDs

A Chimay Sampler

What I didn't get:

Younger.

Indiana Jones! SO COOL!

New York Showcase Code Reform

This is post number 1,000 on this blog. Strange. Huzzah!

Now...to business...

There was a fair amount of chatter and meetings about the issue of Showcase Code Reform this year, including articles in Time Out and the Village Voice. Since then, I'm not sure what progress has been made. Maybe I'm just out of the loop, maybe things are quiet.

Anyone out there a part of putting together the white paper, or on the front lines, have an update? You can e-mail me or comment. Certainly not an issue that should be allowed to drop.

What about The League of Independent Theater?

UPDATE: Great comments from Leonard Jacobs and John Clancy in response to this post. Take a look. Sounds like exciting stuff. Like by-laws. I'm thrilled to see so many names I recognize involved.

Huckabee Explains His Surge in Popularity

Because of the prayers of loonies. Democracy works best when it's influenced by the Will of Christ.

I was born

On this day in 1975. Who wants to touch me?

I SAID WHO WANTS TO F*CKIN' TOUCH ME!?

Happy etc, etc to me.

Also: Thanks Pammy!

Baby Jesus Opens Tonight

That sounds vaguely gross. Come watch it!

Tancredo hates those that "don't belong"

You may think to yourself "Tancredo is tanking in the polls." But remember, the other Republican candidates are trying to BE this guy.

LOCAL STORY

I recommend heartily that you check out "Local Story" at the Access Theater, produced by Overlap, directed by Susanna Harris and written by the talented Kristen Palmer.

I am hearing great things, like this review, and I'm looking forward to seeing it myself after this weekend.

You can get tickets for the production here.

Mac Rogers

...thinks he can come and go as he pleases. I will not stand for it, nor link to his blog. His blog is not worthy to shine the shoes of On Theater and Politics. He will pay for his insolence. I will refuse, forever, to link to his ramblings.

Correlation is not Causation

If you want to know exactly what the phrase means, here is Article Alpha.

MetaDrama on Critical Thought

Great posting for Aaron here about thinking critically about writing criticism.

Clinton's attacks on Obama

Are effectively dismantled here. Take a look.

Give to Theater This Holiday Season

As with last year, I'm suggesting several theater-related organizations that I'm sure would benefit from your financial support and generosity. Remember, there's no such thing as a small gift... even $25 from several donors will mean a lot to most of these companies. If you've given before, think about giving just a little more.

I'd also suggest spreading out your giving. Give yourself a budget ($100? $200?) and spread your giving out among the various companies that you feel strongly about up to that budget.

I'd also love to leave my comments section for this post open for those who are in the midst of fund-drive, or know of a company they would like to see supported, to provide links and information.

Ticket sales serve primarily, for most companies, to recoup investment. Grant writing is costly and often tied to specific mission-driven projects (marketing, administrative costs, eduction). Your un-restricted gifts provide smaller, passionate companies with the means to make the artistic decisions, to take risks, and to continue to expand their audiences. It's vital that we, as a community, show our peers that we support them with more than just our words. Giving is a form of political speech and action. Take action and be generous.

_____

Blue Coyote Theater Group - Blue Coyote Theater Group has produced five of my plays. They work with wonderful writers like David Johnston, Kristen Palmer and David Foley. Their Standards of Decency Project, last year at this time, put 23 actors, four directors and nine authors to work. If you want to support me, this is the way to do it. If you want to support wonderful and aggressive plays, that are produced, not developed, I'd urge you to donate here.

Nosedive Productions - James Comtois makes his home here. They're wonderful. Suburban Peepshow, Blood Brothers: Pulp, Adventures of Nervous Boy; all joyfully perverse. They're in the midst of a fund-drive (read all about it on their website.) Support this crew here.

New York Theatre Experience - They publish books, they publish nytheatre.com, they publish indietheatre.org, and they produce podcasts. They're the most active and vocal advocates for Indie Theatre in New York City. Your dollars help everyone if they go here. Read Martin Denton's fundraising letter for this year here, and find out how to support them.

Vampire Cowboys - On the up-and-up, these guys kick serious ass and are all over the downtown scene. Send a spinning side kick of death to the establishment with your donation to them here.

The Brick Theater - Vibrant, active, exciting, independent, edgy, blah blah blah. This company produces more than one festival per year (so far), fantastic new works, and is one of the few places you'll find the true spirit of anarchist fun in the New York metropolitan area. They've been heralded as one of the best venues for Off-Off in New York. There's a reason for that, crew. They are. Support them here.

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That's just a few thoughts. I may add as the spirit moves me. Feel free to comment and share your suggestions.

Baby Jesus One-Act Jubilee: Opening This Weekend

Ho Ho Ho!

The Baby Jesus One Act Jubilee opens this Friday at the Brick Theater in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and features works by Jason Grote, Qui Nguyen and myself, among many others. Come check it out!

There are two series (Marys and Josephs) that run at 7pm and 9pm on an alternating schedule. $10 per program, or $15 to see both programs on the same evening.

Herein lies the schedule and breakdown.

My play, TRAYF, is the Chanukah-themed play of the series and can be found among the Josephs.

Come on Friday night. It's my birthday. Then afterwards you can buy me a beer and tell me how young I look and how much you love reading this blog.