In the week leading up to TIC's 35 production, MAURITIUS, we're asking our cast and crew a few quick, fun, questions!

We run Oct. 18-28 @ 8 PM, Shetler Studios, 244 W. 54th St., 12th Fl. Get your $18 tickets at www.tictheater.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006.

We had to start with the talented Emily Nash, who plays Jackie, the beating heart at the center of this play about two sisters, two stamps, and a pile of cash.

Tell us about Jackie and what draws you to playing her?
Jackie will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She's a younger sister (just like me!), and I love that she's so outspoken, resourceful, tenacious, and darkly funny. I like to think I have some of those qualities. Jackie has been a dream role of mine for a while, and I'm super excited to get to tackle this part and this play with TIC!

Our show revolves around a stamp collection. Do you, or have you, ever had a collection of some kind?
When I was a kid, I had an embarrassingly large collection of snow globes. I would receive them as gifts, and buy them myself on trips, and I accumulated so many that my parents had to buy me a giant shelf for my childhood bedroom to store all of them! I think, thankfully, most of them have since landed in a dumpster (though I did hold on to one or two!).

Seeking 4 actors (AEA and non-union) for MAURITIUS by Theresa Rebeck.

Please submit *only* through Actors Access so we can track all submissions in one place.

All actors must be comfortable with long monologues and stage combat (stage punches, slaps, choking).

SCHEDULE
REHEARSALS: Tue/Wed/Thur evenings from 6-9:30 PM from 9/5-10/15/17 + 3 Sun afternoons from 1-5 PM on 10/1, 10/8, 10/15.
TECH: Mon 10/16 evening.
FINAL DRESS: Tue 10/17 evening.
7 PERFORMANCES: Wed-Fri 10/18-20 and Wed-Sat 10/25-28 @ 8 PM.
 
STORY LINE: A darkly funny thriller by Theresa Rebeck, about two half-sisters, an inherited collection of rare stamps, and what happens when some questionably-motivated buyers and a pile of money come up for grabs. 

SEEKING: 
The role of MARY is cast.

[JACKIE](20s). Jaded, spent most of her life caring for her mother, who recently died. At odds with her half-sister, goes behind her back to sell off potentially valuable stamps with some shady characters.

[DENNIS](Late 20s/early 30s). A natural charmer, well-spoken and fit, but made some poor life choices in the past. Sees an opportunity in Jackie’s selling of the stamps to make some quick money, grows attracted to her.


[STERLING](40s-50s). A successful, if shady, businessman with a passion for stamps and long speeches. Quick to anger with a violent streak, the actor should be fit and/or physically imposing in some way.


[PHILIP](40s+). Owner of a stamp shop and expert philatelist, whose wife left him years ago. Extremely wary of Sterling, given past betrayal, and does not want to get involved with Jackie and the stamps she brings to his shop.

This revival of comedy Buffalo Heights is an official selection of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity on the Lower East Side this June 15-30. We sat down with the incomparable Patrick Truhler to get his thoughts on the show and get YOU to come see him in it!

Venue: LATEA Theater @ the Clemente Center, 107 Suffolk Street, 2nd Floor, NYC
Trains: F, J, M, Z to Delancey/Essex Stations
Get your $18 tickets at www.tictheater.com or below direct links:
3 shows left! (90-min run time, no intermission)
Sat 6/24 @ 3:30 PM
Sun 6/25 @ 9:30 PM
Fri 6/30 @ 7:15 PM

Give us your character's high school yearbook picture, quotation, and extra curriculars.
I play Mike Hobbes, security professional at Buffalo Heights High.

Mike's yearbook photo would be a dapper one, inspired by 80's Tom Selleck.

Mike's yearbook quotation is from the show 'Barney Miller' where Barney says, "We do everything by the book, according to regulations, above board."
Extracurriculars:
Track and Field (equipment manager)
Rowing (equipment manager)
Choir (equipment manager)
 
Favorite line from the play, and why.
My favorite line of Mike's is in scene one after he meets Fran for the first time. After stopping her to search her bag, Fran inquires where Principal Washington is. Mike responds by saying, 'She hasn't arrived yet. And until she does, technically I'm in charge around here.'  Even though it isn't the funniest line in the play, I think this is the first time Mike has really felt in charge of anything....even though he isn't.
 
The play centers around a class election. What would your character's slogan be if they were running?
If Mike were running for a class election, he would run for President. He has such a heightened sense of self importance, to the point that he offends others by trying to control them. I think his slogan would go along the lines of, 'Vote Mike Hobbes for student body president, because you are all misinformed sheep and Mike is a wolf. A nice wolf. A wolf who likes sheep and can tell them what to do. Because sheep are dumb and wolves are smart and have fur.'

TIC's revival of comedy Buffalo Heights is an official selection of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity on the Lower East Side this June 15-30. We sat down with brilliantly funny Lori Funk to get her thoughts on the show!
Get your tickets at www.tictheater.com. We open this Thursday, 6/15 and tickets are selling fast!

Buffalo Heights takes place at your character, Diane Matthews' alma mater, Buffalo Heights High. Tell us about your HS days, and hers. 
Photo attached. Eeeks. I was voted "Most Respected" and "Most Likely to Succeed," and, like Diane Matthews, I was the valedictorian of my class.
 
My extra curriculars were : German Club, Forensics, Math Team, Mixed and Concert Choir, Choir Accompanist, National Honor Society.

My yearbook 'ambition quote' (a lot of this is 'inside joke' material) : "To marry Dana Carvey and appear on Saturday Night Live with him to sing 'Choppin' Broccoli.' To unite Danielle and the boy. To go to Bradley. To become a scrub woman with Heidi. To have as many clothes as Lori M. Smith. To find Lori Peterson's other two. To ride in Liz's convertible. Finally, to become the next Mary Smits and earn $700,000 a year for smiling a lot."
 
Ha! Glory days, I tell ya. Glory days.
 
Meatballs or sticky buns?
I'm a sweet and salty kinda gal. So, I would say a bite of meatball, followed by a bite of sticky bun, followed by another bite of meatball. And on and on. And on. My favorite snack in high school was Fritos dipped in Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip frosting. I'm telling you: don't knock it till you try it.
 
What language did you take in high school? Favorite word in that language, and why?
When I attended Waupaca High School many moons ago, two foreign languages were offered. They were Spanish and German, and I chose German. Each student was able to pick the name they were to be referred to as during class. I could have chosen any number of 'sexier' German names : Emma, Ilse, Gisela. Instead, I chose Waltraud (pronounced 'Vall-troud.' At first, I did it to be weirdly obnoxious. But, then, I really respected the name. It had strength. It was unique. It was fun. And, it makes for a good story. ;)
 
Venue: LATEA Theater @ the Clemente Center, 107 Suffolk Street, 2nd Floor, NYC
Trains: F, J, M, Z to Delancey/Essex Stations
Get your $18 tickets below:
6 shows (90-min run time, no intermission)
Thur 6/15 @ 7 PM
Sat 6/17 @ 1:15 PM
Mon 6/19 @ 9 PM
Sat 6/24 @ 3:30 PM
Sun 6/25 @ 9:30 PM
Fri 6/30 @ 7:15 PM
 
Synopsis: new teacher Fran arrives at Buffalo Heights High School full of enthusiasm, but her lesson plans are soon overshadowed by a power-hungry junior, Piper Matthews. When Fran encourages charismatic stoner Conner to run against Piper in the school body election, a nasty rumor whips the school and city of Buffalo into a frenzy. Armed only with a book of French poetry, an unopened pack of cigarettes, and a chant about sticky buns, Fran must do battle with the rumors and her critics.
Venue: LATEA Theater
 
Production team & cast: written by Adam Harrell, directed by Jake Lipman, stage managed by Erin Cohen, scenic design by Michael Lounsbery, sound design by Philip Rothman, featuring Lori Funk*, Jake Lipman*, Brittany Anikka Liu*, Maria Maloney*, Jordan P. Schroeder, and Patrick Truhler*
Themes: LBGTQ rights, freedom of speech, justice, election politics

This revival of comedy Buffalo Heights is an official selection of the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity on the Lower East Side this June 15-30. We sat down with our incomparable stage manager, Erin Cohen, to get her thoughts on the show, which opens June 15 @ 7 PM!

Have you ever been to Buffalo?
Nope! I used to go to camp up in the Adirondacks and I have family friends up in Syracuse but no experience with Buffalo. I'd love to go and see what it is they eat there. I've heard cheese curds are big. Sounds like my kind of place...
 
Meatballs or sticky buns?
What type of question is that?! Meatballs AND sticky buns. 
 
Speak any French?
I took French in high school!

I always thought the word drôle was a funny one.  It means funny, but it sounds so boring.  I appreciate the irony. 

Venue: LATEA Theater @ the Clemente Center, 107 Suffolk Street, 2nd Floor, NYC
Trains: F, J, M, Z to Delancey/Essex Stations
Get your $18 tickets below:
6 shows (90-min run time, no intermission)
Thur 6/15 @ 7 PM
Sat 6/17 @ 1:15 PM
Mon 6/19 @ 9 PM
Sat 6/24 @ 3:30 PM
Sun 6/25 @ 9:30 PM
Fri 6/30 @ 7:15 PM
 
Production team & cast: written by Adam Harrell, directed by Jake Lipman, stage managed by Erin Cohen, scenic design by Michael Lounsbery, sound design by Philip Rothman, featuring Lori Funk*, Jake Lipman*, Brittany Anikka Liu*, Maria Maloney*, Jordan P. Schroeder, and Patrick Truhler*
Themes: LBGTQ rights, freedom of speech, justice, election politics

TIC is thrilled to be holding auditions and callbacks this week for its upcoming revival of Buffalo Heights by Adam Harrell, which is an official selection of the 2017 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

The show was first developed by a group of actors, artistic director Jake Lipman, and playwright Adam Harrell in 2014, culminating in its workshop premiere in May 2014, for which notices were very positive.

Since then, Jake and Adam have updated the show and trimmed it to a zippy 90 minutes. We are seeking 5 actors to join the cast for this revival, with the following breakdown:

[MIKE HOBBES] (Late 30s.) Well-intentioned by dim security guard at Buffalo Heights High.
[CONNER SMITH] (Actor must be 18 or older, plays high school student.) Popular, smart, but laid-back stoner.
[JEAN WASHINGTON] (Late 30s.) Tightly-wound high school principal. Must be comfortable with a same-sex kiss.
[DIANE MATTHEWS] (Mid-40s-50s.) Mother of PIPER MATTHEWS, straight-shooting Republican Congresswoman.
[PIPER MATTHEWS] (Actress must be 18 or older, plays high school student.) Daughter of DIANE MATTHEWS, hell-bent on winning student class president election, and any other honor.

Synopsis: When lesbian FRAN (CAST) goes through a bad break up and leaves France, her old friend from college, now a high school principal, JEAN, offers FRAN a job teaching French at Buffalo Heights High. When FRAN accidentally crosses congresswoman DIANE MATTHEWS and her ambitious daughter, PIPER, things get goofy. FRAN finds herself embroiled in an election scandal involving a hapless security guard, MIKE, a bright stoner, CONNER, forcing FRAN to face the rumors, with a little help from the metaphysical plane. Scandal, intrigue, improper bodily searches, and alternative facts -- just an average day at Buffalo Heights High.

Please submit through Actors Access only.

Tonight is our final performance of Rapture, Blister, Burn, and I am going to be sad to see this beautiful and funny production close.

While we are sold out, you are welcome to try your luck at the door of the theater tonight (many standby have gotten in to other performances). We are playing at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor and curtain is at 7:30 PM.

Favorite line from the play?
Two lines:
Alice says, "You know what they say: your life begins when your mother dies." and later, her daughter, Catherine, says, "I've lived my life alone because I've never been alone."

To me, these lines sum up what is both humorous and heart-wrenching about this story and its character's conflicts.

Favorite feminist (icon)?
Again, I'll pick two:

My mother. She was very engaged and involved in politics and believed in civil service. She instilled me a sense of independence and a strong moral code.

Ruth Simmons. She was the president of Smith College when I went there, and she went on to be the first African American (male or female!) to run an Ivy League university, Brown. She was born in Texas, was one of twelve children, and her father was a sharecropper! I had to opportunity to talk with her a few times when I was a student, and she struck me as a very thoughtful person, intelligent and warm but quietly powerful. She's the coolest.

Favorite drink?
As a little girl, I remember going to dinner with my family at formal restaurants with white tablecloths and I loved nothing more than ordering Shirley Temple after Shirley Temple. I wasn't big on eating anything, just plowing through a few Shirleys and conking out at the table when the sugar wore off.

These days, I tend to order a glass of bubbly -- basically adult soda. I'm still very much that girl who loves a sweet drink with bubbles. And I still conk out when the sugar wears off.

Thank you to our talented cast, crew, and the wonderful audiences who have come to see our show!

Tonight is opening night of Rapture, Blister, Burn, TIC's 33rd thought-provoking comedic production.

Get your tickets here: www.tictheater.com and 1-800-838-3006.

We have 9 shows, Oct. 26-Nov. 5 @ 7:30 PM, The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor, NYC.

We asked the devilishly charming Patrick Daniel Smith a few questions about the production... read on!

Your character, "Don," drinks a lot. What's your favorite drink?
This is a deceptively complex question, masked as simple small talk. The right alcohol can improve (or destroy) a meal, social situation, or life.

Take, for example, dinner with friends. Most (not all, but most) will be swilling American light beer while trying to enjoy a medium-rare filet at a $400-a-plate restaurant.

On the other end of things, most will not break out a $200 bottle of of wine while rooting for the Jets on a Sunday afternoon, as they finish out their inevitable 6-10 season, destined to watch the playoffs from their couches.

Taking a bottle of George Dickle to your friend's kid's 6th birthday party is probably not the best idea in the world, while white wine spritzers are not really going to cut it at the Tao Club at the Vegas Venetian.

The point is, one's favorite drink should be as flexible as life is varied. That said, a glass of Delirium Tremens can never do you wrong.

What do you have in common with your character?
I like to think I don't have this in common with Don, but to be honest, the more we have worked through the show, the more it scares me that I do. Maybe we all do.

I'm scared by the idea that we see embodied by Don, that you can just become complacent, either out of apathy or the realization that nothing you do matters, and essentially stop trying. At life. Not that Don is a lesser person because of this.

His marriage is slightly below league average, but he appears to be an attentive father. And being a dean of a college, even a less reputable one, is no small feat. But as evidenced by his dynamic with Catherine, he is capable of more.

Getting into this character has caused me to think about what choices I've made, what could have been done differently... it's led to all sorts of internal speculation.  ARGH.

What's the most formative book you read in college?
A People's History by Zinn. The idea of looking at the U.S. Civil War from the point of view of Irish immigrants or to stop thinking of Rockefeller and Carnegie as patron saints and look at them as who thy really were (robber barons exploiting the labor force and government), was so different from the reading I did in high school.

For the first time, it made me question the dogmatic faith I had put in other historical texts I had read before. This was a time before pervasive internet content, so one had to actively seek out dissenting voices. Zinn helped me develop a lifelong habit (for better or worse) of looking to question authority, to question commonly-held beliefs as not necessarily accurate or right.

Second choice: Watchmen. Because... awesome.

We open in 2 days, and would love to have you see our production of Rapture, Blister, Burn by Gina Gionfriddo, starring Tracilyn Jones, Brittany Anikka Liu, Jake Lipman*, Patrick Daniel Smith*, and Rochelle Slovin*, directed by Molly Ballerstein and stage managed by Angeline Nortz.

Tickets are $18 at www.tictheater.com and 1-800-838-3006, and the show runs Oct. 26-Nov. 5 @ 7:30 PM at The Bridge Theatre @ Shetler Studios, 244 West 54th Street, 12th Floor, NYC.

In the role of "Avery" we are thrilled to have the luminescent Brittany Anikka Liu, who is making her NYC stage debut (although truth be told, she has a very impressive resume, including lots of Shakespeare!).

We asked the brilliant Brittany a few questions about being in this production.

Tell us about "Avery" and what you have in common with her (or not)!
Avery is the outspoken, opinionated student I was always afraid of in college. I was more of a listener in class and usually too nervous to ever disagree. She's very blunt, assertive, and willing to debate others (to fight for what she believes), but at the same time she's quite compassionate and ready to help a friend in need.

On paper, we're similar in that I also went to a liberal arts college where I actually took a course on feminist theory! I believe we also share an intellectual curiosity and love of the F word.

Favorite book you read in college?
I mistakenly read On the Road my sophomore year of college, which sparked my rebellious side, making me want to drop out of school every finals period and live as a nomadic beatnik. I romanticized living on the road, broke, filming a documentary, and seeing the stars at night from every angle. I mean, I still do... It's never too late!

What under-developed talent do you fantasize about resuming?
I've been playing drums since I was little... meaning the numerous times I asked my parents to take me to Guitar Center and all the house parties I attended, I would sneak away to play the drum set.

I've never trained until I took up lessons my last semester of college. My dad just got a free drum set from a neighbor! I'm trying to figure out how to ship it from Cincinnati and make it fit in a "cozy" NYC apartment!