And Baby Makes Seven opens January 31st!
HST is back with a new production. Geneva native Chris Woodworth will be directing Paula Vogel's dark comedy And Baby Makes Seven. Starring Charles King, Michelle Martin-Baron, and Sherri Martin-Baron. Shows are Jan 31, Feb 1, 7 & 8 at 8:30pm at the Jones Theater, 499 Exchange. Tickets are $5 and are one sale at kidventuredome and Area Records!
See ‘And Baby Makes Seven’ and Support a Local Business!
We had a fabulous opening weekend with an almost sold-out opening night. There are two more chances to see And Baby Makes Seven–February 7th and 8th at 8:30 p.m. We are pleased to announce that half of Friday February 7th’s ticket proceeds will be donated to the IndieGoGo campaign of Stomping Grounds as they work to secure a new location for their wonderful shop: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/higher-ground-for-stomping-grounds
Tickets are still available at Area Records and the KidVentureDome.
Tech time!
Today we loaded into the Jones Theatre, installed our set, and had our first tech rehearsal. Whew! What a day! Here’s a few shots of today’s activities as our fearless producers helped with scenic elements, an actor pitched in to set up the props, and our stage manager and technical sound designer completed their “paper tech.” Don’t worry, we’ll be ready in time for opening night this Friday!
Rehearsal Report!
Rehearsals are well underway and we are having a blast! We have a dynamite cast featuring Charles King, Michelle Martin-Baron, and Sherri Martin-Baron. Add to the mix our intrepid stage manager, Megan Hall, and we often find ourselves in fits of laughter in the rehearsal room. One of the highlights from last week featured a game of monkey-in-the-middle between three imaginary children who are portrayed by only two adults. As you can imagine, hilarity ensued!
We are entering into our final week of rehearsals prior to moving into the Jones Theatre and beginning the tech process. It’s hard to believe we open in less than two weeks. Have you purchased your tickets yet? They are now available at the KidVenture Dome and Area Records. -Chris Woodworth
Tickets for And Baby Make Seven are on sale now!
I just dropped off two folders of tickets to our “ticket masters” in downtown Geneva. A huge shout out to Area Records and Kidventuredome for agreeing to sell our tickets. They are $5 each. Unlike some other masters of tickets, our local partners dont charge fees and skim off the top. They do it because they are cool and generous and community minded. Thank you! Your entire ticket price goes to Headless Sullivan Theater, and each show we do basically has to pay for itself. Seating is general admission, so come early if you want a coveted front row seat. The Jones Theater, however, is an intimate theater space and all the seats have great visibility. Spread the word, call the sitter, make some dinner reservations in downtown Geneva and make a whole night of it.
Shows are at 8:30pm on Friday, January 31st, Saturday, February 1st, Friday, February 7th and Saturday, February 8th.
We recommend you buy tickets in advance. We have sold out our shows before and turning people away does make us very sad.
Just a reminder that And Baby Makes Seven is for mature audiences.
And looky, new poster, soon to be seen EVERYWHERE!
Auditions!
What constitutes a family? Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel offers provocative and touching answers to that question in her darkly hilarious And Baby Makes Seven. Ruth and Anna are a lesbian couple awaiting the birth of their baby. They share their small New York City apartment with their dear friend Peter…and three imaginary children. The lines between reality and imagination, pleasure and pain disintegrate as the trio struggles to make room in their lives for their newest child. And Baby Makes Seven has been hailed by critics as “startling and funny,” “a profound and clever comedy,” and “a hilariously inventive play.”
Auditions for the upcoming Headless Sullivan production of Vogel’s twisted comedy will be held December 2nd and 3rd from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at The Jones Theatre in Geneva (above KidVenture Dome, 499 Exchange St. Geneva). There are roles for two women and one man. No preparation is necessary as auditions will involve readings from the script and improvisation. Callbacks will be held December 4th from 7:00-10:00 p.m. The performance dates are January 31st – February 1st and February 7th – 8th at The Jones Theatre. Rehearsals will begin mid-December, break for the holidays, and resume early January.
Auditions are open to all. Those wishing to audition should bring their schedules from December 5-20 and January 3-February 8. Rehearsals will be determined based on actors’ availability. Actors should be advised that And Baby Makes Seven contains adult language and content. For more information, contact Chris Woodworth (chriswoodworth77@hotmail.com or 315-781-4581).
Pleased to meet you…
On a chilly spring evening in 2009 I stood on the sidewalk with some friends, waiting to see if there would be seats for us in the storefront theatre that had emerged in downtown Geneva. Alas, the performance of two absurdist one-acts sold out and we were out of luck. But I was intrigued. Who was this company? What inspired their selection of plays? How were they staging work in this venue? At the time, I was living out of state and was only in town for one night, so I never had a chance to witness Headless Sullivan’s debut productions. Fast forward to the summer of 2013. I moved back home to Geneva and quickly added a new question to my list of musings on Headless Sullivan: How can I get involved? A few e-mails, lunch meetings, and one provocative script later and I was confirmed as the director of Headless Sullivan’s winter production.
Before we reveal the title of our winter show and tell you how you can get involved, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chris Woodworth and I have always considered Geneva home. I grew up in this town, attended the Geneva City Schools, and worked with just about every local theatre group. I’ve sung and danced my way across the stages of the Smith Opera House and the Delevan Theatre in Geneva Theatre Guild and Seneca Community Players productions. I’ve directed for Geneva Theatre Guild, Geneva Youth Theatre, and the Nancy Curvin Playground Players. I’ve taught community-based theatre classes for kids through Geneva Youth Theatre and the Recreation Department. But I’ve lived far away from Geneva for over a decade and a half. My new job—teaching and directing in the Theatre program at Hobart & William Smith Colleges—brought me back. I’ve been directing for almost 20 years in professional, university, community, and youth theatres. And I’m thrilled to be able to make community-engaged art once again for the place I call home.
So what’s in store for Headless Sullivan Theater this winter? A new venue. A disturbing yet amusing play. And a chance for YOU to get involved. Stay tuned…
Headless Sullivan Theater never left, but is coming back anyway!
Headless Sullivan Theater was never really a place, though we came to love that run down double store front on Exchange Street. It was surprisingly flexible. We even had a sound system! But HST was more than a space, or our stuff, seen above in a storage room at the Cracker Factory, by an old boiler that reminded me of the guy with the red and gray striped sweater, burned face and pointy razor glove. HST was, and is, an idea, that local theater does not have to be all safe and quaint Neil Simon plays or hit musicals. That our community can handle, and has a need for, challenging content. And that a few dedicated people can, with a lot of passion but limited means, make meaningfly theater that speaks to the community and to the age.
And it seems that this idea simply cannot sit in the dark by that old boiler. Which is to say, Headless Sullivan is coming back. With a new director and a new play, and a new place. All will be revealed shortly.
Shrimps, PK and Wolf Calling at HST!
Local chip musicians Shrimps and Wolf Calling were joined by Rochester-based PK for a stirring evening of lo-fi electronic/chip music. Playing a mix of acoustic, electric and digital musical instruments, as well as non-musical electronics pressed into musical service like Gameboys and other video game consoles, the music strives to create a modern sound from a vocabulary that sounds trapped in a simpler, earlier time in electronica. The cool music was stitched together with the help of Batsly Adams, who provided colorful visual overlays with two recoded Sega Genesis consoles…awesome event, first of its kind, and hopefully the start of something big, cool and ongoing at HST and in Geneva!
UG Artist Photo Set
The UG Artist event on April 21st was a smashing success…great turnout for the multi-arts event that featured bands, jam sessions, video art, graffiti, face painting, fine arts sales, poetry…and a lot of people. What a great time and a great use of HST’s double storefront. Hopefully, more to come like this!
An Evening of Lo-Fi Electronic/Chip Music
Two weeks and two fantastic shows at Headless Sullivan Theater! This Saturday (April 28), HST is hosting an evening of Lo-Fi Electronic/Chip Music featuring Geneva acts Shrimps and Wolf Calling and Rochester’s PK…and video projection art by Batsly Adams. Show starts at 7pm and the entrance is five buck. FIVE BUCKS! Less than a hoighty-toighty cup of latte. No excuses, just be there.
Check out Shrimps in action:
Here’s the cool poster for the event, courtesy of Wolf Calling/Daniel Schultz:
Here’s PK in action:
Headless Sullivan Theater 