Archive for June, 2008

The Onion is Right.

Monday, June 30th, 2008

Go see Wall-E.

I can usually find something mean to say about, well, anything.

I can’t thing of a single thing about this film that wasn’t simply wonderful. 

It made me gasp aloud in the theater.  And cry a little.  And laugh a lot.  And yes, we’re talking about cartoon robots.

I won’t say any more except that if you haven’t seen it and want someone to go with, this is the sort of film that I would pay to see twice. 

Shook me to the core, it did.

what can ten dollars buy?

Friday, June 27th, 2008

 

As you all know, Tuckaberry Productions is eagerly searching for next season’s space—thanks to everyone who’s given us leads—we’re exploring several options and will be settling into a new home very soon.
In the meantime, we’re gearing up for this July’s reprise of Aesop’s Foibles(visit www.tuckaberry.com for more info!) and getting ready for next year’s Brooklyn shows and upcoming school tour of Round the Circle (available for booking April-May, 2009—email Tuckaberry@yahoo.com for more info!)
As we continue to produce shows in the heart of Brooklyn, we’re growing into a touring company as well. This year we purchased a fantastic sound system–complete with body microphones–so that we can take our shows local schools.  With this, we were able to perform Aesop’s Foiblesfor audiences of 500-1,000 students and teachers, and we’re looking forward to doing this more and more.
And of course, this fantastic new sound system left a  debt-shaped dent in our budget.  So for the first time in Tuckaberry history, we’re doing a:
Three Hundred Hamiltons!
Campaign.
We’re asking everyone reading this to please consider a ten-dollar donation this summer. 
Ten dollars:
…It’s less than the cost of a ticket to a summer movie. 
…It’s the price of a pair of Duane Reade sunglasses. 
…It’s a bottle of sunscreen. 
It’s the chance to get Tuckaberry on its feet for 2008-2009 so that we can keep bringing Brooklyn families and local schools great theater for reasonable prices.
or to donate by mail, send checks to:
Tuckaberry Productions, Inc.
85 Eastern Parkway, 6E
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Tuckaberry Productions is a non-profit New York State charity.  All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of your donation goes to producing high-quality theater for kids, their families, and their teachers.

My name is not Adam.

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

I have just been told that, after two years of addressing holiday cards to "Mr. Jon and Mrs. Jane Doe" that this is incorrect business practice and we’re reverting back to addressing them to "Mr. and Mrs. Jon Doe."

I don’t know why this bothers me as much as it does.

I feel utterly nauseous and I kind of want to walk out the door and never turn back.

Incorrect business is to deny a woman’s right to be addressed by her actual name.

I am revolted.

Got $15 and a need to conquer that pesky ledge?

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

I’m planning to hit the climbing gym this Friday evening if I can get a belay partner.

5:30 PM or so.

It’s HERE, near Columbus Circle.

Lessons learned this week:

Friday, June 20th, 2008

1.  Playing the djembe: not so easy, actually.
2.  I have "a lot of issues going on" (says the PHD in psychology.)
3.  Being an office manager sucks.
4.  Cooking bullets in an oven will make them go off. (thanks, Mythbusters!)
5.  Bulls react to motion, not to the color red. (thanks again, Mythbusters!)
6.  Watching TV: pretty educational, actually.
7.  In spite of, or perhaps because of everything that has transpired over the past few months, I am more confident than ever that Tuckaberry will be touring full-time within two years and that it will be my primary occupation even sooner.
8.  UPS sucks. Still.

Oh, give me a home…

Saturday, June 14th, 2008
Dear friends and fans of Tuckaberry Productions,
2007-2008 has been an amazing year for Tuckaberry.  We produced a record four shows–two musicals, one cabaret, and one Shakespeare classic–and brought our spring musical to local schools for our first tour.  We’re reprising Aesop’s Foibles next month (you’ll hear all about that very soon!) and we’re thrilled to be planning a family picnic in Prospect Park in August.
But as we reflect on a successful season, we face challenging changes in the year to come.  Tuckaberry Productions is, to put it simply, homeless.  The Impact Theater’s owner has not renewed his lease and the building’s owner has decided to close it down for some much-needed renovations.  And while we’ve grown considerably over three years, we haven’t grown quite enough to take on a lease of our own.  We’re at peace with renting local space by the hour for our next season, but we had grown rather fond of having a place to call home
                                                                             
We would love to have that again.
So we thought:  why not ask the folks who come to see our shows if they have any suggestions? 
And as long as we’re asking for help, we figured we should shoot for the moon. Here is what our dream home would have:
–A performance space.  It does not have to be a theatrical space, or even have a stage.  It must simply have room for an audience, a small set and electrical outlets.  We generally put on 2-4 shows a year for about a month at a time, on weekends in the afternoons. 
–A rehearsal space.   For about two weeks before the show, we generally rehearse in the aforementioned performance space in the evenings and on weekend afternoons.  We are, however, accustomed to working with shared spaces and are very flexible, friendly, and neat.
–A space to store our props, costumes and scenery.  Most of our belongings are in boxes, and the scenery is modular, folding up completely.  We would need no more floor space than what a small self-storage unit would provide.
–A rate within our means.  This could mean either an hourly rate which would be proportionate to our ticket sale intake or a co-production agreement (cut of the box office).
–Location, location, location.  We have had the honor of being Prospect Heights’ only resident children’s theater company, and we’ve gown attached to the area and the neighbors who frequent our shows.  We’d prefer to stay within one of the following three neighborhoods in Brooklyn: Park Slope, Fort Greene, or Prospect Heights.
Tuckaberry is a non-profit incorporation and any lending of space ‘below cost’ would count as an in-kind donation to a New York State Charity.  We can also offer free or discount performances to groups and assistance with janitorial services/cosmetic renovations as barter for a co-production agreement.
If anyone receiving this message has any ideas, we’re open to suggestions.  If you know anyone else who might have ideas, please send this message to themWe are optimistic about the future and we look forward to the 2008-2009 season ripe with possibilities.  Thank you all for being a part of our family; Tuckaberry will continue keep you informed, and we look forward to bringing you more great theater for all ages over the next year.

What goeth before a fall?

Monday, June 9th, 2008

In case you’re planning on attending any of THIS , I made these:

and you can buy them HERE.