Founded in 2015 by husband and wife partners Willow Norton (Artistic Director) and Corey Pearlstein (Creative Producer), Oregon Performance Lab is a three week pop-up laboratory dedicated to creators of new theater, dance and music in the heart of Oregon.
2016 Artists in Residence include: Playwrights Crystal Skillman and Nick Leavens, Directors Wilson Milam and Willow Norton alongside collaborators on the musical SONGBIRD: Composer/Lyricist Lauren Pritchard, Music Director Kris Kukal and actors Adam Cochran, Eric William Morris and Kacie Sheik.
2016 Program:
RAIN AND ZOE SAVE THE WORLD
Written by Crystal Skillman
Directed by Willow Norton
WORKSHOP READING: AUGUST 28 @ 7:30 PM
Lane Community College Ragozzino Performance Hall
BEER
Written by Nick Leavens
Directed by Wilson Milam
WORKSHOP READING: SEPTEMBER 2 @ 7:30 PM
Lane Community College Ragozzino Performance Hall
SONGBIRD Orchestration Workshop
Written by Michael Kimmel
Music and Lyrics by Lauren Pritchard
CONCERT PERFORMANCE: SEPTEMBER 9 & 10 @ 7:30 PM
Lane Community College Ragozzino Performance Hall
RAIN AND ZOE SAVE THE WORLD
Two Seattle teenagers embark on an impulsive motorcycle journey to join a group of oil protesters on the east coast. But as they follow a major pipeline across the country, what began as two young activists' longing to belong to something greater than themselves gives way to Rain and Zoe discovering that the true danger in this world might just be growing up … no matter what the cost. A darkly comedic coming of age fairy tale, RAIN AND ZOE SAVE THE WORLD is a race to regain the possibility of change in a world whose days are numbered without it.
Playwright Crystal Skillman is spending a good part of her summer working on this urgent coming of age comedy, landing in Eugene on the heels of a two week residency at the New Harmony Writers Workshop.
OPL Artistic Director Willow Norton will collaborate with Skillman and a multi-ethnic cast of young actors in a week long workshop intensive.
BEER
The true story of how votes were bought with beer in rural Pennsylvania in the 1970's. Joey returns home for his father's funeral, confronting his past and his impending future. A local man takes him under his wing and begins to reveal his father's involvement in politics. Their tactics, reflective of the nation, force Joey to face his morals head on.
Tony-nominated Director Wilson Milam leads the workshop reading of this new play by Nick Leavens with an all star cast of Eugene actors.
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.”
- Abraham Lincoln
SONGBIRD
After many years away, Tammy, a fading country music star, returns to the Honky Tonk that launched her music career to help her estranged son launch his own. But with jealousy, self destruction and copious amounts of whiskey fueling this homecoming, will Tammy's arrival do more harm than good?
Powerhouse songwriter Lauren Pritchard's heartbreaking ballads and driving anthems marry with Michael Kimmel's ingenious Nashville take on Chekhov's The Seagull to bring you a truly magical musical experience.
SONGBIRD, written by Michael Kimmel with music and lyrics by Lauren Pritchard, which recently completed its Off-Broadway run at 59E59, is continuing to work and develop the score during an orchestrations workshop at OPL. Pritchard will be in residence with Music Director Kris Kukul and cast members Adam Cochran, Eric William Morris and Kacey Sheik. The workshop will culminate in two concert performances at Lane Community College's Ragozzino Performance Hall.
"A Pretty Ripping Yarn About Love, Betrayal and the Hunger for Achievement."
-New York Times
Location for all performances and events:
Lane Community College
Ragozzino Performance Hall
Building 6
4000 E 30th Ave, Eugene, OR 97405.
Performances & Events
RAIN AND ZOE SAVE THE WORLD
WORKSHOP READING
AUGUST 28 @ 7:30 PM
General Admission: $12 General $10 Senior $8 Student
BEER
WORKSHOP READING
SEPTEMBER 2 @ 7:30 PM
General Admission: $12 General $10 Senior $8 Student
SONGBIRD
CONCERT PERFORMANCE
SEPTEMBER 9 & 10 @ 7:30 PM
Reserved Seating: Tickets $16 – 32
Tickets:
Telephone: (800) 838-3006
Online: www.brownpapertickets.com
More info: www.oregonperformancelab.com
Press and Interviews:
To schedule an interview, receive additional materials or to make a press reservation, please contact Corey Pearlstein at corey.pearlstein@gmail.com.
Oregon Performance Lab Detail Description:
Oregon Performance Lab is a creative residency dedicated to artists developing new live performance works. The Lab is a sponsored program of Lane Community College who host the program for three weeks in the late summer on the LCC campus in Eugene, Oregon.
The program serves playwrights, directors, composers, choreographers and ensembles by providing time and resources for rehearsal, including access to large well-equipped facilities for intensive creative, technical and production work. Project residencies are one or two weeks, culminating in reading and workshop presentations.
As a sponsored program of Lane Community College we are committed to offering internship and learning opportunities for students and community. Our artists will also be leading workshops through LCC which will be announced later in the month.
We will be housing many of the visiting artists in the homes of volunteers. These artist-stays will be either one week or two weeks in length. The Lab brings award winning artists into people's living room --- literally.
For the Lane County creative community this is an opportunity to collaborate with artists from around the United States in Eugene. We hope to create new relationships and broaden regional networks while providing new tools and methods of making live performance.
In the Lab, our audience serves a vital function, acting as the focus group for these artists who making their final major rewrites or completing the only fully realized staging of the piece ahead of a major professional presentation.
2016 Artists in Residence:
RAIN AND ZOE SAVE THE WORLD
Playwright: Crystal Skillman
Director: Willow Norton
CRYSTAL SKILLMAN
Crystal Skillman is an award winning Brooklyn based playwright. KING KIRBY, co-written with Fred Van Lente, GEEK! and CUT, published/under review by Samuel French, have all earned Critics Picks from the New York Times which noted, “A playwright of growing downtown renown, Ms. Skillman seems to be acquiring something suspiciously Midtown: polish.” ANOTHER KIND OF LOVE, her drama about a family of punk rock singers set in Seattle, played in 2015 at the Chopin Theater in Chicago and was hailed a “Masterpiece” by the Chicago Reader, and earned a Critics Pick in the Chicago Tribune. Awards include: 2015 Clifford Odets Ensemble Play Commission (Pulp Vérité, directed by Shaun Peknic at NYU’s Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute); 2010 New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Full-Length Script (The Vigil or The Guided Cradle). Her musicals with Bobby Cronin in development include MARY AND MAX with director Stafford Arima (mask design by Joseph Osheroff and puppetry design by Acheson Walsh Studios) and (UN)LUCKY IN LOVE in development with actress Ali Stroker. In addition to the wonderful development with the New Harmony Project, RAIN AND ZOE SAVE THE WORLD has been selected for development in the Oregon Performance Lab this August. OPEN, her magician monologue play featuring actress Megan Hill, was just announced as part of All for One’s 2015-16 season in New York, as part of their Solo Collective. Crystal is represented by Amy Wagner and Ron Gwiazda at Abrams Artists Agency in NY, and James Beresford with Shepard Management in the UK. http://www.crystalskillman.com
WILLOW NORTON
Willow Norton is a Director and Teacher focused on new work development. She serves as Artist Director for Oregon Performance Lab, a new works summer festival in her home town Eugene, Oregon. Recent directing projects include; GOODBYE AVIS at 4th Street Theatre; IN THE NEXT ROOM OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY for Lane Community College; ¡BOCON!, RENT, and A THOUSAND CRANES for The Majestic Theatre; S.H.A.V.E.D. at HERE Arts Center and The Philly Fringe; INSTRUCITIONS INCLUDED for The Midtown International Festival; REACH for At Hand Theatre Company; IN THE WAY for Philadelphia Young Playwrights; and POP IN THE NIGHT for At Hand Theatre Company. She has worked as an assistant director with The Builders Association and The Wilma Theatre. Norton is a 2012 Director’s Lab West Alumni. Mrs. Norton received her BFA in Theater; Original Works from Cornish College of Arts in Seattle, WA. She currently also works for The Shubert Organization.
BEER
Playwright: Nick Leavens
Director: Wilson Milam
NICK LEAVENS
Nick Leavens is a director, writer, producer, entrepreneur, and consultant. His writing has been seen at The Flea Theatre, CAPS LOCK Theatre, Fault Line Theatre, Vital Theatre, and the September Play Festival. His play Beer is part of his Northumberland play trilogy, all taking place in rural Pennsylvania. He's currently developing an original series and screenplay. As a director, Nick is currently in post-production for Unicornland, a series written by Lucy Gillespie, premiering this fall. In theatre Nick has worked at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Atlantic Theater, Naked Angels, HERE Arts Center, the Bushwick Starr, The Flea Theatre, Studio 42, The Brick, The New York International Fringe Festival, Stella Adler, At Hand Theatre, Ugly Rhino, CAPS LOCK Theatre, Crashbox Theatre, Active Theater, SITEfest, the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival, Vital Theater and |the claque|. Directing highlights include: Lieutenant of Inishmore (assistant director, Broadway/off-Broadway), The House of Von Macrame (The Management at the Bushwick Starr), Joan Jett of Ark, Moonbase (The Flea Theatre), Drunk Art Love, Unpleasant Men, Research: a novel for performance (|the claque|). ?Nick is the Founder and Artistic Director of |the claque|, was the Programming Director of the Sheen Center, and was the Artistic Director/Producer of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival. He has worked as a freelance casting director, produced hundreds of plays, events, films, and experiences in New York City and beyond. He is an independent consultant for not-for-profits and the performing arts, projects including The Anna Deavere Smith Pipeline Project and active projects with the Bushwick Starr, Broadway for All, and Theatre is Easy. He has over fifteen years of experience in arts management, having worked in a range of positions at The Museum of Modern Art, Atlantic Theater, Sheen Center, Bay Street Theatre and other institutions.
WILSON MILAM
Milam most recently directed Festen with the New Century Theatre Company in Seattle. Also in Seattle: The Seafarer, Glengarry Glen Ross, God of Carnage, American Buffalo, Outside Mullingar (Seattle Rep) and Beggar's Opera (UW). Other work includes: The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Stratford/London/NY/LA); Othello (Shakespeare's Globe, London); Warrior Class (Alley); Lay Me Down Softly, On Such As We (Abbey, Dublin); Harvest, Flesh Wound (Royal Court); Hurlyburly ( Peter Hall Company at the Old Vic); Rank (Odyssey); True West (Bristol Old Vic); Lie of The Mind (Donmar); Bug (London/Wash DC); and Killer Joe (Chicago/Edinburgh/London/NY). Other: Doctor Who - Scream of the Shalka (BBC).
SONGBIRD Orchestration Workshop
Composer: Lauren Pritchard
Music Director: Kris Kukul
Cast : Adam Cochran, Eric William Morris and Kacey Sheik
LAUREN PRITCHARD
Lauren Pritchard (Composer) was born and raised in the small town of Jackson, Tennessee, which most people know only as a Johnny Cash lyric. It’s also the home of Carl Perkins and is 120 miles from Nashville, where Songbird takes place. She originated the role of Ilse in the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Spring Awakening. She is a songwriter happily published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. In 2010 she released her debut album titled “Wasted In Jackson” on Island Records to critical acclaim. Lauren has lived in 31 apartments, 2 countries and 4 major cities since leaving her down-home roots 12 years ago. When Lauren is performing on stage she takes on the name LOLO. You can hear her singing on the radio with bands like Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco, Lemaitre and artists like Matt Nathanson. Her new EP titled " Comeback Queen" will be released in 2015. She is currently signed to DCD2 Records and spends her time touring and performing live with her band.
KRIS KUKUL
Kris Kukul (Musical Director/Additional Arrangements and Orchestrations) Recent work: The Last Goodbye(WTF/Joe’s Pub), Open the Dark Door (NYMF), Kaspar Hauser (The Flea), It’s Judy’s Show (Theatre J), Dispatches(Naked Angels), Gutenberg! The Musical! (The Actor’s Playhouse), Books Cook (The Atlantic). Musical Director/Arranger for Elizabeth Swados. Music Director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival including the Late-Night Cabarets. He has composed music for Wing It! and Monster Camp (WTF), Beauty Queen (3 Graces), Dash Dexter (MTC), Midsummer Night’s Dream (National Theatre of Greece). International work; Heracles (dir. Andre Serban), Bokan (Festival Iberoamericano Bogota), The Bacchae (Warsaw) and The Frogs (Epidauros Festival). Adjunct faculty NYU/Tisch.
ERIC WILLIAM MORRIS
Eric William Morris (Beck) Broadway: Coram Boy, Mamma Mia! Eric frequently collaborates with composer Joe Iconis, starring in the Drama Desk Nominated Bloodsong of Love, Be More Chill, and Things To Ruin. TV/Film: “Blue Bloods”, “Forever”, “Golden Boy”, “Royal Pains”, “Law and Order”, “New Amsterdam” and the feature film Trust, Greed, Bullets, & Bourbon. Other regional/Off Broadway: The Last Goodbye (Old Globe, Alex Timbers Dir.), Dog and Pony (Old Globe, Roger Rees Dir.), Talk to me Like The Rain... (Theatre Row, Matthew Lillard Dir.), White Noise (Royal George, Chicago), Empire (Lincoln Center Workshop), and Mrs. Hughes (Yale Institute for Music Theatre). ANIMUS Theatre Company Member.
ADAM COCHRAN
Adam Cochran (Dean) is an actor, musician, playwright and Drama Desk-nominated composer (2010: Outstanding Music in a Play – A Play On War, Connelly Theater), creating and performing music for companies like The Civilians, NAATCO, Theater Mitu & Built For Collapse. Performing credits include: The La MaMa Cantata (La MaMa ETC), The Last Goodbye (The Old Globe), Juárez: A Documentary Mythology (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater), Pageant (Stoneham Theater), The Apostle Project (NYTW), Minq Vaadka’s Narcischism (Robert Moss Theater), One Night Stand: An Improvised Musical (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) & A Dream Play (DTC Abu Dhabi). He has participated in residencies at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, New York Theater Workshop & NYU Abu Dhabi, taught as a guest artist at NYU & Tamagawa University, and sang for David Byrne & Alex Timbers in a staged reading at The Public Theater earlier this year. As a proud part of the Songbird family since its earliest workshop, he loves these folks to death. www.adamcochran.nyc @adamwcochran
KACIE SHEIK
Kacie Sheik (Missy) completed nearly 1,000 performances as "Jeanie" in the Public Theatre's Tony Award winning revival of Hair-The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. She played Central Park, Broadway, The West End, and traveled the U.S. on the National Tour (Helen Hayes nomination -Best Actress). Off-Broadway: February House (Gypsy Rose Lee) – The Public Theater. Las Vegas: Queen's We Will Rock You (Scaramouche) – Original American Company. Cast Albums/Recordings: Hair, February House, Chix6. Film/TV: "Blue Bloods", "Elementary", "Law and Order", Julie and Julia. Kacie grew up in NJ (exit 91), is a Scorpio, and a singer/songwriter. Twitter: @kacieanne
Corey Pearlstein, Creative Producer: In the Pacific Northwest, Corey Pearlstein has served as Managing Artistic Director for The Lord Leebrick Theatre in Eugene, Producing Artistic Director for Consolidated Works in Seattle and Executive Director at the The Majestic Theatre in Corvallis. In Pennsylvania, he worked as Managing Director for InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia and Producing Artistic Director at Theatre Outlet. In New York, Pearlstein has worked as a General Manager for The Pearl Theatre Company, Clement Arts and 300 Bags of Rice and as Business Manager for The Builders Association. He currently works in business administration at Electronic Arts Intermix, as General Manager for Clement Arts and is Producer for Seattle based Degenerate Art Ensemble. Recent works include the jazz musical FOR THE LAST TIME with Clement Arts and Epic Theatre, the stage adaptation of DELIVERANCE by Godlight Theatre, the Korean tour production of SUNFISH to Daegu International Music Festival and The Pearl Theatre Company 2013-2014 Season. Pearlstein is a multidisciplinary producer and programmer with an established record presenting visual arts, music, theater, dance and film. He has programmed a wide variety of music events spanning every genre from classical to heavy metal, jazz to jug band, electronic and hip hop. Social justice, diversity and inclusion have been a leading aspects of his work through his career. Pearlstein, who grew up in a small town, is also dedicated to the idea that great art and new work can flourish outside of larger cities. As a director, Pearlstein has staged more than 50 productions, including AND MY NAME AIN’T PEACHES, TRIGGER KIDS, SMILE YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM and REALITY IS A KNIFE. In Eugene while Artistic Director at Lord Leebrick Pearlstein directed ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST, ESCAPE FROM HAPPINESS, HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, and CLOUD 9.
About Lane Community College: Lane’s theatre program has a strong history of training future professionals and offering the Eugene community quality theatre productions. Through this partnership with Oregon Performance Lab, Lane's program is able to offer students and community the opportunity to work with professionals from across the country and provide unique experiences for Eugene audiences. Lane is proud to open the facilities to artists who will be afforded the time and resources to focus on creating innovative works for the stage. And the beautiful Willamette summers are a great addition to the experience.
"I am incredibly excited about joining forces with the Oregon Performance Lab. Lane is extremely lucky to be on the ground floor of this endeavor. Our community and our students will have the opportunity to work directly with today’s professionals in creating cutting edge performance. I feel this exposure is vitally important in order to empower our students to pursue their goals on the stage and in life."
Dr. Brian Haimbach
Lead Theatre Faculty
Lane Community College
"I'm excited to have the opportunity to be involved with this project as an artist and as an educator. It provides me with a challenge to take one of my adaptation projects farther and will allow me to observe how other artists navigate new works development. Always good to have a fresh breeze come through our theatre community!"
John Schmor
Lead Theatre Faculty
University of Oregon
For more information about Lane Community College:
Lane is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabilities Employer
###