In the meantime:

Dan LeFranc received the 2010 New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award for Sixty Miles to Silver Lake.  We were there to watch him shake Arthur Sulzberger’s hand and be interviewed for 15-20 minutes at the New York Times Center.  It was really nice.  And it was great to have a mini-Sixty Miles reunion and see Dane DeHaan, Joe Adams, Sarah Benson, Tania Camargo and Dane Laffrey.  But we missed Annie Kauffman, because she’s off directing her fancy-schmancy play.

Go, Heidi Schreck.  2009 P73 Playwriting Fellow Heidi Schreck (who is also uhm an actor – heh) is getting the Theatre World Award.  Also!  There Are No More Big Secrets – which she wrote while being the fellow – is having a reading at MTC’s 7@7 on May 24 directed by none-other-than Kip Fagan.  (We won’t be able to be there b/c we have a reading that same night for Sam Marks’s new play directed by Sam Gold.)  And, by the way, congrats to one of our other favorite actors: Keira Keely (who also has done readings of There Are No More Big Secrets) for her Theatre World Award.

The sudden afternoon showers did not deter playwright Cory Hinkle, director Davis McCallum, actors Dane DeHaan (of Sixty Miles fame), Jennifer Lyon, Carter Gill, Barret O’Brien and Erica Sullivan and our amazing producing associate Dan(iel) Hammond from putting in about 4 hours of work on Cory’s new play Little Eyes.   After a brief introduction, we left the Little Eyes folks and walked over in the rain to grab coffee and talk shop with Sam Hunter about the play that he’ll be working on while at Yale and his numerous other project (this man is busy). I don’t think it’s fair to say much about Sam’s new play – he only has a couple of pages written.  Here’s the brief (very dry) description of the piece that we included in the welcome packet distributed to all residency participants: “… the play… [is] about a woman who pledges to continue work on her husband’s book on genocide in the XX Century after he inexplicably commits suicide…”

Rehearsals were followed by dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant (Bangkok Gardens), where  much Singha Beer was consumed.  Five of us (Cory, Dane, Dan(iel), Sam and Asher) headed over to Bru Bar for more beer (this time, we opted for pitchers of the house pale ale and “damn good stout”) and more talk of Sarah Palin, the Michael Jackson (never-ending) extravaganza, summer blockbusters (Up gets thumbs-up; Transformers not so much) and theater in Minneapolis.

Tomorrow, the Spookwater crew arrives: playwright Kara Lee Corthron, director Kip Fagan, 6 amazing actors and 1 percussionist.

Also!  David Adjmi was spotted crossing a street near the Yale Rep; word is that Kate Walat is in town; Tory Stewart (from our first summer residency at Yale) is trekking over on Friday; and Heidi Schreck (fingers crossed) is magically going to appear on campus on Saturday.  Crazy.  We’re so having our very own Michael Jackson extravaganza when everyone reaches New Haven.  Tory Stewart is on “I’ll Be There” and Heidi Schreck will duet with David Adjmi and belt out “Dirty Diana”.   Take that, Joe Jackson.

The Times hits the nail on the head when it acknowledges that Dan LeFranc is expanding the “playwriting box”, which (admittedly) sounds a little perverse.

Here are two very nice reviews:

• Variety

• AP

We’re very proud of this production.  And hope that you’ll come see it.

It only runs until February 8.  So don’t miss it.

Annie Kauffman and Alice Reagan consider the Car

The view from  the tech table

Look!  Tyler Micoleau’s in the driver’s seat, for once.

Performances for Sixty Miles to Silver Lake by Dan LeFranc and directed by Anne Kauffman start in 11 days.  The theater is getting prep’ed for the actors’ arrival on-stage this coming Thursday.  First run-through today.  Engines are revved up — and we’re all ready to go.  Don’t forget to buy your tickets today!

After reading over 200 applications, we have a new fellow: Heidi Schreck.  This is an always unbelievably exciting time for us.  It’s also a bit sad – since it means that our time working with Tommy Smith (as our P73 Playwriting Fellow) has come to an end.  Thankfully, Tommy’s in Interstate 73 this year so we’ll get to see him for a little bit longer.

And now it’s Heidi’s turn (cue Gypsy).   We narrowed it down to 6 unbelievable finalists and it’s always a huge struggle to pick one.  But here she is, boys.  (Must. Stop. The. Gypsy. Reference.)   Most people know Heidi’s work as an actor.  Very few know her work as a writer – it’s tremendous (her writing).  And smart.  And funny.  And we can’t wait to work with her.   So we begin today.