" I seem to always write about raw and painful heartache
combined with fierce resilience and child-like innocence"
- Pia Scala-Zankel
Check out this amazing interview by Adam Szymkowics with our Playwright and Artistic Director Pia Scala-Zankel - about our upcoming production Street Children!
Shoptalk is a casual salon-style gathering of theater makers engaging with the pressing topics that define theater today.
Following on the success of last year’s lively conversation about women in theater, in this installment, we consider experiences, struggles and victories of LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people in theater. Typically held around a dining table, this presentation opens up intimate conversations to a broad and diverse public.
October 3, 2016 at BRIC in Brooklyn.
Guest panelists include Adam Bock, Will Davis, Donnetta Lavinia Grays and Carmelita Tropicana. NY Times writer Ginia Bellafante will moderate.
Set in NYC in the late ’80s, Street Children explores the romantic idealism, shattered dreams, and high cost of living experienced by the LGBTQ youth of the Lower Hudson piers. The story follows the intertwining journeys of three young characters who are reeling in the aftermath of their beloved street mother’s cruel murder. Ultimately, they must choose between the thrills and camaraderie of life as they know it, and the safety and stability of a quieter existence—albeit one potentially defined by isolation and ostracism.
Missed the all the fun? Shoptalk: Women in Theater was a sold-out evening of intelligent and provocative conversation (with some wine on the side). See what Front Row Center had to say about it. And check out photos from the event (courtesy of Talya Chalef) on Flickr. Let’s keep the conversation going! Be sure to tweet us your thoughts: @vertigotheater #ShoptalkBRIC
Shoptalk was featured in today’s print edition of the Wall Street Journal. For those of you who may not have a subscription, here’s the scoop:
Panel in the Round
Vertigo Theater Company is opening up its salon-style gatherings to the public with “Shoptalk: Women in Theater” on March 22, a co-presentation with host BRIC Arts Media in Brooklyn. Previously, Vertigo hosted the invite-only chats in private living rooms. This time, the public is invited to observe a conversation between playwright Marsha Norman, producer Maria Goyanes, director Tamilla Woodard, theater artist Shakina Nayfack and moderator Ginia Bellafante. A traditional panel, this isn’t. “We are sort of transplanting a living room inside this space,” said Pia Scala-Zankel, co-artistic director of Vertigo, adding that audience will be seated around the panelists and questions will be submitted through a moderator to avoid the usual challenges. “Someone asks a question and you are cringing,” she said. “It gets out of control.” —Pia Catton
Limited seating available. Reserve your seat today to be a part of the conversation! Tickets only $10.
