We've Come A Long Way, Baby...

(a shameless plug)

December of 2007. Jackie called me and told me to "make her a show." She had had enough of the haphazard, unprofessional ways of NYC community theatre. She had also had enough of the cold, hard atmosphere that is professional theatre in NYC. There had to be something better. Talented artists with strong work ethics who were *gasp* nice people.

Momentum Repertory Company was born.

Our first full production was "Godspell." The cast was made-up of Jackie's friends and my friends and my students and one random dude who I met at a wedding. It was funded entirely by my husband and Jackie's then-boyfriend-now-fiancé. The actor who was cast as Jesus had to drop out of the show two days before our two-week-and-only-two-week-rehearsal-period started. We cast a new Jesus, who had to learn more lines faster than I had ever seen. We practiced on my front porch in Forest Hills in 90 degree weather. Some of the neighbors loved it- they brought out their cups of coffee every day and watched and clapped. A few neighborhood boys rode their bikes every day and watched from the sidewalk. My next-door neighbor liked it less, yelling "musica, musica, musica! Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday!" before throwing a sandwich at me and hitting me with it. For the record, we weren't even out there on Monday. But despite our *cough* interesting beginnings, Godspell was a smash hit, artistically and personally. 

Our next full production was Barefoot in the Park. Did you know there are a lot of lines in Neil Simon? And that props, costumes, and sets are very specific and important? We were just starting to get the hang of the show when I learned I was becoming a Mommy. My Lily arrived six days before we opened, and Lily was not allowed to leave the state of New Jersey. Jackie and the actor who was playing Paul drove to our hotel so we could run lines. The production came together and was a lot of fun. But man. 

Since then, we've done two more full shows ("The Unlikely Adventure of Race McCloud, Private Eye," and "Urinetown") and today we have auditions for a few roles in "Assassins." the show will be rehearsed entirely in a rehearsal studio. It will be an Equity Showcase. We will invite industry. We are getting to be kind of a big deal.

Which brings me to my shameless plug. We have entered the Space on White contest by posting a very silly video on YouTube. We can win a whole lotta rehearsal space. And it could make a huge difference to us.

Please. Watch the video. Share the video. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell strangers on the street.

Here's the link:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?client=mv-google&v=2druYJ-1fRM