Be Barbaric!

February 25th, 2010

We’ve got a seriously nerdy production coming up in May, and are looking for people to be involved with it.

The play is a short, 40-minute show revolving around an adventuring party in a fantasy kingdom. It’s a musical. Well, ok, a Hip-Hopera. Anyway it should be a rollicking romp with Exuberant Barbarians, Bawdy Priestesses, 2-Headed Monsters, Poisonous Lizard Women, and other delights. It should be a big honking truckload of fun.

We need a few different types of volunteers. Primarily, we need actors who are willing to try song performance (a good singing voice is not required).

Secondly, we need some people to volunteer for Crewly duties, such as scavenging for props/costumes, helping with makeup, taking tickets, sprinkling fake snow from the rafters, etc.

If you would like to be an actor in the production, expect to attend about 4 rehearsal dates in March, about 10 rehearsal dates in April, and 4 performances- one on each wednesday in May. If you’d like to be part of the crew, you will likely only need to come to the performance dates and a couple of production meetings.

This is going to be an event at the historic, though small, “Under St. Marks” theater space on 8th street in Manhattan.

If you know people who like to be in plays or like to sing rap songs at karaoke, or can do a backflip of any kind, please send them our way!

You can either express interest in the comments, or email figmenttheatre (at) gmail dot com with your thoughts and email address/phone number info. Either way, we’d be happy to hear from you!

Posted in Production | No Comments »

A True Nerd Trivia to Remember

February 19th, 2010

by special guest blogger Rob Trimarco


What a great night it was for True Nerd Trivia! A night of nerdy knowledge and great friends! Participating in the event this night were Foghat Lives, Tautology Club, Those Cowboys, and us, The Buttondown Buddies. Why, we were so happy to be there we were bursting with camaraderie and hugs. I think we were so filled with love and hugs we caused a “hugularity” to form in Brooklyn! The Royal Oak is a great venue for such an event too, as Eric the Bartender is skilled in his craft and made us all feel welcome before and during the event.

Anyway, the contest began and, as usual, the round 1 questions were relatively easy for those who are nerdy in some way, for example, “Leonard McCoy, Chief Medical Officer on the USS Enterprise, is best known by what nickname*?”

Round 2 was more difficult to be sure, asking questions more along the lines of, “Whose one-night stand resulted in the birth of the leader of the human resistance vs the future robot apocalypse?”*.

At halftime,  the judges gave everyone a break and tallied the scores up until that point. In 1st place (and winners of the halftime drink vouchers) were Those Cowboys with 20 points, Foghat Lives with 19, and a tie for 3rd between The Buttondown Buddies and Tautology Club. A tight race for sure with only a 3 point spread between first and last place. The Buttondown Buddies were nervous to say the least!

After the break Round 3 commenced and the questions were harder! You really have to know your stuff in this round and you really have to have a good team to truly find an answer to these questions. Questions such as, “These seeing stones allowed the Numenoreans of Middle Earth to communicate with each other across long distances. What are they called?”* We on The Buttondown Buddies were not very confident in some of our answers but we had to press on; that’s what buddies do!

When Round 4 came the questions were merciless. You must truly be an expert in many nerd fields to know the answers to them.  Could YOU name one of the Super Globetrotters by their superhero names*? The Buttondown Buddies pulled through and answered all 10 questions of Round 4 correctly!  We were flabbergasted by this, but were not sure it was enough to win the day.
When the time came for all the answers to be tallied the room was silent as we all waited to hear the standings.

In last place was Tautology Club, in 3rd was Foghat Lives, and in 2nd place was… Those Cowboys, making The Buttondown Buddies the winners! We pulled a last place comeback win against all odds!

But, good blog reader, something then happened as we were called up to retrieve our prizes of homemade pumpkin pie and a gift bag filled with candies and treats… something sinister!

The Buttondown Buddies were a ruse! The Sinister Six, winners of multiple True Nerd Trivia contests past, had indeed returned but in disguise! We were The Sinister Six the whole time! We tore our button down shirts off and revealed our Sinister Six team t-shirts for all to see! We took our rightful place as true rulers of Nerdity! Scions of the obscure! Demigods of geekery!

The Buttondown Buddies reveal their sinister secret!

The Buttondown Buddies reveal their sinister secret!

Let the universe howl in despair for The Sinister Six rules all of True Nerd Trivia! We defy you, nerds and geeks of New York! Come to True Nerd Trivia and test your mettle against an unstoppable Juggernerd force! Can you overcome us? Can you rip the title away from us? Can you become True Nerd Trivia Champions?!

True Nerd Trivia events such as these are a great night of fun for all who attend. Keep your eyes peeled for info on the next event coming in March! Be sure to join our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

*Answers: Bones, Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese, Palantir and 1 of the following: Liquid Man, Super Sphere, Spaghetti Man, Gizmo, Multi Man

Tags:
Posted in Fundraising | 1 Comment »

Coming this Fall…

February 11th, 2010

Thank you once again for your submissions!
 
After much deliberation, we have selected the plays to be produced in the fall:
 
Tales of Preston Stagger by Simon Astor
Aqua-Manfred and the Key to Life by Jason Ellis
Actuary Comics Number One by Epidiah Ravichol
nextLeague by Jim Sullivan
 
This was certainly a hard decision to make and that is a reflection of your imaginative and wonderful scripts!
We have yet to select plays to be featured in our staged readings and hope to update you in the coming weeks. Thanks again!
 
For those of you in New York, please join us for another edition of True Nerd Trivia!
Wednesday Feb 17th at the Royal Oak Lounge. For Pie and Glory! For more info see the post below.

Posted in Fundraising | No Comments »

True Nerd Trivia: February 17th

February 8th, 2010

nogginCan it be true? Another True Nerd Trivia already?

Will the Sinister Six grab back their title? Will a new victor emerge? What kind of pie will be the prize? What will be this month’s special theme category? Will anyone be able to answer the insane asshole question from Marvel Age? Has anyone (other than Keren) memorized the Silmarillion yet?

Warm up those brain cells and take a crack at the #1 spot at our usual haunt: The Royal Oak Lounge.

When: Wednesday February 17th at 8pm
Where: The Royal Oak lounge – 594 Union Ave., Brooklyn
Suggested Donation $10*

The answers to these questions and many more can be found Wednesday,  February 17th at The Royal Oak Lounge!

For those who have yet to experience our brand of Trivia, leave your knowledge of state capitals at home! Forget everything you learned in high school – we won’t be asking you any of that stuff! Instead, our questions are all about the important things in life, such as:

  • Fantasy Geography: What planet does Paul Atreides hail from?
  • Fantasy Science and Technology: What device will allow a Delorean to travel back in time?
  • Parazoology: How long would it take for you to be digested in the belly of the Sarlaac?
  • Superheroes: What do the letters of Captain Marvel’s SHAZAM stand for?
  • And much much more!!!

Join us for GLORIOUS Prizes including free drink tickets and the highly sought after home-baked pie! Win the coveted “Asshole” buttons! And most importantly-those bragging rights!

Team size should not exceed 6 persons, but can be as small as 1 person!

* Any and all proceeds will fund upcoming nerdy productions from Figment Theatre.

Posted in Trivia | No Comments »

We Need a Hero! Send us your Superhero scripts!

December 8th, 2009

First there were Robots, then there were Monsters, and now…

we need a hero!…a Superhero!

We’re looking for short one-act plays to be produced as part of Figment Theatre’s 3rd Annual Uprising! festival coming Fall 2010. Submitted plays will also be considered for readings or other types of informal staging earlier in the year.

We are looking for:

  • Scripts around 20 minutes long (10-30 minute range is acceptable)
  • Scripts that feature at least 1 male and 1 female character, no more than 10 characters please.
  • The script must somehow incorporate a Superhero (already known or of your own creation) be it a character, a set piece, a line of dialogue, etc
  • simple set requirements preferred

That said, you just write the best Superhero one-act you can and don’t get caught up on our preferences!

Please send your scripts to figmenttheatre@gmail.com with the subject line “Superhero”. We will accept submissions now through January 20th, 2010. Playwrights may submit as many Superhero-themed scripts as they’d like.

Also, please join us for True Nerd Trivia- Holiday Edition!

When: Wednesday December 16th at 8pm
Where: The Royal Oak Lounge – 594 Union Ave. @ N 11th St, Brooklyn
Suggested Donation $10

Glorious Prizes await you! Take a peek at our past True Nerd Trivia events here.

Posted in Fundraising | No Comments »

Good Midnight to You…

November 4th, 2009

Quick reminder: This is the last week of our run, so don’t miss out on what audience members are calling “the most enjoyable live theater thing I can ever remember seeing” and “a great show. Amazing talent and attention to detail”. Tickets are still available here.

As you’ve probably guessed from my earlier posts, this production has been blessed with all kinds of creative contributions, not the least of which has been the original old-school horror/dubstep pre-show music that my husband, Jim, created. You can download it here:
Good Midnight.mp3
Prince of the Undead.mp3
Hospitality.mp3
Tonight.mp3

Or better yet bounce to ‘em in your seats one night this week while waiting for the show to start!

Posted in Fundraising | No Comments »

Monster Uprising – The Trailer

October 27th, 2009

Godzilla, Nosferatu, screaming women and a cackling witch. If this awesome video doesn’t convince you to come see Monster Uprising then you may as well douse yourself with holy water.

Posted in Press | No Comments »

Imagine

October 16th, 2009
Dr. Elizabeth Frankenstein wins the Nobel Prize

Dr. Elizabeth Frankenstein wins the Nobel Prize

When I was younger, my brother and I would play scuba diver. We’d sit in an old cardboard box in the middle of our living room carpet, empty soda bottles strapped to our backs with elastic belts and, with soda caps in our mouths as breathing apparatuses, we’d jump overboard into the shaggy ocean. (kids today please don’t do this– we were children of the 70’s and therefore impervious to horrifyingly dumb injuries waiting to happen.)

I still remember my 6th grade Social Studies project where I built a castle– with drawbridge!–out of oaktag and painstakingly carved a clay overlay of  stones with a toothpick.

Or playing Stacey Knight, Private Eye, if only as an excuse to make myself a badge using Dad’s laminating machine and walk around in the dark to kick open all our bedroom doors.

There’s something about imagination, about grand ideas brought to a small scale, about polished concepts lovingly presented in a jumble of construction paper and glue, that makes my heart swell.

These past 2 weeks of rehearsal have been a mixture of pride and fear, but mostly a marvelling at the power of imagination. I’m hoping that the silent film intro for Jason Ellis’ Transylvania is for Lovers finds its way to the web soon, but in the meantime I wanted to share a test shot or two from James DiGiovanna’s Frankenstein vs Frankenstein vs Godzilla.

Go Go Godzilla

Go Go Godzilla

In FvFvG, Dr. Elizabeth Frankenstein has a rich imagination, often used to describe how she and her husband, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, will meet their death at the stomping feet and swingy arms of Godzilla. I’ve decided that the audience should get a glimpse into this imaginary world, and so now my living room is a cornucopia of clippings, skecthes, mini Doctors, and sets courtesy of my hubber Jim.

Jim's creations

Jim's creations

I can’t wait to share the finished product, and I especially can’t wait to share the monstrous imaginings of our talented playwrights, directors, performers and crew. Be a part of the Monster Uprising! Jim just shoved a large Godzilla foot in my face, so I’ll take that as my cue to flee.

Posted in Production | 1 Comment »

synthesizers, snackbreaks and the 4th dimension

October 11th, 2009

After gushing to writer/director Jason Schuler about how his latest production, The Garden of Forked Tongues, was one of the best theater-going experiences I’ve ever had, he promptly assured me that it was just the hypnosis speaking. Though he had a valid point, as the play begins and concludes with hypnosis, I’d like to think my delight was pure and of my own accord. Afterall, you’d be hard-pressed to find any nerd like myself who wouldn’t enjoy a play that includes (among other treats) an average Joe, or in this case Charlie, who escapes his mundane existence, 70’s sci-fi synth music, characters worthy of a Dr. Who episode, unitards, and discussions of time, space and parallel universes.

I’m not going to go into plot points, or even discuss the characters, as I feel that these are things that should be revealed at viewing. What I will say is that the whole production, from its innovative set to its solid cast (I’m looking at you, Anna Wilson!) was incredibly engaging. Throughout the show I was sitting forward in my seat, smiling, hopping, clapping, gasping. At one point my good pal, Terry,  let out a “Huhhhhhh!” worthy of the wonder a six year old might feel upon seeing Elmo riding a Unicorn to hand-deliver a birthday cake. There were no Elmos or Unicorns to be found, but the show was indeed a garden of delights. Go see it while you can! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/77574

And while you’re at it, buy tickets to our production Monster Uprising! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/84348  If you use the promo code GARDEN you’ll get 20% off tickets for all show dates Oct 29th-Nov 8th.

Posted in Press | 1 Comment »

True Nerd Trivia II – The Results!

October 5th, 2009

Last night we had our second ever True Nerd Trivia event at the Royal Oak Lounge. Current champions, the Sinister Six, arrived early to scope out the competition. Joining the battle were Foghat, Megapowers, The Observers, and late to the game but certainly not without skills, Spoiler Alert.

We breezed into action with delightful little queries such as “What device will allow a DeLorean to travel back in time?*” (answers at bottom of post) After the first round, there was a three-way tie between Sinister Six, Foghat and The Observers, with Sinister Six being the only team to win a coveted “asshole” button for the question “What was the first sci-fi program ever broadcast on TV?*”

The Sinister Six accepting their fate

The Sinister Six accepting their fate

During round two, the questions got a little harder, such as “What anatomical feature distinguishes male from female Gelflings?*” By halftime, Foghat emerged victorious and scored themselves a free round of drinks.

The third round brought no mercy from Triviamaster Jason “What instrument did Spock play in the jam band on the original Enterprise*?” Still, Foghat maintained a three point lead over Sinister Six, followed by The Observers, mightily lead by John G, perhaps the only one to answer “What do the letters of Captain Marvel’s SHAZAM! stand for?*”

triviamaster jason

Triviamaster Jason

The last round was truly brutal with such doozies as “Name the final character that Steve Ditko created before he died,* “What creature from the planet Myrkr have the unique capability of repelling the force in their general vicinity*?” “Who invented the Super Soldier formula used on Captain America*?” and “According to Slartibartfast, why was the Earth created*?” But soon a clear victor emerged— Foghat!

Foghat Victory!

Foghat Victory!

The Sinister Six were gracious.  They were unseated as champions, but remained the only team of the night to achieve an “asshole” button.

All of the teams joined Foghat in the consumption of their grand prize– a huge bag of smartees and dumdums and a home-made apple pie baked by Triviamaster Keren. Non-edible prizes included a cheescake fantasy pinup poster courtesy of Triviamaster Erica, and two tickets to the time-travel extravaganza “The Garden of Forked Tongues”.

Part of the Prize Pack

Part of the Prize Pack

Check back to see more teams in action, the winners, prizes and our best wrong answers. Special thanks to Alex at the
Royal Oak for being our fave bartender and keeping the “Tina Feys” flowing. Thanks again to everyone for making the night a success!

We’ll keep you posted on upcoming events. Coming up next:

Join us on October 10th for a fun night of time travel as we journey to see Operating Theater’s The Garden of Forked Tongues. Use the promo code “figment” and you’ll receive 20% off tickets for shows now through Oct 13th.

Reminder: tickets for Monster Uprising are now on sale. Get yours today!

Answers:
1. a flux capacitor
2. Captain Video and his Video Rangers
3. Wings
4. Vulcan Lute or harp/lyre
5. Solomon Hercules Atlas Zeus Achilles Mercury
6. Squirrel Girl
7. Ysalamiri
8. Dr. Reinstein
9.  To calculate the question to the answer of Life, the Universe, and Everything

Tags: ,
Posted in Trivia | 2 Comments »

« Older Entries