The Very Important One-Act Play Festival @ The UCB

[Mofo1016]

VERY IMPORTANT MONOSCENES: The Very Important One-Act Play Festival @ The UCB

Wanted to give you fine IRC folks a two-weeks heads-up about a great monoscenic show coming up in June @ The UCB:

THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL

Billy Merritt directs life-altering improvised one-act plays (MONOSCENES, to you and me) starring some really talented folks like these folks:

Sheffield Chastain
Matthew DeCoster
Mo Fathelbab
Matt Himes
Adam Hocherman
Erika Kern
Adam Koppel
James Kramer
Liuba
Anne Nodar
Ben Oren
Rory O'Sullivan
Mark Sam Rosenthal
Andy Scully
Mark Voelpel
Becky Yamamoto

You might know one of them, a couple of them, or maybe none of them. They will guarantee that you leave this brand-new monoscenic show with a brand-new outlook on life and a brand-new song in your heart (well, maybe the song in your heart... and it'll be Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body").

A 4-Tuesday night run begins June 10th, 2003 @

The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
307 West 26th Street (off of 8th Ave.)
New York, NY
Reservations: (212) 366-9176

Showtime: 11pm
Price: $5 p/person

Because every one act that is put up is the most important thing in theater at that moment.

 

[Mofo1016]

Useful Trivia

Surprise! Surprise! I've seemed to have stumbled upon some great bit of history. Check this out:

This isn't the first time THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL has graced the stage. It was started up in 1961 as part of JFK's proposed Peace Corp, where young Americans went into Africa to help feed the starving children of the desert and perform for their folks some worthwhile material. According to an old NY Times article written by William Safire on 11/17/63 (a few days before Kennedy's assassination), the third annual festival "had left the indigenous peoples of the Belgian Congo with gentle memories of warm relations, teary-eyed recollection, and laughters of joy when the hero won the girl. These performances crossed all human boundries."

And in program of the retrospective of THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL done at the Actors' Equity headquarters back in 1981 for the 20th anniversary of the first show, it lists Jennifer Beals as one of the participants. Jennifer-fucking-Beals! That's awesome. It was how she was discovered by Don Simpson for "Flashdance".

With all this info, it proves one thing: THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL is important. Important to everyone involved, from the actors who go on to stardom to the audience members to will go home affected by what they witness on stage. This is fucking beautiful.

-Mo

 

[Mofo1016]

In 1971, THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL won a special Tony Award for it's accomplishments in improv theatre. And Carol Channing handed the award to none other than Bob Fosse! Awesome!

-Mo

 

[Mofo1016]

8 more days until something important happens....

 

[LuluB]

mo, are you telling me the man who brought us the documentary has another form to debut?

wow, how can people think about missing this!?!?!

 

[Mofo1016]

Si, Senorita Lulu.... There is a Billy Merritt and he does have another form to debut with a bag full of goodies for every good little boy and girl who ever thought of making it in the big time; in New York City. People cannot -- and should not -- miss THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL because it'll be Mr. Merritt's most ambitious project to date. An epic night filled with:

INTRIGUE!!
SUSPENSE!!!
ROMANCE!!!!
SEX!!!!!
U.N. SEC.-GEN. KOFI ANNAN IN A TUTU!!!!!!

There'll be surprises galore! Those who miss it will regret it for the rest of their lives... and those who do come to the show see their chances of being diagnoised with high-blood pressure decrease by a wopping 63.7%, according to a study released by the New England Journal of Medicine in July 2000. That's more than if one starts to eat the right foods.

Don't forget: in one week...

-Mo

 

[JamesKramer77]

This sounds important.

 

[chavi00]

DID YOU KNOW....

That the Very Important One-Act Play Festival initially began as the Some-What Important Ten-Act Play Festival? However, once Bob Fosse took over the project from the government, he decreased the the number of acts and increased the level of importantace (in addition to the number of jazz hands).

That is why Bob Fosse is in the Director's Hall of Fame (located in Flint, Michigan) and JFK is not.

 

[Mofo1016]

Very Important Persons

For those who didn't know: Coolio was a part of the 1993 festival alongside a then-unknown Colin Farrell. What a fucking combo! What an important combo!

Come and watch THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL... some very important improvised monoscenes... @ The UCB... 6 more days 'til opening night...

-Mo

 

[Mofo1016]

Countdown

In an article in this week's Newsweek (for 5/9/03), International Editor-in-Chief and famed author Fareed Zakiria had this to say about the Bush Administration's "Roadmap" to Middle East Peace:

"Not since the ambitious and bold undertaking by the Carter Administration has an American administration forged ahead so far as to truly push both the Israelis and the Palestinians to finally sit down together and to hammer out a peace deal, one that is far and just. One that calls into the account the wrongs committed by both parties and helps what is right. Now what both PMs Sharon and Abass have to look forward to is not just two states, two peoples with deep and rich histories, to live side-by-side, but also another amazing goal: to witness The Very Important One-Act Play Festival in all its glory, in all its importance. There is no goal, no dream more attainable, more anticipated than the night both Semtic peoples get to watch this wonderful and almost breath-takingly beautiful mosaic of improvised monoscenes..."

How's that for awesome. A shout-out in Newsweek.


5 more days before the beginning of something very important....

-Mo

 

[Mofo1016]

New Radiohead Album

Hmmm... let's see this:

Radiohead's new album "Hail to the Thief" drops in record stores Tuesday, June 10th. THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL opens at The UCB Theatre Tuesday, June 10th.

Coincidence? I think not.

Come and catch improvised monoscenes that really are important.

-Mo

 

[Billy Merritt]

Someone asked me the other night what was so important about the Very Important One Act Play Festival.
My reply was simple," Dude is that your mother? She's hot, what is she like in her 40's or something because she is like Demi Moore hot."
He stood their for a while thought about what I said and walked off. That is what's important.

 

[Car]

I am excited to go see this.

 

[LuluB]

that's because it's so important. . .

 

[Mofo1016]

Berrebbi Approved!

Originally posted by Brian Berrebbi
I am excited to go see this.

Dudes and dudettes:

4 more days before something important happens and it is already Berrebbi-approved. Now, why aren't you already on line for THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL? If our improv friends from ANYDAYVILLE are coming to see the show, so should you. :up:

-Mo

 

[anodar]

I was tooling around in my cardboard box Time Machine and ran into Oscar Wilde. He was being ironic and sharp and subtly cunning, as he's apt to be. "Nice shoes, Anne," he sneered. When I called him on it, he charged me with over-reacting.

I decided it was time to teach Oscar a lesson, so we zipped into the future and caught a gander at The Very Important One-Act Play Festival.

The sheer brilliance we saw rendered him speechless. Speechless! Not easy to do with Oscar Wilde.

You don't want to miss this. Tuesday. June 10th. 11PM.

 

[Rory]

The Hour of Importance Creeps upon us.

 

[Mofo1016]

Corked Bats

Wanna know why Sammy Sosa "accidentally" used a corked bat in that game the other night? So he could get an 8-game suspension and have the opportunity to watch THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL both on June 10th AND on June 17th. He's so excited, he's going to see it 2X!

If Slammin' Sammy is going to be there, shouldn't you?


-Mo

 

[Mofo1016]

Good News

We just got word of this: Jesus Christ, himself, has just made reservations for 2 for THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL! I'm not one to gossip, but I wonder who Jesus would bring with him to the show. It must be extremely important. :angel:

3 MORE DAYS....

-Mo

 

[Mofo1016]

Justified!

It's technically now Sunday June 8th, being that it's 12:30am and all as I write this (give or take a couple of minutes). It's now TWO MORE DAYS until....

THE VERY IMPORTANT ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL

Billy Merritt (That dude. You know, he's in "The Swarm".... Duh!) directs life-altering improvised one-act plays (IMPROVISED MONOSCENES, to you and me) starring some really talented folks like these folks:

Sheffield Chastain
Matthew DeCoster
Mo Fathelbab
Matt Himes
Adam Hocherman
Erika Kern
Adam Koppel
James Kramer
Liuba
Anne Nodar
Ben Oren
Rory O'Sullivan
Mark Sam Rosenthal
Andy Scully
Mark Voelpel
Becky Yamamoto

You might know one of improvisers, a couple of them, or maybe none of them. They will guarantee that you leave this brand-new monoscenic show with a brand-new outlook on life and a brand-new song in your heart.... well, maybe the song in your heart and it won't be Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body", I promise. It'll be Michelle Branch's "Are You Happy Now?".

Tuesday nights: 6/10, 17, 24 & 7/1 @

The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
307 West 26th Street (off of 8th Ave.)
New York, NY
Reservations: (212) 366-9176

Showtime: 11pm
Price: $5 p/person

See you dudes and dudettes then because every one-act that is put up is the most important thing in theater at that moment.

-Mo