Introduce Yourself, Matthew Hadley

Theatre or theater? 

Haha, I went through a whole phase where I tried to make "theatre" happen (as in even kind of pronouncing the "truh" at the end).  These days, I'm happy when I can manage to find time to sit in a darkened room and watch people bring a playwright's words to life--regardless of whether its highbrow, classical standards--or kitchen-sink drama.

Strangest theater-related job? 

I actually haven't had a ton of theater related jobs, having put my acting career on hold for the time being.  But the strangest theatrical experience I ever had was doing a show (the name of which escapes me) where the performances started every night at 10pm, in a basement in NoHo; my character was called "Rooster" and the final moments of the show were a choreographed, heroin-fueled, dance sequence in which all the characters came back from the dead in order to torment the heroine-lead during a drug fueled frenzy.  Come to think of it...that might actually qualify as my most fun theatrical experience.  Haha!

What experience made you want to become an actor? 

I can't pinpoint an exact moment.  It was more like a gradual succumbing.  I did theater in high school, and enjoyed it, got lauded with a bunch of silly awards, and ultimately decided wouldn't it be fun if everyday I went to play instead of work?

Very first role on stage? 

Kaiser.  Kidding.  Uhhh, lets see that must have been when I was 10, and played the emcee in my church's production of "Look In the Book"...my first, and last musical.  But, as they say "a stahhhh was born."

Tragic flaw? 

Of mine or theaters?  I suppose they might be one in the same...I'm terrible at this whole making theater a money making venture, and I suppose thats the fault of theater as well--its just not designed in a way that the majority of people who want to do it, and are good at it, are able to make a living at it.  Shame really; if we were more civilized, like the Europeans, there would be subsidies for artists--because THEY realize arts are vital to the health of a culture.

If you were a 1980s television show sidekick, who would you be?

You expect me to remember TV shows from the 80s?  I was barely alive back then...my knowledge of 80s tv consists of Smurfs, Gumby and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  And because of that, I'll say "Pokey".  Always loyal to his good friend Gumby, never one to say an unkind word, and willing to carry his friends on his back when they need him!

Tales from the Orchard Project pt.1

This is Josh. The Dog Whisperer. Mostly, he sang to him. So the Dog Singer. But only after a few cups of Belarussian Fire Water. Mmmm

And that's Gus - the sweetest resident dog at the Orchard Project. He even did his own monologue. I'm not kidding. It was genius, and written by our new friends from Paines Plough in London. They were delightful chaps! There was also a piece about a Ware-bear and Milwaukee's Best cleverly titled "The Beast" - who knew the Brits could write bad beer culture so well.

But let me take it back just a bit - that was all after we got cozy.

Our first few days at the Orchard Project were amazing. Amazing in the fact that we just kept repeating to ourselves "Guys, we're at the ORCHARD PROJECT." Not to mention it was gorgeous and the drive was so beautiful. Well, for some of us - I'll let Zoe tell her story about their epic journey. So we sort of walked around in a daze - soaking up the creative energy and catching up with each other.

What was great about this trip - about At Play really - is, as Sherri said, "You never know what you're going to get." And that applies to this trip as well. Originally, 12 At Play members were supposed to make it up with us. The final tally - 8: Devin, Zoe, Josh, Sherri, Mary, Stephanie, Julia, and myself. It could have easily been a completely different group and they may have worked and completed things in a totally different way. And I feel safe in saying that it probably would have been just as brilliant.

There are so many possible combinations for At Play collaborations - and all of them will output different products. And all of them will be fresh. That's what makes us exciting.

I also love our "other" new catch-phrase:

At Play: Why the f*ck not?

Cataloging

Some things you may have missed if you didn't come to the Orchard Project:

Reading monologues in the ruins of an old church overrun by wildflowers.
Belarussians.
Getting shady looks from the 12 remaining residents of Hunter, NY.
Devin's one-eyed jack breakfasts.
Bunkbeds.
Morning coffee and artistic discussions on the porch.
Julia's musings on speed limits. Ummm, 80?
Popchips.
Mapping out a new game plan for the gallery plays that includes commissioning artwork from artists of all mediums.
Smores.
Zoe and Mary drinking straight vodka, using graham crackers as chasers.
Josh leading drunken campfire songs, including, but not limited to, I've Had the Time of My Life and almost the entire canon of the Beatles.
Josh then stepping on a Belarussian's glass of tequila and then exclaiming "Hey, you're not in our company!"
Vodka thirsty Brits.
STARS!
Zoe's claims that she's "a really good drunk driver".
Everyone smoking Kelcie's American Spirits.
Setting in motion a short film project using some of our favorite past At Play pieces.
Sherri's emphatic new slogan, "At Play: You never know what you're gonna get!"
Stef's hungry goblin impression.
Burritos.
Cookie dough ice cream.
Stef and Sherri's rendition of the Belarussian's song and dance.
Reading the beginnings of a beautiful screenplay by Kelcie at 1am.
The fastest paced hike known to man.
Skinny dipping in a secret mountain waterfall pool with Julia, Devin and Mary.


Some things you may be glad you missed if you didn't come to the Orchard Project:

Flat tires.
Raccoon eyed sunburns.
Leaving your phone on top of the car.
Going to pick up your phone from the dude who found it and bringing a bottle of wine as a thank you and then realizing the "dude" was 15 yrs old.
All of your clothes smelling like campfire for the latter half of the week.
Leaving.

Introduce Yourself, Devin Norik

Theatre or theater?  

Devin or Devon? 

Strangest theatre or theater-related job?  

Scoopy the Pelican.  Is that enough? 

What experience made you want to become an actor?  

I don’t know that there is one experience where I wanted to become an actor.  I think there are many experiences that have made me want to be something:  skiing powder through Utah’s mountains made me want to be a ski bum; helping my dad tend his vegetable garden made me want to be a farmer in San Luis Obispo, California; and eating scones and clotted cream in the south of England made me want to be a baker with a British accent.  Unfortunately, I have never been any of these things, but I have day dreamed what it would be like to become all of them.   

Very first role on stage? 

The head broom in my pre-schools staged production of Disney’s Fantasia.  I was the original broom that circled the audience before being joined by my million broom friends. 

Tragic flaw?  

My need for a bottomless cup of coffee. 

If you were a 1980s television show sidekick, who would you be? 

Hobie Buchannon is the lively son of Mitch Buchannon, single dad and L.A. lifeguard extraordinaire.  Hobie is devoted to the beach and somehow always manages to bump into trouble, even when he’s not trying to. 

Introduce Yourself, Sarah Ries

Theatre or theater?

Theater.

Strangest theater-related job?

I once music directed a musical based on a video game where the characters would, at random points, burst out into operatic songs while fighting each other warrior-style. Wearing capes. That was pretty fucking strange. But it reminded me of the landlord's dance cycle from the Big Lebowski, live, in front of my eyes, so it was also awesome.

What experience made you want to become an actor?

I grew up in a family of musicians, and my dad was an artist, so I started out singing with my grandpa's band and such at a very young age and have wanted to be a performer ever since I can remember.  For a few years in high school I thought I'd be a lawyer, but I was very dedicated to performing in college. I stayed after senior year to play Evita, which was a huge challenge, and a special experience for me. That show prompted me to take the leap into the professional world.

Very first role on stage?

I don't remember what came first. Maybe a peasant girl in Missoula Children's Theater's production of Hans Christian Anderson. I remember it was so exciting when they came to our town to do a show!

Tragic flaw?

Perfectionism. I'm working on it. lol

If you were a 1980s television show sidekick, who would you be?

Hm... this is not so much a sidekick, but... Rainbow Brite!! Rainbow Brite, definitely! She had boots with rainbows on them. Amazing.

Introduce Yourself, Malcolm Madera

Theatre or theater?

I like -re.  But we'll see how Disney spells it when they buy the registered trademark for it. 

Strangest theatre-related job?

Helping train police cadets and foreign presidential body guards.  I'd be a suicide jumper or a drunk or dude off his meds and a young police cadet would try and figure his way out through the situation with me rewarding or punishing the poor youngster based on his/her actions.  Or I'd be a VIP who got picked up in a motorcade and taken around town and given tours of this, that and the other, and it always ended with an assassination attempt on yours truly.  Good times.

What experience made you want to become an actor?

I saw Peter Pan on stage when I was 3 and never wanted to grow up. 

Very first role on stage?

The stoner in a D.A.R.E. play?  Or maybe it was Humpty Dumpty.

Tragic flaw? 

I smoke like a character from Madmen.

If you were a 1980s television show sidekick, who would you be?

"Howling Mad" Murdock from The A-Team.  I'm crazy like a fox.

Introduce Yourself, Zoe Anastassiou

Theatre or theater?

Θέατρο (theatro) avoids the "re" versus "er" battle -- and of course it's used to mean both in Greek so not sure where along the line this difference emerged....hmmm interesting...OPA!

Strangest Θέατρο related job?

I have had many odd experiences – I remember I worked for a summer rep company in MD and when my show was not up then I had to house manage the matinees where most of the audience were elderly patrons and so had to be in charge of helping them understand things, quiet them in the performances, and even consul them and their farting in the theatre!

I know people won’t forget me being cast as a gay man in a monkey suit with a green sock to resemble a zucchini that was supposed to resemble a penis!

I also remember being cast in a piece where I along the way became the producer, co-writer and assistant director, and then discovered why – the other actor in the piece turned out to also be the director and the writer and kept assigning me more and more things so that he could be around me all the time! One day he handed me a script where the character name I was playing had now been changed to my own full name which felt strange but I went with it. Then the following week he said he had written a love scene (in a very psychological/political play) and that he wanted to spend rehearsal “practicing” the kiss so it would appear authentic. He kept saying he wanted to “practice” the kiss not “rehearse” the kiss! So, I confronted him and he admitted that he had looked me up online and saw a photo of me playing a librarian in some play and it had really aroused him so that’s why he cast me, and hired no one else, for anything, because he apparently had a librarian fetish. And he wanted to date me. Here I was working my arse off to sort out the space, fundraising, learning my lines, and it was all a bunch of baloney! Needless to say, that play never happened! But he did call me on and off for nearly three years after trying to “re-connect”!!!

What experience made you want to become an actor?

I grew up on movies. Watching movies was, and still is, almost like a family outing/adventure/event. We would watch them all the time – which is why my DVD collection is HUGE!! I am obsessed with movies! I used to apparently watch them and then re-enact them all the time too – I have witnessed this on family videos! It’s quite funny! I also noticed that I was an attention grabber – the parents would be filming my cute little younger brother and I would literally steal the poor boy’s thunder in every shot!! I don’t remember the moment I made the connection that I want to be an actor – but it was never a question. I do wish I had some defining experience/moment though that I could pinpoint.

Apparently it was very obvious that is what I was going to be since I used to put on “plays” in the garden at home and make everyone at the house who was there for dinner come and see it – they actually had no choice! I would lay out chairs and glasses of water for everyone and put on all kinds of performances. Apparently also, if someone spoke or laughed or I perceived someone as not paying attention, then I would throw a fit and start from the beginning again as their punishment! I can picture my spoiled little self doing that too!!

It’s funny how movies were, and still are, my love, yet, there is nothing like performing live and having people watch you – I do remember figuring that out very young – that I had the ability to make people laugh or cry or feel something. And that was exciting!!

Very first role on stage?

I actually don’t remember officially – I would love to know what my first role was, but was way too young. For some reason I do recall playing maybe a bird or duck #3 (I could totally be making that up!!). I know I went to all girls’ schools in London all the way until 18 so the joke was I played all the male roles – I even got an award as “Best Honorary Male Actor”!!

Tragic flaw? 

You mean flawS – which leads directly into the fact that I apparently am very self-negative – the first thing that comes out of my mouth as an automatic response to a compliment is always NO! I like to think of myself as realistic or what I call “pessimistically optimistic” but I will admit that I do need to work on that. I am also very self-critical and too nice and….I could go on forever! See what I mean!! Tragic L

If you were a 1980s television show sidekick, who would you be?

Well, since I grew up in Europe, the two television shows that I used to watch every day after school were the Australian sitcoms “Home and Away” and “Neighbours” – that still play to this day!! They were so dramatic and hilarious!! LOVE THEM! I sadly don’t have one particular female character I wanted to be (I just wanted to be on the shows with them!!), but I remember watching it for Kylie Minogue when she was still on it!!

Introduce Yourself, Jamie Klassel

Theatre or theater?

Yes.

Strangest theatre or theater-related job?

Well, once I was hired to play a large red M&M for an online M&M commercial that was shot on a pirate ship. It is very difficult to 'walk the plank' in a massive M&M costume. Oh, the things we do for a buck.

What experience made you want to become an actor?

I joined a community theater in Baltimore, MD when I was about 9.  I played Wendy in Peter Pan and my heart was a flutter.

Very first role on stage?

Summer Camp circa 1989. A flower in "Alice in Wonderland."  I cried backstage because I was so petrified. My sister pushed me onto the stage and I waved at my parents through the entire scene. 

Tragic flaw? 

My fear of the unknown.

If you were a 1980s television show sidekick, who would you be?

I wouldn't be a sidekick. I would be Punky Brewster and that's that.

i especially love the part about onstage peeing...

http://brooklynrail.org/2010/05/theater/in-dialogue-annie-baker-laughing-at-the-laugh

Introduce Yourself, Mary Quick

Theatre or theater?

Well, I don't spell color with a u sooo....

Strangest theater-related job?

Hmmm...I guess it would have to be when I played an insane asylum inmate in my high school's production of Marat/Sade.  I spent the first 25 minutes of every performance curled in fetal position, hidden inside of a small, dark compartment of the platform, so that I could burst out (literally, as well as in song) in full clown makeup and dance around the stage singing about the French revolution...that's pretty strange, no?

What experience made you want to become an actor?

I'm not sure exactly when the inkling started...I was painfully shy in lower school, but we did a play almost every year and I remember wanting really badly to be the lead in The Secret Garden and our annual Nativity play (neither of which happened, much to the disbelief of my nine yr old self...ummm hello?  Both the characters were named Mary!) But finally in fifth grade I got the big part and then that was it - kind of crazy, but I haven't even considered doing anything else since I was ten.

Very first role on stage?

A Bumblebee.....in my first grade Rainforest play.....yeah, they ran out of animals before they got to me.

Tragic flaw? 

Hahahaha.  It's funny that you think I would reveal that.

If you were a 1980s television show sidekick, who would you be?

Who would I actually be or who do I want to be?  I choose to answer the latter...and that would have to be B.A. from the A-Team (for those of you not obsessed with this show as a child, it's the Mr. T character and his name stands for Bad Attitude).  Name me someone else who can kick ass while sporting a mohawk and his body weight in gold chains.  Really.  I dare you.