Call For Directors For The February Theater Pub!

Annie Paladino, who is producing HEART PLAY(S) for SF Theater Pub in February, needs directors.

The evening is a curated collection of many different interpretations of a single text, “Heart Play” by Heiner Muller. Annie is looking for awesome people to direct/choreograph/stage/make/whatever-you-want-to-call-it the different iterations — that’s where you come in!

Here’s the quick project summary:
This project was originally instigated and led by Jessica Chayes (now of The Assembly in NYC). Very simply, it’s an evening of multiple different versions of the (very) short play by Heiner Muller, “Heart Play”. Here’s the entire text:

1: May I lay my heart at your feet.
2: Only if you don’t dirty my floor.

1: My heart is clean.
2: That remains to be seen.

1: I can’t get it out.
2: Do you want me to help you.

1: If it’s not too much trouble for you.
2: It’s my pleasure.
I can’t get it out either.

1 begins to cry.

2: I’ll operate
What else is my pocket knife good for.
We’ll have it out in no time.
Persevere, don’t despair.
There. We’ve got it.
My, but it’s a brick.
Your heart is a brick.

1: But it only throbs for you.

 

The performance will take place one night only, on February 18th. Like all Theater Pub shows, it’ll be in a bar — at Cafe Royale in San Francisco. The idea is to have each piece work as site-specifically as possible, so that we have a whole bunch of little theatrical blips throughout different areas of the bar.

 

And here are some more details:

• Annie is looking for between 5 and 8 different iterations for the evening. I’m particularly interested in teams of two directors interested in working on the same piece. But if you want to go solo, that’s cool too!
• There are only two rules for each director (or directing team):
  • You must use the text in its entirety (though not necessarily all at once, and not necessarily in that exact order, or with that exact character breakdown) — but also, no additional text.
  • You must stage your piece site-specifically in the bar. In fact, this should be a major component of your vision.
• You can be in your own piece, or cast actors (or even not have any, if that’s the shape your interpretation takes) — it’s totally up to you.
• GO BIG OR GO HOME. Because 5 really similar stagings of this text would be really boring. The goal is to be as outrageous, surprising, and specific as possible.
• On that note — we would love to have some interdisciplinary work represented here! If your vision takes the form of dance, music, puppets, film, toy theater, that’s fantastic.

Sound good? If you’re interested in participating as a director/leader/whatever, please email me the following by FRIDAY (that’s January 11):

 

Who are you? (short bio/resume would be cool)

Summary of your vision

How many performers, and do you have anyone in mind?

Where in the bar (a few options are fine)? (go visit Cafe Royale if you’ve never been there!)

What’s the design/aesthetic/look/sound/smell of it? (but keep in mind there’s no budget!)

 

Interested directors should e-mail theaterpub@atmostheatre.com