LAST MINUTE: Participants needed for workshop to develop an adaptation of The Octoroon

Below is a message about a workshop/lab/play reading passed along by my colleague Raya El Zein on behalf of the playwright, director and dramaturg. They need last minute participants for this interesting project so if you are in New York please consider contacting them. Details and contact information follow.

WE KNOW THIS IS INCREDIBLY LAST MINUTE, BUT:

Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Neighbors, forthcoming at the Public), director Gavin Quinn (PanPan Theatre), and dramaturg/producer Allison Lyman (NYC Players) are currently developing an adaptation of nineteenth century playwright Dion Boucicault's famous melodrama THE OCTOROON for Performance Space 122 (to premiere June 2010) and could use your help.

They're having a sort of super-last-minute workshop/lab on January 5 and 6 (This week! Whoops?!), during which a group of actors and artists will read out loud together all or parts of Boucicault's original THE OCTOROON--with a bit of light direction from Gavin--followed by a brief, informal, artist-led discussion. Pending available time, rough pages from the new adaptation may also be read.

(Links to information about Dion Boucicault and the play are appended to the end of this e-mail.)

Again, WE KNOW THIS IS INCREDIBLY LAST MINUTE BUT:

They are looking for enthusiastic actors/artists to read this play aloud and participate in the discussion.

They are also looking for other informed voices--academics, lazy actors who dont feel like reading, directors, writers, thinkers, nineteenth century theatre enthusiasts--in the room to listen and also participate in the discussion.

The total time commitment is roughly is 3 hours. (There will be five different readings by give different groups of actors and/or participants.You could come to more than one, if you REALLY wanted.)

Unfortunately, this is an unpaid, volunteer gig, but all selected actors/readers will receive a modest honorarium to cover travel. This is the opportunity to participate in the ground-level developmental phase of what will undoubtedly be a bizarre and exciting collaboration, premiering next season. This is also an opportunity to geek out on Early American Drama and maybe discuss such thrilling things as "how to adapt nineteenth century plays," "identity politics in the theatre," "how hard it is to be an actor," the idea of a contemporary avant-garde, commercialism in the theatre, "what it's like to be an ethnic," and Ireland.

Here are the dates and time slots available:

January 5: 11am-2pm, 3pm-6pm, 6:30pm-9:30pm

January 6: 11am-2pm, 3pm-6pm

Location will be disclosed to all parties who inquire.

If interested and available, please send an e-mail ASAP to theoctoroon@gmail.com, expressing your interest and telling us a bit about who you are--what you do (actors, director, Theatre Studies Phd, Indian Chief) and your interest in the event (reader or observer)--and what time slots you are available, in order of preference.

Also: PLEASE PLEASE re-post/forward this along to any others actors or artists you think might be interested.

Thanks!

LINKS TO INFORMATION ABOUT DION BOUCICAULT AND THE OCTOROON:
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http://www.wayneturney.20m.com/boucicault.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Octoroon

http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/maude/mplay18.html