Press

"sensitively rendered, offering a respite from the campy fare that makes up much of this [Fringe] fest."
~Frank Scheck, New York Post


"The cast is wonderful, especially Flory in the lead, who shows no hint of self-consciousness over speaking her own words. Altman is touching as the careworn Jake. Byers has a perfect bartender's charm as Paul. The hilarious Kurtchik nearly steals the show as Lucy.

The direction by David Stallings is perfect- we always understand where the characters are and what they're feeling, even without them saying a word. Martha Goode's sound design (mostly of elevated trains) anchors the play in its Chicago setting.

A few people have noted to me that it's surprising this piece was accepted into the Fringe, since it's not a campy musical, has no nudity, and isn't a celebrity exposé- it's a real play. I'm glad that it was accepted. Recommended."

~Duncan Pflaster, BroadwayWorld.com

Media: News & Updates

the nytheatre i

FringeNYC -- Popular Shows
The overriding goal of our "gavel-to-gavel" FringeNYC coverage on nytheatre.com is to help audience members find the shows they'll want to see from among the more than 200 offerings available. Our previews and our reviews provide lots of great information about the shows, and you should check them out (revisit the reviews page frequently throughout the festival, as new reviews are posted every single day).

But sometimes it's interesting to find out what others are interested in -- which shows are most popular, in other words. Now, I don't ever advocate following the pack -- the FringeNYC Festival is the time to stretch and discover work you wouldn't otherwise see. But it never hurts to know what the pack is up to...

So, in that spirit, today I want to share with you the top ten most popular shows at this year's New York International Fringe Festival so far, as measured by most visits to the nytheatre.com preview page.

(Drum roll please...)
Muffin Man
I Will Follow
Willy Nilly
Pie-Face! The Adventures of Anita Bryant
Look After You
Shelf Life
Notes on the Land of Earthquake and Fire
Candide Americana
Viral
The Office and the Metal Blob

I'll be posting the most-read reviews of FringeNYC shows starting on Monday. Happy Fringe-ing!
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Seeing Stars: Look After You


August 14th, 2009 - August 29th, 2009Venue #16: The SoHo Playhouse15 Vandam Street (6th Avenue & Varick / 7th Avenue)
At FringeNYC this August MT Works’ David Stalling takes off his playwright hat to direct Louise Flory’s moving new play Look After You, a story about a photographer (played by the author) who is a victim of amnesia. United Stages recently asked actress Adi Kurtchik, who plays the visiting caretaker of her convalescing sister, to assume the role of interviewer and ask five questions of her director. We asked Mr. Stalling to reciprocate with five questions of his own.


Photo by Antonio Miniño

Adi: What drew you to Look after You?
David: The play deals with a family unit handling the sudden illness of a young woman coping with the aftermath of a brain aneurysm. This is something I personally have had to deal with in my life—the scenario almost to a tee. I felt that the author’s text dealt with how messy emotions can be rather than focusing on the illness itself.

What was your approach in directing this production?
My primary objective was to have a base coat of positive energy, humor and hope. With pieces built around illness, it is easy to fall into sentimentality or dramatics. There is a way to tell this story so that it maintains a high level of stakes and importance while being simultaneously enjoyable and charming.

Have you ever directed one of your own plays and how is it different from directing someone else’s work?
I actually have never directed my own work and have no plans to at this time. I believe it is very tricky when writers tackle their own text. A director must think differently from a writer—even though the overall objective is the same: to tell a story. Without the second I fear a writer can sometimes become indulgent. When directing another author’s work, I maintain a clear eye and try not to think of what the writer wants, but of what the text demands.

How does it feel to direct Louise Flory (playwright) as an actress in it?
I have always thought Louise to be a lovely actress. She was the in the most recent MTWorks production, The Oath, and was a pleasure. As a writer/actress, I told her she had strict rules to follow. Throughout preproduction, she was to wear her writer’s cap and we would collaborate on rewrites. But once rehearsals began, she was not once to be a writer. Actors bring wonderful insight through instinct to a text. If she had a writer’s cap on, that instinct would be stifled. I am pleased to say we work quite well together!

Lastly and most importantly, Am I the most awesome actress you’ve ever had to whip into shape? LOL!
Adi, you are lovely. I have enjoyed working with you immensely. If I have any common theme as a writer or director it is my passion for strong women. Strength mixed with vulnerability is the sexiest combination on a stage, and you have it in spades my dear.


Photo by Kate Enman

David: Now let me ask you: Your character Lucy is a tough, no-nonsense lady. What have you added with your acting to make her a full person?
Adi: Indeed Lucy is one tough lady who had to deal with a lot of bull in her life, but underneath it all she is very human, sensitive, loving and vulnerable. She wants what everyone ultimately wants, to love and be loved. Working on Lucy so far has been a total blast. The best part about portraying strong and tough characters like her is finding all those layers and contradictions in her “tough” personality. No one is ever as they seem; no one is that simple.

Did your experience in the Israeli Army teach you any lessons you apply to your acting process?
The main thing I learned when I was in the Army is how to fight through the hard times. How to work through my own pain and my own struggles. I think that in life in general this is a very valuable lesson and as far as my acting goes, it helps me stay strong and keep fighting through obstacles, because we all encounter them in this business. Although when I first moved to America and started taking acting lessons, my teachers had to work super hard to break my stiffness. It was hard to show emotion and just let go; in the Army you are taught to hold back and be in constant control of your emotions.

What drew you to Look after You?
When I first read Look after You, I was surprised at the simplicity of the story even though the subject of it was so tragic. It could have easily been written as a heavy dramatic soap opera, but Louise did an amazing job bringing these extraordinary circumstances close to home where everyone can relate. As an actress I saw the opportunity to play and experiment with such delicate emotions, where you constantly walk the line between sad and happy, strong and weak, belief and denial. What actress wouldn’t want to be a part of that!

Is performing in a second language difficult for you? Do you process emotion and action differently in Hebrew than in English?
My first Language is Hebrew. I learned English in high school but never used it until I moved to America nine years ago, where I really had to learn to speak, read and write the language. The road to feeling comfortable in a second language was not an easy one, but I feel I have accomplished what I set out to do, and that is to have it come as natural to me as my native tongue. With that being said, language is a funny thing. The connection I have to Hebrew will always be so strong that the words take on a different meaning. Saying “I love you” in Hebrew feels like a different emotion to me than when I say it in English. As far as my acting career, it varies. Some things are easier in English and some are much easier in Hebrew. I almost feel like I have two different personalities, one for each language.

Has working with me changed your life permanently?
Yes, David, working with you has changed me for good! LOL. I have to say it has been an eye-opening experience working with you on this play. You came in like a storm and changed everything around! I adore the focus and passion you possess in every move you make. The way you inspire us to come up with our own ideas and the freedom you give us to go with our instincts. I am a true fan of directors who stay positive throughout difficulties and bring everyone together, and you are truly doing that for all of us. Thank you.

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stage props

Group Swim

“Since I swam in all the relay events I understood I was only as good as the weakest leg. Freshmen year, I was that leg!” says 26-time NCAA All American Swimmer Lowell Byers, who takes the stage Aug 14–29 in MTWorks’ Look after You. “Same with acting: it’s more rewarding to have successful performances from the entire cast as opposed to just a few great moments.”

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David Of All Trades-Staff Writer Directs at FringeNYC

The Fab Marquee Interview by Antonio Minino.

In the entertainment world, specially and specifically in Off-Off Broadway theatre, you will find that artists work in all aspects of the craft. Whether it is a desire to experiment with their creativity in different ways, or more of a "step up to the plate" situation, this practice is not uncommon. When all the hats are worn by one person in the same production (Producer-Writer-Performer-Director) it can sometimes lead to disastrous results, seldom are the success stories of this all-in-one venture. In this case we have a hat collector, without the faux pas of wearing more than one at a time: David Stallings, a playwright, staff writer (The Fab Marquee), and Arististic Director (MTWorks), directing one of the opening shows of The New York International Fringe Festival. Not new to the festival, as one of his most applauded plays, Anaïs Nin Goes To Hell, premiered at FringeNYC last summer, I asked him a couple of questions about Look After You written by Louise Flory.

David Stallings | ©stallingwrites.com
A.  Tell us a little about the show you are directing at this year's New York International Fringe Festival, Look After You.  

D. Look After You is an intimate piece that follows Hannah, a young woman recovering from a brain aneurysm. More immediate and urgent than her physical recovery--she is primarily suffering from memory loss--is her struggle with the relationships in her life.

A. You also worked as a dramaturg on the piece. Has your vision of the play in the workshop writing process with playwright Louise Flory changed as a director?  
D. Actually, my vision has maintained the same focus throughout. It's all about telling a story and the approach to the story. We decided early on what the primary plot and theme elements were and cut out the rest.  As a director my goal was to tell the story with hope and positivity.  That was also my advice to Louise as her dramaturg.

Jason Altman (Jake) and Louise Flory (Hannah) in Look After You
©LookAfterYouThePlay.com

A. Mainly known as a playwright, how does directing diverge from playwriting and how is it the same.
D. Well, both are storytellers.  But playwriting gives birth to characters and circumstances that are always yours--no matter what actor or director comes along. And as others add to it, that part of you grows and is strengthened. Directing however is coming to a foreign work and giving your life's blood to it to bring it to life.  Finding your own truths and rhythms in a preexisting story if you will. 

A. Being a reviewer for The Fab Marquee yourself, how do you feel about others reviewing your work, and what advice do you give young playwrights and directors on how to handle reviews (favorable or not), including ones written by you. 
D. In reading a review, you learn more about the reviewer than anything else. Figure out their taste and see if it fits your own.  Do not accept a good review if the reviewer missed major themes or ideas. Figure out if their distaste is a style question or a storytelling question.  Most importantly, see shows these reviewers have seen and come up with your own opinion. That is how best to evaluate their worth when judging you. Remember, reviewers are not gods--they have bad days--days they do not want to work, and often enter a play with preconceived ideas. Find what you can take from their review that is useful and then walk away.

Look After You will play at The SoHo Playhouse from August 14th through the 29th as part of The New York International Fringe Festival. 5 Performances Only. For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, visit www.LookAfterYoutheplay.com To learn more about David Stallings, visit www.StallingsWrites.com.

This year, the New York International Fringe Festival will offer performances by 201 of the world's best emerging theatre troupes and dance companies hosted by 18 of New York City's most prominent downtown performance venues. Invited performers represent 7 countries (including Spain, Italy, China, Japan, and Australia) and 20 U.S. states (including Iowa, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Washington, Texas, Wisconsin, Nevada and Missouri). The festival presents works covering a wide range of disciplines including drama, comedy, dance, performance art, children's theater (FringeJr), outdoor theater (FringeAlFrecso), spoken word, puppetry, improv, and multimedia. In November 2007, Michael Bloomberg presented FringeNYC with the prestigious Mayor's Award for Arts and Culture. For more information on the festival, visit www.FringeNYC.org.

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Chosen as one of
Hey Off-Broadway fans! We wanted to let you know that the New York International Fringe Festival, the largest multi-arts festival in North America, starts performances this Friday! This is your chance to see some of the most exciting upcoming actors, playwrights, directors, and more for just $15 a show! There are over 200 shows performing in the Festival, so we wanted to give you our picks for the BEST OF FRINGE 2009! Make sure you don't miss these shows!


When a photographer suffers a brain aneurysm causing her to forget key details of her life, everything she thought was secure turns upside-down, testing friendships, family and love. Drastic decisions must be made when she rediscovers recent events. Click here for tickets.
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New York International Fringe Festival begins
by Michael Brandt, NY Theatre Examiner

The New York International Fringe Festival begins this Friday, August 14th.  In years past, the start of the annual festival wouldn’t necessarily have piqued my interest.  But recently, the Fringe has provided the opportunity to see a high volume of quality theatre.

The festival still suffers from one major problem, but there’s nothing they can really do about it: there’s just so much theatre to see that it’s difficult to know what’s worth a look.  And, producers have traditionally tried to stand out from the crowd with eye-catching titles or quirky musicals.  Year after year, it seems there is an onslaught of shows with names like Cheerleader Sluts In Hell, or Attack of the Zombie People (An Existentialist Farce).  Everyone wants to be the next Urinetown, the only Fringe Festival participant to go on to a Broadway run, and yes, a quirky musical with an eye-catching title.

In early years of the festival, plays occasionally also suffered from the lack of a desirable venue (theatre spaces are assigned by the festival).  No matter how good your play is, it’s hard to convince people to see anything in an out of the way space with no air conditioning.  In August.  In New York.

Well, imagine my surprise to find that the first show on the calendar – the show that ostensibly opens the festival with a 5:00 curtain this Friday (although the Fringe Festival isn’t organized that way) – is a straight play, with four characters, called, simply, Look After You, and it’s at the Soho Playhouse.  The play, about a young couple dealing with the additional pressures brought on by a medical emergency, is the debut effort of playwright Louise Flory.  It is being presented by Maieutic Theatre Works, who had a hit at last year’s Fringe Festival with Anais Nin Goes To Hell, and whose production of The Oath I wrote about earlier in this space.  Look After You is directed by David Stallings, the Artistic Director of Maieutic Theatre Works, with a cast consisting of Jason Altman, Lowell Byers, Adi Kurtchik and Louise Flory.

Once you find a show that interests you like that, the key is to buy tickets quickly.  The Fringe Festival shows generally only get five performances (dates and times are assigned as well), and, as a result, the festival has taken shape as a launching pad for producers to find the next Urinetown for a longer run elsewhere.  That’s the reason why a quick perusal of the festival schedule will reveal that more and more Broadway performers and theatre heavyweights are showing up in Fringe shows.

For more information about Look After You, check out www.lookafteryoutheplay.com, and for information about the New York International Fringe Festival, you can find it at www.fringenyc.org. 
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MTWorks: Meet The LAY Family

Meet Hannah (Louise Flory): she's a photographer who recently suffered a brain aneurysm. She doesn't remember a lot of details.
Meet Jake (Jason Altman): he's a writer with a very crisp memory.
Meet Lucy (Adi Kurtchik): she's Hannah's sister, and has all the answers.
Meet Paul (Lowell Byers): he believes in doing the right thing.
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Just Shows to Go You: Quick Q&A: FringeNYC #1
By Patrick Lee
"LOUISE FLORY Look After You"

Tell me about Look After You.
It’s about a young woman, a photographer, who has suffered a brain aneurysm which understandably has turned her world upside down. Despite everyone’s attempts to proceed as normal, her illness is a challenge to all her relationships. In a way it’s about how ordinary people handle extraordinary circumstances. Basically this couple is struggling to hold on through this medical emergency which brings into question her life expectancy and which in turn forces her relationships to be re-evaluated. What’s your responsibility to take care of someone dealing with an illness they might not survive? How do strong relationships survive almost crippling uncertainty? There’s lots of emotion due to some heavy subject matter but lots of humor too. Laughter through tears is almost always how extremely emotional situations are handled, at least in my experience.

How long have you been working on the play?
It’s my first full-length. It’s come together pretty quickly, from what I’ve heard from other writers. This play started last Fall as that idea that wouldn’t leave me alone and I looked for a way to express it. It was accepted into Winterfest at Manhattan Rep and I gave myself a window of time to work on it - there was medical research about aneurysms that I needed to do, and research also because the male character in the play is writing a book on Everest. Getting to do those workshop rehearsals was really great - having people ask really wonderful questions that I didn’t know the answer to was very helpful. After the workshop last March I was cast in a show called The Oath - that show closed on May 10th and the Fringe acceptance letter was in my mailbox May 11th! I’ve been really lucky to have the two months since then to just work on the script before stepping into it to play the main character.

Are you taking anything into your own performance that you got from watching others read it?
Oh yes, I am stealing many things! My big fear in writing a role for myself and being so new to it was that she wouldn’t be a complete character, and that she would glean too much from me. All the things I didn’t want to voice being nervous about. Everyone who has read it in workshop has helped exponentially in creating the characters as I’ve heard them speak. Sometimes, people didn’t have a lot of time with the script and were reading it cold. And boy, you can really tell what works and what doesn’t when it’s read cold, because with time to prepare actors solve your problems for you.

Will you be seeing other shows in the Festival?
I had a chance to look at a lot of the other productions and to meet people at the mixers and it just reminds me that the real goal is to put on work that we’re proud of for people. I am gonna see as much as I can, I always do, and to be a part of it is an honor.
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Show Listing
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Press Release
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Fringe Preview Listing
We asked FringeNYC participants to answer the following three questions:
1. What is your show about and what can audiences expect when they see it?
2. Why is your show pertinent to today's times and/or why should your show be the choice for audiences to see?
3. Why did you choose to present this show?

Look After You
Author: Louise Flory
Producer: Maieutic Theatre Works-MTWorks
Director: David Stallings

Look After You is about a young couple struggling to hold on in the face of a medical emergency and personal insecurity.  Audiences will recognize themselves or someone they know in the characters and will feel relieved to see an honest depiction of real relationships.
It's not a question of whether or not life will toss some adversity your way; it's just a question of how you'll endure it.  Situations filled with great uncertainty have the power to bring family and friends closer together or tear them apart. The audience may very well leave the theatre grateful for their own lives or, at least, appreciative of the people in them.
This is a story about survival in the real world, how ordinary people handle extraordinary circumstances.  It asks why some relationships last while others end.  I always wondered if there was a secret that would keep a relationship safe, unaffected by pressure and doubt.   I don't know the answer so I started writing.
Louise Flory, playwright/actor
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Maieutic Theatre Works Presents LOOK AFTER YOU To Be Performed During NY Int'l Fringe Fest 8/14-29
MAIEUTIC THEATRE WORKS is pleased to announce their production of LOOK AFTER YOU by Louise Flory, directed by MTWorks very own Artistic Director, David Stallings. LOOK AFTER YOU will be performed as part of The New York International Fringe Festival at Venue#16 The SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam St.). Performances begin August 14th and continue through August 29th.
When a photographer's life is threatened by illness, everything she thought was secure turns upside-down, testing friendships, family and love. Look After You was first presented at Manhattan Repertory Theater's Winterfest 2009.
The production features Jason Altman (SPITE-FringeNYC 08), Lowell Byers (original cast), Louise Flory (original cast), and Adi Kurtchik (Showtime's Still Single).
Julie Griffith is the producer. Costume design by Vin Victorio, lighting design by Dan Gallagher, sound design by Martha Goode, prop design by Nichol C. Rosas-Ullman, dramaturgy by David Stallings and Howard Tilkin is the stage manager.
LOOK AFTER YOU plays the following schedule through August 29th:
Friday, August 14th at 5:00 PMSunday, August 16h at 3:00 PMWednesday, August 19th at 8:15 PMFriday, August 28th at 9:30 PMSaturday, August 29th at 1:30 PM
Tickets are $15For Information / Tickets visit:www.FringeNYC.orgor call 866-468-7619
Running Time: 90 minutes
Please check www.FringeNYC.org and www.LookAfterYouThePlay.com for updates.
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Line-up Announced For 2009 FringeNYC Productions Including THE ANTARCTIC CHRONICLES

Kampfire PR is pleased to introduce their line-up of 2009 FringeNYC productions. Four shows guaranteed to set FIRE to your summer theatre experience. From a dark comedy that examines the experience of sex in the modern age (The Books), an arctic chronicle of a woman's journey down below (The Antarctic Chronicles), a woman who's unexpected illness challenges her relationships (Look After You), and an indestructible man's leap into love (Eli and Cheryl Jump).

The New York International Fringe Festival, a production of The Present Company, takes place from August 14th through August 30th, 2009.

The Antarctic ChroniclesProduced by Sister Fantastic Productions
Written by Jessica Manuel
Directed by Paul Linke
Striving for individuality and freedom, Jessica Manuel found herself at the bottom of the Earth--living and working in Antarctica as a fuels operator. The Antarctic Chronicles explores her biographical journey through multiple characters: her parents, friends, roommates, and bosses. A story of love, courage, absurdity and madness, Jessica shares what happens living in an isolated community void of sun for months. Loss of memory and black urine are just a taste of the experiences she endured while trying to create a life worth examination.
Venue # 19 The Players Loft (115 MacDougal St, 3rd Fl)
Sat, Aug 15 @ 11:00 pm | Sun, Aug 16 @ 4:00 pm | Mon, Aug 17 @ 8:15 pm | Wed, Aug 19 @ 3:15 pm | Fri, Aug 21 @ 5:00 pm | Sat, Aug 22 @ 8:45 pm.
The Books
Produced by Imperfect People
Written by Michael Edison Hayden
Directed by Matt Urban
An offbeat love story of a professional dominatrix, Mistress Chimera, and her agoraphobic client, Mark, The Books chronicles the unique development of their relationship. After Mark loans Helen a copy of James Joyce?s Dubliners, their personal relationship deepens, complicating their sadomasochistic rituals. Before the couple can truly fall in love, they both must accept that some people may never fit into society.
Venue # 13 The Cherry Pit (155 Bank Street)
Fri, Aug 14 @ 10:00 pm | Tue Aug 18 @ 5:00 pm | Wed, Aug 19 @ 5:15 pm | Mon, Aug 24 @ 12:45 pm | Thu, Aug 27 @ 7:45 pm.
Eli and Cheryl Jump
Produced by Ignited States and Crosstown Playwrights
Written by Daniel McCoy
Directed by Nicole A. Watson
Accident-prone Eli is magically shielded from death. Maybe. Mythology, personal history and recent tragic events collide in a story spanning 15 years, and 1,000 miles. When Eli and Cheryl jump it's only the beginning of their journey.
Venue # 19 The Players Loft (115 MacDougal St, 3rd Fl)
Fri, Aug 14 @ 8:45 pm | Mon, Aug 17 @ 6:30 pm | Thu, Aug 20th @ 7:15 pm | Mon, Aug 24 @ 3:15 pm | Fri, Aug 28 @ 11:00 pm | Sat, Aug 29 @ 12:45 pm.
Look After YouProduced by Maieutic Theatre Works
Written by Louise Flory
Directed by David Stallings
MTWorks (Anaïs Nin Goes To Hell) returns with Look After You. When a photographer's life is threatened by illness, everything she thought was secure turns upside-down, testing friendships, family and love.
Venue # 1 6 The SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam St.)
Fri, Aug 14 @ 5:00 pm | Sun, Aug 16th @ 3:00 pm | Wed, Aug 19 @ 8:15 pm | Fri, Aug 28 @ 9:30 pm | Sat, Aug 29 @ 1:30 pm.

Tickets on sale via web/phone begin July 24. Tickets are $15.00. $10 senior citizens (65 years or older), and for those who purchase groups of 20 or more tickets to a single performance. Tickets can be purchased at www.FringeNYC.org or 866.468.7619. Tickets may also be purchased in person at FringeCENTRAL, the main box office for the Festival, up until 24 hours before the actual performance. On the day of the performance, tickets must be purchased at the venue where the show is playing. Venue box office opens 15 minutes before the performance. (Cash only.)

Propaganda Sneak Peek

Program Guide
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Official Trailer



"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
~Ralph Waldow Emerson

I hold this to be the highest task for a bond between two people: that each protects the solitude of the other."
~Rainer Maria Rilke

"Mountains are not fair or unfair, they are just dangerous."
~Reinhold Messner

“Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense hunger. To resist takes tremendous conscious effort, you don’t dare let your guard down for an instant. The void puts you on edge, makes your movements tentative and clumsy. But as the climb continues, you grow accustomed to the exposure, you get used to rubbing shoulders with doom, you come to believe in the reliability of your hands and feet and head. You learn to trust your self-control.”
Jon Krakauer

press inquiries:
Antonio Minino
antonio@kampfirefilmspr.com

industry contact:
Julie Griffith
jgriffith@mtworks.org

producing company inquiries:
Maieutic Theatre Works
info@mtworks.org

March 2009 Workshop Production:

Final Added Performance: Saturday, March 14th at 7pm

directed by Laura Konsin
original score by Frank Wartinger
lighting & sound design by Carl Wiemann

Matt W. Cody
Heather Leonard
Lowell Byers
Louise Flory