New York Theatre Workshop | Intimate Excellent

‘Cyrano’ at New York Theatre Workshop

The Fountain Theatre and Deaf West Theatre brought their lyrical and romantic  deaf/hearing updated-version of Cyrano to New York last Monday, April 29, for a special staged reading at the acclaimed New York Theatre Workshop. The staged reading was performed for a full house of NY theater producers and invited VIP’s for the purpose of solidifying interest in a possible New York production.

Four original cast members were flown in from Los Angeles: Troy Kotsur, Paul Raci, Victor Warren and Al Bernstein.  The rest of the ensemble was cast with local New York actors Matt Biagini, Robert De Mayo, Samira Wiley, John McGinty, Puy Navarro, James W. Guido, Alexandria Wailes, Richard Dent, and original cast member Maleni Chaitoo who happens to now live in NY.

The company rehearsed with director Simon Levy for only three days. Our thanks to our friends at Primary Stages for providing their rehearsal studios to the Cyrano company. Also in attendance at rehearsals were playwright Stephen Sachs, Deaf West Artistic Director David Kurs, Fountain Producing Artistic Director Deborah Lawlor, DWT Founder Ed Waterstreet and his wife, actress Linda Bove.

The highly regarded New York Theatre Workshop is the Tony-winning company dedicated to developing new plays and musicals.  Over their 30-year history, they have launched many acclaimed productions and have transferred several to Broadway, including Rent, Dirty Blonde, Homebody/Kabul, Peter and the Starcatcher, Once, and more. The Cyrano staged reading was held Monday in the NYTW upstairs rehearsal hall. An invited list of producers and VIP guests attended, including representatives from New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Primary Stages, 59E59 Theatres, Broadway director Jeff Calhoun, and more. The actors performed Cyrano entirely memorized and off-book and cleverly incorporated the use of captioning and video design on a large TV flat screen monitor.

Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to our Cyrano donors who contributed to our fundraising campaign and made this very important New York opportunity possible: Phillip Baron, Cal Bartlett, JB Blanc, Eve Brenner, Carlease Burke, Johnny Clark, Kyle Colerider-Krugh, Cathy Colloff, Debra Conklin, James Conley, Kimberly Cyzner Family, Lorraine Danza, Timothy Davis-Reed, Fred Dean, Donna Duarte, Susan Duncan, Michael Edwin, Mark Freund, Amy Frost, Heidi Girardoni, Jane Gordon, Gaby Gross, William Dennis Hurley, Trice Koopman, Ken LaZebnik, Robert Leventer, Dennis Levitt, Ruth Linnick, Betsy Malloy, Caitlin Marcus, Donne McRae, Susan Merson, Mills, Michelle Montooth, Joel Moreno, Russell Nore, Jenny O’Hara, Susan Oka, Z. Oppenheim, Patricia Parker, Cynthia Paskos, Patty Paul, Terry Paule, Sharon Perlmutter, Ralph Pezoldt, Allison Pickering, Lawrence Poindexter, Priscilla Pointer, Bill Pugin and The Sign Language Company, Terri Roberts, Mark Routhier, Rita Schneir, Sandy Schuckett, Susanne Spira Survivors Trust, Suanne Spoke, Marjorie Throne, Eileen T’Kaye, Zoltan & Dorcas Tokes, Andrede Toledo, Tate Tullier, Jessica Turner, Nick Ullett, Heidi Girardoni, Carol Watson, Marianne Weil, William Wilk. We could not have done it without you!

What happens now? We’ll see what the future holds for our unique, thrilling and moving ASL/spoken English version of Cyrano. In the meantime, enjoy these snapshots of the rehearsal process and the staged reading!

‘Cyrano’ in New York 

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Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, Deaf, Fountain Theatre, new plays, performing arts, plays, Theater, theatre

Tagged 59E59 Theatres, actors, Al Bernstein, Alexandria Wailes, Allison Pickering, American Sign Language, Amy Frost, Andrede Toledo, ASL, ASL Poetry, Betsy Malloy, Bill Pugin and The Sign Language Company, Caitlin Marcus, Cal Bartlett, Carlease Burke, Carol Watson, Cathy Colloff, Cynthia Paskos, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, David Kurs, deaf, deaf actor, deaf culture, deaf theatre, Deaf West Theatre, deafness, Deborah Lawlor, Debra Conklin, Dennis Levitt, Dirty Blonde, Donna Duarte, Donne McRae, Ed Waterstreet, Eileen T’Kaye, Eve Brenner, Fountain Theatre, Fred Dean, Gaby Gross, Heidi Girardoni, Homebody/Kabul, James Conley, James W. Guido, Jane Gordon, JB Blanc, Jeff Calhoun, Jenny O’Hara, Jessica Turner, Joel Moreno, John McGinty, Johnny Clark, Ken LaZebnik, Kimberly Cyzner Family, Kyle Colerider-Krugh, Lawrence Poindexter, Linda Bove, Lorraine Danza, Los Angeles, Maleni Chaitoo, Manhattan Theatre Club, Marianne Weil, Marjorie Throne, Mark Freund, Mark Routhier, Matt Biagini, Michael Edwin, Michelle Montooth, Mills, new plays, New York, New York Theatre Workshop, Nick Ullett, Once, Patty Paul, Paul Raci, performing arts, Peter and the Starcatcher, Phillip Baron, plays, playwriting, Primary Stages, Priscilla Pointer, Puy Navarro, Ralph Pezoldt, Rent, Richard Dent, Rita Schneir, Robert De Mayo, Robert Leventer, Russell Nore, Ruth Linnick, Samira Wiley, Sandy Schuckett, Sharon Perlmutter, sign language, Simon Levy, staged reading, Stephen Sachs, Suanne Spoke, Susan Duncan, Susan Merson, Susan Oka, Susanne Spira Survivors Trust, Tate Tullier, Terri Roberts, Terry Paule, The Public Theater, theater, theatre, Timothy Davis-Reed, Trice Koopman, Troy Kotsur, Victor Warren, William Dennis Hurley, William Wilk, Z. Oppenheim, Zoltan & Dorcas Tokes

But We Only Have 1 Week to Raise the Funds We Need. We are More Than Halfway There. Will You Help?

Find Out How

Last week’s bonus contest winner! She won a romantic dinner for 2 at Le Petit Restaurant. Michelle says:

“Cyrano was one of the best theater experiences I’ve ever had. And since I’m a theatre junkie, that’s saying something.”

The Fountain’s co-production of Cyrano has been invited to New York.   In just two weeks, our talented lead actors and artistic team will be performing for

The New York Theatre Workshop, the Tony-winning company that launched Rent, Dirty Blonde, Homebody/Kabul, Peter and the Starcatcher, Once,and more.  This will be a staged reading for NY producers and investors with the goal of launching a NY production. To make this dream come true, we need you. Join Us!

WINNER! 4 LA Drama Critics Circle Awards 

including Best Play and Best Production

CRITIC’S CHOICE! – Los Angeles Times

  “Irresistible! Consistently beautiful!

Critic’s Pick! – Backstage “GO!” – LA Weekly

“Perfection!” – SoCalTheatre  

“A masterpiece!”  – Examiner 

“A powerhouse piece of theatre!” – StageHappenings

The Fountain Theatre is a non-profit organization. All Donations are tax deductible contributions.

Posted in Acting, actors, Arts, arts organizations, Deaf, Fountain Theatre, performing arts, plays, playwright, poem, Theater, theatre

Tagged actors, American Sign Language, ASL, Broadway, Cyrano, Cyrano de Bergerac, deaf, deaf actors, deaf culture, deaf theatre, Deaf West Theatre, Fountain Theatre, fundraising, Indiegogo, Los Angeles, new plays, New York, New York Theatre Workshop, performing arts, plays, playwriting, Simon Levy, Stephen Sachs, theater, theatre, Troy Kotsur