Admit it. Woolly makes you feel good.

As you know, tonight is Woolly's Company Holiday Party. (Hope to see you all there!) In honor of this occasion, today we're bringing you a message from Production Manager, Brian Smith. As you can see, Brian made a very special appearance at our holiday party last year. Who knows what's in store for us tonight...


Did you ever wonder why Woolly Mammoth makes you feel all giddy inside? The fantastic plays? Of course. That sweet new theatre? Definitely. The crazy and beautiful staff? No doubt. But there might be another reason why Woolly Mammoth fills you with that special something. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Shaligram Shukla before the opening night performance of Martha, Josie & The Chinese Elvis. Mr Shukla is an Associate Professor of Linguistics with research interests in Indo-European, Comparative Amerindian and Anthropological Linguistics at Georgetown University. He told me of a more interesting reason we find Woolly Mammoth appealing:

"The following is the impression that the phonetic makeup of the name Woolly Mammoth creates in a mind sensitive to the beauty of sounds:

The vowels and consonants involved in the articulation of the name Woolly Mammoth are all continuant sounds in which the air-stream escaping through the mouth never stops. This process of continuous creation of sounds gives a sense of unity to the entire name which is not only aesthetically pleasing but which also has the beauty of ease of articulation, and along with its enigmatic semantics, adores the name 'Woolly Mammoth' with a charming acoustic image. "

Now, when you're done whispering "Woolly Mammoth" to yourself to test out its aesthetically pleasing airstream, put on your party shoes and come down to Woolly tonight!

Was Your House Clean for Thanksgiving?

A few words from the fabulous Linette Hwu, Club Woolly Member and Board Member extraordinaire:

Hi everyone. I hope you all enjoyed a happy and stomach-filling Thanksgiving. I'm sorry I missed you all at the last Club Woolly Night; I was on my way to NYC for something of a Woolly field trip on Saturday, November 18th. A group of 16 of us, including Artistic Director Howard Shalwitz, Managing Director Kevin Moore and, treat of all treats, Guenia Lemos, gathered at Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater that afternoon to see the Lincoln Center production of The Clean House, by MacArthur genius Sarah Ruhl, also the playwright of our last production of this season, Dead Man's Cell Phone.

As you probably know, Woolly's second production in its new space was The Clean House, in July 2005, a huge success in every imaginable way (including two Helen Hayes awards! -- Outstanding Resident Play and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Resident Play (for Franca Barchiesi)), in which Guenia delivered what The Washington Post called "a beguiling central performance" as Matilde, the Brazilian maid who would rather work on coming up with the perfect joke than clean the house of her employer, a successful doctor named Lane (Woolly company member Naomi Jacobson in our production). It turns out that Lane's sister Virginia (Woolly company member Sarah Marshall, now playing Martha in Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis) *does* like to clean, and well... I won't reveal the plot in case anyone has yet to see this fantastic play.

So it goes without saying that it was truly special to see the Lincoln Center production with Guenia. And it was so interesting to see how another director, cast, set designer, etc. took on this play that I loved so much at Woolly! Outside of Shakespeare, I've not had many opportunities to see different productions of the same play, but I think it might become a new hobby. Anyway, I'd have to say that I much preferred our production, and that seemed to be the consensus in our group. Yeah, yeah, we're biased, but for me -- I'll let others who were in the group comment in response -- the fact that the stage is on the same level as the first row of seats and the rest of the seats go up from there really changed the experience. I didn't like looking down on the action, and I didn't like that the balcony scene in the second act is basically at eye level. Plus, the stage is a circle, with the seats around it in kind of a horseshoe, which means that there's always someone in the audience who can't see the facial expressions of one of the actors on stage.

Also, for me the play is very much a play about two sisters. Lane and Virginia have their differences and are competitive with each other, but at bottom there's a bond between them that will survive through thick and thin. I think because I am one of two sisters I could really understand the relationship between Lane and Virginia that Sarah Ruhl captures; it and they felt completely believable to me. And so it was quite a disappointment not to feel that same energy and emotion between the Lane and Virginia of the Lincoln Center production (played by Blair Brown and Jill Clayburgh, respectively).

In fact, I'd say that was the major flaw of the Lincoln Center production overall -- a comparative lack of energy and emotion. I wouldn't say I'm a particularly sophisticated theatergoer; instead, I'm happy with my night out if I feel really drawn into what's happening on stage. I did not feel engaged and invested in the Lincoln Center production at all, so I was quite surprised to find myself shedding tears at the end of the play! I think that speaks to the strength of the play and Sarah Ruhl's writing.

So I would still recommend this production. Especially for anyone who didn't see our Clean House, it is a good use of a couple of hours, and I personally don't think I'll pass up any chances to see Sarah Ruhl's work. If you go see it, let us know what you think! And get psyched for Dead Man's Cell Phone -- I am!!!

(Photos: Woolly's 2005 Production of The Clean House, top right, Guenia Lemos, left: Naomi Jacobson & Sarah Marshall, bottom Guenia Lemos & Naomi Jacobson)

Catastrophes All Around!

Chris Babb is back today with his take on the second Club Woolly Happy Hour...

"It was great seeing everyone at Club Woolly on Friday night. We all had a chance to chat with Tiffany Fillmore (Louise), Kimberly Gilbert (Brenda-Marie) and Beth Hylton (Josie). Thanks guys for taking the time before the show to visit with us!!! So what did you all think about the show? It made me want to go ice skating, but I do not know how I would look in Brenda-Marie's skating costume. Now there is a frightening image. Well I am off to Charleston, South Carolina for the Holiday....I think I'll ask Jenn Sheetz, our Properties Master, what is into those green cocktails everyone is drinking on stage, to make sure the trip is smooth sailing. Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Woolly Trivia: Kimberly Gilbert is the newest member of our Acting Company.

Woolly Trivia Question: Who else in the show is also a member of the Acting Company?"

...And for those of you who want to try out that green concoction at the big family Thanksgiving here's what's in a Catastrophe according to idrink.com:

Catastrophe Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Blackberry Liqueur
1 can Pineapple Juice
2 cups coconut Rum
2 cups Rum
2 cups Vodka
1 gallon Hawaiian Punch

Directions:Mix all ingredients in a punch bowl; add ice. Serve into cups when chilled.

Enjoy! And if you try it--let us know how it was!

Martinis, Babb & The Chinese Elvis

Today, we have a few words from the remarkable Chris Babb. For those of you who don't know Chris--you should! He started out years ago as a staff member here at Woolly and then came back for more as a Board Member--more importantly, he's a man who knows his Elvis impersonators--(and his martinis!) Here's what he has to say about how he spends his Friday nights:

Last Friday was VIP night for Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis. What can I say besides it is a fantastic, funny show?!? Now maybe it was the two martinis I had beforehand, but this show has a big heart and it wears it on its skirt, and yes I said skirt and yes that would be a man wearing the skirt. What else would you expect when an aging dominatrix turns forty, wants to retire and a good client throws her a birthday party? Oh, did I forget to mention the Chinese Elvis, who of course is not Chinese but Vietnamese and needs cue cards to sing songs? And oh, don’t forget the surprise guest! These are not martini driven hallucinations but a sweet endearing show that feels like an early holiday gift, Christmas tree and snow included. The set is fantastic, probably to the best I have seen since we moved into the new space last season. I had a long talk with Hana, Woolly’s Technical Director, after the show and she said it was a real challenge to pull off. Congratulations to the Production Staff. It was great to see Sarah Marshall on stage once again keeping things clean and Kimberly Gilbert was adorable as Brenda-Marie the girl who dreams of becoming a professional figure skater. Hey, who has never dreamed of becoming a professional figure skater, I know I have. I am going back to see the show on Friday, for Club Woolly Night. Hope to see you there…I’ll be the one outside the theatre, martini glass in hand.

"Faking It" by Hana Sellers

For today's post, we asked Woolly's Technical Director Hana Sellers to tell us a little about what was going on downstairs in the shop. Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis opens November 12, (Club Woolly night is November 17th), so the shop is in full swing getting everything ready. Over here to the right you'll see a picture of the model built by set designer, Dan Conway. The set model is an integral part of the process and helps the set designer and Technical Director communicate more clearly about the look and feel of the set. Most set models are done in 1/4 inch scale and often in black and white. This one is unique because it's larger, (1/2 inch scale) and in full color. Looking at it up close is just like looking into a child's dollhouse. It's a pretty amazing work of art in and of itself....but enough about the tiny wonder. Here's Technical Director, Hana Sellers talking about how they're going to make the "real" version of this and about why you might not want her to visit you at home:

"Tudor timbers, brickwork, wainscoting, and wallpaper, are all elements of a realistic interior. The set for Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis has all of these elements and more. At Woolly realism is fake. We work with some offbeat materials to build our fake “real” house. Our Tudor timbers look like 6 x 6 beams, but they are actually steel skeletons with a veneer board cover. Our brickwork is made from split thicknesses of Homosote. I have to admit, I do not even know how Homosote is used in the real world (I think it might be some sort of insulation). Our wainscoting is milled in the scene shop by our dedicated carpentry staff. And our wallpaper is fabric wrapped around theatrical flats.

It takes a good deal of research to make our fake set look real. I spend weeks pouring over books, the internet, and the architectural elements in my world to work out the details. I visit my friends and linger over the details of their stairways or the slope of their roof. My kid finds me measuring the windowsills at our house. I draft details over and over until they look as authentic as possible. And then I head out for the store to see how we can construct them.

At Woolly, though, there is always more than just realism. There’s “Woolly Magic”, the special effects work that we turn our attention to once our house is completed. The magic can be the hardest work that we do, but it is also the stuff that makes us smile!"

We're going to stop Hana here so she doesn't spoil the Woolly Magic for you in this show...you'll just have to check out that part for yourself.

Getting Your Woolly On

A message from Artistic Director, Howard Shalwitz on the Club Woolly Kick-Off Happy Hour:



"There was a special electricity in the air at Woolly Mammoth last Friday as artists and audience members met and mingled at the first Club Woolly Happy Hour. This exclusive pre-show event was the Kick-Off for a year’s worth of fantastic Club Woolly events. GET YOUR WAR ON creator David Rees arrived in town Friday afternoon and headed straight to the theatre. Along with the show’s director, Shawn Sides, and the five performers of Rude Mechanicals, they all stopped in for a beer before the show started. Club Woolly members and their guests had the unique opportunity to share some one on one time with these remarkable artists. After the performance, David and Shawn joined me for a terrific onstage discussion, talking about how David first started creating his now-legendary comic strip, how the Rude Mechs got involved. Since this was David’s first time seeing the production, it was fascinating to hear his reactions about how the show translated from the page to the stage. (Fortunately he loved the show!) I could not be more thrilled with the start of the Club Woolly program. It’s going to provide some unprecedented opportunities for its members as well as enriching experiences for Woolly’s artists."

Woolly decor featured at the National Building Museum

Woolly's cutting-edge nature isn't limited to the new and challenging art on its stage. I was proud to see that the National Building Museum's cool exhibit on sustainable living "The Green House" featured the same countertops used on the Woolly box-office. From a distance they may look like stone, but next time you pick up your ticket or buy a candy at our concessions, look closely -- the countertops are really made of recycled aluminum shavings and clear resin. Who knew mammoths came in green?

New York, the Club Woolly Way

No, your favorite theatre hasn't moved! At the last Woolly Gala I won a trip for four to New York to see theatre, eat good food, and attend a taping of The Daily Show. On Sept 21 my girlfriend, two friends and I set off for a weekend of food, drink, drama, and Jon Stewart.

We stayed in the cool retro-modern Hotel QT, at Times Square in the middle of the Theatre District. Our Daily Show tickets were that evening. It was fascinating to see how the show is put together and the warm-up comic was pretty funny. Stewart himself also talks to the audience before the show and explains things as the taping goes along. We all were surprised how small the set is -- things really do look bigger on TV.

Over the next two days we saw several more plays. We'd arrived for the New York Musical Theatre Festival, where 30-odd budding musicals perform rough stagings in small theaters. Highlights included Smoking Bloomberg, a show about a dry cleaner angry at the city's mayor for the smoking ban's effect on her buisness.

We also saw two fully staged plays. The silly energetic Altar Boyz is a satire about a Christian boy band (with one Jewish member), lighter than helium but great for kicking off a fun Friday night. Playwright's Horizons has a fantastic production of Bruce Norris's The Pain and the Itch, a brutal yet hilarious play about a Thanksgiving dinner gone horribly wrong into disease, infidelity and death. Gee, doesn't that sound like the kind of play we need at Woolly?

With a grueling entertainment schedule we needed frequent eating and drinking to replenish our chi. As part of our auction package we enjoyed the tasting menu at Cité, with champagne and three wine courses paired with the food. Cité mixes good cooking and attention to detail with a relaxed attitude and generous pours.

The tasting menus, vegetarian and omnivore, at Devi on 8th Street, offer a parade of beautiful distinctive dishes (Mongolian Cauliflower, yum). Bond 45, just up the block from Hotel QT, is a warm, lively Italian restaurant meant for big groups with what may be the best antipasto selection in the city (roasted cipollini, yum).

Finally, a shout out to Little Branch, an old-school bar in the West Village where the cocktails are exotic and exacting. Fresh ingredients complement fine recipes. The perfectionism extends to the ice, made of filtered water in different sizes to match different drinks: a single slow-to-melt block in an Old Fashioned, tiny crisp pellets piled high in a Queen's Park Swizzle. Intoxicating yet refreshing. Get there early - like all the best bars, it's small.

I'm looking forward to my next Club Woolly Adventure!