Point of You Productions

First Time's the Charm

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:29:00 +0000

Tina Trimble, first-time director of Paper Thin, shared a few words with us about her experience.

For some time I’ve had the idea in my head of how the director and actors should collaborate to shape the play. My recent experiences on stage have been as a member of a large cast where the director has had little time for discussion of why the action is happening, what the characters hope to gain or fear to lose, how a gesture or position of a hand or inflection of a voice alters the audience’s expectations. To me the director’s role is not only to discover and reveal the play’s intention but also to explore with the actors each character’s impact on the action, to examine the validity of his/her emotions in each scene and to nurture the actors’ choices of voice, manner and spirit as they relate to the rhythm of the whole. I wanted to direct to see if I could do the job as I thought it should be done.

Marlise Garde and Gerard J. Savoy as Maggie and Clark

I chose “Paper Thin” for my directorial debut not because it spoke to me, but because it shouted. I fell in love with the characters – two damaged people who are emotionally distant from each other and from their own selves struggling to control the untamable human desire for connection. That’s juicy stuff. From the beginning I saw Clark and Maggie locked in this battle for control with the power constantly shifting between them right through to the final fade-out. Fortunately Paul Weissman, the playwright, shared my vision and gave me the opportunity to run with these beautifully complex people.

Marlise Garde and Gerard J. Savoy as Maggie and Clark

Paul conceived “Paper Thin” as a screen play and to me it felt far more cinematic than theatrical. I wanted to present the intimacy of film on the stage, and to achieve this we did numerous “takes” for each scene and even for many moments until we found the right mood or soul that worked. The challenge for me was to strike the right balance between the two characters so the audience would see them as equally matched in their emotional wounds as well as in their desire for and inability to embrace healing. The play has so many layers – so many choices could be made that would change the audience’s expectations and perception of what was happening. The actors brought numerous ideas about their characters’ essences and intentions which we discussed, tried, tweaked and sometimes threw away after several weeks. It was a wonderful gift getting to know Marlise better as a person and as an actress. She brought a lot to the table and kept adding more and more layers to Maggie as we worked. Being married to my leading man was not very different from living with him while he worked with another director since we always discuss his character when he is preparing for a role. The biggest difference in being his director is that this time he could argue with my suggestions but he had to try them anyway.

As Maggie and Clark came to life, anger became understanding, sorrow replaced empathy, stoicism morphed into humor (and sometimes back to anger) and we all laughed -- and ate -- a lot. I could not have had a better cast or a better experience as a first time director. Would I like to direct again? Absolutely!

Almost Over

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:56:00 +0000

Sunset Motel has had a great run... we've had fun crowds and amazing performances. I want to thank everyone for coming out to the far West Side (the theatre is across from Chelsea Piers if that gives you any indication) to support our production!

There is still time to visit the Sunset Motel! We close on Saturday, so reserve your tickets now.

We'll leave the light on for you...

Sunset Motel Tickets are on Sale Now!

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:13:00 +0000

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to let you know the SUNSET MOTEL is now open for business! You can purchase your tickets at TheaterMania. com by clicking here.

Tickets are only $18. Seating is limited, so we suggest you purchase your ticket in advance. If you choose to purchase your ticket at the door, please note we ONLY accept cash.

Any reserved tickets that have not been pre-paid will be released 15 minutes prior to curtain, so plan accordingly. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the house staff.

The two plays are coming together really well and we are excited for opening night! We look forward to your visit at the SUNSET MOTEL!

Variety Show was a success!

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Point of You Productions would like to thank everyone for their commitment and participation in our first ever Point of You Variety Hour. We are pleased to say that it was a quality production that helped us raise funds for our fall production Sunset Motel. The event was filmed and we hope to post video snippets on our website soon.

I know many audience members wanted to see a playbill for this event (sorry we didn't have one, we wanted to keep you on your toes!). To that end, here is a run down of the fabulous acts who performed… it truly was a POY-pourri of comedy, music and entertainment!

If you would like to participate in our next Variety Hour, please reach out to Marc Adam Smith (marcadam at pointofyou dot com – we are trying to avoid spam, so please change the “at” to “@” and the “dot” to “.” when emailing)

POINT OF YOU VARIETY HOUR – INAUGURAL SHOW

Jeff Love and Johnny Blaze Leavitt started the evening performing a song and dance routine – with a bit of improv thrown in. This number was originally supposed to be a Family Guy spoof, but in the end they developed their own composition.

Lizzie Czerner as Mistress Delia. In this comedic monologue, Lizzie’s dominatrix-to-the-stars revealed why she cannot “schnoogle.” Fun fact: This monologue was inspired by and developed during the run of our production Hurt So Good!

Paul Weissman – John Cazale Tribute 1, 2 and 3. Paul exploited his uncanny resemblance to the actor and re-enacted several of Cazale’s most famous roles to hilarious effect.

Monica Russell stand-up routine. Monica entertained us and made us squirm with her depiction of Southern cockroaches (aka water bugs).

Jason Spiewak set. Jason entertained and moved us with two original songs from his album coming out next year. http://www.notbillyjoel.com/

Johnny Blaze Leavitt stand-up routine. What fun to have an unintentional boyfriend-girlfriend stand-up routine. Much of the audience didn’t realize it, but Monica and Johnny are dating and their routines worked so well as a "he said, she said."

Jessie J. Fahay, Melanie Kuchinski Rodriguez and Alyssa Mann in a scene from Glengarry Glenn Ross. A gender bending take on the foulmouthed salesman play.

Chris Keating monologue. Chris brought the house down with his humorous monologue about the impending extinction of the banana as we know it. Based on true events! http://sooperdelishus.com/

Andrea Scannell set. Andrea closed the evening with her soulful voice and performed two great numbers accompanied by her main squeeze Paul Weissman, on guitar.

Marc Adam Smith, MC Extraordinaire. Marc kept the night rolling and our audience rolling in the aisles with sharp wit in between performances. http://www.bearonfire.com/

Announcing the first ever POY Variety hour!

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Rodriguez) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:28:00 +0000

This is a first for POY. We are letting it all hang out and hosting a variety hour on Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 7:30pm. This concept is a little hard for me because I am what some would call a control freak and the concept of this variety hour is fast and loose (and fun)!

We will have a WIDE range of acts from singing and dancing to stand up to monologues to scene work. We've involved a great group of guest artists as well... it's going to be hard to pack it all in to just one hour.

There's free food and prizes, so you'll get A LOT out of your $25 ticket.

Please call 212-613-6138 if you are interested in attending. The official press release is below:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Point of You is putting on this POY-pourri of comedy, music and entertainment to help raise money for our next show SUNSET MOTEL, opening October 9th! Our Ensemble and guest artists perform like you’ve never seen them before... Johnny (that would be Johnny Blaze Leavitt of BlackRock) and Jeff sing and dance... Chris plays with projectors... Paul rocks the guitar...Melanie swears, for Pete’s sake! It’ll be a fun night to remember.

Thursday, August 21st @ 7:30pm

GOTHAM CITY IMPROV
48 West 21st Street, 8th Floor
New York, New York 10010
(btw 5th and 6th Avenues)

Tickets: $25
Includes one drink and free eats!

Seating is limited, so please reserve your tickets now. Call 212-613-6138.

Featuring: Lizzie Czerner*, Jessie J. Fahay, Chris Keating, Melanie Kuchinski Rodriguez, Johnny Blaze Leavitt, Jeff Love, Alyssa Mann, Leslie Marseglia, Monica Russell*, Gerard J. Savoy, Andrea Scannell*, Jason Spiewak*, Tina Trimble, Felicia Eugenia Velasco, Paul Weissman and hosted by the one and only Marc Adam Smith.

* Guest Artists

Auditions, Round 2

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Sorry I have been remiss in posting at least once a month. Here's what you need to know: We have cast both our shows and have started rehearsals.

Marc Adam Smith, director of Family Values referred to our female callbacks as a "grand slam home run" (I'm paraphrasing, so please forgive me if I misrepresented your quote Mr. Smith)!

We saw a great group of female actresses and cast the lovely and hilarious Louise Flory! Check her out at http://www.louiseflory.com

We saw a lot of talented me during our auditons for the role of Jason, but we didn't find just the right chemistry... until we matched Louise up with our very own Johnny Blaze Leavitt! Congrats, Mr. Leavitt.

As I mentioned before, rehearsals are underway and so far so great! Family Values should be lots of fun. Check it out starting October 9th. Tickets will be on sale soon!

Auditons, Round 1

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:37:00 +0000

Well, we're only half way through our first round of auditions for Family Values and I just have to say I love this process (and I love having internet while sitting in the holding area!).

I love this process because it's a great chance to meet some wonderful people. Just within the first hour we met some really friendly and talented women. POY is a great company and we are like family, but it's nice to open things up to those outside of our family now and again. Fresh faces, new energy. All good things.

I can't wait to see how things go for the rest of the afternoon!

Variety is the Spice of Life!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Rodriguez) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:15:00 +0000

And now a word from our friend, Marc Adam Smith:

When discussing fundraiser possibilities for Point of You Productions, one of the ideas that came up and that I jumped behind 100% was to do a Variety Show. And we are on - Thursday night August 21st!!

For those of you too young to remember, the variety show was a staple of prime time TV, shows like Ed Sullivan, Dean Martin, Tom Jones, Donny and Marie, just to name a few, all had huge followings in the 50's, 60's and 70's. 73 million people watched the Beatles on Sullivan in 1964. But by the 80's the concept faded away. Back then getting your music, comedy, dance, and magic all in one place for 90 minutes was what Americans wanted. Now-a-days, with more choices you can find a separate channel for all of those things. But for one night on a stage in NYC we will bring it back.

All of the folks in POY whom you have seen on stage for the past few years will get up and do stuff that you may have never seen before. Who would not like to see Gerard J. Savoy do some interpretive dance? He isn't for this show, but still who would not want to see that!? But Gerard, Johnny Blaze, Mel, Jeff, Chris Keating and more along with some very special guests will be there to entertain the crap out of you. Also booze and cheese will on hand, so what more could you ask for!

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION BONUS: We at Point of You would like to give our Variety Show a title (other than "Variety Show"), so here's where you can directly participate in the fun. Post your show title ideas on this blog. We'll make our selections by July 9th!

Auditions: Sat, June 21st for Sunset Motel

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Greetings readers,

I thought you would like to know POY will be holding auditions for the female lead in our comedy Family Values. Not to worry 'gents, we'll be casting the male lead within the next few weeks, so stay tuned... You can see the full posting at http://www.backstage.com:

Point of You Productions is casting the comedy Family Values as part of a night of two One-Acts to be performed at the Sanford Meisner Theatre from October 9th-25th, Wed-Sat at 8pm. Paul Weissman, Writer, Marc Adam Smith, Director. No Pay.

Seeking-Amanda, Mid-Twenties, Lonely, Unpredictable, Ex- Child Star.

Auditions will be held on Sat, June 21st between 1-4pm by appointment.

Please email headshot and resume to marcadam@pointofyou.org or mail hardcopy to:

Marc Adam Smith
C/O Point of You Productions
FDR Station
PO BOX 673
New York NY, 10150

www.pointofyou.org

Good Help is Hard to Find

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Rodriguez) — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:11:00 +0000

And now a few words from our Technical Director, Gerard J. Savoy.

Well technically it’s not hard to find good help, but it’s going to cost you. So what better place for me to hang my technical hardhat but with a non-profit theater company. POY members wear lots of hats as do most who work in the wonderful world of Off Off Off... Broadway. I’m an actor, a writer, a set designer, a carpenter, a painter, a prop master, a lighting designer, a stage manager, a script reader, a tech, a gopher, a confidant, the muscle but what I really want to do is direct... not really. If it needs to get done, we as a group take charge and get it done, even if it is out of our realm of experience. My feeling is that one learns by doing. Now here’s the rub. I’ve got a Superman complex. (Johnny’s got one too, but that’s material for another time.) I have a difficult time with letting things go. Not in the “I can forgive but will never forget” sense (although my family will beg to differ) but in the sense that there are others out there who are fully capable of doing what needs to be done. So where are these people?

Well, they’re all over the place. Put an ad anywhere, do the word of mouth thing and you will get an influx of talented techs from the 4 corners of the earth. Once you weed out the nuts (and let’s be honest, in this business there are plenty to go around), you compile a list of people who can get the job done. You’re set. Now it’s time to get down to the details. Availability, experience, personality are all things that you’re looking at... after all, we’re not desperate here (snicker). So, you finally get that together and you’re left with the one person who fits the bill. They are going to be your Rock Star! They are finishing your sentences for Pete's sake! Everything’s ready to go, Set Phasers to Stun (you’re welcome, Johnny). Then the question comes up: How much does it pay?... Aw Man! You just killed my puppy. Did you not read the ad? Did the person that recommended you not fill you in? Non-Profit means, we ain’t got no cash. “Oh I’m sorry but I thought it was a mistake.” Or even better yet “Oh…you were serious?”

So what’s a company to do? Well you manage. You double, triple, and often quadruple the tasks that your team is responsible for. You make do. And hopefully, you think to yourself, "Someday we’ll have the money to hire the truly wonderful people that require monetary compensation for their efforts." In the meantime, you know that you have what no money could pay for: people you think of as family. Who devote their time, talent and love to do whatever it takes to put on the best productions possible. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by those people.

So if you are out there and have the time, talent and passion for what you do, let us know. We’d love to meet you; even if you are a little nutty (emphasis on little). We’ve got plenty of a lot nutty already. (Talk to Marc Adam Smith for two minutes if you don’t believe me).

A Note About Peripherals

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:04:00 +0000

Hi there blogging audience,

I thought I'd take a moment to mention that even though I referred to some of our colleagues as being on "the very peripheral" of our group, that doesn't mean we love them any less!

I didn't realize my previous post could be considered slightly dismissive with that phrasing, so if I offended anyone, I do apologize. We are truly grateful for any and all involvement!

POY is now on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:49:00 +0000

I just launched a Facebook group for Point of You Productions today. I really wasn't sure what I was doing, so I invited just a few company officers, ensemble members and guest artists to check out the page. This was at around 4pm or so. It's 10pm now and our membership is already at thirteen and people are joining who only have a very peripheral association with our company.

This is my first real experience with the Facebook phenomenon and it's pretty exciting! I look forward to seeing who else joins our group to get up to the minute info about our latest projects or to just dish on the theatre scene. My plan is to figure out additional features and upload videos, more photos and an RSS feed of this blog if possible. If you know how to do the blog thing, please reach out to me. Thanks!

Head on over to Facebook and look for us! We'd love to hear from you.

The Art of the Rewrite - Procrastination, Desperation and Margaritas

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:29:00 +0000

From the desk of Paul Weissman, Literary Director and playwright of POY's next production Sunset Motel:

Rewrites are a pain in the ass. It takes so long for something to gestate in my head and get it down on paper that when I finally finish the first draft, I just want to shoot it out there and say, “There it is, it’s perfect, enjoy it, I’m going to get myself a margarita.” Of course, it’s never perfect. And readings of the play will always magnify the flaws of the plot, dialogue, character, etc.

So, on to the second draft. This usually means I sit on the couch with a beer (yeah, I drink. I’m an artist. It’s in the rulebook) and my notepad (I don’t write drafts on the computer, I longhand it first) and stare. . . .and stare . . . and I go back to my notes to remind myself of things that need changing, tweaking or sometimes full on rehauling. I curse my lot. “Oy, couldn’t I have been a carpenter or a lawyer. Oy, this writing is hard.” Aaaaand nothing. So I put the pad down and proceed to watch The Daily Show or Boston Legal or whatever. And I go through the week with the deadline for the next draft looming over me. I ignore it for at least two weeks.

But lo and behold, in the back of my head, unconsciously, wheels are turning. I gave my brain a task and it loves tasks. Characters are saying things in my head. I hear them talking as I head up the subway to work. The dialogue is clunky. Somewhat inept. But they keep talking. Then, eventually, they say the right thing. The thing they were meant to say. THAT’S when I start rewriting. And then everything is easy as pie (I don’t understand that phrase. Easy as making pie, sure. Easy as eating pie, absolutely, but easy AS pie?!? I don’t get it). And finally, the words move from my notepad to my computer with ease. And I smile. And I hand it to the gang. And I go off to have my margarita.

The Inception (of the Celeb Rehab show):

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:12:00 +0000

From the desk of Jeff Love, Artistic Director:

This will be the first part of a series. I'm not entirely sure how many parts there will be in this series because I've never mapped this sort of thing out before. Essentially, what I plan on doing here is showing the steps that I, and occasionally other members of Point of You Productions, take when deciding to write a show for the company to perform.

THE INSPIRATION

At some point, while watching the news, it dawned on me that our society is completely entranced in hearing about various celebrities going to rehab, whether they are famous for acting, singing, or pretending to do those things, we are, as a collective consciousness, spending time thinking about them. This is usually a good indication that POY has a subject to write about.

What also seems to be a fixation is just how much these rehab centers are actual rehab centers versus how much they're glorified country clubs that cater to the wealthy and mentally irresponsible. This dichotomy, along with the need for a subject, seems to immediately indicate a genre best suited for the subject. For me, this genre is clearly comedy.

So there we have it. A comedy, about celebrity rehab.

THE OUTLINE

After already bouncing the ideas off the other company members and some select friends and family, everyone seems very positive (as opposed to my idea of a tragedy musical about dolphins dying in fishing nets) and so all that remains is...well...absolutely everything else.

First an outline (which I've been taught goes in 3 stages: the play's story written in a paragraph, than a page, then several pages describing what happens, with each draft obviously becoming more and more in-depth regarding the events). After that, you make sure all the characters you
need are fully thought out in your head. Are there any who are too similar and should be combined, or one who should be eliminated? This gets particularly tricky when you are trying to write parts for your friends and company members because along with wanting to put on a good show, POY makes it a point to encourage each company member to be challenged and have fun (so, for example, writing a part for Johnny to be a crazy old man in a wheelchair as I did for Five Years Later, while never getting any older or less funny in my mind, wouldn't necessarily be the best for him as a stepping stone to becoming a fully rounded actor).

THE DIALOGUE

Once the characters are fully fleshed out, and I have people in mind (or a couple of people) for the parts, I begin writing bits of dialogue about any general conflict ("who ate my roll!?" or what have you) to get a feel for how the characters talk and interact with one another. This is usually such a fun part of the process, that it completely supersedes everything else, and I've got piles of "bits of dialogue" that may very well never see the light of day...but it was still fun coming up with the lines.

THE CHARACTER AND CONFLICT

Then I begin to see if any bits of dialogue can be directly inputted into the play. I've already mapped out the scenes and the conflicts, so hopefully something as simple as "who ate my roll?" in a celebrity rehab comedy could become, "who vomited on my stash?" (because I hear that can happen in those places). If not, then the process of truly "working" comes in as you try to capture the characters, tone, and conflicts that your play needs. This is often where writers can misstep, because we tend to either love dialogue we've written but it doesn't fit the conflict, or it fits the conflict but seems to be completely out of left field for the characters to say. When either happens, it's important not to be too married to either characters or conflict. And I usually
rely on company members and other writers to tell me if this happens since they'll be the initial audience who decides if everything makes sense (until opening night that is).

You have to back up and see what it is you're trying to accomplish with a scene, character, or play as a whole, and then change whatever needs to be changed in order to communicate the Moral of the story. I had a pair of "judges" for Five Years Later that took me until a month
before rehearsals started to finally admit they should not be kept.

But once you've done that, you've got a working draft, and then the fun part of rewriting after readings happens... I’ll write about that next!

POY BOWLING ADVENTURE

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:32:00 +0000

The POY crew got together the other weekend - amid a downpour no less - and showed off our new team shirts! We had a great time at the newly remodeled Port Authority Bowl. The space was very loungy and the music was very loud (and appropriately cheesy). A few of us were surprisingly good bowlers (and a few of us - myself included - were not-so-surprisingly bad bowlers!). Enjoy a little slide show of our team building adventures.

Our T-Shirts get press!

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:49:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone!

This past fall, Point of You Productions participated in the Best Audience Club giveaway with United Stages (a really great company that helps promote small venue theatre and provides printing services for a great price - as many small theatre companies have equally small budgets). One of the lucky people to win our t-shirt sent a lovely comment and it has been posted on the United Stages homepage!

Here's the blurb:

"... and this from Merete who won a very cool Point of You company t-shirt:

'Thank you! That is so nice of you, and it's great promotion work you are doing for New York theatre as well! We have to all stick together and keep the theatre thriving.'"

Check out www.unitedstages.com and join their Best Audience Club. You can get ticket discounts and free stuff - like our POY t-shirts, of course!

If you don't want to wait to win one, you can easily get yourself a really spiffy POY t-shirt for only $15 - email Melanie (melanie [at] pointofyou [dot] org) to find out how. We have black, olive green and a few orange and red left.

Here's a groovy shot of my husband and I modeling the POY t-shirts:

First hand experience with negative misconceptions

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:41:00 +0000

Or as Marc likes to call this entry: If Your Play Is About Sex Then You Must Be A Perv

From the desk of Marc Adam Smith:

As we close another successful run of Hurt So Good, I now feel free to relay to you an incident that happened on our opening Saturday night. I was accused by a gaggle of what I will call “soccer moms” of trying to sneak into the men's room to look at a young boy!

The incident begins with the call of nature. I go to the john and find it to be locked. Now, our theatre was in a shared space with a public restroom that should never be locked, so I was surprised to find it so. I knocked on the door and tried to get in, at which time four of the aforementioned soccer moms (who it turns out have children doing a dance recital in one of the other spaces) come over to me.

Here is a recap of our conversation:

The Moms: "What are you doing? There is a child in there!"

Me: “Okay, but it is a public restroom and I need to use it.”

The Moms: "He is part of that sex show!"

What I didn’t know at the time was that the Moms where upset that Hurt So Good was in the space and they did not want to their young ones to see our actors in their "sex costumes." Not that these folks had seen our costumes at all...

At this point, one of the Alpha Moms comes up to me and says, "What are you trying to do, get in the bathroom to look at the boy?" To which I replied, "No, I need to take shit." Well, needless to say, my salty language set her off and she started to make threats and told me how she could "take me out." As I struggled to hold back the laughter, I suggested she back off and I went into the bathroom.

The incident seemed to be over, but about 20 minutes later a cop comes into the theatre space looking for a bald guy. That would be me. So, the Moms went out and got the fuzz to get the “perv.”

The cast seemed worried, so I asked the officer if we could go outside and talk. I told him what happened and he said he had to talk to the other witnesses. He does so and proceeds to tell me, "I spoke to seven people and they all had different stories and you are the only one who is calm, so it appears to me that this is nothing.” He called it in as a 91 which is the code for a non call. Nice guy and not the first time I have ever been questioned by cops in my life, so even though I was upset and angry I held myself in check.

So the moral of the story is: If you need to use the bathroom and are cast in or working behind the scenes of a play that has to do with sex, use your home toilet or the Moral Soccer Moms of America will get you.

Editor’s Note: It is very interesting how reactionary people can be over perceived perversion. Our show was a romantic comedy, it just had a kinky backdrop. The fact that our advertising used sexy imagery, just made it all the more volatile. This was our little experience. I myself witnessed parents swatting our postcards out of the hands of children, but I also experienced others positively intrigued by our show and its marketing campaign. And interestingly enough, TV and film can get away with much racier stuff… heck, even print advertising! One look at any Calvin Klein billboard will make my point clear.

This was all an incident of misunderstandings and over-protectiveness on the part of the parents. I certainly can’t fault them for wishing to shield their kids from subject matter deemed inappropriate, but the fact that they jumped to upsetting conclusions that our director was a pedophile… that’s just too much. As Mistress Lyla says in our show, “BDSM is lumped together with bestiality, pedophilia and other unloving acts.”

This was just a small taste of what many in the community - or in any other alternative lifestyle for that matter - have to deal with every day. Protect your children, but don’t promote prejudice. Promote tolerance. I hope that our show, in some small way, did just that.

"... a good time was had by all."

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:18:00 +0000

And we are finished.

Our revival of Hurt So Good was a success - it's nice to know the production's success the first time around wasn't just a cosmic aligment or some other fluke. People genuinely enjoyed the story. Everyone left the theatre charged with laughter and excitement and hopefully, a few left a little enlightened.

Now that the show is over, I thought I'd inlcude a few snippets from the run:

THE SHOW WHERE EVERYTHING BROKE

Okay, I exaggerate, but we did have one show where everything seemed to fall apart. I lost my contact lense in the middle of a scene, Johnny's watch broke apart mid-spank and his earring flew out of his ear at some point in act two. I wouldn't be surprised if the lamp gag malfunctioned during this show, too!

THE SHOW WITH THE HECKLERS

I know this can be a taboo subject and cause people discomfort, but the audience we had one night included several people who were vocally bothered by what they were watching. They were inebriated and felt the need to make fun of the production throughout... snickering at moments, talking back and calling out to each other at other moments. We knew this night would be interesting when the show opened and a woman in the front row took a call and proceeded to tell the person on the other end, "I can't talk, I'm at a show! I'm at a SHOW!" No stage whispering there, no actually getting off the phone. It was truly a night to remember and for many members of our cast, their first experience with a heckling crowd!

THE SHOW WITH THE LAUGHERS

We had a couple of shows during the run that had some wonderfully enthusiastic audience members, so much so that we had to do some serious pausing to accomodate for all the laughter. Not a bad problem to have! Trouble was, the first show with such an audience threw us for a loop because we weren't used to such a boisterous response... I admit the audience probalby lost half of what I was saying during my first scene because I wasn't prepared to pause for their extended laughter.

THE SHOW WITH THE STANDING O

Our final Friday show was treated to a standing ovation from two audience members who happened to be pro-dommes. One was even dressed exactly like Mistress Lyla... or I suppose I should say that our character of Mistress Lyla was dressed just like HER! Hats off to the costume designer for authenticity! It was so touching to have people in the scene appreciate the show.

THE SHOW WITH THE AMAZING CAST

This was every show. I just wanted to note how special it was to work with such a great group of people who were professional and genuinely enjoyed working with each other. With a cast of twenty, this is no small feat! Great job everyone. I, for one, had an amazing time working on Hurt So Good! Thank you for a great experience!

Check our website in the coming weeks as we post pictures from the production.

The Review is In!!

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:55:00 +0000

Ian Marshall of United Stages reviews our latest production Hurt So Good. See below:

Spellbound and Gagged

The Point of You production of Hurt So Good has been relaunched by popular demand. Why? Is it back because it’s a sweet romance, “an honest look at love?”, as the show’s marketing proclaims, or because it’s a kinky, sexy-hot show with lots of leather? Umm…you choose.

The love story concerns main character Tom, played sincerely by Johnny Blaze Leavitt (also the show’s playwright), who meets the girl of his dreams over the internet. When they finally meet in person, alone, Cecily cautiously tells him, “You can hurt me.” He takes it to be a warning. It’s an invitation.

The audience is also invited, although figuratively, into the world of BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Domination and Submission, Sadomasochism). The BDSM community is greatly misunderstood, often purposefully. Hurt So Good confronts the bias, misconception, animosity and dismissal through Tom’s friends. His sitcom-quirky roommate, played spot-on by Chris Keating, tends to stand back and comment bitterly. His friend Rebecca, played by Melanie Kuchinski Rodriguez, tends to get angry at the social irresponsibility of even mock servitude. The show may not change your opinion, whatever it is, but you won’t have the option of simply declaring the entire community just a bunch of perverts.

They’re people, of course. But specifically, they’re honest people, both with themselves and with their playmates. In the show, Tom must learn that real communication is the key to keeping his lovely Cecily, played with a wonderful innocence by Alyssa Mann.

But it’s easy for Tom to get carried away when the supporting cast is clad in leather and steel. His submersion in BDSM is guided by some wonderful characters, lead by the slightly creepy, but ultimately lovable Gerard J. Savoy as Master Anthony and the professionally intimidating Marlise Garde as Mistress Lyla. The menagerie of doms and subs, tops and bottoms, fulfills the conversion of a fourth-floor theater into a basement dungeon. Each character has a moment to shine, but especially engaging is Simply Because (Melodye Brant) who is so excited by her lifestyle, well, simply because “it’s fun!”

If fun is on your lifestyle agenda this weekend, simply because, Hurt So Good might just be what the mistress ordered.

Click below to read the actual article - with pictures! Thank you Ian for taking the time to see our show.

http://www.unitedstages.com/displayProject.php?ID=383&show=U

Hurt So Good is enjoying a great run

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:58:00 +0000

So far, so good. We are getting large crowds and putting on a good show. Last night was our best show yet with the crowd hooting and hollering at every plot twist. As a performer, it is so great to audibly hear the audience engaged in the production and we had that in spades last night. If you were a member of the audience last night, we thank you!

Here's a quote from Mr. Shaw who attended the show last night:

"Great show, laugh out loud funny, handled difficult subject matter with great sensitivity and playfulness!"

So, what are you waiting for? Tickets are selling fast, so don't miss out on this great production!!

Reserve tickets here.

Another Paddles Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 01:28:00 +0000

The cast embarked on a second fact-finding mission to Paddles and boy did we get an education. I don’t need to tell you about the layout as Lizzie already described it so beautifully… it can be a bit of a sensory overload, but it really is fascinating.

I admit, I was quite nervous to go. I didn’t know what to expect, all I knew was that this club was nothing like the fetish party I went to prior to the last run of Hurt So Good. This wasn’t a stand and be seen venue… I stuck close to my little group for much of the evening and noticed we had a small group of “vultures” hovering at the edges of our group. They were quite curious about us to be sure.

Our Leather Liaison and the playwright gave a guided tour of the venue where we ran into Sir Guy, one of our voice over guest artists dressed in a fabulous military uniform. We walked from room to room where the various bits of furniture and implements were explained to us. One by one, we were all chained to a large St. Andrew’s Cross (just to see what it felt like of course).

We watched a Mistress top a man using nothing more than cellophane and a couple of nipple clamps! She also had two slaves assisting her. We girls felt it would be nice to have a slave boy for a night…. Little did we know, I would get my chance later!

We met with quite a few different people there and they were all happy to chat with us and tell us about their experiences and answer our silly questions. One woman in particular was so sweet and open. Her name was Helen and she gave us a fire demonstration (thanks to the lovely Luna for providing her back for this experience!).

Helen was so great with her demo – she made it totally accessible. She explained that the torches used were soaked through with 70% isopropanol alcohol, so when it is lit, it is the alcohol that burns, not the torch or the person’s skin. In fact, we all got to hold fire in our hands. It felt warm for a moment and then a tingling afterward – almost like after spending a day in the sun.

The demo on Luna’s back was super sexy. Helen trailed the torches across and down, making shapes, drawing LL for Lovely Luna. She also told us how to make our own fire kits at home. I could tell all the girls were really enthralled by this, so watch out!!

Next we met Glenn who gave us a demonstration on Melodye of his Vampire Gloves. These are leather gloves with small spikes in them. Sounds a lot more painful than it is. It felt to me like a massage with a bristly brush…. Really good!

Glenn enlisted the help of Theresa to show me all the other toys in his bag. He used all sorts of instruments on her and teld me about each one and what it does. When Theresa had had enough, he made sure sooth her because she had gone into another realm mentally (called subspace) and she needed to come down gently from the endorphin high.

After that demonstration, I found the ladies all huddled by the bar excitedly beckoning me over. Luna turned to me and said “close your eyes and trust me.” Well, okay… and I was given a quick jolt of electricity to my back! It was at a very low level and actually felt pretty cool. It really wakes you up, thanks for sure!

Toward the end of the evening, I was approached by a Master who told me there was a man who would very much like for me to spank him. At this point, I was feeling brave, so I told him I would, but he’d have to coach me through it, as I’ve never done something like that before.

The man in question was this little slip of a thing in his 70’s. You can’t get much more non-threatening than that, so I felt pretty comfortable. We went to this massage table type thing that was CLEARLY not used for massages and I proceeded to spank and spank. My coach gave me pointers now and then (start slow, vary your pattern so the slap is unexpected, etc). I think I did a pretty good job. I had accumulated quite a crowd and they all clapped for me at the end as my coach announced it was my first time.

An interesting experience to say the least!

Lizzie discovers her inner kink at Paddles

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:13:00 +0000

Hurt So Good castmember Lizzie Czerner, as well as several other members of the HSG crew, went with our Leather Liaison Luna to a NYC BDSM club called Paddles to do a little "character research." Lizzie was kind enough to tell us all about it...

Hi! ‘Servant’ here… Ok, so I’m in the cast of Hurt So Good, a comedy about S&M. What could be more fun than that? I mean I get to parade around in a French maid’s outfit with a bunch of other actors who are scantily dressed. It’s good times, people! I confess though, I really didn’t know anything about S&M before joining the cast besides the fact that it involves leather and whips. By that description though, Cat Woman was the only person I had ever seen who was in the scene. (By the way, I have always considered her something of a fashion icon …hmmm…)

When the Director announced that we were going to take a field trip to an S&M club called Paddles as a form of research, I was intrigued. If nothing else, it was an opportunity to wear my fishnets someplace besides rehearsal. (Well, hey…you have to ‘don the traditional garb’, right?) However, having visited the Paddles website, I was a bit nervous. Was there going to be blood? Were people going to be crying out in torturous pain?? Some of the other cast members and I decided to meet for drinks beforehand for some liquid courage, and to talk about how we felt about the prospect of possibly being initiated into a deviant sub-culture. We all felt excited for the new experience but nervous that we might be approached by someone for a game of nipple twisting. Or maybe we were just worried that we would discover we were secretly kinky and then we’d have to come out to our friends and partners. That could be…umm…awkward.

When we got there (“there” being the same block where I go for coffee after acting class…Who knew?) I noticed a few things right away. First of all, Paddles is a ‘dungeon club’ so you go downstairs and they really do a good job of making it look like one - with grey walls, black ceilings, various medieval looking chairs and benches, wall mounts for tying people up, and even a small cage. Although I understand the joint is usually jumping, the night we went it was mostly empty (we were told this was due to the High Holidays, which tells you something about the clientele right there). Once inside, I came upon a counter full of paddles and floggers of various sizes and shapes. But as I looked around and got more acclimated, I realized that it was not really much different from any other NYC club –Oh, except that there was no bar. That’s right. These people were sober….Sober!! There was good music playing…Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and Jefferson Airplane. And the people were friendly! I got into some conversations with interesting people – a teacher, a receptionist – people just like me. (I’m actually starting to think that being into S&M is about as deviant as a henna tattoo). I learned that most people there had taken classes on safety so that great care is taken to ensure that all the rope tying and paddle swatting is done with concern for the person’s well-being.

I started to feel brave and asked if I could get a personal demonstration of one of the paddles. ("When in… Sodom?") So I asked Delia, the receptionist, if she’d give me a little swat on the tush. Her swats grew in intensity, but I was given complete control over the situation and was constantly asked how I felt and if I wanted to stop. In other words, I felt safe. Was it hot? Hells yeah! And so was Delia!!

By the end of the evening, my cast-members and I all felt that we had experienced something fun and new, and it didn’t automatically make us ‘kinky’ just ‘cause we liked certain aspects of the evening…Ok, maybe a liiiitle kinky. ;)

HURT SO GOOD interview on United Stages website!

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Rodriguez) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:13:00 +0000

Hurt So Good producers Melanie Kuchinski Rodriguez and Johnny Blaze Leavitt were interviewed by Jon Reuning of UNITED STAGES - an excerpt has been included below. To access the original article (pictures included!), click here.

Ouch. Johnny Blaze Leavitt's comedy Hurt So Good is back by popular demand. This time around both playwright and producer take their cuffs off to reveal how laughter and discipline can make an audience beg for more.

Melanie Kuchinski Rodriguez, producer of the first and now second run of Hurt So Good, what possessed Point of You Productions to bring the show back?

Melanie: The audience inspired us. We received such great feedback and enthusiasm from everyone who saw the show—from those in the scene and those who never heard of BDSM. In fact, during the last week of the first run, we had several people lament that the show was not running longer as they wanted to bring their friends to see it. The audience was really encouraging and thorough in their feedback. Hurt So Good is an original play and the last run was the first time it was presented to the public. We received a lot of feedback and as such, we have tweaked the script accordingly.

And you're reopening in the middle of Times Square.

Melanie: We are thrilled to be producing the show in Times Square. The subject matter is something you'd think would be more appropriate for an East Village venue, but our production is accessible to all walks of life. The story of love and communication transcends any sexual preference. Hey, maybe we'll get a couple of tourists to attend, dispel their preconceived notions and they'll pass that feeling of tolerance on when they return home.

Johnny Blaze Leavitt, what inspired you to write this play—Wait: first, can you tell me what BDSM stands for?

Johnny: BDSM stands for Bondage/Discipline, Dominance/submission, Sadomasochism. It's an umbrella term that covers a lot of ground, an evolution from the more simple/popular S&M. As to what inspired me, a lot of things. The current state of sexual education over the past decade or so seems to be slipping back to "Don't ask. You'll just magically know when you get married." And the entertainment industry seems to be fighting back with movies like Kinsey to Broadway shows like Spring Awakening. So I just took it a step further.

Sex is everywhere (without it, none of us would be here) but all the sexual comedies we're seeing all seem to be the same. Until you see something like The Secretary or 9 1/2 Weeks. With all of the S&M shops and clubs and bars in this city (which people usually pass by, afraid that someone will see them looking in the direction of those tinted windows…) I figured there had to be more to the story than what we see in sitcoms or Law & Order episodes. And is there ever!

Hmm. Okay, Johnny, now this is interesting: why this play, why you, why now?

Johnny: Why this play? I think it's an honest look at the subculture, touching on a number of relationships, styles and fetishes in the BDSM community. Why me? I've done the research, held the interviews, heard the stories and gotten the perspectives. My writing has been described as having bittersweet warmth and I think that's what this sort of topic needs: there's a lot to care about, to laugh at, and a lot of emotional intimacies involved. I just try to offer it all from several perspectives. Why now? BDSM is becoming more mainstream, more so than the general populace realize. But it's still not talked about any more now than it was in the days of Bettie Page and Irving Klaw. In an age of disinformation and suppression, it's important that there be people out there providing the answers to questions people are afraid to ask (or don't know who to ask).

Melanie, what is a nice person like you doing producing this sort of fringe subject matter? Do you invite relatives to your plays?

Melanie: Ha! I know! When Johnny first mentioned his idea for this play, I admit I was very skeptical. A play about S&M? Really? How can we do that and not be sensational and gratuitous? Do we even want to go there? But then Johnny showed me the script and all my fears were dispelled. It is an honest love story about communication and understanding—it just so happens to have a BDSM backdrop. When you strip that away, it's still a solid story of a boy and a girl trying to make their relationship work and making good decisions and bad decisions along the way. And you bet I invite my entire family!

Really, if you have to break it down to one or two elements, what's so funny about BDSM?

Johnny: Let's be honest: sex is funny. And so is anyone who takes anything too seriously. But most importantly, people love to laugh when they are nervous or uncomfortable. And our lead characters are certainly uncomfortable on their journey. Some are afraid of what they'll find out there, others afraid of what they'll find out about themselves. If the key question to this piece is "What are you willing to do for love?" then some are afraid that they'll find they can't go as far as they need to. We're not making fun of the subculture so much as we're making fun of people's fear of new information. The key to any healthy relationship is communication.

Melanie: There is a lot of humor in the whole fish-out-of-water story. BDSM just so happens to be a fish pond filled with really colorful costumes, props and even some larger than life characters.

Did people come to your last incarnation in leather?

Johnny: This is New York. The majority wore leather: coats, shoes, belts, etc. But in the spirit of what you're asking, we do offer discount admission to those belonging to certain organizations in the subculture and they dressed for the occasion. And why not? Have you seen the audiences at Rocky Horror? Great fun! I dare everyone to wear fishnets and leather when they come to see Hurt So Good.

Melanie: Here, here! Dressing up adds to the whole atmosphere of fun to our show.

What's the best thing an audience member said to you after seeing it last season?

Johnny: I think the most popular thing I heard afterwards was "When are you doing this again? I want to bring some friends!" The happiest "pay off" as a writer was when someone talked to me about the final fates of one of my characters (I'm trying to be vague so as not to spoil anything). One of my characters doesn't make it through the play and their fate was a little Hollywood ending-esque. But someone thanked me because that exact scenario happened to someone he knew and he was pleased to see it represented with heart and dignity.

Melanie: I think one of the best comments I heard was, "This wasn't scary at all!" Seriously though, I did get a great comment about how our show is a "must see" for anyone curious about the scene.

...In the producing and writing of this play, did either of you have an "aha!" moment when you understood something about love that you hadn't before...?

Johnny: I didn't have a discovery more so much as a confirmation that everyone is kinky on some level. Be it just playing with a blindfold, playful spankings or using silk scarves on a four post bed with your lover once or twice, or whether you're a card-carrying member to four or five S&M groups, everyone likes to have a little fun with sex. And why not? Correct me if I'm wrong but it is supposed to be fun.

Melanie: Yup, there's a kink in all of us! My "aha!" moment was discovering that this "alternative lifestyle" is not just about sex—it's about real people experiencing real emotions. Love comes in all shapes and sizes.

Thanks so very much, Melanie Kuchinski Rodriguez and Johnny Blaze Leavitt. We'll see you at the show!

Melanie: We look forward to seeing you there…fetish attire optional, but encouraged!

Something new has been added! Meet Hurt So Good’s Leather Liaison!

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:41:00 +0000

Dawne Garrett (known also by her nickname Luna in the leather community) has graciously volunteered to help promote and raise funds for our current production of Hurt So Good, reaching out specifically to the various organizations in the BDSM scene.

Dawne, how did you come to be involved with Hurt So Good? What are you doing for this upcoming production?

I was told about Hurt So Good at a leather event last year. I have heard of shows in the past that had touched on the subject of BDSM, but this one seemed different. More human. I was asked to sit in on a few rehearsals to help out with explaining what it was really like in the leather community and to help break some of the standard stereotypes. I stayed on to work tech for the show and even got to perform! (My New York debut!)

This year I have been working hard in the fundraising department. The goal is $5000 and we're well on our way. I have been speaking to several leather organizations about helping this show reach its full potential. Showing them what this show can do for the community and help in areas of outreach. I’m also helping on such tasks such as finding specialty “scene based” set pieces and I’m even looking to audition for the show this time around. For me, I just love the whole process… from beginning to end.

What are your experiences in the subculture (in a nutshell)?

I’ve been in the lifestyle for 15 years now. It’s definitely been an interesting journey. I have served on organization boards, have helped form groups, run events, I have taught classes for organizations on the east coast. It’s not just all about outreach and education for me. I play, I have fun. I go to parties, events, leather camps, classes, and sometimes just bar nights. I have met some amazingly wonderful people in this community. Some I call friends and some I even call family. The best thing is that I am still learning. 15 years in the scene and I am just starting to become in touch with certain sides of me that I chose to ignore. It’s really a wonderful thing.

What are your feelings about Hurt So Good? Having seen the original and read the revised script, what are your thoughts?

Now I’m not biased….really I’m not! I would have never taken part in this show if I didn’t believe in it. This show has what it takes to show people what this is all about. It shows BDSM in its human form. Not a bunch of dungeon romping freaks, but people. I have always loved that about this show. The happy times and the drama filled times. I think this show keeps getting better and better with each re-working.

I’ve always found the situations to ring very true for me. I myself remember what it felt like to realize I was into this and having to work through all of my own and societies concepts of what it was - the fantasy vs. the reality. I also love the NY humor of it all… I don’t want to give away plot points though. I want people to come and check this out and see for themselves!

As someone reaching out to the kink community – why should they see the show? Why do you think those who know nothing of the world of BDSM should see the show?

The community as a whole is usually rather skittish about shows that portray them. They sometimes worry that they will show them in a negative light or that they will portray us as mentally damaged, sick or unhinged. I say to them that this show gives us the positive light that we have been looking for. Explaining that what we do is Safe, Sane and Consensual. That we love, honor and respect.

This is also a great show for educating not just those who are not in the know but also those who are curious and want to know more. It’s like a mini springboard if you will. Be you kinky or vanilla, you will learn something about not just the scene but I think about how similar we both love. We just have more toys. *laughs*

What's it like working with Point of You?

I love working with Point of You. I have since I started working with them a year ago on the first run of HSG. They are talented, driven, and are all round fun to be around. This isn’t just another theater company, this is a family. They support each others’ talents, they help each other branch out and try something new, and they are there for each other well after the curtain falls on another production. I’ve worked with other theater companies in the past but never one as tightly knit as this one. I’m really honored that they invited me to work on this production!

If you could say one thing about the show to potential audience members out there, what would it be?

Go! *laughs* Seriously….run don’t walk! This show is what theater is supposed to be about. It makes you laugh, it makes you think, it starts discussions, it raises questions and it’s real. It takes a topic that usually raises eyebrows and shows it in a light that doesn’t make you uncomfortable. You will not be disappointed and you will be happy that you went.

Point of You Productions would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Dawne for her amazing help and support!

POY supports Habitat for Humanity

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 10 May 2007 16:34:00 +0000

From the desk of Johnny Blaze Leavitt:

Thea Cimmino, a friend and volunteer with POY, will be participating in a Habitat for Humanity - NYC Women Build project in June of 2007. POY applauds Thea's efforts and our company members plan to donate to her cause. Once donations are complete, we'll post the total POY donation tally on our blog!

We took some time to interview Thea regarding Habitat for Humanity - NYC Women Build:

1. Tell us a little about this project and its goals.

The project is called "The Halsey Street Project in Brooklyn." Nine homes will be built in compliance with EnergyStar standards which will minimize waste and maximize natural resources, resulting in environmentally-friendly homes that are cost efficient for homeowners. Nicknamed “The Coffee Cup Building,” this is one of the first structures in New York City to incorporate energy-efficient insulated concrete forms made of polystyrene, similar to insulated coffee cups.

Once completed, it will look like this:

2. What inspired you to get involved in this project?

I recently converted to Lutheranism and joined a parish in the Bronx which I LOVE! This summer, my parish is participating in a project called Lutheran Women Build (for Habitat for Humanity). I thought it would be a great way to get involved, give back to the community and simultaneously get to know my fellow parishioners better.

3. What exactly will be your participation on the project?

I don't know the exact details of my participation, but it has been described to me as, “You will pound, haul, lug, dig, raise, demolish or scrub. You will see results and you will get dirty!”

4. The project is described as “Lutheran Women Build.” - are all of the volunteers women or are you assisting women in need?

There are several different groups of volunteers participating in this project, both men and women, including Delta Airlines employees, Jon Bon Jovi and independent volunteers from throughout NYC. My group is made up of 50 Lutheran women coming from multiple Lutheran parishes throughout the NY metro area. Some of the other volunteers are trade professionals (carpenters, electricians, plumbers) who will contribute their expertise to the completion of the project.

The end product of the project will be nine affordable, environmentally-friendly homes for families with low incomes. Although not exclusively for women, seven of the homes will be occupied by single women with families.

5. How do you feel this project will affect the community?

The project is a great asset to the community. It is providing safe, clean and affordable housing to good people in need. It will help improve the aesthetics of the neighborhood. It also unites diverse individuals of a different race, religion, profession and background working together for an honorable cause.

6. Is there anything special you would like people to know about this project?

I’d like people to view this as more than just a charitable cause. It is also a unifying event for New Yorkers. After 9/11, people of every imaginable background united to help rebuild New York City physically, mentally and emotionally. But, we shouldn’t have to wait for major a tragedy to bring us together. There are plenty of everyday tragedies within our community that we ignore on a regular basis. Volunteer workers and sponsors for projects like this are living testaments that New Yorkers care and will hopefully inspire others to get involved and help better our community in some way, regardless of how big or small.

To make a donation to this project, please visit:
http://habitatnyc.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&amp;i=220352&u=220352-171977054&e=1033067148
And if they ask “How did you hear about us?” tell them “Point of You Productions.

Good luck Thea - we hope you have a great time and take lots of pictures so we can share your success with our blogging public!