State of Play Productions

Reading at the Dramatists’ Guild

THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID
written by Jessica Fleitman
directed by Chloe Demrovsky

Friday, November 20th, 2009
7:30-9 PM
FREE
Frederick Loewe Room, Suite 710
1501 Broadway (located between 43rd and 44th Streets)
New York, NY  10036.
NOTE: You must have a photo I.D. to enter the building.

One of the Guild’s many member benefits is the opportunity to present a reading of a play or musical in a space provided by the Guild on a certain date and time. The Friday Night Footlights series allows members to do just that, free of charge. With scattered dates from September through May, each series showcases the work of several writers per night.

THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID by Jessica Fleitman
An outrageous parable that turns the genre of romantic comedy inside out to explore modern feminism. In the classic fairytale, a mermaid gave up her fins to follow a prince, only to lose him to another woman. When Miriam, an elementary school teacher, watches her professor fiancé run off with a student, she swears off men entirely by magically transforming her legs into a mermaid tail so no man can get into her heart. But what she doesn’t see coming is that this act will spark a national feminist movement, with Miriam as the figurehead. Toss an unconventional prince charming into the mix, and Miriam may be in over her head.

Featuring: Seth Andrew Bridges, Leslie Boles, Michelle Concha, Starr Kirkland and Joe Sevier
Dramaturgy: Rebecca Jones, Pip Ngo
Stage Management: Jessica Suter

Join Us at Fiddlesticks!

NOVEMBER 19, 2009
7:30pm – 10:30pm
56 Greenwich Ave,
New York, NY 10011

Guest Bartending at Fiddlesticks in the West Village! Come and bring a friend or five as all proceeds will benefit our upcoming production of The Average-Sized Mermaid. We are shaking it up a little from the old Deacon Brodie’s formula; still a guaranteed night of fun with great people, so come out and support the arts over a beer!

Now Casting

Seeking actor for our latest production, The Average-Sized Mermaid by Jessica Fleitman (Non-Union). Must be able to play both these roles:

THE VISITOR—a drag queen, or maybe something more. She doesn’t straddle the two worlds of Male and Female: she owns both. Glamorous, with a bit of an attitude, yet vulnerable. Mid 20s-30s.

CONGRESSMAN HANK RADISH—a conservative politician who often says more–and less eloquently–than he had originally intended. Mid 20s-30s.

Replacement to start ASAP. Auditions end of this week. Please email a headshot and resume to info@stateofplaytheatre.com and we will contact you to set up an appointment. Possible deferred pay, but a fun opportunity to work with a passionate company.

Synposis: Things can’t get any worse for Miriam Moselle, or so she thinks: her fiancé has left her, and her job is in jeopardy after an ill-advised feminist rant on “The Little Mermaid” traumatizes her kindergarten class. The last thing she expects, however, is to inexplicably transform into a mermaid herself! Initially horrified, Miriam soon enacts a plan for revenge against her unfaithful ex, but accidentally launches an international feminist movement in the process! Toss an unconventional prince charming into the mix, and Miriam may be in over her head.

The Mermaid Workshop

Fall 2009
Written By Jessica Fleitman
Directed By Chloe Demrovsky

Be Careful What You Fish For

We will be presenting an Invited Reading of The Average-Sized Mermaid at The Dramatists’ Guild on November 20, 2009 and a preview scene at the FAR Showcase at Dixon Place on December 14, 2009.  More information coming soon.

Our process begins with a three-month workshop process, in which Company Member, Chloe Demrovsky, will direct a full cast of actors, including Company Member Michelle Concha and newcomers Chris Beier, Seth Andrew Bridges, Leslie Boles and Starr Kirkland.  Jessica will work with NYU-trained dramaturg, Pip Ngo, and producer Rebecca Jones to help the play reach its fullest potential.  We have already received our first big contribution to the production: we were awarded an Emerging Artists Residency Grant by The Field.  This exciting grant allows us use of a state of the art rehearsal studio in Manhattan for our development process.

THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID is an outrageous parable that will have you laughing your tail off. In the classic fairytale, a mermaid gave up her fins to follow a prince, only to lose him to another woman. Miriam, an elementary school teacher, transforms into a mermaid to get back at her unfaithful fiance.  What she doesn’t see coming is that she must now take responsibility for a national feminist movement, and her own feelings are a little more complicated than she had foreseen.  Toss an unconventional prince charming into the mix, and Miriam may be in over her head.

Jessica Fleitman is an award-winning playwright and graduate of UC Santa Barbara. Notable credits include Word of the Day (Magic Theatre in San Francisco, Sloan Foundation commission recipient) The Average-Sized Mermaid (UCSB’s New Plays Festival, Corwin Award: Best One-Act Play), and Deuteranomaly (finalist in the Strawberry One-Act Festival 2009). While some said New York simply wasn’t ready for a writer from a middle-class Jewish background, Jessica knew this unique life experience would add a fresh perspective to the city’s theatrical and literary scene, and she bravely moved to Brooklyn. She is a proud member of the Playwrights Group and the Dramatists Guild of America.

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