Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Joe Janes Writes Six 10-Minute Plays In One Day In The Lobby Of Stage773 While Some Jerks Try To Distract Him



 (Joe Janes writes a play while the Chicago skyline attempts to distract him. Nice try, Willis Tower. Nice try.)

On the morning of Saturday, October 19th, Joe Janes will meet with six directors and eighteen actors. He will spend the rest of the day at the bar in the lobby of Stage773 writing six ten-minute plays for them. While he does this, you and special guests are invited to stop by and distract him. Some confirmed guests include a singer, a contortionist, a Shakespearean actor and a demonstration on catching demons.

Sunday, October 20th, the actors and directors will return and rehearse their plays all day and perform them that night at 7:30pm.
Stage773, 1225 West Belmont, Chicago, IL
Sunday October 20, 2013 7:30pm
Tickets $10 (plus some stupid fees)
www.stage773.com or by calling 773-327-5252

Joe Janes does not believe in writer’s block and seems to enjoy going out of his way to prove it doesn’t exist. “There’s either writing or not writing. You never hear an improviser say, ‘I was going to improvise, but I couldn’t think of anything to say.’”

Every year for the past four years, Joe Janes has challenged himself to write. In 2009-10, he wrote a comedy sketch a day for a year. In 2011, he collected 50 10-minute plays, 36 of which were written in two months, for a production at Strawdog Theater. In the summer of 2012, he wrote Seven Deadly Plays – a 10-minute play-a-day for a week culminating in all of them being presented on the seventh day.  Collections of his produced works are available on-line and at Quimby’s bookstore.

Directors
Cassie Ahiers - Cassie Ahiers is a Director, Improviser and Writer. She recently graduated from Columbia College with a degree in Sloth Appreciation.

Jesus Contreras - Wishes Bertolt Brecht was alive today. And his friend.

Stephanie Douglass - Stephanie Douglass is a farmer, writer, and performer. In New York, Stephanie is a co-founder of The TEAM, and in Chicago, she improvises with Eleanor, and has been featured at Here's the Story, This Much Is True, Real Talk Live, Paper Machete, Write Club, Story Club South Side, Adult Education, I Sh*t You Not, and all kinds of other story-filled events. She is a Moth GrandSLAM winner, and during the week, she grows delicious, organic veggies and trains people with employment barriers for Growing Home.

Katie Horwitz - Katie is an artistic associate at Stage Left Theatre. She most recently assistant directed "Warped" by Barbara Lhota.

John Jughead Pierson - John Jughead Pierson is the co-founder and guitarist for the acoustic band Even In Blackouts and the punk band formerly known as Screeching Weasel. He is a Neo-Futurist. He has published two novels: Weasels In A Box and The Last Temptation of Clarence Odbody.

J. Cody Spellman - J. Cody Spellman is a freelance director, dramaturg, and producer who has graduated from the directing theater program at Columbia College Chicago. He is an artistic associate of The Fine Print Theatre Co. and Stage 773, as well as the producing manager of Blood Oath Improv.

Featuring: Johnathan Wallace, Matt Ulrich, Paige Saliba, Monica Gilley, Erin O'Brien, Jack Gallagher, Zachary Kirk Lutz, Anthony Lombard, Jeff Irlbeck, Jordan Hoisington, Brad Bankemper, Katie Utterback, Deanna Moffitt, Xavier Jordan and more!

Joe Janes is an Emmy award winning writer and teaches comedy writing at The Second City and Columbia College. He has written for Jellyvision's You Don't Know Jack and SNL's Weekend Update. He has three books of his produced work: 365 Sketches, 50 Plays and Seven Deadly Plays. His full-length plays include Metaluna and the Science of the Mind Revue, A Hard Day's Journey Into Night and Always Never. He writes regularly for WNEP Theatre and Robot vs Dinosaur.

Stage773
1225 West Belmont
Sunday October 20, 2013 7:30pm
Tickets $10 (plus some stupid fees)
www.stage773.com or by calling 773-327-5252

Thursday, October 3, 2013

SEEKING DISTRACTIONS


SEEKING DISTRACTIONS - on Saturday, October 19th, from 11am to midnight, I will be at the bar at Stage773 writing six 10-minute plays. I'm looking for volunteers to come distract me every half hour for a few minutes. If you just want to stop by and visit, you can do that anytime. If you'd like to come by and sing me a song, show me a magic trick, tell me a joke, juggle some chain saws, show me your latest interpretive dance, whatever, then let me know in the comments section and I will schedule you for a slot! If you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know. Thanks!