Realizations.

Hello lovelies. It's been a while. Lots have happened since we last talked in June - I opened my production company, produced my street act in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2nd summer in a row), went back to circus school and pretty much got lost in the routine of classes - both studying and teaching.
But throughout the summer I worked hard at writing down a play that has been buzzing around in my head for quite some time. In September 2010 I wrote  poem called "Apple Pie", and that poem grew in my head into a full scale story - with multiple characters, plot lines, relationship, desires...
It was time to let the characters speak their mind. So I wrote a play, for the first time in my life. I was scared of doing so, afraid of writing blocks or not knowing where to take it next. But when characters exist in your head for so long, I discovered, they are so anxious to be heard that they can't stop talking. I wrote the play without any blocks or stops, without hesitations, I just knew the characters so well at this point that they were simply using me as a vessel.

Long story short, I finished my play one evening in early September, exactly 2 years after the poem was written, on a balcony in Rome at sunset. I returned to NYC, submitted my play "The Dreamer and The Acrobat" to the Frigid Festival, and whaddaya know? It got accepted.
Madness ensued. Getting the perfect director, finding a suitable stage manager, applying for an AEA Showcase code, putting casting ads, holding auditions, organizing a kickstarter fundraiser, starting rehearsals...
Time slipped through my fingers and before I knew it, it was late February and we were OPENING. Holy cow.

I am filled with gratitude. I have a play that I wrote, produced and am starring in running in New York City. How wonderful is that? We have 2 more performances left - on Friday 3/1 at 7:10pm and Saturday 3/2 at 3:40pm. I hope you can attend and share in the magic.
For tickets and info press here.

AND THAT'S NOT ALL...

You guys, I'm having my circus debut with a Jewish musical is Yiddish!!! It's like Christmas for me (no pun intended), all my favorite things in one show! I'll get to act, sing, dance and fly on my silks - all in Yiddish, revolving around the tale of Purim. I am ECSTATIC!
I will play Zeresh, Haman the villain's wife - a Lady Macbeth style woman who plots and plans destruction for the Jews. I LOVE being the villain (so much more interesting than ingenues!), I'm thrilled to do circus (and for the first time get paid for it), and I'm honored to be on an Off-Broadway stage with amazingly talented actors and team members, many of them have worked on Broadway.
Check out this page for dates, ticket info and video teasers!

Exciting news aside, I've been having some interesting thoughts about this whole Off Broadway show thing. When the show's director offered me the job he said "You can get my Equity card, you know?" I thought about it for a sec and said - "No, thank you."
He was a little shocked. You see, when you're an actor (especially in NYC), an Equity card is every young actor's dream. You can't be on Broadway without an Equity card. You can't book any "major" job in any major theater without an Equity card. BUT, and that's a HUGE but, WITH an Equity card you can't do anything smaller without permission, and paperwork, and jumping through hoops. Meaning no circus, variety, cabaret or burlesque. No fringe, no underground cool events, no off-the-mainstream performances.
It was such a strange moment, to realize that I came to the USA 5 years ago with Broadway dreams and now, unless the show is truly inspiring and unique, I have no interest in going there. I LOVE New York's underground community, I love the strange offbeat performances it nourishes, I love the creativity and willingness to try just about anything and everything.
I'm very happy I booked this show cause of its content and style, cause of working with people I like (The Yiddish Theater Folksbiene and I have been collaborating for nearly 4 years), not because of having an Off Broadway credit on my resume or cause of being eligible to join AEA.
To put it simply - I'm grounded in knowing what I want and what I don't give a damn about. It makes me happy to know that I am so confident and comfortable in my own performance skin.

A bientot, mes amis!
XOXO
Stav