For Chance Tickets

I am pleased to announce that tickets are now on sale for the second play in this series, "For Chance." A staged reading will be performed on December 16, 2013 at 7pm at The Theater for the New City. Tickets can be purchased at the link below.
http://www.theaterforthenewcity.net/newblood.htm

I look forward to seeing you there.

Exciting News

I am so pleased to invite you all to the reading of my new play "For Chance." This is the 2nd part of this 4 part series and a follow up to Sophie's Sweet 16, which premiered this past summer as a part of Theatre for the New City's Dream Up festival.

Here is a brief description of the play...

"After years of struggling to find himself, Chance, and actor on hiatus, decides to use drugs and alcohol to help him write the perfect play on his 25th birthday. However, after waking up from a recent blackout, he is greeted by his two childhood best friends. And although the two friends hate each other, they have both gathered to make sure Chance has a birthday to remember."

More details to come about tickets, and casting to come and please feel free to forward info to others, as this is a public reading. Also, there will be a short Q&A after as I will open the floor for discussion.

From Stage to Big Screen

Almost one year ago, playwright Chima Chikazunga presented a public reading of one of his plays, "The Accidental Kiss." Since then, he has had two of his other plays seen in three festivals in Manhattan. The writer is proud to announce that “Sophie’s Sweet 16,” which was most recently viewed in the week long Dream Up Festival, is officially going to be a screenplay. This news came after Chima sent his script to a fellow actor on the West Coast, to which ReShaun Groomes expressed his pleasure in it, and how he would love to see how the play would do on camera.  The filming is schedule is TBD.

Please watch this heart touching video on Alzheimer's Disease

http://www.upworthy.com/youll-be-amazed-how-just-a-song-could-break-through-to-this-woman-with-alzheimers?g=2

Life Imitating Art

......or so it seems. 

World Alzheimer's Month

We'd like to remind everyone that September is World Alzheimer's Day is September 21, 2013 and there are several fundraising walks and events scheduled for the tristate area on an around that date. Below are two links to events and more information on the topic.

Find an Event Near You

World Alzheimer's Month

In addition, National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in November and it was designated by President Ronald Regan in 1983. Here is a link for more information:
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

We encourage you to take the time to visit these sites to learn more.

Dream Up Festival 2013 Closing Performance

We knew it would be a good night when we saw the legendary actor/director Austin Pendleton sit down in our audience. We would like to thank him and all the people who came out to support us during our week's stay at Theater for the New City. We would also like to thank the entire staff at the theater and the staff for the Dream Up Festival.
For those of you who couldn't attend, pictures and videos will be uploaded shortly.

Sophie's Sweet 16 is just one part of a tetraology that is already in the works. A reading for the next play will be occurring within the next several weeks so check back here for more information on that play. As we have said, this is just the beginning.

5pm Today

Wow..the week certainly has gone by quick. Sophie's Sweet 16 world premiere at The Theater for the New City is having its closing performance as part of the Dream Up Festival 2013 today at 2pm. But as we prepare for today's show,  we are equally excited for the next doors that are opening up for this show. Also,  this is just the first play in a four part series and the journey is the drive behind these characters.

Midweek Break

"Wow, I knew you told me you were an artist, but I really didn't know how good of an artist you really were until I saw it for myself. I was blown away man by what you wrote, how you directed it, and how you acted in it. I came back uptown and immediately started telling everyone about it."
       If you want to say overwhelmed, that would be an understatement to the emotion the writer/director/actor and the stage manager felt after hearing an audience member's reaction after Monday night's performance. Though there is always something that can be refined, those words were just what we needed to hear going into a two day break we have between performances. "Sophie's Sweet 16" continues to shine each night brighter and brighter.
  The next performance is Thursday, August 29th at 9pm.  Remember, if you haven't preordered tickets, it is $15 cash only at the box office. Hope to see you at Theater for the New City on First Ave between 9th and 10th streets. If you have seen our show already, remember to stay in touch because this is just the beginning for some of these characters.....

Opening Day

A beautiful day brought some beautiful theater to our opening day of, "Sophie's Sweet 16." Dedication and hard work made it all happen. We are so thankful to those of you who came out to support us, as well as NY theater in general. A day like Saturday makes us wish we didn't have Sunday off, but we are all excited for our next performance on Monday, August 26th at 6:30pm. Please come join us as we witness these characters take their journeys. One person's action, or lack there of, can have lasting consequences for all those that have crossed their paths.

Tech Day

What a great tech day!  Theater for the New City and the Dream Up Festival staff are so amazingly helpful. Thanks David for your guidance. Our one and only tech day ran smoother thanks to the vision of the director who came in knowing exactly what he wanted each sequence to look like. The cast was patient as details were finalized and we look forward to our opening in less than 24 hours.

"Hello...How was your Day?"

A Brother's Pain.

Space Time

Tuesday was our first and only time to rehearse in the Cabaret Theater other than for our tech day. We maximized the time and got so much done. Blocking was solidified and set strikes were completed smoothly. The countdown is on and we were able to take a nice break on Wednesday night to see our good friend's production of Luft Gangster.

Missing.....

Rehearsals to Begin

So excited that the first rehearsal with the full cast is less than 24 hours away and the full cast will meet for the first time. The production team is looking forward to seeing how this cast,  who the director carefully selected,  will blend together to become one and learn and grow from each other.

Cast Set

  We are pleased to announce that the cast of Sophie's Sweet 16 has been set. Congratulations to Sam Banaee as David, Helen Kim as Keirra, and Linda Shell as Sophie.  The writer/director was very pleased with what you all brought to your audition and looks forward to working with you further for this production.

Chima would also like to thank Daniela Dakitch and Regina Gibson as readers for one of the audition days. Thank you for your professionalism.

Auditions

Auditions were under full swing today as director and playwright met with several potential actors. More auditions will be held next week to finalize the cast of Sophies Sweet 16.