Enter to Win Two Tickets to the Paris Commune Invited Dress!

As you might know, our upcoming run of Paris Commune in the BAM 30th Next Wave Festival in the Fisher Building sold out in around 48 hours. But we really want you to see the show!

So leave us a comment answering our question and get entered into a raffle for two tickets to our Invited Dress Rehearsal on October 3 at 2:00pm. 

We want to know:

If you could change one thing in our country, what would it be?

In the actual Paris Commune, the citizens of Paris rethought lots of different elements of society, from free speech rights to women's rights to the practice of baking bread at night. So talk to us! What would you want to change if you could reimagine our society? More healthcare? Less healthcare? Campaign finance reform? Less regulations for businesses? Leave us a comment below, and get entered to win the tickets!

We're also running this contest on our Facebook and Twitter, so feel free to enter there, too!

Daniel Jenkins, Aysan Celik, Jeanine Serralles, and Nina Hellman in Paris Commune tech

Aysan Celik in Paris Commune tech

And thanks to Sam Breslin Wright for generously sharing photos with us!

What is your favorite death scene in a movie?

We've been conducting a lot of different interviews for our upcoming cabaret at Joe's Pub focusing on unusual and unexpected stories about death and the death industry. Our artists have talked to a funeral director, a Yogi, morticians, doctors, and more to examine what can be tangible about this other-worldly topic. While we're working, we want to hear from you!

 What is your favorite death scene in a movie or play? 

Leave us a comment or link to a scene; we've got some of our favorites below!

 

(Spoiler alert)

 

Contributed via Facebook:

 

 Contributed below in a comment:

 

  Get tickets to the cabaret on May 18th HERE!

Let Me Ascertain You: Death

We're so happy to announce that our next cabaret at Joe's Pub is on May 18 - Let Me Ascertain You: Death. Our artists entered some surprising and dark territory and have come back to share their enlightening tales of death, murder, grief, and insights into forensic anthropology. Sound fun? They promise it will be. Hear stories from the Body Farm in Knoxville Tennessee, a facility for study of the decomposition of human bodies and research site for criminal investigations. We're investigating the thought-provoking, unexpected and at times humorous personal stories of encounters with death. And we want to hear from you, too!

Have you had an unusual encounter with the industry of death? 

Tell us your story in the comments, or send an email to liaison@thecivilians.org. Or do you know someone who has had a surprising death-related experience? - perhaps someone who works with death in some capacity, like a funeral home director or mortician? Send us their contact info and we'll get in touch with them for an interview!

And get your tickets for the performance HERE!

YOU BETTER SIT DOWN: Question 4

As we move into the last week of performances of You Better Sit Down: Tales from My Parents' Divorce, we have one final question for you!

What songs or music were you listening to during your divorce or break-up?

These responses feed our Salon Nights, where artists create all new monologues, songs, and scenes from both online and live audience answers to our questions. 

Join us for one of our remaining Salon Nights:

4/28: The Bats
5/5: The Civilians' Associate Artists

And the deals continue:
4/26 and 5/2: Code TWOFER for 2 for 1 tickets
Next Tuesday: Pay What You Can
Saturday Matinees: All Tickets $10

Plus, with this week's question, we'll put together a special Divorce playlist!

Occupy Wall Street, Part VII

From the Occupy Wall Street Journal to the raid on Zuccotti Park to Occupy Our Homes in East New York to the Lincoln Center Opera House, this week's episode continues to chronicle the events of Occupy Wall Street through performances of interviews with actual protesters. Jordan Mahome plays Jordan (no relation), Garrett Neergaard plays Michael, and Caitlin Miller plays an actress who has been to Occupy protests around New York City. The episode concludes with an audience sing-along recorded during the live performance at Joe's Pub led by Michael Friedman. The song is from his great-grandfather's rebel songbook.

Plus, check out our new OCCUPY material on our Occupy Your Mind Tumblr!

This episode contains some language that might not be appropriate for children.

TO SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE TO THE LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU PODCAST SERIES ON ITUNES, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Is there something you still have of your ex's that he/she doesn't know about?

The first performance of You Better Sit Down: Tales from My Parents' Divorce at the Flea Theater is on Saturday, and we can't wait for you to see it! As part of the run, we're so pleased to announce that we'll be doing a series of post-show events called You Better Sit Down Salon Nights: Your Tales Take the Stage. Every Wednesday and Saturday evening following the show, you (yes, you!) will have the chance to share in the storytelling. Civilians Associate Artists and The Bats from the Flea (plus some special guest artists that we'll be announcing soon!) will develop short scenes and songs from material contributed by audiences both in the theater and online based on questions related to personal experiences with divorce, family, relationships, and break-ups.

So this is where you come in! Your answers to the following question will directly feed what will be onstage at our future You Better Sit Down Salon Nights.

Our first question is:

Is there something you still have of your ex's that he/she doesn't know about?

Leave us a comment here, Tweet it at us, or tell us on Facebook! Or, we'd love it if you would email us a story and/or a photo to liaison@thecivilians.org! We will send your responses on to our artists and The Bats to inspire the creation of all new investigative theater.

Just in case you need more incentive, the first five responses will get a free ticket to a preview performance!

Get your tickets HERE!

A Pretty Filthy Podcast, Part IX

Here is our final adult entertainment podcast episode! Special thanks to our interviewing team: Mia Barron, Laura Nix, Taylor Wilcox, and Matt Maher. In this episode, Emily Ackerman performs an interview with producer Lynn LeMay; Daoud Heidami plays performer Sebastian Silver; next is a particularly filthy round of Porn Charades in which one of our audience members at Joe's Pub tries to act out a porn title while the cast guesses; Nina Hellman plays director and producer Kelly Holland; Dael Orlandersmith as Pamela Peaks; and last up is Gibson Frazier as director, producer, and actor Eli Cross. This material is inspiring Pretty Filthy, a new musical by Bess Wohl and Michael Friedman.

This episode contains material that is not appropriate for children of 18 years or younger.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU PODCAST SERIES ON ITUNES, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

A Pretty Filthy Podcast, Part VII

Big adult entertainment stars are featured in this week's episode, including performer and director Avy Scott played by Emily Rossell, POV director Dan Silver played by Greg Hildreth, and performer/director Kylie Ireland performed by Colleen Werthmann. We've also got the winning titles for Pornified Broadway, in which we asked the live audience at Joe's Pub to write down pornified names of Billy Elliot, Phantom of the Opera, and Mary Poppins. Plus Emily Rossell sings "First Contract Girl" by Michael Friedman. All monologues are from interviews conducted by our artists for Pretty Filthy, a new musical by Bess Wohl and Michael Friedman.

This episode contains material that is not appropriate for children of 18 years or younger.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU PODCAST SERIES ON ITUNES, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

A Pretty Filthy Podcast, Part VI

The legendary Axel Braun starts off this week's episode. Our interview with him inspired both this monologue, performed by Brad Heberlee, and the song "Squirting 101" in A Pretty Filthy Podcast: Part IV. This week also has Porn Charades, Round 2 (in which an audience member tries to act out a porn movie title and the cast and audience try to guess what it is), Kelly McCreary as Ms. Brown Sugar, and Lexy Fridell singing "ABC, 123" by Michael Friedman. The live performance took place at Joe's Pub. These interviews were conducted by our artists with real adult entertainment professionals for Pretty Filthy, a new musical by Bess Wohl and Michael Friedman.

This episode contains material that is not appropriate for children of 18 years or younger.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU PODCAST SERIES ON ITUNES, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Porn Charades: A Pretty Filthy Podcast, Part V

This week's podcast episode, back in adult entertainment, features a recording of a game of porn charades in which one of our intrepid audience members was acting out a porn title and the cast members of the live evening at Joe's Pub were guessing. To get a visual sense of what was going on, here are some photos of the action. Plus this week, we have Aysan Celik as an adult entertainment performer and parent, Brandon Miller as male talent Bill Margold, and Michael Friedman singing his song "We Were Giants." This material is crafted from interviews with real people for the new musical PRETTY FILTHY, by Bess Wohl and Michael Friedman.

This episode contains material that is not appropriate for children of 18 years or younger.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU PODCAST SERIES ON ITUNES, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA FOR A CIVILIANS SHOW?

If you have reached this page, it means that you just bought tickets to our benefit this year, BENEFIT X! Tickets will be held at the door for you under the name used to purchase the tickets. If you would like further confirmation, please email Rosalind at rosalind@thecivilians.org.

First and foremost, THANK YOU! Can't wait to see you on May 2!

Secondly, we are asking a question (as we do every year), and YOUR ANSWERS will be used to create an original Civilians' performance for the benefit! This year's question is:

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA FOR A CIVILIANS SHOW?

Tell us your answers in a comment at the end of this post!
(Or email them to liaison@thecivilians.org.)

And lastly, if you haven't seen all of The Civilians' shows since 2001 and are wondering what our ticket levels are all about, I'll just let the shows speak for themselves:

GUCCI PUMP - FROM GONE MISSING

TOM

So, do you know Laura? So she was meeting with some big TV people. And she had on this pair of black Gucci pumps and a nice skirt and everything, and after her meeting we were all going out. And somewhere along that night she lost her shoe.  One of her Gucci shoes, because she had changed at PS 122 because she felt overdressed. She thinks that she left the shoe in the bathroom. I think she actually lost the shoe later that night, because I think they went out drinking--

answering machine beep 

LAURA 

Hi, it’s Laura, um I was really hoping that you could have secured the shoe before you

left town but apparently you have not, so I’ve been working with Tom and Tom has gone back to PS 122 numerous times. And I’m leaving numerous messages for the house manager, the artistic director, the director of development to see if they have gotten their act together enough to find the shoe.  Um, I am sending a packet of flyers to you, to Tom, to Big Daddy, and to Elizabeth, and I’m sending maps of where I’d like you guys to post the flyers because I’m really hoping if someone sees some--you know-- one legged person wearing it–who wears a size six--that uh, it will become clear whose shoe that is and where they need to send it to in Los Angeles immediately. Um, I am working on the flyer, and I’ve also started an email address:  ilostmyshoe@earthlink.net.  So, um, I don’t know if you have gone back to PS 122 or not--no one there returns my calls and it’s really depressing-–but I’m really hoping the flyers will stir up some leads!

FRENCH GOOSE - FROM CANARD, CANARD, GOOSE?

CHARLIE

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special little treat for you tonight – no, no I’m sorry we can not give you a sad story about little lost frozen popsicle geese – there is no sad story about little sad chilly little imprinted-on-Anna-Paquin geese –No– tonight we give to you ladies and gentlemen the real geese of Long Lake.  They are from French.  France. And do not be tricked, ladies and gentlemen, although these geese star in a “documentary,” they are not amateurs.  No. They are professional performers.  And these geese live now in a comfortable tedious retirement with two French girls who wait ever so patiently for them to die.  So, please help me welcome these very very talented geese to our stage, they are very very happy to be here, as they have nothing else to do.

SCHRODINGER'S CAT - FROM (I AM) NOBODY'S LUNCH

MALE SOLO

I've been thinking how love is like Schrodinger's cat

Locked up tight out of sight in a box and how that

Means it's dead and alive at the same time and so—

When you think of the box it's like seeing a

Photo of a cloud or fog

It’s an outcome that remains uncertain

You can't see a thing in all that fog

You can't see a man behind the curtain.

FEMALE SOLO

What are you so afraid of?

We’re gonna find an answer, it’s just around the corner and I know…

What are you so afraid of?

We’re gonna find an answer, find an answer…

So leave your comments below! Thanks again!

 

LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU: PRETTY FILTHY - Winners!

For those of you who missed LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU: PRETTY FILTHY on Friday, it went great! The performers did a thoroughly fabulous job, and it seemed like everyone had a fantastic time. Our audience responses were even filthier than they were at LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU: PORN (difficult to imagine, considering the winning "pornified" name for Billy Elliot at the cabaret last June was "Bill-Me-Elliot-Spitzer"). I can tell you that the winner for Colin Quinn: Long Story Short  was "My Penis: Long Story Short" and the winner for Driving Miss Daisy was "Muff Diving Miss Daisy" (a dramaturg later suggested "Diving Muff Daisy"). I can't even tell you what Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark's was, though an excellent runner up was "Spider Man: Breaking My Third Leg."

Thanks for coming to those who did, and for those who didn't, hope to see you at the next LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU in June!

LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU: PRETTY FILTHY Tonight!

In a few hours, we'll be doing our third cabaret in our LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU Series, this one devoted to our musical about the adult entertainment industry, PRETTY FILTHY. We'll be asking the audience a few questions, and we'll announce the winners at the event. For those of you who'd like to play along at home, give us your best answers! 

Write in a “pornified” title for the following Broadway shows:

#1 Spider Man Turn Off the Dark
#2 Driving Miss Daisy
#3 Colin Quinn: Long Story Short

For example, some movies that have been “pornified” include “Edward Penishands,” “How Stella Got Her Tube Packed,” and “Saving Ryan’s Privates.” You get the idea.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and we'll let you know what won on Monday!

LET ME ASCERTAIN YOU: CRIME, USA - Best Audience Crimes

At our cabaret at Joe's Pub on Thursday, Let Me Ascertain You: Crime, USA, we asked our audience,

WHAT IS THE MOST CRIMINAL THING YOU'VE EVER DONE?

Here are the most criminal responses:

"I'm a queer lady and I stole a keychain from a gay store in Northampton, MA - the lesbianist town of all. Not so criminal, but I was raised Catholic and oh, the GUILT!"

"Georgia, 1995. Certain sexual acts were still illegal then. Not trying to brag or anything. It was no big deal."

"I was arrested two weeks before my Bar Mitzvah with $200 worth of baseball cards and silly string in my pockets."

"You decide: a) Moved loads of pot through my 1957 Champion trailer. b) Smuggled tapes of Baloch insurgency out of Pakistan."

AND THE WINNER IS...
"Drunk driving to Vegas in an overpacked car - got pulled over but escaped unscathed due to $50 bribe!"

Congratulations to our winner, and a big thank you to all of our criminal audience members, and to the performers, Scrapomatic, and Alix Lambert! Thanks for a great evening!