|
ISBN 978-0-573-65237-0
Michael Elyanow 6m, 4f Comedy Interior The Idiot Box tells the story of six sitcom characters whose lives are shaken when reality crashes into their perfect world. As the artifice of their lives unravels, each character discovers powerful truths about race, love, sexuality and the America outside they never knew existed – resulting in a theatrical experience that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, “is a glittering absurdist farce...with a sinister undertow that takes hold early and never lets go." “…witty, audacious work succeeds brilliantly with Jeremy B. Cohen’s tight direction and excellent cast.” Variety “…what begins as a clever, amusing parody darkens into a savage indictment of the way television sells us a make-believe cocoon to insulate ourselves from reality.” The Los Angeles Times “Elyanow’s intelligently crafted script is rife with humor and irony, and is superbly augmented by Jeremy B. Cohen’s perceptive direction of the fine cast.” LA Weekly “A supremely confident new play from Michael Elyanow…” The Chicago Tribune“…ambitious and serious... an onion-like, multi-layered work… with a few Pirandellovian surprises.” The Windy City Times"...makes us laugh, makes us think, and leaves us talking about the role of art and entertainment in our lives.” chicagocritic.comFEE: $75 per performance. Author Biography:Michael’s first play was the 10-character dark comedy THE IDIOT BOX. Directed by Jeremy B. Cohen and produced by Chicago’s Naked Eye Theatre Company, it received its world premiere in 2003. It received a second production in 2007 at LA's Open Fist Theatre, where it went on to receive three Garland Award honorable mentions and was named best comedy by LAStageScene.com. Michael simplified things next by writing a 4-character comedy/drama titled LULLABY, which went on to become a finalist for the Lark Playwrights' Week as well as a nominee for The Cherry Lane Theatre Mentor Project. LULLABY has been workshopped at Hartford Stage Company, The Blank Theatre and Bristol Riverside Theatre. 12 VOLT HEART, a theatrical collage co-written with Jeremy B. Cohen, was workshopped at Hartford Stage and was performed at Northwestern University's Struble Theatre (thanks to a major CIRA grant) in 2004. Michael’s ten-minute play BANGING ANN COULTER was a finalist for The 2004 Humana Festival Heideman Award and was performed at Chicago Dramatists. Michael's most recent play, THE CHILDREN, an updating of MEDEA, was a nominee for Cherry Lane's Mentor Project, and was workshopped at Shakespeare & Company as well as, most recently, Hartford Stage's Brand New Plays Festival. Michael is currently working on a play commissioned by Hartford Stage Company as part of their Hartford Heritage Project. Michael has led playwriting workshops at Hartford Stage and About Face Youth Theatre, and has taught writing courses at Northwestern University, Emerson College and Hampshire College.
|
