AthroughZ has started releasing behind the scenes interviews with some of the actors in Down in the face of God.
Here’s Christina Jun, who plays Ora, the only girl in town who’s in her 20s because the gods keep her alive in order to have their way with her every night.
And here’s Matt Harbert, who plays Ham, the enforcer and last supplicant to RE, the God of War.
The trailer has arrived.
Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Then get yourself to Los Angeles for the limited run.
The World Premiere of Down in the face of God.
Written by Tim J. Lord.
May18 – June 2, 2012.
Studio/Stage Theatre in L.A.
Presented by AthroughZ Productions. Directed by Caitlin Hart. Movement & Choreography by Doug Oliphant. Featuring Dan Amerman, Sam Bianchini, Andie Bottrell, Matt Harbert, Christina Jun, Eric Martig, Lauren Terilli, and Meredith Wheeler.
Just read AthroughZ’s status update on the book of faces:
“Commencing 24 hour countdown to the online premiere of the trailer for Down in the face of God!”
This was posted about an hour ago, so check out AthroughZ’s website
tomorrow around 5:30pm (EDT) to see it. And I’ll be sure to share it here as well.
I hope you all are as excited as I am.
I did an interview for Working Theater regarding my 10 minute play, “Bureau of Land Management,” which will be part of the 3rd annual Directors Salon. Check it out, here.
In addition to all the excitement in Los Angeles, I also have 10-minute play happening here in New York City. It’s being produced as part of Working Theater’s 3rd Annual Directors Salon.
Here’s what Working Theater and the Salon are all about:
“Working Theater is currently in its 27th season, and as part of our programming, The 3rd Annual Working Theater Directors Salon will take place April 16th -22nd. The Salon supports emerging NYC directors by giving them the opportunity to showcase their work, meet other theater artists, and to hear from leaders in the field.
“Curated by Luke Harlan, Dina Vovsi, and Nicole A. Watson, with the support of Working Theater Producing Artistic Director Mark Plesent, this year’s theme is Work for Change. Given Working Theater’s mission to make theater for and about working people and the revolutionary presence of the Occupy Wall Street movement, we wanted to create a week of events that asked the question, what do you work for? Inspired by a “Will work for food” sign, we are curious to see the kind of plays that emerged if given this prompt: Will work for _____. We are particularly interested in writers whose work represents members of working communities and reveals a unique perspective in the context of the larger world.”
Now the fun part of all this is that anyone can take part as a director. All you have to do is show up to the kickoff party on April 16, put your name in a hat, and if it’s drawn–Bam!–you’re directing a play. At the very least, you should all come on out and be a part of the festivities.
As for me and my part in it, here’s a quick description of the play…
It’s a hard thing getting by in the Twenty-Teens! So when Dawn discovers a mysterious piece of paper at her dead end job, loses that job, and gets put on a government watchlist, it sets in motion a series of events that will bring her into contact with the historic personages that have started returning to the present world both to help us fight our battles and to bring us down, not to mention the ubiquitous Agent Rollins from the Department of the Interior— Just whose side is he on? And where in the world is Dawn going to start calling home now that she can’t pay the rent? All these questions will be asked (and maybe answered?) in the latest installment of Tim J. Lord’s Department of the Interior series, “Bureau of Land Management!”
For one night only, you can see the play along with 6 others. It happens Sunday, April 22, 7pm, at the June Havoc Theater at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (312 West 36th Street). And all events are FREE!
In the meantime, you can check out an excerpt!
First rehearsal for Down in the face of God was last night, and leave it to Caitlin to say, “Tradition? Ha!” and toss the time-honored act of sitting around a table, reading the script, then discussing it quietly out a (metaphorical) 50th story window. No, she had them on their feet from the start.
Here’s an excerpt of the email I got from her:
“As for last night – it went great! Im really excited! It was wonderful to dive into the world of the play head first – finally!! I was crazy director lady and had them run through the entire play on its feet and side coached them. It was intense. But now they all know what they’re in for so that’s good. They were all like ‘fuck!!! Time to get off book!!’ ha!”
Side-coaching the first readthrough?! I love it.
So it is with great joy that I bring you pictures taken during all the fun.
(photo by Andie Bottrell)
It’s Tuesday, April 10, 2012, and rehearsals for AthroughZ‘s production of Down in the face of God get underway tonight in LA. I won’t be in attendance–supreme bummer–but I’m very excited for what’s sure to be an amazing production. I’m very excited for the work I’ve done on the play and the fantastically devoted artists at AthroughZ.
The show runs weekends May 18-June 2 at Studio/Stage in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for the trailer. I’ve seen a rough version and it’s… well… it was pretty rockin’ before they went back to do some sexy reshoots featuring our D & Anna. And now…. Well, see for yourself with these behind the scenes shots.
So Down… takes place in alternate version of our world, specifically a mythologized version of Thebes, Illinois, a real town on the banks of the Mississippi River in Southern Illinois. The play began as a take on The Bacchae and I got really interested in the clash of religions that take place in Euripides’ original. Dionysus/Bacchus has returned to the place where he was born to demand that he be acknowledged and worshiped alongside his other godly brethren, but the locals are resistant.
My version is substantially different from that, but there’s still that theological clash at the center of it all. And here now, available publicly for the first time ever, is a sneak preview of my theological creations.
And just FYI, I’m not trying to start any new religions, so don’t go building me any shrines. Checks and money orders, however, are readily accepted.
This one is from the dominant religion in Thebes, aka the Faithful….
The earth is mud. We are mud. Made by Godhands out of mud./ Exalted by your Love, transformed. Made from mud into Holy Waters.
The flood came and covered us. We forgot You, cursed You./ Stagnant waters drowned us, kept us from Your grace.
You came again. Your breath raised us up, gave us holy waters./ Filled us with the waters of the sacred river./ You give us everything; we are nothing without/ Your water, Your breath.
We are lifted by You, through You, with You./ But we turned away from, turned eyes to/ The earth, the mud, the world’s waste.
Forgive your people. Have mercy. Raise us up again./ We reject the mud. We give what we are to you./ What is yours is yours again. We reject this waste/ We submit. This breath is Yours, this holy water.
Take back. Take us back.
And when the flood returns, when we are taken under,/ Lift us up again to dwell on mountaintops/ Beside You.
And here’s text that’s central to the underground movement, known to the Faithful as “Mudworshippers.”
HE is moving across the bleak lands, along the salt-sea coast, across the emptiness, Into the rich heart of the world HE comes, the conquering hand, still smoldering from living fire, The flame that split the waters, that could not be drowned
Don’t you see it now? There by the sacred tomb? The flame left by the thunderbolt when the lightning flash cursed us all that time ago. Throw bodies to ground, down, down—HE moves now against the palace to demolish it.
And on the seventh day it will be remade, in his image. The waters will rise up—but not to destroy. They will carry HIM to his rightful place. The god made man made god again.
HE will be transformed and all the world set free.
Tim J. Lord 