Shawn Storms, assistant director

What are your favorite Omelet ingredients?

Mushrooms and spinach, lots of cheese, covered with tomato and hollandaise sauce. Yummy.

What has the experience of working on the development of Next Thing You Know been like?

While this has not been my first foray into the world of shaping new material or directly working with writers, it has been my first musical to do so. I have had the privilege to work in such capacities as both an actor and a director in the past. I feel that this has given me a strong foundation, so I was able to leap off creatively with this production.While my past experiences have been unique and growth inspiring, this show has allowed me to tap into skills I have not had the opportunity to in the past. I have discovered many things about myself, my process, as well as the art and skill of directing. I constantly find myself surprised by what I witness in our rehearsals.

Surprisingly (to me anyway), I have found this process easier than the work I have done with new plays. I feel that it has much to do with the extremely talented cast of this show. They have been open and eager to try new things; go with the flow. I feel that without that beautiful collaborative spirit, this show would never have evolved in the many ways it has.

It has been a pleasure to witness each character’s evolution. To see the script change, new moments discovered, and songs soar. I hope that our audiences see what a gem this show is!

* Wanna know what all this talk about “Omelets” is about?  Come see NEXT THING YOU KNOW, August 12-14, 2010 at Sinclair Community College’s Blair Hall Theatre.  It will all make sense.

NOTE:  NTYK contains adult themes and language.

Salzman & Cunningham’s

Next Thing You Know

August 12, 13, 14

7:30 pm ~ at Sinclair Theatre ~ Dayton, Ohio

$15 in advance / $18 day of performance

www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com

New Musicals. Next Generation.

JJ Parkey, “Darren”

What are “Darren’s” favorite Omelet ingredients?

ham & cheese

What are your favorite Omelet ingredients?

Any kind of cheese, green onions & mushrooms

What do you think David Brush’s favorite Omelet ingredients would be?

Green peppers, olives & any sort of beer that he gets at SideBar

As the writing team’s visit approached, what were you most anxious about in attending that first rehearsal with Josh & Ryan?

When we started working with Ryan and Josh, I was most anxious about their opinions of the work I had done for Darren. I was afraid that their presence in the room would be really intimidating, but as it turns out, Ryan and Josh are absolutely WONDERFUL to work with. They were so very supportive of what we were all doing, and the entire weekend was a very positive experience. Ryan and Josh brought about a sense of grounding to the project for me. It was suddenly like “Oh shit, now we’re doing this show for real. Let’s get to it!” I loved learning about the genesis of some of the songs and how they came to be in NTYK. The contrast and comparison between modern-day musical theatre and golden age musical theatre is really explored beautifully in this piece. Go omelets!

What has the experience of working on the development of Next Thing You Know been like?  What emotions have you felt, as you work to develop a never-before-seen character?

Working on Next Thing You Know has been a very positive and enriching experience. Walking into the project, I had initially thought that doing a brand new musical would be stressful, but I’ve found great fun in being the first person to play Darren with this version of the script.

Above all else though, my function is to facilitate the writers and what they need to see to make their show work–which I am more than happy to help with. I really believe in the importance of new musical works, so being able to devote my time to this project has been a true pleasure. I really enjoy this show and the wide range of emotions and swings that Darren’s character takes.

Working on a new musical is about exploration, so that has been my goal the entire time: To explore new territory without inhibition.

* Wanna know what NEXT THING YOU KNOW is about?  Come see the brand new musical, August 12-14, 2010 at Sinclair Community College’s Blair Hall Theatre.

NOTE:  NTYK contains adult themes and language.

Matthew D. Curry, “Luke”

What are “Luke’s” favorite Omelet ingredients?

Melted Gouda, Coriander, Thyme, (all mixed w/ egg pre cook). Before Closing Omelet add finely shredded turkey. Drizzle w/ butter on plate. Sprinkle w/ Cilantro. Serve.

What are your favorite Omelet ingredients?

Cheese…at least three different kinds. Mmmmm.

Through the course of the weekend spend working with Salzman & Cunningham, what did you learn about your character, or the other characters in the show, that you really hadn’t considered before rehearsing with Josh & Ryan?

The time we as a cast were able to spend with Josh & Ryan were, well, bleepin’ amazing! I’ve done a show in which I created the character from scratch, but I didn’t work with the writer. Having Josh there to guide us through deeper meaning of our music, and Ryan giving us hints and clues to where our character’s thoughts lie, weather we thought we had it or not, gave me personally a truer look into Luke. And that’s an experience you never get with just a script and our own analysis of the writer’s words.

Do you have any other thoughts or comments about the experience of working on Next Thing You Know?

As for Encore Theater Company they are the only theatre in Dayton I haven’t worked with previously. They are, by far, the most professional troupe and dedicated individuals. Every choice, on stage or in the office, is well thought and proposed accordingly. They are making a name for themselves and I am proud to be a part of that. Love ya guys.

* Wanna know what all this talk about “Omelets” is about?  Come see NEXT THING YOU KNOW, August 12-14, 2010 at Sinclair Community College’s Blair Hall Theatre.  It will all make sense.

NOTE:  NTYK contains adult themes and language.

Thoughts from Joshua Salzman about working with ETC on NTYK:

“The opportunity to see our show developed outside of NY, under a dedicated and enthusiastic team of actors and directors, is invaluable”, says composer Joshua Salzman, “The nurturing and safe environment ETC provides for musical theater writers to hone their craft is essential to the creative process of developing a new musical”.

Thoughts from ETC Artistic Director David Brush about the development of new musicals, such as NTYK:

“This kind of development is what new shows need – a long term commitment to walk a show from one step to the next and allow creators to make changes, additions and deletions along the way,” says ETC Artistic Director David Brush, “This gets at the very heart of ETC’s mission and we are thrilled to kick off the program with two amazing young, fresh talents like Ryan and Josh.”

Salzman, Cunningham & the Cast of NEXT THING YOU KNOW featured on MusicalWorld!

(Left to Right) Ryan Cunninghman & Joshua Salzman with the Encore Theater Co. cast of Next Thing You Know: BethAnn Wipprecht, JJ Parkey, Amy Leigh, Matthew Curry

Amy Leigh, “Waverly”

What are “Waverly’s” favorite Omelet ingredients?

Swiss Cheese & Chives

What are your favorite Omelet ingredients?

Asparagus, Mozzerella  & Mushrooms

As Saturday’s rehearsal with Josh & Ryan approached, what were you most anxious about?

I was nervous that Josh and Ryan were seeing us do the entire show just after we’d blocked it, before we had time to settle into the scenes. I wanted to prove to them that, although we might stumble on lines, lyrics, or notes here and there, that we honor the original intent of their show. But they were anything but judgmental. They seemed to truly appreciate seeing the show on its feet, and having their input really completed the experience for me.

Through the course of the weekend, what did you learn about your character, or the other characters in the show, that you really hadn’t considered before rehearsing with Josh & Ryan?

In talking with Ryan, I learned that he really shaped the show around Waverly’s journey so that the audience would have someone to connect to, even though all four characters are really accessible. He shed some light on a few of Waverly’s “speeches” to the audience. And working with Josh on the music was really rewarding – we could see how each melodic choice really reflects the intent of the character and scene.

After rehearsing with Josh & Ryan this weekend, what aspects of the show make more sense?

The addition of the song “Stay” for Waverly, and “All That I Want Is You” for Darren, really helped flush out those characters for me. Both those songs present interesting points of view that establish clarity for these two people.

Do you have any other thoughts or comments about the experience of working with & getting to know Josh & Ryan?

I’d be on board for Encore to do this all the time! As an actor, it’s a really exciting and challenging experience, and it generates exactly the kind of energy a new show needs! Huge thanks to Encore, for making it possible.

* Wanna know what all this talk about “Omelets” is about?  Come see NEXT THING YOU KNOW, August 12-14, 2010 at Sinclair Community College’s Blair Hall Theatre.  It will all make sense.

NOTE:  NTYK contains adult themes and language.

in association with Sinclair Community College Theatre Department

New Musical In Development

NEXT THING YOU KNOW

Book and lyrics by Ryan Cunningham

Music by Joshua Salzman

AUGUST 12-14, 2010

Blair Hall Theatre, Sinclair Community College

Real life comes real fast. One day you wake up, and instead of a hangover, you have a job. Instead of a fling, you have a live-in girlfriend. And instead of naïve dreams, you have reality. For four artists in New York City, discovering yourself can take a lot longer than you think. The little joys and compromises that bring us into adulthood are brought to life in this all-new musical from the creators of the Drama Desk Nominated hit I Love You Because, Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham. ETC is pleased to be developing the show here in Dayton before making its way to the Edinburg Festival and then off to New York. See it here first!

The Cast:

Amy Leigh

Matt Curry

JJ Parkey

Beth Ann Wipprecht