From the Grill:  December 2007

There’s no place like home for the holidays. . .

     Five years ago this month, Justin Nadal placed an ad in Playbill Online which said, “Anyone who wants to start a new theater company , come to my apartment.”  These years later, almost to the date, we moved into the Algonquin Theater on East 24th Street.  When renovated, this venue, known formerly as the Blue Heron Arts Center, will offer a mainstage, a studio theater, rehearsal studios and office space, all for rent.  Come check us out on Saturday, December 15 from 11:00 p.m. till 4:00 p.m. at 123 E 24th Street.  We’ll have an open house featuring entertainment and free food.  All of this is possible through out ongoing friendship with the good folks at Algonquin productions.

     The Cold Cuts Reading Series for new works finished its fall session on November 27 at the National Comedy Theater.  We read twelve plays over the course of four sessions and provided reading opportunities for almost 50 different actors.  The reading series will resume in February at the Algonquin,  and we will announce the dates and plays in early 2008. The reading series is free and open to all actors, playwrights, directors, industry invitees as well as members of the general public.  Plays may be submitted to ccscripts@gmail.com or to our address which is listed at the end of this page.

What’s coming . . .

      This coming spring we’ll be mounting our largest fundraising campaign to date to provide the support necessary to develop two new productions that we believe will find a home on Broadway.  A Shadow Life by Bernard M. Kahn and The Boys of Winter by Eric Small, Dean B. Kaner and Barry Brodsky were both part of the developmental process of our reading series.  We’re pleased to announce that the latter play has just taken second prize at “The Last Play Standing”, a national playwriting contest held in Chicago.  We’re planning to hold staged readings of both plays in the coming months.  Check back for updates on the progress of these fine new works.

      In addition, we’re also working with Algonquin productions to re-mount Sessions Off-Broadway in a larger house for an open-ended run.  The production concluded its limited engagement at Playwrights Horizons this past summer, becoming a favorite discovery among new musicals.  The cast album has been recorded and is available for sale.  We hope to build on the achievements of the past summer and continue the life of this brand new musical of which Joe Franklin of WOR said, “ I loved this show! I didn’t want it to end.”

Join us . . .

     The live theatre us the ultimate collaborative art, and any organization is only as good as the talent and the commitment of its members.  In the past five years, Ten Grand has produced at venues such as the Studio at Cherry Lane Theater, Playwrights Horizons, The Peter Norton Space, The Waldorf=Astoria and Lincoln Center, featuring Academy™, Tony™, and Emmy™ Award winners and nominees.  We’re seeking determined and reliable individuals with experience in the areas of development, event planning and public relations to join our production team. If you’d like to join us, please contact Jason Hewitt, at our mailing address, 532 LaGuardia Place, Suite 498, New York, NY  10012, or via e-mail at jhewitt@tengrand.org.