[Twan's List] V05:Issue001

[Twan]

Friends and Family,

Below you will find an exceptional opportunity to be a part of an  
extraordinary project called "How to Survive the Apocalypse". The  
principal players are people that I had been involved with in various  
projects over the years, most notorious among those was the Burning  
Man Opera featured on the Playa from 1997 thru 2002. http:// 
www.burningmanopera.org

One of the main creators behind the "How to Survive the Apocalypse"  
project is director Christopher Fulling, who had directed the Burning  
man Opera from 1998 - 2002, and who had spear-headed the Art  
Monastery Project in Italy (http://www.artmonastery.org), which I had  
mentioned on my blog a number of times:

	http://www.twanslist.com/2007/kerry-walsh-soprano/
	http://www.twanslist.com/2008/art-monastery-fundraiser/
	http://www.twanslist.com/2008/art-monastery-update/

Please read the proposal below and consider coming out to meet these  
extraordinary people this Sunday March 15th at the Abundant Sugar  
Creative Space in downtown Los Angeles. They are seeking to create  
partnerships with actors, performers, lighting and set designers and  
production people in general. The end result is to be a sponsored  
Rock Opera to be taken on the road on a multi-city tour. Read on for  
more specific information...


Twan
----------


The Burning Roadshow is on the move, and we want YOU to get involved!

Sunday March 15, 4-6pm
@ Abundant Sugar
618A Moulton Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90031
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?address=618+Moulton&zipcode=90031


Burning Roadshow Meet & Greet Cocktails:

		The creators of an exciting new Burningman inspired rock operetta,  
How to Survive the Apocalypse, are coming to Los Angeles from March  
14-17 to meet some of your talented denizens who might like to get  
involved in a West Coast run of the show in September, culminating in  
a weekend run in Los Angeles on Oct 11.

Lyricist, Erik Davis, and director, Christopher Fülling, will present  
some clips from the show and discuss its development over cocktails  
with those interested in knowing more about it or getting involved on  
Sunday, March 15, from 4-6pm.  Prior to this, they will host  
auditions to invite both seasoned professionals and unique playa  
freaks to show your amazingness... especially since the score is not  
yet in its final form and they are interested in creating a few more  
characters.

	The first workshop of the piece was premiered successfully in a  
little theatre in San Francisco on a shoestring budget:  [more info  
about the show and reviews can be found at:  http:// 
www.burningopera.com ] and now they would like to take it up a few  
notches, playing in several West Coast cities from Sept 20-Oct 11, in  
preparation for a national tour in a circle of artbusses.

We are well aware of the wealth of talent and production experience  
in the LA Burner community and would like to invite you to get involved:

	1. Join the production team, forming now!
	2. Audition to join the cast or crew (Sept 9-Oct 11... some of the  
cast will rehearse the week before burningman and be involved in a  
videoshoot on the playa).  Send resumes, links, photos, audio, or  
video to production at burningopera.com
	3. Help us bring the event to Los Angeles in October, be a guest  
performer on that weekend, or just get more information.




-----------------------------------------------------

In January, San Francisco’s Stage Werx Theater hosted a sold-out run  
of "How to Survive the Apocalypse: A Burning Opera." Though we were  
presenting a humble workshop performance with no budget, the event  
was wildly successful, with Burning Man virgins and grizzled old  
timers registering great enthusiasm. Steve Jones of the Bay Guardian  
said the show "is both engrossing musical theater in its own right  
and a piece of art that truly captures the feel of the event and the  
Zeitgeist of its attendees." Now we are planning a Fall Tour of the  
West Coast in September and October, with a more ambitious national  
roadshow on the horizon of 2010. To get more information about the  
show and our mission, check out http://www.burningopera.com

Currently, we are in negotiations with Teatro Zinzanni to use their  
gorgeous and historic Spiegeltents in San Francisco and Seattle as  
anchors for our fall tour. Because we would play the Zinzanni tents  
on Monday through Wednesday, the weekends would remain open, allowing  
us to present the show at other West Coast locations.

The current plan is to begin some rehearsals and design in the Bay  
Area in late August, and to have a small presence in Black Rock City,  
where we will shoot some video and connect with new performers and  
collaborators. The main block of rehearsals would begin after Burning  
Man in San Francisco, where the show would open on Sept 22 & 23. We  
are currently looking for an appropriate venue between SF and Seattle  
for the weekend of 9/25 & 26. The show would then run at Zinzanni in  
Seattle 9/29 & 30. We hopefully will find another "midway" venue  
10/2&3, and then close our run in SF 10/5,6& 7. Finally, we aim to  
travel to LA 10/9& 10. Are you in the North Bay? Oregon? LA? We want  
to talk to YOU!

*NOW!*

We're assembling the production staff to begin working on this tour  
NOW. During the next month, we will be holding auditions and meetings  
with interested collaborators (either to join the tour or to help us  
bring it to your city) in the following places:

LA March 15th - meet & greet/cocktails 4-6pm @ Abundant Sugar 618A  
Moulton Ave., LA

SF March 27th - auditions by appointment in the afternoon; production  
mtg 6-8pm; meet & greet/party 8-?? @ Mission Control, 2519 Mission  
St., SF

NYC April 5th - auditions by appointment in the afternoon; meet &  
greet/cocktails 5-7pm; location TBA

Washington DC  April 8th - meet & greet/cocktails evening; exact time  
and location TBA

We're looking for volunteers in each location to help run these  
events, as well as to host fundraising events throughout the summer.

*PRODUCTION TEAM:*

To take this project to the next level, we need to create a strong  
core team ASAP. Below are the key roles in our team that we are  
looking to fill within the next few weeks, so that we can have  
everyone lined up for our first production meeting in SF on March 27.  
The main department heads (*) will be offered a small stipend, but  
these would require a fair amount of work and undertaking of  
responsibility.

- Show Producer*: An experienced theatrical producer who knows how to  
pull together this crazy carnival with minimal pain and maximum fun.

- Webmaster and/or Social Networking Wizard:* If you’ve seen our site  
(http://www.burningopera.com ) you know we’re not where we need to  
be. We have some volunteers, but we're looking for someone to take  
charge of this, and especially to come up with creative ways to  
facilitate participation.

- Lighting Designer:* We’ll have use of the Zinzanni board in those  
tents, but we’ll have to replicate that look in our other venues — a  
challenging “look” that needs to simulate the visually chaotic world  
of the playa in a city-based indoor space.

- Tech/Sound Director:* Among other technical details, we need  
someone who can manage a constantly-varying band, very different  
musical and sound genres, and lots of moving singers in a show in  
which lyrics matter.

- Assistant Director:* We seek an energetic and organized person,  
perhaps a recent MFA directing program graduate. There will be many  
directing and auditioning opportunities over the summer, as the  
Director will be in Italy during much of this time.

- Communications/Fundraising experts: Help us get the word out, reach  
local publications and lists... and raise the money to make this  
project possible.

- Location Managers (for the site of the four weekend productions)  
and Assistants: we have an excellent tour manager, Joshua Robson of  
the Center Camp Cafe, and we have begun discussions with some folks  
from the Seattle, Portland and LA Regional groups. We're looking for  
someone at each of our stops to step forward as the local producer to  
help us find the appropriate venue, publicize the show, coordinate it  
with other acts in your community, and find housing for the touring  
ensemble.

- Production Assistants: There's always plenty of detailed work to do  
in a project of this magnitude. We're looking for people with  
research and project management skills, detail orientation, and the  
desire to be involved.

- Art Wrangler: Wherever we stop, we want to fill our space with cool  
pieces from Burning Man and local artists to help set the scene.

- Burning Man Camp Manager/Coordinator: We’ve all done this before,  
but there are still plenty of details to pull together for our camp,  
which will probably be in Illumination Village. We’d love a “camp  
Mom” (or Dad) to take charge.


*CAST & CREW: *

As this is a Burning Man-style show, the stars will help with the  
setup and the roadies will be onstage. We love double, triple, and  
quadruple threats. We especially love riveting singers and dancers  
that can also play a marching band instrument and have a great  
attitude while working hard behind the scenes—or perhaps a  
professional gaffer who really loves to sing! Please send resumes,  
photos, videos, links toproduction at burningopera.com.

- ROLES: We are reopening all roles and understudies and creating new  
characters for the new version of the show. For more details of the  
roles and logistics please join our mailing list and see our website.  
Our goal is to make sure that professional performers, musicians, and  
technicians filling the essential roles will be paid (though not very  
much), and that lodging (for non-Bay Area people) during rehearsal  
and lodging and food while on the road will be provided. Rehearsals  
for these cast members will take place during the daytime or evenings  
and will begin either the week before Burning Man or the week after.

-VOLUNTEERS (ENSEMBLE & CREW): We would love to pay every single  
person that is involved in the project because we want to overwhelm  
the audience with the incredible positive energy that flows from the  
classic Black Rock City blend of professionals, amateurs, and freaks.  
But until we secure such funding, we want to invite people to  
participate that live in the Bay Area, or who can house and feed  
themselves during the weeks in SF. The show should be able to provide  
for them during the week and weekends on the road. We have designed  
the schedule such that working Bay Area volunteers would only have  
rehearsals in the evenings and on the weekends and would only have to  
take one week off of work to go on the road.

- LOCAL ACTS: We are excited to collaborate with some of the many  
spectacular artists, ensembles, and DJs that have been so essential  
to the Burning Man experience. We are open to several options:

- Audition (by yourself or with some colleagues) to join the cast/ 
band/crew, with the possible option of performing under your own name  
on the same bill in the space before or after the show.

- Become a guest star. The show includes a cabaret / "show within the  
show" that is designed to feature acts local to the city we are  
playing. There is also a 20-minute dance break. These acts should  
also be able to perform before or after the show.

*TO OFFER IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, ASSISTANCE:*

Please contact Executive Producer Dana Harrison at dana at burningopera.com

* *

*TO SEE WHAT WE'RE UP TO: *

Sign up for our mailing list from the website http:// 
www.burningopera.com; read our blog http://h2sta.wordpress.com/, or  
become a Fan of our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/ 
pages/How-to-Survive-the-Apocalypse-A-Burning-Opera/73585475808