Stage Whisper
Whisper in the Wings Episode 651
(upbeat music) - Welcome back in everyone to a fantastic new whisper in the wings from stage whisper. We are continuing coverage of an amazing event happening here in New York, which we spoke with previously that you've heard. And of course that event is places in 10. It's happening September 27th and 28th from 7 and 9 p.m. at the A.R.T. New York South Oxford Street Theater. And you can get your tickets and more information by visiting the Instagram of the group putting it on, which is script club NYC. Join us this time. We've got some wonderful artists speaking with us. Starting with the writer, Jan Aguillos, who's here to talk to us about his work, part in a blender and the box. We also have the artists, the performers, Kelly Williams and Hazel Nuts here to talk to us about their show, A Test of Taste. We are so excited to be bringing you these two works. I should say three works actually. So let's not waste any more time. Let's go and welcome on our crew. Everybody welcome into Whisper in the Wings from stage whisper. - Hello, hello. - Hi. - I am so excited that you're all here tonight and I'm excited to dive more into the shows, especially A Test of Taste and the Box, which we haven't talked about yet. But first I want to start off with Jan Aguillos, you are not only the writer of two shows. You're also the marketing coordinator for this event. So can you tell us a little bit about this event, remind our listeners about what this is and how it all came together? - Yes, it's a showcase of five, 10-minute plays that were originally written by members of Script Club NYC. Script Club NYC is a collective of writers and actors and directors who meet every Wednesday night in South Slope and places in 10 is a culmination of something we've done since the spring. So in the spring time, we've called for submissions for 10-minute plays. We had three readings in March, April, and May, and then we submitted, there were 10 submissions after those readings in the late spring. And then in June, we announced the handful of plays that were selected. - Fantastic. Now I want to turn to the two works you've written because we spoke with Jackie, who is part of the show, Heart in a Blender. And so I'd like to hear from you about that, as well as the box. Can you tell us about those two pieces that you've written? - Sure. The Heart in a Blender is a tragic comedy, meet cute. I just, in the springtime, I just had, I was just trying to think of meet cute ideas and also fish out of water or yeah, fish out of water ideas. So I thought of Heart in a Blender 'cause I was listening to a pod, I was listening to Last Culture, Ristas, and the guest went to college with a hook with a two hosts and she was talking about one of the hosts playing a spoon who was going through a divorce in college while they were in college. And while I was listening to that podcast, I was also having a smoothie with a banana in it. So I was like, why not? I mean, that could be a meet cute, a blender and a banana. - That was brilliant. - Yeah. - I love it. - Right? - What about the box? - The box is the very first play I've ever written 'cause I'm a screenwriter. So I do have experience with writing feature film scripts. I've tried a pilot or two, but you know, I wasn't that experienced with plays, but I, you know, from attending meetings with Script Club NYC, I came to learn about the format of plays and how to do all that. And it was based on short film idea that I've had for a long time, for maybe a decade, except I gender swapped and I added in a third person and I made it more of a love triangle situation to, you know, to add in more attention. And I wasn't sure how people were gonna take it, but at the readings, which were very useful. People said, I did a good job. So yeah, which was a surprise 'cause I've never done this sort of thing before, but it was also a relief. - What is wonderful. I wanna bring our two other guests in Kelly and Hazelnuts and Kelly, I'm gonna start with you and have you tell us a bit about your show "A Test of Taste." What is that about? - Great. I'm so excited to be here. So "A Test of Taste" is, it's about a panel of people from all different walks of life who, if they're a job to taste test food products in this particular moment in time, it's mostly chips. And it was actually our playwright, Kendra, actually Hazelnut doing that real job and Hazelnut is playing a version of herself in this play. So "True Slice of Life" in like a very just interesting thing that I think a lot of people can relate to in that, a job that can sort of introduce you to people that you might not meet in any other circumstance. - Yes, that's so true. So true. 'Cause if I didn't meet Kendra at this job, she would have never, I would have never like got opportunity to do this. So you're right about that, yeah. - It's amazing, amazing. So Hazelnuts, I wanna build on that because you mentioned, you know, it's that chance meeting with Kendra that got you into the show. Can you elaborate a little bit more about your experience and coming upon the work? - Well, when she actually sat there and told me about it, she pitched it to me like she had an idea about doing something and I was supportive of the idea. I was like, yeah, right at play. So she came back the next time the panel and she was like, I'm thinking about writing a play about panel and I was like, oh, that's dope. And she was like, oh, I'm gonna have certain people at the job if I can write them into the, you know, score storyline. And I was like, okay, cool. So she was like, I'll write you into it. So I was like, okay, well, I don't mind you using the name 'cause I'm giving you permission for that. So I never thought she was actually gonna write it under the job that I do because at the panel, what we're doing as the play is like, well, I actually do. Like, so what Cory does is what I actually do. Like I'll be handing out the samples, giving out the code to do panel, testing to have new test snacks, giving me each like what each flavor has. So the test, a test of taste is based off of a true thing even though it's supposed to be fiction because again, she wrote about the job and me and I'm part of the job and at the job they call me Hayes on that too. So it was just really weird but it was kind of like cool at the same time 'cause I never get these opportunities as an adult entertainer. - That is amazing, I love it. Jen, coming back to you, I'm curious to know, particularly with the show "The Box", what has it been like developing this and getting it ready for these performances? - It's been, it's been sort of a very new thing for me. It's like, it's a brand new world for me. - Yeah, we worked on, I don't have any experience with theater and so-- - Though I don't have no experience either. I don't know nothing about theater. - Yeah. - So Emily White was the director and she has directed passive reparities for Skirt Club NYC. But her background is mainly as a dramaturge. So even though she's new at directing, she's started this year. She has experience as a dramaturge. She has experience as an actor and it's been fun to go on that journey with her as well as the three actors who are performing Sami Binder, Caleb Alexander, Andrew Burke, Sean Kelly, her is the swing. We also have Priya Karko. I might be misstating her name, but Priya is the stage manager and we also have an intimacy coordinator, Amanda Almodovar, Almodovar, 'cause we have a kiss in the stage. So we thought it would only be right for, you know, there to be an intimacy coordinator. So it's just, it's been a really fun new, new venture for me. Yeah, I can't really compare it to other things to other theater experiences, but I feel like a kid who's like discovering a new playground, you know? - Yeah. - Yeah. - Or a new amusement park, it's really cool. It's really fun. - Yeah, it is. - I love that. Kelly, I wanna ask you that same question. You know, what has it been like developing this piece? - First of all, I wanna shout out director Emily, because I was in the Passover parody. So I've worked with her as a director as well. She's amazing. I'm sure she's doing amazing work on the box as well. And I also work with Sami and Andrew who are acting in the box in the Passover parody. So a lot of script club community building here. It's been really interesting working on this because actually like, there are some things I have in common with my character, but kind of most of my character arc is sort of like openly antagonizing another panelist, which is not really something I have in common with her. So coming out of my comfort zone that way has been really interesting and fun. And yeah, I hope it comes across from people enjoying it in the show. - Yeah, 'cause you've definitely been doing your thing. Jackie, I love it. He's a lot, I would like to come to you for my next question and I'm curious to know, is there a message or a thought you hope audiences take away from a test of taste? - What I hope they get from a test of taste that is to work environment that's diverse, different walks of life. And this is like a daily thing. So I want people to understand there's some type of a thickness to it. So I just want them to have a more normal response, but a more like, it's real response because that's really my job. So I hope they actually understand like, even if it's fiction, this is really it. So I try to put myself on the clothing and market myself more because that's the same behaviors I would do at panel for my coworkers to like be fun with my coworkers. So I just want the fans and people to know like, this is a genuine show. We're doing this 'cause we wanna do this. It's not 'cause we're being forced and I'm having fun. And it's a real story behind it. - Yes, I love it. My final question for this first part, Jan, I'm gonna kick off with you 'cause it's a two-parter with you. The first part is who are you hoping to have access to your work, part in a blender and the box? And who are you hoping to have access to places in 10? - Well, with harden a blender, I hope people feel all kinds of emotions with it. I mean, it's a tragic comedy. So I hope people are sort of open-minded about about what to expect from it. It's, I don't have much experience with comedy. I usually write dramas, but I hope people enjoy it. I hope there are some laughs. In the open rehearsal that we had in the summer with script plug-in on my "C" through its cafe, people did enjoy it, people did laugh. So yeah, I hope they have access to all the emotions. I wanna make emotions from everyone. With the box, it's a relationship drama. That's what people can expect from that. I really want people to empathize with these characters that has a lot to do with love, betrayal, death. I think people can really connect with those themes. What else do you need me to answer? - Who are you hoping have access to places in 10 as a whole? - And as well, hopefully, the local community, I would love members of local community to see it. I want people to know that there's great independent feed or happening in Brooklyn. That's, we're off, off Broadway. And I think that's what's great about the city, 'cause yes, you can go to a big Broadway production where there's big shiny object and big name stars that end up in entertainment tonight or something, but it's so cool to see local artists, local and rising artists, such as the people on this Zoom. And it's so cool that we've become this collective and we've worked for this goal of connecting with our audience. - Yeah, I love that. Kelly and Hazelnuts, I wanna ask you that same question. Who are you two hoping have access to your work? And Hazelnuts, if I can kick that off with you, please. - Oh, you want me to answer that first? Well, I already promoted it on my adult sites, so I will hold my fans that actually take the time and see me put my clothes on. You wanna actually see how the person is in real life. So I think for me, I want people of the local community. I want Brooklyn to support, 'cause I'm a Brooklyn native myself. I might not live out there, but I'm from Brooklyn. I might be Bronx Bronx, but I am from Brooklyn. I don't forget where I come from. So I would like that, but I also just want people to see that I can be a different person, besides what people see and read about me. - I love that idea. Kelly, what about you? Who are you hoping have access? - Yeah, I'm also hoping the local communities, but I also think I hope that maybe an artist that maybe is feeling a little discouraged at the moment, I hope they can come and see that, you know, Script Club is a community of people who, I'm sure that all of us are doing like other jobs. We all have survival of jobs and a lot of things. Like, we all have a lot of things going on. I mean, I'm sure we all can tell you how difficult it was to schedule a lot of this process. - Yes, yes. - 'Cause everyone has a lot of things going on. So I hope that people can see this and be hopeful that, you know, we can still make things happen and that they see us and want to join Script Club too, 'cause we can always use more members. - And while people don't want to step up and get something to new try, I think for me, I've been promoting, having people do acting ever since I did it. So I'm for it. Like, this day to stuff is fun. (upbeat music) - Well, for the second part of our interview, we love giving our listeners a chance to get to know our guests a little bit better. Pull the curtain back, if you will. And I want to jump right on down to my favorite question to ask guests. And that, of course, is what is your favorite theater memory? - Well, sort of, this is when I was a kid, I watched the Christmas Spectacular in Radio City Music Hall and I was this little gay kid who wanted as much razzle-dazzle in my life, but I did not have that. But I got either Rockettes perform and to me, the Rockettes were more of the star than the Santa Claus or the ballet dancers. They were great, but to me, the Rockettes stole the show and I've been obsessed with them ever since. I love that memory and I'm entirely with you. Christmas doesn't start until you have the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and you see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Abso-freakin' Louvre, that is wonderful. - Yeah, I'll go. I think similarly, my first Broadway show was Mary Poppins. So, and I loved the books, I loved the movie. So seeing her fly over the stage was crazy. Like, I had never seen anything like that in real life at that point, I was maybe like nine. And shortly after that, I think the summer after that was when I started doing musical theater camp. So it was like, it was a wrap for me after that. - That's so cool. That is a fabulous memory. Hazelnuts, bring us home on this. - All right, so growing up, I didn't have much in parents. So I was like in the foster system. So it was either like group homes or temporary foster housing. So like, for me as a kid, I got exposed to seeing any, the play. Yeah, so once I've seen her and I've seen how like, the one I got to see wasn't the one who had like, had dyed her hair, they had the wig on her. So I remember as a kid how it stuck out like, she dressed up like a kid, acted like a kid, but she wasn't a kid. And like the whole, the whole story when I could relate to the hard knock light, you know, having friends getting out the struggle, protecting your family, you know, making your family. So little Annie was like, for me, why like, for me, that's why I were like, on my first day of a first four shot red, 'cause I was like, a little Annie, you know. (laughing) - I love that. All three of you, those were great, great memories. Thank you so much for sharing those. - Thank you for letting me share. - As we wrap things up, I would love to know, do any of you have any other projects or productions coming on the pipeline? We might be able to plug for you? - I'm open to whatever else y'all got going on, even if it's more important. I'm just like, more open to like, seeing live theater and participating. So I'm more willing to see other people act besides me because I've never been exposed to seeing rehearsements and with the actments. And then like, to be around that, that entice me. So I'm more receptive into doing like, being part of the audience to watch y'all because from the storylines to the acting, it's genuine. These people are really working hard and they want you to enjoy what you've seen. They actually read their scripts, word for word, act it out, do they notes, do they cues. It's such an awesome environment to be around. And it's also a thing for me as an adult entertainer to see like, wow, this is what it is to be an actual actor or actress. So I think this is really cool. And I think society and the neighborhoods need to appreciate people like y'all because the diversity, the artistic, like the creativity, the individuality, but also coming together. I've never been exposed to that. And I'm very, very open to being in that community, even if I'm just a person that's sitting there watching, but I wanna be a part of it. - I love that, love that. Anything for you, Jan or Kelly? - Actually, just the weekend after this show, so the first weekend in October, I'm going, and this is my first time doing anything like this too. So I'm pretty excited. I'm going to the Ocean State Black and Funny Improv Festival. - Wow. - Congratulations. - Thank you. I'm going because I've been working with the Black Improv Alliance, which is an organization that works to make more space for black people in Improv for a few years. And our executive director, Stephanie Ray, is the director of the festival. - So I'm going with her, and I'm getting to perform, which is gonna be crazy, but I'm just really excited to really do some Improv Comedy. - Yeah, and I think it'd be good at it 'cause you got a good personality. So you're pretty good on your feet with things. So I'm hoping that when you do it, you share it with your own co-hosts, people, like your workers, us and stuff, like who you work with. I don't know the term 'cause I don't act, but I hope you share with us so I can see 'cause I think that's pretty dope. - Thank you, actually, I mean, you're an actor now. - Yeah, I'm acting now, hopefully. Hopefully you use me and give me like three little words. And I'll be okay with three little words in the costume. (laughing) And with me, right now, I shot a short film a week and a half ago. That's Hitchcock inspired. That was the first time in more than Beckett since college. And right now it's being edited by my friend Vic. And it's gonna get edited soon and it's gonna screen on Sunday. So the day after places in 10, it's part of shortcuts NYC, which Caleb Alexander is a part of. And they're also an interesting bunch of artists. So yeah, I have that. I'm a screenwriter. I have a feature that I've been working on for a long time. I've got other features, I've gotta work on additional drafts. And I'm also, I also wanna learn more about theater and write more plays. I just started writing plays this year. - Okay. - So I really wanna read more plays. I really wanna read more 10 minute plays. I know David Ives is like, considered the master of short plays. That's what I heard. So I really wanna read more short plays. So I don't wanna write like a two hour long play like right away right now I'll write short plays and see where that goes. - That was cool. - That was fantastic. And a great lean in to my final question, which is if our listeners would like more information about your works or about you, maybe they'd like to reach out to you. How can they do so? - If you wanna reach me, you just Google me. You just Google hazing my XXX. And if you contact me on any of my pages that you see via Google links, you will actually have a way of being able to talk to me. So I would just say utilize your Google. - Google me. I'm stealing that phrase, utilize your Google. That is I'm gonna believe that fabulous. - And with me, you know, you can reach me through Instagram, Jan from Jersey. Yeah, so that's where you can reach me at. I'm fairly active there, I think. - Yes, you can also reach me on Instagram. My Instagram handle is K3LLIE_WIL. That's complicated, but it's killing with an IE. - Fabulous. Well, probably Jan Hazel, let's thank you all so much for taking the time to speak with me tonight, for sharing your fabulous works and for putting us onto this great event. I really am so excited about it. And I appreciate all of you taking the time this evening to speak with me. So thank you so much. - Thank you, thank you. - Thank you. - My guests today have been three amazing artists, Jan Aguillos, Hazel Nuts, and Kelly Williams, all who are part of different shows that are part of places in 10, happening September 27th and 28th from 7 to 9 p.m. at ART New York at South Oxford Street Theater. You can get your tickets and more information by visiting the group that's putting on this event's Instagram page, and that is @scriptclubnyc. There you can get your tickets information to check out our three guest shows, which is Heart in a Blender, A Test of Taste, and The Box. So don't miss out, head on Instagram over to Script Club NYC and get your tickets now for places in 10, happening September 27th and 28th. And we wanna add for our American listeners that Election Day is November 5th. Make sure you are registered to vote, have a plan to cast your ballot and do your democratic duty. You can find out how and where you can register and vote by visiting vote.gov. The future demands that we fight for it now. So until next time, I'm Andrew Cortez, reminding you to turn off your cell phones, unwrap your candies. - And keep talking about the theater. - And a stage whisper. - Thank you. (upbeat music) - If you like what you hear, please leave a five star review, like and subscribe. - You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at stagewhisperpod. - And feel free to reach out to us with your comments and personal stories at stagewhisperpod@gmail.com. - And be sure to check out our website for all things stage whisper and theater. You'll be able to find merchandise, tours, tickets and more. Simply visit stagewhisperpod.com. Our theme song is Maniac by Jazzar. Other music on this episode provided by Jazzar and Billy Murray. You can also become a patron of our show by logging onto patreon.com/stagewhisperpod. There you will find all the information about our backstage pass as well as our tip jar. Thank you so much for your generosity. We could not do this show without you. ♪ Way more perilous where I don't care ♪ ♪ Anywhere will you come to make me down ♪