Halfmoon Theatre

Play Reading on Feb. 8th

2009-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

Half Moon will be doing a reading of the play "7 Stories" at Morton Library in Rhinecliff on Feb. 8th. This is a really funny and interesting play by Morris Panych. It takes place on a building ledge as a guy contemplates suicide. But trust me, it's very funny. We read the first half at Sunday Best a couple of months back and everyone loved it.
It's got a cast of seven (some playing multiple roles) of very talented local actors. And it's donation only - so it won't be a wallet drain either.
I'm really psyched to see what an audience thinks.

December Sunday Best

2008-12-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

Last week we heard two terrific short original plays by Joe C. - a hilarious comedy all about the twisted world of "Uncle Trey" and a very moving piece about love and loss (read beautifully by Ryan and Judith). We also heard the David Mamet play "The Water Engine" with a cast of thousands. If anyone was passing by the hallway, they would have gotten roped in to reading .a part (or six) And finally we did a very interesting contemporary dramedy called "Recent Tragic Events."

We're looking for a play to read at the Morton Library in early '09 before the next full production of "Little Red" in March. Any ideas? I'll share some of mine at the next SB on January 18th.

2008-10-30T10:15:00.001-07:00

Countdown has begun!! Half Moon Theatre's production of Three Viewings, by Jeffrey Hatcher opens in at Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center in just one week. Please join us Nov. 6-16th for this dark comedy, which is written by the same screenwriter who penned "The Duchess", starring Keira Knightley. Half Moon Company member Geoff Tarson joins us fresh from Los Angeles. His home base is now Red Hook. We are thrilled to have him aboard. Rhinebeck's beloved Barbara Rankin and Half Moon favorite Stefanie Salzmann (Spain, The Yellow Boat) also star. This is a riveting piece of theatre -- Hope to see you there!

More Sunday Besting

2008-10-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Great readings this last Sunday. We all howled at "Tragedy: A Tragedy" by Will Eno - a satirical look at the media coverage of a disaster - in this case, SUNSET. My favorite line... The letter from the governor which reads, "Thank you for your confidence, which I will now betray."

We also read part of "7 Stories," a funny play in which a man stands on a ledge contemplating jumping, but can't get enough peace to do it. Next time, we'll look at "Is He Dead?" and a couple of other pieces as well as some new material.

We're all busy this month at Half Moon Theatre working on "Three Viewings" so our next gathering will be on December 7th. Hope you all drop by.

2008-10-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Half Moon Theatre was proud to be part of "The Great Read" on October 10th. Along with the immensely talented Sarah Johnstone Levine, Half Moon adapted a portion of The Great Gatsby for a dramatic reading at Maple Grove Estate in Poughkeepsie. Actors included Bill Salzmann, Stefanie Salzmann, Gary Sauer, Alex Seife and myself.

We are gearing up for Opening Night, November 7th, for Three Viewings! This is the piece that inspired the critically acclaimed HBO series "Six Feet Under". Please join us for this dark comedy that is full of surprises.

I hope you will join us for our reading of Exit Wounds, a quirky, vastly funny new play from Los Angeles, which will star Half Moon Friend Tim DeKay, directed by Owen Renfroe. De Kay can be seen this month in four episodes of "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and Renfroe is a three time Emmy winner for his groundbreaking work on ABC's General Hospital. Location TBA - Don't miss this exclusive one night only event!!

Exit Wounds

2008-10-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Exciting new winter offering!! Exit Wounds, a new play, previously seen in Los Angeles, will be presented as a reading by Half Moon Theatre, Dec. 27th. Tim DeKay, a Half Moon Theatre friend, will star. Tim DeKay was most recently seen in the HBO series "Tell Me You Love Me" as Dave, as well as HBO's "Carnivale". Look for him in three episodes of "The New Adventures of Old Christine" on Network TV this fall. Also starring in this inventive new comedy is Bill Salzmann and Molly Renfroe Katz. Hope to see you there. Tickets are $10, see website for more information.

The Great Gatsby

2008-10-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Please join us on October 10th at 6pm, for "The Great Gatsby", an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel at Maple Grove in Poughkeepsie. As part of the national program "The Big Read", Half Moon Theatre has been asked to participate in a dramatic reading of "The Great Gatsby". Half Moon Artists Bill Salzmann, Stefanie Salzmann and Molly Renfroe Katz will be joined by Associate Artists Gary Sauer and Alex Seife to breathe life into this timeless piece of literature. Admission is free, we hope to see you!

Sunday Best

2008-09-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

This month's Sunday Best was held yesterday. We heard portions of Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire and You Should Be So Lucky by Charles Busch. Both very funny and well read. We also got a chance to work on the upcoming reading of "Great Gatsby" and look at a piece for a "mommies salon" we want to do in the near future. As usual, great commitment and comments from all present. It's been wonderful to have this outlet to work on and hear new material and stuff Half Moon is interested in performing in upcoming seasons. Plus, where else would you get to see a young woman read the role of an escaped convict puppeteer?

WAMC Radio Interview with Margo Whitcomb

2008-02-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Margo was interviewed for WAMC's RoundTable regarding our production of The Yellow Boat.

Click the link below to hear the Radio interview with Margo
Margo_interview.mp3

Yellow Boat Photos

2008-02-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

Trista Polo as Joy, the art therapist with Felix Steiny as Benjamin in The Yellow Boat. The projection in the background serves as a diagram of what Benjamin is drawing. The incredible projections are created by Matthew Slaats, an interactive artist and professor at Vassar College.

Benjamin (Felix Steiny) learns to climb with the help of his mother (Stefanie Salzmann) and father (Neil Flint Worden).

All Aboard the Yellow Boat!! Benjamin and his friends (Ryan Walter, Trista Polo, Emma Knauss and Sam Rebelein) fantasize about the magical lands they will visit aboard this boat. AFTER they settle the fight about who will steer!

Benjamin translates the words of the puppet "Giant King of the Svengalese" to buddy Ryan Walter.

New News!

2007-09-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome Half Moon Friends and Theatre lovers,

Thanks for blogging with us. This is Half Moon's first foray into the wonderful world of web blogging!! Please send us your questions, comments, ideas and pieces/projects/people you'd like to see on the Half Moon website and/or stage!! Exciting news from Half Moon friends, Owen Renfroe, Tim DeKay and Tania Raymonde:
Emmy award winning director Owen Renfroe has just finished shooting the last episode of General Hospital Night Shift, which features Billy Dee Williams. Word has it he is nothing short of brilliant. This blogger is looking forward to seeing more on Night Shift from director Renfroe who is doing groundbreaking work for ABC Daytime.
Don't forget to check out Half Moon THeatre friend, Tim DeKay, as he stars in the new HBO series, Tell Me You Love Me. Talk about groundbreaking. His work is deft, subtle and highly humorous.
Tania Raymonde, another Half Moon family member is back to shooting season 3 of Lost, where she plays Alex, daughter of Ben - leader of the others. Don't miss this up and coming star.
All three friends will be featured with the Half Moon company in a reading next year!!
Thanks for joining us andstay tuned for more exciting up to the minute theatre news for the Hudson valley.

Welcome to our Half Moon Theatre Blog

2007-09-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

Hello friends:
I'm thrilled that you're visitng us. We have an exciting new season coming up and the newly revised web site is in the works. Basically, this will be the place to visit for Half Moon News Blasts and tasteful theatre gossip. We really want to keep you in the loop as we design, cast, and market our shows and involve our audience in the creative process that leads to production. Whatever you do, don't you dare to make any holiday plans until you make reservations for you and all your friends at The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris. You will roll in the aisles! I promise.
See you at the theatre_
Margo

2007-09-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

As a recent addition to Half Moon Theatre, I have had a wonderful experience so far in my role as Associate Artist. I have had a wonderful opportunity to contribute to such an amazing mission and look forward to enjoying many years with the company. My first experience was as a last minute addition to the cast of Cinderella: A New Telling of an Old Tale. The talent on the stage was second to none and each scene I was in and each song we performed were done with commitment and dedication to putting on the best possible performance. I will not be able to act in any shows this season but am looking forward to a behind the scenes role and taking back the acting staff next season.