Hamberg initiated, curated  
& produced the evening

ONE IS THE ROAD . a haunting new piece by Mark Loewenstern 
TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT . a new comedy by Mike Teele
      
Part of THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON... featuring Vital playwrights

        
Vital Theatre Company

Theatre Row . NYC 

ONE IS THE ROAD .  by Mark Loewenstern
(here, the 3rd stanza...)

"ONE is the road. We pass the sign.

TWO is what the sign says. 
    It says nothing about a gas station.

THREE is Valerie in the corner of 
   my eye. She’s beautiful although
   she’s no longer young. 

FOUR is a memory that Valerie
   has always looked beautiful. 
   And not just to me.

FIVE is silence from Valerie. 
   She's waiting for me to prove
   I was listening.

SIX is her cigarette.

SEVEN is the music."

ONE IS THE ROAD

"...pensive and incisive..." "One is the Road turns on the notion that the human brain can simultaneously manage seven "thoughts" at once: Loewenstern's piece literalizes this concept with resonant results. This Is Your Brain On... defies the odds and conventional wisdom by being a program of one-act plays with no weak links..." Martin Denton, NYTHEATRE.COM

TAKE THIS JOB & SHOVE IT . by Mike Teele

"(into a micro recorder)  Date:
January 22, 2004. To: Executive
Management Council, Cerebral Cortex.
From: John, Senior Vice President in
Charge of Rational Thought, Frontal Lobe.
Subject: Resignation of Employment. Dear
Sirs. I hereby resign my duties as Senior
Vice President in Charge of...

TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT!

Take This Job and Shove It was hysterical and cleverly conceived, with the VP of Rational Thought excellently played by Rob Sheridan."  Charles Battersby, OOBR

PLAYWRIGHTS

DIRECTORS

ACTORS

PRODUCTION TEAM

Suzanne Bradbeer

Catherine Gillet

J Holtham

Andrea Lepcio

Lorna Littleway

Mark Loewenstern

Robin Rothstein

Mike Teele

Daniel Jáquez

Linda Ames Key

Sue Lawless

Julie Hamberg

Aimée Hayes

Margot Massie

Karen Sommers

Christopher Burris*

Tom Johnson

Jacqueline Mazarella*

Vanessa Shealy

Rob Sheridan*

Lighting

Lighting

Scenic

Sound

Music

Stage Mgr

Producer

Producer

Prod Asst

DESCRIPTION

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON…was billed as "A precocious evening of theatre from some of our favorite minds."  And it was, because, as associate artistic director at Vital, I wanted to gather some of the Vital artists that I truly admired and create something simply magnetic.  We already had Jane Shepard's one-person extravaganza, THE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO THE BRAIN and the fabulous Frank Pisco agreed to direct it.  "Take a giddy ride with the wildly imaginative Jane as she explores how she’s survived being the child of a scientist, with her own Left Brain that continually seems to be out getting a sandwich."   So, to compliment Ms. Shepard's Sloan grant-winning play, we asked eight other writers to answer the question " When a Brain speaks – what DOES it say?"  And, oh, can you write that in a week?, and we'll have two weeks to get it up!  And these most intense playwrights answered the call with fierce, witty, and moving monologues (and one two-hander).  The six actors handled all the pieces, too.  So great to see some do more than one piece and the inventiveness of the directors.  Mr. Denton summed it up by saying "This Is Your Brain On... defies the odds and conventional wisdom by being a program of one-act plays with no weak links."  And it was a true pleasure, too.

A better look at the set... (that's Jackie Mazarella in the back)
photos credits:  Julie Hamberg