ArtHouse Live
Encyclopedia
ArtHouse Live is a Maryland theater company based in Easton, Maryland
which was formed in January of 2006. Created by Brandon Hesson, Mark Mangold
and Tim Weigand, the group performs contemporary theater. The group performs their shows at the Talbot County Historical Society Auditorium, a 250 seat seat theater in downtown Easton.
Biography
Hesson, Mangold and Weigand met at Mangold's father's pool hall, Easton Billiards, and started their own Public-access television
show, What's Going On, with Erik Higgins in 1994. Mangold would later study film and television at New York University
's Tisch School of the Arts
, where he graduated from in 1998. In an attempt to raise money for his senior thesis, Mangold asked Weigand, Hesson and Higgins to help him produce a play as a fundraiser. The group formed Cricket Theatre and performed their first show, Sam Shepard
's Fool For Love at the Avalon Theatre
in 1998.
Cricket Theatre
Finding a niche in Easton's arts scene (the town would be named one of the Top 100 Small Arts Communities in America) Cricket Theatre went on to produce eleven shows at the Avalon from 1998 to 2003. Mangold directed most of the shows, with Weigand acting in the majority of them and Hesson in charge of the plays' production. The group produced plays from playwrights they deemed important to modern American theatre, including Shepard, Woody Allen
, Beth Henley
and Christopher Durang
. They also performed the Tony and Pulitzer award winning contemporary plays Side Man by Warren Leight
and How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
, and a community oriented production of A Christmas Carol
. After Mangold left the group in 2003 to focus on his career in the music business, Weigand and Hesson reformed the group with other Cricket actors as Cricket Theater Company. The group would go on to produce two more new productions before folding for good in 2005.
ArtHouse Live
Hesson, Mangold and Weigand started anew in 2006 with ArtHouse Live Productions. Their first show was Craig Pospisil
's Life is Short, which ran from April 6 to April 8, 2006. Their first season also included Eric Bogosian
's Talk Radio and David Auburn
's Proof. The group also participated in the National Film Challenge from Oct. 21-23, 2006. Produced by the highly recognized 48 Hour Film Project
, the National Film Challenge asks teams to write, shoot and edit a six to eight minute film in one weekend. Their entry, titled "Closed Doors", is available for viewing on YouTube
.
Initial Ensemble
ArtHouse Live announced their initial ensemble in 2007. Joining Mangold, Weigand and Hesson were Casey Stork, Michael Kafka, Kate Bernstein, Adrienne Shostak, Basil Tydings, Jeff Perry, Erik Higgins, Shiela Wainwright, Vin Brown, Jo Tanner Bantum and Jackie Kinney. Ensemble members are required to produce one credit per year in order to maintain their status.
Historical Society Auditorium
ArtHouse Live moved to the Historical Society Auditorium after performing in the Avalon Theatre for nearly nine years. The move was made to allow the group more rehearsal time in their performance space, as well as giving them the opportunity to perform their shows for more than one weekend. The group's 2007 fundraiser, featuring alt-country singer-songwriter Scott Miller
took place on Feb. 3, 2007, and marked the group's first production in their new home.
2007 Season
The group's 2007 kicked off in March with their production of Eric Coble
's "The Dead Guy." The performance earned rave reviews for combining and incorporating a multi-media presentation that simulateously broadcast the theatrical production live as a television show during the performance. The show starred Casey Stork, Annie Butler, Deb Downey, Michael Kafka, Jackie Whittington, Clay Owens, Lindley Bounds, Erik Higgins and Jeff Perry. The remainder of the season will feature Jason Robert Brown
's "The Last Five Years", David Mamet
's Glengarry Glen Ross and Donald Marguiles' Brooklyn Boy.
Easton, Maryland
Easton, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the...
which was formed in January of 2006. Created by Brandon Hesson, Mark Mangold
Mark Mangold
Mark Mangold is an American pop singer-songwriter best known as a member of the band Touch. As a songwriter, Mangold's songs have been performed by Michael Bolton, Cher and Jordin Sparks.-Biography:Mangold was born in Miami and grew up in New York City...
and Tim Weigand, the group performs contemporary theater. The group performs their shows at the Talbot County Historical Society Auditorium, a 250 seat seat theater in downtown Easton.
Biography
Hesson, Mangold and Weigand met at Mangold's father's pool hall, Easton Billiards, and started their own Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
show, What's Going On, with Erik Higgins in 1994. Mangold would later study film and television at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
, where he graduated from in 1998. In an attempt to raise money for his senior thesis, Mangold asked Weigand, Hesson and Higgins to help him produce a play as a fundraiser. The group formed Cricket Theatre and performed their first show, Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
's Fool For Love at the Avalon Theatre
Avalon Theatre
The Avalon Theatre is an historic theater located in downtown Easton, Maryland. Originally built as a cinema in 1921, The Avalon was billed as the "Showplace of the Eastern Shore."...
in 1998.
Cricket Theatre
Finding a niche in Easton's arts scene (the town would be named one of the Top 100 Small Arts Communities in America) Cricket Theatre went on to produce eleven shows at the Avalon from 1998 to 2003. Mangold directed most of the shows, with Weigand acting in the majority of them and Hesson in charge of the plays' production. The group produced plays from playwrights they deemed important to modern American theatre, including Shepard, Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
, Beth Henley
Beth Henley
Elizabeth Becker "Beth" Henley is an American dramatist and actress. She writes primarily about women's issues and family in the Southern United States. She is also a screenwriter who has written many film adaptations of her plays...
and Christopher Durang
Christopher Durang
Christopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
. They also performed the Tony and Pulitzer award winning contemporary plays Side Man by Warren Leight
Warren Leight
Warren Leight is an American playwright, screenwriter, film director and television producer. He is best known for his work on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Lights Out and the showrunner for In Treatment and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit....
and How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel is an American playwright and university professor. She received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, How I Learned to Drive.-Early years:...
, and a community oriented production of A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
. After Mangold left the group in 2003 to focus on his career in the music business, Weigand and Hesson reformed the group with other Cricket actors as Cricket Theater Company. The group would go on to produce two more new productions before folding for good in 2005.
ArtHouse Live
Hesson, Mangold and Weigand started anew in 2006 with ArtHouse Live Productions. Their first show was Craig Pospisil
Craig Pospisil
Craig Pospisil is an American playwright, and musical bookwriter. He has written nine full length plays and musicals,, mostly comedies, and more than 40 short plays and musicals.- Biography :...
's Life is Short, which ran from April 6 to April 8, 2006. Their first season also included Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian is an American actor, playwright, monologist, and novelist of Armenian descent.-Personal life:Bogosian, an Armenian-American, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina, a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. After graduating from Oberlin College,...
's Talk Radio and David Auburn
David Auburn
David Auburn is an American playwright.He was raised in Ohio and Arkansas. He attended the University of Chicago, where he was a member of Off-Off Campus, and received a degree in English literature....
's Proof. The group also participated in the National Film Challenge from Oct. 21-23, 2006. Produced by the highly recognized 48 Hour Film Project
48 Hour Film Project
The 48 Hour Film Project is a contest in which teams of filmmakers are assigned a genre, a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue, and have 48 hours to create a short film containing those elements. Shortly after the 48 hours of filmmaking, the films from each city are then screened at a theater...
, the National Film Challenge asks teams to write, shoot and edit a six to eight minute film in one weekend. Their entry, titled "Closed Doors", is available for viewing on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Initial Ensemble
ArtHouse Live announced their initial ensemble in 2007. Joining Mangold, Weigand and Hesson were Casey Stork, Michael Kafka, Kate Bernstein, Adrienne Shostak, Basil Tydings, Jeff Perry, Erik Higgins, Shiela Wainwright, Vin Brown, Jo Tanner Bantum and Jackie Kinney. Ensemble members are required to produce one credit per year in order to maintain their status.
Historical Society Auditorium
ArtHouse Live moved to the Historical Society Auditorium after performing in the Avalon Theatre for nearly nine years. The move was made to allow the group more rehearsal time in their performance space, as well as giving them the opportunity to perform their shows for more than one weekend. The group's 2007 fundraiser, featuring alt-country singer-songwriter Scott Miller
Scott Miller
Scott Miller may refer to:*Scott Miller *Scott Miller *Scott Miller *Scott Miller , rock singer, former member of Game Theory, lead singer of The Loud Family...
took place on Feb. 3, 2007, and marked the group's first production in their new home.
2007 Season
The group's 2007 kicked off in March with their production of Eric Coble
Eric Coble
Eric Coble is a playwright and screenwriter. He is a member of the Playwrights' Unit of the Cleveland Play House.Eric Coble was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and raised on the Navajo and Ute reservations in New Mexico and Colorado...
's "The Dead Guy." The performance earned rave reviews for combining and incorporating a multi-media presentation that simulateously broadcast the theatrical production live as a television show during the performance. The show starred Casey Stork, Annie Butler, Deb Downey, Michael Kafka, Jackie Whittington, Clay Owens, Lindley Bounds, Erik Higgins and Jeff Perry. The remainder of the season will feature Jason Robert Brown
Jason Robert Brown
Jason Robert Brown is an American musical theater composer, lyricist, and playwright. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics...
's "The Last Five Years", David Mamet
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
's Glengarry Glen Ross and Donald Marguiles' Brooklyn Boy.