Duane Chivon Ferguson is an actor, writer, director, producer, editor, shooter, singer and poet. He was born in Harlem, New York and raised in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He first developed his creativity performing in plays at his alma mater, Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New York. He also performed on various stages in New York and did repertory work with The Positive Youth Troupe and The Citykids Foundation. On camera, Duane has hosted various episodes of magazine shows and has appeared in numerous independent shorts. He is currently a member of Wide Eyed Productions in NYC. His life is all about the chase....whether it be after the dream, the fantastic, or the joy of being surrounded by his friends and family. He dedicates all of his efforts to his lovely daughter, Soul.
"Even the Score" (2006) Starring Richard LaRochelle, Leslie Shim, Chris Cole, Skid Maher and Nedra McClyde What would you do if your partner is unfaithful? Would you forgive and forget ... or would you move on? What if your partner offers you the opportunity to sleep with someone else to "make up" for their infidelity? "Even the Score" tells the story of a young couple that is face with that very scenario and the choices that ultimately seal the fate of the relationship. Official selection for the Los Angeles DV Film Festival, The Brooklyn IndieHouse and The New York Short Film Festival.
"El Día de Las Flores" (2011) Starring Amaurys Rodriguez and Jessica Courtemanche A poem about love and getting over it. Official selection for the CortoCircuito Short Film Festival.
"For The Leaping Tongues of Fire Womyn" (2011) Starring Carmen Mojica and Amuarys Rodriguez This poem, written by Carmen Mojica, explores the threshold where womynhood is tested to it's absolute limit. This video is a co-production between These Waters Run Deep and BabaSoul, Ent?
"I Am: Keep Your Hood Up" (2012) A short video piece made in response to all the acts of profiling that have lead to the untimely deaths of any and all members of the global race. Dedicated to Trayvon Martin.
Sky Seals is a co-founder of Wide Eyed Productions. Company credits: The Medea (Jason), Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro), Jack and the Soy Beanstalk (Minstrel / Composer), Henry VI (Part III) (King Edward), and Goldilocks and the Three Polar Bears (Minstrel / Composer). Sky has also directed, stage-managed, designed, composed and production-managed for Wide Eyed in its five seasons. Sky appeared Off-Broadway in the Algonquin Theater’s Sessions: The Musical in the role of Dylan for the production’s entire 14-month run, and toured with Theaterworks’ The Mystery of King Tut last spring. Sky’s score for Jack and the Soy Beanstalk has been published by Samuel French’s "Bakers Plays." Sky is also exactly one-half of the acoustic comedy duo Neil and Sky, and has scored the web series White Liars. Currently seeking representation (and a sandwich).
You’re performing in HeatherLynn MacDonald’s Early Michigan as part of our production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your thoughts about the piece? How do you feel the show is going?
When I first read Early Michigan, I was immediately struck by the challenges it would pose to the actors. There's a lot of surface dialogue that erupts because of hidden tensions, and that always interests me as an actor and an audience member. The subtlety of the script made me say, "This piece will need Wide Eyed's best actors to bring it life." I decided to audition anyway. Working on the script in auditions and rehearsals with some of the smartest actors and directors I've known has been an incredible pleasure and challenge. We delved into the intricacies of the piece right away, right after our first table read, and it was a bit daunting at first. We realized how many layers and options these characters had, and there were an infinite number of ways to bring them to fruition. Luckily, Paul did a perfect job of casting people who could find themselves in these characters, and vice versa. Not that I've ever gone through what my character is going through, but the person I am is very similar to the person Serge is, and I can imagine behaving in many of the same ways he does in this situation. Except for the turning down sex. That's just weird.
When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started?
My parents always told me that I was on a stage, performing, when I was 2 weeks old. They owned their own theater company in Steamboat Springs, CO, and were in the middle of rehearsing one of my fathers plays when I was born. I slept in a trunk full of blankets while they rehearsed every day. One day, I was sitting in my little rocker chair, and they were playing The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" while working on the set, and everyone noticed that I was bouncing and rocking exactly to the beat of the song. I suppose that was my very first performance. Since then I've always been drawn to make-believe. I had terrible stage fright after my first film The Powwow Highway when I was 7 years old, but that was overcome when I decided to audition for a choir solo in 7th grade and was rewarded with thunderous applause. I was hooked after I knew that I wouldn't totally embarrass myself. Now I try to do that intentionally.
Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?
My biggest creative influences have to be my parents, of course. They were both actors and directors, my father a writer, and my mother a costumer. Growing up poor wasn't easy, but they always placed much more importance on art, creativity, and happiness than working at something you didn't care about. They are intensely talented people, and the bar they set is high indeed. Neither of them were really musicians, so as far as music (which is my other artistic passion), I've had to seek out as many creative influences as I can. I'm ALWAYS (no, really...at all times) seeking musical inspiration from any and every kind of style. I've studied opera and musical theater, and sing in an acoustic comedy duo, and someday hope to start a soul-funk band.
What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us?
When I prepare for a show, it's very important for me to become comfortable in the theater. People make fun of me, but I tend to move in and make the dressing room and stage my home. I'll frequently show up long before everyone else and just walk every inch of the stage, lay down, sit in every chair, sing little songs to the ghosts of the theater. You know, act like a crazy person. But to me, if you can make it seem like the stage is your home, you'll successfully trick the audience into thinking they're seeing something real, and that's what leads them to have insights into themselves and humanity in general. I also like to sing German art songs to warm up my voice.
In addition to being an actor, you are also serving on the company’s Board of Directors.Can you tell us a little bit about what’s going on behind the curtain right now that you’re excited about?
First of all, being on the Board of Directors for Wide Eyed Productions is one of the hardest and most rewarding things in my life. Seeing this company grow from a troupe of actors performing The Medea on a football field in New Jersey, to performing Henry VI (Part III) at the E. 13th Street Theater (home of the Classic Stage Company), as well as producing original works and giving voices to emerging female playwrights...I still feel like we're just getting started on our quest to become a company of well-rounded entertainment manufacturers. And the fact that I get to work this hard with all of my best friends is an added bonus. The Board is definitely aiming high in the coming years, and I'm inspired and challenged by how ambitious we all still are.
Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?
During the run of A Girl Wrote It, I am in charge of booking what we call our Dark Night Series. We never like to see the space that we're renting not being used, so we started booking extra shows on our off nights, and late nights after our own productions. This is one of the ways that we give back and help create a strong theatrical community in New York City, by offering this space to others FOR FREE to do with as they will. We have a door split policy, we staff their events, sell concessions, and get to experience a vast array of performances that may not have happened if we hadn't offered this opportunity. If you have an event, reading, show, performance, film, birthday party or bar mitzvah you've been trying to plan, but just couldn't afford...contact me atskywseals@yahoo.com.
Also, Neil and Sky are hosting an Open Mic on Cinco de Mayo (May 5), Saturday night, at 11pm after the performance of A Girl Wrote It. Come take part!
Lisa Mamazza is a proud member of Wide Eyed
Productions and thrilled to be a part of A Girl Wrote It. Past theatre credits include The Trojan
Women, The Return of Toodles Von Flooz, and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Past film credits include Cause of Death,
Underneath, The Return of Toodles Von Flooz, and The One You Marry. Check out her production company at www.riverwideproductions.com and
view some of her work on her soon-to-be launched website, www.lisamamazza.com.
You’re performing
in Heather Lynn MacDonald’s Early Michigan as part of our production of A Girl Wrote It. Can
you tell us some of your thoughts about the piece? How do you feel the show is
going?
I loved Early Michigan the first time I read it. Here are real
people with real issues trying to get through the here and now. It's such a
great feeling every time we do the show. It's grown and changed so much since we
first got in the theatre, even -- I can't wait to see how it and also we as actors
all continue to grow in it.
When did you know that you wanted to be an actor?
How did you get started?
One of my earliest memories is when I was little, like
6 or 7, I would watch Mary Poppins on a loop, and every time the gang jumped
into Burt's painting, I would pause the tape (yes, tape) and go get my pink
umbrella so I could dance with
them. Still waiting for Disney to call.
Who or what do you consider to have
been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?
I think inspiration comes
from all around because entertainment is constantly happening every where.
Especially here in NYC. Just look around the subway!
What is your favorite part
of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a
particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you
share it with us?
Before an audience gets there, I love it during the rehearsal
process when all the actors are securely off book and we get to play and
explore our characters fully. Pre-show rituals vary show to show. For this one,
I go over my lines in my character, Mia's voice before I go onstage.
You were
in last year’s production of A Girl Wrote It, in The Return of Toodles Von Floozby Lisa Ferber. How would you say this
process differs from that experience?
Oh, it’s a
very different process. Toodles was a spoof on the film noir genre so it was
very stylized physical comedy where Early Michigan is slice of life realism.
It, too, has its funny moments, but an out and out comedy it is not so its much
more subtle.
Are you working on any additional projects at the moment?
Care to share with us?
Yes! My film production company, RiverWide Productions, is working with Wide Eyed; together, we're producing The
Return of Toodles Von Flooz, the short film! Look for a trailer soon on both
wideeyedproductions.com and riverwideproductions.com.
Michael Komala has been professionally-trained and performed
in theatre and film in New York
for the last 5 years. Originally from South Jersey,
Michael was one of the few who actually made it out alive. Now enjoying
the splendors of the Greek ‘hood, ACToria, he finds his next path in life
to the Richmond Shepard Theatre where he plans to woo those who surround him.
If not, he hopes that $3 wine you’re sipping on helps. Roll recent
credits...Pillow Talk (Brain Spunk Theater), Hit and Match (Cage Theatre Company
at Manhattan Rep), and Gabriel (Redd Tale Theatre Company).
You’ll be
performing in Deirdre O’Connor’s Penicillin as part of our upcoming production
of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the
piece? How are rehearsals going?
I like the humor that O'Conner put in
this. It has a real language in it that makes me believe that this ridiculous
and awkward situation could and probably has happened. Although, I hope not
because that would be awful. Given the short length of the play and having
little knowledge of either characters history, this could go in almost any
direction but I think we found a comedic rhythm and flow that fits well without
making it look like a daytime drama. Oh, we could go there! But you'll just have
to see what really happens.
When did you know that you wanted to be an
actor? How did you get started?
I unleashed this powerhouse acting machine
from the deepest, darkest years of my life...high school. I was always the
quiet, shy guy in most classes. Theatre arts classes and plays opened me up to
a "Jekyll & Hyde-like" transformation. Sitting in English class
as a fly on the wall to dancing, singing, and doing the most odd/outrageous
characters I've ever done. My friends and teachers couldn't believe they were
seeing the same guy on stage. I like it that way.
Who or what do you
consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?
As a
kid, I always idolized Jim Carrey. No one can replicate what he brought to work
everyday. Complete freedom without any consciousness of judgment. I just
wanted to make people laugh all the time so I would try to imitate his variety
of voices and movements. The man is made of rubber! He created with only
what he had, a mind and body of endless characters. From there, I made it my
own because he had already introduced me to so many tools. I didn't even
realize Jim was my first acting teacher. I was just having fun.
What is your
favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do
you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so,
can you share it with us?
My favorite part is when I've convinced myself
that I can relax a little bit more because all the time and work has been put
in to what the final production will look like and now I can just have fun with
it. All work and no play makes Komala a dull boy. As weird as I can seem, I
really don't have an odd pre-show ritual. I do some stretches, vocal warm ups,
and finish memorizing my lines. Actor stuff.
You were in last year’s
production of A Girl Wrote It, in Elizabeth Birkenmeier’s Plightof the
Apothecary. How would you say this process differs from that experience?
I
said before that we could take this show in any direction, but
"Apothecary" could be taken to any planet (and our dressing room
still wouldn't be big enough). It was such a bizarre play...but through improvisation and great
direction from Justin Ness, we pulled this thing out of our as…scending talent,
and actually had a lot of fun with it...With Penicillin,
I have a name, it's in the present time, and on Earth, I believe.
Liz White is a proud co-founder of Wide Eyed Productions. She has her Master's in Public Administration from NYU Wagner and her Bachelor’s of Arts from University of Northern Colorado. She most recently performed in A Girl Wrote It with Wide Eyed in 2011 and is happy to be performing again in 2012. Other roles with Wide Eyed Productions include the Nurse in The Medea and Caitlin in A Devil Inside.
You’ll be performing Judith Goudsmit’s monologue Being Late as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going?
I loved this piece from the minute I read it and immediately was determined to act in it. It is hilarious! Rehearsals have been interesting. A lot of running around my apartment repeating the same lines…my neighbors think I am crazy.
When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started?
I have been acting since I was a kid. My grandparents put me in a theatre camp because, if you can believe it, I was shy. Shy, but always the first to make a joke and be in the principal’s office. My grandparents got me started really and ever since then it has always been something I have done…even if it hasn’t been full time it has been a big part of my life.
Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?
I had this amazing teacher named Mr. Callahan. He was my Latin teacher in middle school and he really believed in me. It makes me teary eyed to think of him. He made up things for “the class” to do so I could perform. Love him!
What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us?
I recently developed stage fright…which is awesome. So for me it is a lot of meditating and talking softly and nicely to myself so I don’t run off stage to vomit. The best part of the creative process is seeing a piece come together. Seeing where it starts and where it ends up. It is so fun.
In addition to being an actor, you are also one of the founders of Wide Eyed and serve as the current chair for the company's Board of Directors. Can you tell us a little about what's going on behind the curtain that you're excited about?
I am learning something new every day. I am excited to learn things every day as the chair. I am really excited to take this company to places none of us had never even dreamed. Stay tuned!
Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?
Right now. I am working on White Liars with Andrew Harriss and others. Another funny and well written show. Cannot wait to start exploring the character of Vivian!
Carly Knight is
an eleven-year resident of New York
City. She likes to consider herself a chanteuse and is
currently working with the rock band The Dayafter, as well as performing the
occasional jazz gig and in various cabarets. Carly is a new member to Wide Eyed
this year, and served as the AD for the company’s production of The Trojan Women last summer. She
received her dramatic training from AMDA.
You’ll be performing in Liz Magee’s
monologue Jeans as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It.
Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are
rehearsals going?
When I first read through Jeans,
I thought, “Oh crap - Liz Magee can read my thoughts!”Then I remembered not everything is about me.
Liz has captured a way of expressing a thought process that I find mesmerizing.
I’ve loved getting to know this character and can’t wait to share her. I’ve
also had an amazing time getting on the other side of the stage with my
director Kristin Skye Hoffmann. Working with her on this piece has been very
eye-opening for me. (Thanks, Kristin.)
When did you know that you wanted to be
an actor? How did you get started?
If you ask my parents, they might say it all
began at a young age when we discovered I am terrible at every sport known to
man. I sang incessantly so they needed a reason to get me out of the house.
Vocal lessons seemed like the obvious choice, I suppose. Through that
lifesaving voice teacher I was introduced to improvisation classes, then acting
training. The training spiraled into Community Theater and it all went downhill
from there.
Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative
influences to date? Why?
Once upon a time, I had an acting coach that was
absolutely out of his damn mind. He took his craft seriously and had me
passionate about pushing limits and trying unique things. He shaped my way of
thinking about the arts. He was a hippie. I miss that crazy freedom. I would
also have to say that recently my massively talented friends have been the
biggest influence on me. They inspire me to keep going. We have to keep
creating. Sometimes they even let me participate.
Do you have a
particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you
share it with us?
Pre-show: Clonazepam — Gallon of water — Bathroom. I didn’t
really plan this ritual, but it seems to keep happening anyway. I have a very
hard time with memorization so my anxiety level goes to eleven.
You co-hosted
and performed in our “POW: Powerhouse of Women” cabaret and art show a couple
of weeks back. What do you love most about vocal performance? Do you often
perform around town?
Wasn’t that fundraiser awesome? Anyone who missed it
should kick themselves and never miss another Wide Eyed event again. That
wasn’t the question at all.
I love vocal performance because it’s the best
emotional outlet I have. It has always come more naturally to me than anything
else.I’m not great at expressing myself
as a human in general so perhaps I need to sing to keep from exploding. I feel
like I perform around town every week but come to think of it, that’s because I
hang out with karaoke addicts. I’m currently in a rock cover band and on
occasion I’ll sing in a cabaret or show of some sort. I’m in transition of
style I suppose.
Are you working on any
additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?
Amy Lee Pearsall is a long-time member of Wide Eyed Productions, having appeared with the company in The Trojan Women, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, and their inaugural production of The Medea, among others. She is currently appearing in Gideon Productions’ Blast Radius. Amy Lee holds a BA in Theatre Arts from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. She is also a freelance writer when the opportunity presents itself, and has been known to take some photographs. http://www.amyleepearsall.com/
You’ll be performing in Erin Singleton’s Bologna Sandwiches as part of our upcoming production of A Girl Wrote It. Can you tell us some of your initial thoughts about the piece? How are rehearsals going?
It’s a very fun piece and, after the recent run of dramatic roles I’ve had, I’m delighted to be performing a comedic monologue. I think Erin Singleton has a terrific voice as a writer and I’m eager to see what she does next. I’m also thrilled to be working with Kristin Skye Hoffmann again. She directed me in The Medea, …Cuckoo’s Nest, The Trojan Women, My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer, and she knows how to both push and inspire me as an actor.
You were recently interviewed on another site regarding your creative process. Where can we read about that?
Yes, that was on Zack Calhoon’s blog Visible Soul. He profiles New York playwrights, directors, actors, etc. It’s a terrific local resource. Be sure to check it out!
I hear you’ve been keeping busy. Can you tell us a little about the show you’re working on right now?
I’m currently performing in Mac Rogers’ Blast Radius with Gideon Productions. It's the second installment of what Mac's calling "The Honeycomb Trilogy." Aliens have invaded earth, and this particular play is about a resistance faction operating out of a house of pregnant women. Jordana Williams, our director, has called it “a love letter to humanity,” and I think that’s accurate. I may be somewhat biased. I adore this ensemble, and love Mac’s work – it’s always kind of left-of-center, but has this beautiful poetry to it. The New York Times just listed us as a "Critics' Pick" and we even made the New York Magazineapproval matrix– not bad for an independent theatre production! We’re all real proud of it, and we close next week, so get tickets while you can.
What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us?
I like to take a brisk walk before call time to get the oxygen pumping a bit. I try not to eat a big meal before, but I do stay hydrated and maybe eat a bit of protein to keep my energy up. I like to connect with folks when I walk into the theatre and say hello. I do some light stretching, and spend a moment talking around a clean wine cork for enunciation. Then it’s a bit of make-up, focusing on my breathing, and showtime. I’ve never been a fan of group warm-ups; my apologies to those who love them. If you want a group warm-up, throw everyone in the same dressing room.
Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?
Wide Eyed has a new apprentice playwrights program this year that we’re very excited about. These new scripts will have staged readings during A Girl Wrote It’s “Dark Nights” series, and I’ll be participating in some of those. I attended one of the workshop readings this past weekend. It’s so much fun to be on the ground floor of something like this, watching these fantastic stories take shape and getting to be a part of it.
Andrew Harriss is an actor and writer who has been a member of Wide Eyed Productions since its inception in 2007. Company credits include The Medea, Much Ado About Nothing, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, A Devil Inside, The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, Henry VI (Part III), and Plight Of The Apothocary in 2011’s A Girl Wrote It. Other credits include Gorilla Rep's Hamlet, The Jack Johnson Project, and All For Love with Boomerang Theatre Company. Andrew is also the writer, producer, and star of the webseries White Liars. He is originally from Irvine, California and holds a BFA from HofstraUniversity.
When did you know that you wanted to be an actor? How did you get started?
I have wanted to be actor since I was 9 years old. I played a dog named Bowser who ran a dog store. I don’t remember what the play was called but as an adult, looking back, I’m concerned about some of the themes from that show. I’m typing this during a rather dry episode of The Daily Show so I’m going to try to count the number of plays I’ve been in since then. Hold On. So through elementary school, junior high, high school, college, and professionally I can remember being in 44* plays over the last 20 years. But I drink a lot so I’ve probably forgotten a few. Each one was either a life affirming experience or made me wish I had never bothered with this stupid craft and gone to law school. Is 29 too old to go to law school?
The short answer is I got my start after getting my degree and started working professionally in New York.
*I remembered one more.
Who or what do you consider to have been your biggest creative influences to date? Why?
I’d like to name drop somebody like my mom or the late John Ritter but I have to say my biggest creative influences are the people I come into contact with everyday. Some of these people I’ve known for years others I’m just observing in line at Starbucks or Chipotle. I’m particularly interested in idiots, as in people who lack common sense and would rather blame somebody else for their problems rather than try to solve it themselves. What was it that made you check out of reality? Do you do this all the time or did something just get fucked up with your morning and maybe I shouldn’t be judging you. Who knows, but I find that behavior fascinating. I’m guilty of it too, I think we all are from time to time (that doesn’t excuse it) which is good because I’m basically playing myself in this play.
What is your favorite part of the creative process before you perform for an audience? Do you have a particular pre-show ritual that you engage in before curtain? If so, can you share it with us?
My favorite part of the process before an audience sees it is the week before an audience sees it and you're pretty sure the show is going to be a disaster. The anxiety is awful, but it usually makes opening night cathartic. If it doesn’t, then I start looking up law school applications again. I don’t necessarily have a pres-how ritual aside from warming up, but I do have habits. For instance, I’d rather not talk to anybody on my way to the theatre. That’s mostly because I’m nervous and on edge. I love being able to sit on the subway with my ipod and just be alone and quiet and small. On my way from the subway to the theatre I likes to get me coffee, listen to my musics, and chill out before psyching myself up for a performance.
In addition to being an actor, you are also serving on the company’s Board of Directors. Can you tell us a little bit about what’s going on behind the curtain right now that you’re excited about?
My job on the board is member relations and dues so I’m not personally as involved with the day to day behind the scenes stuff, but I am getting really excited about the Dark Nights. I’ll be doing my one-man Show Filibustero under those auspices and I’m really looking forward to the other acts and projects that will be performing as part of the Dark Night series as well.
Are you working on any additional projects at the moment? Care to share with us?
I’m currently in production on the second season of my webseries White Liars. The first season saw my character (Timothy Michael Forbes) unwittingly go from a down on his luck actor to haphazard con artist. The second season follows Tim as he is put to the test in his conning ways. We’re also working on a new show called ‘Laid Up’ about a guy who some manages to screw up getting laid right before it’s about to happen. Information on all this can be found on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TheConIsOn), Twitter (@WhiteLiars), and our website (http://www.white-liars.com/).
