Knowledge Workings Theater Company

Tag: #theater

  • John Blaylock Defends Superbly in HONOR

    John Blaylock Defends Superbly in HONOR

    Photos by Bill Wadman: John Blaylock as Ludwig along with Alinca Hamilton as Ronnee and Ed Altman as Don

    “Theatre isn’t real. It’s a refraction of reality, containing feelings and thoughts that are put forth, first, in a primary text, which the actor interprets—an interpretation that the director supports or edits, in an attempt to help build, in a made-up world, an atmosphere of verisimilitude.”

    Hilton Als

    Hilton Als, longtime critic at The New Yorker magazine, describes above the theatrical experience pithily and — to our thinking — near perfectly: he puts the actor at the heart of the creation. That centrality explains why we adore John Blaylock as Ludwig in HONOR. He built a character — the diligent, conservative General Counsel of a big company — from the foundation of the text giving him a reality that makes lawyers in our audience ask where John studied law. Spoiler: he didn’t. John is just a fine actor who loves to work so hard to put his person into a compelling story. He creates that ‘made-up world’, that atmosphere of verisimilitude. John makes you believe.

    We are entering our final week of this run and tickets are available at our.show/honor If you’ve ever worked in a business, HONOR will speak to you as it presents the complexities and ambiguities of trying to do the right thing by each other in that world. Don’t miss John’s stirring electric performance and this story. See you at the Gene Frankel Theatre for seventy minutes of riveting theatre.

    Don’t just take our word for it. Read what others have said:

    “Honor, by , T.J. Elliott… If you’ve ever navigated the corporate world, you’ll immediately recognize the intricacies of the system – power dynamics, conflict, and behind-the-scenes negotiations that can lead to major frustrations. You might even spot a few familiar personalities from your own workplace! What stood out was the play’s comedic edge, using sharp humor to make the often stressful corporate environment feel both relatable and amusing (although, let’s be honest, it’s a lot less funny when you’re actually living it 😆). The play invites you to reflect on the nuances of leadership and influence, making you think about just how complex and layered these interactions truly are.”

    Ruby Chan
    Buy Your HONOR TIX Here

    Excellent show! I very much enjoyed it yesterday afternoon.

    Marina Daiman
    Buy Your HONOR TIX Here

    “The play masterfully takes what appears to be an apparent disagreement over a value interpretation of an issue to a place that reveals the complexity of not only the interpretation of the issue but also each of the participant’s values. The ending provides an excellent explication of the complexity of human character in the interpretation of what constitutes personal honor, leaving one with intriguing ideas to contemplate.”

    Scotty Bennett, TheaterScene.Net
    Buy Your HONOR TIX Here

      “Eloquently and dramatically skewers the current business culture… provocative entertainment.” “Elliott also directed and his physical staging is crisp, well-paced and contains momentum. The personable and talented cast of Ed Altman as Don, and Alinca Hamilton and John Blaylock, as the lawyers, all deliver energetic and authentic performances. This trio shines in the concluding sequence… “

      Darryl Reilly, Encore!
      Buy Your HONOR TIX Here

    1. In HONOR, “Alinca Hamilton Takes Full Advantage…”

      Ronnee (Alinca Hamilton) turns the tables on Don (Ed Altman) in HONOR

      FULL ADVANTAGE!

      “Alinca Hamilton takes full advantage of this space and, acting with her body and face as well as with her words, letting the audience see her reactions, is quite funny…, showing us the ridiculousness of the situation.”

      Roberta Pikser, Theater-Wire.Net

      We knew that about Alinca as Ronnee Emerson but seeing Roberta Pikser’s review of HONOR in Theater-Wire.Net proved a gratifying confirmation and commendation of our colleague’s superb talent. Come to the Gene Frankel Theatre in lively NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan and see for yourself but you’ll have to do so before October 6th when this run where Alinca is joined by her two partners in corporate comedy, John Blaylock and Ed Altman ends.

       

      Click here now to get your Tix for HONOR

      “The play suggests that such a thing as honor is all but impossible, at least in a corporate setting, or perhaps that the concept is totally subjective, that no one really knows what it is. White male privilege is touched upon as one aspect of the elusiveness of the concept. Perhaps, as suggested by the insistence of the two men not to listen to each other, but to try to prevail, the idea of honor comes down to dominance. “

      You have to see HONOR the play that Andrew Cortes of 

      Stage Whisper Podcast called ‘FANTASTIC! ’

    2. Wonder if Reviews Recommending HONOR Are Accurate? Come Judge for Yourself!

      Ed Altman, Alinca Hamilton, and John Blaylock make the story sizzle

      Okay, one more plea to see HONOR at The Gene Frankel Theatre before it closes on October 6th, but this time the recommendation comes from reviews for which we are SOOOO grateful

      Tix at  our.show/honor

      1) “Written and superbly directed by T.J. Elliott…All of these actors are first-rate in their performances.”


      2)  “The play masterfully takes what appears to be an apparent disagreement over a value interpretation of an issue to a place that reveals the complexity of not only the interpretation of the issue but also each of the participant’s values. The ending provides an excellent explication of the complexity of human character in the interpretation of what constitutes personal honor, leaving one with intriguing ideas to contemplate.”from Scotty Bennett, TheaterScene.Net
      Did that work? 

      Click here for Tix

      No? Then read this one…


      3)    “Eloquently and dramatically skewers the current business culture… provocative entertainment.” “Elliott also directed and his physical staging is crisp, well-paced and contains momentum. The personable and talented cast of Ed Altman as Don, and Alinca Hamilton and John Blaylock,as the lawyers, all deliver energetic and authentic performances. This trio shines in the concluding sequence… “


      4)    “Technical and artistic director Gifford Elliott contributes smoothness to the production with balanced lighting and sound. The realistic,simple scenic design consists of a long table, wheelie chairs, a white board on an easel, and a large running wall clock which add a cool real-time dimension to the stated 45-minute proceeding.”from  Darryl Reilly, Encore!      
      Come on, you like theater and this is a well-reviewed relevant piece.

      Click here for tickets to a show that is rollicking and relevant
      Not good enough? How about what…TimeOut says
      “In this dark corporate comedy by writer-director T.J. Elliott, three executives chew over—and perhaps spit out—the results of an investigation into a case of harassment that has been brought against by one of them. Alinca Hamilton, John Blaylock and Ed Altman play the compromised trio.”You need a night out so go to this link for those tickets
      70 minutes of fast-paced fun that surfaces realities all too familiar for many of us in a grand historic theatre in the lively NoHo neighborhood at 7 PM (Sunday at 1 PM)

      Tix at  our.show/honor

      BONUS: Tell us this post persuaded you and we’ll give you a FREE wine or beer in the lobby of the Gene Frankel Theatre

    3. Alinca Hamilton: Not to be Missed in HONOR

      Alinca Hamilton: Not to be Missed in HONOR

      Alinca Hamilton — Photo by David Goddard

      Bold assertion: you should go see Alinca Hamilton in HONOR at the Gene Frankel Theatre  running now through October 6th ONLY at the Gene Frankel Theater 24 Bond Street in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. Tix at our.show/honor

      Ronnee (Alinca Hamilton) attempts to referee the constant conflict of Don (Ed Altman) and Ludwig (John Blaylock, seated)

      Why? Her performance compels, charms, and cheers in this comedy of corporate culture in ways that you won’t want to miss. You can read more about Alinca here and you can actually hear her via the Stage Whisper podcast of Andrew Cortes, but what would really be to your advantage is to see and listen to Alinca in this play: she’s terrific! We believe in her so much that we are offering you two (2) complimentary tickets to any of our performances of HONOR. Alinca has to be seen. Just reply to this email with your preferred performance date for your free tickets. Her performance is worth a lot more than that.

      Oh, what’s the play about, the comedy by T.J. Elliott that actress Sean Young called “hilarious and very clever“? In HONOR, three executives (John Blaylock, Alinca Hamilton, and Ed Altman) meet to review the results of an investigation into a charge of bullying against one of them. In the course of a raucous and rollicking meeting, a free-for-all ensues that tests the outer limits of propriety and procedure. With sharp humor and witty tactics, each brings their own concept of “honor” to the table for debate, only to be left wondering what constitutes honor in our present world. The running time of HONOR is just over an hour, which leaves you plenty of time to enjoy the fine restaurants and nightlife in this lively neighborhood.

    4. HONOR Gets Honored in Our Very First Review

      HONOR Gets Honored in Our Very First Review

      We’ve been fortunate enough to have the pleasure of Darryl Reilly reviewing 3 of our Knowledge Workings Theater productions and we are grateful for his considerate criticism of HONOR that you can read in full at this link

      And then this morning we discovered that Time Out magazine has a featured listing for our play. The good news for us is that more people will learn about the opportunity to see 3 excellent actors — Alinca Hamilton, Ed Altman, and John Blaylock — lavish their talents on storytelling that is funny, sharp, and timely. We are only running until October 6: get your tickets now at our.show/honor

    5. Broadway World interviews Playwright & Director of HONOR, T.J. Elliott

      Broadway World interviews Playwright & Director of HONOR, T.J. Elliott

      We are grateful to Broadway World for its interview of T.J. Elliott, Playwright & Director of HONOR, which opens September 19 at the Gene Frankel Theatre and runs until October 6. You can read the full interview here as Joshua Wright talks to T.J. about his journey from theater to the corporate world and back again to theater in 2018. T.J. also speaks about the importance of Joe Queenan, his collaborator on the plays alms, grudges, genealogy, and the Oracle, in his return to playwrighting as well as the circumstances that prompted him to write this latest play, HONOR. Tickets to honor are available at our.show/honor

    6. Sean Young & Joe Queenan agree: HONOR is great!

      Yes, THAT Sean Young!
      Yes, THAT Joe Queenan

      We appreciate the generous and enthusiastic responses of these two audience members from our run at The Chain Winter One-Act Festival this past February, but you should come and see for yourself.

      Tickets for HONOR are available here

      Performances will run September 19th through October 6th at The Gene Frankel Theatre: Wednesday-Saturday @ 7 PM, Sunday @ 1 PM

      The Gene Frankel Theatre
      24 Bond Street, New York, NY 10012

      For more information, email us at knowledgeworkings@gmail.com or visit us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook

      See the Instagram reel here

    7. Notes To Read When Playwrighting # 4

      Notes To Read When Playwrighting # 4

      An Occasional Series

      Lucas Hnath from Playbill

      Given that I’ve been in rewriting mode around my latest play, I found this piece about Lucas Hnath, which originally appeared in the New Yorker, very helpful. I don’t know if I’m mystical about rewriting but at times the process does seem to require a metaphysical approach; i.e., is this thing being created acquiring a coherent existence?

      🙂

      “He can sound mystical about his creative process. At workshops, I’ve heard him say many times, “This line hasn’t figured out yet what it wants to become.” But he can also be stringently analytical. Playwright’s Input A should result in Audience Output B. That side was in evidence at the Golden, as the seats began to fill. (The preview was sold out.) I asked him what he’d be looking out for that evening, and he said that it was important that he not look for anything. He wanted to experience the play as if he’d never seen it. This, he emphasized, would be just the start of his process. “You have to watch several performances,” he went on. “Then take a step back and try to understand, on average, how the play works. It’s what remains consistent across many performances that tells me something useful. Tonight is one single data point.”

      He hoped to next time find “a better spot” in the theatre. Another night found him in the stage manager’s office, listening to the actors on a monitor. He was rewriting their parts as they spoke.”

      DT Max on Lucas Hnath

    8. PLAYWRIGHTS PANEL ON SELF-PRODUCING

      T.J. Elliott

      SHORT(ISH) VERSION

      Read the detail below but click here to Sign up for a discussion on Playwright Self-Producing taking place 8:30 PM Wednesday September 25th after the 7PM performance of HONOR at 24 Bond Street at the Gene Frankel Theatre in Manhattan.

      There is absolutely NO requirement or expectation that prospective attendees of the session will attend the play beforehand. HONOR has a 7:00 PM curtain and a running time of 65 minutes; Therefore, any playwright is welcome to show up at 8:30PM just for this discussion on self-producing. There is NO fee for attending this playwright community gathering. If you wish to attend HONOR, go to our tickets site here and enter the discount code ‘playwright’ for $10 off the ticket price. 

      Our Panel

      Alinca Hamilton

      John Mark Lucas

      Claude Solnik

      Janani Sreenivasan

      LONGER CONTEXT-SETTING VERSION 

      Back in March, I began to publish online a series of brief essays, 13 Ways of Looking at Self-Producing drawing upon my own experience as a playwright doing that double duty on eight stagings (three via Zoom) since 2018. I wrote then that during that period as a number of theaters closed and festivals suspended solicitations that  “Finding ‘doom and gloom’ conversations at gatherings with playwrights was impossible to escape no matter what refreshments are served.” Given “that the current situation poses both novel and more frequent obstacles to production especially of new work”, I thought it a good idea to reflect publicly on lessons learned so far from self-producing. The response by readers was gratifying and affirming, which has led our company to sponsor a Wednesday September 25th session on self-producing for any interested playwrights in the NYC area. (Others from far-flung places are welcome to join us but this will be strictly an in-person event.)

      Since our production of HONOR runs at the Gene Frankel Theatre in Manhattan, we decided to hold the session on playwrights self-producing after one of the performances. Attendance discussion is FREE and there is absolutely NO requirement or expectation that prospective attendees of the session will attend the play beforehand. HONOR has a 7:00 PM curtain and a running time of 65 minutes; Therefore, any playwright is welcome to show up at 8:30 PM to participate in this session on self producing. If you do wish to attend the play first, that’s fine. Go to our tickets website and enter the discount code ‘PLAYWRIGHT’ to get $10 off your ticket price. 

      “If there’s no place to put on your play, you can’t learn to write a play, because you learn from the audience.”

      David Mamet

      Why are we doing this? Three reasons: 1) The playwright community that has nourished us is important and gatherings can make us stronger 2) We don’t know everything and we’d like to benefit from and yet also contribute to ‘the wisdom of [playwright] crowds’ 3) We keep coming back to a David Mamet insight: “If there’s no place to put on your play, you can’t learn to write a play, because you learn from the audience.”  

      Sooooooo……

      Sign up for a discussion on Playwright Self-Producing taking place 8:30 PM Wednesday September 26th after the 7PM performance of HONOR at the Gene Frankel Theatre at 24 Bond Street in Manhattan

       

    9. Notes for Playwrighting # 2

      [An occasional series of playwrighting quotes]

      Read This When Writing Plays

      David Hare Courtesy Faber & Faber

      DAVID HARE

      David Hare influenced me greatly not only by his plays but through his superb little book, Acting Up, about his experience performing his one man show. One of the passages there turned into part of my own practice: telling the story again and again. Maintaining that grip on the storytelling aspect of a play can get slippery as we move through the writing. Consequently, following Hare’s (and Louis Malle’s) advice, at some point, I even write down the story because it identifies glitches, inconsistencies, and excesses just as you get the feeling when telling a story to friends or family that it’s too long or complicated.. Here is how Hare explained how he came to do this:

      “Louis (Malle) shared my fascination with techniques of storytelling. Once, we were meant to be working together on Damage, the film of Josephine Hart’s novel. But I came into the restaurant for supper usually dissatisfied with that morning’s read-through of the play of mine called Murmuring Judges. ‘It ought to bloody work,’ I said, ‘and it doesn’t.’ At once Louis asked me to tell him the story of the play. Together we sat for three hours, refining the narrative. Louis isolated every component of the story, and then put them all back together again in the right order. It was like watching a great car mechanic lay out the pieces of an engine on a clean white cloth before reassembling them. He did it for the sheer intellectual pleasure.… (After writing the synopsis of Damage) Every morning he would make me sit down under the vines and go back to the beginning of the story. He did it so many times that I thought I was going to go mad.”