We opened A TRIP TO THE MOON last night and it was a thilling delight to finally step away from the programming and watch what has become a magical journey in outer space. It’s an exhausting process that keeps us all in experimentation and in flux up until opening, but it’s a responsibility of the design team to keep up with the changes in hopes to stick to our guns with the nuanced interactivity that this show requires. A real victory was had last night and I’m proud to be a part of such a remarkably timed show.

Happy opening to a stellar team of “luna”tics! Onward to the run all month long!

Check out these nice write ups about the show:

WASHINGTON POST PREVIEW by Lavanya Ramanathan

WASHINGTON THEATER INTERVIEW WITH NATSU AND I by Jojo Ruf

FOR TICKETS TO THE SHOW: GO TO SYNETIC THEATER’S WEBSITE!

Cast

Ensemble:
Colin Analco
Ben Arden
Victoria Bertocci
Katrina Clark
Zana Gankhuyag
Pasquale Guiducci
Francesca Jandasek
Karen O’Connell
Renata Veberyte Loman
Narrator/Voiceover: Guy Spielmann

Designers
Director: Natsu Onoda Power
Choreographer: Irina Tsikurishvili
Set Design: Giorgos Tsappas
Costume Design: Kendra Rai
Lighting Design: Andrew F. Griffin
Composer: Konstantine Lortkipanidze
Multimedia Design: Jared Mezzocchi
Props Design: Suzanne Maloney

This footage comes out of documentation of a workshop at 3LD in lower Manhattan this past summer to identify and embrace what it’ll take to create the landscape for the show.

Special thanks to Skip Rizzo and Brad Newman at ICT for allowing us to use and work within Virtual Iraq softwares and create virtual worlds to work with the poetry of Christine Evans’ text.

“Awards winners exemplify both classical and experimental artistic disciplines and, while still considered emerging talent, already show exceptional promise in their areas of expertise. PGF-USA assists their theater and dance studies, helps pay their artistic fees at non-profit companies and helps support their thesis film projects. All artists receive a specially-created objet d’art created by Alex Soldier, which symbolically combines the three art forms lauded by the Foundation: theater, dance, and film by using precious metals and Swarovski crystal accents. The sculpture is made for each recipient to wear as a pin, a special reminder of their Award for the world to see.”

Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Judith-Light-and-More-at-2012-Princess-Grace-Gala-20121024#ixzz2ALViatBj

The event was spectacular and inspires me to continue the work I have set out to achieve. To be recognized surely isn’t an end to a means, but it certainly ignites the soul. Here’s to many more years of sweat, work and celebration. I’m humbled to have such an honor and look back to all of those colleagues who have believed in me over the years… Specifically Caden Manson’s BIG ART GROUP, Andy’s Summer Playhouse, and Brooklyn College’s Performance and Interactive Media Arts MFA, whom – without them – I would never have obtained such skills and passions as I hold today.

My dad once said “Remember your roots, Jay.” This has always resonated with me through the years of art making. I could not possibly be where I am today without the help and guidance of so many hundreds of colleagues, friends, and family. It’s evenings like this that I look in the mirror and see a mosaic of gratitude towards all of you whom I love so dearly and who have showed such an unparalleled amount of belief and trust in my work and process.

Specific thanks to HERE Arts Center and my colleagues Christine Evans and Joseph Megel for allowing such projects to be made this year that the Award has granted me funds for.

And, of course, congratulations to all of the recipients this year who shared the evening with me. Your work and aspirations are inspiring. May we cross paths in the months and years to come.

-Jared

This year’s Princess Grace Awards winners are:

THEATER AND PLAYWRITING

Tom Dugdale
Theater Apprenticeship, Grace Le Vine Theater Award
La Jolla Playhouse

Michael Haverty
Theater Fellowship, Gant Gaither Theater Award
7 Stages

Joel Jimenez
Theater Apprenticeship, George C. Wolfe Award
Cornerstone Theater Company

Jared Mezzocchi
Theater Fellowship, Robert and Gloria Hausman Theater Award
HERE Arts Center

Vincent Richards
Theater Scholarship, Faberge Theater Award
California Institute of the Arts

M. Meriwether Snipes
Theater Scholarship, Pierre Cardin Theater Award
New York University

Matthew P. Olmos
Playwriting Fellowship
New Dramatists

DANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY

Jamal R. Callender
Dance Fellowship
Ballet Hispanico of New York

Albert Gordon
Dance Scholarship
The Washington Ballet

Franco Nieto
Dance Fellowship
Northwest Dance Project

Raymond S. Pinto
Dance Scholarship
The Juilliard School-Dance Division

David Schultz
Dance Fellowship
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Beckanne Sisk
Dance Fellowship, Chris Hellman Dance Award
Ballet West

Norbert De La Cruz
Choreography Fellowship
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

Michelle Dorrance
Choreography Fellowship
Chicago Human Rhythm Project

Bridget L. Moore
Choreography Fellowship
Dallas Black Dance Theatre

FILM

Kathleen Bracke
Undergraduate Film Scholarship
University of Notre Dame

Javier Barboza
Graduate Film Scholarship
University of Southern California

Erick Msumanje
Undergraduate Film Scholarship, John H. Johnson Film Award
Hampshire College

Nijla Mu’min
Graduate Film Scholarship, Cary Grant Film Award
California Institute of the Arts

Fiona Otway
Graduate Film Scholarship
Temple University

Stephanie Spray
Graduate Film Scholarship
Harvard University

Esy Casey
JustFilms Documentary
Center for Asian American Media

Amitabh R. Joshi
JustFilms Documentary
School of Visual Arts

Chao Thao
JustFilms Documentary
University of Southern California

HONORARIA

Henry Wishcamper
Theater Honorarium
Goodman Theatre

Christina Kolozsvary
Graduate Film Honorarium
Massachusetts College of Art

Talibah Newman
Graduate Film Honorarium
Columbia University

Mark Tumas
Undergraduate Film Honorarium
Temple University

Jason DaSilva
JustFilms Documentary Honorarium
Fire Light Media

SPECIAL PROJECT and WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARDS

Special Project Awards and Works in Progress Residencies at the Baryshnikov Arts Center are grants available to past Princess Grace Awards winners and Honoraria recipients for uniquely significant projects that advance their artistic development.  This year’s Special Project Awards and Works in Progress Residencies are:

SPECIAL PROJECT AWARDS

Gisela Cardenas
Clove Galilee
Lance Gries
Miwa Matreyek
Andrea Miller
A. Rey Pamatmat
Iva Radivojevic

WORKS IN PROGRESS RESIDENCIES

Rachel V. Tess
Paul W. Warner

About Princess Grace Statue Award Winners- Patrick Page and Darron L West

Patrick Page (1988 Princess Grace Theater Fellowship for Acting)

Patrick can currently be seen as Comte de Guiche in Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Cyrano de Bergerac. He has been seen on Broadway as: Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Scar in The Lion King, Decius Brutus in Julius Caesar, Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, and The Kentucky Cycle. Regional roles have included Macbeth and Iago at The Shakespeare Theatre Company,Sergius at Long Wharf, Cyrano and Richard III at Pioneer Theatre Company, plus leading roles at Seattle, Indiana & Missouri Reps, ACT, Cincinnati Playhouse, Arizona Theatre Company, Oregon, Utah, Alabama Shakespeare Festivals and many more.

Darron L West (1997 Princess Grace Theater Fellowship for Design)

Darron is the 2012 TONY Award Winner for Best Sound Design for Peter and the Starcatcher. His work for theatre and dance has been heard in over 500 productions nationally and internationally, on Broadway and off. Darron’s accolades include the 2010 Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award, 2006 Lucille Lortel and AUDELCO Awards, 2004 and 2005 Henry Hewes Design Award, the Obie and the EDDY Award. He is a founding member of Anne Bogart’s SITI Company and former resident sound designer, Actors Theatre of Louisville.

About the Princess Grace Foundation-USA

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a not-for-profit, publicly-supported foundation, headquartered in New York City and founded 30 years ago by Prince Rainier III of Monaco in honor of his wife, Princess Grace [Kelly].  The Foundation’s mission, that mirrors Princess Grace’s in Her lifetime, is to support emerging artists in theater, dance and film through the awarding of scholarships, apprenticeships and fellowships. Since the Foundation’s inception, more than 750 Awards have been given to recipients, totaling more than $9.5 million. Some notable Princess Grace Awards recipients in Film include: Cary Joji Fukunaga, director of Sin Nombre and Jane Eyre; Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants and Greg Mottola, director of Paul, Adventureland and Superbad. Theater recipients include: 2008 Tony® Award winner for Best Direction of a Play, Anna D. Shapiro; Pulitzer and Tony® Award winning playwright Tony Kushner; and 2006 Academy Award® winner Eric Simonson.  Dance/Choreography recipients include: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle; American Ballet Theatre’s Gillian Murphy, Isabella Boylston and Sarah Lane; as well as choreographers Kyle Abraham and Camille A. Brown.

About the 2012 Princess Grace Awards Gala

The 2012 Princess Grace Awards Gala is being produced by Scott Mauro of Scott Mauro Entertainment, Inc. for the eighth consecutive year. Tickets for the Gala start at $1,250 for Patron tickets and $2,500 for Benefactor tickets.  Tables may be purchased for $15,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000.  Approximately 500 guests are expected to attend.  Those interested in tickets may contact Tamara Leuchtenburg at Event Associates at 212-245-6570 ortamaral@eventassociatesinc.com. A downloadable invitation and response card and additional information can be found at www.pgfusa.org.

Judge for yourself, but I’m just going to tell you how it is…it is gonna be pretty badass.

Next week, we’ll be adding live cameras and start exploring both the live elements and the prerecorded tricks that piece together this wonderful script by Kristoffer Diaz together. We’ll have 3 weeks to comprehend what our visual vocabulary will become with an already extensive preproduction outline that both John Vreeke and I have discussed in length.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to have this ability to be in the space from Day 1 in order for these visual landscapes to truly settle into the narrative.

Looking forward to these first steps. More entries to come….

-JMM

THE BFG

Andy’s Summer Playhouse 2012

Directed and Adapted by Jared Mezzocchi

Scenic Design by Richard Ouellette

Props Design by Aimee LaRue

Lighting Design by D.J. Potter

Costumes Design by Margaret Kasper

Photographs taken by Michael Portrie and Jonathan Farmer

This adaptation takes three stories (The BFG, When The Vertical World Becomes Horizontal, and Jack and the Beanstalk) and mashes them together, placing them in NYC. Over the course of 1 day, the world is transformed as three characters (Sophie, Woody, Jack) gain the confidence needed to become heroes in their own rite. A story of growing up without losing the childish sense of imagination, a beautiful production made with 28 extremely talented NH actors.

BFG Cast List (In Alphabetical Order)

Anita Anable – Fleshlumpeater/Activist/Hipster/Ensemble

Emily Bascom – MTA Worker 1/Ensemble

Mei Brown – Sophie

Christopher Clark – Jonathan Cape (BFG 4 – Right Hand)

Florence Colantino – Flo the MC to the MTA/Robot 1/Maid Masher/Ensemble

Cully Colantino – Jack

Isabel Darby – Clown 3/Hipster/Ensemble

Riley Davis – Olivia Dahl (BFG 5 – Left Ear)

Jason Frank – Clown 2/Hipster/Ensemble

Bella Govoni – Clown 4/Hipster/Ensemble

Madison Harte – Main Clown

Silas Howe – Conductor/Hipster/Ensemble

Katie MacDonald – Clown 1/Hipster/Ensemble

Ally MacDonald – Quentin (BFG 3 – Left Hand)

Teren MacDonald – Jack’s Mom

Tim Matthias – It the Robot

Lara Matthias – Roald Dahl (BFG 1 – Nose)

Linnea McGinness – MTA Worker 2/Ensemble

Evelyn Mead – Woody’s Mother/Ensemble

Erik Mead – Stewart/Psychic Woman/MTA Worker, Booth

Sierra Riley – MTA Worker 3

Montana Schultz – Mayor Bloomberg

Cameron Slide – All News Anchors/Stewart’s Commercial Voice/Bonecruncher

Woody Stockwell – Woody Acenion

Gage Turgeon – Mic Master Moe of the Metro/Crazy Man/Gizzard Gulper

Finn Wegmuller – Bloodbottler/Robot 2/Ensemble

Michael Zrzavy – Woody’s Father/Ensemble

Arianna Zrzavy – Tessa Dahl (BFG 2 – Right Ear)

I’ve written and directed an adaptation of THE BFG that opens this Saturday June 30th at Andy’s Summer Playhouse in Wilton, NH.

It’s been quite a process to get this beast of a show up and I could not be more proud of my ensemble of actors and designers who have given their all to create such an imaginative landscape of dreams, giants, and my beloved NYC.

This adaptation takes three stories (The BFG, When The Vertical World Becomes Horizontal, and Jack and the Beanstalk) and mashes them together, placing them in NYC. Over the course of 1 day, the world is transformed as three characters (Sophie, Woody, Jack) gain the confidence needed to become heroes in their own rite. A story of growing up without losing the childish sense of imagination, a beautiful production made with 28 extremely talented NH actors.

Please come support these children in what looks to be a fantastical run of The BFG! Opens this Saturday and runs through July 7th.

Get Tickets Here!

Set: Richard Ouellette

Costumes: Margaret Kasper

Props: Aimee Larue

Lights: DJ Potter

Stage Manager: Ben Montmagny

Also a VERY special thanks to Mark Haley, Erik Fong, and Jon Farmer for all their help and guidance to get this show on its giant feet.

5 years. 5 years of art making, schooling, teaching, exploring and traveling. This city has run me ragged and I’ve loved it all. It’s surely not over, as I will return for many-a-gig…but to be pulling away from my apartment in Brooklyn, NY, it will be different to not live here.

New York City, you took me from a 21-year-old actor to a 26-year-old video designer/professor. Thank you. Here’s a video for you:

To all my loves of this city….To the Schools, to the Theaters, to the Clubs, to the Lucky Strike, to the Mark Burger, to the Gyro Makers, to the Friends, to the Family, to the street performers, to the loft parties, to the rooftops, to the skyline of the big apple… these five years have been perfect.

Driving off,

Jared

I’m waiting on the final edits of Astro Boy and the God of Comics! But I’m getting too antsy to not reveal any video – so here is a sample clip of what went down in WASHINGTON, DC this Winter! Here are clips taken from the preview week.

Enjoy!

If you are a child with a keen imagination and a willingness to be goofy and inspiring while also having the courage to tell unbelievable stories shedding light into human behavior and everyone’s need to dream big? Yeah, then this is where you need to be this summer.

I’ll be writing and directing the first show of the summer, THE BFG, and am in the process of creating a pretty drastic remodeling of the story….

My adaptation will be filled with chapters from THE BFG, sprinkling a subplot from WHEN THE VERTICAL WORLD BECOMES HORIZONTAL and adding the story of Jack, a child living as one of the MOLE PEOPLE in the subways of NYC who just wants to build a garden. The story will take place in all 5 borroughs of NYC and hopefully create a nice little allegory that fulfills the themes and stylings of Roald Dahl and his fantastic book.

Here is a trailer I made for the Winter Gala…. Moving from last year’s adapation of THE LOST WORLD into a world of Giants and NYC’s finest underground…

See you this summer!