Under the Spell Promotes - A new short by our very own Derek Lee McPhatter

Horse Trade Theater Group

presents




“A Better Destiny for Bethany”



A short play

by Derek Lee McPhatter



Directed by Nicole Gehring



Featuring Yesenia Tromp and Matthew Wise




About the Play
Bethany's the biggest fan for the best-est boy band you've never heard of. And tonight she's finally putting the publicity stunts, medications, restraining orders, hallucinations and whatever else behind her...we hope.




A Featured presentation of Horse Trade Theater Groups’ THE DRAFTS






The Drafts Fest is the collaborative effort of six playwrights, six directors, and eight multifaceted actors. Playwrights receive randomly compiled cast lists and create stories tailored to The Drafts based on this year’s theme: Accidental Discharge Impossible. The Production also features Aliza Einhorn, Danny Sharron, Penny Pollak, Gary Warchola, Quinn D. Eli, Shay Gines, Amanda Von Nostrand, Quinn Warren, Eric Kingrea, Nicole Watson, JB Rote, Evan Taylor Walker, Megan Hill, Axel Avin Jr., Matthew-Lee Erlbach, and Randi Rivera.




The Red Room

85 E 4th St

New York, New York 10003

Between 2nd and 3rd Ave

$18 ($15 Students)



May 5 – 7 PM

May 6 – 7 PM

May 7 – 7 PM

May 12 – 7 PM

May 13 – 7 PM

May 14 – 7 PM

The Show Must Go On...In London

The Season of Collaboration continues with the London premiere of It Goes Unsaid at the Accidental Festival, curated by the Performing Arts Program at the Central School of Speech and Drama. The Festival is produced in conjunction with the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).

It Goes Unsaid will premiere Thursday, May 22, at 9:30 PM at the ICA’s Theatre, located at The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH. The show is open to the public, and tickets are 6 pounds each.

Bringing the show to London is a challenge--financially, creatively, and professionally. But the production team is committed, and everyone is pooling their resources to make the most of this wonderful opportunity.

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About the Festival

For three years, the Accidental Festival has encouraged excellence within a myriad field of arts, providing a platform for new and eclectic work of the highest quality. The aim of the festival is shared work, discussion, education and the development of practice through participation. The theme for this year’s festival is “provoke,” and It Goes Unsaid is the only production featuring and produced by African-American and Latino talent.

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About the ICA

The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an exhibition centre, a cinema, a theater, a music venue, a space for new and digital media and a forum for discussion and ideas. The ICA upholds a truly multi-disciplinary sensibility which uniquely characterizes the institution. Throughout its 60-year history, artists and luminaries such as T.S Eliot, Stravinsky, Jacques Derrida, Michael Foucault, Gerhard Richter, Yoko Ono, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith and Slavoj Zizek have kept the ICA at the forefront of contemporary arts.

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Under the Spell Productions’ Artistic Director, Rhonney Greene, emphasized the importance of bringing the show to the United Kingdom: “It is an honor and a privilege to be selected by the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama to bring our work to audiences abroad. London is a powerhouse in contemporary theater, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform at the renowned Institute of Contemporary Arts.”

Teresa Michelle Lasley, Executive Director of Under the Spell Productions, is optimistic about the season and the partnership. “I founded this company in 2005 because there were simply too few opportunities for talented artists, especially artists of color, to perform in quality productions. In three short years, we have grown so much, breaking barriers to bring our audience unique, entertaining, and engaging performances. I want to thank everyone who has come together to make London, and our continued success, possible—our performers, our backstage talent, mentors, and our broad base of support from friends, family, and the community.”

A fundraising campaign is underway to secure support for the season, and has put the London opportunity within reach. Derek Lee McPhatter, Director of Development, is spearheading the effort: “corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, individual donations, rehearsal space, performance space, frequent flyer miles, hotel points, costumes—we are looking for support in whatever way possible. Every little bit helps.”

The Season Anchor - It Goes Unsaid

a dramatic performance piece by

Rhonney Greene, Teresa Michelle Lasley, and Derek Lee McPhatter
Spoken Word by Qelsi Qualls
Directed by Rhonney Greene

seeing is believing but what I see is not what I want to beleive

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The 2008 Cast

Carolyn Barrett and Garrett Bantum


Rhonney Greene and Teresa Michelle Lasley

Devin McCalla and Indio Melendez

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It Goes Unsaid is a blend of spoken word, dramatic monologue, movement, film, and photography, exploring the interrelated lives of six different characters. The color complex—the social values placed on skin color, hair texture, and other physical characteristics ascribed to blackness—is the social underpinning of this work.

The show is on its way to London!

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Project Awards

In 2006 Under the Spell Productions was commissioned by the University of California, Los Angeles, to develop It Goes Unsaid to premiere as a part of the Raw Performing Arts Series. The Series premiere placed the show alongside the work of critically acclaimed poet/musician, Saul Williams, Staceyann Chin (Def Comedy Jam), and other notable performing artists.

The Harlem Arts Alliance/Creative Communities Program awarded co-author Teresa Michelle Lasley a grant to support the 2007 premiere in Harlem, co-produced with independent producer, Bryan E. Glover.

In 2008 co-author Derek Lee McPhatter was awarded a Manhattan Community Arts grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs to further develop the literary elements of this work.

It Goes Unsaid continues to gain momentum and has become an engaging point of entry for a conversation on race, gender, hip hop culture, the media, and other social issues.

View the trailer

Sponsorshsip Opportunities Available

Staged Reading - Join us April 24, 2008

On Thursday, April 24, 2008 6:30 PM, Under the Spell Productions and FeVA Productions, Inc., will open their season of collaboration at Shetler Studios. This event is free and open to the public.

The evening begins with a staged reading of You’ve Changed, the winning script of the first annual Words Rising New Dawn Reading Series. The drama tells the story of a young Haitian-American woman and her family dealing with love, struggle and triumph. You've Changed is a humorous and poetic celebration of life told in eight vignettes.

The evening continues with a question and answer session with the playwright, followed by an announcement of the spring/summer season.

The Season of Collaboration Begins

American Theater is at a crossroads. The entertainment industry as whole is facing diminishing audiences, rising productions costs, and a dearth of artistic innovation. In this climate, the theater industry has embraced a commercial, cautious approach to productions, relying on pre-existing material or star power to mount shows. This means that relatively few artistic outlets are available to younger talented performing artists and new arts professionals. In these challenging circumstances, FeVA Productions, Inc., and Under the Spell Productions have come together as champions of new voices and rising performers.

Under the Spell Productions has partnered with FeVA Productions, Inc., to pursue a shared vision for 2008. FeVA Productions, Inc., has become the fiscal agent for a collaborative spring/summer season, with its leadership functioning as advisors and co-producers for each project. At the same time, Under the Spell Productions’ artistic team works to bring engaging productions to audiences in New York City and beyond. This collaboration will advance the mutual goals of Under the Spell Productions and FeVA Productions, Inc., producing opportunities for performing artists, producers, and audiences alike to take part in the furtherance of American performing arts.