All's Well That Ends Well

Nearly a week has passed since we took our final bows at FlynnSpace, and what a run we had! Nearly a thousand people saw our play, we were able to donate $1200 to The Burlington Schools Food Project, and (since many of you have asked) financially speaking, it looks as though we broke even! ... Whew! A big sigh of relief at the Lantz household, that's for sure!

A super-big THANK YOU to all of our sponsors, advertisers, volunteers and everybody who came to our show! We couldn't have done it without you!

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WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING

We've been warmed with e-mails from folks like Margaret Gundersen who called our play, '...one of the finest pieces of acting and theatre we've seen in a long, long time.'

And from poet and playwright, David Budbill, who called our play, "Important, courageous and deep..." Mr. Budbill goes on to say that "American Machine is not an All-American, gooey, feel-good theatre piece; it is, rather, an honest look at the lives of six invisible, forgotten, ignored and neglected working class people who are the servants of All-American, self-indulgent privilege. The power of the writing and the acting pulled me deeply and irretrievably into the lives of these workers. Over the course of this 90-minute play, I came to love and identify with all six people. How many writers these days pay this kind of loving attention to the invisible and forgotten in our land?"

Thank you Mr. Budbill and Ms. Gundersen!

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STATS FROM OUR SHOW

Number of cans of grease used on the machine: 4
Number of producer's dress shirts that now have grease stains: 3
Pizzas devoured by cast and crew: 35
Vegetarian to meat ratio: 2 in 5
Number of show sponsors who sell or serve pizza: 6
Total number of shows: 14
Number in which former IBM'ers attended: 3
Number of performances that got standing ovations: 7
Number with an announcement to, 'Please turn off all cell phones': 14
Number of shows where somebody's cell phone went off: 3
Number of those phones that used a song instead of a ring: 2
Day of show when GM workers were on strike citing 'job security': 1
Number of days later when Chrysler did the same thing: 15
Number of times that the word 'Jeep' is mentioned in the script: 4
Number of Jeeps previously owned by the playwright: 3

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Well, that's about it. Once again, thank you SO MUCH for your support. We hope to see you next year with a new play.

Update/More Reviews

SEVEN MORE SHOWS - TICKETS AVAILABLE!

That's right, tickets are still available for our seven remaining shows!

So what're you waiting for? Come see the show that's been called "compelling" "powerful" and "poignant" by the local press. Some nights are filling up quickly - so give FlynnTix a call and support local indie theatre! Our remaining shows:

Wednesday 10/3 - 7:30pm
Thursday 10/4 - 7:30pm
Friday 10/5 - 7:30pm
Saturday 10/6 - 2:00pm
Saturday 10/6 - 7:30pm
Sunday 10/7 - 2:00pm
Sunday 10/7 - 6:30pm

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MORE REVIEWS!

SEVENDAYS: In this week's issue of SevenDays Erik Esckilsen says of American Machine:

"... the play has an immense heart," "... compelling working-class agitprop drama," "... a mighty swing at a formidable topic."

He goes on to say that Seth Jarvis' portrayal of Ipsy is "touching" and one that shows us, "... that a single character, deeply explored and well-portrayed can speak movingly about the general 'us' by confronting the particularities of his individual condition."

Read the full review in this week's SevenDays.

VERMONT TIMES/SENTINEL: In an article about 'American Machine' actress Bridget Butler, Bill Wargo says she "... turns in a powerful performance as a Mrs-Robinson-like woman searching for love..." "Like Judi Dench and Susan Sarandon (two actresses whom she admires) Butler dominates the stage with her strong, direct attitude."

Read the full article in The Vermont Times/Sentinel

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DON'T FORGET YOUR FRONT PORCH FORUM!

If you've seen our play, one way you can help our production is to place a free notice on your local Front Porch Forum telling your neighbors about our play. Be sure to include our web address: www.AmericanMachineThePlay.com

Not a member of your neighborhood Front Porch Forum? Go to www.FrontPorchForum.com, take a tour, and join. ... It's free!

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LOAD OUT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Now this is fun. Really. ... Our show ends Sunday night, probably around 8:00pm. I SO need a group of super volunteers at FlynnSpace to help take our set apart, load it on a truck, and then put it in storage. ... And that's it!

The last great effort of putting on a play is taking it all apart and making way for the next play. Can you imagine what would happen if the taking apart part didn't happen? Why there'd be pieces of play all over the stage, all the time, and wouldn't that be a mess!?

So e-back and let me know if you can volunteer some hours of your time Sunday night - we could sure use your help!

Come on, it'll be fun!

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MEET ACTRESS TERESA LORENCO

Some folks have asked me, 'Who was that incredible actress in American Machine portraying a thirty-something single Latina mom?' ... Meet local actress Teresa Lorenco, a thirty-something single Latina mother of two who somehow finds time to sing, act, perform in Spielpalast Cabaret, record her own CD, and also be a mom to two great sons: Dylan and Forest (happy 10th birthday, Forest!) We were sure glad to find Teresa to portray 'Lona' in American Machine. ... Welcome Teresa!

Tickets Available!

Rumors are afloat out there that our show is sold out for the entire run. While that would be very, very cool - it's simply not true. There are lots of tickets available for this week's shows - especially for Thursday, Friday and Sunday nights. ... So, what're you waiting for? Go buy some tickets to American Machine, the show that The Burlington Free Press called, "...powerful," and "...poignant." Call FlynnTix or go to FlynnTix.org.

Hope to see you at the show!