Super-Secret, Super-Awesome Project

by Brittany Geragotelis

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

Hey all! I have some super-secret, super-awesome news.....

I just wish I could tell you about it!

Wait, what was that? You want me to dish you the deets even though I've been sworn to secrecy and had to practically sign away my first born if I told you all about it?

Ummmm.......OK!

I suppose it wouldn't totally be going back on my (contract) word if I just gave you some of the 411, right? Right?!

Cool, here goes:

Yours truly was one of a select group of Wattpadders chosen to be a part of a really cool new show that's being released in January! Yep, you heard that right....it's a SHOW! And for all of you out there who are thinking, "It's about time that girl had her own reality show!"—well, I agree with you, but this isn't it.

It's better!

I can't tell you the name of the show or even the storyline yet, but I can divulge the fact that I wrote TWO of the stories connected to the series! The project's unlike anything you've ever seen before. It's not quite a movie but not totally a TV show.

Like I said before: It's better.

And that's seriously all I can say right now, since I faintly remember the contract saying something about being hunted down by the FBI if I gave away too much—but stay tuned for more, because eventually I will SPILL. And if I don't, it'll all be out on Wattpad soon anyways!

So, please, keep checking back as I drop more hints to all my fans. I promise if you stick around, it'll be totally worth it!

:)
Britt "The Book Slayer"

You have GOT to see this play!

by Brittany Geragotelis

I trudged out into the rainy night to go see the opening of a new off-off-Broadway play in NYC yesterday evening. And even though it was blistery outside, inside the studio where The Timing of a Day was showing, things were heating up. Now, being that most of my boyfriends' friends are actors and the circle he runs in all seem to come back to entertainment, I've been dragged to a LOT of off-Broadway productions. I'm not going to say any of them were horrible, but none of them really caught my attention—until last night.

The Timing of a Day is a play written by Owen Panettieri and directed by Joey Brenneman. The cast is a small one, comprised of one girl and three guys, all playing mid-20s young people living in NYC. In the show, the audience follows the lives of three roommates, Doug (played by Nik Kourtis), Paige (played by R. Elizabeth Woodard) and Josh (played by Miguel Govea) who are all sharing a tiny apartment in Harlem. After a tragic series of events, two of the characters are left to question their own relationships with each other as well as that with their former roommate. As the actors take us back in time to show us how their lives became so entangled, we start to realize where and how they each fell in love, got off track and began to ignore the things that were right in front of them.

Though it sounds a bit serious, and at times it does deal with serious situations, the play itself was very enjoyable and entertaining. The writing was clever and real, and the situations the playwright put the characters in were totally believable. Nik Kourits' portrayal of a flamboyantly gay guy who's just beginning to admit to everyone around him just exactly who he is, was genius, endearing and a joy to watch. From his mannerisms to the inflection in his voice and wicked dance moves, you can't help but fall in love with him.

R. Elizabeth Woodard showcases a compelling yet realistic character, often saying and acting the way I could see myself reacting if put in the same situations. Though tiny in stature, Elizabeth's presence is huge and she has no problem letting her emotions rip through the venue. Miguel Govea did a good job playing a guy just wanting to find love; everyone can identify with being in love with someone who has no clue how they feel. And watching him work through certain scenes was just heartbreaking (in a good way). And though Matty (played by Justin Anselmi) weaves in and out of the main characters' lives briefly, the actor manages to leave a lasting impression when he's through.

I really loved the way they used the stage and created a space where the audience can see the whole apartment. Also, the way the actors moved around the room, picking stuff up and moving furniture to give the viewer a sense that we were changing time, too was very effective. It was done in a seamless way that wasn't distracting and actually added to the feeling of the show.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with The Timing of a Day and would wholeheartedly suggest you go see it if you're in NYC the next few weeks. Tickets are only $18 which is a total steal for the performance that you get. Lots of thanks to assistant director David "Cougar" Williams for putting this show on my radar—I can't think of a better way to spend a night out!

5x5,

B.

Go see Zach Booth in "Me, Myself and I"

by Brittany Geragotelis

My good friend Zachary Booth is an actor—and a damn fine one at that. Having streaked across the big screen (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Taking Woodstock) and killed it on the small screen (Damages and Royal Pains), it was only a matter of time before he took to the stage, conquering that medium as well.

photo credit: Me, Myself & I

Matt and I headed out to the Playwrights Horizons theater Saturday night to see Zach star in (Pulitzer Prize-winning) Edward Albee's latest show, Me, Myself & I. As talented as he is good-looking, we had fun seeing Zach up-close and live on stage.

In Me, Myself & I, Zach plays OTTO (notice the caps), a 28-year-old who's officially had it with being a twin and having to put up with his crazy family. Insisting he's the evil brother, he spends the whole play trying to push his twin away—also otto, only this time lower-cased (played by Preston Sadleir)—by insisting that lower-cased otto no longer exists.

But it's not just otto that OTTO wants to get away from. He also has issues with his frazzled mother and her live-in boyfriend (who just happens to be her doctor). So OTTO announces that he plans to move to China and become Chinese because the future is in the east. OTTO manages to turn everyone's world upside down throughout the course of the play, but really crosses the line when he poses as lower-case otto to sleep with his girlfriend (HINT: It's not the first time, either). I don't want to give everything away, but Me, Myself & I will leave you seeing double—and you know what they say: double your pleasure, double your fun!

photo credit: Me, Myself & I

I for one loved Zach's performance and thoroughly enjoyed the fact that his character interacts with the audience throughout the play (although I was a bit worried that our being in the front row would mess him up; imagine being surprised by a familiar face mid-show! Luckily Zach's a pro and didn't even flinch when he saw us.). And although Sadleir couldn't look more different than Zach in his everyday life (Check them out at left; Zach's on the right!), the transformation onstage was uncanny.

If you live in the NY area and are looking to see a fun play with some amazing actors, check out Me, Myself & I before the show ends October 31st! Here are the details:

Me, Myself & I
Playwrights Horizons
416 West 42nd Street
212-564-1235
playwrightshorizons.org

5x5,
B.