Posted by Pedro Aijon

A look into the mind of the character Jake

The letter Jake never sent to his father

I knew you would leave... Surprises don't exist any more, just disappointment and alcohol. Many years ago I could smile when you were around, now all of those smiles make me angry because reminds me that you are not here anymore. You've made your choice and decided to live your life without thinking about us. We've always forgiven you, at least Mom and Sally. Frankie doesn't even know. And it will be better if he never knows. It's better to have a blurred happy memory than a disturbed creepy one.
Beside all the pain you have costed, there's a part of me that doesn't hate you. I'm too tired inside to be able to do it. I wish but I can't. Sometimes I blame myself because I could've been the reason why you left. Something that I did wrong, stuff like that. Now I don't know what to do. Seeing Mom like this... I don't even recognize her. I'm trying to take care of everyone, but is so hard, dad. I don't even have time for me. The thoughts in my head fly as fast as one of your planes... I wish I could fly too. Being there on top of the world. Visiting you wherever you are for lunch and then come back home for supper with Mom, Sally and Frankie.
I want to understand you... Do you think I will be like you? I'm scared.
Your s.. 

Posted by Flashbulb Member Riaan Smit

Riaan Smit, Prop Hunter Extraordinaire 

I do love Sam Shepard. Man can that guy write a great story! But, boy can he get colorful with the relics and curios that fill his plays props lists. He holds no quarter when it comes to A Lie of the Mind. When I say this play has props, I mean it has a boatload of props! I don’t see myself as so much of a prop builder. I am not the handiest man around, but I can sure be crafty and resourceful. I am a prop-hunter. Like Indiana Jones, I hunt the internet and the streets of New York for treasures the script demands. My quests have taken me to the most bizarre corners of Etsy, and lofty towers that house the Irish Embassy. There are many challenges a prop-hunter most face, a limited budget, very specific artistic visions, and that looming shadow over all mortal souls, time. But, a good prop-hunter above all else, never gives up. He rises to the occasion when these forces come to bear against him. He stares that price tag dead in the zeros and he says, “I’ll find a way”. A GREAT prop-hunter however, recognizes his limitations, and knows that two prop-hunters are better than one. For a production of this magnitude, it is a necessity. Together we have overcome hurdles that would have left us both lying flat on our faces if we were to take them on alone. The finish line is close, and we are keeping a great pace to finish victorious! See on opening night, December 5th! 

Posted by Flashbulb Member Melissa Porcaro

A Lie of the Mind production
Practical Aesthetics Analysis

Literal- The Flashbulb Project is literally putting on a production of A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard.

Want- We want to have an incredible production, come hell or high water.

Action- To inspire someone to greatness

As if: It's as if we are doing a production that requires everyone to take on multiple production and/or acting roles and the only way we can succeed is for us all to master the art of multi-tasking.

….oh wait...that is actually happening....

Hi, I'm Melissa and I'm the Managing Director of The Flashbulb Project, the Production Manager for A Lie of the Mind, and also cast as Lorraine.

But I'm not the only one with multiple jobs, so is the entire company. Aside from the acting roles, 98% of the followings jobs are positions that each company member is working for the first time. This is how we do it...

Kristen- Artistic Director, co-sound designer, and cast as Beth

Mike- Marketing Director, co-lighting designer, cast as Frankie

Isabelle- Business Director, co-props designer, mixer event organizer, and cast as Meg

Riann- Co-props designer and cast as Mike

Pedro- Set designer and cast as Jake

Kasia- Dramaturg and co-sound designer, front of house/box office

Emily- Co-light designer and cast as Sally

Elle- Costume designer, light board operator, House Manager/certified fire guard (yes, she had to study a lot of information and past a test to get the required certification)

Sofia- Costume designer, preshow performer

Shimrit- Designer, manager, and performer of preshow

Kyle- Director of Lie of the Mind....its basically the work load of a multitude of jobs.

Justin- Stage Manager and assistant director

Matt- Techincal Director and cast as Baylor

Are we crazy? Yes. Are we stressed beyond belief? Yes. Is it all worth it? Hell yes! The Flashbulb Project is passion driven and determined to go above and beyond what is expected in order to accomplish our goals. Our willingness to jump into unknown territory in order to bring this production to life makes it worth every bead of sweat and tear. I hope that when you join us for our performances on Dec 5 & 6, you will be just as proud and inspired as we are with how far the art of collaboration will take a group of young artists in search of making a name for themselves.  

Posted by Flashbulb Member Michael Malanga

I have a chinchilla.

His name is Ghostface Chilla. Named after Ghostface Killah of the Wu Tang Clan. The Wu Tang Clan is a group of rappers amalgamated from various boroughs of New York City. The Flashbulb Project is an amalgamation of international theater artists, based in New York City. This group of actors; with some working as directors or designers, are all passionate storytellers. I like to think we are the theatrical equivalent to The Wu. Admittedly, with far less street cred.

Our group of theatrical dream-weavers has begun to pull together the pieces of a fully realized production. As December 5^th steadily approaches, more pieces are falling into place and it has become one of the most exciting experiences thus far in my own time as an actor and practitioner of all things theatrical. It is, without any doubt in my mind, crucial to fall in love with whatever story you are telling. If you weren’t in love with it then why would you bother to tell the story over and over again?? I have always wanted to perform this piece but I fell in love with this play all over again last night. We had our first run through. It wasnt for anyone other than cast and creative. It was fun. It was messy. It was a truthful and committed first stumble through.

There was nothing more exciting than seeing the entire cast in one room, thriving off the energy of each other performing. The bravery of this ensemble inspires me. Happy accidents occurred, and we all lived the given circumstances in the moment, in a way that made us laugh and cry at the same time. Our goal as an ensemble is to illuminate moments that are undeniably human, be it pain and suffering, or joy and ecstasy. We all know these things can walk the line with one another all too easily. Sam Shepard has given us a conduit, with which we can explore just how closely pain and elation mingle. I am thrilled to be presenting this play so soon, in a space I love, and with an ensemble that cares deeply about the story being told.

My chinchilla is pretty excited – I hope you are too!
ALSO, check out the final artwork for our show:

Posted by Flashbulb Member Shimrit Ildis

A Lie Of The Mind- Live Music

Music has a spell on me. I have always been very passionate for music and believe, deep down, everyone else is too. There is something magical about the power of sound when it combines elements of pitch, melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo, articulation, dynamics and texture on our soul that provokes our feeling, ideas and memories.





As our company started to work on Sam Shepard's A Lie Of The Mind one of the first things that came up was the live music in his production. In the original New York production, which Shepard himself directed, a bluegrass group called The Red Clay Rambles was playing live music through the entire play. He stated “having worked intimately with these musicians, left me no doubt that this play needs music. Live music. Music with an American backbones” -Sam Shepard.

In our production we chose to open the play with a live band. One of the main motives in the play is the moon that is hanging above the two families over Montana and California. It watches the characters; observing their actions and listening to their secrets, lies, and deepest desires. Our band, is set on the moon and shares glimpses of the journey the audience is about to dive into.

Choosing the music demanded looking not only for the conceptual themes of the play but it's thematic rhythm, tempo, harmony, etc. Making those choices allowed us to explore more specificity how to set the play with our songs.

Everything about this process has been so exciting! I want to share with you a song from the Original production:

http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/A+Lie+Of+The+Mind/4895522

Come see and listen to us tell our version of A Lie Of The Mind.

Posted by Flashbulb Member Kristen Brody

Hello World!

I couldn’t be more excited for our company’s inaugural production of A Lie of the Mind. We’ve all been busy brainstorming and collaborating with one another to make this Shepard classic sing. 

(The Flashbulb Project reading through A Lie of the Mind)

One of the first things we asked ourselves when starting this show was, what is the play about? 
What is Sam Shepard trying to say?

(Original production of A Lie of the Mind)

For me, dare I say, this play is about LOVE.And then FAMILY.And then DENIAL. 

(Flashbulb’s Jake & Beth) 

In the play Shepard comments not only on the love between “lovers” but also the love between parents and their children. He shows us three very different marriages within two very different families.I also love that Shepard takes a clear point-of-view on the house “one grows up in” and how it affects one's entire life! It’s something we have no control over, and yet it completely shapes us as people..Just some food for thought! What do you think the play is about?

(Our Director & AD contemplating, What is the play about?) 

I sign off now with a song that supports my vision (so to speak) of A Lie of the Mind...enjoy!

Let it Go by Fossil Collective

Posted by Flashbulb Member Eléonore Ley

Brainstorming Costumes

by Eléonore Ley

As one of the Costume Designers of A Lie Of The Mind, I thought I'd talk a little about that aspect of our production. Having seen an enormous amount of theatre in my few years in New York, I have come to know how important the design of a show is. The world created by the scenography and costumes is, I believe, a key component of the audience's experience. I've also always found, as an actor, the costumes to be one of the most fun and exciting aspects of getting in the skin of a character.   

Costume Designer Eléonore Ley                                                      Costume Designer Sofia Piccolo

So, as a contributor to the production's overall aesthetic, let me share something that came up recently when brainstorming the look and feel of our show. During the discussions that involved the set designers, director, lighting designers and costume designers, we came to understand an interesting contrast. Something that I think will help us build our imagination with specificity in the month we have to shape this play.

The western family, the Californians, come from a warm, sunny area. And yet to describe the general personality of this family, we used terms like "destructive", "troubled", "pained". Which led us to imagine a darker, more faded aesthetic for their looks and their home. The idea of faded visuals inspires me even more as I think of the effect sunlight has on surfaces.

Now, on the other side, the Montana family lives in a icy and harsh environment. But as we discussed their temperament, it was very clear that what describes them best are words like "warm", "caring", "unpretentious". We had just as clear of a sense that their wardrobes and their household are cozy, with an overpowering palette of warm, fiery colors.

I think these contrasts provide a stronger sense of who these two families are, and how the visual aspects of this production can be fascinatingly intertwined with these character's psychologies. 

Posted by Flashbulb Member, Emily Seymour

An Introduction to the Family from the West (as told by Sally) (AKA Emily)

We're a month away from opening today, and since the groundwork has been laid in rehearsals and we are beginning to delve, I figured I'd lay some groundwork on this here blog.

A Lie of the Mind orbits around two families, connected by a son and daughter. (Familiar, right?) The households aren’t close. They either don’t know or don’t like what they know about each other, but these families are crafted to fit together like puzzle pieces.

The Family Up North:

Clockwise from left, we have Beth and Mike, siblings, and Baylor and Meg, their parents. These folks live in Montana, deep in the wilderness where the weather can kill you as fast as a bear. They live in a cabin lit by cozy firelight. For them, hunting is an art, not a hobby.

However the family I will expand on, because I feel more educated to do so, is the Family Out West:

Here we have (clockwise from left) Jake, Frankie, Sally, and their mother Lorraine. Obviously one member of this family has an attitude problem.

I didn't have time to Photoshop it, but you can imagine the empty grey silhouette of a man, his arms extending over the shoulders of both his boys, looming over this family. That shadow is looming there, and it never goes away.

These are the California folk, the "Oakies" as Baylor disparagingly calls them. Oakie is an enlightening term- "n. vagabond, from Depression times when the droughts that led to the dust bowl caused people to abandon their worthless farms in Oklahoma and Texas and take to the road to seek jobs elsewhere. They packed up as much as they could salvage and became Oakies on their way to California". You can thank Urban Dictionary for that.

I feel this is a perfect term for the origins of Sally and her family. Being an outsider, on the run, is in their bones. Sally and her family moved constantly when the kids were young, following their father around the southwest, from air base to air base. When Dad left them for good they landed in southern California, and they stayed ever since. Lorraine’s house is made up of rooms still decorated for children, with dust an inch thick, and boxes under beds filled with priceless memories, the lids firmly shut. They are all faced with the challenge of abandoning something once it becomes worthless.
At the top of the play, a whirlwind begins, glazing over reason and common sense. It grips each character with a need for love, and the air seems tinged with destruction. I hope you can come and see how our families mesh and tangle with one another, and even unknowingly walk side by side. It’s gonna be quite a ride.

Posted by Flashbulb Member, Kyle Leibovitch!

A Lie of the Mind

Thoughts from the Director

I've often heard that Sam Shepard's works to revolve around myths. The Western Myth. What the hell does that even mean? Sam would say, a lie, or an ancient formula that is expressed as a means of handing down a very specific knowledge. But what are we lying about? What specific "knowledge" are we handing down?

I was struck while reading an interview with Sam Shepard in American Theater Reader when asked what myths mean to him:

   

The thing that's powerful about a myth is that it's the communication of emotions, at the same time ancient and for all time…They'll always be true. Hopefully, in writing a play, you can snare emotions that aren't just personalemotions, not just catharsis, not just psychological emotions that you're getting off your chest, but emotions and feelings that are connected with everybody…you start with something personal and see how it follows out and opens to something that's much bigger. (Rhythm and Truths, Amy Lippman, April 1984.)

I love that. Emotions and feelings that are connected with everybody. Love. Hate. But my mind keeps coming back to lies.

Have you ever told a lie because the truth was too hard to bare? To others? To yourself? I know I have. Funny thing about a lie, eventually the truth comes to light. Because as hard as the truth is to bare, so is the lie. Then why tell the lie? Why admit the truth? Why don't we just deny the world around us? Most of us do to some extent.

As we've worked on A Lie of the Mind I find myself constantly searching for answers. As I hear every character tell their story, I don't know what's the truth. I don't know what's a lie. I don't know who's come to terms with their lies. I don't know who's creating new lies to cope with the present. I don't know who's denying the world around them. Where's the ending?! Where's the resolution?!

Sam Shepard says, "a resolution isn't an ending; it's a strangulation." If you want answers, I don't know what to tell you. I don't have answers for the play, and I certainly don't have answers for this life. But then again, I'm not interested in theater that provides the answer. I'm interested in theater that asks the question.