plugs (not the type referring to balding men making feeble attempts to appear like they have hair.)

bEgInNinGs. so i have a friend whose first new york solo show opens tomorrow and another friend who has his new play 6969 opening next week and i am going to, without shame or reservation, plug both of them. (i also happen to be in 6969, but this post is not about that, it is truly about jordan and his play.) it occurred to me that in many ways it's like two moments of greatness being born that we have the chance to be a part of. both are already exceptionally talented young men and those of us who have had the opportunity and the gift to know their work before now have known this, watched it grow and develop, and waited as anxiously as they have for the rest of the world to take note. i feel as though these openings will be milestones in their careers, when, decades from now, we look back at them. for peter, certainly, his first new york solo show will be a defining moment, and, i'm certain, the first of many and the start of something great. his abilities as a painter are remarkable and attempting to describe them would be futile, truly you need to get yourself down to chelsea before june 24th in order to fully understand and appreciate what i'm talking about. for jordan, this play is a turning point, this script a leap into maturity that definitely marks a whole new chapter in the life of this young playwright. since i first read it, i have been reminded of sitting in modern drama with scott edmiston back at boston university. the class was structured so that we would discuss both the playwright and the play and allow the knowledge and themes of each to inform the other. and every major modern playwright has a "first great play", a piece of work that defined them as the playwright they are. there are usually plays that exist before this, that were never or rarely produced, that failed in some way, that contained themes or characters or elements that made it into later works, but they don't necessarily stand on their own and are often best understood and produced when approached as an exploration of a young and developing playwright. and i honestly feel with jordan that if we were sitting in modern drama discussing him, or when 50 or 100 years from now some students of the future are, 6969 will be jotted down in notebooks as his first successful play. the themes, plot, characters, and structure are all that solid and consistent and mature. there is brilliance in this play and i am excited for its future.

so go check this stuff out and be able to say you were there when...

pEteR hAlaSz. you should go and see this show at the atm gallery, 511 west 20th street (www.atmgallery.com). the show opens tomorrow, may 25th and runs through june 24th.




jOrDaN sEaVeY. you should go get your tickets now for 6969, with only 4 performances they are sure to sell out. the show will run june 1st & 2nd @ 8pm and june 3rd @ 2pm & 8pm at manhattan theatre source, 177 macdougal street. it is being presented by collaborationtown, directed by matthew hopkins and filled with a buttload of really talented designers and actors.