All of the EYE IN THE SKY episodes

EYE IN THE SKY Episode 2 is now on YouTube

EYE IN THE SKY is a specially commissioned experimental epistolary radio theatre project developed by Audacity Theatre Lab. 

Audacity Theatre Lab's Artistic Director Brad McEntire hand-selected playwrights from around the country. Each writer was to use the blurb below as a springboard for a 1-3 page contribution. "For one week in the middle of the summer a giant eye appears in the sky over the city. At the end of seven days it disappears as suddenly as it had originally materialized..." 

Episode 2 features pieces by playwrights Erin Courtney, Greg Romero and Daniel Talbott.

EYE IN THE SKY Episode 1 makes it to YouTube

Hey, the EYE IN THE SKY Project is slowly getting the YouTube treatment. Find Episode 1... HERE.

THE EYE IN THE SKY CD RELEASE...

In 2008 Audacity started a project called the EYE IN THE SKY project. Commissioning pieces from playwrights around the country and recording these pieces whenever there was time around bigger productions, the project took three and half years.

Monday, June 18, 2012 a CD Release Party was held, hosted at the Nouveau 47 Theatre's Margo Jones Building in Dallas' Fair Park (the birthplace of the American Regional Theatre Movement). Several pieces were read live, a video intro was shown explaining the project, many free CDs were handed out and much wine was consumed. A good evening at the theatre all around. 

Below you can see the intro video and pics from the event...

Free copies of the episodes were run off on CD and at the door for the taking...

Rhianna Mack reads Andy Eninger's ANT FARM from episode 1

Backstage the actors prepare for the live readings

Director Brad McEntire and Audio Recordist/Playwright John Flores

Ruth Engel, Brad McEntire, Oscar Contreras and Angela Parsons read Jeff Hernandez's BARRY, BILLY & LOUISE from episode 5

Brad McEntire reads Jeff Swearingen's I HATE ALTITUDE from episode 4

EYE IN THE SKY CD Release Party

 

In the winter of 2008 Audacity Theatre Lab commissioned playwrights from around the country for a unique radio theatre project. They were given unfettered freedom to respond to a simple phrase:
 
"For one week in the middle of the summer a giant eye appears in the sky over the city. At the end of seven days it disappears as suddenly as it had originally materialized..."

Audacity received submissions from members of 13P, New Dramatists, Austin Script Works, as well as from a host of local writers.

Pieces poured in from a host of cities all over the country including Dallas (Vicki Caroline Cheatwood, John Flores, Jeff Swearingen, Jeff Hernandez), Austin (Jason Tremblay, Zach Gonzales, Chris Humphrey), Chicago (Andy Eninger), Brooklyn and New York (Crystal Skillman, Gary Winter, Daniel Talbott, Ben Walker Sampson, Chris Alonzo, James Comtois, Ken Urban, Erin Courtney), Philadelphia (Greg Romero) and Evansville, Indiana (Mark Rigney).  All very original, idiosyncratic and wonderful.

Recording, engineering and posting of the six episodes lasted from 2009 to 2012. The project was puzzle-pieced in around other, larger projects and was a complete labor of love. ATL's Brad McEntire curated and directed the project. Kitchen Dog Theater member John Flores stepped in to record all the dialogue of each episode. Chris Humphrey of Austin, Texas' Red House Arts composed original music and engineered each episode. The Undermain Theatre very kindly donated space for recording.

Best of all, some of the most awesome actors in the Dallas area lent their vocal talents to the project. A small sampling would include Jeff Schmidt, Christie Vela, Bryan Pitts, Jeff Swearingen, Lydia Mackay, Oscar Contreras, Scott Milligan, Whitney Holotik and John Flores.

Now we want to release the pieces to the world. So we're giving out CDs. In the meantime, you can, of course, hear them online, too: http://soundcloud.com/audacity-theatrelab

Audacity, alongside Nouveau 47 Theatre, will host an official "CD Release Party" for the project. Come listen to some amazing works, celebrate this unique project and get a free CD.

EYE IN THE SKY CD RELEASE PARTY

WHEN: Monday, June 18 at 8 PM

WHERE: At Nouveau 47 Theatrein the historic Magnolia Lounge (Margo Jones Building), Fair Park, 1121 First Ave., Dallas, TX 75210.

COST: FREE! (Though a Pay-What-You-Can donation is always welcomed).

More information about the EYE IN THE SKY PROJECT visit: http://audacitytheatrelab.blogspot.com/search/label/Eye%20In%20The%20Sky

EYE IN THE SKY ep 6

The final episode of ATL's epic (in length it took to finish) radio theatre project concludes with this episode.

Pieces by the wonderful Zach Gonzales, Mark Rigney and Vicki Cheatwood.

EYE IN THE SKY ep. 6 coming soon

With pieces by Vicki Cheatwood, Mark Rigney and Zack Gonzales... coming soon.

To recap: our contributors so far have been...

EPISODE 1
James Comtois (New York)
Andy Eninger (Chicago)
Chris Humphrey (Austin)

EPISODE 2
Erin Courtney (Brooklyn)
Greg Romero (Philadelphia)
Daniel Talbott (New York)

EPISODE 3
Jason Tremblay (Austin)
Crystal Skillman (New York)
Ben Walker Sampson (New York)

EPISODE 4
Gary Winter (New York)
Jeff Swearingen (Dallas)
Chris Alonzo (Brooklyn) 

EPISODE 5
John Flores (Dallas)
Jeff Hernandez (Dallas)
Ken Urban (New York)

EPISODE 6
Vicki Cheatwood (Dallas)
Zack Gonzales (Austin)
Mark Rigney (Evansville, Indiana)

ATL on SoundCloud

Audacity is very pleased to now have a SoundCloud channel. Listen to the EYE IN THE SKY episodes there. Download, comment, what-have-you...

Visit it here.

EYE episode 5

EYE IN THE SKY Episode 5 is online NOW! With pieces by John M. Flores, Jeff Hernandez and Ken Urban, the episode features the voices of actors Angela Parsons, Whitney Holotik, Ruth Engel, John Flores, Brad McEntire and Christie Vela. Recorded by John Flores and sound designed by Chris Humphrey.

"Punk Eye" by John Flores features two prostitutes in the city on a hot day. The giant eye is overhead and they encounter a street bum. Something is definately off about him. The scene gets tense until two garbage men come along. That is until a beam shoots out from the eye and one of the garbage men becomes "off" himself.

Jeff Hernandez presents "Okay Billy" about two parents out on a stroll with an impressionable youngster in tow.

Ken Urban submits his wonderful musical soundscape.

Check out the episode here.

EYE episode 5 & 6 have been recorded

John Flores, Brad McEntire and Angela Parsons

John Flores and Brad McEntire with Suzanne Thomas as she reads Mark Rigney's IN WHICH GILLIAN AMBER COPES WITH MIRACLES

 ATL artist got together and recorded the last two episodes of the mega-epic EYE IN THE SKY project last night. John Flores, Angela Parsons, Whitney Holotik, Ruth Engel, Suzanne Thomas and Brad McEntire read pieces by Jeff Hernandez, Mark Rigney, John Flores, Vicki Cheatwood and Zach Gonzales.

The raw footage will be sent off to Chris Humphrey in Austin for her to work her magic.

Check back on the website towards the end of December.

Eye IN THE SKY Ep. 4

In the winter of 2008 Audacity Theatre Lab commissioned playwrights from around the country to respond to a simple phrase:

"For one week in the middle of the summer a giant eye appears in the sky over the city. At the end of seven days it disappears as suddenly as it had originally materialized..."

We recieved submissions from members of 13P, New Dramatists, Austin Script Works, as well as from a host of local writers.

Episode 4 includes pieces by playwrights Gary Winter, Jeff Swearingen and Chris Alonzo. It features vocal performances by Oscar Contreras, Kelly Renee, Ruth Engel, John Flores, Brad McEntire and Chris Alonzo.

Listen HERE.

EYE IN THE SKY: Episode 3 in online!

In the winter of 2008 Audacity Theatre Lab commissioned playwrights from around the country to respond to a simple phrase:

"For one week in the middle of the summer a giant eye appears in the sky over the city. At the end of seven days it disappears as suddenly as it had originally materialized..."

We recieved submissions from members of 13P, New Dramatists, Austin Script Works, as well as from a host of local writers.

Episode 3 includes pieces by playwrights Jason Tremblay, Crystal Skillman and Ben Walker Sampson. It features Dallas actors Oscar Contreras, Kelly Renee, Bryan Pitts, John Flores and Brad McEntire.

Click HERE to listen.

NOTE: Strong Language. NOT for the workplace.

Recording Episode 3

From L: Oscar Contreras, Renee Kelly, Brad McEntire, John Flores, Bryan Pitts

Busy weekend here at the Lab. We got a great group of actors together to record Episode 3 of the EYE IN THE SKY PROJECT.

Ace audio guy John Flores even did double duty, both recording and acting in a few pieces.

Episode 3 will include pieces by Jason Tremblay (Austin), Crystal Skillman (New York) and Benjamin Walker Sampson (Brooklyn). Should be up in a few weeks.

For more info on what the EYE IN THE SKY PROJECT is, visit the ATL website here.

Super special thanks to the Undermain Theatre for providing us a place to record.

Stage Directions Interview with ATL A.D. Brad McEntire

... and Ruth Engel makes a cameo appearance, too. Chris Taylor and Dan Purcul of the STAGE DIRECTIONS blog interviewed McEntire recently on the patio of the Amsterdam Bar in Dallas' Exposition Park for a video/podcast about the new directions Audacity is heading and the EYE IN THE SKY PROJECT. Interview should be up soon. Check back for more details.

EYE IN THE SKY Episode 2

EYE IN THE SKY Episode 2 in now online.

Great work by Erin Courtney, Greg Romero and Daniel Talbott.

Also, shout outs to the performances of Megan Woodall, Jeff Schmidt, Lydia Mackay and Jeff Swearingen.

As always, the direction is by Brad McEntire, audio recording and reading of the intro by Mr. John Flores and Ms. Chris Humphrey is on original music and audio engineering.

SPECIAL NOTE about this episode: In 2008 Audacity instigated a collaboration with playwright Greg Romero called 3P/3Y. In a nutshell, ATL agreed to produce three of Mr. Romero's pieces, be they large or small, over a three year period. We are happy to say, the piece enclosed within this episode, GOODB(EYE), written specifically for Audacity's Eye In The Sky project completes this collaboration.

Update from the Lab

Teresa Valenza and Jeff Swearingen in ARSENIC & ROSES

Let's see...

~ 1) Tickets for THE LAST CASTRATO are availble online. Seats are going fast so get yours today. Click here to handle it right now.

~ 2) ARSENIC & ROSES, Brad McEntire's darkly comic romance has been cast by director Jeff Hernandez. The cast includes ATL regular Jeff Swearingen and talented newcomer Teresa Valenza. Rehearsals start soon.

~3) Episode 2 of EYE IN THE SKY was recorded this past weekend. Pieces by Erin Courtney, Greg Romero and Daniel Talbott were read by actors Lydia Mackay, Megan Woodall, Jeff Schmidt and Jeff Swearingen. Should be posted on the ATL website in the next few weeks.

~4) ATL Artistic Director Brad McEntire recently became a contributor to TheatreJones.com with his travelogue of visiting Edwin Booth's Players Club in NYC last March. Read it here.

~5) OPERATION: TEN * LOUSY * BUCKS is 10% complete. Thanks to these folks who have contributed so far: James Venhaus, Carolyn Wickwire, Wes Copeland, Laurel Hoitsma, Danielle Pickard, Deborah Dobozy, Hilary Couch, Kim Lyle, Suzanne Thomas and Angela Parsons. 90 people to go. Be one of those folks. Contribute now, click here.

EYE IN THE SKY episode 1

Eye In The Sky is an original radio project being developed by Audacity Theatre Lab over the course of the next year or two. The first episode is up and ready to be listened to.

Pieces by playwrights James Comtois, Andy Eninger and Chris Humphrey.

EYE IN THE SKY is coming...

We are excited to announce Chris Humphrey will be creating an original sound scape for the EYE IN THE SKY project, and we here at ATL are pleased as punch to have her...

Wait! Wait. What is the EYE IN THE SKY Project, you ask?

EYE IN THE SKY is a specially commissioned experimental epistolary radio drama.

ATL's Brad McEntire and Ruth Engel hand-selected writers from around the country. Each writer was to use the blurb below as a springboard for a 1-3 page contribution.

"For one week in the middle of the summer a giant eye appears in the sky over the city. At the end of seven days it disappears as suddenly as it had originally materialized..."

This contribution could take the form of... well... anything. Nearly anything. We are doing the project as a radio drama, so spoken or sound related texts were encouraged. We were open to scenes, monologues, letters, news broadcasts, newspaper clippings, diary entries, e-mail correspondence, lecture notes, etc.

These pieces will be put together to form a series of impressions and reactions to The Eye In The Sky.

A public reading by professional actors, supported by several rehearsals with an ATL director, will probably be held in Dallas when the whole thing is completed. The pieces will also be recorded and the resulting recording will be placed as a podcasts on this blog and the ATL website.

Some of the contributors include:

Chris Alonzo (Brooklyn)

Vicki Cheatwood (Dallas)
James Comtois (New York)

Erin Courtney (Brooklyn)

Andy Eninger (Chicago)

John Flores (Dallas)
Zach Gonzales (Austin)

Jeff Hernandez (Dallas)

Chris Humphrey (Austin)

Mark Rigney (Evansville, Indiana)

Greg Romero (Philadelphia)

Ben Walker Sampson (New York)

Crystal Skillman (New York)

Jeff Swearingen (Dallas)

Daniel Talbott (New York)

Jason Tremblay (Austin)

Ken Urban (New York)

Gary Winter (New York)