Magnet Theater Blog: News and Ideas about Comedy, Improv Shows & Classes in NYC

Thank you to everyone who came out for Megawatt auditions. We’re excited to announce our latest teams:

New Team RED
Shacottha Fields
Michael McLarnon
Andy Moskowitz
Teddy Shivers
Adam Twitchell
Christina Dabney
Brian Frange
Matthew Selliti

New Team WHITE
Charles Rogers
Phoebe Tyers
Dennis Pacheco
Nick Mykins
Sebastian Conelli
Maggie Morris
Matt Weir
Kevin Cobbs

New Team BLUE
Rebecca Robles
Don Romaniello
Maddy Mako
Peter Collins
Matt Antonucci
Dennis Zavolock
Jesse Acini
Kristy Wesolowski

There will also be additions to Horses, The Wrath and Featherweight

Horses
Kelly Buttermore
Kim Ferguson
Federico Garduno
George Fernandez
David Etkin
Michael Lutton
Woody Fu
Eli Itzkowitz

The Wrath
Andrew Yurman Glaser
Michael Kroll
Ross Taylor
Scott Lawrie
Rob Penty
Emily Shapiro
Mike Dwyer
Steven Slate

Featherweight
Justin Moran
Elana Fishbein
Blake Merriman
Noel Dineen
Matt Shafeek
Lauren Ashley Smith
Frank Bonomo

These brand new teams debut Wednesday, May 1st at 7pm. Get there early.

“The Blackout” is the newest installment of The Director Series, a 5-week series of performances wherein a Director selects a cast and presents a different form. This month Louis Kornfeld is directing The Blackout, featuring Phoebe Tyers, Alexis Lambright, Ely Aina Rapoza, Rebecca Robles, Charlie Whitcroft, Rob Penty, Eli Itzkowitz, and Desiree Nash.

Photo by Woody Fu

This past Thursday saw the premier of “The Blackout”, a unique and refreshing improv show relying solely on scenework. The cast, proficient in subtlety and poise, performed the series of scenes in two and three person combinations that came together naturally and comfortably to fill the hour with standalone vignettes and thematic revisitations under the direction and technical expertise of Director Louis Kornfeld.

Photo by Woody Fu

Photo by Woody Fu

Photo by Woody Fu

Photo by Woody Fu

The audience watched childhood friends discussing the ups and downs of having two mothers, a needy secretary fail to grasp the humor of a screen-saver, a married couple deal with three years of built up frustration and resentment, teens peeping on their “girlfriend” undressing in her bedroom, and a man out himself to passengers on his plane during a recreational flight, among many other episodes. Never a dull moment, while all of the energy of this show flowed steadily and with intention.

There are four more opportunities to catch “The Blackout” – January 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 10:00 at The Magnet Theater!

In the latest installment of The Director’s Series, Christina Gausas takes the reins on The Subject.  The Subject is a form that  ”follows the central character of the evening (the subject), never leaving the stage while the others enter and exit as various friends, relatives, demons and fantasy figures”.

The Subject, created by Alex Fendrich, was originally performed at the iO theater in Chicago and was “Highly Recommended” by The Chicago Sun-Times.  Gausas was a member of the original cast and now she leads an all-star cast made up of Louis Kornfeld, Megan Gray, Alex Marino, Angela Demanti, Sebastian Connelli, Ruby Marez, Binu Paulose, Tom Levin, and Liz McDonnell.

The Subject opens Thursday May 3rd at 10pm, and is followed by an Opening Night Party at Mustang Sally’s (28th & 7th).  Come to the show and celebrate afterwards with great food and drink specials!

The Subject, opening May 3rd at 10pm at The Magnet Theater!

In celebration of its 7th Anniversary, Magnet held its first completely ridiculous and ironically meaningful award ceremony. It was the 1st Annual Maggie Awards and everyone played fell into their appropriate roles immediately; the winners were falsely modest and the nominees who lost pretended it was an honor just to be nominated. The presenters were sharp and read the prompter with varying degrees of skill and self conscious sexiness.

Here are some moments from the ceremony for those of you in the community who couldn’t be there, and those of you who were there and aren’t sure this actually happened.  Enjoy

Click after the jump for the complete list of nominees and winners.

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Growing up it was a bi-monthly event in my family.  We’d drive 45 minutes to the nearest movie theater, go out for Chinese Food and then go see something.  Something big.   But starting this Thursday my bi-monthly childhood treat will become a weekly one…

“The Movie” is coming to Magnet Theater!  This improvised long form will leave you a bit breathless.  It’s an entire improvised film, complete with cuts, pans, zooms, helicopter shots, and maybe even some prohibitively expensive CGI.  And if we’re lucky, we may get some Chinese Food before (but probably not).

It might be a heart-warming coming of age picture, or a tear-jerking sports hero battling cancer sort of thing.  Or maybe a sci-fi horror ‘stuck on a planet battling a monster (but the real monster is their own inner demon)’ sort of movie.  Maybe a combo of all three.  Doesn’t matter though.  I’ll be there.

“The Movie” is the first installment of The Directors Series, a 4-week series of performances wherein a Director selects a cast and presents a different form.  This month Ed Herbstman is directing Fiona Mallek, Jamie Rivera, Louis Kornfeld, Peter McNerney, Chet Siegel, Nick Kanellis, Christian Palluck, Woody Fu, Elana Fishbein and Alex Marino.  Every Thursday at 10pm in February!

Oh, and it’s part of Thursday Night Out – you get to see the whole night of shows for one $7 ticket.

–Willy Appelman

Musical improv lovers, where were you January 7th? If you were anywhere but the Magnet then kick yourself in the ears and jump into an elevator shaft. If you were at the Magnet seeing the opening night of Choral Rage’s new weekend run, then massage your ears lovingly and take a leisurely elevator ride wherever you please.

Henry Kaiser and Justin Moran

Choral Rage, one of the Magnet’s veteran musical improv teams, returned to the main stage to perform a musical mono scene (sort of. Does it count if they go to an alternate version of the same location?). In their opening number we were introduced one by one to the characters, then launched into a set that included a disintegrating, loveless 30-year marriage; a four-person affair; a father/son rivalry with opposing kitchens in the same diner; a cross-country-traveling pair of lovers; and a cigarette machine that opened a portal to parallel reality diner. more