COLLECTIVE MONDAY UPDATE - MAY 17, 2010

Reminder: This Blog will be our main source for communication between the members. As always, thoughts and suggestions should be sent to: thecollective9@gmail.com or brought up to a board member at any time. Board members: Victoria Dicce, Robert Z. Grant, Kevin Kane, Brian Leider, Nina Mehta and Lisa K.

1. Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
• Space is almost finalized - Teatro Circulo will be the home for our production of Someone in June. We are currently in discussions with Centerstage and New York Theatre Workshop for July, August and possibly September. More news to come - stay tuned!
• Volunteers are still needed and Committees are being formed. You should have already received an email from The Collective, but if you are interested in volunteering for any of the following groups: TECH, CREW, LIGHTING, SOUND, STAGE MANAGEMENT or BOX OFFICE please email: thecollective9@gmail.com with your interest. This is YOUR opportunity to take an active role in the upcoming production and really have a stake as a member not to mention try something new.
• The Promo committee has already begun efforts in the first publicity push for SOMEONE - for more information or to take part please email: nina.m.mehta@gmail.com.

2. Collective Membership and Mission
• The Board is continuing to refine and define what being a member of The Collective means. All interested parties are encouraged to think about what this means to them. Some questions to ask yourself: To what sort of company do YOU want to belong? How would you describe membership in The Collective? What is our mission? All thoughts will be considered by Brian Leider as he expands the mission statement. Please email your thoughts to: thecollective9@gmail.com with the subject "MISSION".

3. A Long Road Screening - Monday, May 24th @ The Bryant Park Hotel's screening room. There are two screenings available: 8:00pm and 8:30pm. The event is FREE and there will be an OPEN BAR sponsored by 3 Olives Vodka and Gran Centenario Tequila for two hours after the first viewing. Seating for each screening is limited, so please email your RSVP to: alongroadmovie@gmail.com with the word "SCREENING" in the subject line. Please list your FIRST and LAST names and any "plus 1, 2, etc" that will be arriving with you, as well as the TIME SLOT (8 or 8:30) you will be attending. Check out the website: www.alongroadmovie.com.

4. Open Company Meeting - SAVE THE DATE: June 7, 2010, 6-7pm.

5. Special Offers: Actor and friend, Raj Varma has offered COMP admission to all Collective members for his critically acclaimed one-man show D'Arranged Marriage for the Friday, May 28th, 7pm show at The Triad. Anyone interested in attending should email: nina.m.mehta@gmail.com to get on the comp list. The 2-drink minimum still applies. (Information on the show: http://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/shows/darranged-marriage_166393/)

COLLECTIVE MONDAY - May 10th, 2010

Updates for SOMEONE, Virgins & Sluts and other programming to follow at next Monday's meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be NO All Company meeting on Monday, May 17th as previously scheduled. The next all company meeting will take place next Monday, May 24th.

REMINDER: Make sure to check out the "Mondays" photo album under the Collectivistas Unite profile on Facebook. See who was caught this week!

Reminder: This Blog will be our main source for communication between the members. As always, thoughts and suggestions should be sent to:thecollective9@gmail.com or brought up to a board member at any time. Board members: Victoria Dicce, Robert Z. Grant, Kevin Kane, Brian Leider, NinaMehta and Lisa K

COLLECTIVE MONDAY UPDATE - May 3, 2010

Reminder: This Blog will be our main source for communication between the members. As always, thoughts and suggestions should be sent to: thecollective9@gmail.com or brought up to a board member at any time. Board members: Victoria Dicce, Robert Z. Grant, Kevin Kane, Brian Leider, Nina Mehta and Lisa K.

1. Mondays and Feedback
• The discussion around feedback is ongoing and all members are encouraged to be open about their questions and concerns and bring it up either in Mondays or with the Board.
• It was reiterated that The Collective is modeled after The Group Theatre of the early 20th century, in terms of how we work with one another. We are here to create and strengthen our ensemble. Observations are intended to be each other's "eyes" and more eloquently put, to call "bullshit" on each other.
• As previously posted, some background on The Group Theatre: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/group-theatre/about-the-group-theatre/622/
• As a reminder from last week’s open company meeting, please email your thoughts on a company mission/mission statement to Brian Leider (brian_leider@yahoo.com). Refer to last week’s blog for more information.

2. Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me
• Our production model has changed from the initial proposal which included Sundays and/or Tuesdays over a period of 10 weeks. Given the model and the feedback we’ve received it has forced our model to change to a more “engagement series” model.
• The plan is to have dates in a week block for June, July and August.
• We have booked our dates for June 2010 in the Teatro Circulo space (http://www.teatrocirculo.org). Our dates in June are as follows: June 6-8 (Sun-Tues); June 14^th (Monday) and June 16^th-20^th (Wed-Sun)
• Committees are starting to form for Technical, Promotion, Stage Management and Box Office. You should have all already received an email from thecollective9@gmail.com. If you haven’t please send an email with your interest to that address ASAP.

3. Open Company Meeting
• The next open company meeting will be Monday, May 17^th, 2010 at 6pm.

Make sure to check out the "Mondays" photo album under the Collectivistas Unite profile on Facebook. You never know who may be caught next. ;)

OPEN COMPANY/COLLECTIVE MONDAY Update - April 26, 2010

The open company meeting on Monday, the 26th picked up from last month's addressing the subject of Mondays, feedback and what is means to be a member of The Collective.

1. State of The Collective

• Mondays:
• Members brought up several things/feelings regarding the Monday and feedback format building off of last month's discussion. Specifically, most people felt more comfortable speaking up in Mondays than they had previously. Members expressed "the language" appeared to be clearer regarding observation and the distinction between performance vs. Monday work.
• A suggestion was made to share the actor's goals for a work session with the group to help focus feedback. Discussion focused on the advantage of sharing the goals with only the moderator: doing so allows the group to remain "open" to observing everything (all truthful impulses and realized behavior, which are our reason for communicating on stage and therefore always relevant to the goals).The group is the actor's "eyes".
• The discussion is underway about whether feedback should be kept between moderator and actor, or the group at large. All feedback based on behavioral observations is welcome, and the moderator will keep us on track of whether that is helpful to the actor then, or should be saved to share later.
• Guests:
• Members are allowed to bring guests to Mondays but guest invitations should be brought to the attention of a board member at least 2-3 days in advance if possible. It is of paramount importance that Mondays remain a safe space for members to work and receive feedback.
• All members should feel free to exercise their right to remove an uninvited guest. Thank uninvited guests for their interest but explain that Mondays are a closed session for members only, to retain the integrity of the group and be a safe place. Guests always require advance approval. Direct anyone with interest in attending Monday to the website.
• Goals/Feedback:
• How do we address physical goals (breathing, voice, etc.) in terms of feedback as we are not technicians? How do we define "behavior"? This topic was debated and while there was no definitive resolution, it was brought up that we can discuss the physical as it lends itself to the behavioral goals.
• Membership:
• What does being a member of The Collective mean? Participation? Members said it there is a need for more definition of membership outside of attending Mondays.
• Some members said they attended Mondays and did not know what else to do currently to feel like a member.
• Why are we here? Some responses included: a) Creating an ensemble, b)creative community, c)being with like-minded people, d) be part of a team
• It was agreed that membership, being a "member" means you are a producing member.
• There is a need for teams and structures; the board is in the processing of defining and developing these very teams
• Mission:
• Homework for all members over the next few weeks - think about what kind of group you want to be in? Email Brian Leider (brian_leider@yahoo.com) with your thoughts.

Reminder: This Blog will be our main source for communication between the members. As always, thoughts and suggestions should be sent to: thecollective9@gmail.com or brought up to a board member at any time. Board members: Victoria Dicce, Robert Z. Grant, Kevin Kane, Brian Leider, Nina Mehta and Lisa K.