Though our first NAKED PLAYS: A New Play Reading Festival for the 2008-2009 season is history, its impact is just beginning to be felt.

This past weekend, we presented three spankin’ new plays for you, written by three gifted writers. But now its your turn as we throw the cue to you. Check out the sidebar to the right of this homepage, and vote on the one play you’d most like to see Naked Stages develop for the future. The play you choose will be presented next season in conjunction with our second NAKED PLAYS FESTIVAL in a workshop production.

Which will it be? Is it DEPENDENCE DAY, Anne Nelson’s moving drama about a Midwestern family’s coming to terms with Life’s difficult choices? Or Lauren Gunderson’s playfully absurdist coming-of-age comedy, THE HALF-LIFE OF JOY, that dares to compare human relationships with nuclear fission? Or the true story of LETTERS FOR SALA, Arlene Hutton’s poignant recounting of the Holocaust through a family’s correspondence?

The decision is yours to make … so make it a good one. We’re waiting to hear what you have to say.

NAKED STAGES is proud to present NAKED PLAYS, our inaugural new play festival at Bongo After Hours Theater, February 21, 22, and 23. We’ve chosen three fantastic plays for you, written by three fantastic females: Anne Nelson, Lauren Gunderson, and Arlene Hutton. These ladies have impressive credentials, and we are so honored that they are sharing their work with us in Nashville.

Anne Nelson is the acclaimed playwright and screenwriter of THE GUYS, one of the first major dramas to address the September 11th attacks. Her latest play, DEPENDENCE DAY, is about four generations of spirited women — and the quiet man who connects them to each other — as they work through the challenges of parenting, marriage, divorce, and sweet life itself. Anne is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including a 2005-06 Guggenheim Fellowship and a New Harmony Dramatists Fellowship.

Lauren Gunderson is a New York City-by-way-of-Atlanta playwright, screenwriter, short story author, and actor. In her new play, THE HALF-LIFE OF JOY, the modern themes of science, body image, teendom, well-matched love and the fate of mankind come together in a sarcastic, playfully absurdist coming of age story. Lauren’s work has received national praise and awards including the Berrilla Kerr Award for American Theatre, Young Playwright’s Award, Eric Bentley New Play Award, Essential Theatre Prize, Virtual Theatre Prizes and many others.

Arlene Hutton is the current Tennessee Williams Fellow at Sewanee University. Based on a true story, Arlene’s play is a Holocaust tale about sixteen-year-old Sala Garncarz, who volunteered to go to a Nazi labor camp in her sister’s place. In the coming years, she saved over 350 pieces of mail sent to her by friends and family on the outside or fellow prisoners, and LETTERS FOR SALA is that inspiring story. A four-time Heideman Award finalist and a three-time Samuel French Short Play Festival winner, Arlene’s three play cycle, THE NIBROC TRILOGY (LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC, SEE ROCK CITY, and GULF POINT VIEW), premiered in New York at the 78th Street Theatre Lab this past spring to rave reviews.

“Cabus delivers a tour de force, acting out all the parts in Charles Dickens’ Holiday classic and making it seem as if that’s the only way it should be done … This CHRISTMAS CAROL is one of the smallest yet most sensational shows of the year. Don’t miss it. ” THE TENNESSEAN

“Destined to be a cult classic.” NASHVILLE SCENE

Mark Cabus brings his critically acclaimed one-man performance of Charles Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL back to Nashville this holiday season for the first time since 2002. He’ll give three performances of the piece as a benefit for Naked Stages, the professional theater wing of Green Room Projects, Dec. 20-22 at Belmont’s Black Box Theater (2100 Belmont Boulevard). Cabus’ interpretation avoids sugary sentimentality as he portrays all 34 characters from Ebenezer Scrooge to Tiny Tim. The fundraiser also features live music and food which will make this the newest of Nashville’s family Yuletide traditions.

Former TENNESSEAN critic Kevin Nance was effusive in his praise of Cabus’ work on this holiday classic:

“The specificity and calm commitment Cabus brings to the characters – in particular Ebenezer Scrooge, a misanthrope who rediscovers his humanity after a series of ghostly visitors – makes him utterly convincing. Grounding everything is Cabus’ command of his rich and versatile voice, which alternately booms, whispers, commands, pleads, coos, cackles, belly-laughs and wheedles in a variety of accents as the characters require, often within the same scene.

“And his manipulation of Dickens’ delicious text exploits its sonic properties in ways and perhaps not even its author could have conceived. Releasing him from this promise of marriage, the middle-aged Scrooge’s bride-to-be pronounces the word ‘contract’ in a sort of crushingly conscience way that brings out its levels of meaning with shocking precision.

“But if Cabus’ vocal powers are awesome, his physical control is even more impressive. His contorted, foot-dragging entrance as the anguished Marley is more ghastly, more spectral and more evocative than anything you’ll ever see on a stage full of expensive special effects. When Marley settles on an invisible chair, you’ll swear its really there.”

“I’m excited about bringing CHRISTMAS CAROL back to Nashville,” Cabus, the company’s artistic director, said. “I’m curious to see how the intervening years have changed my approach to these characters. Hopefully audiences will be just as inquisitive.”

Tickets are $40 in advance through the TicketNashville link at www.greenroomprojects.org or $50 at the door (cash or check only). Because this is a fundraiser, 50% of your ticket/donation is tax deductible.

All performances start at 6:30 PM.

Mark’s talkin’ about fund-raising again.  This time, the focus is on the upcoming performance of A Christmas Carol.  Hear the interview on The Inexplicable Dumb Show!

Hear the interview with Green Room’s own Ginger Newman about her experiences in SOUVENIR on The Inexplicable Dumb Show!

“There weren’t many voices as bad as Jenkins’. There aren’t many theatrical experiences as good as SOUVENIR.” — Boston Globe

“Tone-deaf but utterly pitch-perfect … (A) loony triumph.” — NY Daily News

Naked Stages, the new professional theater wing of Green Room Projects (GRP), will present SOUVENIR, a comedy with music by Stephen Temperley, December 6-15 at Belmont’s Black Box Theater (2100 Belmont Boulevard).

SOUVENIR, by turns hilarious and poignant, tells the true story of musical novelty, Florence Foster Jenkins, through the eyes of her accompanist, Cosme McMoon. Much like William Hung of AMERICAN IDOL, Jenkins was famous for being under the delusion that she was a great singer when she was actually incapable of hitting two notes in tune.

Veteran Nashville musical star, Ginger Newman (The Rep’s EVITA and PIRATES OF PENZANCE) and talented newcomer Jeffrey Williams (Street Theater Co.’s BATBOY) bring this delightful comedy with music to sparkling life in a production directed by Executive Director Richard Northcutt.

Northcutt saw the production in New York and felt it was “one of the funniest and most endearing shows I’ve ever seen.”

“At its heart, SOUVENIR is a story about two people who, over a period of time, learn what true friendship is all about,” he said. “It’s a bit of a love story minus the sex but not the passion. Florence is a singer - or thinks she is - and Cosme is a musician and composer -or thinks he is. She is wealthy; he is not. She needs an accompanist, and he needs a job.

“The play is also about art. What is it? Can one be a true artist without creating art as society at large imagines it. Can one be a true musician-artist when the perfect notes are only in the head and heart, not the voice. Again, it sounds serious, but the playwright has done a masterful job in posing these questions and in putting the answers in the form of two marvelous characters telling a beautiful story.”

Northcutt has cast the veteran Newman opposite the newcomer Williams and is very happy with the results. “It’s really not possible to do this show without two superb musicians who also have great acting chops. And we are truly fortunate in that regard,” he said.

“The role of Florence is extremely challenging because it requires someone who is opera-quality, classically trained, and has a beautiful, expressive vocal quality. She also has to take wonderful pieces by Verdi, Guonod, and other composers and convincingly sing off-key, out-of-tune, without regard to tempo. That’s a herculean task. On top of all of that, she has to be a spot-on comedienne, so casting this role is very difficult.

“We are truly blessed in that Ginger Newman will be playing the Florence. Nashville theatergoers who know her work will agree that the role is perfectly cast. Those who don’t know Ginger are in for a spectacular treat.”

As for Williams? His musicianship is impeccable. “He has such an innate understanding of the character,” said Northcutt, “and his stage presence is very appealing.

“He works very well with Ginger, and their chemistry is apparent. Jeffrey is well-known on the Belmont campus for his performing abilities and recently gained very good notices for his work in BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL. I also appreciate his incredible work ethic and inventiveness. While he may be young, he has a tremendously promising future ahead of him.”

Newman has great respect for the real-life woman she portrays. “Florence’s first line in the play is, ‘What matters most is the music you hear in your head…The impossible ideal, as it were.’ She lived that,” Newman said. “It was her compass and she the very tiny ship in the vastness of a sea of music. Not many singers/artists have that courage or depth of passion to truly embrace what she did without hesitation. The play touches on music, and life, in very compelling ways, according to Newman. “Cosme said, ‘A singer takes a good deal on trust…An artist…finds his or her own true voice.’ He also said: “Singing is a kind of dreaming in public.’ These are some of the thoughts that I think define the play in a microscopic way.

“In the bigger picture we have a gorgeous story of two people who came together and changed each other’s lives forever. Not the typical love story, but one of a story of love. Love of music and the dedication to it as an art form fuses them together in an artistic soul-mating. While sometimes it seems ridiculous, it is always truthful, and yes, even painful.”

All performances start at 7:30 PM except for Sunday, Dec. 9, when curtain is at 4 PM. Wednesday, Dec. 12 is a “Pay What You Can” performance. Thursday, Dec. 13 will include a “Talkback Panel” following the show.

Tickets for each show are $20 online and $25 at the door*. Substantial discounts are available to groups and seniors by contacting GRP.

* We are in the process of switching over to Tickets Nashville, an online ticket service that will allow you to purchase advance tickets from this site.

NASHVILLE SCENE theater critic, Martin Brady, reports his pleasure this week with Naked Stages’ production of The MERCHANT of VENICE by declaring that “the cast members … are a joy to watch.” He sites Lane Davies for his “cooly assured” performance of Shylock, the moneylender. Davies, he says, avoids the “stereotypical pitfalls” of the role with his “strong and confident” performance. Ruth Cordell, he continues, offers a “pliant and vulnerable” Portia while Marin Miller, Ensemble member Richard Northcutt, and “newcomers” Taylor Jones and Darci Stebbins are singled out for their engaging performances.

Martin credits AD Mark Cabus‘ cagey staging of the play for keeping the audience “on edge.” It’s Cabus’ “deft handling,” he says, that leaves “tantalizing” questions in the audience’s mind as to key relationships and plot points throughout the play. He admires the abridged script (running at under two hours), which still allows for savoring “the Bard’s marvelous language.” He concludes with saying, “Cabus pushes a few buttons, but he does it gently while still honoring the play’s genius.”

If you haven’t seen Naked Stages’ The MERCHANT of VENICE yet, you still have four performances left: Wednesday through Saturday, October 17-20, at Belmont’s new Black Box Theater (2100 Belmont Avenue). Call 615-460-8500 for tickets.

To read the full review, click here.

Naked Stages is proud to announce TV and stage veterans Lane Davies (SANTA BARBARA, LOIS AND CLARK) and Ruth Cordell (ALLY MCBEAL, ALIEN NATION) as stars of our inaugural production of The MERCHANT of VENICE at Belmont’s new Black Box Theater. “We’re delighted to have actors of Lane and Ruth’s caliber with us as we start our first full season,” said Founding Artistic Director Mark Cabus and MERCHANT director. “This is a controversial play and we have no intention of running from that controversy. Lane and Ruth are brave artists and embrace the provocative nature of this story with us. ”

Ms. Cordell appears as “Portia,” the wealthy heiress whose beauty is matched only by her intelligence, while Mr. Davies portrays the volatile “Shylock,” the Jewish moneylender intent on revenge. Our stellar cast is rounded out with Nashville favorites Marin Miller as “Nerissa,” Ensemble members Jon Royal as the “Prince of Morocco,” and Richard Northcutt as “Antonio.” Taylor Jones and Ensemble member John Mauldin make their area stage debuts with this production as “Bassanio” and the “Prince of Arragon,” respectively, while Belmont University student actor Zack McMann appears as “Lorenzo,” in conjunction with the company’s new accredited intern program. The design team boasts Emmy and Tony-winning Franne Lee producing costumes with Ensemble members Sean Williams and Chris Wilson creating the set and lights.

“MERCHANT deals with the kinds of human conflict often spotlighted on the evening news,” Cabus continues, “so our presentation must be as timely. We’ve gathered some of Nashville’s brightest theater artists to explore this deeply relevant story. As always, Green Room, and now Naked Stages, promises a unique theatre experience. We promise Shakespeare in modern dress fashioned to reveal our modern world.”

Our collaboration with the Valhalla Shakespeare Project continues to grow and this play is no exception. Two performances of MERCHANT will take place at Valhalla Farms in Cannon County (3081 Jimtown Rd., Bradyville) prior to opening at the Black Box Theater. Both shows, whether on Saturday, October 6, or Sunday, October 7, are 3 PM matinees and free to the general public.

The Nashville opening for The MERCHANT of VENICE is Thursday, October 11, at Belmont Univerisity’s new Black Box Theater, 2100 Belmont Boulevard. Additional performances run October 12-14 and 17-20. All performances start at 7:30 except for our Sunday matinee, which is at 4 pm. Wednesday nights are “Pay What You Can” performances. The second Thursdays of each run will include a “Talkback Panel” comprised of area experts from fields relevant to the play that’s being presented.

Tickets for each show are $20 for adults and $15 for students and can be purchased through the Belmont University ticket system (615-460-8500). Substantial discounts are available to patrons who purchase tickets from members of the group’s ensemble prior to opening night. Information on other discounts for groups, students and seniors is available by contacting us through this site.

“It’s clichéd, but there is something for everyone in this season and The MERCHANT of VENICE is just the beginning,” Cabus said. “We promise Nashville audiences the finest quality theater we can possibly offer and to carry them on a thought-provoking, entertaining, and enlightening ride.”

Green Room Projects is changing its status as a professional performing arts company. With the coming of our first full season, we’ve decided to reintroduce ourselves to the Nashville community as Naked Stages. This new moniker embraces not only our personal vision of spare, unadorned theatrical stagings, the proverbial “empty space,” but also of the theater’s ability to expose the human condition to its bare essence, to strip nature to its most fundamental.

Green Room will continue its excellence in arts education and community outreach while Naked Stages presents itself as the theater production wing of the company at Belmont’s Black Box Theater. Under the watchful eyes of Executive Director Richard Northcutt, Founding Artistic Director Mark Cabus, and our talented Ensemble of theater artists, Naked Stages promises to be a major contender in the ever-expanding Nashville theater community.