nicu ' s spoon theater company
nicu' s spoon theater company | changing theater… one play at a time .
founded in 2001, nicu’s spoon theater company is dedicated to producing socially reflective theater which consistently presents new ideas, challenges stereotypes, and touches the heart in unexpected ways .
while thomas mccormackâ€™s endless endpapers continues its multivolume run, the nicu’s spoon production company offers a more uncanny look at the publishing world .
it’s always a good thing when a young theater company tries to make its bones with an established classic, and nicu’s spoon prove that they have the ambition and chutzpah to do just that. admirable !
nicholas linnehan nick is an avid educator, director, actor, and writer. nick has worked as an educational director for several theater companies since his graduation, including: test theater company, nicu’s spoon theater, and identity theater co. , where he is the founder. nick graduated from cw post with his ba in theater and holds a masters in education from queens college. nick is very excited to work with such talented, inspiring artists within the nicu spoon family and looks forward to making great theater with great people .
the recent presentation of “to kill a mockingbird” by fledging theatre company nicu’s spoon was nothing short of inspiring. the company’s love of literature and the craft of acting shone. such purity of purpose is rarely found these days - but it is the essence of good theatre. expect great things to come from nicu’s spoon .
winter 2010 at nicu’s spoon theater and summer 2011 with identity theater company. fall 2011, i played b - flat (bernard flatt) from second samuel in identity theater’s identity crisis festival. this whole time i have enjoyed being on stage. i love to be different characters from different plays. acting makes me feel happy and excited. it’s a very fun thing to do and i’m glad to be a company member .
as we move into 2018 we anticipate a nicu’s spoon branch in hawaii, working with empowering new voices there .
due to the loss of space our theater company underwent some changes and took some time to gather funds. but! we still produced -
nick is an avid director, actor, and writer. previously, he has been busy writing five new original works; his first play, the real story was produced in 2001 by the post theatre company. his second play, identity (award winning), was produced twice by queens college in 2005, once by manhattan repertory theater in 2006, and by nicu’s spoon theater in 2007. his last original work, erosion: life on life’s terms premiered in january 2010 at nicu’s spoon theater. he has worked as a director for many children’s shows and taught several drama classes for children over the past 14 years. nick graduated from cw post at long island university with his ba in theater and holds a master’s degree in education from queens college. nick founded identity theater company in 2011, and is looking forward to making great theater with great people .
“nicu’s spoon, a theater company, in its third remarkable year, have staged a morbidly disturbing production of mac wellman’s “a murder of crows”, a rich, stimulating poem that locates the destructive spirit lurking amid amber waves of grain and purple mountains of majesty. ” – jack quinn, editor, theaterscene. net
join us in celebrating our journey with victor ilyukhin’s “two and twenty troubles”an uplifting documentary about nicu’s spoon theater co. featuring some amazing folks and with a warm - hearted story about our actors and their struggles in life… and on stage .
“two and twenty troubles” is a new documentary about a play starring nyc disabled actors. the film is being made in association with nicu’s spoon theater company, whose mission is to give an opportunity to both disabled and non - disabled actors of various ages, gender, races and cultural backgrounds alike .
this has been adapted for the stage by nicu’s spoon, an exciting new theater company that is gaining a reputation as one of the better off - off broadway companies in the city. this production represents the type of risk more companies should be taking. hopefully, nicu’s spoon will continue to develop this piece into a lively, exciting piece of theater, and continue fighting the good fight. the work they are doing is passionate, professional and absolutely worth keeping an eye on. – tim browning, theaterscene. net
anthony lopez and rachel handler, two disabled actors (both amputees), intend to restart their acting careers after along hiatus. both meet each other at the nicu' s spoon theater - a... see full summary »
anthony lopez and rachel handler, two disabled actors (both amputees), intend to restart their acting careers after along hiatus. both meet each other at the nicu' s spoon theater - a company whose mission is to give an opportunity to both disabled and non - disabled actors of various ages, races and cultural backgrounds alike .
at nicu’s spoon theater company, we celebrate collaboration in developing productions that are pertinent for today’s global, diverse, and rapidly changing world. new york city is full of people of different ethnicities and abilities; always on the move and oftentimes unheard. we give voice to those who are very much a part of our world, but whose stories often go untold .
the film follows two young actors, anthony lopez and rachel handler, who are both amputees. they both seek for a way to reaffirm their belief in themselves and restart their careers after a long hiatus, and meet at nicu’s spoon theater .
accepting their mission of socially relevant theater, nicu’s spoon translates the realist prose of the author / journalist, his vision of totalitarianism, and the plight of his protagonist, winston smith, the last humanist.  – kim, voice choices, village voice
nicu’s spoon has chosen cannily in mounting the stage version of george orwell’s 1984 at this particular time. thanks to director stephanie barton - farcas and her dedicated collaborators at nicu’s spoon, we are getting another look at this important work of literature. it is a riveting work of theatre, giving us a raw, very personal experience of orwell’s cautionary tale.  – martin denton, editor, nytheater. com (* starred, editors pick review )
“kimberly akimbo” is a risky choice of show for the spoon theater, considering that the “art as escapism” camp has got new york in a death grip. attempting realism is not the predictable option, especially with a plotline as unusual as this. the off - off broadway spoon theater is known for producing avant - garde theater in this vein. this season’s theme was outcasts, which dealt with our perceptions of normality and its aberrations. the theater is a tiny black box in the middle of an office building, with creaking floors and an out - of - work elevator. for the audience member tired of broadway glitz, it’s a charming haven .
“i am so excited to work at the identity theater. i have been in a couple of plays before working
bram is a nationally - certified (rid) sign - language interpreter and got his first taste of nicu’s spoon when he facilitated communication among deaf and hearing actors, staff and crew for their productions of “stumps”, “buried child” and ”kosher harry”, the latter of which was a co - production with new york deaf theatre (nydt), experiences he won’t soon forget. in addition to being an asl coordinator with nicu’s spoon, bram’s involvement in the theater community at large also includes being the media relations coordinator for toys theater, work on the stage crew for various nydt productions, and a stint as stage manager for staged readings of the new rock musical, “the cure” .
nicu’s spoon became the symbol for us for all the impossible things that were suddenly possible. things like walking, talking, thinking, and living. he was hiv positive and we lost him 5 years later in 1996 .
founded in 2001, nicus spoon theater company new york city’s original all - inclusive theater group; offering a home for everyone regardless of color, ability, ethnicity, age, or gender. we’ve been this way since day one and are committed to this mission as a leader in nyc. we support every artist— whether they be sight - impaired, hard of hearing, rainbow - hued, differently - enabled, or otherwise empowered. many other theaters have been inspired by our philosophy and have joined with us in our support of diversity .
no niggers, no jews, no dogs is an interesting play dealing with the difficult subjects of rape, anti - semitism, and racism. nicu’s spoon should be applauded for once again producing meaningful, dynamic and intriguing work. their willingness to take risks is needed in today’s theatre .
in tales of the lost formicans, constance congdon’s satirical critique of 1980s suburbia, a cadre of friendly aliens — amusingly outfitted with almond - shaped sunglasses — is replaying scenes from american suburbia to puzzle out the complexities of the family unit. it’s a sad fact that the play seems just as fitting nearly 20 years after its first production. nicu’s spoon’s current season is dedicated to exploring issues of disability and working with disabled artists; with formicans, the company tackles the subject of alzheimer’s disease and has in the cast an actor with cerebral palsy.  jerry portwood, backstage
all in all, all’s well that ends well (except for poor essex, of course). unlike in a shakespeare history, no one here dies on stage, at least. this substantial and rather difficult play uses shakespeare’s milieu to gamely confront matters of gender and sexuality. nicu’s spoon proves an excellent utensil for the task .
“a story about the unraveling of a midwestern family after tragedy strikes, judith guest’s 1976 bestselling book “ordinary people” shows that even in the suburban heartland, life falls apart and ordinary people can turn out to be extraordinary. in the current off - off - broadway production of “ordinary people” (adapted for the stage by nancy gilsenan hersage in 1983), theater group nicu’s spoon literally recasts the story: billed as a “multiracial adaptation, ” the play features a white actor in the role of the conciliatory father, an asian actress in the role of the distant mother and a southeast asian actor as the desolate younger son. but nicu’s spoon isn’t interested in ordinary families or ordinary people. since its founding in 2001, nicu’s spoon has sought to cast talented actors of color in roles conventionally cast with white actors, such as the family in “ordinary people. ” determined to push the bounds of casting norms even in new york’s progressive theater community, founder stephanie barton - farcas has nothing but contempt for the many directors and producers who, she says, turn away brilliant actors for “not looking right .
i discovered nicu’s spoon two years ago, and admired their mission and inclusiveness. i started filming their rehearsal process and preparation for a new performance of anton chekhov’s “the cherry orchard”, but very soon the performers’ powerful personal stories of overcoming challenges and breaking social stereotypes became my main interest. i filmed on - the - spot interviews with the actors, the rehearsal process, and also their everyday lives off - stage. i felt privileged to document nicu’s spoon and their unique atmosphere, and felt a connection with the cast members and staff .
diana maria benigno is proud to be a member of identity theatre company, especially after being embraced by and performing with nicu' s spoon theatre company. as both an actor and dramaturg, she is in the process of completing her ma in theatre at hunter college, and has a ba in dramatic literature from nyu. favorite roles include beatrice in hunter college' s much ado about nothing, sister james in john patrick shanley' s doubt for the merrick theatre and center for the arts, and suffocating clarence as murderer 1 in nicu spoon' s richard iii. previous dramaturgy includes richard iii: a dishonourable tale, at the secret theatre in queens and the brick theatre' s shakespeare festival workshop of hamlet, or i shall mourn the rivers. she also can be seen in recurring roles as both antoinette and cookie in the off - broadway interactive theatre production murdered by the mob. upcoming roles include ariel in identity' theatre' s the tempest with the shakespeare forum .
( an externally funded project) this uplifting documentary about our amazing performers trying to make it in new york city highlights our theater company in engaging and emotional ways. directed by victor ilyukhin. in late 2013 a crew began filming a documentary film “two and twenty troubles” about our company in association with a team of award - winning collaborators with a unique vision. shown privately in nyc (in 2014) and slated for the festival circuit in 2015 .
it mirrors the problems and issues facing modern america, and fits perfectly into the season of nicu’s spoon geared toward women and gender identity. it’s as if mr findley has held up a looking glass to modern society to say, “this is who you are, as you were. ” it is truly one of the most refreshing pieces of this season, and i wonder what has taken the new york theatre world so long to bring this play back to audiences. elizabeth rex is a superb play, performed by a fabulous troupe of actors, even more intimate in the space of nicu’s spoon theatre. it is a timely piece that is about the journey we all take to find who we are by accepting who we were. bravo to nicu’s spoon for bringing this piece to life in the time they have .
for its 2011 theme, nicu’s spoon has chosen monsters, and the company leads with a honey: rhoda penmark, the little murderess of “the bad seed. ” maxwell anderson’s 1954 drama is remembered mainly through its 1956 film version, which differs in small but significant ways. one is grateful to nicu’s spoon for giving us a rare glimpse at his original look at evil beneath seeming innocence. anderson’s play is enjoyable for its 1950s structure—bells and phones always ringing to introduce plot points—and its then - shocking cocktail chatter on such subjects as homosexuality and incest. it ends far more creepily and satisfyingly than the movie, and the author’s penchant for high - flown poesy is kept well in check. this isn’t an ideal “the bad seed, ” but with so few old - fashioned well - made plays on the boards nowadays, we’ll take what we can get .
“i worked with abandoned kids in romania in the 90’s and the most amazing one was nicu, who was 5. nicu was in diapers and did not walk, talk or feed himself. they told me he was deaf, autistic and retarded and should be discarded. nicu had spent 5 years on his back in a crib. i got angry and said, ‘i’ll take him. ’”
they say that ants can pull 50 times their weight, but the disabled humans do plenty of hauling as they seek their ideal forms in constance congdon’s poignant tale of aliens, alzheimer’s and adolescence, produced by nicu’s spoon. the play is a wonderful metaphor for the function of theater. one could accomplish a great deal by sitting and listening. and the point of all the lifting of chairs? “never force anything. ” congdon has lent an ear to plato in this sequence of terse epitomes about finding one’s form: “all you have to do is gather it in. ” deborah greenhut, oobr
michelle is a magna cum laude graduate of nyu’s college of arts and sciences, where she earned her ba in psychology with a minor in theatre studies. performing is michelle’s oldest passion, but has since supported and complimented her other interests in directing, psychology, and teaching. she has been involved with nicu’s spoon since 2008, where her directing, associate and assistant directing credits include “beautiful thing” by jonathan harvey, the world premieres of “a kite cut loose in the middle of the sky, ” “23 coins, ” and “snow white rose red, ” spoon’s january children’s show. most recently, she directed, designed, and was the literary developer for spoon’s staged reading of the new play “handicapping. ” other assistant directing include “sons of the prophet” with roundabout theatre company. michelle is also a recent circle in the square musical theatre intensive graduate. in addition to serving as the literary director at spoon, michelle is also the outreach director and a teaching artist for daytime moon creations, a nonprofit that brings recreational theatre programming to kids and young adults with special needs .
one more play about family relationships might spark a street riot in the theater district – luckily, “kimberly akimbo” at the spoon theater tackles much more. so much more, in fact, that it scales the thematic heights of a classic novel. directed by oliver conant, “kimberly akimbo” centers on a girl aging at impossible speeds and her adolescent - minded parents, all trapped in new jersey. maturity then, is the initial topic .
2016 involved the presenting workshops of new plays, in production with identity theater company. four mondays in may. shorts! !! produced by identity theater and nicu’s spoon theater companies at the underground theater 215 east 99th street. may 2 – ‘henry’s shorts’ (3 short plays by henry holden) ● 7: 15 pm – ikea by henry holden starring estelle olivia, chris lavine and nick linnehan. ● 8: 00 pm – two old men by henry holden starring wynne anders and terry jerry (yep, 2 women! !). ● 9: 00 pm – the campaign by henry holden starring courtney knysch and henrika seffy. may 9 – ‘libby’s shorts’ (3 short plays by libby emmons) ● 7: 15 pm – how to sell your gang rape baby for parts by libby emmons starring diana benigno and stephanie gould. winner of the f - off festival! ! ● 8: 00 pm – auto moron by libby emmons starring libby emmons and ali ayala. ● 9: 00 pm – driving your girlfriend home by libby emmons starring rosalie muller - boiral, perri yaniv and ian gregory hill. may 16th – 7: 00 pm - sinkhole by stacy ann price 9: 00 pm - paralyzed by jeff stolzer
natily blair founding member natalie began with necessary theatre in the positive force players; a group focused on issues such as aids awareness and substance abuse. she graduated from university of wisconsin - milwaukee with a major in theater. regionally, she appeared at the milwaukee rep. , and northern stage company as well as touring to the siglo de oro spanish theater festival in el paso, tx. she has been seen on as the world turns and guiding light, as well as starring in abhay charan, a film about the birth of the hari krishna movement in nyc. she was in the obie award winning ny premiere of mac wellman’s jennie richee with the ridge theatre, she played cordelia to ralph waite’s king lear, chechyen woman and zapatista in displaced, and scout in nicu’s to kill a mockingbird .
the cast featured wynne anders as halie, and jim williams as dodge. these two grabbed a hold of the audience from the first moment and didn’t let go until the last word was spoken. simply superb! also darren fudenske, a deaf actor, portraying tilden proves that good acting is about doing and is alive in the body. his vocal limitations did not detract from the play as he played his part with sincere conviction that transcends any physical disability, thereby telling the story without losing his audience. no small feat. i could go on and on about this talented and connected ensemble of actors, who’s tremendous honesty is so refreshing to watch. the production is quite impressive. this show is what live theater is supposed to be and proves that it still exists. unfortunately, it is rare to see this kind of theater (even though its exactly what all theater should be); the kind that leaves its audience breathless and wanting more! you owe it to yourself to see this one, trust me. nicu’s spoon hits a grand slam with this one, and if this is the kind of theater they produce, the theater community has a lot to look forward to .
one of the best shows this year! a few months ago, i had reviewed a production of buried child, and said that the company had a handle on how to produce sam shephard’s bizarre play about a family hiding a dark secret. while i stand by that, the production of this play by nicu’s spoon revealed an even more unbelievable way to produce this work. director, stephanie barton - farcas led her cast with brilliance, intelligence, and heart. the show was powerful, moving, and surprisingly funny; a credit to her and the amazing cast .
are you ready to see our latest performance? excellent. sit back, relax, and let us do the hard part. we look forward to seeing you at the theater…
he and i fought some big, bad battles together to get him there… to get him to choose life. and in the process he changed my life. though he was mentally and physically challenged. nicu viewed the world with wonder. he spent hours bouncing sunlight off of a spoon. when he began to eat solid food at the age of 5, his spoon was everything to him .
here. while in high school, i joined the drama club and in the spring of 2009 performed in the musical the wizard of oz and played the wicked witch of the west. a year later, in the spring of 2010, i played mr. willy wonka from willy wonka and the chocolate factory. then at nicu’s spoon theater in the summer of 2010, i played king thaddeus in an adaptation of rumpelstiltskin. then i performed in the musical adaptation of cinderella. i played little blue, the fairy godmother’s assistant. i performed in this musical ,
beautiful thing is a tenderly drawn play by jonathan harvey about two teenage boys falling for each other in working class south london. staged by nicu’s spoon as part of their 10th season’s focus on outcasts, beautiful thing is a subtle and detailed look at the complex evolution of romantic and familial love. but plot is a secondary pleasure in beautiful thing; the play is interested primarily in the richly drawn characters, particularly jamie, sandra, and the charmingly self - destructive leah. when the play works best, we feel as if we’ve pulled up a chair to share a beer and watch them banter. under michelle kuchuk’s gently nuanced direction, the actors convincingly capture the rhythms of everyday desire, charmingly incarnating the little disappointments and thrills of growing up and moving on. the small size of the spoon is a good space for the play, forcing the characters and audience into an uneasy intimacy. nicu’s spoon’s beautiful thing is never less than engaging, and often lovely .
valerie peck is a yale graduate and has been working in regional theater in the new york and boston area for over 10 years. she currently is a consultant for the international rescue committee, a refugee relief organization. valerie also volunteers her time and sits on the planning committee for transmoda fashion show, an annual fundraising event to support refugees and immigrants. valerie is proud to be part of nicu’s spoon which is dedicated to not only bringing entertainment to its audience but enlightening audiences to important issues of the day .
stephanie barton - farcas is the artistic director of nicu’s spoon theater company, the first company in nyc history to be fully inclusive. she recently directed' richard iii' with a disabled cast except for the title role and her company nicu’s spoon is the subject of the documentary ‘two and twenty troubles’ which premiered in nyc september 2014. other nyc directing includes' red noses', ‘bad seed’, ‘buried child’, ‘the little prince’, ‘george orwell’s 1984’, and the oobr winning ‘suburbia’. she is the creator of a new performance style called co - playing for both deaf and hearing audiences and will be guest director at the university of hawaii in 2016. as an actress: off - broadway: ‘talk show’ (actors playhouse), ‘nuclear family’ (abingdon theatre) and queen elizabeth i in ‘elizabeth rex’ for which she won the 2008 ny innovative theatre award for best actress, playing queen elizabeth i in both the off - off and off - broadway premieres. off - off broadway as vivian bearing in ‘wit’, miss meacham in ‘separate tables’ among many roles. recent film work was sheriff mcnulty in ‘karkass karts’ and judit in ‘after midnight, before dawn. ’ she has been profiled in the ny times, variety and playbill and written for backstage, howlround and many other publications as well as lecturing at sag - aftra, aea and many industry associations about inclusion in the arts. she actively assists with casting for plays, films and some tv and actively encourages disabled, women and actors of color to be cast .
damon has been composing music since 1992 and working with nicu’s spoon since 2001, his award - winning music has been in many productions including: to kill a mockingbird, george orwell’s 1984, ordinary people, murder of crows, suburbia, the little prince and elizabeth rex. previously he has worked with the oregon, shakespeare festival and storefront theater in portland, oregon. damon dabbles in many of the liberal arts; working professionally as a graphic designer, photographer, video producer and sound engineer. he lives in portland, oregon with his wife and daughter where he continues to write music for film, theater and pleasure— telecommuting to new york city when he can’t be there in person. you can download his music and learn more about his various works at urltoken .
do you love theater? we do too! we' re doing everything we can to bring great productions and great people together. we can accomplish great thing together, you and we…
michael abourizk michael abourizk is an arab - american actor who began his training under the tutelage of tobi silver. he is distinctly humbled to be a member of nicu’s spoon. at the spoon, he appeared as ste in their production of beautiful thing, as well as in w; t (ensemble, u / s jason), bad seed (mr. daigle, u / s performed colonel penmark), and rumplestiltskin. other credits include a bilingual production of the maids (madame), the eight reindeer monologues (cupid), butch mamas (shay), voice - over work, and several one - act play festivals. he is a milo award - recipient for the park road playhouse’s the lion in winter (john). he holds a ba in dramatic literature and french from new york university. he continues to perform a one - man show adaptation of the picture of dorian gray, written and helmed by darya gerasimenko, and now co - produced by nicu’s spoon .
nicu’s spoon is an extraordinary company in that they celebrate the diversity of acting talent in the city by casting multi - racial, multi - abled, multi - aged, and multi - gendered talent.  the cast of formican’s certainly is true to that mission. and then there are the aliens. rather than writing a basic family drama, congdon presents the audience with an anthropology lesson, as a group of aliens observe and attempt to understand the lives of this group of humans. they get most of it wrong, but of course, thatâ€™s the point. the results force us to view ourselves and our lives in a different light.  byrne harrison, stage buzz
phillip recently was the producer’s assistant for born bad at soho rep, and asm for gatsby, the the songs in concert with nymtf. ad / sm for beautiful thing and w; t at spoon. he was also ad for love me (planet connections), as you like it at frog & peach, and ad / sm / costume designer for erosion: life on life’s terms at spoon. he has also regionally directed, costume and makeup designed for theatre - by - the - grove (pa), and many children shows with limelight productions (az). he was psm for a perfect ganesh with synaptic productions (ny), sm for holding out at manhattan rep, and production mgr / founding member of sketch troupe company (pa). ba from indiana university of pa. he is co - founder of the new company partly cloudy people .
the author of “ordinary people” is the first to acknowledge that the characters in her novel are not ordinary to begin with – they are wealthy, they live in the suburbs, as readers regularly make a point of telling her. but, to guest, the ordinary in the title refers to the characters’ emotions and to their problems and relationships: “people have the same kinds of feelings no matter where they live or who they are, ” she said. she had no involvement in the nicu’s spoon production, but said she appreciates how the company is “shaking up” the whole picture of “ordinary people” with a multiracial cast and thereby commenting on the story’s universality. ”
“consistently fascinating, exist brilliantly portrays the pettiness and political correctness of academia, while leaving audiences with much to ponder on a philosophical level. it is also a timely, but not at all didactic reminder that tibet does indeed still exist, though many in power would probably prefer we forgot it. a smart play, tightly produced by nicu’s spoon…” —joe bendel, ‘jb spins’
“the recent high winds that rocked new york city added an eerie but not inappropriately constant background to the nicu’s spoon production of murder of crows. the performances were all terrific especially the eponymous crows, observing everything while wearing beautifully crafted but appropriately creepy sharp - beaked masks, and whose jazzily impromptu dance lifted the show to the sublime heights of absurdist heaven. ” – doug devita, oobr
“contributing columnist, maggie cino, reflects on the recent double casting of nicu’s spoon’s production of stumps. theatre for the deaf and theatre for the hearing rarely have much to say to each other. however, when deaf actors put on a production in sign language, voice actors are often employed to make it accessible to the hearing; occasionally, voiced productions will be closed - captioned or have a sign language interpreter. but in both cases, interpreting the play is a practical rather than an artistic consideration. director stephanie barton - farcas, the artistic director of nicu’s spoon, recently challenged that convention. in her production of stumps by mark medoff, she demanded that both spoken - and signed - language performers not merely interpret, but join forces to illuminate the play’s emotional core. to accomplish this she cast two actors in every role: one speaking, one signing. each actor was directed to fully play the role— the speaking actor played the character’s public persona while the signing actor played the internal reality .
“a provocative play melding east & west, it speaks to the current situation in tibet as well as a need for a greater humor, awareness and personal responsibility in a world of ever - changing values. ” — theater development fund
favorite theater credits include the boys next door (w / identity theater), agnes in ludlow fair, trailerville (nyc premiere). film: extra dark (upcoming), fixers, snow, and the title role of crystal in on crystal. a member of both sag - aftra and aea, stephanie holds a b. a. in english from saint anselm college, and has trained at circle in the square theatre school and the peoples improv theatre .
wynne anders actress / general company support wynne most recently appeared for nicu’s spoon as monica breedlove in ‘bad seed’ and kimberly in ‘kimberly akimbo’. other roles with the spoon include queen margaret in ‘richard iii’, e. m. ashford in ‘w: t’ and mrs. cider in ‘kosher harry’. also a member of emerging artists theatre company wynne appeared as dolores hitchins in their off broadway production of ‘claymont’ as well as many of their one act festivals of new works. wynne has appeared in a variety of roles with several off off broadway companies in both full length and readings of new works and classical works. regional work has seen her as m’lynn in ‘steel magnolias’, mrs. boyle in ‘the mousetrap’, reba in the last night of ballyhoo’ and the 3 women in red herring. she has appeared on one life to live, all my children, guiding light, another world, and loving as well as commercials and voice overs. she attended the theatre departments of the university of wisconsin - milwaukee and denver university and holds a bachelors degree from nyu. she is a proud member of aea, sag and aftra urltoken
thank you to nicu’s spoon for presenting this wonderful story. the kids loved it and it was easy to follow with 6 very defined characters. the kids could not stop talking about the bear (who was wearing a t - shirt with ‘bear’ spelled wrong !). one of my two trips to this show also involved a bit of a meet and greet and talk with the playwright, a very smart lady in a wheelchair named katie (labahn). we loved her humor and insights and back at school we had a wonderful talk about disabilities and how people with them can do anything and so we shouldn’t be mean to them and in fact we should be friends with them. it really brought tears to my eyes that this was the best lesson they could have learned while they were watching a great play! we love spoon theater .
alvaro sena made his first main stage appearence with nicu’s spoon in the little prince. he is a brazilian actor and moved to ny thinking of the expansion of his career. he now is in ma but maintains string ties to the company. his professional training started in brazil when he was a student at the university of arts of parana where his coursework included history of theater, acting, literature, makeup, costume and scenic design classes. his acting credits include garcia lorca, shakespeare, eugene ionesco and others like brazilian authors maria clara machado and nelson rodrigues. he has worked as an intern for cultural foundation of curitiba, a program where he had to travel to poor areas bringing the magic of art and teaching literature and acting to kids who did not have access to the arts. he also has worked as a production assistant and booked commercials as well. in ny he has attended acting classes at michael howard’s, sft and theatre dance at the broadway dance center. he is currently in boston, massachusetts .
the bad seed, by maxwell anderson, directed by s. barton - farcas
kimberly is excited to be joining the amazing andtalented group of theatre - makers at identity theater company. kimberly hails from the midwest, and left her home in ohio to pursue an m. a. in educational theatre at new york university. she has worked as a research fellow in accessibility at lincoln center for the performing arts, and is now a full - timedrama teacher at p. s. 195 in the bronx. kimberly would like to thank her theatre teachers and professors, who introduced her to the magic of theatre and helped her develop her ability in this beautiful and provocative art form .
the nicu’s spoon production takes a direct run at those complex questions and flings itself stubbornly on them with few frills and no standing around. everything is stripped down to expose the characters and their hearts like naked beasts, struggling in the wilderness. on an almost uncomfortably barren set, under unwavering light, the characters stand out either in bright white (there are many eerie recurrences of the color white throughout the piece) or in silhouette when seen through the massive plate - glass window that dominates the stage. the swan, like the questions of romance it explores, is a tough show to come to grips with. if you’re ready to sort through the depths of your emotions, though, this won’t disappoint. the swan may be an unconventional lover, but it’s a revealing exploration from a company that’s clearly not afraid to ride out some rough spots in the pursuit of awkward and beautiful truths .
the swan, by elizabeth egloff, is quite a remarkable work. it’s half allegory, half dream sequence. it’s dangerous theatre because it requires that the dramaturg be competent enough to see past the words on the page, which on first read might seem like gibberish. and, once mounted, it assumes that its audience members are all capable of independent thought and imagination. in short, it’s my understanding of what theatre is supposed to be all about. nicu’s spoon productions has done a fine job with this challenging play. extra kudos for having the courage to mount it in the first place. i hope they can restage it again soon and pull in the audience and sponsorship that they deserve .
nytheater profile / interview with artistic director, s. barton - farcas in april 2002
spring 2003 george orwell’s 1984 adapted by robert owens, wilton e. hall, jr. , and william a. miles jr. directed by s. barton - farcas
“ director s. barton - farcas kept the lively cast from spinning out of control in the small space. the tiny stage aptly recreated the metaphor of the suburbs (small, dreary) and added to the play’s inherent claustrophobia. the set (howard goldberg) was an almost perfect recreation of the back of a convenience store — complete with broken fencing, milk crates, and a pay phone. bogosian is one of the best writers around, and suburbia is haunting in its accuracy. nicu’s spoon, known for its small but excellent productions of current playwrights (most recently mac wellman’s a murder of crows), scored a hit again with suburbia. it was sure to resonate with anyone who ever wanted to get out. ”
in beautiful thing, currently being produced by nicu’s spoon theatre company, director michelle kuchuk accomplishes a charming revival of this british classic written by jonathan harvey and originally staged in 1993, with a later release as a screen adaptation by channel 4 films in 1996. instantly transplanted into the mid - eighties slums of south london, we meet jamie (trip langley), an awkward teen who hates playing ball, sandra – jamie’s single mom (julie campbell), her boyfriend tony (tim romero and leah (rebecca lee lerman), their eccentric sassy teen neighbor who has been expelled from school, does drugs and is obsessed with mama cass. she fancies herself an up - and - coming music star and has a bit of a crush on ste (michael abourizk), who lives next door to jamie and, unlike him, loves sports and is tall and handsome .
pamela o. mitchell has interpreted off - broadway plays such as freeda peoples at the billie holiday theater, inc. , the world in her hands: the helen keller story and the nutcracker with the interborough repertory theater, haiti children of god by lorey hayes, many years with the new york revels at the peter norton symphony space, to name a few. mitchell is an avid member and participant of nicu’s spoon theater and has interpreted plays such as the little prince, co - acted in stumps, was the voice of the deaf woman in the reading of raymond luczak’s, love in my veins and was honored to take on her first acting role of mattie cheeks in no niggers, no jews, no dogs written by john henry redwood. mitchell interprets music of various genres: spiritual, folk, rap, gospel, jazz and enjoys storytelling for the young and ‘young at heart’. one of the many challenging roles as a freelance interpreter, mitchell played an important role in the relief efforts of interpreting information during hurricane sandy 2012 for mayor michael bloomberg. she also had the honor of interpreting for mayor bill de blasio’s inauguration on january 1, 2014 and press conferences during the snow storm hercules 2014. mitchell states, “i love what i do and i am signing for life”. mitchell is nationally certified, holds a professional certificate in asl / english interpretation projects (itp) from fiorella h. laguardia community college, has a bachelor’s degree in corporate communication with a minor in pre - med psychology from bernard m. baruch college and is undecided for her masters .
what i liked was nicu’s spoon theatre’s, (and linnehan’s) wonderfully straightforward version of inclusion. actress and playwright katie labahn performs in a wheelchair—it’s not a plot point, nor is the character described that way; there is simply no reason why lady malcolm (or any other character in the play really) shouldn’t be in a wheelchair. when she entered, my daughter turned to me and asked if the actress really needed a wheelchair, i nodded, she nodded and turned back to watch the show. that moment was a far more valuable lesson than when the performers turned to the kids in the audience and told them that lying is bad and gets you into trouble. with a $ 10 entry fee, rumplestiltskin offers another kind of inclusion as well .
drop us a line and let us know what you want to do. let’s talk !
love, commitment, marriage—the troika of conventional steps to romance. you find someone, it takes a while, but eventually you settle down, end of story. but when it’s not that simple, when the “conventions” of romance break down, what other formulas can we find inside ourselves? what kinds of feelings defy categorization, resist commitment, and tap into a darkness that is anything but conventional? elizabeth egloff’s play the swan, now being performed by nicu’s spoon theater, takes a stab at those and a few more questions, and then throws another monkey wrench into the works—one of the lovers is a bird. or he’s a man. or both. or neither. the swan is a gritty, poetic exploration of love that strips away “convention” and goes after the animal instincts that lurk in the shadows of romance. no, not lust (though there are some moments of intense sexual tension in the play) but the unflinching connection between two individuals, and the uncomfortable question of where that connection stems from. these are some big questions, and the play gets a little heady at times, as the characters wrestle with their emotions through egloff’s stylized dialogue .
“the combination of animal on the loose with neurotic characters can’t be said without drawing comparison to the classic movie bringing up baby, where a tiger’s escape in connecticut and an oddball crew of people come together to capture the wild animal and end up finding love. tigers be still captures this willy energy and neurosis that makes for an enjoyable evening of comedy. ” ny theater review - aurin squire
“cherish is a truly moving show which deftly deals with some of the most taboo social issues of today’s society. it’s a must see for all adult audiences. the audience learns that’s it’s in a child’s best interest to have two loving and caring parents regardless of how the child is brought into the world. with the perfectly whimsical staging, and the seriousness of the issues, the characters skillfully leave one uncertain at times whether to laugh or cry. ” nilson netto, brazil press
guy has a specialized ba degree in shakespearean theatre and has studied with ruby dee, eve adamson of the jean cocteau repertory company, the actor’s studio, and the american academy of dance and drama. guy has also been a dramatic instructor to both adult and children for over 15 years at various organizations. as the director of development for children and the classics, guy brought programs and support to children and organizations with little exposure to the arts throughout the 5 boroughs. he also developed the classic theatre collaborative, which introduced classical theatre to children & youth. guy currently advises several arts organizations on technical and scenic elements of production, curriculum development and instruction, administrative and artistic vision, budgeting, and arts fundraising and is the managing director of hip to hip theatre company .
“so, that' s what we' re going to do. we’re going to play. ”
2011 fall - how the day runs down by john langan, directed by s. barton - farcas
playwright timothy findley took on an intriguing and challenging task with this play. the time is 1601. it’s the night before the scheduled execution of robert devereux, 2nd earl of essex, a former favorite of the queen’s, to whom she had been famously, romantically linked. to prevent rioting by essex’s supporters, a curfew is imposed, which (in findley’s conceit) traps shakespeare (scott nogi) and some of his company in the royal barn for the night. all hell gets pent up, only to break loose gradually as ned lowenscroft (michael digioia), a player who specializes in female roles and is dying of “the pox, ” refuses to pander to the queen. instead he engages her in a dangerous emotional game. lowenscroft is sure there’s a woman somewhere inside the icon, despite her having remained pure and unmarried for the sake of england. the queen takes up the flamboyant actor’s gauntlet, challenging him to show “the man” inside his effeminate manner. the process by which these two marvelous characters wear down each others’ enamel is the play’s dramatic center .
of the five signing actors in the production, two were deaf and asl was their primary language; one was a hearing child of deaf adults (coda); one was a sign - language interpreter making her acting debut; and one was a hearing actor who signs. but the double casting served an even greater purpose, because pushing artistic boundaries and challenging artists is not nicu’s spoon’s only mission. this company has been working for over four years to produce socially relevant works and to give voice to people who are often unheard. they make connections not just between performers and audience, but between people. barton - farcas tells the story of how one day the actresses sharing the role of emily planned to meet outside rehearsal to go over the part. concerned because the speaking actress only knew a handful of signs, barton - farcas asked if they needed a facilitator. “no, ” the speaking emily said. “we’ll figure it out. we understand each other fine. ” “i was so happy to hear that, ” said barton - farcas with a smile. “i just thought, that’s what doing this work is all about. ”
nicu 's spoon is an inclusion-oriented off-off-broadway theater company in new york city . its artistic director is stephanie barton-farcas , a nyc director/actress/producer / writer who won the oobr ( off-off broadway review ) award for direction of suburbia in 2004 , the nyu thom fluellen award in 2006 and the 2008 ny innovative theater award for outstanding actress in a lead role for elizabeth rex among others . nicu 's spoon was the first ever fully inclusive company in nyc history . they are also co-founders of the disability in cinema coalition dcc the company is based on inclusion , so it chooses to work with actors that might otherwise be considered ' marginalized ' , whether by age , disability , gender , or ethnicity . the company became known from the outset for productions which challenged stereotypes and expectations , and it was the recipient of the 2006 thom fluellen award given by the new york university community fund for " excellence in programming for the diverse city of new york " . it has also won the 2004 oobr award and a 2008 snapple/mayor of ny city award , as well as a 2008 ny innovative theatre award . the company 's unusual name stems from a young boy the artistic director met in romania in the 1990s when working with abandoned children there . " ... [ t ] he most amazing one was nicu , who was 5 ... in diapers and did not walk , talk or feed himself . they told me he was deaf and retarded . nicu had spent 5 years on his back in a crib . i got angry and said " i 'll take him . " six months later he did all those things . he and i fought some big , bad battles together to get him there — to get him to choose life . and in the process he changed my life . though he was mentally and physically challenged nicu viewed the world with wonder ; he spent hours bouncing sunlight off of a spoon . when he began to eat solid food ... his spoon was everything to him . nicu ’s spoon became the symbol for all the impossible things that were suddenly possible — things like walking , talking , thinking , and living . he was and we lost him 5 years later , in 1996 . nicu ’s life was about quality , not quantity — about life ’s impossibles becoming possible . " nicu 's spoon productions have been the original work displaced ; to kill a mockingbird ; eric overmyer 's in perpetuity throughout the universe ; nineteen eighty-four ; mac wellman 's murder of crows ; eric bogosian 's suburbia ; a play adaptation of ordinary people by nancy gilsenan ( from the book by judith guest ) ; elizabeth egloff 's the swan ; a play adaptation of le petit prince by ric cummins and john scoullar ; mark medoff 's stumps ; gary henderson 's skin tight ; ken duncum 's cherish ; buried child ; constance congdon 's tales of the lost formicans , shakespeare 's richard iii , and most recently their highly successful run of elizabeth rex , which after its run moved to new york 's center stage in august 2008 for a one-month limited off-broadway engagement . in 2013 and 2014 they have been followed for 6 months for a documentary film produced by the school of visual arts in nyc , called two and twenty troubles . in 2015 they produced the 24 cast ensemble piece ' red noses ' and are now in pre-production for a re-envisioned ' richard iii ' where everyone is disabled except richard . in 2017 their artistic director , stephanie barton-farcas will have a book published by routledge press , " disability & theater : a practical manual for inclusion in the arts . " 
nicu's spoon is an inclusion-oriented off-off-broadway theater company in new york city. its artistic director is stephanie barton-farcas, a nyc director/actress/producer / writer who won the oobr (off-off broadway review) award for direction of suburbia in 2004, the nyu thom fluellen award in 2006 and the 2008 ny innovative theater award for outstanding actress in a lead role for elizabeth rex among others. nicu's spoon was the first ever fully inclusive company in nyc history. they are also co-founders of the disability in cinema coalition dcc the company is based on inclusion, so it chooses to work with actors that might otherwise be considered' marginalized', whether by age, disability, gender, or ethnicity. the company became known from the outset for productions which challenged stereotypes and expectations, and it was the recipient of the 2006 thom fluellen award given by the new york university community fund for " excellence in programming for the diverse city of new york ". it has also won the 2004 oobr award and a 2008 snapple/mayor of ny city award, as well as a 2008 ny innovative theatre award. the company's unusual name stems from a young boy the artistic director met in romania in the 1990s when working with abandoned children there. "... [ t ] he most amazing one was nicu, who was 5... in diapers and did not walk, talk or feed himself. they told me he was deaf and retarded. nicu had spent 5 years on his back in a crib. i got angry and said " i'll take him. " six months later he did all those things. he and i fought some big, bad battles together to get him there — to get him to choose life. and in the process he changed my life. though he was mentally and physically challenged nicu viewed the world with wonder; he spent hours bouncing sunlight off of a spoon. when he began to eat solid food... his spoon was everything to him. nicu ’s spoon became the symbol for all the impossible things that were suddenly possible — things like walking, talking, thinking, and living. he was and we lost him 5 years later, in 1996. nicu ’s life was about quality, not quantity — about life ’s impossibles becoming possible. " nicu's spoon productions have been the original work displaced; to kill a mockingbird; eric overmyer's in perpetuity throughout the universe; nineteen eighty-four; mac wellman's murder of crows; eric bogosian's suburbia; a play adaptation of ordinary people by nancy gilsenan (from the book by judith guest); elizabeth egloff's the swan; a play adaptation of le petit prince by ric cummins and john scoullar; mark medoff's stumps; gary henderson's skin tight; ken duncum's cherish; buried child; constance congdon's tales of the lost formicans, shakespeare's richard iii, and most recently their highly successful run of elizabeth rex, which after its run moved to new york's center stage in august 2008 for a one-month limited off-broadway engagement. in 2013 and 2014 they have been followed for 6 months for a documentary film produced by the school of visual arts in nyc, called two and twenty troubles. in 2015 they produced the 24 cast ensemble piece' red noses' and are now in pre-production for a re-envisioned' richard iii' where everyone is disabled except richard. in 2017 their artistic director, stephanie barton-farcas will have a book published by routledge press, " disability & theater: a practical manual for inclusion in the arts. "
nicu's spoon is an inclusion-oriented off-off-broadway theater company in new york city. its artistic director is stephanie barton-farcas, a nyc director/actress/producer / writer who won the oobr (off-off broadway review) award for direction of suburbia in 2004, the nyu thom fluellen award in 2006 and the 2008 ny innovative theater award for outstanding actress in a lead role for elizabeth rex among others. nicu's spoon was the first ever fully inclusive company in nyc history. they are also co-founders of the disability in cinema coalition dcc the company is based on inclusion, so it chooses to work with actors that might otherwise be considered' marginalized', whether by age, disability, gender, or ethnicity. the company became known from the outset for productions which challenged stereotypes and expectations, and it was the recipient of the 2006 thom fluellen award given by the new york university community fund for " excellence in programming for the diverse city of new york ". it has also won the 2004 oobr award and a 2008 snapple/mayor of ny city award, as well as a 2008 ny innovative theatre award. the company's unusual name stems from a young boy the artistic director met in romania in the 1990s when working with abandoned children there. "... [ t ] he most amazing one was nicu, who was 5... in diapers and did not walk, talk or feed himself. they told me he was deaf and retarded. nicu had spent 5 years on his back in a crib. i got angry and said " i'll take him. " six months later he did all those things. he and i fought some big, bad battles together to get him there — to get him to choose life. and in the process he changed my life. though he was mentally and physically challenged nicu viewed the world with wonder; he spent hours bouncing sunlight off of a spoon. when he began to eat solid food... his spoon was everything to him. nicu ’s spoon became the symbol for all the impossible things that were suddenly possible — things like walking, talking, thinking, and living. he was and we lost him 5 years later, in 1996. nicu ’s life was about quality, not quantity — about life ’s impossibles becoming possible. " nicu's spoon productions have been the original work displaced; to kill a mockingbird; eric overmyer's in perpetuity throughout the universe; nineteen eighty-four; mac wellman's murder of crows; eric bogosian's suburbia; a play adaptation of ordinary people by nancy gilsenan (from the book by judith guest); elizabeth egloff's the swan; a play adaptation of le petit prince by ric cummins and john scoullar; mark medoff's stumps; gary henderson's skin tight; ken duncum's cherish; buried child; constance congdon's tales of the lost formicans, shakespeare's richard iii, and most recently their highly successful run of elizabeth rex, which after its run moved to new york's center stage in august 2008 for a one-month limited off-broadway engagement. in 2013 and 2014 they have been followed for 6 months for a documentary film produced by the school of visual arts in nyc, called two and twenty troubles. in 2015 they produced the 24 cast ensemble piece' red noses' and are now in pre-production for a re-envisioned' richard iii' where everyone is disabled except richard. in 2017 their artistic director, stephanie barton-farcas will have a book published by routledge press, " disability & theater: a practical manual for inclusion in the arts. "