Wednesday, September 1, 2010

'I Am The Machine Gunner' at Baltimore Theatre Project

If you haven't yet had the privilege of seeing a piece of theatre that has, without a doubt, changed your life...you owe it to yourself to drive to Baltimore Theatre Project and be a part of Yury Klavdiev's "I Am The Machine Gunner", translated by John Freedman.

To give you an idea of how gripping this show is, writing this plug is the very first thing I have done since arriving home from the final dress rehearsal of the show. I have plenty of reading to do for tomorrow's classes...but I want to make sure I catch everyone before they go to bed. 

I do not care how far you are from Baltimore, make the drive. This play will move, inspire, and change you in ways that you cannot be prepared for.

Today the theatre had trouble with the air conditioning (and by trouble I mean...it stopped working) and the temperature inside the theatre was extremely high. I'm talking...instant sweat high.  I have no doubt the problem will be resolved by tomorrow night's opening...so why tell you this?  I tell you this because after literally the first second actor James Knight came on stage, I did not notice the heat until the show had concluded and the house lights came up.

As an actor, James' performance in this one-man-play is inspirational, and is something I feel must be witnessed if you are an aspiring actor. I promise you this: your attention will not falter, he grips you from the very moment he appears on stage, and never lets you go.

For those of you who might have seen the workshop production of the 'Machine Gunner' at Towson University last winter, I can tell you that this already breath-taking show has made incredible strides from its former self. I dare not reveal any details of the changes, or the show as a whole, because the team has worked far too hard for that, and you owe it to yourself to let this show hit you without any spoilers blocking its path.

Read more about the show on the play's blog here: http://iamthemachinegunner.blogspot.com/

For tickets, head here: http://www.theatreproject.org/gettickets.html

Trust me, you want to be a part of this production. Additionally, if you are a Towson Student, bring your OneCard in order to receive a bullet-casing necklace/keychain. That should be incentive for anyone to want to come out to the theatre.