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By admin, August 27, 2011 12:56 pm

BoxFest Detroit’s mission statement is to support and create opportunities for women directors.  Aside from our three week festival every August, we support our directors through our awards programs.  This year, we were honored to bestow awards to four deserving directors.

BoxFest Detroit uses part of its profits from fundraisers and ticket sales to give financial awards to directors to produce independent projects, take classes or workshop to further their education or apply the money toward anything else that is consistent with the BFD mission.

The winners of the financial scholarships are Megan Wright and K Edmonds.  Megan plans to use her award to attend national conferences on teaching theatre.  These conferences are an important part of her education as she is a graduate student at Eastern Michigan University studying Drama and Theatre for the Young.  By attending them she will have the opportunity to network with people in her field and learn invaluable lessons she will use for the rest of her career.  K Edmonds plans to use her financial award to produce a project she is developing about gun violence and its effect on communities.  Having friends who have been personally effected by gun violence gives her a unique and intelligent perspective on the ways people experience all the emotions associated with this kind of tragedy.  She will allow her to tell a story that needs to be told as well as perhaps change the community for the better.

BoxFest Detroit is honored to have a new award to present this year.  Guy Sanville and Purple Rose Theatre Company have graciously donated a scholarship for one director to attend their annual Actor/Director Lab class, a $525 value.  This class is the “most selective and rigorous course for adults” and “features physical training, monologue work and extensive scene study.  Students acquire the tools that professional actors and directors use in their craft.”  Director Barbie Amann Weisserman was awarded the scholarship to attend the A/D Lab and she looks forward getting started this October.

BoxFest Detroit has one award that is chosen by audience members rather than the BFD producers.  All patrons receive a ballot along with their programs and we ask them to vote for the show they think is the best directed.  The director with the most votes at the end of the festival receives the opportunity to direct a show of her choice for Planet Ant Theatre’s Late Night Series.  We are able to offer this award through the support of Planet Ant Theater and Inga Wilson, artistic director.  The vote tallies this year were VERY close.  Winning by one vote was Kelly Komlen, director of A Little Experimenting.  She looks forward to directing for Planet Ant Theater next summer.

We would like to congratulate all of BoxFest Detroit’s award winners and all of our directors who participated in BoxFest Detroit 2011.  It was a fabulous festival and the talent and hard work they exhibited was extraordinary.  And a final thank you goes out to all of our patrons who supported the 2011 festival by attending.  We hope to see you again in 2012!

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By admin, August 27, 2011 12:18 pm

Well, even though the festival closed exactly one week ago, we would be fools not to include the reviews written by the Rogue Critic.  The Rogue’s review came out in a timely manner; however, BoxFest Detroit is at fault for not posting the link up sooner.  So better late than never, right?  Click on the link below to read the great reviews our talented directors received.

http://www.roguecritic.com/home/boxfest-detroit-2011.html

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By admin, August 12, 2011 8:27 am

The Oakland Press wrote a feature on BoxFest Detroit, covering festival details, the influence BoxFest Detroit has had on the lives of its participants as well as the community.  Click the link below to read the full article.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/08/11/entertainment/doc4e42f31aa0636290304530.txt

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By admin, August 12, 2011 8:23 am

BoxFest Detroit reviews are in!  Click on the link below to read what Encore Michigan had to say about our 2011 festival!

http://www.encoremichigan.com/article.html?article=4974

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By admin, July 22, 2011 7:02 am

BoxFest Detroit announces 2011 festival schedule

10 Female directors reshape the theatrical box for BoxFest Detroit 2011

DETROIT— The producers of BoxFest Detroit are pleased to announce BoxFest Detroit 2011, an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors.  The festival will run Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons and evenings, Aug. 5 – 20, with a celebratory opening event on Thursday, Aug. 4.  BoxFest Detroit 2011 will be held at The Furniture Factory, 4126 3rd St, Detroit, MI 48201.  Admission is payable by cash only at the door with day passes for $10 and festival passes for $30.  For more information, please visit the website www.boxfestdetroit.com.

This year’s festival showcases ten women directors as they direct original plays.  Some directors will be familiar faces to past BoxFest Detroit attendees, but this year more than half of the directors are new to the festival.  Directors reshaping the box this year include Hillary Sea Bard, Crystal Reign Brock, K Edmonds, Angie Ferrante, Katie Galazka, Kelly Komlen, Jackie Strez, Barbara Troy, Barbie Amann Weisserman and Megan Wright.  The production staff for this year’s festival includes Molly McMahon, serving as artistic director, and Kelly Rossi as executive director.

While the festival officially begins on Friday, Aug. 5, BoxFest Detroit 2011 will commence with an opening celebration on Thursday, Aug. 4.  The evening’s theme will be “BoxFest Detroit: Then and Now.”  Festivities will begin with cocktail hour at 7pm with entertainment to follow at 8pm.  Special letters from past directors will be read and memorable monologues will be performed. Following the performance, there will be a casual meet and greet with the BoxFest Detroit directors and staff, and complimentary food and drink will be provided.  Admission for this event will be $7 per person.

BoxFest Detroit 2011 opens Friday, Aug. 5 and runs through Saturday, Aug. 20 with a performance schedule as follows:

Fridays:

• 7pm: Cocktail hour
• 8pm – 10pm: Two hour-long blocks of programming

Saturdays:

• 3pm – 6pm: Three hour-long blocks of programming
• 7pm: Cocktail hour
• 8pm – 10pm: Two hour-long blocks of programming

BoxFest Detroit has served and continues to function as a springboard for many women and their directing careers.  Directors who have participated in past festivals have gone on to pursue graduate studies at highly competitive universities, become directors at professional theatres, and form their own successful theatre and production companies.

BoxFest Detroit is an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors.  Though the main focus of the event is the directors, BoxFest Detroit creates a festive energy by including performances by using the lobby to create an art gallery for female inspired art.  Proceeds from the event are given to two directors as a scholarship to help further her career and the winner of the audience vote competition is given the opportunity to direct a show with Planet Ant Theatre’s Late Night Series.

Detailed Schedule of BoxFest Detroit 2011

Block 1: Maybe by Kelly Rossi, directed by Crystal Reign Brock

Block 2: Falling From Grace by Savannah Ganster, directed by K Edmonds
Kill Me, Please by Rhea MacCallum, directed by Hillary Sea Bard

Block 3: Live at the Orient Express by Barbara Troy, directed by Barbara Troy
A Little Experimenting by Rhea MacCallum, directed by Kelly Komlen

Block 4: delilah. by Len Cuthbert, directed by Katie Galazka
Clown Therapy by Nina Mansfield, directed by Barbie Amann Weisserman

Block 5: AM or PM by Hillary Sea Bard, directed by Megan Wright
Death of a Snowman by Daniel Guyton, directed by Jackie Strez
Kung Foolery by Brett Hursey, directed by Angie Ferrante

Friday, Aug. 5:
7pm: Cocktail hour
8pm: Block 4
9pm: Block 1

Saturday, Aug. 6:                                                                                                                                    3pm: Block 3
4pm: Block 5
5pm: Block 2
7pm: Cocktail hour
8pm: Block 1
9pm: Block 2

Friday, Aug. 12:                                                                                                                                    7pm: Cocktail hour
8pm: Block 4
9pm: Block 3

Saturday, Aug. 13:                                                                                                                                    3pm: Block 3
4pm: Block 1
5pm: Block 2
7pm: Cocktail hour
8pm: Block 5
9pm: Block 4

Friday, Aug. 19:
7pm: Cocktail hour
8pm: Block 4
9pm: Block 5

Saturday, Aug. 20:                                                                                                                                    3pm: Block 1
4pm: Block 3
5pm: Block 2
7pm: Cocktail hour
8pm: Block 2
9pm: Block 1
10pm: Awards and Variety Show

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By admin, May 31, 2011 9:12 am

ENDANGERED OPENS AT PLANET ANT THEATRE THIS FRIDAY!

Directed by BoxFest 2010 Winner Andrea Scobie

June 3 – 18, 2011 9pm

The Planet Ant Theatre’s Late Night Series closes its season with a play directed by BoxFest 2010 Winner Andrea Scobie. Endangered, written by Michigan playwright Sean Paraventi, opens June 3 and runs Fridays and Saturday at 9:00 p.m. through June 18. Tickets are general admission $10. Cast includes Josh Campos, Dan Jaroslaw, Kristen Wagner, and Eric Niece.

Endangered tells the story of Joe, a brilliant but angry man incensed over the state of mass media and it’s role in society’s decline. Taking matters into his own hands, he holds hostage three employees of the American Education Channel in the hopes that his extreme actions can change the state of television, and ultimately, the state of the world. But if the world refuses to listen, what then? Endangered is a darkly comic meditation on the damage human beings inflict on one another and on the world, and explores just how far one man will go to act on his convictions.

Andrea Scobie won the BoxFest Detroit 2010 Audience Award for Best Director for her direction of the play Armchair Dating.  Audiences were impressed with her clever use of the stage, strong actor performances and her ability to bring out the humor within the script.  She made quite a splash at BFD 2010 and we are so excited to see what she does with this new play!  Please support Andrea Scobie and BoxFest Detroit by checking out this exciting production!

For reservations call 313.365.4948, text 313.288.8828 or email reservations@planetant.com.

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By admin, May 9, 2011 8:38 am

BoxFest Detroit announces 2011 festival

Producers seek directors, playwrights, actors, designers and technicians for BoxFest Detroit 2011

Matt Forbes and Julie Brock in Armchair Dating, directed by Andrea Scobie.

DETROIT— The producers of BoxFest Detroit are pleased to announce BoxFest Detroit 2011, an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors.  The festival will run Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons and evenings, August 5th through August 20th, with a celebratory opening event to precede it on Thursday, August 4th.  BoxFest Detroit 2011 will be held at The Furniture Factory, 4126 3rd St, Detroit, MI 48201.  Admission is payable by cash only at the door with day passes for $10 and festival passes for $30.  For more information, please visit the website www.boxfestdetroit.com.

BoxFest Detroit is an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors.  It has served and continues to function as a springboard for many women and their directing careers.  Directors who have participated in past festivals have gone on to pursue graduate studies at highly competitive universities, become directors at professional theatres, and form their own successful theatre and production companies.  BoxFest Detroit’s importance within Michigan’s theatre community was validated when Between The Lines honored the festival with the Critic’s Choice Award at the 2008 Wilde Awards.

This year’s festival has garnered a great deal of interest already.  Beginning in 2010, BoxFest Detroit producers have received communications from interested artists from a variety of backgrounds and locations, some from as far as New York and California. “Considering the amount of people that have contacted us, we should be looking at a much more diverse and larger festival than we’ve had past years,” said executive director Kelly Rossi.  With the amount of attention this year’s festival has already received, BoxFest Detroit is poised to present an event of fine quality with a diverse group of artists like never before.

Linda Rabin Hammell, Greg Prusiewicz, Kevin Barron and Bob Kelly in Flowers, directed by Kristen Wagner.

Preparations for the 2011 festival have already begun and currently the producers are seeking artists to fill nearly all positions.  Directors, playwrights, actors, designers and technicians interested in participating in BoxFest Detroit 2011 should visit www.boxfestdetroit.com and click on the “Contact” link to send us an email.  In the email please include your name, contact information and how you would like to be involved in the festival.  All interested artists must respond by Tuesday, May 31st.  All positions are volunteer based.

BoxFest Detroit is an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors.  Though the main focus of the event is the directors, BoxFest Detroit creates a festive energy by including performances by local musicians, improv troupes and uses the lobby to create an art gallery for female inspired art.  Proceeds from the event are given to two directors as a scholarship to help further her career and the winner of the audience vote competition is given the opportunity to direct a show with Planet Ant Theatre’s Late Night Series.

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By admin, March 1, 2011 5:04 pm

Sarah Lucas, an alumnus of BoxFest Detroit 2010, was featured online on Encore Michigan!  She directed the production of Equus currently playing at the Blackbird Theatre in Ann Arbor.  Click on the link below to read the article!

http://encoremichigan.com/article.html?article=4233

More information on BoxFest Detroit 2011 will be coming soon.  Keep checking back here for the latest news available!

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By admin, July 21, 2010 7:25 pm

BoxFest Detroit announces 2010 festival schedule

18 Female directors reshape the theatrical box for BoxFest Detroit 2010

The producers of BoxFest Detroit are pleased to announce BoxFest Detroit 2010 hosted by Magenta Giraffe Theatre Co., an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors.  The festival will run Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons and evenings, Aug. 6 – 21, with a celebratory opening event on Thursday, Aug. 5.  BoxFest Detroit 2010 will be held at The Furniture Factory, 4126 3rd St, Detroit, MI 48201.  Admission is payable by cash only at the door with day passes for $10 and festival passes for $30.

This year’s festival showcases eighteen women directors as they direct original plays.  Some directors will be familiar faces to past BoxFest Detroit attendees, but this year there is a record number of participating new directors.  Directors reshaping the box this year include Sharon L. Brooks, K Edmonds, Angie Ferrante, Katie Galazka, Kennikki Jones, Debbie Lannen, Kathleen Lietz, Sarah Lucas, Molly McMahon, Lyndsay Michalik, LoriGoe Nowak, Jess Preville, Angie Ransdell, Kelly Rossi, Andrea Scobie, Frannie Shepherd-Bates, Jackie Strez, Kristen Wagner, and Keara Woods.

The production staff for this year’s festival includes Molly McMahon, serving as artistic director, while Kelly Rossi returns as executive director.  New producer, Frannie Shepherd-Bates joins returning producer, Lyndsay Michalik, while Jill Dion rounds out the team as this year’s new visual art coordinator.

While the festival officially begins on Friday, Aug. 6, BoxFest Detroit 2010 will commence with an opening celebration on Thursday, Aug 5.  The festivities will start at 7pm with a cocktail hour and casual meet and greet with directors.  A special encore performance of Henrietta Hermaline’s Fall from Great Heights, directed by Molly McMahon, will begin at 8pm.  This is the same production that McMahon directed after winning the audience vote in 2009, allowing her to direct a show for the Late Night Series at Planet Ant Theatre.  Following the performance, a podcast, sponsored by Encore Michigan and hosted by Barton Bund, will feature a panel of women directors discussing relevant topics about theatre and BoxFest Detroit.

BoxFest Detroit 2010 opens Friday, Aug. 6 and runs through Saturday, Aug. 21 with a performance schedule as follows:

Fridays:

• 7pm: Cocktail hour
• 8pm – 10pm: Two hour-long blocks of programming

Saturdays:

• 3pm – 6pm: Three hour-long blocks of programming
• 7pm: Cocktail hour
• 8pm – 10pm: Two hour-long blocks of programming

A detailed performance schedule can be found on our website, under the Schedule of Events page.

BoxFest Detroit has served and continues to function as a springboard for many women and their directing careers.  Directors who have participated in past festivals have gone on to pursue graduate studies at highly competitive universities, become directors at professional theatres, and form their own successful theatre and production companies.

BoxFest Detroit is an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors.  Though the main focus of the event is the directors, BoxFest Detroit creates a festive energy by including performances by local musicians, and uses the lobby to create an art gallery for female inspired art.  Proceeds from the event are given to two directors as a scholarship to help further her career and the winner of the audience vote competition is given the opportunity to direct a show with Planet Ant Theatre’s Late Night Series.

For more information about BoxFest Detroit, please visit www.boxfestdetroit.com.

Detailed Schedule of BoxFest Detroit 2010

Block 1:
A Mugging by Marty Shea and Ian Bonner, directed by Jackie Strez
The Reckless Romantic by Jacquelyn Priskorn, directed by Kathleen Lietz
The Other Side by Kitty Dubin, directed by Debbie Lannen

Block 2:
Boys, Meet Girl by Audra Lord, directed by Lyndsay Michalik
Flowers by Hillary Sea Bard, directed by Jess Preville
You? by Angie Ransdell, directed by Angie Ransdell

Block 3:
There Will Come Soft Rains by Jacquelyn Priskorn, directed by Kennikki Jones
Wonder by Kelly Rossi, directed by Katie Galazka
Flowers by John Wencel, directed by Kristen Wagner

Block 4:
Bar Reading by Hillary Sea Bard, directed by Sarah Lucas
God Needs Jumper Cables by Andy Olesko, directed by Angie Ferrante
Upon the Heath by David P. Wahr, directed by Frannie Shepherd-Bates

Block 5:
Armchair Dating by Magaret Edwartowski, directed by Andrea Scobie
Birthday Beer by Jacquelyn Priskorn, directed by Keara Woods

Block 6:
Sun Trust by Linda Lazar Curatolo, directed by LoriGoe Perez
The Meek Shall Inherit by Jacquelyn Priskorn, directed by K Edmonds
get (t)his… by Nicole M. Young, directed by Sharon L. Brooks

Please see the Schedule of Events page for a detailed schedule by date and time.

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By admin, July 14, 2010 7:16 pm

BoxFest Detroit announces 2010 festival and a new Artistic Director!

We are pleased to announce BoxFest Detroit 2010, an annual theatre festival that showcases and creates opportunities for women directors.

The festival will run Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons and evenings, August 6 through August 21, with a celebratory opening event to precede it on Thursday, August 5.

BoxFest Detroit 2010 will be held at The Furniture Factory, 4126 3rd St, Detroit, MI 48201.  Admission is payable by cash only at the door with day passes for $10 and festival passes for $30.

BoxFest Detroit has undergone many changes since its inception and this year is no different.  Shannon Ferrante has been the artistic director of the festival for the past five years but she has been accepted to the University of California at Irvine to pursue an M.F.A. in Directing.  In her stead, Molly McMahon will replace her as artistic director of BoxFest Detroit.  McMahon was the winner of the audience award at BoxFest 2009 and directed the production Henrietta Hermaline’s Fall from Great Heights to critical acclaim at Planet Ant Theatre this past March.  “I am excited and honored to become artistic director of BoxFest Detroit and cannot wait to see the shape this year’s festival takes” said McMahon.

Preparations for the 2010 festival have already begun and currently the producers are seeking artists to fill nearly all positions.  Directors, playwrights, actors, designers and technicians interested in participating in BoxFest Detroit 2010 should click on the “Contact Us” link to send us an email.  In the email please include your name, contact information and how you would like to be involved in the festival.

All interested artists must respond by June 14.

All positions are volunteer based