We've begun...

This week has been dedicated to music rehearsal. We are moving fast in learning all 30 songs in the show in just four days. The blend of voices are beautiful. Together they fill this room with a total wall of sound. Some moments take my breath away, harmonies are bringing tears, moments of discovery bring pure joy.

Bearing Witness by: Andy Lindberg

Nearly four years ago I was totally blissed out as cast member of the 2005 production of “One.” I filled my days and nights with the music, the imagery and the connections that formed the show. I was surrounded by friends and good feeling as we put up what was, at the time, the most current version of the show.

Tonight I was blessed to sit in as a new group of artists began their journey with what is, as of today, the NEW version of the show.

Though I knew the show, like most of the cast and crew I was hearing this new version for the first time. It gave me shivers.

The show has grown and changed greatly since 2005. An entirely new way of looking at the story brings us face to face with Hermann Hesse as he struggles to write “Siddhartha.’” The story dips and dives between the parallel journeys of the writer and his creation as they both seek to find peace in their life.

And the music has changed as well. Tonight we heard the music almost entirely in the voice of the composer, Wade. He and his Macintosh have been busy constructing symphonies and calliopes to demonstrate the new score. We heard him singing almost all the parts, often multi-tracked into a choir of singers.

And it is new. Gone is nearly every note I sang in 2005. In their place are new works that brought clarity to the story, and moved me.

It was odd, sitting on the sidelines. I was filled with excitement for the actors and the creative team as they begin to wrap themselves in the eiderdown of this new version of the show. This new version is darker, but clearer than 2005. It is more complex. It is going to take work to tease the piece apart and put it together in its new form.

But that’s the fun part.

Ready, set, go!

Do you remember your first time in the theatre?

I can remember every detail about it. I remember driving downtown for a night at the theatre. I remember that I sat three seats from the house left aisle and we were seven rows back. I remember that I was six years old and was wearing my prettiest pink frilly dress. I remember the seats were red velvet and I remember that my mom let me walk down before the show started and look into the orchestra pit.

There were people down there. They were tuning instruments and all dressed in black dresses and tuxedos. Then suddenly the lights dimmed and mom rushed me back to our seats and rising out of the ‘orchestra pit’ came a man with a baton. Oh the anticipation. I could see his head only as he stood to thank the audience and then he turned back to the people under the stage and the lights went dark. And the music started.

The stage had a big heavy golden curtain with fringe on the bottom. And together we took a collective breath in as the curtain began to rise. It was my first musical… Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The music made you want to dance and the costumes were beautiful. Lumberjacks in their suspenders danced and sang and whirled around their brides with brightly colored dresses whooshing past the lip of the stage.

I remember having to hold onto the arms of the seats… because mom told me we couldn’t dance in the aisle. And I remember walking out of the theatre singing and dancing and so excited.

While it probably wasn’t the most challenging piece of theatre… for a six year old, it was magical. And in the end I walked out of the theatre with 1,000 other people tapping their toes and feeling happy. It’s why we love the theatre, right? That magical moment when you take a collective sigh and want to burst out singing together. In an instant you build a community.

Four years ago I came on as the producer because I saw the seed of that magic. Together we have traveled a wonderful journey of discovery and today we take our next big step. I am so proud of Wade and Kristin and what they have created from that seed and today I sit here on the edge of that red velvet seat again with my feet dangling over the edge, holding on as the curtain begins to rise.

The conductor’s baton rises and we all take a collective sigh, as we are ready to burst out singing.



-Samantha Swaim, Producer

I use my guitar to kill illusion and express my souls’ voice - Tomoki Spilsbury

Introducing Tomoki.



Tomoki joins ONE as our guitar player in our small but very important orchestra. Joining a keyboard and a violin we are excited to have Tomoki on board.

Here is a little bit more about him:


Tomoki was born in Japan in 1984. He developed an early passion for guitar when his grandmother gave him his first at age 13. Guitar became a total focus of his energy and creativity during his teens. At thirteen, he was adopted by a friend in the United States, as he felt his music career was meant to take off in the USA.
He began his life in the United States in Maui, Hawaii where he studied jazz and became familiar with life and the English language in the USA. When he no longer felt challenged by the teachers on the island, he decided to move to LA to study at LA Musican’s Institute, where his professional training began in earnest. Later he felt that it was important to move to the Bay area, near San Francisco to study at Berkeley Jazz School, which he did for three years. During this time he also deeply studied private lessons with one of the most respected Jazz music teachers in the US, Charlie Banocos. He is still studying with this Jazz legend.
Tomoki recorded his first CD with Paul Van Wageningen and John Whitalla. During this same time period, Tomoki began to perform with the Danny Cao Quintet. Tomoki was very influenced by the music of Jimi Hendrix in his early explorations in music . His musical flavor of late combines many styles of music, which most recently birthed a fusion of contemporary jazz and Japanese folk melodies which he plays with his band “Neiro” featuring Tomoki on guitar, Paul Van Wageningen on drums and Kit Walker on Hammond organ.

Meet Lighting Designer Jessica Lynn Hinkle

Jessica joins ONE as the lighting designer working to create the emotion and environment of the show through light and shadow, color and contract, and sometimes a lot of imagination. We are excited to have Jessica on board. Here is a little bit more about her:




Jessica Lynn Hinkle (Lighting Designer) - NYC credits include Oberon Theater Co.'s Insecurity - The Musical as well as Much Ado about Nothing and American Rapture at Theatre Row, Sonnet Repertory Theatre's Midsummer Night's Dream, Poetry in Motion and Sound of Emptiness with Sachiyo Ito & Co, the American Girl productions of Bitty Bear's Matinee and An American Girl Holiday Celebration, the world premieres of Trailerville, The Texas Mama-Logues, The Furies, and Hollywood at Sunset. Other Off-Off Broadway lighting designs include Rosencrantz & Guildenstern..., Summer and Smoke and Vieux Carre. Jessica is also a freelance props designer, scenic artist and production designer. Her props designs and scenic artwork can be seen in the Wildlife Conservation Society's educational outreach and children's theater program, and her props were featured in Hipgnosis Theater Company's Caucasian Chalk Circle and Measure for Measure. Her production design for Transition with Reggie Watts was seen in Portland, Oregon's TBA:08 Festival.

Lex Liang Joins ONE as Scenic Designer

With rehearsals only a few days away the creative team as been hard at work in developing concepts for the design of the world of ONE. Taking on the task of designing the world we live in is Lex Liang.



Here is a little more about Lex:

Recent New York/Off Broadway: The Shape of Metal (Brian Murray, Dir.), The Yellow Wood (BD Wong, Dir.), Secrets of a Soccer Mom (Judith Ivey, Dir.), After Luke (Irish Rep), When I Was God (Irish Rep). Recent Dance: The Distance Between Us (Gina Gibney Dance/Alvin Ailey), View Partially Obstructed (Gina Gibney Dance/Baryshnikov), International Tanzmesse, Dusseldorf, Germany. Recent Film: Love Is Hell, The Louisiana Conversation. Architectural/Interior: Sweet Priscilla's Cafe, Synergy Fitness Center, VBar Cafe, Sophia Eugene, RED Boutique, Lemonade. United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

Jonathan Ross joins ONE as Assistant Director

We are thrilled to have J.T. on board as our assistant director working in partnership with Todd.



Here is a little bit more about J.T. in his own words:

Jonathan (J.T.) Ross was somehow born and raised in Southern California. After high school, he ventured east to attend The Boston Conservatory where he received a bachelors degree in Musical/Theater Arts and branched away from performing and into directing. He has directed productions of "Sabra Symphony", "Oh Dad Poor Dad...", "The Rue Garden", and "A Little Night Music". "One" is the first workshop of a play that he has gotten to work on and he is excited and honored for the opportunity to be dealing with new material. J.T. lives in Brooklyn and also writes for www.minorprogression.com, an online music and arts blog that you may or may not consider innapropriate.

Half Way There…

With the workshop starting in less than a week, we’ve almost reached the halfway mark for our fundraising goal. Now it’s time to kick into high gear.

If all 887 of our Facebook fans dropped just $10 into the bucket, we’d hit our goal. Have you made your $10 donation yet?

As we approach our first day of rehearsal... we need you to join the journey. Join the $10 for ONE campaign today by making a $10 contribution to the workshop production of ONE. Then go out and tell 10 of your friends to do the same!

Special thanks to our donors: Sean Sweeney & Tom Barreto

Here’s How It Works…

Step 1:
Donate $10
www.SONNETREPERTORYTHEATRE.ORG
Click Here To Support Us

Step 2:
Ask 10 people to donate $10
Send them an email - Pass on this message

Step 3:
Ask those 10 people to continue the cycle and ask 10 more people.

Spread the word and join the $10 for ONE campaign.

Make your donation today at www.SONNETREPERTORYTHEATRE.ORG
Donations are tax deductible.

Or make your check out to “Sonnet Repertory Theatre, Inc.” and send to:

SRT, Inc. / ONE
Attn: Office of Development
PO Box 772
New York, NY 10108

The Countdown...

8 days and counting… and then our first rehearsal begins. Everything is buzzing with anticipation and deadlines. Scripts are being finalized for the start of rehearsal, pages of sheet music are being generated, and final tweaks and edits are falling into place.

Designers are gathering together Monday to prepare designs and get concepts in place.

The rehearsal studio is reserved, the marketing outreach has begun and SRT is in the final stages of fundraising.

Everything is a buzz and we are so excited for the entire team to be in one place for the start of this next adventure. Let the workshop begin!

WE HAVE AN ANNOUCEMENT...

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW...

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