About Watson Arts
Watson Arts is a resident company of La MaMa E.T.C. dedicated to original, innovative theater with a particular emphasis on women.
Watson Arts develops and produces works that encompass text, dance, music, media, and performance
In Fall 2012, La MaMa E.T.C. will present a new Watson Arts Project, LUZ by playwright Catherine Filloux.
Many of our theatrical presentations are close collaborations between the core company of writer and director, Mary Fulham, songwriter, Paul Foglino, choreographer, Heidi Latsky, designers, Ramona Ponce, Jim Boutin, Spica Wobbe, and Tim Schellenbaum. Brief bios of company members, guest artists and other frequent collaboraters are below:
MARY FULHAM, Artistic Director, is a producer, director and playwright. Mary won the MECCA (Montreal English Critics Circle) Award for Best Visiting Production for her play, Devotion, and the Montreal Fringe Just For Laughs Award for both P.S. 69 and Was that My 15 Minutes? In New York, Mary directed and wrote the book for many hit Watson Arts Projects: Hercules in High Suburbia, 2005 NYC Fringe Overall Excellence Award for Best Score, Balletto Stiletto, a 2006 Innovative Theatre Award Nominee for Outstanding Performance Art Production, and Trophy Wife, nominated for three Innovative Theatre Awards in 2007. In 2008, Watson Arts presented Italy's legendary Teatro del Carretto in their U.S. premiere of Pinocchio and BiancaNeve at La MaMa's Annex Theater. Her most recent work, Coming, Aphrodite!, premiered in February 2009 at La MaMa E.T.C. to rave reviews. The show was nominated for 3 Innovative Theater Awards - Best Musical. Best Score, Best Set.
Mary was the executive producer for Mrs. Greenthumbs, the funny garden expert and author who appeared regularly on Live! Regis and Kelly; fX’s morning show, BreakfastTime; as well as the long-running series, The Mrs. Greenthumbs Show on HGTV, Canada. As a partner at Swingline Productions in New York City, Mary produced and developed projects for theater, film and television for managing partner, Warren Leight, executive producer for In Treatment on HBO. Mary began her career as an original member of the legendary 1980’s comedy troupe The High Heeled Women with whom she appeared on HBO’s Young Comedians Special; Bravo; A&E; and the Comedy Channel, among others. Mary is currently the Managing Director of La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club.
JIM BOUTIN (Set Design) has designed over 100 sets for the theatre, most notably: The TWEED Fractured Classicks, the New York run and U.S. Tour of Lypsinka - The Boxed Set, and Watson Arts' Coming, Aphrodite! He is a native of Lawrence, Massachusetts and holds a B.F.A. from Emerson College in Theatrical Design.
PAUL FOGLINO (Lyricist) Coming, Aphrodite! is Paul Foglino's fourth collaboration with Mary Fulham. His first effort, 'Hercules in High Suburbia', won Paul the NY Fringe Festival Award for Overall Excellence for Outstanding Music and Lyrics. He was nominated for an IT award for his lyrics for 'Trophy Wife'. He also wrote lyrics for 'Balleto Stilleto.' All of the shows premiered at La Mama E.T.C. Paul Foglino also writes songs for Ellen Foley and plays guitar for her band, the Dirty Old Men. Previously, he wrote songs and played bass for the country rock act 5 Chinese Brothers. The band released four critically acclaimed albums and toured nationally and internationally.
SUSAN JEREMY (Writer/Performer), is a solo artist known for her comedic characterizations and dry wit. She has collaborated with Mary Fulham on several Watson Arts Projects: P.S. 69, based on her real life experiences as a substitute teacher in NYC's public school system, and Was That My 15 Minutes? about her quest for fame and her relationship with her father, Frankie Lawrence, who taught America to mambo on "The Fred Waring Show." Both shows won The Just for Laughs prize in 2000 and 1998 respectively. P.S. 69 toured in the USA and was a smash hit at the 2003 Edinburgh Fringe Fest. Susan’s third collaboration with co-writer/director, Mary Fulham, was Moving in Reverse (2005), a show about class culture in Long Island that received 5 stars from the Montreal Hour. BRAZIL NUTS, Susan's newest piece, makes its New York premiere at La MaMa in May 2010.
HEIDI LATSKY (Choreographer, Artistic Director of Heidi Latsky Dance) has been in the dance world for many years, as a choreographer for stage, theater and film. Latsky initially received recognition as a celebrated principal dancer for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance. Her work and company have toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe, performing at preeminent venues and festivals like Central Park Summerstage, Dance Theater Workshop and Judson Church in NYC, the Kennedy Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music and Festivals in Canada, Switzerland, Croatia and Slovenia. Latsky has received many distinguished choreographic commissions including Cannes International Dance Festival, American Dance Festival, the Joyce Theater, Danspace Project, Teatro Libero (Palermo), The Whitney Museum of American Art and the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Project. Her most recent work, The Gimp Project, was presented at the SOCIETY FOR ARTS IN HEALTHCARE’S Annual Conference and Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art.
EVA MANTELL (Video Design) created video textures for Trophy Wife at La MaMa E.T.C. She also designed video and puppets for Balletto Stiletto. Eva's artwork has been seen in performance and exhibition spaces including Dance Theater Workshop, The Brooklyn Museum and The Whitney Museum at Champion. She recently designed video for Heidi Latsky's The Gimp Project
RAMONA PONCE (Costumes), nominee for both the IT and Hewes awards, started her costume career at the Ridiculous Theatrical Company. She has long-standing relationships with a number of theater and film companies around town, including the TWEED Theatre Group, Watson Arts, LaMama ETC, Flying Pancakes and Hotel Savant. In addition to her costume work, she does specialty needlework for fashion designers and custom designs bridal and special occasion gowns for both women and men. www.ramonaponce.com
TIM SCHELLENBAUM (Sound Design) is a sound designer and composer currently in residency at La MaMa E.T.C. He has worked with Mary Fulham on numerous Watson Arts Projects. He is the recipient of a 1998 and 2000 Obie Award for collaborative design a has worked extensively with Ridge Theatre, Target Margin, John Kelly, Theodora Skipitares, Teatro Patalogico (Rome), and many others in the US and Europe. Tim is also the sound engineer for the World Financial Center Arts and Events Program.
SPICA WOBBE (Shu-yun Cheng) (Shadow Puppet Film Designer) is an independent puppetry artist from Taiwan. She has worked with the Shiny Shoes Children's Theater in Taiwan since 1991 as a producer, writer, designer and puppeteer. Her work has been seen in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Germany, Holland and the U.S. She has worked and studied with master puppeteers Damiet van Dalsum (Holland), Albrecht Roser (Germany), Peter Schumann and Ralph Lee (U.S.) Now based in NYC, she has worked as a puppet/mask designer and puppeteer with Chinese Theatre Works, East River Theatre, Ensemble of Movement Theatre, Creative Arts Team, Theater for the New City, Great Small Works, and Australian Aboriginal Theatre Initiative. She designed the shadow puppet film for Mary Fulham's Coming, Aphrodite! at La MaMa E.T.C in 2009.
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For information on how to make a tax deductible contribution to Watson Arts, please email Artistic Director, Mary Fulham at
hosting@watsonarts.org
Watson Arts
Board of Directors
Buck Henry
Irene Ramp
Mary Fulham
Gregg McCarty
Sarah Lederman
Polly Parker
Tim Fulham
Warren Leight
Watson Arts is a not for profit 501(c)(3) theater company and a resident company of world renowned La MaMa E.T.C. All contribution are fully tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
THANK YOU!
We wish to thank all of our supporters and theatrical colleagues who make this work possible, particularly the Watson Arts Benefit Committee, Ellen Stewart and all the staff at La Mama E.T.C.!
Special Thanks to The Benefit Committee 2010:
Bonnie and Jay Stockwell
Scott Asen
Buck Henry & Irene Ramp
Christy Pennoyer
Dan and Dana Fulham
Elise Frick & Jack Garraty
Gregg McCarty & Timothy Wang
Lisa & Phil Douglas
Lisa Passero
Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman
Mary Fulham & James Reynolds
Polly Parker & Damon Smith
Sarah & Seth Lederman
Timothy Fulham & Lise Olney
Tony Williams
Mila and Chris Tewell
Hua Hua and Frankline Parker
Warren Leight & Karen Hauser
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