You've got one night only for Rule of 7x7: A May One Show Stand on May 26th at 9:30pm at The Tank. To get you ready, here is another edition of The Rulers!
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Name: Will Arbery
Hometown: Dallas, TX + Lander, WY
Education: BA: Kenyon College // MFA: Northwestern University
What is your rule?:"This exact line of dialogue: I don't believe you."
Why did you pick your rule?: You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I mean it's the craziest story. It would take at least five hours to tell the short version.
Tell us about Landline: It's about that light tight giddy feeling of talking to someone that you like on the phone. I'm also continuing my obsessive exploration of the theatrical vocabulary of phone calls. It's also about trying to tell someone about how weird your family is. Also, it's directed by the wonderful Kate Hopkins and starring the weirdo-geniuses Lilli Stein, Jack Plowe, and Rachel Lin.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: The audience! They're incredibly supportive and responsive.
MAY the ____ be with you: Guilt.
For more on Will, visit willarbery.com
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Name: Matt Crowley
Hometown: Beverly, MA
Education: Kenyon College
What is your rule?: A terrible Southern accent.
Why did you pick your rule?: Terrible Southern accents abound, so why not include one that's intentionally bad?
Tell us about The Artists: I've been in LA for the last year and a half and I wanted to reflect on the NYC theater scene and a bit of my experiences with it. I also had a couple of half-formed play ideas kicking around in my brain, and a ten minute play is a great place to utilize them.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: This is my first one, so I'm looking forward to seeing the diversity of pieces springing from the same 7 rules.
MAY the ____ be with you: Borscht?
For more on Matt, visit http://mattcrowley.weebly.com/
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Name: Brett Epstein
Hometown: Hamden, CT
Education: Theatre + Writing at Providence College
What is your rule?: After the halfway point of the play, a new character enters... accompanied by his/her own theme song or random sound cue.
Why did you pick your rule?: I wanted to a) see how a new presence would shake up the writers' plays halfway through and b) laugh at all the random sound cues they choose.
Tell us about Voicemail: Dan McCabe and I play writer-roommates. Tyler Gardella is sexy-and-weird. A voicemail has something to do with it, too.
What is your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: Literally every moment. Picking playwrights, allllllll the e-mails, the day the plays are due, teching all day, being with everyone all day, writing for it, watching the other plays, seating audience members on the floor, seating audience members on the stage, giving wacky house speeches, hanging out at The Tank after the show, riding the 1-train with Evan Maltby after the after-party. All of it! 7x7 is the NYC accomplishment of which I'm most proud. #RuleOf7x74Life
MAY the ____ be with you: You. May the you be with you. You do you. Is what I'm saying.
For more on Brett, visit www.itsbrett.net
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Name: Cary Gitter
Hometown: Leonia, NJ
Education: BFA and MA from NYU
What is your rule?: Spasms
Why did you pick your rule?: Because there aren't enough spasms on the American stage.
Tell us about Donut Hell: Have you ever had a job you hated? A psychopathic boss bent on your destruction? Do you love donuts but hate them too? Have you ever been to New Jersey? Worn an apron in public? Then Donut Hell may just be your Long Day's Journey Into Night.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: The jam-packed, rowdy, inebriated, delightful, laughing audiences. And Brett's preshow speeches.
MAY the ____ be with you: Donut hole
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Name: Anderson John Heinz
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Education: NYU BFA dramatic writing
What is your rule?: Celine Dion
Why did you pick your rule?: I’ve always been a fan of Celine Dion. I’ve recently, specifically, found myself listening to “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” more than any functioning human should. Not to get weird, but that video definitely scarred me as a child. I still cower whenever I see a man on a motorcycle. But in a fun way!! Celine’s voice is limitless.
Tell us about Frozen 2: Frozen 2 is a sequel to the highly popular film "Frozen", but as a play and super dirty. It concerns a darling gay couple and their desire to have a child of their very own.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: Writing plays with rules is fun because it makes my brain think about things in a different way and different is always fun! That's my favorite thing about it... so far!
MAY the ____ be with you: little fried chicken drumstick emoji
For more, visit www.andersonjohnheinz.com
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Name: Charly Evon Simpson
Hometown: Born in Queens, but raised in Bergen County, NJ
Education: MFA (in progress): Hunter College, MSt: Oxford, BA: Brown
What is your rule?: Kiss on page 3
Why did you pick your rule?: Um. Honestly…because I think there should be more kissing in the world. Specifically there should be more people kissing me. Unfortunately I am not acting in any of the plays so this rule isn’t really helping me, but I might be helping someone else.
Tell us about House Rules: It is a little play about bringing a boy home to meet your sisters.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: The enthusiasm for it. I love that actors love to be a part of it, that writers love to be a part of it, and directors, etc.
MAY the ____ be with you: I mean, I’m a Star Wars nerd so it has to be force. Sorry I’m not more creative….
For more, visit www.charlyevonsimpson.com
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Name: Sofya Weitz
Hometown: Los Angeles
Education: BA from Loyola Marymount University, MFA from Northwestern University (playwriting & screenwriting)
What is your rule?: the play must end in a physically compromising situation
Why did you pick your rule?: I think one of the keys of comedic short plays is really in the stage directions - something physical your characters can do that inform their dialogue/action - so putting them in a physically compromising situation is entertaining to me and also drives the action. And at the end of the play, it's a place to get to!
Tell us about I'm Alive: gender-based performance art, a harmonica & a cat?
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: I love getting restrictions for my writing. It really forces out the creativity. Having the rules for all the shows brings everyone together - you're all in on the same jokes and you're keyed into the consistency during the performance.
MAY the _____ be with you: Free drinks.
For more on Sofya, visit www.sofyaweitz.com
The Rulers
Hometown: Dallas, TX + Lander, WY
Education: BA: Kenyon College // MFA: Northwestern University
What is your rule?:"This exact line of dialogue: I don't believe you."
Why did you pick your rule?: You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I mean it's the craziest story. It would take at least five hours to tell the short version.
Tell us about Landline: It's about that light tight giddy feeling of talking to someone that you like on the phone. I'm also continuing my obsessive exploration of the theatrical vocabulary of phone calls. It's also about trying to tell someone about how weird your family is. Also, it's directed by the wonderful Kate Hopkins and starring the weirdo-geniuses Lilli Stein, Jack Plowe, and Rachel Lin.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: The audience! They're incredibly supportive and responsive.
MAY the ____ be with you: Guilt.
For more on Will, visit willarbery.com
Hometown: Beverly, MA
Education: Kenyon College
What is your rule?: A terrible Southern accent.
Why did you pick your rule?: Terrible Southern accents abound, so why not include one that's intentionally bad?
Tell us about The Artists: I've been in LA for the last year and a half and I wanted to reflect on the NYC theater scene and a bit of my experiences with it. I also had a couple of half-formed play ideas kicking around in my brain, and a ten minute play is a great place to utilize them.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: This is my first one, so I'm looking forward to seeing the diversity of pieces springing from the same 7 rules.
MAY the ____ be with you: Borscht?
For more on Matt, visit http://mattcrowley.weebly.com/
Hometown: Hamden, CT
Education: Theatre + Writing at Providence College
What is your rule?: After the halfway point of the play, a new character enters... accompanied by his/her own theme song or random sound cue.
Why did you pick your rule?: I wanted to a) see how a new presence would shake up the writers' plays halfway through and b) laugh at all the random sound cues they choose.
Tell us about Voicemail: Dan McCabe and I play writer-roommates. Tyler Gardella is sexy-and-weird. A voicemail has something to do with it, too.
What is your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: Literally every moment. Picking playwrights, allllllll the e-mails, the day the plays are due, teching all day, being with everyone all day, writing for it, watching the other plays, seating audience members on the floor, seating audience members on the stage, giving wacky house speeches, hanging out at The Tank after the show, riding the 1-train with Evan Maltby after the after-party. All of it! 7x7 is the NYC accomplishment of which I'm most proud. #RuleOf7x74Life
MAY the ____ be with you: You. May the you be with you. You do you. Is what I'm saying.
For more on Brett, visit www.itsbrett.net
Hometown: Leonia, NJ
Education: BFA and MA from NYU
What is your rule?: Spasms
Why did you pick your rule?: Because there aren't enough spasms on the American stage.
Tell us about Donut Hell: Have you ever had a job you hated? A psychopathic boss bent on your destruction? Do you love donuts but hate them too? Have you ever been to New Jersey? Worn an apron in public? Then Donut Hell may just be your Long Day's Journey Into Night.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: The jam-packed, rowdy, inebriated, delightful, laughing audiences. And Brett's preshow speeches.
MAY the ____ be with you: Donut hole
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Education: NYU BFA dramatic writing
What is your rule?: Celine Dion
Why did you pick your rule?: I’ve always been a fan of Celine Dion. I’ve recently, specifically, found myself listening to “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” more than any functioning human should. Not to get weird, but that video definitely scarred me as a child. I still cower whenever I see a man on a motorcycle. But in a fun way!! Celine’s voice is limitless.
Tell us about Frozen 2: Frozen 2 is a sequel to the highly popular film "Frozen", but as a play and super dirty. It concerns a darling gay couple and their desire to have a child of their very own.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: Writing plays with rules is fun because it makes my brain think about things in a different way and different is always fun! That's my favorite thing about it... so far!
MAY the ____ be with you: little fried chicken drumstick emoji
For more, visit www.andersonjohnheinz.com
Hometown: Born in Queens, but raised in Bergen County, NJ
Education: MFA (in progress): Hunter College, MSt: Oxford, BA: Brown
What is your rule?: Kiss on page 3
Why did you pick your rule?: Um. Honestly…because I think there should be more kissing in the world. Specifically there should be more people kissing me. Unfortunately I am not acting in any of the plays so this rule isn’t really helping me, but I might be helping someone else.
Tell us about House Rules: It is a little play about bringing a boy home to meet your sisters.
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: The enthusiasm for it. I love that actors love to be a part of it, that writers love to be a part of it, and directors, etc.
MAY the ____ be with you: I mean, I’m a Star Wars nerd so it has to be force. Sorry I’m not more creative….
For more, visit www.charlyevonsimpson.com
Hometown: Los Angeles
Education: BA from Loyola Marymount University, MFA from Northwestern University (playwriting & screenwriting)
What is your rule?: the play must end in a physically compromising situation
Why did you pick your rule?: I think one of the keys of comedic short plays is really in the stage directions - something physical your characters can do that inform their dialogue/action - so putting them in a physically compromising situation is entertaining to me and also drives the action. And at the end of the play, it's a place to get to!
Tell us about I'm Alive: gender-based performance art, a harmonica & a cat?
What's your favorite thing about Rule of 7x7?: I love getting restrictions for my writing. It really forces out the creativity. Having the rules for all the shows brings everyone together - you're all in on the same jokes and you're keyed into the consistency during the performance.
MAY the _____ be with you: Free drinks.
For more on Sofya, visit www.sofyaweitz.com