The Average-Sized Mermaid

Mermaids, Musto, and More!

2011-08-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

Reports that today's earthquake was caused by a rush of people CLAMoring for tickets to the three remaining performances of THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID have been slightly exaggMERated (although not by much. Reports that we're referring to the event as MERthquake 2011, however, are completely true).

But in all honesty, tickets are going fast, so be sure to buy yours before you miss the comedy that Michael Musto of The Village Voice describes as "a clever romp!"


PICTURED: Dawn McGee, romping cleverly from her wheelchair Photo Credit: Joe Wehry

And that's not all; author Edward Lazellari posted a wonderful review on his blog! Lazellari writes that "The Average-Sized Mermaid stands apart" from all the other FringeNYC shows he's seen this year and goes on to say that the "opening monologue alone is worth the price of admission." Wow! Click here to check out the review in its entirety!

Also, it looks like Lazellari's debut novel, "Awakenings," will be released on August 30th by Tor Books. Since he clearly has excellent taste, we'll definitely be checking it out, and you probably should as well!

And somehow we neglected to mention that playwright Jessica Fleitman was interviewed by novelist and mermaid-enthusiast Carolyn Turgeon about THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID on Turgeon's mermaid blog!

In other MERMAID-related news, we had a pick-up reMERsal yesterday. There was definitely something special about having the mer-family back in the rehearsal room one last time, but of course nothing compares to performing the show in front of an audience!

Thanks again to all of the support-mers who've come out to SEA us so far! We can't wait to share the tail-end of the run with the rest of you!

A WondMERful Week!

2011-08-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Our first two performances of THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID went swimmingly!

This entire experience has been so fin-tastic that it's difficult not to break out into a song-and-dance number (complete with Jamaican crustaceans on back-up), but we shall restrain ourselves and instead present some highlights of the run thus far:

Packed houses of wondMERful audience members who've laughed their tails off!

Stellar reviews! Molly Marinik of Theater is Easy writes that "The Average-Sized Mermaid is a wonderfully written adult fairy tale about keeping your dignity through the hardships of love," while Case Aiken of nytheatre.com raves that "The Average-Sized Mermaid may well be one of my favorite FringeNYC shows to date," goes on to claim that "I was laughing hard enough that I worried I might upset the rest of the audience—only to realize they were right there with me," and finishes off with the thought that "It’s easily in my top three festival shows of all time and one of the best pieces I’ve seen in a long time." WOW! Thanks, Critics!

Three more chances to SEA the show (August 25 @ 6:00, August 26 @ 9:15, and August 27 @ 1:00)! Get your tickets today before they swim away!

We can't wait for the second half of our run! Please spread the word about the show, and be sure to vote for us as this year's FringeNYC Audience Favorite! Thank you to everyone who's come out to support us!

Dawn McGee, Vinnie Penna, and Erika Myers
photo credit: Joe Wehry

We Don't Know When, We Don't Know How...

2011-08-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

...but we know something's starting RIGHT NOW!*

What an exciting day! A huge thank-you to everyone who made it out to the opening performance of THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID this afternoon! We had a blast and couldn't have asked for a more FIN-tastic audience!

We're beyond thrilled for such a swimmingly successful start to the run of THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID in FringeNYC! Tickets are still available for the following performances:

MON 8/15 @ 9:30pm
THR 8/25 @ 6:00pm
FRI 8/26 @ 9:15pm
SAT 8/27 @ 1:00pm

Click here or visit www.fringenyc.org to get your tickets today! Or else, you might miss out on THIS:

Truly, a battle for the ages. Photo credit: Joe Wehry

We hope to SEA you there!

* If you don't get this reference, please click here and behold the mermaid magic.

The Average-Sized Mermaid OPENS TOMORROW in FringeNYC!

2011-08-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

The day we've been eagerly awaiting has finally arrived... THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID dives into FringeNYC at the Connelly Theater TOMORROW, August 13th at 3:15 PM! We are so excited to finally share our hilarious tale of a tail with you!

Just a reminder that the Connelly Theater is located at 220 E 4th St (between Aves A & B). FringeNYC shows begin on time and a "no late seating" policy is strictly enforced, so please be on time for the 3:15 PM show!

Latecomers will NOT see mermaid love!

If you can't make it tomorrow, we'll SEA you at one of our other performances:

MON 8/15 @ 9:30pm
THR 8/25 @ 6:00pm
FRI 8/26 @ 9:15pm
SAT 8/27 @ 1:00pm

Tickets are still available at www.fringenyc.org! $15 in advance, and $18 at the door!

We can't wait to SEA you there!

FUN-RAISER TONIGHT!

2011-08-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

We don't open until Saturday... plenty of time to get inSEAbriated and drink until we're unCONCHious at tonight's FUN-raiser! Won't you join us? Happy hour prices, awesome prizes, and a chance to hang out with our cast and crew before this tidal wave of talent takes the stage on August 13th! We can't wait to SEA you there!

WHEN:

Tuesday, August 9, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

WHERE:
CK14 - The Crooked Knife at 14th Street

232 W. 14th St

New York, New York

FISHtopher Walken wants you to SEA our show!

2011-08-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

The latest comMERcial from THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID

Check out ComMERcial #2

2011-08-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

FringeCENTRAL and A New ComMERcial!

2011-07-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

In celebration of FringeCENTRAL's opening today, we have a new comMERcial to share with you! Get your first glimpse of Dawn McGee as Miriam Moselle in all her wheelchair-bound rehearsal-tailed glory!

FringeCENTRAL is the heart of FringeNYC and is located at 45 Bleecker Street (at Lafayette). Purchase tickets with NO convenience charge, and don't forget to pick up an AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID postcard while you're there!

And of course, tickets are still available online at www.fringenyc.org! We can't wait to share this senSEAtional show with all of you!

Party With Us at Our FUN-Raiser!

2011-07-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

Join the cast and crew of THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID for a FINtastic night to celebrate our upcoming production!

WHEN:

Tuesday, August 9, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

WHERE:
CK14 - The Crooked Knife at 14th Street

232 W. 14th St

New York, New York

10 clams (that's $10 to you landlubbers) gets you in the door with access to extended happy hour prices! Be the first to taste a special MERMAID drink (a MERtini perhaps?) created just for the event. Grab some raffle tickets for some cool MER-chandise and other sen-SEA-tional prizes!

DISCLAIMER:
Miniature sexy mermaid NOT
included with drink. Sorry.

We hope you'll join us to help raise the FUN (and yes, the funds)! Feel free to RSVP on our Event Page on Facebook, or simply show up with 500 of your best friends in tow! And if you can't make it out on the 9th but still want to support the show, no worries; our Indiegogo campaign doesn't end until August 12th!

We can't wait to SEA you there!

Tickets On Sale for Our Tale of a Tail!

2011-07-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

We always knew mermaids were cooler than other fairytale characters: while midnight signaled the end of the party for Cinderella, it signals the beginning of the party for us! That's right; as of midnight last evening/this morning, tickets to THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID in FringeNYC are oFISHially on sale!

For tickets, visit www.fringenyc.org or call 866.468.7619. FringeCENTRAL (45 Bleecker St. at Lafayette) opens at NOON on July 29th if you'd like to MERchase your tickets in person!

And just a friendly reminder that you can score FREE TICKETS to the show if you become a Cool Crustacean, Dolph-Winner, Supportive Shark, Big Tuna, Angelfish, or Ruler of Atlantis by donating to our Indiegogo campaign... click here for more details!

THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID will receive 5 performances at the following dates/times:

Show Dates:

SAT 8/13 @ 3:15pm

MON 8/15 @ 9:30pm

THR 8/25 @ 6:00pm

FRI 8/26 @ 9:15pm

SAT 8/27 @ 1:00pm

FringeNYC Venue #7:

Connelly Theater, 220 E. 4th St between Aves A&B

And don't forget to RSVP to our event on Facebook and share your mer-thusiasm with your fellow finned friends by "liking" our fan page! We can't wait to share this show with you, and we look forward to SEA-ing you there!

New MER-PERKS Announced for our Fundraising Campaign!

2011-07-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Great news for all of our fin-tastic funders: our Indiegogo campaign has been updated to include categories of support and sen-SEA-tional perks at each one!

All donations will be acknowledged on our Support-Mers Page for all the world to see, but check out our MER-PERKS*:

$25: FIN-TASTIC FRIENDS receive our oFISHial "permanently-out-there-in-the-world-of-cyberspace" thank you on our website + our exclusive and succinct MERbacker updates!

$40: COOL CRUSTACEANS get everything $25 gets + an oFISHial thank you IN PRINT in our program, which you'll see when you claim your one (1) free ticket to the show!

$100: DOLPH-WINNERS get everything $40 gets + one additional (2 total) free tickets to the show + a fashionably trend-setting, ecologically sensible, limited edition MERtote!

Come on, Dolph-winners. You know you want one!

$175: SUPPORTIVE SHARKS get everything $100 gets + an ORIGINAL "2 Minutes or Under" personalized audition monologue written by playwright Jessica Fleitman suited to your acting strengths and interests, or give as a gift to the starving actor/actress that you love!

$275: BIG TUNAS get everything $175 gets + two additional tickets to the show (4 total) + a (1) one hour monologue coaching session with Mind The Gap Theatre’s Artistic Director, Paula D'Alessandris for you, or as a gift to the starving actor/actress that you love!

$500: ANGELFISH get everything $275 gets + a FULL EVALUATION of your play or musical, or give as a gift to the struggling writer(s) that you love, by New York theatre industry professional, Robin Rothstein!

$1,000: RULERS OF ATLANTIS get everything $500 gets + A PRODUCER CREDIT ON THE PRODUCTION, including a full biography on our website under "Creative Team" and in our show's program for all to see!

ANNNNND … THE HIGHEST BACKER gets all the items included in the category within which s/he contributed + WILL HAVE HIS/HER NAME WRITTEN INTO “THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID” AND WILL BE HEARD BY THE THRONGING MASSES ATTENDING OUR PRODUCTION! Don't miss your chance to be part of New York theater history!

So what are you waiting for? CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID TODAY! We thank you for your support. It means more than you know!

*Note: We are showing intense self-restraint by not referring to our new perks as MERks (which we would never do because we're bastions of good taste (or should we say SEbastions? Like the crab in the Little Mermaid? (or should we say SEAbastions... oh lord, it's like the Inception of mer-puns... how are we ever to escape from this parenthetical prison?))).

Show Dates and Venue Announced!

2011-07-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

Fin-tastic news for all of you! We know you want to see THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID, and thanks to FringeNYC, we can now tell you when and where! Consider this announcement your "Save the Date" for nautical-themed hilarity!

Without further ado, here are the show dates for THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID...

WHEN:

SAT 8/13 @ 3:15pm

MON 8/15 @ 9:30pm

THR 8/25 @ 6:00pm

FRI 8/26 @ 9:15pm

SAT 8/27 @ 1:00pm

WHERE:

FringeNYC Venue #7:

Connelly Theater, 220 E. 4th St (between Aves A&B)

We are thrilled that FringeNYC is giving us the maximum five performance run during the festival, and we're so lucky to be sharing the tale of our tail in such a fantastic space!

Ticket sales begin on July 22nd (via phone at 866.468.7619 & online at http://www.fringenyc.org/). You can also purchase tickets at the FringeCentral box office, which opens at NOON on July 29th.

CLICK HERE to read and share our official electronic press release, which contains all of this information and more!

COMING SOON: Tickets to the show! MER-chandise! Secrets from the rehearsal room!

TONIGHT: Surprise MERMAID Preview!

2011-07-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

We're thrilled to the gills to announce that a special unprecedented preview of THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID will take place TONIGHT at Manhattan Theatre Source at 8:00 pm!

Don't miss your chance to see Dawn McGee* and Vinnie Penna* rock their roles and get a taste of what's coming down the pike (a pike's a kind of fish, get it? Also, the "taste" we're describing may very well be fishy. You'll have to come to the preview to find out!).

We're being featured as tonight's "Surprise Special Guest Performance" in MTS's EstroGenius Summer Sampler, which also includes MERMAID playwright Jessica Fleitman's short play, G TRAIN EXODUS! The night will also include a dance piece and a short one-woman show. Pretty cool, right? It's like Win and Awesome had a baby!

Here are the details:

When: TONIGHT, July 8th, 8:00 pm

Where: Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 MacDougal Street, New York, NY 10011 (btwn. 8th St. and Waverly Pl.)

Tickets: $18 (can be purchased online here or at the door)

We hope to SEA you there!

*Appearing courtesy of the AEA

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Oooooh say can you seeeeaaaaaa...

Wishing everyone a very happy 4th of July from THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID!

Meet the Cast!

2011-07-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, we've been casting our nets out into the sea of New York actors in hopes of finding the perfect people to join the mer-family.

Without further ado, we'd like to introduce you to the hilarious and wonderful cast of THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID: Dawn McGee*, Vinnie Penna*, David J Goldberg, Erika Myers, Daniel Cibener, and Shannon Munley. Each one, a perfect catch! We don't mean to brag, but their talents are thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis big.

Dawn McGee* (MIRIAM) Credits include: Theatre: The Asphalt Kiss (59E59 - Drama Desk nominated production), Chekhov’s Rifle, w/Austin Pendleton (World premiere), Making Ends Meet (American Globe Festival – outstanding actress award), Grace & Glorie (DTF), Pierrot le Quin (FringeNYC), Left/left\left (AOTF), Live Coverage (FringeNYC), The Persecution of Arnold Petch (NY premiere). Film/TV: recently wrapped on Another Night in Suck City (directed by Paul Weitz /scenes with Robert De Niro), Bobby Dogs (PRISM Award), Wasted, “Are We There Yet?,” “As The World Turns” (recurring), and numerous national commercials. Dawn is thrilled to be a part of the Mermaid family – Thanks to the amazing cast, Jessica, Paula and to Robin for planting the seed. www.dawnemcgee.com

Vinnie Penna* (LOUIS)-Greatest Hits: In NYC, “Hungry Mother” in Native Speech, The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Boomerang Theatre Company); The Vigil or the Guided Cradle (Impetuous Theatre Group); Last Call and Muse of Fire (NY Fringe Festival); and The Ives’ Six-Pack (Bang! Theatre Collective). Regionally, Richard III (title role) and The Cmplt Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged). He also appeared with Mind the Gap in two iterations of the BritBits series. A prolific voiceover artist, Vinnie can be heard on radio, television, videogames, audiobooks, and several animated programs of varying degrees of quality and clarity. Upcoming: the webisode series Exorcists Local 667. Much love and thanks to Paula D., the cast and crew, and as always and for everything, to Shannon and Emmett, his wonderful family.

David J Goldberg (BARRY) is an actor living in Brooklyn, NY. A native of Washington DC and a graduate of Emerson College, some of his recent off-off credits include Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet (Wings Theater); Guildenstern in Dubstep Hamlet (Webster Hall); Jason in The Fallow House, a devised, improvised play which premiered at Roots & Wings Theatrical's recent festival of new and experimental works (The Bridge Theater); and most recently as Bohdi in The Rogoff Theater Company's New York debut of Quick & Dirty (The Zoo Theater, Triskelion Arts). He has also recently co-produced and starred in the short comedic web-series, Abner, which you can learn about at www.facebook.com/Abner.Baner. Besides acting, some of his interests include vermiculture composting, the films of Terrence Malick, leisure, travel, novelty theory, and poker. He is grateful to be working with Paula and Mind the Gap Theatre to bring Miss Fleitman's hilarious play to life.

Erika Myers (NETTIE) is a native of Greenville, NC. Stage Credits include: Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery (Vital Theater Co.), Corner Wars (47th Street Theater), and Crumbs from the Table of Joy (NativeAliens Theater). Her television credits include "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and a Series Regular role as Dani Ulmer in "12 Steps to Recovery." Erika is excited to be returning to the stage in her inaugural performance in the New York International Fringe Festival. www.erikamyers.com

Daniel Cibener (JIM/RADISH/K. VODA) is thrilled to be part of this fin-tastic show. If you are still reading Daniel's bio after this joke, he thanks you. A native New Yorker, Daniel has been studying acting since the ripe old age of sixteen, most recently having attended the William Esper Studio. He is currently pursuing work in both theater and film while studying privately with his vocal coach. Previous work has included Henry Hudson in Vital Theater's Matthew Takes Mannahatta, Jack in Prevailing Wins, which premiered at the Midtown International Theater Festival, and Ben Van Diepan in The Serious Theater Collective's darkly comedic musical The Legend of Johnny 15. As always he would not be where he is without the love and support of friends, family and Renee, reminding him every day how truly lucky he is. Visit Daniel at his website: www.danielcibener.com

Shannon Munley (TRISH/ASHLEY) is thrilled to be a part of the Fringe Festival this summer! She has most recently been seen onstage at the Roy Arias Studios in the original cast of The Meltdown and will be performing with the Broadway Pioneers' debut performance of Second Samuel this fall. She also can be found backstage with several Broadway productions with Performing Arts Physical Therapy, providing PT to the many performers in need!

Be sure to catch this tidal wave of talent when they storm the stage this August in THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID!

COMING SOON: Show dates and performance venue announced!

*Appearing courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association.

Support our Show!

2011-06-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

Our fundraising campaign for THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID has officially begun! Be an angelfish/dolph-winner (choose your own terrible pun) and swim over to our Indiegogo page to donate those sand-dollars online, or visit our "Support the Show" page to read our Support FAQs.

Donations are tax-deductible, and all supporters will receive a well-deserved acknowledgement in the MERMAID program as well as our undying gratitude. And best of all, our top supporter will get to hear his or her name in the show in a surprising and delightful context! Don't miss your chance to be a part of this production (literally)!

Thank you in advance for your support!

TRUTH.

COMING SOON: Casting announced! Our first read-though! More insufferable mer-puns!

Playwright Jessica Fleitman PUBLISHED!

2011-06-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Exciting news from the creative mer-team: playwright Jessica Fleitman is now a published author! Her short story, AMBER WONG-COHEN, is now available online from Mixer Publishing!

Mixer Publishing has made AMBER WONG-COHEN (a finalist for the 2010 Flatmancrooked Fiction Prize) available to download on Amazon as a teaser for the official launch of their site as well as their upcoming collection of Love & Death: An Anthology of Literary Romance & Realism, in which Jessica will also be featured. Click here to get it on your Kindle!

From Amazon:

Jessica Fleitman’s “Amber Wong-Cohen” is the story of a woman who yearns to be loved unconditionally. Finally finding acceptance from her husband’s family, Amber develops a special relationship with her sister-in-law Kayla—but will her crumbling marriage ruin her chance at being happy for the first time? Fleitman’s “Amber Wong-Cohen” is a moving tale of unexpected joy and loss.

From Mixer Publishing:

...we have Jessica Fleitman's "Amber Wong-Cohen," a powerful story of a woman's search for identity and unconditional love. Fleitman captures the interiority of her character with a grace and complexity that reveals her as a writer with an almost preternatural ability at comprehending human emotion.

Pretty cool, right? Click here to order now! And be sure to check out more of Jessica's writing when THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID swims into the Fringe this August!

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade!

2011-06-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

We took some time off from casting (full cast TBA super soon!) and putting the finishing touches on our fundraising campaign (launching any day now!) to frolic with our fellow finned friends at the annual CONEY ISLAND MERMAID PARADE!

As soon as we got off the subway, we knew we were somewhere special...

And check out the MER-chandise (har!) for sale at the parade...


Even though this mermaid's a bit under average-sized, she's all right.

We saw some FABULOUS mermaids on parade! Check it out...

Too awesome.

An entire float of little mermaids!

Gloria Steinem once said that a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.
Care to comment, Ms. Steinem?

One fish, two fish...

Baby Mermaid is cool, but check out Mom's Ursula dress!

Fantastic hat featuring some average-sized mermaids!

We made some silly signs to help our nautical friends know how they could continue to show their mer-pride all summer long: by coming to see our show in The Fringe, of course! Here are a couple of close-ups...

The small sentence after the asterisk reads: "no copyright infringement intended."
We're lying, of course. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT COMPLETELY INTENDED.

TRUTH.

We asked some particularly awesome-looking mermaids if they wouldn't mind being photographed with our signs, and they were all great sports! We have too many fin-tastic pictures to post here (click here to view our Mermaid Parade album in its entirety) but see below for a few of our favorite shots!

This mermaid actually CROCHETED her own tail. It's awesome.
See below for a close up.

How cool is THAT???

HOOKED on great theater!

Awesome costumes all around, but big ups to the Dapper Crab.

Part of your wooooooorld...

LOVE her fishy friend!

Fabulous pink-haired mermaid!

"The closing of our oysters and the reclamation of our pearls!"
- Ashley, The Average-Sized Mermaid.
Want this quote to make even a little sense? Come see the show!

Thank you to all of the fabulous mermaids who mer-ticipated! If you don't see your photo here, don't worry: check out the album! And keep up that mermaid pride all summer long by coming to see THE AVERAGE-SIZED MERMAID at Fringe NYC this August!

COMING SOON: Meet the cast! Contribute your sand-dollars to our fundraising efforts!

Welcome to the Mer-Blog!

2011-06-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting the official blog of The Average-Sized Mermaid, a new comedy with an upcoming production in the NY Fringe Festival in August, 2011!

The site is currently under construction, but please check back soon for updates on all things moderately-sized, nautical, and swimming soon to a theater near you!*

*Please note that the phrase "theater near you" applies only to those of you who happen to live in the Tri-State area. Sorry. If you'd care to fund a touring production to bring Mermaid to a theater near you wherever you may be, however, we're definitely open to that possibility...