2014-11-13T07:59:42-08:00 2013-12-31 JOEL FADEN CPA PC 250 W 57th St New York NY 10107 990 2013-01-01 133904262 THE FLEA THEATER INC FLEA 2122467203 C/O JOEL FADEN CPA 250 W 57TH ST NEW YORK NY 10107 JAMES SIMPSON President 2014-11-13 true Joel Faden P00608801 2122467203 2013 2015-11-30 17:44:51Z JAMES SIMPSON 1 SUTTON PLACE SOUTH 3C NEW YORK NY 10002 3488247 false false X WWW.THEFLEA.ORG X 1995 NY The Flea is internationally recognized for its ground-breaking artistic programs and its unique mission: to raise the standards of Off-Off-Broadway for artists and audiences alike. Since 1996 The Flea has committed to the creation of artistic opportunity and the establishment of safe and welcoming conditions on both sides of the footlights. This mission has allowed The Flea to premiere hundreds of new works, discover dozens of new voices, garner important accolades and awards, attract the countrys leading artistic talents, develop a diverse company of emerging artists and build one of the youngest audience demographics in the city. 23 23 57 0 2791160 2290964 441359 368906 905 1397 23702 21285 3257126 2682552 0 0 433871 474729 38180 21553 74240 854032 835207 1326083 1331489 1931043 1351063 10243539 11789082 93475 140355 10150064 11648727 The Flea is internationally recognized for its ground-breaking artistic programs and its unique mission: to raise the standards of Off-Off-Broadway for artists and audiences alike. Since 1996 The Flea has committed to the creation of artistic opportunity and the establishment of safe and welcoming conditions on both sides of the footlights. This mission has allowed The Flea to premiere hundreds of new works, discover dozens of new voices, garner important accolades and awards, attract the countrys leading artistic talents, develop a diverse company of emerging artists and build one of the youngest audience demographics in the city. false false 1106565 226000 407847 2013 SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIESOn behalf of the board, artists, staff, and audiences of The Flea, I am pleased to submit this report on our accomplishments for the Fiscal year 2013 which ended December 31st. The Flea Theater is especially grateful to the generous contributors whose support allowed us to achieve the many successes detailed in this report despite the economic climate. 2013 was a very good year for The Flea.ARTISTIC OVERVIEW 410 performances, 210 actors, 59 playwrights, 43 directors, 32 choreographers, 31 composers, 26 designers, 14 productions, 18 free events, 8 world premieres, 18,239 audience members The Flea was home to the creative voice in all its facets and formats this year. We produced eight world premieres ranging from devised theater to radio plays, including new work by veteran playwright A.R. Gurney, provocateur Christopher Oscar Pea, actor-turned-playwright Hamish Linklater and early-career iconoclast Mallery Avidon. We gave over 200 emerging artists the chance to work professionally, many for the first time, while producing more traditional Equity work featuring beloved performers like Deirdre OConnell, Reg E. Cathey and Karen Ziemba.In its sheer breadth of scope and aesthetic, the 2013 season showcased the incredible versatility of The Flea and embodied our mission to raise a joyful hell in a small space. 2013 PRODUCTIONS The VandalAmerican SongWhite Hota cautionary tailDigital DebussyNectarine EPThe RecommendationSarah Flood in Salem MassMary-Kate Olsen is in LoveFamily FurnitureThe Shakes: Romeo and Juliet#serials@thefleaMusic with a ViewDance Conversations PRODUCTIONS (HIGHLIGHTS) The Flea produced 410 performances of 14 productions last year a 4% increase over 2012. Weve chosen the following four as representative samples of the seasons vast artistic reach._____________________________________________________________________________ THE VANDALWritten by Hamish LinklaterDirected by Jim SimpsonStarring: Zach Grenier, Deirdre OConnell, Noah RobbinsHamish Linklater is one of his generations most gifted stage actors, so it was a delight to discover that he is also a new playwright of great promise. The Vandal marked his playwriting debut, and it was one of the most well-reviewed plays of Spring 2013. With its spectacular cast, this tightly wound play contained a surprise ending that made it difficult to publicize, so we were elated when word of mouth and critical acclaim enabled it to extend twice. The play begins with a woman waiting at a bus stop on a freezing cold night, where she meets a boy. From that point forward, its best to describe The Vandal as a play about how we live and the stories we tell ourselves when were haunted by the people weve loved and lost. The production was filmed for WNET, and Entertainment Weekly declared Linklater as having a Conor McPherson-esque way with spinning stories and a remarkable, all-too-rare willingness to take risks. (1/18 3/31). Total attendance: 2,105 If youre looking for a beautiful night at the theater that will captivate you from start to finish, look no further than The Vandal at The Flea. Michael Block, Theater in the Now _____________________________________________________________________________ a cautionary tailWritten by Christopher Oscar PeaDirected by Benjamin KamineFeaturing The BatsProvocative Latino playwright christopher oscar peas drama about first generation Chinese-Americans growing up in New York City drew a firestorm of praise, criticism, outrage and admiration. Playing to packed houses in our downstairs theater, social media buzz around the show was astronomical and it extended due to popular demand. The play tells the story of siblings Vivienne and Luke as they navigate the traditional expectations of their mother in the face of their increasingly American culture of individuality including a diverse array of friends and rampant sexuality. Said pea, In a time when very few Latino playwrights seem to grace the stages of New York theater, identity politics are often severely over-simplified. I couldnt be more thrilled for my play to be done at The Flea, with a diverse cast of actors who represent not only New York, but what America looks like to me. (5/29 7/23). Total attendance: 1,131 A highly imaginative, yet intimately poignant story about youth Matthew Paul Olmos, New York Theater Review_____________________________________________________________________________ SARAH FLOOD IN SALEM MASSWritten by Adriano ShaplinDirected by Rebecca WrightFeaturing The BatsThe Flea was proud to invite underground theater company The Riot Group to create one of its devised theater pieces in collaboration with The Bats. We took a leap of faith trusting artistic director Adriano Shaplin, who came to us with an idea but no script, because we knew his capacity for innovative storytelling and wholly original works. Sarah Flood turned out to be exactly that, using a cast of 18 in a riveting, beautifully sad re-telling of the events leading up to the Salem Witch Trials. Blood feuds and time travel collided in a magical yet believable portrait of Salem as a village on the brink, inviting radical thought into our accepted understanding of history. (9/24 10/27). Total attendance: 1,472Quintessential Off-Off-Broadway theater nothing short of trippy. Bethany Rickwald, TheaterMania _____________________________________________________________________________Family FurnitureWritten by A. R. GurneyDirected by Thomas KailStarring: Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Carolyn McCormick, Ismenia Mendes, Molly Nordin, and Peter ScolariThe Flea is immensely proud of its long term relationship with master playwright A.R. Gurney; Family Furniture marked our 8th Gurney premiere. While the others were mainly political satires, this intimate and deeply personal story was full of his signature sense of warmth, humor and insight. A coming of age tale described by the New York Times as a thunderstorm waiting to burst, the production exemplified The Fleas unique tradition of bringing together accomplished veterans (Carolyn McCormick, Peter Scolari), mid-career artists (Andrew Keenan-Bolger), and up-and-comers (Ismenia Mendes, Molly Nordin). Directed by young Tony Award-nominee Thomas Kail, Family Furniture mined similar territory as the concurrent downstairs show, Mary-Kate Olsen is in Love by Mallery Avidon giving audiences two different generational perspectives on relationships and shattered expectations. (11/12 12/22). Total attendance: 2,465Plays like Family Furniture used to open on Broadway. This one belongs there. Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal_____________________________________________________________________________LATE NIGHT SERIESThe Flea hosts two popular late night series in the downstairs theater, with 11pm curtains and an intimate, raucous atmosphere. Now entering its third year, #serials@theflea is a late night play competition featuring The Bats and some of NYCs hottest young playwrights and directors. Five teams of Bats perform original ten-minute episodic plays, the audience votes for its three favorites, and these return the next week with a new installment. The Shakes, now in its second year, breaks down the classics by performing the acts across multiple weekends with each act featuring a different director and cast; this years choice was Romeo and Juliet. These late-night series played to 121% capacity and featured 45 writers, 36 directors and 125 Bats, drawing 3,834 audience members in a 42-seat theater.PROGRAMSRESIDENT ARTISTSThe Bat Theater Company in 2013 reached 180, its largest yet, with 125 emerging pre-professional actors performing in twelve different productions the kind of learning experience that cant be had in a classroom. Ethnic diversity continued to be one of the companys most distinguishing factors, with 45% representing Asian, African, Latino, Pacific Islander and Arab-Americans. The Resident Director Program, launched in 2010, also served its greatest number to date with seventeen directors participating in one-on-one script analysis sessions with Artistic Director Jim Simpson and working as observers, stage managers and assistant directors. 2013 Resident Director shows included Courtney Ulrichs production of White Hot, Benjamin Kamines a cautionary tail, Kristan Seemels Mary-Kate Olsen is in Love and Kel Haneys The Recommendation.PATAPHYSICS Our program for emerging playwrights entered its twelfth year with three four-day workshops and one week-long silent retreat. Founded by playwrights, Pata is unique in its focus on process over product and in giving teachers a chance to challenge their own writing brains along with their students. This year classes were led by Erik Ehn, Erin Courtney, Lee Breuer and Anne Washburn; 49 students took part.MUSIC AND DANCEThe Flea has become one of the citys leading venues for cutting edge dance and music, with free showcases for emerging choreographers and composers throughout the month of June. 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