Andrea schell seven layers-proposal

A solo show with seven characters.

Artistic Statement

Seven Layers is about combatting and confronting the dual nature that exists in most women: the

need to be strong, courageous, confident, not be held down by any rule AND the need to be

perfect in all ways.

When I say combating and confronting it, I mean with the most humor, fun, vulnerability and

bravery possible. To this end, the show incorporates larger than life characters, monologues,

song, poetry and movement.

With inspirations from Arlo Guthrie, Wendy Wasserstein and the self help industry, Seven Layers is

a world where women secretly influence one another to push past their fears and express their

authentic voice. Other themes include being married, being single, being old, being fat and

being heard.

This piece enlivens audiences, connects them and gives them a peek into their own greatness.

Within the story of Seven Layers, New York City is not only a destination for several of the

characters, it is in a sense, a character itself. I went to college in New York when I was 17 and

lived there for 9 years. Much of Seven Layers was written on the buses and subways of the City,

while I took development workshops at The Field. I’m reaching out to you, The National Arts

Club, because I think this piece would be a great fit as a full production for your 2014/2015

season.

Woven through Seven Layers is a tenet I have come to hold close to my heart - that self expression

leads to salvation. Each character in their own way experiences this salvation for themselves.

Seven Layers recently completed a successful short run at The Miles Playhouse as part of Santa

Monica Rep’s Solo Series and will be performed this fall as part of the United Solo Festival. Seven

Layers has been performed at IO West and McArthur Theatre as well as coffee shops and

workshop settings in New York and Los Angeles.

VIDEO LINK

Below is the private link to the entire show including the password so you have access to it.

This performance was April of this year.

The stage for this performance was for a mainstage production that I was running in rep with.

Seven Layers is easily adjustable to any performance space.

VIDEO LINK:

https://vimeo.com/93776882

PASSWORD:

bikinitop



Characters

INGA: 50’s, Russian, stern, a little too self aware - Runs a self acceptance workshop

MARISSA: 30’s, British, neurotic, bubbly - Researches an Inuit Tribe in the Arctic

E.E.: mid-40’s, upper class Southern, outgoing, plagued by self doubt - Takes a bus load of high

school girls to New York City

TRACY: late-30’s, has difficulty controlling her big personality, sort of drunk - Attempts to make

a toast at her younger sister’s wedding

ESTHER: 70’s, Jewish, staunch, endlessly misunderstood - Endures another battle with customer

service over skincare

BOOTY: 30’s, African American, energy for days, playful, inspiring - Teaches a workout class on

public access

THE POET: Age unknown, a low-key country bumpkin - Tells a rhyming “coming of age” tale

Synopsis

NOTE: The piece is told through singing, movement and poetry as well as monologues. Pieces of clothing are taken

off as the piece goes on.

INGA begins her self acceptance workshop by discussing laws of reality and fat. MARISSA has

just arrived in the Arctic Circle, in the village of Bootaybar. She is there to study an Inuit tribe.

She talks with her mentor, Dr. Peterson, through her web camera. The tribe has only said the

phrase “woo woo” to her and she doesn’t know what that means. E.E. pumps up a group of

high school girls as they make their way to New York City. She asks the girls to go around the bus

and say one thing they like about themselves and to inspire them, she sings them a song. She tells

them that her real name is Erin Elizabeth and that she always thought E.E sounded like a

monkey. She also lets them know her husband is Dr. Peterson. TRACY, a little drunk, begins a

toast at her younger sister’s wedding. She reads a poem she wrote, realizes it is stupid and tells her

views on why people actually get married. ESTHER, on the phone with customer service trying

to order more skin cream, just wants to talk with Tracy as Tracy is the only one who understands

her. BOOTY begins her workout class by singing and welcoming a new, never seen before

member, The Male Species. THE POET tells a tale of a young girl named JoElla, a fat, mute

girl with a key strapped to her left eye. Through rhyme, The Poet tells the story of JoElla’s Popaw,

how he had a monkey trying to get into his brain, lost his left eye while trying to run from the

monkey and how JoElla had a similar fate.

Marissa has now been in the Arctic for one month and it is not going well. She is not able to

connect with the tribe no matter how hard she tries. They throw snowballs at her and continue to

call her woo woo. Inga proves that there is never a reason to ask the question “Do I look fat?”

ever again. Booty sings another song while doing crunches. When she answers the call-in number,

it is Marissa, looking for Dr. Peterson. E.E. asks the girls to go around the bus and say something

good about their classmates. To give an example, E.E. tells about how her husband is such a hard

worker because he has to work all the time and that he has a big heart. He was very worried how

a monkey like her would be able to handle a bus load of girls. Tracy continues her speech while

her mother tries to stop her. Esther continues her struggle to talk to Tracy and let’s the person on

the phone know she is not an old cow. Marissa tries to reach to out to Dr. Peterson and tells him

she is going to quit. E.E. happens to see Marissa on her webcam and teaches Marissa the same song she taught to the girls on the bus. The Poet tells the second part of JoElla’s tale, about JoElla’s MeeMaw, who used to be a beauty queen but then gained 150 pounds. JoElla eats like her mother and when JoElla is 12, her mother’s leaves her. It is this moment when JoElla decides not speak ever again.

Synopsis Cont.

Inga talks about self control and reveals that she had an altercation with a small woman who didn’t wanted to be treated like an old cow. Tracy reveals her true desire for love and connection. Booty invites all members of the male species to join the class and connect with women. Esther finally is able to speak with Tracy. For the first time in a long time, she feels heard. Marissa learns that when Dr. Peterson was in Bootaybar 10 years ago, he slept with many of the women, fathering four children. She also learns that he gave many of the villagers crabs, what they refer to as woo woo. For the first time, she feels that she is qualified to be there and is thrilled at the new connections she is making with the tribe. E.E. stops girls on the bus who are making fun of another girl, who happens to be JoElla. E.E. reveals that she would love to stand up to her husband and demand that he never call her E.E. ever again. She tells JoElla that this trip to New York will be good for her. Inga ends her workshop reminding her participants about the reality of their true potential. The Poet, telling the third and final segment of JoElla’s tale, tells how JoElla went up to New York and is chased by a monkey into a hotel ballroom where Inga’s “From Seven Layers to a Bikini Top” workshop is being held. While looking at the bikini clad women in the room, JoElla finds the strength to speak, to sing out. She strips off a final layer of clothing revealing a sparkling red bikini. The Poet then reveals that she herself is JoElla, telling this tale at an open mic night at Bootay Bar in New York City.

Technical Requirements

This piece has minimal technical requirements and can easily be done with “lights up” at the top of the show and “lights off “ at the end of the show.

Depending on the space itself, there might need to be an adjustment of lights but that could be determined.

There are only one to two black chairs onstage, again depending on the space.

Expenses

As the show is now, it is very inexpensive to produce as I already have the costume. I am always open to having costume discussions. At one point, the costume was a breakaway costume that I made myself. To do this again, I would prefer a costume genius to be hired who could build something really amazing. This is not necessary but is an area where money could be well spent.

The only hired, possibly volunteer, crew would be a stage manager and assistant stage manager to run lights and cue me for entrance.

I am the only member of the cast and the only member of the creative team that would need to travel. I do not know if this is something, if selected, The National Arts Club provides but it would be one of the only expenses. There is a very good chance I would be able to handle my own housing.

Andrea Schell is a Santa Monica-based monologist and solo performer with a strongbackground in both theatre and film producing. She is the writer/performer of the solo show From Seven Layers to a Bikini Top in Less Than Five Hours which she workshopped in both New York and Los Angeles. She just completed an extremely successful short run of the piece at The Miles Playhouse through the Santa Monica Rep Solo Series. She is scheduled to perform the play in New York in the fall as part of the United Solo Festival. She is an active member of the storytelling community in Los Angeles, having told stories at The Trunk Show, Shine, WriteClubLA, Tattle Tales and others.

She is a member of Santa Monica Rep and played the role of Clair in their inauguralproduction ofProof, has been in many staged readings for them and wrote and performed in the short musical play,The Santa Monica Musical Extravaganza, for their short play festival, Wavefest. Andrea developed, produced and hosted the web series What Would Men Say?, currently showing onwww.evoxtelevision.com and has produced/associated produced many projects including the featureTiger Orange and the feature documentary Discretion and Faith. From 2007-2011, she was Assistant to Producer Bonnie Pietila at The Simpsons. Andrea has a BFA from Marymount Manhattan College and has also studied at ACT, The Atlantic, IOWest, UCLA Screenwriter’s extension program and The Writing Pad. She is currently writing a new solo show called An Extremely Ordinary Girl, which she will continue to develop at a writer’s residency at Wildacres Retreat in May 2014.

Andrea Schell BioWriter/Perfomer

http://www.andreaschell.com/#!seven-layers/cz5q






http://www.evoxtelevision.com/




http://www.tigerorangemovie.com/

http://www.tigerorangemovie.com/

http://www.andreaschell.com/#!ordinary-girl/c1y1o

http://www.andreaschell.com/#!ordinary-girl/c1y1o

Wade Gasque BioDirector

Wade Gasque is a 2010 Nicholl Semifinalist for his screenplay, Half Truth. He’s a Film Independent Fellow (chosen for their Director, Screenwriter and Producer labs) and was a finalist in the Netflix Find Your Voice Competition.

Film directing credits include the teaser trailer for Half Truth with Steakhaus Productions (By Hook or By Crook) and the short film Housebroken which has played dozens of film festivals worldwide including Frameline (SF), Outfest (LA), Newfest (NY), Skeive Filmer (Oslo) and more.

Other credits include the short film, The Hardest Job in the Business, with Marvin Acuna (The Great Buck Howard) and the award-winning book trailer for Gigi Levangie Grazer’s The After Wife.

In ‘06, he directed the stage musical, The Ohmies, (NY Times “Best of the season!”) at the Geffen Playhouse, The Skirball Cultural Center and the Falcon Theatre. He was also co- director of The Ohmies Live on DVD produced by Herzog Cowen (Anchorman). He has directed numerous solo shows and short plays in Los Angeles and New York.

He wrote/directed the full-length play, The Allegory of Golf, with a sold-out run at the Flatiron Playhouse in New York in 2002. Also in 2002, his short plays, I Do Not Wish To See The Needle and The Sweater Issue, won Buffalo’s Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition and the Cleveland New Works Festival respectively.

Before working as a stage and commercial actor for over 10 years, he received theater scholarships to both Marymount Manhattan College and the College of Charleston and won the South Carolina Archibald Rutledge State Scholarship for Playwriting. He is currently in post-production on his feature film directorial debut, Tiger Orange, a drama exploring the complex relationship between gay siblings.

Produced playwright with 1-acts and a full-length play production in New York, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. 2000-2002.

T H E AT R E & S TO RY T E L L I N G ! AN EXTREMELY ORDINARY GIRL - solo show in development

! FROM SEVEN LAYERS TO A BIKINI TOP IN LESS THAN FIVE HOURS - solo show - workshopped in NYC and LA

! THE SANTA MONICA MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA - short musical play - Santa Monica Rep

! ANDRE-A THE GIANT - monologue - Shine, WriteClub (winner of category)!! THE 4 TYPES OF PROMISES - monologue - The Trunk Show

! THE MERMAID - monologue - The Trunk Show

! THE STAIRS - monologue - Shine (chosen for Best of...show)

! I COULD DIE TODAY - monologue - Shine

F I L M , T V & W E B WRITER - Preexisting Condition - screenplay (top 10% for the Nicholl’s Fellowship)

! CONCEPT CREATOR AND TREATMENT WRITER - The Wingwoman - pilot commissioned by WE tv! CREATOR AND PRODUCER - What Would Men Say? - Web Talk Show - www.whatwouldmensay.com! ! !! ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - Tiger Orange - Indie Feature - www.wherewebelongmovie.com

! PRODUCER - Empowher Institute 2012 & 2013 - Outreach Videos - http://tinyurl.com/8q9s495 ! ! !!! PRODUCER - Love Academy - Marketing Videos - www.loveacademy.tv ! ! ! PRODUCER - Naked - Music Video - www.raquelramos.com ! ! ! ! ! !

! ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - The After Wife - Book Trailer - http://tinyurl.com/8v8smf9 !

! ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - Discretion and Faith - Feature Documentary - http://tinyurl.com/6ncs3td! !! ! PRODUCER - Del Forte Denim - Short Documentary - http://tinyurl.com/delforte ! !

E D U C AT I O N!! UCLA Extension, Screenwriting Program, Los Angeles, CA! ! ! ! ! ! 2007- 2009! IO West, Los Angeles, CA! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2004-2006! The Atlantic, New York, NY!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2001! ACT Summer Program, San Francisco, CA! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1997! Marymount Manhattan College, New York, NY, BFA-Acting! ! ! ! ! ! 1997

A N D R E A S C H E L L2212 Ocean Park Blvd, Apt E, Santa Monica, CA 90405

310-902-1467/ [email protected]/ www.andreaschell.com

PLAYWRIGHT, MONOLOGIST & SOLO PERFORMER

















* Recipient of 2014 WildAcres Retreat Writing Residency - attending this May* In development classes at The Writing Pad working with teacher Lauren Weedman* Workshop performances at WeWork

















* Upcoming Performance - October 2014 - United Solo Festival - NYC* Current performance - March/April 2014 - Santa Monica Rep Solo Series - LA* Past Performances - Fall 2008-2009 - McDowell Theatre, workshop performances in NYC and LA

WHY WAS I SUCH AN ASSHOLE TO MY GRANDMOTHER - monologue - benefit performance for www.blossomy.org

PROOF - Role of “Clair” - Inaugural production of Santa Monica Rep

































ASSISTANT TO PRODUCER - The Simpsons

































The Writing Pad, Los AngelesUniversity of Massachusetts, Dartmouth - certificate classes in Women’s Studies - online 2011

Current

www.andreaschell.com

www.evoxtelevision.com

www.wherewebelong.com

www.empowher.org

www.loveacademy.tv

www.raquelramos.com

http://tinyurl.com/luwsy2a

Documents

Andrea schell seven layers-proposal