THE EXPONENTIAL FESTIVAL

SPACEMAN follows astronaut Molly Jennis on her attempt to be the first human to reach Mars. The story begins seven months into her eight-month journey to reach the red planet. She is the lone crewmember of the space module Aeneas and her mission is to establish the beginnings of a colony.

 

The difficulties of interplanetary space travel are brought to life in exacting detail. Radiation exposure, long term weightlessness, low light, extensive communication delays and poor hygiene are just a few of the challenges astronaut Molly Jennis must face as the first to Mars. But she soon finds nothing compares to the psychological effects of having so much time alone. Time spent mulling over the decisions she has made and what might be waiting for her when she finally reaches her destination.

 

The play explores many of the hazards of long term space travel including, micro-gravity and its effect on one’s health, communications delay, low light environment, long-term isolation, hygiene, waste disposal, as well as the psychological effects of complete isolation and the philosophical implications of starting life on another planet.

 

The idea for this play came from a proposal by Jim McLane, a former NASA engineer of 20 years, in which he suggests the only practical, affordable and feasible way to travel to Mars is to send a one-person crew on a one-way trip. He argues that NASA has become too cautious and risk-adverse since the moon landing. McLane implores us to regain that exploratory drive that prompted sailors centuries ago to cross unknown oceans without any guarantee that they might return.

 

“We’re all humans and the idea of sending one of our kind on a trip like that would be a wonderful adventure for the entire world. The whole world would get behind it.”

James McLane

 

Spaceman simulates space travel for the stage using low light, a claustrophobic set and simulated micro-gravity. The play will also use an immersive sound design featuring works by experimental composers.

 

SPACEMAN has won two New York Innovative Theatre Awards for Outstanding Sound Design (Leegrid Stevens) and Outstanding Solo Performance (Erin Treadway), as well as nominations for Outstanding Full Length Original Script (Leegrid Stevens) and Outstanding Premier Production of a Play (Loading Dock Theatre).

 

LOADING DOCK THEATRE: Formed by playwright Leegrid Stevens and actor Erin Treadway, Loading Dock is a Brooklyn-based company committed to the creation and production of original plays that explore the extremes of the human experience. We produce emotional, character-driven plays with an experimental edge.

 

Along with 9 Innovative Theatre Award nominations and 4 wins, critics have called Loading Dock productions “a marvel of theater craft and theater art” (NY Theatre – Spaceman) that  “hits us right in the gut and heart” (Theatre That Matters – The Twelfth Labor); and Ms. Julie, Asian Equities was named one of Broadway World’s Top Eleven Theatrical Experiences of 2015.

 

Playwright LEEGRID STEVENS has been creating theatre in New York City since 2000. His plays have been developed by the Lark Theatre, Spring Theatreworks, Incubator Arts Project, HERE Arts Center, LMCC’s Swing Space, Theatre for the New City, Tutto Theatre in Austin and several others.

 

Several of his plays have been published, including: Post-Oedipus (Playscripts), Leda's Swan (Stage Tribes, Theater-Verlag Desh Publishers), Sun Stand Thou Still (Plays and Playwrights 2004), The Twelfth Labor (Indie Theatre), and Lovers In The Park (Brooklyn Publishers).

 

In 2013 Leegrid was nominated for two NY Innovative Theatre Awards, Outstanding Script and Outstanding Sound Design, for his play Spaceman. A recent workshop production of his play, The Dudleys!, earned him several B. Iden Payne awards including Outstanding Script, Outstanding Composition and Outstanding Sound Design. Leegrid’s production of The Twelfth Labor opened at the Gene Frankel Theatre in September 2014 to rave reviews and received four NY Innovative Theatre Award nominations including outstanding production. Leegrid’s adaptation of Miss Julie, titled Ms. Julie, Asian Equities, was recently named as one of Broadway World’s ten best productions of 2015.

 

Leegrid has been awarded the Alec Baldwin Playwright Fellowship at the Singer’s Forum, John Golden Playwriting Award at Columbia University, Talkin’ Broadway Citation for Outstanding New Play in 2010 for The Dudleys, as well as being named one of the “People of the Year” in 2005 by Nytheatre.com. Leegrid holds an MFA in Playwriting from Columbia’s School of the Arts.

 

ERIN TREADWAY has won the Innovative Theatre award for Outstanding Solo Performance for her work in the first workshop production of Spaceman.  For her portrayal of Cleo in Leegrid Stevens’ play The Twelfth Labor with Tutto Theatre in Austin, she was nominated for a B. Iden Payne award for Outstanding Lead Actress. She was also named one of Indie Theatre Now’s 2012 People of the Year.. Her most recent roles with Loading Dock were Miss Julie in Miss Julie, Asian Equities (The Dock at Loading Dock in Brooklyn), Cleo in The Twelfth Labor (Gene Frankel Theatre), Molly Jennis in Spaceman (Incubator Arts), and Clara in The Dudleys! A Family Game, all by Leegrid Stevens.

 

Other projects together include: Sun, Stand Thou Still (Spring Theatreworks); Post Oedipus (HERE, One-Arm Red, Spring Theatreworks); Still Life With Runner (HERE, Spring Theatreworks); Theme & Variations (Ontological); The Twelfth Labor (The Lark, Des Moines Social Club, Tutto Theatre Company); The Dudleys! (workshop by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Theatre for the New City, Tutto Theatre Company); The Nine/Twelve Tapes (Theatre for the New City),  all premieres of Stevens’ work.

 

JACOB TITUS’s work has been seen in New York at The Public in the 365 Plays/365 Days, HERE Arts Center, Ontological-Hysterics, among other theatres off-off Broadway, in Brooklyn, as well as LA and San Francisco.  In 2010, he directed Promise Tomorrow Today which won Best Play in the Downtown Urban Theater Festival at Theater for the New City.  In 2012, Jacob directed FALLING by Amy E. Witting at the 2012 FringeNYC New York International Fringe Festival for which he received an Overall Excellence in Directing Award.  In 2013, Jacob directed victor by Amy E. Witting which won best play in the Thespis Festival in New York City.  Jacob directed The Rise of Mediocrity by Larry Phillips which was a finalist for best play in the Venus/Adonis Theater Festival 2016.  Recently, Jacob directed The Dudleys! by Leegrid Stevens at Here Arts Center.  Jacob has a Masters in Directing from Boston University.

 

Run-time

90 minutes

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