REUNION LIVE EXPLAINER
Reunion Newsletter [5.2.25]
Reunion LIVE EXPLAINER
It's basically a live anthology play. May 6 is 90ish mins, featuring seven short standalone pieces with different casts. All connect thematically and at times diegetically with characters crossing over from one piece to another. They're written and directed mostly by me, Sean Glass, with guests as well, like Alexandra Qin whose thirstygirl closes, beautifully ties together and book ends May 6’s show. The pieces are mostly (not entirely) very, very, very loose adaptations of movies. Some take characters and reimagine entirely. Some turn 4th wall inside out. Some simply adapt a passage of a feature film to the live setting. Nothing is performed traditionally, there is no "stage" per se. Performers sit amongst the crowd and rise on cue, or even remain in seats, blurring and intentionally confusing what's planned, spontaneous.
Impetus comes from two ends. One is activating movies in new way, far beyond just eventizing...beyond the packed theater, q+a, and the hang with like-minded folks. Reimagining movies in angles and layers that exercise new muscles and reveal and catalyze new feelings and thoughts. Movies are great as is. This isn’t a need but rather an opportunity. Something else we get to do, should the creative strike a chord.
The more important reason is the desire, the search, for the art life. We didn't get into this to take meetings for 75% of our days. I want to spend as much time as possible with my mind on creative ideas, collaborate with people who excite and teach and elevate me, and present to and interact with audiences. This work allows me to constantly exercise my own mind, constantly connect deeply with all those around me who I find compelling, and constantly receive feedback from audiences on how the world around me truly feels about themselves, the work, our shared world. In other words, this work allows me to live in a state of deep consideration for myself, those closest to me, and the wider world around me.
I don't treat these as any less than a movie at Cannes Film Festival. It's actually way cooler because of the immediacy. I can put much more in because of the fluidity of scheduling. Actors who I could never get for a movie shooting in six months for two months...I can get for a night. I can get someone with a night off between Broadway shows. I can build an original piece with a filmmaker who I wouldn't otherwise be producing a movie with, but we can spend a few weeks on a short play.
May 6 is my second anthology program. May 27 will be a grab bag showcase of other director and actor groups. June 2 will be filmmakers from Tribeca Film Fest presenting their upcoming premiering films Live before the fest. Next, I'm adapting one of my favorite movies into a full length play. I'm building and casting all of that now.
Please reach out if you have any ideas. Or just keep in touch via @reunion or any of the various modes of communication, and come see the shows.
instagram.com/reunion + instagram.com/sdotglass + reunioncastingnyc@gmail.com
Performers include: Allie Avital, Reuben Barsky, Jon Bass, Ephraim Birney, Reed Birney, An-Li Bogan, Adrian Burke, Lillian Conner, Catherine Curtin, Anna Delvey, Jonah Feingold, Sabina Friedman-Seitz, Johnny Gaffney, Bridget Gao, David Garelik, John Gionis, Sean Glass, Tessa Gourin, Claire Makenzie, Selah Marley, Ariella Mastroianni, Madalynn Mathews, Brian McCarthy, Olivia Nikkanen, Tom Pecinka, Alexandra Qin, Keith William Richards, Francesca Root-Dodson, Sif Saga, Ryan J. Sloan, Mia Vallet, Michael Wiener, Micaela Wittman, Pascal Yen-Pfister, Ben Zimmer and many more.
Pieces are written and directed by Sean Glass, with one by Alexandra Qin. Lots of people work on this including Jeremy Cohen producing.
Reunion LIVE Team: Jon Eckhaus, Lillie Wojcik, Adam Abrutyn, Ally Betker, William Bishop, Sarah Bromley, Luca Canessa, Nicole Catania, Cecilia Chien, Joelle Dong, Jono Field, Pamela Fuller, Catarina Gonzalez, Tyler Gonzalez, Jackson Griffin, Gene Hyfler, Simbal Karma, Caroline Kotch, William George Lewis, Pat Linberg, Luisa Madrid, Carlos Monino, Manu Monsalve, Luka Mullen, Carli Nelson, Parker Otto, Tyler Perry, Brendan Pike, Eric Rich, Taylor Richardson, Sebastian Roizner, Brianna Ryan, Barbara Safonkina, Amber Sandlin, Abigayle Scobee, Toni Short, Maria Steyetsky, Brandon Tangonen, Alex Vara, Scott Varn, Lauren Vick, and Emily Wirth
— Sean Glass @sdotglass
EVENTS (reunion.eventive.org )
May 6: Reunion LIVE 2 [RSVP]
May 27: Reunion LIVE Actors Showcase [RSVP]
June 2: Reunion LIVE Tribeca [RSVP]
NEWS
The important stuff on the important stuff. TL;DR + links if you want more.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners Gets 70mm IMAX Re-Release [IndieWire] AMC’s website crashed this week after screenings sold out. Would be leaving an immense amount of money on the table not to bring it back. It sucks Thunderbolts is the thing knocking it out at all.
The M3GAN ‘Second Screen’ Chatbot Is an Epic Fail — and Offers Another Dire Warning for Our Future [Variety]
Takashi Miike To Direct Neon’s Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo Starring Shun Oguri, Lily James & Liv Morgan [Deadline]
Charli xcx to Star in and Produce Audition Director Takashi Miike’s Next Film [Variety] Not sure what the deal with Miike is right now. He makes a few movies a year that nobody cares about, but for some reason he’s hot this week! Alright, I guess I’ll take it. I like a bunch of his movies.
A Different Man Star Adam Pearson to Play Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man Film Adaptation [Variety] This is really really really great.
Travis Scott Drops ‘Jackboys II’ Trailer & Launches Merchandise Collection [Billboard]
Molly Manning Walker to Serve as Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury President [IndieWire] Camera D’Or winner a few years ago for How to Have Sex.
Norm Macdonald’s Dirty Work Gets Even Dirtier Almost 30 Years After Its Release [IndieWire] Love everything Norm forever. It’s my comfort food. I watch Norm interviews and bits all the time the way I think people generally listen to podcasts.
Nathan Fielder Depicts Paramount+ as Nazis After Streamer Removed ‘Nathan for You’ Episode Due to ‘Sensitivities’ Around Antisemitism [Variety] Hell yeah. This was an all timer moment in ‘TV.’ S2E1 Rehearsal gave zero hint that were would encounter what happened in E2. I was unenthused and bored in E1, and then all the sudden overwhelmed by E2. This episode is one of the best things ever done in TV. Period. It was incredible. Maybe my favorite thing Nathan Fielder, one of the coolest best ideas people alive right now, has ever done.
Ari Emanuel Buys Frieze, Art Events and Media Company, From Newly Private Endeavor Group [Variety] Probably a good thing. I think. Not entirely sure.
Rust Review: Alec Baldwin Plays a Cold Outlaw With a Heart of Gold in a Buddy-Movie Western That Lopes Along More Than It Takes Wing [Variety] I’d have preferred they scrap this. Not going to go on a rant about it right now, just don’t have time for this. Even the writer said so. This is dumb and I let my feelings be known quite openly when the topic comes up.
READ: AI is 'pivot to video' 2.0 [Spitfire News]
Sorry, Baby trailer released yesterday. Read our thoughts coming out of Sundace.
SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATIONS
WATCH
New York African Film Festival, May 7-31 [More Info]
The Lower East Side Film Festival, May 1-5 [More Info]
L.A. Rebellion: Then and Now series [Film Linc]
Blue Sun Palace [Film Linc]
Wuhan, Different Every Day series [BAM]
See It Big: Stunts! series, featuring The Fast and the Furious, Safety Last!, and Thunderball [MoMI]
Time and Tide: The Films of Jia Zhangke series [IFC]
Bonjour Tristesse, w/ filmmaker + cast in person [IFC]
“Living in Your Imagination”: A Conversation About Filmmaking with Durga Chew-Bose [Ssense]
Vulcanizadora, w/ filmmaker in person [IFC] My fav from Tribeca 2024.
A Dark, Hilarious, and Contemplative New Vision from Joel Potryku [Film Stage]
I Know Catherine, the Log Lady [IFC] Premiered at Twin Peaks Fest a couple months ago! Love these people. If you know me, I have my log here, gifted to me while standing with Catherine’s daughter after the S3 premiere. I’ve had an incredible life with Twin Peaks fans like the film team here, love all these people.
Pavements [Film Forum]
Inside Pavements: How Alex Ross Perry Made an Unprecedented Music Film as Ironic — and Sincere — as the Band Itself [Variety]
Most People Die on Sundays [Quad]
MAY 9:
Caught by the Tides, w/ filmmaker in person [IFC + Film Linc]
Mikio Naruse: The World Betrays Us – Part I [Japan Society]
MAY 16:
HITCH! The Original Cinema Influencer series [Paris]
Mission: Impossible – Marathon
Weekend [MoMI]
Jack Lemmon 100 series [Film Forum]
JUNE 5:
Mikio Naruse: The World Betrays Us – Part II [Japan Society]
STREAMING
Terry Southern: Hollywood’s Most Subversive Screenwriter [Criterion Collection]
Coming Soon to MUBI: Twin Peaks: The Return
ON OUR MIND
Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning fan-made poster echoes the original.
M:I gets its own popcorn bucket.
The Prince Charles Cinema is getting a mini festival of A24 films.
Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme first poster.
Kinema chats with two experts who shared invaluable insights into the world of independent filmmaking and distribution. Steven Beer is a great friend to me, my family, and looooootsa filmmakers and musicians.
