Lighthouse Series Moving Into the Final Round
By Maad AlKadhim
The SoHo Playhouse Lighthouse Series displays some of the most upcoming talented artists New York City has to offer. Located in the historic Soho Playhouse, the Lighthouse Series six finalists are eager to display their hard work and talents between July 5-16.
The Soho Playhouse not only represents a venue where the six finalists will be able to display their projects to New Yorkers, but it also serves to launch the young artists into their careers. The finalists can showcase their work and gain valuable experience.
Each of the finalists has their own stories. Each sprung up from different places in life and they aspired to leave an impression on New Yorkers and, one day, the world.
Ali Keller, one of the finalists, is no stranger to New York City. Keller grew up on Long Island, and since childhood, she has enjoyed musicals, movies, and television. Her passion for art and performance did not fade away with adulthood. After graduating from Bucknell University with a theater degree, Keller returned to New York where she dove into the field.
“When I graduated, I moved back to New York. I had some really great experiences. [I was] assistant and associate directing and doing some production assistant work on a lot of new developments,” said Keller. In her various roles, Keller worked on significant projects such as the Community Thought at the Open Center and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill on Broadway. All these experiences made Keller realize that her skill set lay with writing, which led to her current project, Unconditional.
Without burning Unconditional, the piece started as a 10-minute play inspired by Demi Charms’ life. “The piece itself is inspired by power dynamics in heterosexual couples and how to navigate it. Things like communication and consent and advocating for what you want long-term in a relationship,” said Keller.
Similar to Keller, another finalist, Emily Weitzman, has always been immersed in performances and writing. Weitzman wrote in college, and afterward, she became a writing and performance art professor at Columbia University. Although her capacity as a writer moved towards helping others write, Weitzman always saw herself as a performer and writer. “I realized I miss performing. I miss collaborating. To me, it is all very interdisciplinary,” said Weitzman.
Weitzman’s journey towards her current project started over 10 years ago with a love poem that she wrote to a couch. From there, she kept writing about furniture and used it as a metaphor for life and death.
Weitzman’s performance, directed by Rachel Resnick, is unique. Unlike other performances, it is a one-person show. Weitzman is the sole writer and performer. “I use video, images, dance, theater, clown. It is really interdisciplinary, and I wrote it, and it is just me performing,” said Weitzman.
Weitzman’s Furniture Boys performance draws on her background as a spoken word poet. In the “absurd world” of Furniture Boys “Boyfriends are couches, chairs, lampshades, and futons. Through an infatuation with Furniture Boys comes a fixation on that which lasts and that which doesn’t. Furniture and doors last. Boyfriends, not necessarily. We’re all going to die, but the furniture won’t,” said Weitzman.
Joy Lackey, the third finalist in the Lighthouse Series, is an emerging playwriter who finds herself drawing from her own experiences and the experiences of those around her. Mainly, Lackey draws from the Black community’s experiences.
Lackey has always found herself immersed in writing. Recently obtaining an MFA from New York University’s Tisch program, Lackey had an arsenal of skills as a TV writer. Lackey then started playwriting, which she found herself enjoying more every day.
Unlike other participants actively looking for events or organizations to showcase their work, Lackey’s friend recommended the Lighthouse Series. “One of my classmates who enjoys my writing sent me this opportunity, and I was like, well, this looks like a cool way to do some self-producing and get my work up and see what it is like to be in the play world. So I decided I will submit this piece, and if I am admitted, it will be a fun way to put my work on the web,” said Lackey.
Being one of the finalists of the Lighthouse Series does not only serve as an opportunity to showcase one’s work, but for individuals such as Lackey, it serves as encouragement to continue working. Being voted into the finals affirms that Lackey’s writing resonates with the audience. Where Should We Put ‘EM gives the audience insight into Lackey’s observations in her community and environment. It also gives the audience a sneak peek into the investigative nature of Lackey.
Located in the Historic SoHo Playhouse, starting on July 5, Lackey, Weitzman, and Keller will take the stage in front of New York to display their projects. For these finalists and the others, these projects took years to produce and perfect. For more information on these artists and the Lighthouse Series, visit sohoplayhouse.com.
Maad AlKadhim is an intern with the Village View. He is pursuing a Master’s in Journalism at NYU. He is also a member of the editorial staff at NYU Pavement.
