Blog Posts - The Skeleton Rep

We Should Know Her: Mary Anning

5/9/2017

In preparation for next Friday's Salon about little known women in history, I'm introducing our featured ladies! First up,

MARY ANNING
AKA The Princess of Paleontology

Mary Anning (1799 - 1847) was an English fossil collector, dealer, and palaentologist. Despite having no formal education and struggling financially most of her life, she has become one of the most celebrated fossil collectors in history. During her time, she was well-known in geological circles throughout Europe, often consulting on issues of anatomy and collecting. However, because she was a woman, she was not allowed to join the Geological Society of London, nor did she receive full credit for her scientific findings until well after her death.

Join us Friday 5.19 @ 7pm in giving Mary Anning a voice.

Keep an eye out for the next woman! Until then, if you missed the last salon, HUNGRY by Lia Romeo, I've posted a clip of the performance. Check it out!
Cheers,
Ria as The Skeleton Rep

May has my Birthday and The Salon is ON!

5/2/2017

Folks! I am super excited about this salon! I've asked for submissions inspired by historical women that most of us probably haven't heard of. I received an incredible number of pieces and am happy to announce that on May 19th @ 7pm, I will be hosting new works by Veronica Cooper, G.L. Horton, Susannah Jones & Maria DiFabbio, Dani Martineck, Sarah M. White, and Danielle Winston.
This salon is also the day after my birthday, so I figured, why not make it a Birthday Salon? So, it's also a birthday party! Come celebrate theater, new work, awesome people, spring, and me! RSVP by emailing theskeletonrep@gmail.com to receive the full address.

May 19th @ 7pm - RSVP

Psst... Keep an eye out in the coming days to learn more about some of the amazing women who have inspired this month's work!

What are you HUNGRY for? - Salon this Friday

4/17/2017

The time is approaching.
Friday 4/21 @ 7pm.
BYOB & meet the Minotaur.

RSVP for HUNGRY

Synopsis:
Amy is trying. Trying to lose weight, trying to be popular, trying to do well in school... but it's not working out very well. When a minotaur suddenly shows up in her backyard, Amy finds the unconditional acceptance she's been looking for... but when the "mean kids" start turning up dead, she realizes that being best friends with a man-eating mythological beast might have its drawbacks. Will the minotaur be her salvation or her downfall?

Meet the team and find out what they're hungry for.

Jasmine Stiefel is hungry for patience and compassion.

Lia Romeo is hungry for more life and more experiences. Also Swedish Fish.

Amanda Bruton is hungry for a role she can sink her teeth into and that will be challenging AF. But in reality she's just hungry for Double-Stuffed Oreos and Cheetos.

Hannah Jane Ginsberg is hungry for travel to faraway places. Also taquitos.

Chase Kuertz is hungry for work!

Do you miss me, or my work?

4/8/2017

Either way, you can see both tonight!
Catch my work on a short piece in the first ever Big Apple Theater Festival at The Kraine.
7pm & 9pm.

I had an amazing time working on a new piece by Amy Harris entitled NO PLAN B, brought to life by the talented and charismatic Courtney McClellan and Brian Morvant.

(psst... as a friend and follower of mine, I got you a discount code: BATF2017)

One More Week to Submit for May's Salon

4/7/2017

I need you.
I need you to send me a piece about a woman from history we all should know, but maybe haven't heard of, or don't know enough about.

Send me your monologue, one act, song, or other theatrical interpretation of this Call to Action by end of day on Thursday 4/13 to theskeletonrep@gmail.com. That's one week away.

Be brave. Put pen to paper, clack away at those keys.

Can't wait to hear from you :-)

Cheers,
Ria as The Skeleton Rep

They came, they saw, they partied. And I'm doing it again!

3/28/2017

Happy Hump Day!
I could not have been more pleased at the outcome of last Friday's salon of SEVERANCE by Jack Horton Gilbert. Our cast was captivating, the pizzas were delicious, and the crowd was magnificent! After the reading, we partied together until 1am.

Sad you missed it? I am too! That's why the next salon is just around the corner with....

Want to join us? Doing so is simple!
Email me with your RSVP and I'll send you the address!
Friday April 21st @ 7pm
BYOB

Until then!

Cheers,
Ria as THE SKELETON REP

Salon in Outer Space, House-Made Pizza, & my Mom!

3/23/2017

It's finally here! Friday 3/24 @ 7pm
Severance by Jack Horton Gilbert
RSVP & BYOB

Why should you attend this one? I'm so glad you asked.

1. Performing this time is an all-star cast made up of Dante Alexander, Barron Bass, John Carlin, Alejandra Rivera Flavia, Courtney McClellan, Charlotte Pines, and Cristina Pitter.

2. There will be fresh pizza made on site, before & after the reading. That's dough, sauce, and cheese from scratch, my friends.

3. My totally awesome mother is in town for this one!

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Cheers,
Ria as THE SKELETON REP

Salons for March, April, & May - Come Play!

3/15/2017

Folks, I finally got it together to plan ahead.
I have organized the next three salons.
One week from today, my living room will see SEVERANCE by Jack Horton Gilbert. Have I mentioned it's a post-apocalyptic play set in space?
On April 21st, I will be hosting HUNGRY by Lia Romeo. It's a contemporary American take on the Minotaur myth.
For May, I am hoping for the salon to double as my birthday party! I am also looking for this to be The Skeleton Rep's second ever CALL TO ACTION. That means I need you! Here's the prompt:

Write a short piece (one act, short play, monologue, song, etc!) about/inspired by a little-known woman in history. I've collected some names over the years as inspiration:
Enheduanna (earliest known author/poet)
Hypatia (Philosopher of ancient Alexandria)
Marina Chapman (raised by monkeys)
Martha Rountree (began Meet The Press)
Henrietta Swan Leavitt (Astronomer)
Miriam A. Ferguson (First Female Governor of Texas)
Bridget Cleary ("Last Witch of Ireland")

The due date for these pieces is Thursday April 13th. Please submit your piece to theskeletonrep@gmail.com. You can also feel free to send an "intent to submit" email and I'll check in with you before the due date :-)

I need a minimum of five pieces to make this salon happen, so be brave! I can't wait to see what you do.

In Remembrance of Sham

3/13/2017

Today, the soul of a rising star was buried. I never had the fortune to meet Sham myself, but I have been touched by those who knew him. After attending his vigil last week, I felt moved to share what I experienced there, to give some of what he offered to all of those whom we knew. This is for you, Sham, and for the light you give everyone, even now.

A Man I Was About to Know: A Soliloquy
by Ria T. DiLullo
dedicated to Shamsuddin Abdul Hamid

(1) It was a few weeks ago, I was told,
            "You gotta meet Sham! He's the best I'll know."
            "Invite him to the reading," I replied.
            "I am always excited to meet a
(5) Talent and friend who inspires you so!"
            Not much what said on the matter, until
            A chilled morning, clear and bright, I saw a
            Look that overtook the brow on B's face.
            He breathed before looking at me, glassy.
(10) "Sham... I can't believe it. My friend? He's dead."
            I was about to know Sham, on his way
            To becoming a man and an artist.
            Instead, I rode with a friend from the past,
            A love I hope to have for life, and one
(15) Other compatriot I did not know.
            We rode, the four of us alive to drive
            To respect a life no longer living,
            To celebrate the light left behind them.
            Upon approaching the vigil for Sham,
(20) It became clear to me that the grief
            Gathered here was different.
            So many souls joined together outside
            Of a high school in New Jersey, the sky
            Dark and the air cold. Many people spoke,
(25) But as the stories began to unfold,
            Even I, an outsider, could begin
            To piece together who this person was.
            Here are some of the things I can tell you
            Of this young man I was about to know:
(30) His full name: Shamsuddin Abdul Hamid.
            Most people called him Sham. His presence could
            Plant a smile on anyone's face. He
            Was a Muslim, but loved all houses of
            God, happy to pray and participate
(35) In many denominations. "Sham knew
            Jesus!", was said to the heavens with a
            Lifted chest by many of the speakers.
            He grew up in New Jersey, raised by a
            Single mom who runs a beauty parlour.
(40) It was there that Sham learned to listen and
            Digest how different people tell stories.
            Sham was a tour du force on stage and screen.
            He would have been the envy of his class,
            Except that his brightness was infectious.
(45) Everyone wanted the best for Sham. It
            Was clear that those who met him wanted him
            To succeed. And he was well on his way.
            Sham was not just known to those who knew him;
            He was famous in his community
(50) For both his talent and integrity.
            Even as the moments making up the
            Vigil passed, the people gathered wanted
            To stay together. Sham was alive then,
            Again, because his spirit embodies
(55) All whom he touched. Even in his absence,
            Even as someone who never met Sham,
            I can feel what he offered freely to
            Those who spent time with him. I smile at
            The thought of him, at the knowledge of the
(60) Heart I know he had. Sham, you will be missed.
            It would have been an honor to meet you.
            At least I can say, I almost knew you.

The Salon Series is Alive & Well!

2/26/2017

This Friday past, twenty people gathered in my living room. Josh Watkins tossed pizza like a true champ. We met Paisley, a Millennial Marcher curating her Facebook Live post while on the scene; Emily demanded our attention through her well crafted rhetoric and poise. I performed my piece, which you can see now! Keep a watchful eye, more video highlights might be coming...

If you missed this salon, fear not! March 2017 is already in the works with SEVERANCE by Jack Gilbert. Some of you might remember Jack from a salon last year, where we witnessed a guy doing a radio show at the end of the world for no one. Now, we offer you it's companion piece. It's the same post-apocalyptic world, but now, it's a space station. March 24th @ 7pm. Keep an eye out for details.

Until the next, time, Ciao!

Cheers,
Ria as The Skeleton Rep