ScreamingMediaProductions

UK Live Edition 2012

Gi60: The Full History

Gi60: a One Minute History Gi60: The One Minute Play Festival was created by Steve Ansell, artistic director of ScreamingMediaProductions in 2003. At that time Steve was the Associate Director and head of New Writing at Harrogate Theatre, North Yorkshire, UK. Steve was curating a writing festival and looking for ways to offer more opportunity for writers to have their work staged. The idea of staging a one minute play festival was actually thanks to Christopher Durang and his anthology 27 Short Plays which contains a play titled ‘One Minute Play’ which Durang was commissioned to write for a one minute play festival. His play actually lasts over two minutes as he found the parameters limiting. It was for this reason that the first Gi60 was actually a two minute play festival called 120 Seconds which was presented as part of the 2003 Harrogate Theatre Write On festival. 120 Seconds was a huge success with both writers and audiences and so in 2004, enthused by the reaction to 120 seconds the first ‘Gone In Sixty Seconds’ (Gi60) was presented. Almost 90 one minute plays were performed in two separate shows, one show for family audiences and one for more adult themed material. Once again the shows were a huge success with extra performances hastily arranged as the studio space housing the event couldn’t accommodate the audience numbers.

Although the 2004 show was very successful it had become clear that a single show with fewer plays would be more manageable, however, a reduction in the number of shows would have meant less opportunities for writers. With this in mind and inspired by his own phones ability to shoot about one minute of video, Steve approached long time colleague and fellow Director Rose Burnett Bonczek at Brooklyn College in New York to see if she would host a New York One Minute Play festival under the Gi60 name and record the entire event on Video. The plan would be to each present 50 one minute plays, record them and then upload them to a website for viewing and download by writers, friends, family and the general public.

Both shows were a massive success and both were recorded. A site and domain name were purchased and software uploaded (beating the official launch of You Tube by five months). Over the years we have undergone a number of changes. The UK show moved from the Harrogate Theatre studio to the Theatres main stage and is now has its home at The Viaduct Theatre in Halifax where Steve is an associate artist. In 2008 we moved the Gi60 Archive to You Tube and the Gi60 channel has received over 50,000 hits since that time. In 2010 we hosted our first themed Gi60 as part of the Halifax Ghost Story Festival ‘G(hosts)i60’, this was also notable as it was the first time that both Steve and Rose had directed together and featured a cast drawn from both UK and US actors.

Gi60 is always evolving and in 2012 the US Live Edition was treamed live over the internet for the first time. Although things change the key elements that make Gi60 so distinctive, successful and emulated remain the same.

Plays and playwrightsPossible Opening Lines Alex Bernstein, New Jersey, USAOne Ramona Floyd, New York, USANot Even if Amy Ignatow, USANegotiating With Terrorists Daniel Clements, Monmouthshire, WalesWhat’s in a name? Bill Hodson, York, UKThe Clincher Anton Krasauskas, Pontefract, UKMonster face Oscar Allen, Otley, UKClosed but Open Tom Carrozza, New York, USAThe Quizzer Who Came To Tea Terry Collins, Harrogate, UKLiberal Arts Pirates Dwayne Yancey, Virginia, USAYOUNG AND NAÏVE? Janine SmithLeeds, UKStone Dee GrijakOtley, UKCharlie ‘Doc’ Andersen-Bloomfield, Chipping Norton, UKDowsing Mark Harvey Levine, California, USANo Stranger to Heartache Tom Carrozza, New York, USAEverything’s a Pound David Muncaster, Cheshire, UKEnjoy every sandwich Barry Hobbs, St. Albans, UKSuperzero Jasmine Bown, Harrogate, UKGhosts Ekaterina Ostrova, Brooklyn, New York, USASilence is Golden Jim MacNerland, Los Angeles, CASchrodinger’s Curiousity Meron Langsner, USARU a Ghost Ramona Floyd, New York, USABacteria Mark Smith, Harrogate, UKGrandma’s Blocks Dean Clough, Halifax, UKEmotional Rollercoaster S. L. Daniels, Chicago USA

Reigning in the Crazy Janine Smith, Leeds, UKBed Bug’s Day Out Terry Collins, Harrogate, UKBefore The Dinner Altenir Silva, Rio Di Janero, BrazilPitch Jamie Evans, New York, New YorkThis Blank Page Anthony R. Ponzio, New York, USAThe Exam Maude Lambert York, UKDog Days Arlene Malinowski, Chicago, USAWrong House Kay Poiro, Hawaii, USAGolden Anniversary Catherine Russo, New York, USAThe Impractical Assassin Jacob Mole, Surrey, UKCrumbs Bruce Shearer Melbourne, AustraliaWhat You wish For Dan Morra, Philadelphia, USAPenance Ted Wenskus New York, USAOn the Nose Thomas J. Misuraca, California, USAGRTC Irene Ziegler Virginia, USAHotspot Julian Kaufman, Woodford Green, UKBreathe Steve Winchcombe, Leeds UKCalling the King Michael W Moon, Chicago, USAThe Sea of a Thousand Yesterdays Joel Dean, York, UKOn the Other Side Emily Lawrenson, Barcelona, SpainWho Anthony R. Ponzio New York, USABusier Than Dwayne Yancey Virginia, USADeal With It Ivy Vale New York, USAHoliday Season Bill Grabowski New York, USA, Flying Into the Jaws of Doom Julian Kaufman Woodford Green, UK

Cast: Hedley BrownMusician, actor, director and teacher, Hedley has been part of the Gi60 family for the last five years and this tyear will be, for the first time, undertaking some of the directing responsibilities dfor the show as well as performing.

Joel DeanA graduate of York University Joel has been a member of the Gi60 company since it’s inception. Joel was a member of both HarrogatevYouth Theatre and the ScreamingMedia Young Actors company and has worked with Director Steve Ansell since 2003.

Arthur SutcliffeArthur Sutcliffe has been performing since he was six years old as a member of Harrogate Youth Theatre he performed in many shows including Aladdin and Nicholas Nickleby. Arthur was a member of the ScreamingMedia Young Actors Company and the Deanery players and has performed in every annula Gi60. Arthur recently volunteered at a school in Ghana teaching english and drama.

Keir BownThis will be Keir’s first Gi60. He has previously worked with Steve Ansell as both a member of Harrogate Youth Theatre and the ScremingMedia Young Actors Company. Keir is an accomplished juggler and unicyclist.

Kieran BorchardKieran is a veteran of Gi60 and has worked with Steve Ansell on numerous productions as a member of the ScremingMedia Young Actors Company and Harrogate Youth Theatre. In addition to acting Kieran is a talented musician.

Oscar AllenOscar has been performing for over ten years and has appeared in Gi60 since 2009. In addition to performing in the show Oscar is also one of the featured playwrights. Oscar is fluent in British Sign Language, a skill that has proved most useful during the rehearsal process. Nealie Harman-CookNealie is a vivacious and outgoing young woman who has beenpassionate about acting from an early age. Since graduating from dramaschool her continued enthusiasm enables her to grow and flourish as aprofessional actress.

Anna Shotter‘An actress and singer who has worked in various locations around the U.K. Anna Shotter studied Acting at School of the Arts, University of Northampton. She currently works at the Blackpool Tower Dungeons. Most interesting moments include performing Shakespeare’s A Mid-summer Nights Dream outdoors in the middle of a thunderstorm!’

Helen BuchananHelen is a professional Actor and musician who has performewd in both the UK and abroad. Helen studied at Nortyhumbria University where she recieved a first Class Honours degree in performance. Helen is a talented Ukulele player and performs as one part of the the musical duo B&B

Directors: Steve AnsellJan AnsellHedley Brown

Stage Manager: Zoe Maddox

Nealie Harman-Cook

Helen Buchanan

Anna Shotter

Hedley Brown

Joel Dean

Arthur Sutcliffe

Keir Bown

Kieran Borchard

Oscar Allen

Zoe Maddox

Steve Ansell

Jan Ansell

www.Gi60.blogspot.com

Anyone can write a play...

Special thanks to Vic, Dee and the the entire Dean Clough team for their continued support. Thank you to Rose Bonczek and Brooklyn College for makinfg Gi60 the truly international

event it has become.