See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Eli Rosenberg
Brooklyn Daily
This must be what college was like for theater kids.
A monthly show instructs attendees to imbibe at the cue of certain elements in six 10-minute plays — getting audience members saucier as the dramas unfold — continuing one of many the socially lubricated theater events the UglyRhino theater company is hosting at the Brooklyn Lyceum.
“We tend to leave the craziest play or the funniest or the silliest to the end,” said Bryce Norbitz, executive producer. “We program it so the one you want to be more toasted for is at the end of the night. We want people to end in a good mood and stick around.”
For some, the drinks may be the draw, and indeed Norbitz says many of the plays the company works with are Brooklyn playwrights’ submissions and include original scores and effects — admitting alcohol is a lure to get people to support good local theater.
“The reason we started doing the TinyRhino drinking game was that so many of the submissions were so great, we wanted to work with more of these people,” said Norbitz, who says the company has worked with over 200 artists since it was founded, most of them from Brooklyn.
The rapid-fire plays are just part of the UglyRhino’s ambitions, and this month they’re offering a new “micro-season” of two mainstage plays — an adaptation of “The Awakening,” by Kate Chopin, and “GLAMDROMEDA,” a glam-rock musical — but once again, the party atmosphere might be the main attraction, and not necessarily just the plays.
“It’s more like having a night out on the town, then just going to see a show as usual,” said Norbitz. “We wanted to make it so you could see a play, a band, get a drink, dance and not have to go to different places all night.”
One $18 ticket to UglyRhino’s new production at the Brooklyn Lyceum gets a visitor a seat for two fully-produced plays, a live concert, a DJ’ed after-party and a two free drinks inspired by the show.
The Lyceum, a 102-year-old building on Fourth Avenue that was originally constructed to house an indoor pool, is one of the few venues that could support such a mutli-faceted evening all under one roof, Norbitz said.
Theater-goers should also look forward to the UglyRhino’s Halloween event, where ticket holders will be treated to six drinks per person.
UglyRhino’s micro-season at the Brooklyn Lyceum [227 4th Ave., between Union and President streets in Park Slope, (718) 857–4816. www.brooklynlyceum.com] August 15 – 31, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, as well as Saturday, August 25. 8 pm. $18.