Grinder Productions

Crew Wanted! Are you interested in trying something a bit different this summer? I am looking for some help with both the Ennotville Showcase and Sinistral Intentions. Unlike a regular show where people are divided up by production area I find that the intimate nature of the Ennotville stage is better suited to roles that are more broadly defined. I prefer to fill the roles of producer, director, designer, carpenter, electrician, and audio engineer, and then whatever else nee...ds doing after that. I’m hoping to find someone to fill the roles of stage manager, props master, costumer, scenic artist, dressing/decor, board operator, and whatever else needs doing after that. You don’t have to know how to do all of those jobs, of course. In fact, you don’t have to know how to do any of those jobs - in Ennotville they’re not that hard, and I can teach anyone who is willing to learn. Get in touch if you’re interested, or if would like to know more! See more

Grinder regulars who were looking at our set building pictures from a few days ago may have noticed the change of location. I’m pleased to report that we now have access to the full shop on our farm. We’ll still have to share the space with parked machinery but, with any luck, this is where we'll be rehearsing our shows from now on. Admittedly it’s still not the be-all and end-all in rehearsal halls, but it’s a huge step up from the barn. The quantity of dust, dirt, and pidgeon droppings in future rehearsals should all be significantly reduced - any changes in the level of raccoons, skunks, goats or other creatures at rehearsal still to be determined.

Playwrights Wanted! Do you have a 1-act play that you want to produce, but don’t know where to start? I have some space available in our annual summer showcase at the Ennotville Library, and would love to include the works of other writers, besides myself. Ideally I’m looking for people who are willing and able to direct their own shows, and have plays that will work in the intimate confines of the library, but we could chat about ways to get around both of those obstacles. Send me a text, DM, whatever if you’d like to learn more!

Season Announcement: Okay everyone, here it is - the Grinder 2020 season. Well, so far, anyways. I’m still in discussions about at least two other projects, which I’ll announce if and when I’m able to do so. I’m also open to new opportunities that may crop up, so who knows what else might end up being part of the Grinder saga this year. But with those two qualifiers in mind, here’s what we are doing at Grinder Productions this year: 1. The Ennotville Playwright’s Showcase - J...uly 17th and 18th. This will be the standard show that we’ve done for the past few years, three-to-five 1-act plays, perhaps around a theme, at the Ennotville Library. The difference this year is that I’m hoping to write and direct, at most, just one of the plays. I have invited some other writers to bring scripts to the project, and it looks like I’ll have room for one or two more. Watch for a specific call for playwrights in another couple of days. 2. Sinistral Intentions - July 24th and 25th. This full-length show will be my main directorial project for the summer. It is the story of James, an old man with a penchant for conspiracy theories, on a weekend fishing trip with his single-mom-plumber daughter Charlotte, and his two jaded granddaughters, Lucy and Amelia. They live in blissful ignorance in a world where populism has run amuck, where executive orders go straight to your inbox, fake news is a degree program, and the where the size of your hands isn’t nearly as important as which one you brush your teeth with. It’s Dr. Strangeglove meets Surviorman, and equally suitable for both dextrals and sinistrals, of all political stripes. So that’s it, in a nutshell. More details to follow soon!

Happy New Year! I’m thrilled to start 2020 at Grinder with some long-overdo set construction. Yesterday we replaced four old, poorly-constructed, past-their-prime stock flats with four new ones, built the right way, and with the right materials. This was made possible by the generous donations to the silent auction that was organized by the cast of our 2019 Ennotville Show, Heroes and Other Problems. A big thank-you to Kehlar Hillyer, Ryan Fenton, Ray Kavanagh, Jules Docherty, Cathy Goudie, Ana Quintero and Austin De Vos, and everyone who bid on an auction item - these set pieces are dedicated to you!