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BEHIND THE SCENESRead blog posts, watch videos, and browse through photos to discover more about the journey behind EDWIN. Ask questions of our creative and production teams. If your question is selected for posting on our site, you’ll win a special prize! Email us today!
WIN TICKETSJoin our email list today! Your name will be entered into a drawing to win 2 tickets to our 2015 production of EDWIN at the Players in New York City. Winners will also receive backstage access to meet the performers and the production team. Join today!
FIRST READING
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Jane Kosminksy, Artistic/Executive DirectorDear friends, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War in 2015, several of us have gathered together to create a work of art called EDWIN. Our composer describes it as a chamber opera; our librettist calls it a play surrounded by and infused with music. Read More.
THE NEWS
8.7.14
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The TeaseCheck out scenes from our �rst read-though of EDWIN! Treat yourself to some glorious music
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The MusicListen to Marianna Rosett, composer of EDWIN, give musical expression to a character’s inner
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The ChallengeEric Swanson, librettist of EDWIN, discusses Booth’s greatest challenge. What happens
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Adventure in the ArtsWelcome! Great Circle Productions brings to life those projects that inspire, o�er hope, and touch the human heart. Our �rst production is EDWIN. A unique adventure in music, theater, and history, it tells the story of Edwin Booth, the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day, who endured a life of private and public tragedy. Nearly ruined when his brother killed President Lincoln, he faced a choice: resume his career or starve. Opens in 2015 in New York City.
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Adventure in the ArtsWelcome! Great Circle Productions brings to life those projects that inspire, o�er hope, and touch the human heart. Our �rst production is EDWIN. A unique adventure in music, theater, and history, it tells the story of Edwin Booth, the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day, who endured a life of private and public tragedy. Nearly ruined when his brother killed President Lincoln, he faced a choice: resume his career or starve. Opens in 2015 in New York City.
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THE NEWS
FIRST READING
WIN TICKETS
> >
Jane Kosminksy, Artistic/Executive DirectorDear friends, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War in 2015, several of us have gathered together to create a work of art called EDWIN. Our composer describes it as a chamber opera; our librettist calls it a play surrounded by and infused with music. Read More.
Join our email list today! Your name will be entered into a drawing to win 2 tickets to our 2015 production of EDWIN at the Players in New York City. Winners will also receive backstage access to meet the performers and the production team. Join today!
BEHIND THE SCENESRead blog posts, watch videos, and browse through photos to discover more about the journey behind EDWIN. Ask questions of our creative and production teams. If your question is selected for posting on our site, you’ll win a special prize! Email us today!
8.7.14
The ChallengeEric Swanson, librettist of EDWIN, discusses Booth’s greatest challenge. What happens when
The MusicListen to Marianna Rosett, composer of EDWIN, give musical expression to a character’s inner
The TeaseCheck out scenes from our �rst read-though of EDWIN! Treat yourself to some glorious music you
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�
�
Adventure in the ArtsWelcome! Great Circle Productions brings to life those projects that inspire, o�er hope, and touch the human heart. Our �rst production is EDWIN. A unique adventure in music, theater, and history, it tells the story of Edwin Booth, the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day, who endured a life of private and public tragedy. Nearly ruined when his brother killed President Lincoln, he faced a choice: resume his career or starve. Opens in 2015 in New York City.
Marianna RosettComposer
Marianna Rosett began her piano and ballet studies at the age of �ve in her hometown of Transylvania, Romania. She made her solo piano debut at age seven and was the two-time winner of the International Youth Competition in Bucharest by age ten. Her career includes solo recitals, chamber music, and performances with the ensembles Mannekrianna and Skymusic. Ms. Rosett has performed in India, Japan, Canada, and throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa in venues including La Scala Opera House (Milan), Lincoln Center, New York Shakespeare Festival, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where she was an artist-in-residence.
As a composer, performer, and educator, Ms. Rosett use her peerless skills as an improviser to form a passionate and direct bond between the audience and performer, the listener and the piece, and the student and the instrument. Combining the formal structure of classical music with the emotional immediacy of improvisation, she creates a new musical language of enormous beauty. Ms. Rosett has improvised and composed for television, theatre, and dance and, most recently, has turned her gi�s to composing for opera. In 2013, she composed Songs for Then and Now with co-lyricists Eric Swanson and Jane Kosminsky, which is available on CD and online at CDBaby, iTunes, and Amazon.com. Ms. Rosett’s other recordings are available on La Mer Records (Roseleaf, 2002), and Roseleaf Records (Parallelas, 2010).
For more than thirty years, Ms. Rosett has devoted much of her lifeto teaching in her New York studio, through master classes, andat conservatories and universities. She specializes in teaching classical improvisation, as she believes it liberates the creative energies and imagination of the performer. Ms. Rosett studied at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem and received her B.S. and M.S. at The Juilliard School. She became the youngest faculty member in Juilliard’s history; Ms. Rosett has taught in the School’s music, drama, and dance departments.
Jane Kosminsky has had an extensive career as a dancer. She was a member of the May O’Donnell and Tamiris-Nagrin companies, a soloist with the Norman Walker Dance Company (1960-1965) and the Paul Taylor Dance Company (1965-1971). In 1971, she became Co-Artistic Director (with Bruce Becker) and Principal Dancer of 5 by 2 Dance Company and 5 by 2 Plus, a modern dance repertory company (1971-1982), one of the �rst three modern dance repertory companies in the United States. Ms. Kosminsky was one of the �rst people to restage Paul Taylor’s work and restaged his Aureole for productions of Nureyev and Friends. She also appeared as Mr. Nureyev’s partner in Paris (1974), London (1976), and Madrid (1978). In 1986, she became the Director of Dance at the 92nd Street Y and created the programs Fridays at Noon, a free event that celebrates the work of emerging and established choreographers, and Space Grants, which provides subsidized rehearsal space, both of which still exist today. In 2014, she founded Great Circle Productions, Inc., a nonpro�t organization for support and development of projects in the arts.
Ms. Kosminsky has served on the faculties of the American Center for Alexander Technique (1986-1994) and The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre (1988-2012). She was a member of The Juilliard School Drama Faculty (1971-1986) and has been a member of the Dance Faculty since 1986. Through her organization, The Balance of Well-being, Ms. Kosminsky has developed and produced three pioneer DVDs about the Alexander Technique, which are sold online and through select distributors. She is a graduate and dance award winner of the School of Performing Arts in New York City. Ms. Kosminsky received her B.A. in Language and Literature from City College of New York and is a graduate of The American Center for the Alexander Technique.
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Adventure in the ArtsWelcome! Great Circle Productions brings to life those projects that inspire, o�er hope, and touch the human heart. Our �rst production is EDWIN. A unique adventure in music, theater, and history, it tells the story of Edwin Booth, the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day, who endured a life of private and public tragedy. Nearly ruined when his brother killed President Lincoln, he faced a choice: resume his career or starve. Opens in 2015 in New York City.
Jane Kosminsky has had an extensive career as a dancer. She was a member of the May O’Donnell and Tamiris-Nagrin companies, a soloist with the Norman Walker Dance Company (1960-1965) and the Paul Taylor Dance Company (1965-1971). In 1971, she became Co-Artistic Director (with Bruce Becker) and Principal Dancer of 5 by 2 Dance Company and 5 by 2 Plus, a modern dance repertory company (1971-1982), one of the �rst three modern dance repertory companies in the United States. Ms. Kosminsky was one of the �rst people to restage Paul Taylor’s work and restaged his Aureole for productions of Nureyev and Friends. She also appeared as Mr. Nureyev’s partner in Paris (1974), London (1976), and Madrid (1978). In 1986, she became the Director of Dance at the 92nd Street Y and created the programs Fridays at Noon, a free event that celebrates the work of emerging and established choreographers, and Space Grants, which provides subsidized rehearsal space, both of which still exist today. In 2014, she founded Great Circle Productions, Inc., a nonpro�t organization for support and development of projects in the arts.
Ms. Kosminsky has served on the faculties of the American Center for Alexander Tech-nique (1986-1994) and The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre (1988-2012). She was a member of The Juilliard School Drama Faculty (1971-1986) and has been a member of the Dance Faculty since 1986. Through her organization, The Balance of Well-being, Ms. Kosminsky has developed and produced three pioneer DVDs about the Alexander Technique, which are sold online and through select distributors. She is a graduate and dance award winner of the School of Performing Arts in New York City. Ms. Kosminsky received her B.A. in Language and Literature from City College of New York and is a graduate of The American Center for the Alexander Technique.
Marianna Rosett began her piano and ballet studies at the age of �ve in her hometown of Transylvania, Romania. She made her solo piano debut at age seven and was the two-time winner of the Interna-tional Youth Competition in Bucharest by age ten. Her career includes solo recitals, chamber music, and performances with the ensembles Mannekrianna and Skymusic. Ms. Rosett has performed in India, Japan, Canada, and throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa in venues including La Scala Opera House (Milan), Lincoln Center, New York Shakespeare Festival, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where she was an artist-in-residence.
As a composer, performer, and educator, Ms. Rosett use her peerless skills as an improviser to form a passionate and direct bond between the audience and performer, the listener and the piece, and the student and the instrument. Combining the formal structure of classical music with the emo-tional immediacy of improvisation, she creates a new musical language of enor-mous beauty. Ms. Rosett has improvised and composed for television, theatre, and dance and, most recently, has turned her gi�s to composing for opera. In 2013, she composed Songs for Then and Now with co-lyricists Eric Swanson and Jane Kosmin-sky, which is available on CD and online at CDBaby, iTunes, and Amazon.com. Ms. Rosett’s other recordings are available on La Mer Records (Roseleaf, 2002), and Roseleaf Records (Parallelas, 2010).
For more than thirty years, Ms. Rosett has devoted much of her life to teaching in her New York studio, through master classes, and at conservatories and universities. She specializes in teaching classical improvisa-tion, as she believes it liberates the cre-ative energies and imagination of the per-former. Ms. Rosett studied at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem and received her B.S. and M.S. at The Juilliard School. She became the youngest faculty member in Juilliard’s history; Ms. Rosett has taught in the School’s music, drama, and dance departments.
EdwinTo commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War in 2015, several of us have gathered together to create a work of theatre, music, and history called EDWIN. The focus of this project is the life of Edwin Booth, the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day and the older brother of John Wilkes Booth. We envision a work for �ve or possibly six singer/actors and a small orchestra.
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A Magical IdeaWe began with a very small idea–the creation of a work for Gary Ramsey in which he could use his gi� as classically trained actor and an opera singer. We were looking for a work about an actor.
When Gary heard the idea he said, “It’s not about any actor, Jane, It’s about Edwin Booth and it takes place in the dressing room when he is
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BiographyEdwin Booth was born on November 13, 1833, under a sky lit by a meteor shower, which residents of the family farm in Maryland regarded as an omen of greatness. The second eldest of �ve surviving children of British-born actor Junius Brutus Booth, Edwin was sent on the road at the age of 13 to look a�er his father as he toured the major cities of the eastern United States; for although Junius was a gi�ed actor, he was also . <
Future Projects· Ladies Unsuited for Travel, The Flight of the Portuguese Court Ladies:
1807–a �lm by Emmy® Award winning producer, Molly McBride, that examines the process of shedding the super�cial parts of oneself and making space for something deeper.
· The Mischling–a book by Bärli Nugent, D.M.A., Assistant Dean and
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War in 2015, several of us have gathered together to create a work of theatre, music, and history called EDWIN. The focus of this project is the life of Edwin Booth, the greatest Shakespear-ean actor of his day and the older brother of John Wilkes Booth. We envision a work for �ve or possibly six singer/actors and a small orchestra.
A Magical Idea
We began with a very small idea–the creation of a work for Gary Ramsey in which he could use his gi� as classically trained actor and an opera singer. We were looking for a work about an actor.
When Gary heard the idea he said, “It’s not about any actor, Jane, It’s about Edwin Booth and it takes place in the dressing room when he is about to go back onstage
Biography
Edwin Booth was born on November 13, 1833, under a sky lit by a meteor shower, which residents of the family farm in Mary-land regarded as an omen of greatness. The second eldest of �ve surviving children of British-born actor Junius Brutus Booth, Edwin was sent on the road at the age of 13 to look a�er his father as he toured the major cities of the eastern United States; for although Junius was a gi�ed actor, he
Future Projects
· Ladies Unsuited for Travel, The Flight of the Portuguese Court Ladies: 1807–a �lm by Emmy® Award winning producer, Molly McBride, that examines the process of shedding the super�cial parts of oneself and making space for something deeper.
· The Mischling–a book by Bärli Nugent,D.M.A., Assistant Dean and Director of
Support Us
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BLO
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Resurrecting EdwinBy Eric Swanson01/20/15
Most people, when they hear the name Booth, think “Oh, the guy who shot Lincoln.” (Disclosure: I responded the same way when Jane �rst described the project to me.) As Jane outlined Edwin’s story, I was by turns fascinated and surprised—and ultimately appalled. One of the greatest actors our country has ever produced had been all but erased from history.
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The Art of Marianna RosettBy Jane Kosminsky01/15/15
Marianna is a true adventurer.
Even the most experienced artists sometimes have di�culty stepping outside their own comfort zone. Marianna Rosett is not one of them. Her courage and brilliance in stepping away from her home as a pianist and classical improviser are inspiring.
Even as a young actor, I’d heard of the villainous actor John Wilkes Booth who had shot President Lincoln. It always struck me quite odd that any actor would have the ability to commit such a brutal and infamous act. I didn’t know how this was possible, but never really investigated the matter. However, one day, as I was reading about actors, I stumbled upon the name of Edwin Booth. I’d never really heard much about him, but quickly learned that he was an older brother of John’s, and a very successful and famous actor of his day. This really sparked my interest, and I began to investigate Edwin’s life more deeply.
I learned that he was not only one of the greatest actors of his generation, but also more highly regarded than any other American actor of his day. Now the story was beginning to become interesting, and as I learned more about the whole family, I began to see more clearly how some of the relationships and rivalries could slowly lead to the infamous assassination.
Through it all, Edwin was a prince. He bore all of his “slings and arrows” of grave misfortune with dignity and braver, saving not only himself, but also many around him. He truly was an artist �lled with enormous cour-age and love of the human spirit.
photo credits: Vestibulum gravida leo ac ex eleifend, sed aliquet erat luctus. <
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Blog Archive
Resurrecting EdwinThe Art of MariannaThe Man Who Would Be
Most people, when they hear the name Booth, think “Oh, the guy who shot Lincoln.” (Disclosure: I responded the same way when Jane �rst described the project to me.) As Jane outlined Edwin’s story, I was by turns fascinated and surprised—and ultimately appalled. One of the greatest actors our country has ever produced had been all but erased from history.
The Art of Marianna RosettBy Jane Kosminsky01/15/15
Marianna is a true adventurer.
Even the most experienced artists some-times have di�culty stepping outside their own comfort zone. Marianna Rosett is not one of them. Her courage and brilliance in stepping away from her home as a pianist and classical improviser are inspiring.
Today for the �rst time, she has focused
The Man Who Would Be EdwinBy Gary Ramsey01/05/15
Even as a young actor, I’d heard of the villainous actor John Wilkes Booth who had shot President Lincoln. It always struck me quite odd that any actor would have the ability to commit such a brutal and infa-mous act. I didn’t know how this was pos-sible, but never really investigated the matter. However, one day, as I was reading about actors, I stumbled upon the name of Edwin Booth. I’d never really heard much
blog
SUPP
ORT
US
Support the Arts Today!Join the adventure, as we bring our �rst project, EDWIN, to the stage! Any contribution you o�er will help us to carry out our e�orts to inspire hearts and minds as we explore new dimensions of art, music and history.
How you can support us:
Tax-Deductible ContributionGreat Circle Productions is a not-for-pro�t, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the State of New York. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. There are two ways to make a tax-exempt contribution:
· onlineClick here to donate directly online.
· by mailYou can make your contribution by check, mailed to Jane Kosminksy, Great Circle Productions, Inc. 41 West 72st Street 16B, New York, NY 10023.
Other Stay tuned for our �rst Kickstarter campaign, and for the upcoming “sneak preview” of EDWIN in April 2015.
If you have any questions or need additional information please contact Jane Kosminsky at [email protected].
Join the adventure, as we bring our �rst project, EDWIN, to the stage! Any contribution you o�er will help us to carry out our e�orts to inspire hearts and minds as we explore new dimensions of art, music and history.
How you can support us:Tax-Deductible ContributionGreat Circle Productions is a not-for-pro�t, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the State of New York. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. There are two ways to make a tax-exempt contribution:
· onlineClick here to donate directly online.
· by mailYou can make your contribution by check, mailed to Jane Kosminksy, Great Circle Productions, Inc. 41 West 72st Street 16B, New York, NY 10023.
Other Stay tuned for our �rst Kickstarter campaign, and for the upcoming “sneak preview” of EDWIN in April 2015.
If you have any questions or need additional information please contact Jane Kosminsky at [email protected].
E-News Sign UpStay connected to Great Circle Productions. Sign up for e-news and receive updates about our current projects and upcoming events.
Sign up today and your name will be entered into a drawing to win 2 tickets to our 2015 production of EDWIN in New York City. Winners will also receive backstage access to meet the performers and the creative team. Join today!
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Stay connected to Great Circle Productions. Sign up for e-news and receive updates about our current projects and upcoming events.
Sign up today and your name will be entered into a drawing to win 2 tickets to our 2015 production of EDWIN in New York City. Winners will also receive backstage access to meet the performers and the creative team. Join today!
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Statement of PurposeIn this time of divisiveness, Great Circle Productions, Inc. is committed to bringing to life those projects that inspire, o�er hope, and touch the human heart. We support and develop projects in the performing arts, literary and visual arts and �lm/video arts.
We work with mature artists who are stepping into new territory. A great project o�en develops its own enormous potential. We are committed to supporting those artistic and educational limbs that grow from our projects and that encourage a long life for each project.
As New Yorkers, we are committed to adding to the rich cultural life of the City and the State. As Americans, it is our deep belief that in and through art we create and hold the heartbeat of the Nation.
FounderWelcome to Great Circle Productions. Join us on our voyage of discovery of new frontiers in the arts–an adventure that will inspire and enchant you, as we work together to create projects that touch the human heart.
Meet our wonderful creative team, a group of talented and experienced artists, who are committed to bringing original and provocative new works to light. We look forward to hearing from you, and invite you to support us in our adventure.
Warmly,Jane KosminskyArtistic/Executive Director
Board MembersJane Kosminskyartistic/executive director
Eric Swansonassociate director
Robert DublinerPamela FrostBrooke JohnsonJay KosminskyMolly McBride
