time inc. is a multinational mass media corporation founded on november 28 , 1922 by henry luce and briton hadden and based in new york city .

it owns and publishes over 100 magazine brands , most notably its flagship time .

other magazines include sports illustrated , travel + leisure , food & wine , fortune , people , instyle , life , golf magazine , southern living , essence , real simple , and entertainment weekly .

it also has subsidiaries which it co-operates with the uk magazine house time inc . uk , whose major titles include what 's on tv , nme , country life , and wallpaper .

time inc. also co-operates over 60 websites and digital-only titles including myrecipes , thesnug , hellogiggles , and mimi .

time inc. also owns the rights to life , a well-known magazine that has been published in many different formats .

time inc. currently owns and runs life.com , a website dedicated to news and photography .

in 1990 , time inc. merged with warner communications to form the media conglomerate time warner .

this merger lasted until the company was spun off on june 9 , 2014 .

time inc .

tagged : henry luce media ownership people magazine spinoff time inc . time magazine timeline
time inc : a publisher of magazine titles including time , fortune , and sports illustrated .
time inc . will remove a time capsule placed in the time & life building , which it vacated two years ago .
edgar bronfman jr . ’s group is said to drop bid for time inc .
time inc . and warner communications inc . announced yesterday that they plan to merge , creating the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world .
wong is assuming oversight of time inc . product engineering , the company said on monday .
with the headline : time inc . and warner to merge , creating largest media company .
) - - time inc . ( nyse : time ) today announced the acquisition of three companies that will form the foundation of sports illustrated play , a new time inc . business devoted to youth and amateur sports .
time warner recently parted ways with its magazine unit , time inc . , making time inc . its own independent magazine media company . reactions to the move ranged from skepticism to hesitant optimism , and left magazine industry observers wondering if time inc . can reinvent itself for success as it approaches its hundredth year of operation .
time inc . represented itself in this transaction . telos advisors served as financial advisor to hellogiggles .
content from / drive , fast lane daily will be combined with time inc . ' s urltoken
news about time inc . , including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times .
reginald k . brack jr . , 79 , dies ; led time inc . into entertainment era
in july , bewkes named joseph ripp ceo of time inc . after a four - month search .
here ' s how time inc . is telling staffers that it ' s selling magazines - business insider
it ' s official : time inc . buys amex ' s food & wine , travel & leisure magazines
here ' s how time inc . is telling employees that it ' s selling the magazines they work for
in a related digital move , time inc . last week acquired data - marketing firm viant , owner of myspace . time inc . said it expects viant to contribute $ 100 million in digital - ad sales this year .
what were your favorite time inc . perks ? former employees can feed the daily beast in the comments below .
ms . bonniwell held a number of top positions at time inc . at a heady time for magazine publishing , paving the way for future female managers .
colin bodell , the chief technology officer of time inc . , was fired monday morning , the post has learned .
time inc . could end up selling the tampa division , sources said , or entering a partnership / outsourcing deal .
when time inc . lets staffers know that their publications are up for sale , it uses a series of talking points .
joseph a . ripp , time inc . ' s chief executive , unveiled plans for the job cuts , but not the number of layoffs , on tuesday in a letter to employees . the cuts were announced as time inc . prepared to be spun off from its parent , time warner .
deadline ' s david lieberman looks at the challenges time inc faces as it enters a new chapter as a publicly traded company .
time inc . is about to name a new c - suite executive — a chief transformation officer , media ink has learned .
a person walks past the logo of time inc . in the lobby of their headquarters in lower manhattan in new york city .
christopher byron , financial writer and author of ‘martha inc . , ’ dies at 72
programmatic technology – viant’s advertising cloud platform brings time inc . programmatic advertising technology with people based data management , targeting , and advanced analytics .
time inc . , with its print - related revenue facing a steady decline , has been actively acquiring digital businesses in the past year .
los angeles media startup hellogiggles , co - founded by actress zooey deschanel , was sold to time inc . , the companies announced monday .
time inc . has never officially confirmed mckinsey’s presence . internally , the consulting firm has been known only by its code name , k2 .
at staff meetings held soon after the meredith corporation reached a deal made possible by koch industries , time inc . employees have hard questions .
time inc . , the publisher of fortune , people and time magazines , reported a lower - than - expected quarterly revenue on tuesday , hurt by declines in magazine sales and advertising revenue .
quality content – time inc . is the leader in producing the highest quality content reaching 150 million consumers every month across the world’s most recognized brands including time , sports illustrated , fortune and people .
levin resigned in 2002 , and time warner has spent the ensuing decade reshaping itself and slimming down . over time , it has divested itself of the time warner book group , warner music group , time warner cable , and aol . now , having tried and failed to sell time inc . —home of iconic publications like time , people , and fortune ( where i write a monthly economics column ) —to meredith corporation on acceptable terms , it is spinning off the publisher as a separate company with its own stock . “after a thorough review of options , we believe that a separation will better position both time warner and time inc . , ” jeffrey bewkes , time warner’s current boss , said wednesday . “time inc . will also benefit from the flexibility and focus of being a stand - alone company . ”
“i am gainfully employed by time inc . and looking forward to a long and fruitful career with them , ” he said on may 2 .
bodell’s star was seen as eclipsed when jennifer wong was lured from popsugar and was tapped in december to be president of time inc . digital .
last week , when time inc . was pitching its digital media options to ad agencies , wong spoke to the crowd . bodell was not present .
as charles and david koch back the meredith corporation’s effort to buy time inc . , some see a new way for them to advance their libertarian agenda .
the magazine company is preparing to spin off from time warner inc . in the first quarter of 2014 . time warner ceo jeffrey bewkes announced plans in march to separate time inc . - - his worst - performing division - - after an unsuccessful effort to create a joint venture with meredith corp . , publisher of women ' s titles such as ladies ' home journal .
the magazines , some of the most celebrated titles in the industry , clashed with the lifestyle publications favored by meredith , which bought time inc . last year .
first party data – bolstering viant’s vast pool of registration data with time inc . ’s subscriber database creates a first party dataset that rivals industry leaders facebook and google .
time inc . , pumping more gas into its digital business , has acquired automotive youtube channels / drive and fast lane daily to expand its audience of car buffs .
though it’s tempting to focus on the future of time inc . , a brief tour into its past lends perspective on this latest move . it turns out that time inc . has a long history of ownership drama . its plot line is characterized by repeated expansion into new areas and technologies , and then the spinning off of subsidiaries to renew focus on the company’s core businesses — time and again .
: investors gave time inc a rude welcome this morning as the legendary magazine operation became a publicly traded company , but didn’t reward time warner as it officially became an all movie and tv power . time inc shares on the new york stock exchange are down 5 . 5 % in early trading from the prices being paid on friday for the stock on a “when issued” basis . time warner is down 3 . 3 % , and touched a 52 - week low of $ 68 . 15 . the entertainment giant’s investors received one share of time for every eight shares they own in time warner .
in other time inc . news on monday , the company said vita sheehy , vp of business operations , is leaving — as is jt kostman , chief data officer .
time inc . jaison blair , 212 - 522 - 5952 jaison . blair @ urltoken or jill s . davison , 212 - 522 - 0105 jill . davison @ urltoken
below is a timeline of time inc . that helps put it all into perspective . click on bubbles on the timeline to learn more about points in the company’s history .
long before movies like “the wolf of wall street” were popular fare , mr . byron was revealing the seamy underside of business in books about martha stewart and time inc .
connecting with “female millennials , ” said rich battista , executive vice president of time inc . hellogiggles , with 22 employees , will sit alongside magazine brands people and entertainment weekly .
after buying time inc . for $ 2 . 8 billion , meredith is the largest magazine company in the united states , but it’s not about to change its unassuming style .
fortune , the business magazine was launched in 1930 , followed by life in 1934 , house & home in 1952 , and sports illustrated in 1954 . by mid 1960s , time inc became one of the most reputed magazine publishers across the globe . in 1989 , time inc merged with warner communications to form time warner . in 2008 , the company launched maghound , a web based membership service for magazines , which featured around 300 titles of magazines from time inc and some other publishers too . in 2010 , it joined hands with abp group to start publishing fortune india magazine and a yearly fortune india 500 list . in 2013 , time inc bought a number of titles from american express , including departures , executive travel , black ink , food & wine , and travel + leisure .
all of this is indicative of the struggles of magazine publishers in 2017 , as former media stalwarts like time inc . have struggled to adapt to the digital age . time inc . ' s revenue and operating profit have both fallen sharply over the past decade . so time has embarked on a series of
portfolio rationalization
efforts — essentially asset sales — after deciding not to entertain takeover offers for the entire company in april .
time inc is an established name in the publishing industry . it is a reputed name among reading lovers , and millions of subscribers . time inc covers wider avenues in inspiration , helping people to find solutions and advice for different aspects of their life . whether it is travel , women issues , business operations , financial information , news , food or anything else , you will definitely find a time as a suitable option for your needs .
stylefeeder , a recommendation engine for shoppers , has been acquired by time inc . , the wsj reported earlier this morning . time chose not to disclose the purchase price , but the newspaper cites a source who said it was “well into eight figures . ”
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since becoming an independent public company in 2014 , time inc . has been expanding its brands , content and audiences into new revenue streams . in july 2015 time inc . purchased invnt , a company that specializes in live media , and announced the creation of sports illustrated play , a new business devoted to youth and amateur sports . time inc . also acquired uk cycling events ( ukce ) , a leading uk provider of premium cycling events , and fansided , a sports , entertainment and lifestyle network of more than 300 websites with a collective audience of approximately 15 million monthly unique visitors .
an analyst for drexel burnham lambert inc . , john reidy , called the deal ' ' mind - boggling . ' '
portelette will add business oversight of / drive and fld to his responsibilities . matt bean , svp of editorial innovation at time inc . , is the editorial director of the newly merged auto brands .
time inc . also adds departures , black ink and executive travel to its roster of 21 titles , the publisher said tuesday in a statement . word of the pending deal first emerged on monday .
time ' s properties include time , people , money and sports illustrated , as well as home box office , the pay - television operator ; time - life books , and book - of - the - month club .
“when we enter the public markets in a few short months , our success will depend on how investors view the momentum we are generating at the new time inc . , ” mr . ripp wrote .
i used to say when i would pass a particularly lavish house in foreign capital , ‘that’s either an arab embassy or the home of the time inc . bureau chief . ’
- calvin trillin
deschanel added :
with time inc . as our partner , we ' ll be able to expand the hellogiggles mission and inspire and support even more young women with a safe and positive media platform .
as part of the streamlining , time inc . this week is expected to hold preliminary talks with potential suitors or partners for its massive data operation , the tampa customer service division , which employs 700 people .
it turns out that time inc . has a long history of ownership drama . its plot line is characterized by repeated expansion into new areas and technologies , and then the spinning off of subsidiaries to renew focus on the company ' s core businesses - - time and again .
from the new york times . you may opt - out at any time .
as chairman of time warner , bewkes , who took over in 2009 , has been a big success so far . however , even he would probably admit that investing in time inc . and turning it around wasn’t his top priority . nor should it have been . compared to the film and television businesses that come under his purview , publishing is a sideshow . in 2012 , time warner generated revenues of close to twenty - nine billion dollars and more than six billion dollars in operating income . time inc . generated less than a tenth of those revenues and about a thirteenth of those profits .
time inc . , pumping more gas into its digital business , has acquired automotive youtube channels / drive and fast lane daily to expand its audience of car buffs . terms of the deals weren’t disclosed . the media company will merge content from / drive ( pronounced “slash drive” ) and fld with thedrive . com , the automotive industry and lifestyle site time inc . ’s the foundry division launched in september 2015 . the teams [ … ]
time inc . , the largest magazine publisher in the u . s . , has agreed to acquire american express co . ' s publishing arm , which includes titles such as food & wine and travel & leisure .
rossi will remain in her ceo role and report to rich battista , executive vice president of time inc . and president of people , entertainment weekly and people en español . deschanel will continue to serve as chief creative officer of hellogiggles . the company will retain its name and remain in its current headquarters in los angeles , california . while continuing to operate as a separate business , hellogiggles will have access to the considerable assets of time inc .
and now time warner is spinning off time inc , the publishing business on which it was founded . why ? legacy print media companies are facing structural challenges from declining circulation and low advertising rates . as with all spinoffs , the idea is that the sum of the parts is greater than the whole . time warner’s valuation should rise , as it no longer has a print asset weighing it down . in theory , time inc . should also rise , with a more focused management team dedicated solely to magazine publishing . as a business , it has some attractive qualities . according to regulatory filings , time inc . generated $ 3 . 3 billion in revenue last year , and it expects that to grow by about 2 % this year . it has a diverse portfolio of advertisers , and makes about a third of its money from subscriptions .
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time inc . ( nyse : time ) is one of the world ' s leading media companies , with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 120 million visitors each month , including over 50 websites . influential brands include people , sports illustrated , instyle , time , real simple , southern living , entertainment weekly , travel + leisure , cooking light , fortune and food & wine , as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the united kingdom , such as decanter , horse & hound and wallpaper * . time inc . is home to celebrated events and franchises , including the fortune 500 , time 100 , people’s sexiest man alive , sports illustrated’s sportsman of the year , the food & wine classic in aspen , the essence festival and the biennial fortune global forum . hundreds of thousands of people attend these live media events each year . time inc . also provides content marketing , targeted local print and digital advertising programs , branded book publishing and marketing and support services , including subscription sales services for magazines and other products , retail distribution and marketing services and customer service and fulfillment services , for time inc . brands and third - party clients , including other magazine publishers .
time warner : a media conglomerate that owns , among other businesses , hbo and cnn .
evidently though , it’s a business that is not desired by the sprawling media conglomerate it once spawned . time warner is not the only media company retreating from print— rupert murdoch separated his film studios and television assets from his publishing empire this time last year . but while murdoch allocated $ 2 . 6 billion in cash for news corp to pursue acquisitions , time warner is saddling time inc with about $ 1 . 3 billion in debt , in part so it can it a reap a $ 600 million special dividend .
time inc . is a leading name in the digital and print magazine content based in the us . with over 60 iconic brands under its belt , some of its most popular titles include travel + leisure , sports illustrated , people , fortune , food & wine , golf magazine , life , instyle , essence , entertainment weekly , real simple , and many more . it also owns the uk based magazine house , time inc uk , the major titles of which include nme , horse & hound , country life , decanter , wallpaper , and what’s on tv . the content by time inc . is published not only in print , but also over the internet , and across mobile phones , tablets and other internet enabled platforms .
time inc . ( nyse : time ) is one of the world ' s leading media companies , with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 140 million visitors each month , including over 60 websites . our influential brands include people , sports illustrated , instyle , time , real simple , and southern living , as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the united kingdom .
“a single time inc . portfolio will give us more operational flexibility , speed decision - making and spur the development of new cross - brand products and revenue streams to help stabilize and grow our top - line revenues , ” mr . ripp said .
when the deal closes , the american express titles will report into evelyn webster , exec vp and group president of time inc . ' s lifestyle group . ed kelly , president - ceo at american express publishing , will report to ms . webster .
“we’re already seeing a tremendous response to thedrive . com , and with the added perspective from / drive and fld , we’re going to create a dynamic network for auto enthusiasts everywhere , ” said edouard portelette , time inc . ’s vp of business operations .
time warner investors as of may 23 will receive one share of time inc for every eight that they own in the entertainment giant , the company says in an sec filing . the new stock will trade under the ticker symbol time on the new york stock exchange . “as an independent , publicly - traded company , we believe we can more effectively focus on our objectives and satisfy the strategic needs of our business , ” time ceo joe ripp says in a statement to his new investors . the company expects to initially have 715 , 000 stockholders owning 110 . 3m shares of time . it has 23 print magazines in the u . s . including people , sports illustrated , time , and fortune , as well as more than 45 websites .
it looks like myspace is becoming a big - media property once again . today during its quarterly earnings report , time inc announced that it has acquired viant , a profitable company that has built a large ad tech business , but also owns other properties , including once - hot social networking site myspace . terms of the deal are not being disclosed . as part of it , time inc will become a majority owner of viant , with the vanderhook family , which founded viant , retaining a minority stake ( percentages undisclosed ) .
founders briton hadden and henry luce left their jobs in 1922 at the age of 23 years , and founded time inc . the same year . the first issue of time was published in march 1923 , which was the first news magazine in the us that came every week at that time . luce worked as the company’s business manager , and hadden became its editor - in - chief . with the sudden death of hadden in 1929 , luce acquired hadden’s position .
kurt rao , has been named svp of tech operations . he was most recently at time warner .
time inc . , the magazine giant with brands including people , sports illustrated and fortune , began a new round of layoffs on tuesday as part of a companywide restructuring that will result in the loss of about 500 jobs , according to a person briefed on the matter .
“ these acquisitions establish time inc . ’s position in a youth sports space that now consists of approximately 30 million american athletes aged 5 to 17 , ” said joe ripp , ceo of time inc . “ i know firsthand how team sports can empower children and teens . it is also a source of pride to older participants , whether they ' re involved as parents , coaches or provide moral support . youth sports are activities that touch one ' s entire life span and are a tremendous force of good in the lives of american families . ”
time is a leading book and magazine publisher with extensive cable television holdings , and warner is a major producer of movies and records and has a large cable - television operation . the merger would create a new company , time warner inc . , with a stock market value of $ 15 . 2 billion and revenue of $ 10 billion a year . a place in 1990 ' s
time inc gives more than 20 magazines to the readers in us , in addition to 50 corresponding sites over the internet . apart from the most popular time , and many other titles of magazines already mentioned , its subsidiary , essence communications , publishes the essence magazine . the ipc group limited has become the top publisher of magazines in the uk with look and now . it used to give 15 % of the total revenue for time , but had spun off as a separate company in 2014 .
people and hellogiggles have partnered to bring custom integrated advertising packages to market . hellogiggles’ authentic and trusted voice , highly - engaged audience and scalable contributor network , together with the power of time inc . ’s multimedia capabilities , will allow it to expand into other areas of content and media .
last fall , it acquired zooey deschanel’s hellogiggles lifestyle website aimed at millennial women and jane pratt’s xojane and xovain sites . other time inc . acquisitions include invnt , a company that specializes in live media , and fansided , a sports , entertainment and lifestyle network of more than 300 websites .
time inc — iconic as it is — is no different . today , the company reported a big drop in revenues for the quarter and full year , as well as a drop in net income for the quarter and swing to a net loss of $ 881 million for the full year .
had time inc . stayed independent , it would surely have struggled to put together a viable online strategy . the declining fortunes of other newspaper and magazine publishers , condé nast included , demonstrate some of the problems it would have faced . but with immensely popular titles like people , instyle , and sports illustrated as part of its product line - up , time inc . would have been better placed than most of its competitors to make the transition to digital . even its more venerable titles , such as time and fortune , are market leaders . although time ’ s circulation has declined substantially , the drop off isn’t as big as some people think . ten years ago , the paid circulation was 4 . 1 million . in 2011 , it was 3 . 3 million . that’s still a lot of readers .
layoffs are expected across all of time’s brands , but american express publishing , which time bought last year , appears to have been particularly hard hit . its chief executive , ed kelly , resigned as part of the changes .
that premium content attracts 150 million visitors each month to more than 60 websites . big - name consuer brands under time include people , sports illustrated , instyle , time , real simple , southern living , entertainment weekly and more .
time inc was founded in 1922 by henry luce , a chinese - born missionary’s son , and his high school and yale classmate briton hadden . the magazine started publishing in 1923 ; for 1927 , the aviator charles lindbergh was named as its first man ( now person ) of the year , giving birth to what would arguably become its most recognizable feature . in 1936 , luce bought life magazine and turned that little known title into a publication focused on photojournalism . business boomed , the company’s legendary midtown manhattan headquarters , the time - life building , opened in 1959 , and in 1964 , time inc commenced trading on the new york stock exchange ( it had previously traded on the over - the - counter market ) .
in 1995 , time bought out turner broadcasting system , the owner of cnn , which was controlled by the billionaire ted turner . the $ 7 . 5 billion deal was also transformative , catapulting time warner above disney in terms of annual revenue , the new york times reported . but those transactions were small - time compared with what came next .
the biggest winners from this endless financial engineering ? probably not shareholders , or its employees—time inc’s many journalists are certainly facing an uncertain future . the real winners , as usual in m & a , are the bankers and lawyers . if the various offshoots of time are finally finished with their dealmaking then it would truly represent the end of an era for wall street as well . they will have to find a new meal ticket .
as a public company , projections for new york - based time inc . ' s enterprise value - - or the sum of its equity and debt minus cash - - range from $ 2 . 7 billion to about $ 4 . 9 billion , according to six analysts ' estimates compiled by bloomberg in july .
hellogiggles ' other investors included bdmi fund , former nastygal chief operating officer deborah bento and former time digital president fran hauser .
time warner cable : america’s second biggest cable tv operator , which is in the process of being taken over by comcast .
time magazine is coming full circle . this friday ( june 6 ) its publisher , time inc , is expected to begin trading on the new york stock exchange as a standalone company , returning to the status it held for more than a quarter century between 1964 and 1990 . it is the latest in a long list of corporate transactions that the owner of one of america’s first weekly magazines has been involved in since it was founded in the 1920s .
) - - time inc . ( nyse : time ) today announced the acquisition of hellogiggles , a mobile and social - first millennial women’s brand covering pop culture , relationships , beauty , fashion and other lifestyle categories from a positive point of view . the site , co - founded by zooey deschanel , sophia rivka rossi and molly mcaleer in 2011 , reaches more than 17 million monthly unique visitors * and has seen rapid growth in traffic . since mid - 2015 ,
time inc . announced today that it has acquired stylefeeder , a personal shopping engine that uses pattern recognition technology and its members’ style preferences to make recommendations for clothing , shoes and accessories from thousands of online retailers . stylefeeder will become part of the instyle family of brands and its e - commerce technology will power shopping on instyle . com .
“we had been doing a capital raise , an equity round , ” he said . “we were looking at both private equity and strategic investors because we wanted to put more capital to work to grow the business . at the last minute we made the decision to go with time inc because of the benefits that a strategic brings to the table . i
time ' s chairman , j . richard munro , said the new company would seek to grow even larger by acquiring other businesses .
obviously , there’s no definitive answer to these questions . when magazine advertising collapsed in the recession of 2008–2009 , time warner’s vast resources helped cushion the blow to time inc . but the scale and synergy benefits touted by munro , nicholas , and levin rarely materialized . the skeptics who warned that publishing magazines is a very different business from making films and television shows turned out to be right . to be sure , warner brothers and hbo may sometimes be interested in buying stories from time ’ s journalists , say , and turning them into shows or movies—but the two sides can transact such deals just as well , or better , as independent entities .
1980s brian o’reilly , longtime writer and editor at fortune : “i used to commute to new york from the princeton region with a writer from time magazine , back in the early 1980s . back in those days , time inc . would let you just turn in the little tab at the bottom of a restaurant bill , the area that was perforated and you could tear off . you could write in any amount , and they ' d accept it . when the company finally cracked down on that , this writer friend from time told me he had to take his daughter out of private school and send her to the local high school . ”
time has long been known for a staid corporate style , while warner under mr . ross has been known as more free - wheeling .
time warner ceo jeff bewkes answered one hanging question for his company — whether it might change its name now that it no longer includes time : it won’t . “the name time warner has a great heritage and stands for leadership as the world’s best storytelling company , as well as leadership in harnessing technology to enhance the accessibility and value of our content to consumers everywhere , ” he said in a memo to staff .
time had come under pressure to explore a sale after activist hedge fund jana partners unveiled a 5 percent stake in the company last august .
time inc . ' s portfolio has been relatively steady lately but from 2006 through 2009 the company was more likely to sell or close publications than to acquire them . it sold 18 magazines , including popular science and field & stream , to bonnier in 2007 , and closed titles such as southern accents , teen people , si latino and cottage living amid a variety of challenges .
ironically , time warner ceo gerry levin’s prediction that the internet would “unleash immense possibilities for economic growth , human understanding and creative expression , ” proved accurate . it’s just that other companies like google and facebook , not aol - time warner , were the ones that managed to exploit it .
joining time inc . is an amazing opportunity to grow our brand and expand our message , ” commented rossi . “ becoming a part of the iconic people and entertainment weekly family is an extremely exciting step for us . together we will strengthen our connection to an engaged community of women and be well - positioned to build a truly 360 lifestyle content brand for the millennial generation . ”
time plans to combine viant’s business with its own , creating a big data , ad targeting powerhouse . specifically , time says it will “merge its premium content , subscriber data , and advertising inventory with viant’s first party data and programmatic capabilities to bring substantial value to customers of both platforms . ”
for much of the twentieth century—the american century , as time’s founder , henry luce , dubbed it—time inc . was the world’s most successful and powerful publishing company , and its employees were the among the most richly rewarded . the pay was good , but the perks were legendary . now in the middle of laying off 600 of its 7 , 000 u . s . employees , after firing hundreds more in the last few years , it ' s cutting back those lavish expense accounts . here , some memories of the way things were .
the publisher of time , people and sports illustrated is asking suitors to submit offers by next week . the company rejected a buyout offer last year .
time warner’s decision to cleave its struggling magazine business from its more lucrative television and film assets makes it one of several media companies pursuing such a move .
“ we believe time inc . can bring greater value to this growing segment and provide a more rewarding experience to its passionate audiences , ” ripp continued . “ this opportunity represents a natural extension of the trusted sports illustrated brand . it was developed internally by george linardos , an involved youth sports dad , who conceived the idea for sports illustrated play and was a driving force behind the acquisitions and business plan .
mr . ripp’s letter also mentioned the possibility that time would leave its headquarters in the time life building in midtown and search for cheaper space in lower manhattan . “we’re exploring our real estate options to find a work space that allows us to operate more efficiently with a greater sense of community , ” mr . ripp wrote .
the group , which also included ynon kreiz , had been among the parties that had expressed interest in buying the publisher of time , sports illustrated and people magazines .
terms of the deals weren’t disclosed . the media company will merge content from / drive ( pronounced “slash drive” ) and fld with thedrive . com , the automotive industry and lifestyle site time inc . ’s the foundry division launched in september 2015 . the teams from the three brands also will collaborate on new programming for distribution across the network , as well as through linear tv , over - the - top , mobile and emerging digital platforms .
when luce died in 1967 , his time inc . stock was reportedly worth $ 109 million . he had built what the new york times described as “the most important publishing empire of the middle twentieth century” . the empire building continued after his passing . in the 1970s , time was experimenting with media businesses beyond magazines and agreed to financially back a young entrepreneur , chuck dolan , who was developing a pay - tv service delivered over cable wires . in 1972 , dolan and time launched home box office in wilkes - barre , pennsylvania . in 1975 , hbo broadcast the”thrilla in manilla” , a boxing fight between muhammad ali and joe frazier , across the us via satellite . today , hbo is a premium channel with more than 100 million global subscribers and nearly $ 5 billion in annual revenue .
the 1980s were years of notorious corporate excess . so it’s hardly surprising that in that era , time inc agreed to merge with warner communications to create what was then the world’s largest media conglomerate , with a market value of $ 15 billion and annual revenue of $ 10 billion . warner owned one of hollywood’s historic film studios , warner bros , as well as a record label and some cable tv systems , and the deal positioned the new company to take on against increasingly integrated european and japanese rivals . “this is not a transaction done for the purposes of 1989 , or even the nineteen - nineties , ” richard munro , time’s chairman said at the time ( as the new yorker’s john cassidy recalled last year ) . “it is for us to be positioned for the next century . ”
warner owns warner bros . , a major film producer , and a large record company , a major paperback book publisher and cable - television systems . time board members applaud
as the internet revolution progressed , the interests of individual magazines were sometimes subjugated to the broader goals of the parent company—or so it seemed from the outside . during the formative years of the nineteen - nineties , the major publications were lumped together inside pathfinder , the ill - fated time warner portal—a decision that meant they were slow to develop independent online brands . even after levin left , this sort of thing continued . the online arms of money and fortune were subsumed within cnnmoney . com . viewed from time warner’s executive suite , such a strategy made sense : cnnmoney turned into a big success—it now bills itself as the world’s largest financial - news web site , and , presumably , it makes quite a bit of money . but how much of that revenue has been turned around and invested in the individual magazines and their own online brands ? for quite a while now , bewkes and his colleagues on time warner’s board have appeared to be primarily interested in cutting costs at time inc . , so its lagging performance wouldn’t drag down the parent company’s stock price . and it certainly hasn’t . since early 2010 , time warner’s shares have doubled .
bodell was rumored to be on the way out for weeks but only last week had insisted to the post that he expected to have a long and happy career at time .
circulation revenue , which accounts for nearly 30 percent of time ' s total revenue , fell 12 . 3 percent to $ 207 million in the second quarter ended june 30 .
mr . ripp called the layoffs “painful” and said they were a necessary response to new financial realities . five hundred jobs represent about 6 percent of time’s 7 , 800 workers worldwide .
in 2000 , right at the peak of the tech bubble , time agreed to merge with internet company aol in a deal worth an astonishing $ 350 billion . it remains the biggest m & a deal in history , and inarguably one of the worst . at the time , proponents hailed the combination of new media and old as one that could dominate the internet for years to come . but it was ultimately a disaster that cost billions of dollars in shareholder value and resulted in time warner being embroiled in regulatory investigations into aol’s accounting policies .
viant , on the other hand , is a profitable operation and has been for the past decade , says tim vanderhook , viant’s ceo . the company also had a relatively small list of investors : it raised $ 10 million in 2006 from enterprise partners and shepherd ventures , but a private equity round that it took after that has all been repaid to those backers . vanderhook tells us that viant was in the process of fundraising when it decided to go with a time inc acquisition .
ceo joe ripp told staffers in a memo today that “we face strong headwinds in this business . but when i returned to time inc . nine months ago , i said i believed this company could do incredible things . i remember the company that shaped the agenda for the nation . i remember the company that started hbo and revolutionized the way the country consumed video content . i remember the company that became the largest and most successful publishing company on earth . we are still that company . ”
“this acquisition is game changing for us , ” said time inc . chairman and ceo joe ripp in a statement . “marketers are selecting media partners that have either data - driven capabilities or premium content ; we will be able to deliver both in a single platform , and will stand apart from those that offer just one or the other . in other words , we will be able to deliver advertisers’ messages targeted to optimal audiences across all types of devices , along with the ability to measure roi . ”
about the only ones who consistently benefitted from time inc . ’s transformation into part of a multimedia conglomerate were the bankers and lawyers who put the deals together . doubtless , they’ll make a bit more money organizing the firm’s i . p . o . , which is expected to take place later this year or early next year . no surprise there . investment banking has long been a more lucrative business than publishing . but at least luce and hadden’s heirs will be getting back to what they know best .
twenty - four years ago this week , i went to the time & life building , at rockefeller center , and took the elevator to the wood - panelled thirty - fourth floor . there , i interviewed n . j . ( nick ) nicholas , jr . , who was time inc . ’s president , and gerald levin , who was then nicholas’s little - known sidekick . a few days earlier , the two of them had agreed to merge the publishing company , co - founded by henry luce and briton hadden , with warner communications , the hollywood entertainment company that was controlled by steve ross , a street - smart new yorker who made his first fortune operating funeral parlors and parking garages .
just two years after the disastrous transaction was consummated , time warner sought to distance itself from the internet service provider , ditching aol from its official name and even reverting to its earlier stock trading symbol ( twx , which it retains to this day ) . in 2008 , it decided to spin off time warner cable , which had basically become an infrastructure business ( owning pipes that deliver cable tv and broadband ) with very different capital needs . the spin - off deal netted time warner $ 9 . 25 billion . in 2009 , time warner decided to wash its hands of aol altogether , spinning off the business into a separate entity . today , aol owns websites like the huffington post , techcrunch and endagaget , but it still makes most of its money out of dialup internet .
time , comcast , disney and other big media companies have spent the last couple of years scooping up parts of or the entirety of smaller online rivals to benefit from their fast - paced growth .
time ceo rich battista told reuters in april that the company was
definitely
not up for sale after reports that the company had been in discussions with meredith corp . about a potential sale .
time also announced a cost - cutting plan on tuesday , targeting adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization of at least $ 500 million to $ 600 million in the next three to four years .
although small compared to its parent company , time inc . remains a behemoth in the publishing world , sucking up more than one advertising dollar of every five spent on magazines . in terms of revenue , three of its titles— people , sports illustrated , and time —are in the top five nationally , according to a recent study . and for all its recent problems , the business still produces a lot of cash . in 2012 , it generated an adjusted operating income of four hundred and sixty - three million dollars , on revenues of 3 . 4 billion dollars . to be sure , that was much less than the operating profit of about nine hundred million dollars that the firm made at its peak , but it ain’t chump change .
time reported a loss of $ 44 million , or 44 cents per share in the second quarter , compared with a profit of $ 18 million , or 79 cents per share , a year earlier .
“ with its passionate , highly - engaged audience and quality editorial voice , hellogiggles is a great fit for our entertainment portfolio , which includes people and entertainment weekly , ” said time inc . chairman and ceo joe ripp . “ we see the opportunity for hellogiggles to continue to evolve and grow as a multimedia content business . the site provides strategic benefits including a contributor network that unlocks access to a new pool of editorial and creative talent , an expansive audience of highly - engaged consumers and experience in branded and native content solutions . ”
when time inc . regains its independence , it will be able to set its own budgets and issue bonds to finance investment and acquisitions . ( that’s assuming time warner doesn’t weigh down its balance sheet with tons of debt , which would be counterproductive . there has been speculation that they that they might do just that , burdening the company with as much as a billion dollars in debt , which would be more than its yearly revenue . ) it will have a leadership team with but one priority , owners ( stockholders ) with realistic expectations , and it will also have precedent on its side . the spin offs of time warner cable and aol have worked out pretty well . will it ever return to the days of luce , or even those of dick munro and nick nicholas ? almost certainly not . but it should have a fighting chance of success , and it will control its own destiny , something that hasn’t been true since the merger with warner .
new york - based time has struggled to boost magazine subscriptions and advertising revenue as more people move online for news and entertainment and advertisers shift away from print media to digital platforms such as google and facebook .
time warner’s empire remains vast : it has a market value north of $ 62 billion and owns some of the world’s best media assets , including cnn and hbo—and the pay - tv home of “game of thrones” might well be undervalued , as investors are only just now getting access to its financials . but the spin - off of time surely brings a multi - decade period of empire creation and dissolution to a close .
under the proposal , each share of warner communications would be exchanged for 0 . 465 share of time , with an indicated market value of $ 50 . 74 , based on time ' s closing stock price of $ 109 . 125 a share on friday . warner shares were very active in new york stock exchange trading thursday and friday , rising $ 2 . 875 in the two sessions , to $ 45 . 875 .
time inc . has been extending the people and entertainment weekly brands to young women and millennials . in january 2015 , people was one of 11 media brands selected by snapchat to participate in the launch of its discover platform . since 2014 , people has been the exclusive publishing partner with poshly , a premier data and insights platform with a mission to build personalization technologies that connect beauty brands with beauty consumers in innovative , data - driven ways . in july 2015 , people and entertainment weekly sponsored vidcon’s three - day “creator track” interview stage featuring youtube personalities and content creators .


nicu 's spoon is an inclusion-oriented off-off-broadway theater company in new york city .

its artistic director is stephanie barton-farcas , a nyc director/actress/producer / writer who won the oobr ( off-off broadway review ) award for direction of suburbia in 2004 , the nyu thom fluellen award in 2006 and the 2008 ny innovative theater award for outstanding actress in a lead role for elizabeth rex among others .

nicu 's spoon was the first ever fully inclusive company in nyc history .

they are also co-founders of the disability in cinema coalition dcc the company is based on inclusion , so it chooses to work with actors that might otherwise be considered ' marginalized ' , whether by age , disability , gender , or ethnicity .

the company became known from the outset for productions which challenged stereotypes and expectations , and it was the recipient of the 2006 thom fluellen award given by the new york university community fund for " excellence in programming for the diverse city of new york " .

it has also won the 2004 oobr award and a 2008 snapple/mayor of ny city award , as well as a 2008 ny innovative theatre award .

the company 's unusual name stems from a young boy the artistic director met in romania in the 1990s when working with abandoned children there .

" ... [ t ] he most amazing one was nicu , who was 5 ... in diapers and did not walk , talk or feed himself .

they told me he was deaf and retarded .

i got angry and said " i 'll take him . "

six months later he did all those things .

he and i fought some big , bad battles together to get him there — to get him to choose life .

and in the process he changed my life .

though he was mentally and physically challenged nicu viewed the world with wonder ; he spent hours bouncing sunlight off of a spoon .

when he began to eat solid food ... his spoon was everything to him .

nicu ’s spoon became the symbol for all the impossible things that were suddenly possible — things like walking , talking , thinking , and living .

he was and we lost him 5 years later , in 1996 .

nicu ’s life was about quality , not quantity — about life ’s impossibles becoming possible . "

nicu 's spoon productions have been the original work displaced ; to kill a mockingbird ; eric overmyer 's in perpetuity throughout the universe ; nineteen eighty-four ; mac wellman 's murder of crows ; eric bogosian 's suburbia ; a play adaptation of ordinary people by nancy gilsenan ( from the book by judith guest ) ; elizabeth egloff 's the swan ; a play adaptation of le petit prince by ric cummins and john scoullar ; mark medoff 's stumps ; gary henderson 's skin tight ; ken duncum 's cherish ; buried child ; constance congdon 's tales of the lost formicans , shakespeare 's richard iii , and most recently their highly successful run of elizabeth rex , which after its run moved to new york 's center stage in august 2008 for a one-month limited off-broadway engagement .

in 2013 and 2014 they have been followed for 6 months for a documentary film produced by the school of visual arts in nyc , called two and twenty troubles .

in 2015 they produced the 24 cast ensemble piece ' red noses ' and are now in pre-production for a re-envisioned ' richard iii ' where everyone is disabled except richard .

in 2017 their artistic director , stephanie barton-farcas will have a book published by routledge press , " disability & theater : a practical manual for inclusion in the arts . "

nicu ' s spoon theater company

nicu ' s spoon theater company | changing theater… one play at a time .
founded in 2001 , nicu’s spoon theater company is dedicated to producing socially reflective theater which consistently presents new ideas , challenges stereotypes , and touches the heart in unexpected ways .
while thomas mccormackâ€™s endless endpapers continues its multivolume run , the nicu’s spoon production company offers a more uncanny look at the publishing world .
it’s always a good thing when a young theater company tries to make its bones with an established classic , and nicu’s spoon prove that they have the ambition and chutzpah to do just that . admirable !
nicholas linnehan nick is an avid educator , director , actor , and writer . nick has worked as an educational director for several theater companies since his graduation , including : test theater company , nicu’s spoon theater , and identity theater co . , where he is the founder . nick graduated from cw post with his ba in theater and holds a masters in education from queens college . nick is very excited to work with such talented , inspiring artists within the nicu spoon family and looks forward to making great theater with great people .
the recent presentation of “to kill a mockingbird” by fledging theatre company nicu’s spoon was nothing short of inspiring . the company’s love of literature and the craft of acting shone . such purity of purpose is rarely found these days - but it is the essence of good theatre . expect great things to come from nicu’s spoon .
winter 2010 at nicu’s spoon theater and summer 2011 with identity theater company . fall 2011 , i played b - flat ( bernard flatt ) from second samuel in identity theater’s identity crisis festival . this whole time i have enjoyed being on stage . i love to be different characters from different plays . acting makes me feel happy and excited . it’s a very fun thing to do and i’m glad to be a company member .
as we move into 2018 we anticipate a nicu’s spoon branch in hawaii , working with empowering new voices there .
due to the loss of space our theater company underwent some changes and took some time to gather funds . but ! we still produced -
nick is an avid director , actor , and writer . previously , he has been busy writing five new original works ; his first play , the real story was produced in 2001 by the post theatre company . his second play , identity ( award winning ) , was produced twice by queens college in 2005 , once by manhattan repertory theater in 2006 , and by nicu’s spoon theater in 2007 . his last original work , erosion : life on life’s terms premiered in january 2010 at nicu’s spoon theater . he has worked as a director for many children’s shows and taught several drama classes for children over the past 14 years . nick graduated from cw post at long island university with his ba in theater and holds a master’s degree in education from queens college . nick founded identity theater company in 2011 , and is looking forward to making great theater with great people .
“nicu’s spoon , a theater company , in its third remarkable year , have staged a morbidly disturbing production of mac wellman’s “a murder of crows” , a rich , stimulating poem that locates the destructive spirit lurking amid amber waves of grain and purple mountains of majesty . ” – jack quinn , editor , theaterscene . net
join us in celebrating our journey with victor ilyukhin’s “two and twenty troubles”an uplifting documentary about nicu’s spoon theater co . featuring some amazing folks and with a warm - hearted story about our actors and their struggles in life… and on stage .
“two and twenty troubles” is a new documentary about a play starring nyc disabled actors . the film is being made in association with nicu’s spoon theater company , whose mission is to give an opportunity to both disabled and non - disabled actors of various ages , gender , races and cultural backgrounds alike .
this has been adapted for the stage by nicu’s spoon , an exciting new theater company that is gaining a reputation as one of the better off - off broadway companies in the city . this production represents the type of risk more companies should be taking . hopefully , nicu’s spoon will continue to develop this piece into a lively , exciting piece of theater , and continue fighting the good fight . the work they are doing is passionate , professional and absolutely worth keeping an eye on . – tim browning , theaterscene . net
anthony lopez and rachel handler , two disabled actors ( both amputees ) , intend to restart their acting careers after along hiatus . both meet each other at the nicu ' s spoon theater - a . . . see full summary »
anthony lopez and rachel handler , two disabled actors ( both amputees ) , intend to restart their acting careers after along hiatus . both meet each other at the nicu ' s spoon theater - a company whose mission is to give an opportunity to both disabled and non - disabled actors of various ages , races and cultural backgrounds alike .
at nicu’s spoon theater company , we celebrate collaboration in developing productions that are pertinent for today’s global , diverse , and rapidly changing world . new york city is full of people of different ethnicities and abilities ; always on the move and oftentimes unheard . we give voice to those who are very much a part of our world , but whose stories often go untold .
the film follows two young actors , anthony lopez and rachel handler , who are both amputees . they both seek for a way to reaffirm their belief in themselves and restart their careers after a long hiatus , and meet at nicu’s spoon theater .
accepting their mission of socially relevant theater , nicu’s spoon translates the realist prose of the author / journalist , his vision of totalitarianism , and the plight of his protagonist , winston smith , the last humanist .  – kim , voice choices , village voice
nicu’s spoon has chosen cannily in mounting the stage version of george orwell’s 1984 at this particular time . thanks to director stephanie barton - farcas and her dedicated collaborators at nicu’s spoon , we are getting another look at this important work of literature . it is a riveting work of theatre , giving us a raw , very personal experience of orwell’s cautionary tale .  – martin denton , editor , nytheater . com ( * starred , editors pick review )
“kimberly akimbo” is a risky choice of show for the spoon theater , considering that the “art as escapism” camp has got new york in a death grip . attempting realism is not the predictable option , especially with a plotline as unusual as this . the off - off broadway spoon theater is known for producing avant - garde theater in this vein . this season’s theme was outcasts , which dealt with our perceptions of normality and its aberrations . the theater is a tiny black box in the middle of an office building , with creaking floors and an out - of - work elevator . for the audience member tired of broadway glitz , it’s a charming haven .
“i am so excited to work at the identity theater . i have been in a couple of plays before working
bram is a nationally - certified ( rid ) sign - language interpreter and got his first taste of nicu’s spoon when he facilitated communication among deaf and hearing actors , staff and crew for their productions of “stumps” , “buried child” and ”kosher harry” , the latter of which was a co - production with new york deaf theatre ( nydt ) , experiences he won’t soon forget . in addition to being an asl coordinator with nicu’s spoon , bram’s involvement in the theater community at large also includes being the media relations coordinator for toys theater , work on the stage crew for various nydt productions , and a stint as stage manager for staged readings of the new rock musical , “the cure” .
nicu’s spoon became the symbol for us for all the impossible things that were suddenly possible . things like walking , talking , thinking , and living . he was hiv positive and we lost him 5 years later in 1996 .
founded in 2001 , nicus spoon theater company new york city’s original all - inclusive theater group ; offering a home for everyone regardless of color , ability , ethnicity , age , or gender . we’ve been this way since day one and are committed to this mission as a leader in nyc . we support every artist— whether they be sight - impaired , hard of hearing , rainbow - hued , differently - enabled , or otherwise empowered . many other theaters have been inspired by our philosophy and have joined with us in our support of diversity .
no niggers , no jews , no dogs is an interesting play dealing with the difficult subjects of rape , anti - semitism , and racism . nicu’s spoon should be applauded for once again producing meaningful , dynamic and intriguing work . their willingness to take risks is needed in today’s theatre .
in tales of the lost formicans , constance congdon’s satirical critique of 1980s suburbia , a cadre of friendly aliens — amusingly outfitted with almond - shaped sunglasses — is replaying scenes from american suburbia to puzzle out the complexities of the family unit . it’s a sad fact that the play seems just as fitting nearly 20 years after its first production . nicu’s spoon’s current season is dedicated to exploring issues of disability and working with disabled artists ; with formicans , the company tackles the subject of alzheimer’s disease and has in the cast an actor with cerebral palsy .  jerry portwood , backstage
all in all , all’s well that ends well ( except for poor essex , of course ) . unlike in a shakespeare history , no one here dies on stage , at least . this substantial and rather difficult play uses shakespeare’s milieu to gamely confront matters of gender and sexuality . nicu’s spoon proves an excellent utensil for the task .
“a story about the unraveling of a midwestern family after tragedy strikes , judith guest’s 1976 bestselling book “ordinary people” shows that even in the suburban heartland , life falls apart and ordinary people can turn out to be extraordinary . in the current off - off - broadway production of “ordinary people” ( adapted for the stage by nancy gilsenan hersage in 1983 ) , theater group nicu’s spoon literally recasts the story : billed as a “multiracial adaptation , ” the play features a white actor in the role of the conciliatory father , an asian actress in the role of the distant mother and a southeast asian actor as the desolate younger son . but nicu’s spoon isn’t interested in ordinary families or ordinary people . since its founding in 2001 , nicu’s spoon has sought to cast talented actors of color in roles conventionally cast with white actors , such as the family in “ordinary people . ” determined to push the bounds of casting norms even in new york’s progressive theater community , founder stephanie barton - farcas has nothing but contempt for the many directors and producers who , she says , turn away brilliant actors for “not looking right .
i discovered nicu’s spoon two years ago , and admired their mission and inclusiveness . i started filming their rehearsal process and preparation for a new performance of anton chekhov’s “the cherry orchard” , but very soon the performers’ powerful personal stories of overcoming challenges and breaking social stereotypes became my main interest . i filmed on - the - spot interviews with the actors , the rehearsal process , and also their everyday lives off - stage . i felt privileged to document nicu’s spoon and their unique atmosphere , and felt a connection with the cast members and staff .
diana maria benigno is proud to be a member of identity theatre company , especially after being embraced by and performing with nicu ' s spoon theatre company . as both an actor and dramaturg , she is in the process of completing her ma in theatre at hunter college , and has a ba in dramatic literature from nyu . favorite roles include beatrice in hunter college ' s much ado about nothing , sister james in john patrick shanley ' s doubt for the merrick theatre and center for the arts , and suffocating clarence as murderer 1 in nicu spoon ' s richard iii . previous dramaturgy includes richard iii : a dishonourable tale , at the secret theatre in queens and the brick theatre ' s shakespeare festival workshop of hamlet , or i shall mourn the rivers . she also can be seen in recurring roles as both antoinette and cookie in the off - broadway interactive theatre production murdered by the mob . upcoming roles include ariel in identity ' theatre ' s the tempest with the shakespeare forum .
( an externally funded project ) this uplifting documentary about our amazing performers trying to make it in new york city highlights our theater company in engaging and emotional ways . directed by victor ilyukhin . in late 2013 a crew began filming a documentary film “two and twenty troubles” about our company in association with a team of award - winning collaborators with a unique vision . shown privately in nyc ( in 2014 ) and slated for the festival circuit in 2015 .
it mirrors the problems and issues facing modern america , and fits perfectly into the season of nicu’s spoon geared toward women and gender identity . it’s as if mr findley has held up a looking glass to modern society to say , “this is who you are , as you were . ” it is truly one of the most refreshing pieces of this season , and i wonder what has taken the new york theatre world so long to bring this play back to audiences . elizabeth rex is a superb play , performed by a fabulous troupe of actors , even more intimate in the space of nicu’s spoon theatre . it is a timely piece that is about the journey we all take to find who we are by accepting who we were . bravo to nicu’s spoon for bringing this piece to life in the time they have .
for its 2011 theme , nicu’s spoon has chosen monsters , and the company leads with a honey : rhoda penmark , the little murderess of “the bad seed . ” maxwell anderson’s 1954 drama is remembered mainly through its 1956 film version , which differs in small but significant ways . one is grateful to nicu’s spoon for giving us a rare glimpse at his original look at evil beneath seeming innocence . anderson’s play is enjoyable for its 1950s structure—bells and phones always ringing to introduce plot points—and its then - shocking cocktail chatter on such subjects as homosexuality and incest . it ends far more creepily and satisfyingly than the movie , and the author’s penchant for high - flown poesy is kept well in check . this isn’t an ideal “the bad seed , ” but with so few old - fashioned well - made plays on the boards nowadays , we’ll take what we can get .
“i worked with abandoned kids in romania in the 90’s and the most amazing one was nicu , who was 5 . nicu was in diapers and did not walk , talk or feed himself . they told me he was deaf , autistic and retarded and should be discarded . nicu had spent 5 years on his back in a crib . i got angry and said , ‘i’ll take him . ’”
they say that ants can pull 50 times their weight , but the disabled humans do plenty of hauling as they seek their ideal forms in constance congdon’s poignant tale of aliens , alzheimer’s and adolescence , produced by nicu’s spoon . the play is a wonderful metaphor for the function of theater . one could accomplish a great deal by sitting and listening . and the point of all the lifting of chairs ? “never force anything . ” congdon has lent an ear to plato in this sequence of terse epitomes about finding one’s form : “all you have to do is gather it in . ” deborah greenhut , oobr
michelle is a magna cum laude graduate of nyu’s college of arts and sciences , where she earned her ba in psychology with a minor in theatre studies . performing is michelle’s oldest passion , but has since supported and complimented her other interests in directing , psychology , and teaching . she has been involved with nicu’s spoon since 2008 , where her directing , associate and assistant directing credits include “beautiful thing” by jonathan harvey , the world premieres of “a kite cut loose in the middle of the sky , ” “23 coins , ” and “snow white rose red , ” spoon’s january children’s show . most recently , she directed , designed , and was the literary developer for spoon’s staged reading of the new play “handicapping . ” other assistant directing include “sons of the prophet” with roundabout theatre company . michelle is also a recent circle in the square musical theatre intensive graduate . in addition to serving as the literary director at spoon , michelle is also the outreach director and a teaching artist for daytime moon creations , a nonprofit that brings recreational theatre programming to kids and young adults with special needs .
one more play about family relationships might spark a street riot in the theater district – luckily , “kimberly akimbo” at the spoon theater tackles much more . so much more , in fact , that it scales the thematic heights of a classic novel . directed by oliver conant , “kimberly akimbo” centers on a girl aging at impossible speeds and her adolescent - minded parents , all trapped in new jersey . maturity then , is the initial topic .
2016 involved the presenting workshops of new plays , in production with identity theater company . four mondays in may . shorts ! ! ! produced by identity theater and nicu’s spoon theater companies at the underground theater 215 east 99th street . may 2 – ‘henry’s shorts’ ( 3 short plays by henry holden ) ● 7 : 15 pm – ikea by henry holden starring estelle olivia , chris lavine and nick linnehan . ● 8 : 00 pm – two old men by henry holden starring wynne anders and terry jerry ( yep , 2 women ! ! ) . ● 9 : 00 pm – the campaign by henry holden starring courtney knysch and henrika seffy . may 9 – ‘libby’s shorts’ ( 3 short plays by libby emmons ) ● 7 : 15 pm – how to sell your gang rape baby for parts by libby emmons starring diana benigno and stephanie gould . winner of the f - off festival ! ! ● 8 : 00 pm – auto moron by libby emmons starring libby emmons and ali ayala . ● 9 : 00 pm – driving your girlfriend home by libby emmons starring rosalie muller - boiral , perri yaniv and ian gregory hill . may 16th – 7 : 00 pm - sinkhole by stacy ann price 9 : 00 pm - paralyzed by jeff stolzer
natily blair founding member natalie began with necessary theatre in the positive force players ; a group focused on issues such as aids awareness and substance abuse . she graduated from university of wisconsin - milwaukee with a major in theater . regionally , she appeared at the milwaukee rep . , and northern stage company as well as touring to the siglo de oro spanish theater festival in el paso , tx . she has been seen on as the world turns and guiding light , as well as starring in abhay charan , a film about the birth of the hari krishna movement in nyc . she was in the obie award winning ny premiere of mac wellman’s jennie richee with the ridge theatre , she played cordelia to ralph waite’s king lear , chechyen woman and zapatista in displaced , and scout in nicu’s to kill a mockingbird .
the cast featured wynne anders as halie , and jim williams as dodge . these two grabbed a hold of the audience from the first moment and didn’t let go until the last word was spoken . simply superb ! also darren fudenske , a deaf actor , portraying tilden proves that good acting is about doing and is alive in the body . his vocal limitations did not detract from the play as he played his part with sincere conviction that transcends any physical disability , thereby telling the story without losing his audience . no small feat . i could go on and on about this talented and connected ensemble of actors , who’s tremendous honesty is so refreshing to watch . the production is quite impressive . this show is what live theater is supposed to be and proves that it still exists . unfortunately , it is rare to see this kind of theater ( even though its exactly what all theater should be ) ; the kind that leaves its audience breathless and wanting more ! you owe it to yourself to see this one , trust me . nicu’s spoon hits a grand slam with this one , and if this is the kind of theater they produce , the theater community has a lot to look forward to .
one of the best shows this year ! a few months ago , i had reviewed a production of buried child , and said that the company had a handle on how to produce sam shephard’s bizarre play about a family hiding a dark secret . while i stand by that , the production of this play by nicu’s spoon revealed an even more unbelievable way to produce this work . director , stephanie barton - farcas led her cast with brilliance , intelligence , and heart . the show was powerful , moving , and surprisingly funny ; a credit to her and the amazing cast .
are you ready to see our latest performance ? excellent . sit back , relax , and let us do the hard part . we look forward to seeing you at the theater…
he and i fought some big , bad battles together to get him there… to get him to choose life . and in the process he changed my life . though he was mentally and physically challenged . nicu viewed the world with wonder . he spent hours bouncing sunlight off of a spoon . when he began to eat solid food at the age of 5 , his spoon was everything to him .
here . while in high school , i joined the drama club and in the spring of 2009 performed in the musical the wizard of oz and played the wicked witch of the west . a year later , in the spring of 2010 , i played mr . willy wonka from willy wonka and the chocolate factory . then at nicu’s spoon theater in the summer of 2010 , i played king thaddeus in an adaptation of rumpelstiltskin . then i performed in the musical adaptation of cinderella . i played little blue , the fairy godmother’s assistant . i performed in this musical ,
beautiful thing is a tenderly drawn play by jonathan harvey about two teenage boys falling for each other in working class south london . staged by nicu’s spoon as part of their 10th season’s focus on outcasts , beautiful thing is a subtle and detailed look at the complex evolution of romantic and familial love . but plot is a secondary pleasure in beautiful thing ; the play is interested primarily in the richly drawn characters , particularly jamie , sandra , and the charmingly self - destructive leah . when the play works best , we feel as if we’ve pulled up a chair to share a beer and watch them banter . under michelle kuchuk’s gently nuanced direction , the actors convincingly capture the rhythms of everyday desire , charmingly incarnating the little disappointments and thrills of growing up and moving on . the small size of the spoon is a good space for the play , forcing the characters and audience into an uneasy intimacy . nicu’s spoon’s beautiful thing is never less than engaging , and often lovely .
valerie peck is a yale graduate and has been working in regional theater in the new york and boston area for over 10 years . she currently is a consultant for the international rescue committee , a refugee relief organization . valerie also volunteers her time and sits on the planning committee for transmoda fashion show , an annual fundraising event to support refugees and immigrants . valerie is proud to be part of nicu’s spoon which is dedicated to not only bringing entertainment to its audience but enlightening audiences to important issues of the day .
stephanie barton - farcas is the artistic director of nicu’s spoon theater company , the first company in nyc history to be fully inclusive . she recently directed ' richard iii ' with a disabled cast except for the title role and her company nicu’s spoon is the subject of the documentary ‘two and twenty troubles’ which premiered in nyc september 2014 . other nyc directing includes ' red noses ' , ‘bad seed’ , ‘buried child’ , ‘the little prince’ , ‘george orwell’s 1984’ , and the oobr winning ‘suburbia’ . she is the creator of a new performance style called co - playing for both deaf and hearing audiences and will be guest director at the university of hawaii in 2016 . as an actress : off - broadway : ‘talk show’ ( actors playhouse ) , ‘nuclear family’ ( abingdon theatre ) and queen elizabeth i in ‘elizabeth rex’ for which she won the 2008 ny innovative theatre award for best actress , playing queen elizabeth i in both the off - off and off - broadway premieres . off - off broadway as vivian bearing in ‘wit’ , miss meacham in ‘separate tables’ among many roles . recent film work was sheriff mcnulty in ‘karkass karts’ and judit in ‘after midnight , before dawn . ’ she has been profiled in the ny times , variety and playbill and written for backstage , howlround and many other publications as well as lecturing at sag - aftra , aea and many industry associations about inclusion in the arts . she actively assists with casting for plays , films and some tv and actively encourages disabled , women and actors of color to be cast .
damon has been composing music since 1992 and working with nicu’s spoon since 2001 , his award - winning music has been in many productions including : to kill a mockingbird , george orwell’s 1984 , ordinary people , murder of crows , suburbia , the little prince and elizabeth rex . previously he has worked with the oregon , shakespeare festival and storefront theater in portland , oregon . damon dabbles in many of the liberal arts ; working professionally as a graphic designer , photographer , video producer and sound engineer . he lives in portland , oregon with his wife and daughter where he continues to write music for film , theater and pleasure— telecommuting to new york city when he can’t be there in person . you can download his music and learn more about his various works at urltoken .
do you love theater ? we do too ! we ' re doing everything we can to bring great productions and great people together . we can accomplish great thing together , you and we…
michael abourizk michael abourizk is an arab - american actor who began his training under the tutelage of tobi silver . he is distinctly humbled to be a member of nicu’s spoon . at the spoon , he appeared as ste in their production of beautiful thing , as well as in w ; t ( ensemble , u / s jason ) , bad seed ( mr . daigle , u / s performed colonel penmark ) , and rumplestiltskin . other credits include a bilingual production of the maids ( madame ) , the eight reindeer monologues ( cupid ) , butch mamas ( shay ) , voice - over work , and several one - act play festivals . he is a milo award - recipient for the park road playhouse’s the lion in winter ( john ) . he holds a ba in dramatic literature and french from new york university . he continues to perform a one - man show adaptation of the picture of dorian gray , written and helmed by darya gerasimenko , and now co - produced by nicu’s spoon .
nicu’s spoon is an extraordinary company in that they celebrate the diversity of acting talent in the city by casting multi - racial , multi - abled , multi - aged , and multi - gendered talent .  the cast of formican’s certainly is true to that mission . and then there are the aliens . rather than writing a basic family drama , congdon presents the audience with an anthropology lesson , as a group of aliens observe and attempt to understand the lives of this group of humans . they get most of it wrong , but of course , thatâ€™s the point . the results force us to view ourselves and our lives in a different light .  byrne harrison , stage buzz
phillip recently was the producer’s assistant for born bad at soho rep , and asm for gatsby , the the songs in concert with nymtf . ad / sm for beautiful thing and w ; t at spoon . he was also ad for love me ( planet connections ) , as you like it at frog & peach , and ad / sm / costume designer for erosion : life on life’s terms at spoon . he has also regionally directed , costume and makeup designed for theatre - by - the - grove ( pa ) , and many children shows with limelight productions ( az ) . he was psm for a perfect ganesh with synaptic productions ( ny ) , sm for holding out at manhattan rep , and production mgr / founding member of sketch troupe company ( pa ) . ba from indiana university of pa . he is co - founder of the new company partly cloudy people .
the author of “ordinary people” is the first to acknowledge that the characters in her novel are not ordinary to begin with – they are wealthy , they live in the suburbs , as readers regularly make a point of telling her . but , to guest , the ordinary in the title refers to the characters’ emotions and to their problems and relationships : “people have the same kinds of feelings no matter where they live or who they are , ” she said . she had no involvement in the nicu’s spoon production , but said she appreciates how the company is “shaking up” the whole picture of “ordinary people” with a multiracial cast and thereby commenting on the story’s universality . ”
“consistently fascinating , exist brilliantly portrays the pettiness and political correctness of academia , while leaving audiences with much to ponder on a philosophical level . it is also a timely , but not at all didactic reminder that tibet does indeed still exist , though many in power would probably prefer we forgot it . a smart play , tightly produced by nicu’s spoon…” —joe bendel , ‘jb spins’
“the recent high winds that rocked new york city added an eerie but not inappropriately constant background to the nicu’s spoon production of murder of crows . the performances were all terrific especially the eponymous crows , observing everything while wearing beautifully crafted but appropriately creepy sharp - beaked masks , and whose jazzily impromptu dance lifted the show to the sublime heights of absurdist heaven . ” – doug devita , oobr
“contributing columnist , maggie cino , reflects on the recent double casting of nicu’s spoon’s production of stumps . theatre for the deaf and theatre for the hearing rarely have much to say to each other . however , when deaf actors put on a production in sign language , voice actors are often employed to make it accessible to the hearing ; occasionally , voiced productions will be closed - captioned or have a sign language interpreter . but in both cases , interpreting the play is a practical rather than an artistic consideration . director stephanie barton - farcas , the artistic director of nicu’s spoon , recently challenged that convention . in her production of stumps by mark medoff , she demanded that both spoken - and signed - language performers not merely interpret , but join forces to illuminate the play’s emotional core . to accomplish this she cast two actors in every role : one speaking , one signing . each actor was directed to fully play the role— the speaking actor played the character’s public persona while the signing actor played the internal reality .
“a provocative play melding east & west , it speaks to the current situation in tibet as well as a need for a greater humor , awareness and personal responsibility in a world of ever - changing values . ” — theater development fund
favorite theater credits include the boys next door ( w / identity theater ) , agnes in ludlow fair , trailerville ( nyc premiere ) . film : extra dark ( upcoming ) , fixers , snow , and the title role of crystal in on crystal . a member of both sag - aftra and aea , stephanie holds a b . a . in english from saint anselm college , and has trained at circle in the square theatre school and the peoples improv theatre .
wynne anders actress / general company support wynne most recently appeared for nicu’s spoon as monica breedlove in ‘bad seed’ and kimberly in ‘kimberly akimbo’ . other roles with the spoon include queen margaret in ‘richard iii’ , e . m . ashford in ‘w : t’ and mrs . cider in ‘kosher harry’ . also a member of emerging artists theatre company wynne appeared as dolores hitchins in their off broadway production of ‘claymont’ as well as many of their one act festivals of new works . wynne has appeared in a variety of roles with several off off broadway companies in both full length and readings of new works and classical works . regional work has seen her as m’lynn in ‘steel magnolias’ , mrs . boyle in ‘the mousetrap’ , reba in the last night of ballyhoo’ and the 3 women in red herring . she has appeared on one life to live , all my children , guiding light , another world , and loving as well as commercials and voice overs . she attended the theatre departments of the university of wisconsin - milwaukee and denver university and holds a bachelors degree from nyu . she is a proud member of aea , sag and aftra urltoken
thank you to nicu’s spoon for presenting this wonderful story . the kids loved it and it was easy to follow with 6 very defined characters . the kids could not stop talking about the bear ( who was wearing a t - shirt with ‘bear’ spelled wrong ! ) . one of my two trips to this show also involved a bit of a meet and greet and talk with the playwright , a very smart lady in a wheelchair named katie ( labahn ) . we loved her humor and insights and back at school we had a wonderful talk about disabilities and how people with them can do anything and so we shouldn’t be mean to them and in fact we should be friends with them . it really brought tears to my eyes that this was the best lesson they could have learned while they were watching a great play ! we love spoon theater .
alvaro sena made his first main stage appearence with nicu’s spoon in the little prince . he is a brazilian actor and moved to ny thinking of the expansion of his career . he now is in ma but maintains string ties to the company . his professional training started in brazil when he was a student at the university of arts of parana where his coursework included history of theater , acting , literature , makeup , costume and scenic design classes . his acting credits include garcia lorca , shakespeare , eugene ionesco and others like brazilian authors maria clara machado and nelson rodrigues . he has worked as an intern for cultural foundation of curitiba , a program where he had to travel to poor areas bringing the magic of art and teaching literature and acting to kids who did not have access to the arts . he also has worked as a production assistant and booked commercials as well . in ny he has attended acting classes at michael howard’s , sft and theatre dance at the broadway dance center . he is currently in boston , massachusetts .
the bad seed , by maxwell anderson , directed by s . barton - farcas
kimberly is excited to be joining the amazing andtalented group of theatre - makers at identity theater company . kimberly hails from the midwest , and left her home in ohio to pursue an m . a . in educational theatre at new york university . she has worked as a research fellow in accessibility at lincoln center for the performing arts , and is now a full - timedrama teacher at p . s . 195 in the bronx . kimberly would like to thank her theatre teachers and professors , who introduced her to the magic of theatre and helped her develop her ability in this beautiful and provocative art form .
the nicu’s spoon production takes a direct run at those complex questions and flings itself stubbornly on them with few frills and no standing around . everything is stripped down to expose the characters and their hearts like naked beasts , struggling in the wilderness . on an almost uncomfortably barren set , under unwavering light , the characters stand out either in bright white ( there are many eerie recurrences of the color white throughout the piece ) or in silhouette when seen through the massive plate - glass window that dominates the stage . the swan , like the questions of romance it explores , is a tough show to come to grips with . if you’re ready to sort through the depths of your emotions , though , this won’t disappoint . the swan may be an unconventional lover , but it’s a revealing exploration from a company that’s clearly not afraid to ride out some rough spots in the pursuit of awkward and beautiful truths .
the swan , by elizabeth egloff , is quite a remarkable work . it’s half allegory , half dream sequence . it’s dangerous theatre because it requires that the dramaturg be competent enough to see past the words on the page , which on first read might seem like gibberish . and , once mounted , it assumes that its audience members are all capable of independent thought and imagination . in short , it’s my understanding of what theatre is supposed to be all about . nicu’s spoon productions has done a fine job with this challenging play . extra kudos for having the courage to mount it in the first place . i hope they can restage it again soon and pull in the audience and sponsorship that they deserve .
nytheater profile / interview with artistic director , s . barton - farcas in april 2002
spring 2003 george orwell’s 1984 adapted by robert owens , wilton e . hall , jr . , and william a . miles jr . directed by s . barton - farcas
“ director s . barton - farcas kept the lively cast from spinning out of control in the small space . the tiny stage aptly recreated the metaphor of the suburbs ( small , dreary ) and added to the play’s inherent claustrophobia . the set ( howard goldberg ) was an almost perfect recreation of the back of a convenience store — complete with broken fencing , milk crates , and a pay phone . bogosian is one of the best writers around , and suburbia is haunting in its accuracy . nicu’s spoon , known for its small but excellent productions of current playwrights ( most recently mac wellman’s a murder of crows ) , scored a hit again with suburbia . it was sure to resonate with anyone who ever wanted to get out . ”
in beautiful thing , currently being produced by nicu’s spoon theatre company , director michelle kuchuk accomplishes a charming revival of this british classic written by jonathan harvey and originally staged in 1993 , with a later release as a screen adaptation by channel 4 films in 1996 . instantly transplanted into the mid - eighties slums of south london , we meet jamie ( trip langley ) , an awkward teen who hates playing ball , sandra – jamie’s single mom ( julie campbell ) , her boyfriend tony ( tim romero and leah ( rebecca lee lerman ) , their eccentric sassy teen neighbor who has been expelled from school , does drugs and is obsessed with mama cass . she fancies herself an up - and - coming music star and has a bit of a crush on ste ( michael abourizk ) , who lives next door to jamie and , unlike him , loves sports and is tall and handsome .
pamela o . mitchell has interpreted off - broadway plays such as freeda peoples at the billie holiday theater , inc . , the world in her hands : the helen keller story and the nutcracker with the interborough repertory theater , haiti children of god by lorey hayes , many years with the new york revels at the peter norton symphony space , to name a few . mitchell is an avid member and participant of nicu’s spoon theater and has interpreted plays such as the little prince , co - acted in stumps , was the voice of the deaf woman in the reading of raymond luczak’s , love in my veins and was honored to take on her first acting role of mattie cheeks in no niggers , no jews , no dogs written by john henry redwood . mitchell interprets music of various genres : spiritual , folk , rap , gospel , jazz and enjoys storytelling for the young and ‘young at heart’ . one of the many challenging roles as a freelance interpreter , mitchell played an important role in the relief efforts of interpreting information during hurricane sandy 2012 for mayor michael bloomberg . she also had the honor of interpreting for mayor bill de blasio’s inauguration on january 1 , 2014 and press conferences during the snow storm hercules 2014 . mitchell states , “i love what i do and i am signing for life” . mitchell is nationally certified , holds a professional certificate in asl / english interpretation projects ( itp ) from fiorella h . laguardia community college , has a bachelor’s degree in corporate communication with a minor in pre - med psychology from bernard m . baruch college and is undecided for her masters .
what i liked was nicu’s spoon theatre’s , ( and linnehan’s ) wonderfully straightforward version of inclusion . actress and playwright katie labahn performs in a wheelchair—it’s not a plot point , nor is the character described that way ; there is simply no reason why lady malcolm ( or any other character in the play really ) shouldn’t be in a wheelchair . when she entered , my daughter turned to me and asked if the actress really needed a wheelchair , i nodded , she nodded and turned back to watch the show . that moment was a far more valuable lesson than when the performers turned to the kids in the audience and told them that lying is bad and gets you into trouble . with a $ 10 entry fee , rumplestiltskin offers another kind of inclusion as well .
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love , commitment , marriage—the troika of conventional steps to romance . you find someone , it takes a while , but eventually you settle down , end of story . but when it’s not that simple , when the “conventions” of romance break down , what other formulas can we find inside ourselves ? what kinds of feelings defy categorization , resist commitment , and tap into a darkness that is anything but conventional ? elizabeth egloff’s play the swan , now being performed by nicu’s spoon theater , takes a stab at those and a few more questions , and then throws another monkey wrench into the works—one of the lovers is a bird . or he’s a man . or both . or neither . the swan is a gritty , poetic exploration of love that strips away “convention” and goes after the animal instincts that lurk in the shadows of romance . no , not lust ( though there are some moments of intense sexual tension in the play ) but the unflinching connection between two individuals , and the uncomfortable question of where that connection stems from . these are some big questions , and the play gets a little heady at times , as the characters wrestle with their emotions through egloff’s stylized dialogue .
“the combination of animal on the loose with neurotic characters can’t be said without drawing comparison to the classic movie bringing up baby , where a tiger’s escape in connecticut and an oddball crew of people come together to capture the wild animal and end up finding love . tigers be still captures this willy energy and neurosis that makes for an enjoyable evening of comedy . ” ny theater review - aurin squire
“cherish is a truly moving show which deftly deals with some of the most taboo social issues of today’s society . it’s a must see for all adult audiences . the audience learns that’s it’s in a child’s best interest to have two loving and caring parents regardless of how the child is brought into the world . with the perfectly whimsical staging , and the seriousness of the issues , the characters skillfully leave one uncertain at times whether to laugh or cry . ” nilson netto , brazil press
guy has a specialized ba degree in shakespearean theatre and has studied with ruby dee , eve adamson of the jean cocteau repertory company , the actor’s studio , and the american academy of dance and drama . guy has also been a dramatic instructor to both adult and children for over 15 years at various organizations . as the director of development for children and the classics , guy brought programs and support to children and organizations with little exposure to the arts throughout the 5 boroughs . he also developed the classic theatre collaborative , which introduced classical theatre to children & youth . guy currently advises several arts organizations on technical and scenic elements of production , curriculum development and instruction , administrative and artistic vision , budgeting , and arts fundraising and is the managing director of hip to hip theatre company .
“so , that ' s what we ' re going to do . we’re going to play . ”
2011 fall - how the day runs down by john langan , directed by s . barton - farcas
playwright timothy findley took on an intriguing and challenging task with this play . the time is 1601 . it’s the night before the scheduled execution of robert devereux , 2nd earl of essex , a former favorite of the queen’s , to whom she had been famously , romantically linked . to prevent rioting by essex’s supporters , a curfew is imposed , which ( in findley’s conceit ) traps shakespeare ( scott nogi ) and some of his company in the royal barn for the night . all hell gets pent up , only to break loose gradually as ned lowenscroft ( michael digioia ) , a player who specializes in female roles and is dying of “the pox , ” refuses to pander to the queen . instead he engages her in a dangerous emotional game . lowenscroft is sure there’s a woman somewhere inside the icon , despite her having remained pure and unmarried for the sake of england . the queen takes up the flamboyant actor’s gauntlet , challenging him to show “the man” inside his effeminate manner . the process by which these two marvelous characters wear down each others’ enamel is the play’s dramatic center .
of the five signing actors in the production , two were deaf and asl was their primary language ; one was a hearing child of deaf adults ( coda ) ; one was a sign - language interpreter making her acting debut ; and one was a hearing actor who signs . but the double casting served an even greater purpose , because pushing artistic boundaries and challenging artists is not nicu’s spoon’s only mission . this company has been working for over four years to produce socially relevant works and to give voice to people who are often unheard . they make connections not just between performers and audience , but between people . barton - farcas tells the story of how one day the actresses sharing the role of emily planned to meet outside rehearsal to go over the part . concerned because the speaking actress only knew a handful of signs , barton - farcas asked if they needed a facilitator . “no , ” the speaking emily said . “we’ll figure it out . we understand each other fine . ” “i was so happy to hear that , ” said barton - farcas with a smile . “i just thought , that’s what doing this work is all about . ”