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Kathy Mangan the manager and producer of the J.T. Magen web site reached out to Eric Marciano and American Montage to post-produce and on occasion film a plethora of videos exemplifying the remarkable construction work that J. T. Magen produces in New York City and around North America. These videos had to present the complexity, beauty and ingenuity that J.T. Magen brought to each project as well as the challenges J.T. successfully dealt with for each building.

Construction Tranformed - www.jtmagen.com/

J.T. Magen is a leader in the construction industry, ranking in the Top 50 U.S. general contractors, and in the Top 20 companies for office construction and for telecommuincations construction.

In business since 1992, J.T. has offices in New York, where it was ranked the number one renovation contractor; Chicago where it was ranked the 13th largest general contractor; and Los Angeles where affiliate JTM ConstructionGroup Inc. has been working for companies such as Jumpman, Microsoft, Team Solomid, Latham & Watkins and Equinix.

American Montage is pleased to create striking and informative videos that present the J.T.Magen porfolio of work in an illuminating and powerful manner.

From 2012 to 2020 Eric Marciano documented and collaborated with Lee Breuer, a major figure of American experimental theater and co-founder of Mabou Mines Theater Company, on a wide variety of projects. Much of that work is coming together in a documentary designed to explore Lee and his collbaorator's creative process. "Nobody Does It Like This Anymore: The Theater of Lee Breuer".  Breuer and his partner Maude Mitchell Marciano share the vision that this documentary would be recognized as a comprehensive telling of his process and his later works. A film that would be appreciated by  any serious student, teacher or patron of avant-garde theater and theater in general...                     On January 3rd, 2021 "shuffled off this mortal coil" and left us. This makes "Nobody Does It Like This Anymore: The Theater of Lee Breuer" ever important and a testament and legacy to the remarkable body of work created over a lifetime of following his unique creative instincts and influence to create theater and art that is both breathtaking and life giving...       In "Nobody Does It Like This Anymore: The Theater of Lee Breuer".  Breuer’s body of work is examined through interviews with his key collaborators. Filmed interviews to date include Greg Merhten, Bill Raymond, Bob Telson, Sam Butler Jr., Eamonn Farrell, Jessica Weinstein, Jay Ansil, Thomas Keith, Annette Saddik and Alex " Tiappa" Klimovtsky as well as discussions with Lee and his long time production designer Alison Yexa and his partner Maude Mithchell on his process, his techniques, and the prevalent themes that have provided the foundation of his almost 60-year career...      Lee Breuer was a founding artistic director of Mabou Mines Theater Company in New York City, which he began in 1970 with colleagues Philip Glass, Ruth Maleczech, JoAnne Akalaitis, David Warrilow, and Frederick Neuman.  His strong belief in experimental theater’s ability to illuminate our world by pushing dramatic convention beyond the mere depiction of reality can be found in Mabou Mines’ mission statement:  Mabou Mines is an artist-driven experimental theater collective generating original works and re-imagined adaptations of classic plays through multi-disciplinary, technologically innovative collaborations among its members and a wide world of contemporary composers, writers, musicians, puppeteers and visual artists...   The result of Breuer’s style as an adaptor/director is often described as stylistic “mash-ups.”  To Breuer, the stage is like a supercollider in which different genres and cultures are slammed together and fused into something wholly new.  While this technique has at times been off-putting to both purists and critics, Breuer’s adaptations of classic touchstones of Western theater more often than not have bathed the truths found in those works in a brand new light.  Ideas that have become obscured by repetition and familiarity take on new life when filtered through unexpected and sometimes jarringly disparate cultural values...From 2014 through 2018 Eric Marciano produced, edited and filmed the expressionist feature length documentary, "The Book of Clarence" with Lee Breuer, Sam Butler Jr., and Adam Larsen. This powerful and inspirational film tells the story of the life of Clarence Fountain, one of the original members and front man for the iconic gospel group "The Blind Boys of Alabama" who were featured in Lee's seminal work "The Gospel at Colonus". The Book of Clarence weaves Clarence's life with excerpts from "Gospel at Colonus" creating a singular story of a man and his character in a show. The film premiered at 2017 Museum of Modern Art's Documentary Fortnight and has been presented at the Louisiana, Minneapolis and Richmond International Film Festivals as well as the Brooklyn Academy of Music.... www.bookofclarence.com    ...."It is experimental theatre that moves the art forward and pushes audiences to think outside the standards."Julie-Kate Cooper - CVNC An Online Arts Journal...                                                                                                    Awards and FellowshipsSpace constraints do not permit a full listing of awards garnered by Breuer, with and without his Mabou Mines collaborators.  The honors he received for Gospel at Colonus alone are extraordinary, and include the National Institute for Music Theater Award 'Outstanding Achievement’, the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Concept, the Los Angeles Dramalogue Award for Best Direction and Text, the National Black Programming Award for Best Production Communicating Excellence to Black Audiences, and the National Institute of Music Theater's Award for the Advancement of Music Theater, and more.   He was even recognized with a National ASCAP Popular Song Award. In all, Breuer has directed eleven Obie Award winning productions over a period of thirty years.  He is also the recipient of the Chevalier Des Artes et Lettres, presented by the French Ministry of Culture.   His Fellowships include the Fulbright Fellowship – Greece (2003), Asian Cultural Council - Thailand, Study (2001), Asian Cultural Council - Seoul, Korea, Workshop (2000), John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (1997-2001), Asian Cultural Council - China, Teaching at Dramatic Institute in Beijing (1995), and the Japan-United States Friendship Commission - Japan, Research and Tour Planning (1993).

American Montage the eclectic and steadfast New York film production company and director Eric Marciano are currently in post-production on a three part documentary series about acclaimed downtown theater company, The Amoralists and the New York Off-Off Broadway scene. For 18 months beginning in June 2011 American Montage filmed this exciting theater company.

In their own words, "The Amoralists is a theater company that produces work of no moral judgment.  Dedicated to an honest expression of the American condition, the ensemble explores complex characters of moral ambiguity. Leaving no stone unturned, we plunge the depths of social, political, spiritual, and sexual characteristics of human nature.  We strive to make work that is completely accessible to all audiences – whether veteran or inexperienced theatergoers – putting theater at the heart of our community and expanding the possibilities and reach of the arts.  By combining accessibility with moral ambiguity, our work initiates a startling dialogue between artist and audience."

The Amoralists have brought a counter-culture of theater making to the main stream.  They drink, they yell, they get naked, and fisticuffs are no stranger to their rehearsal room.  From an outside view, it could seem that the company is teetering on implosion, and yet, since their 2009 critically acclaimed downtown hit The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side, the company has been consistently making work that challenges the status quo, while appetizing main stream theatergoer and garnering admiration from some of today's most esteemed theater artists.

The film series features three acclaimed shows filmed between June 2011 and September 2012, “The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side”, “Hotel/Motel” and “The Bad and the Bad”. The founding members, playwright Derek Ahonen, artistic director James Kautz and Matt Pilieci as well as a plethora of actors, collaborators and associates are interviewed extensively including Sarah Lemp, Adam Rapp, Daniel Aukin, David Gibbs, Nick Lawson, Anna Stromberg, Jordan Tisdale, David Nash, Anthony Francavilla and Judy Merrick.

The series takes an intimate behind-the-scenes look into the writing, rehearsal process and performance periods of three full productions. It reveals the fundraising, marketing, promotion and overall management that is required to survive and succeed in this decidedly non-Broadway world. It is a treasure trove of stories and information on how a new, non-union and non-conformist group of people create essential New York Theater and an exploration of a significant contributor to the vast New York Off-Off Broadway scene.

Part One of the documentary series focuses on the company's inception upon graduation from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and features their first big success and creation of an independent theater standard The Pied Pipers of The Lower East Side.

Part Two explores the company branching out to work with more established artists in the theater community, namely their production of HotelMotel, the site-specific collaboration with writer/director Adam Rapp. 

Part Three focuses on their collaboration with Obie Award wining director Daniel Aukin, and their move to 42^nd with their 2012 production The Bad & The Better.  Part Three investigates the excitement and emotional turmoil that come as a result of the company's professional and financial growth, and the internal challenges that arise with increased recognition.

Directed, Produced, Filmed and Edited by Eric Marciano

Filmed and Edited by Sam Richards

Interviews with Derek Ahonen, James Kautz ,Matt Pilieci, Sarah Lemp, Adam Rapp, Daniel Aukin, David Gibbs, William Apps, Nick Lawson, Anna Stromberg,

Jordan Tisdale, Judy Merrick, Sean Bauer, David Nash, Byron Anthony, Katie Broad, Vanessa Vache, Sarah Roy, Anthony Francavilla