tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23433822659537426932024-03-24T00:10:03.369-07:00GRIGWARE INTERVIEWSDon Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.comBlogger500125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-68578607665867253802022-07-23T19:10:00.016-07:002022-07-26T07:35:12.336-07:00<p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><i></i></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNmJa1BxTCoboYizWvQl_Rbr2L4gYra0gHZ4SnIROgeUfyxqjMOuXNruGAaik-tCE_oMgePECn61pjXrLAfCkSYPd22WVSJHc6bvy9iXJY_9NmEdtT0f0bopi4qtGMjxGa74cBfbXxOcYrJ6OB8ZaCUFuML4HTB-_IxOblEwyxAr_D3AKpSrVuN1_2g/s1080/thumbnail%20(45).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNmJa1BxTCoboYizWvQl_Rbr2L4gYra0gHZ4SnIROgeUfyxqjMOuXNruGAaik-tCE_oMgePECn61pjXrLAfCkSYPd22WVSJHc6bvy9iXJY_9NmEdtT0f0bopi4qtGMjxGa74cBfbXxOcYrJ6OB8ZaCUFuML4HTB-_IxOblEwyxAr_D3AKpSrVuN1_2g/s320/thumbnail%20(45).jpg" width="320" /></a></i></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br />Jane McNealy is an astounding composer, who along with her partner Alice Kuhns, has written songs and entire musical scores for many years. Read on to learn how music inspires her and her audiences.</i></span></b><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMcw4IkRmHhBEJ0E0rJPQXRMOmzSm9Cz9Vjn7RJkPcvG1hnEi6-6jROP--VYrw_HW8c-2yeAm-_ynxKWr5Dk1_RPWv4HNcYl4KHMv_f_auIjoDiJCML8pSYGR4FvYh1uzE1cBzUxBk8UQ1QGVDTrzliaf6gmIY7AMubFaXisKX_vpST8O8rqvVDV8Ug/s1080/thumbnail%20(44).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><blockquote dir="rtl" style="display: inline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">... ...</span></span></blockquote></span><span style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: left;"> </span></a></div><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: none; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><blockquote dir="rtl" style="display: inline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> I am so entranced especially by </span></span></blockquote></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;">"Why Does the Sky Keep Changing" and "Running Around." The first is so lilting and beautiful and the second so jazzy in its delivery, I wanted both to go on without stop. Love is at the core. What are your feelings about love and how it makes music so vibrant and alive?</span></blockquote><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: none; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: none; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(J.) </span>First of all, thank you for your kind words about two of my favorite songs. I think, “love,” or the lack of it, or the disappointment in it, or the being angry about it, or depressed about it, or obsessed about it (« <span style="font-style: italic;">Of Human Bondage </span>») is what drives us. We die for love (<span style="font-style: italic;">Romeo and Juliet</span>).</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Disputes and wars have been fought in the name of love (<span style="font-style: italic;">Helen of Troy</span>). Love has altered the course of history, and the fate of lives (Wallis Simpson & the Duke of Windsor, the former King-Emperor Edward VIII). We are motivated and driven by our emotions - Desire, Greed, Revenge, Jealousy, Madness (Salieri and Mozart) all forms of love.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Music is like the universe - no one knows where it comes from. And no one really knows where love comes from - it’s a feeling. It is the driving force behind everything we do and are- Hence love is the basis for what & why I write. I may not know why, it just happens. It’s my raison d’être.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I have attended, loved, and reviewed the Nine O'Clock </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Players for many years. These women are so </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">talented and devoted to children's theatre like no </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">other group. Please expla</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">i</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">n your connection. Have music theatre groups</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">—</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">like them or others</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">—</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">influenced your </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">compositions?</span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">(J)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;"> Alice and I joined the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">Nine</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">O</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">C</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">lock </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">P</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">layers in 2009. And yes, they are a wonderful children</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">s theatre group. The beauty of the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">Nine</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">O</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">C</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">lock </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">P</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">layers, as you also know, is we perform for thousands of children who have never seen live theatr</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">e</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;"> before. It</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;">s extremely rewarding.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Most importantly, having worked with the NOP for years, we certainly got a “first hand look” and greater understanding of Children’s Theatre.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">As the NOP doesn’t perform works by members, Alice and I decided to revise and update an old children’s musical, <span style="font-style: italic;">Take a Fable</span>, and try to get it produced. The story was originally by Marjorie Sigley (who has since died). Our musical was first performed at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the 1970s and then by the Young People‘s Theater in New York.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Eventually Alice and I and some ex-NOP members formed our own theatre company (The Pasadena City Players). The end result was <span style="font-style: italic;">Take a Fable</span> thrilled young children for several months in 2013.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I cannot stress, that if it hadn’t been for the Nine O<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL">’</span><span dir="LTR"></span>Clock Players, and what we learned from them, this experience never would have happened. So if you want to do something really worthwhile, I can only say, Do it! And children are your best audience.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Tell our readers about your music partnership with Ms. Kuhns </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">and how it thrives. What do each of you contribute to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">the process?</span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(J)</span> Every collaboration is different. And over the years Alice and my roles have changed.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Alice is highly educated, with a literary background in theatre. When I first started working with her, I had never written a musical before, so basically followed her lead, as I wrote the music, and we collaborated on lyrics.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">As the years evolved, I became more involved with the libretto. I learned why songs advance the action, and why it was important not to have exposition, which writers tend to get trapped in when they’re not familiar with the theatre format.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Basically, what Alice and I share, is a deep love of the musical tradition and the classic musicals from the 1920s through the ’50s and ’60s. There practically isn’t a song from any famous older musical, that I can’t play by ear, or Alice can’t sing all the lyrics to. <br /></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">This isn’t saying we don’t like modern musicals - it’s just to say, that in our opinion, musicals today aren’t as lyrical, musical and memorable as the classic Broadway showstoppers from the past.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Which of the songs on your new album, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy & Kuhns</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, are from your musicals? What makes these songs different from </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">the others? Do you have a favorite? If so, in what way is it special to you both?</span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;"> <br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(J)</span> Three songs on the Marsha Bartenetti album are from musicals:</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> “Why Does The Sky Keep Changing” from the musical <span style="font-style: italic;">Gauguin,</span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">“Love” from the musical, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hotel Romeo and Juliette</span>, and “What Is Today Without You” from the musical <span style="font-style: italic;">To Be Fred</span>. WITWY is probably my favorite song for sentimental reasons, more than anything, because it is from the first musical Alice and I ever had produced.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Edgar Lansbury optioned <span style="font-style: italic;">To Be Fred</span> in the early ‘70s, flew us to New York, and we worked with a director named Marvin Gordon for about six weeks. When we finished, Lansbury had to choose between our musical and another to produce, and he chose <span style="font-style: italic;">Godspell</span>. And the rest is history, except we did get <span style="font-style: italic;">To Be Fred</span> produced in Los Angeles at the Words and Music Theater a year later. Hope springs eternal as they say.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">I laud you...especially for forming your own record label, Lo-Flo Records, later in your career. Tell </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">our readers what this means to you.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(J) </span>Creating Lo-Flo Records has been life-changing (literally). I have a library, CLOSETS full of reel-to-reel music tapes from the 1960s onwards, that I had always considered archiving, but never seemed to get around to doing.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Then, in 2015, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I knew then, with lightning bolt certainty, that it was then or never that I was going to pull my music library together into some kind of digital format. The hope would be to leave my accomplishments, with all its evolutionary changes, as a legacy for others to learn from. <br /></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">For example, the musical <span style="font-style: italic;">Primrose Hill</span> is inducted into the California Library system through the Audrey Skirball Foundation.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Since then I have put together a wonderful, creative team who have helped me fulfill this dream. But what is most important is that Lo-Flo Records has been a life-saving project at a very difficult time in my life.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">What happened to the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">standards and great old shows from Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe?? What can </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">we do to keep them thriving?</span></span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(J)</span> The beauty of musical theatre is people will always go. There is nothing like the experience of watching and listening to live actors performing – singing and dancing and taking you out of your daily routine with its problems and stress.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">I believe that singable, memorable songs, melodies and words that touch the heart, will survive. Classic musicals by, Irving Berlin, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Lerner and Loewe, whom you mentioned, Rodgers and Hart, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, my favorites, Noel Coward, Kurt Weill, and Edward German (The Just-So Stories), to name a few, will continue to enchant future audiences because of their beautiful, memorable music and lasting stories.</span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">As long as regional theatre to equit</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">y waiver (smaller non-union) theatres survive, so will classic American musicals.</span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: none; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">___________________________</span></div></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p><a href="http://loflorecords.bandcamp.com/album/marsha-bartenetti-sings-mcnealy-kuhns">loflorecords.bandcamp.com/album/marsha-bartenetti-sings-mcnealy-kuhns</a></p><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: none; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://gtigwareinterviews.com" target="_blank"> </a></span></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: none; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: none; font-size: 13.3333px; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></blockquote>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-76074366528680033912022-06-06T09:46:00.020-07:002022-06-08T14:15:11.641-07:00Ben & George<p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Presented by Blue Vanity Productions in association with Theater Asylum. <b>Ben & George </b>is<b> </b>written; produced and directed by <b>Lorne Stevenson</b>. The play also stars <b>Stevenson as George</b>. The Stephanie Feury 5636 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles,CA 90038 </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Lorne Stevenson is an independent artist, based in LA. He'd like to thank his friends and family for their love and support. </i></b></span></p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROn1yJkcATJcfHLrl8emAW8btqAY_27jO0B7UzbWRQzBHJY06QCi4eJyipZKIdNY8nPMdmB4zWnLeRJgWkEXj4oK3pqt2IVH6nHXBHqkYgIvu66sALIfHbbBr8iMT2SiNG4KhhD_-fWiIk9o81HZdeRU-b_Gej0zIbu3EKiJP5gdLWJo9qNM52yHoaQ/s320/IMG_2508.jpeg" /></div></div></blockquote><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Explain who Ben and George are and their
relationship. </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">LS| Ben is a traumatized young man trying to cope
with the loss of his father and older brother. He is
toxic and presents a macho alpha male persona
to the world. Underneath it all he is fragile and
scared.-George is a queer; non-binary;
freewheeling; depressed; wild and anxiety riddled
individual. They fly through life by the seat of their
pants, and are addicted to falling in love. They
also have a temper and a violent past.-On the
surface, Ben and George would call themselves
best friends and roommates. But they’re in love,
and neither of them knows how to process or
express it properly. Ben has told himself that he is
straight, but we later find out that that isn’t the
case.-George has been gaslit and rejected by
guys like Ben for far too long. And they are tired
of it.-These two are plagued by male toxicity and
must move past it in order to live fulfilling
lives.-George is at least aware of their issues. Ben
however chooses to ignore them and live in a
facade. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Tell our readers how you personally are involved in
the plot. </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">LS:Well, I am playing George and the character is based
off of me. Some plot details have also been lifted from
my own real life experiences with men. George can
sometimes be delusional when it comes to men. I can
definitely relate to this. But other times, people can’t
deal with their own desires, so they deflect; lie and
gaslight. I wanted to explore and ruminate on
this.-Anything I write is me working through
something in my life. An artistic way of healing
myself. Releasing what I don’t need onto the stage. In
this case it’s my own toxic ways. I’m getting older,
and they no longer serve me. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Why would I want to see your play as opposed to
another Fringe play? What makes it extra special? </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">LS: I would say come see this show if you love seeing
stories that don’t follow conventions or hold your
hand through the plot. See this show if you want to
take a leap into the dark.-Also this show features a
queer non-binary character in the lead role. There
aren’t a lot of plays with characters like George. This
is also a horror show; it pays homage to TV shows like
<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer </i>and <i>Supernatural</i>. This show
is special to me because it has so much of my soul; so
much of my humor and sensibilities. It is a
semi-autobiographical piece; I am currently living
with a roommate I cannot stand, but have feelings for.
He has the same feelings, but different belief systems,
different ways of expression that keep us apart. So come
to the show if you want a glimpse into someone else’s
life. You might see yourself. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Is there a lot of humor invested? Is it character
driven rather than a batch of silly jokes? </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">LS: This show has a lot of trauma; grief and horror in
it, with lowbrow humor along for the ride. Nothing
horrible is laughed at, but the horribleness is
eased by the humor. This is a character driven
piece and nothing is there just for the sake of
being there. At the heart of the piece is the love
story, and a majority of the show is spent
sketching out Ben and George’s relationship. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Do you have a Fringe Festival backgtound? In what
capacity? Writer, actor, director? </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">LS: This is the second show that I have produced at the Fringe Festival. The first was called <i>Edward: Black
Psycho.</i> It was a one man show which I wrote and
produced. It was directed by Ovation award winner
Brittney S. Wheeler. I also starred in the piece. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Do you have future plans to move this play
forward? </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">LS: The next step with this play is to turn it into a two
act musical. The first of many plays with the
character George.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">___________</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Presented by Blue Vanity Productions in association with Theater Asylum. Written;
produced and directed by Lorne Stevenson. Starring Jared Gaxiola, Raphael
Buenaventura and Lorne Stevenson. The Stephanie Feury 5636 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles,CA 90038 </i></b></span></p><p><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">BEN AND GEORGE Premieres at the Hollywood Fringe Festival This is the newest dark comedy from Fringe veteran Lorne Stevenson.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i> Tickets: $15.00</i></b></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="yiv9853120723docs-internal-guid-18490214-7fff-86c0-7f30-5e0b1b796f03" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Performance Dates</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday June 9th at 8:30pm (Opening Night)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday June 17th at 9:30pm</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday June 20th at 6:30pm</span></b></span><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Saturday June 25th at 1:30pm</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7377" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: blue; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7377</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">tickets
Admission 18+</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">____________________ </span><p><b style="font-size: x-large;">Jared Gaxiola below in red shirt costars as Ben. Raphael Buenaventurs in black and white photo plays Christian.</b></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjko1afmWBlqEE-9J3JYFCCIT8dpkejKSneZ3g6ZUeExzLMO1kRnBNGFTfM_731a_3hmcTQR4A0W0X7VZ9vpAyTW0AKzuvXeWJA6-dZ5xIXISNbAYyGnThh0MNANDyr3wZBBYpknmqqEq5xLPBcxNl6okpOAg4zGNa3WSkFMSnDMgYwEoB09pzRDrlZKw/s687/IMG_2507.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="551" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjko1afmWBlqEE-9J3JYFCCIT8dpkejKSneZ3g6ZUeExzLMO1kRnBNGFTfM_731a_3hmcTQR4A0W0X7VZ9vpAyTW0AKzuvXeWJA6-dZ5xIXISNbAYyGnThh0MNANDyr3wZBBYpknmqqEq5xLPBcxNl6okpOAg4zGNa3WSkFMSnDMgYwEoB09pzRDrlZKw/s320/IMG_2507.jpeg" width="257" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcueViKJWP3taFH3MnY-XdMM1ln3zrvN6j2zHlW04i-yc3CPVnftYhmW2O_pAirIRAqxJRWKdPxsdVEWDvzRM5LWQyfkh0tZKDPdzLc4RdZdx8E1tyfQRzWqKte0itG0eDeMx5TrXEUrrIAC4G7YEpp0uIPJJPt3BROict5N2ohmwahwnOGhxWZtfFhQ/s750/IMG_2506%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="750" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcueViKJWP3taFH3MnY-XdMM1ln3zrvN6j2zHlW04i-yc3CPVnftYhmW2O_pAirIRAqxJRWKdPxsdVEWDvzRM5LWQyfkh0tZKDPdzLc4RdZdx8E1tyfQRzWqKte0itG0eDeMx5TrXEUrrIAC4G7YEpp0uIPJJPt3BROict5N2ohmwahwnOGhxWZtfFhQ/s320/IMG_2506%20(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><br /></div></div>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-19895670571909335522022-06-04T07:47:00.022-07:002022-06-04T10:44:10.967-07:00The Bearer of Bad News<br /><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Unladylike Theatre Presents<br />The Bearer of Bad News<br />A Femme Forward Imagining of the Future<br />At Hollywood Fringe Festival<br />The Other Space Theater (at The Actor’s Company)<br />Sat. June 4 (7pm) • Sun. June 12 (1pm) • Sat. June 25 (5:30pm)<br /><img border="0" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fui.icontact.com%2Fassets%2F1px.png&t=1654359755&ymreqid=3a81a9e0-8ddb-5e88-2f2c-5a0013014500&sig=WMvKkfKfnoAWjk9nqoWapA--~D" /><br /></span><br /></i></b><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fui.icontact.com%2Fassets%2F1px.png&t=1654359755&ymreqid=3a81a9e0-8ddb-5e88-2f2c-5a0013014500&sig=WMvKkfKfnoAWjk9nqoWapA--~D" /><b><i>The newly established Unladylike Theatre presents The Bearer of Bad News at Hollywood Fringe Festivalfor three dates in June 2022 at The Other Space Theater (at The Actor’s Company). The Bearer of Bad News explores the intersection of identity and purpose set against the backdrop of a world irrevocably altered by climate change. In this collaborative creation written by non-binary playwright Alex Kingsley, three actors play nine roles. These very same actors—Ashley Victoria Robinson (award-winning comic book creator and podcaster), Tiana Randall-Quant (BLKLST Co-Founder), and voice actor Ken</i></b></span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>dell Byrd—founded Unladylike in 2022.</i></b><div><b><i><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The three queer femmes pictured below from top to bottom Tiana, Kendell and Ashley all participated in answering each question and thoroughly enjoyed our conversation.</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOdfO00lhJ8rHbl6bj0G6RFLv9afFXK9yJU6_zitCi-C_WdLk_TAeMXeB8CbMouIHkd1DHr6k71X7XWhRLHJ4Un0FJQdyvHpBkjL8Y8FTDT1q0zTVuBkcY4p8zuvFg4WqcTBzNkoXEA0TVmCl2BySmYeFJkr4HJkwOkgiPCO7Qli-w5s6VdwH6MGNIA/s1696/mail%20(15).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1696" data-original-width="1490" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOdfO00lhJ8rHbl6bj0G6RFLv9afFXK9yJU6_zitCi-C_WdLk_TAeMXeB8CbMouIHkd1DHr6k71X7XWhRLHJ4Un0FJQdyvHpBkjL8Y8FTDT1q0zTVuBkcY4p8zuvFg4WqcTBzNkoXEA0TVmCl2BySmYeFJkr4HJkwOkgiPCO7Qli-w5s6VdwH6MGNIA/s320/mail%20(15).jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey9MTzdA4Z9A_ox34oCZltpimt57S0NX72Uq2x-LN6n30yoJBolTULhNj-LRzPhnzoPLzpn_O_9guImT-Z1YdM3ZdgwSYokwvJU6mpx5S3CJnNJo43Bgvcd8KuVqyw33O5gW__K27pt3wBednT694NTyI6nKJqoDI-17z7onDkCmS-t0fmedP9rqvzg/s1536/mail%20(14).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey9MTzdA4Z9A_ox34oCZltpimt57S0NX72Uq2x-LN6n30yoJBolTULhNj-LRzPhnzoPLzpn_O_9guImT-Z1YdM3ZdgwSYokwvJU6mpx5S3CJnNJo43Bgvcd8KuVqyw33O5gW__K27pt3wBednT694NTyI6nKJqoDI-17z7onDkCmS-t0fmedP9rqvzg/s320/mail%20(14).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIZ_Sq5YZ8gJgpq-dzzQiRDflPLlSM76XtCbzCOYS1w75mztBio19bTm8J7lQk3fD4DQbhZaAtq9FKi60AT2q2cF0L60Khl6p22wYoIW8S0UC2JMeNhzOCdT4P9l2AViWGPWRWG2fkh4rs-buyjXmjPsAxnzsDq1OuyBfQAHqKAuPzVj1bUYOXDNblA/s1748/mail%20(13).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1748" data-original-width="1162" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIZ_Sq5YZ8gJgpq-dzzQiRDflPLlSM76XtCbzCOYS1w75mztBio19bTm8J7lQk3fD4DQbhZaAtq9FKi60AT2q2cF0L60Khl6p22wYoIW8S0UC2JMeNhzOCdT4P9l2AViWGPWRWG2fkh4rs-buyjXmjPsAxnzsDq1OuyBfQAHqKAuPzVj1bUYOXDNblA/s320/mail%20(13).jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div></b><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><br /></blockquote><p><b class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">What entrances all three of you about sci-fi projects?</b></p><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Science Fiction allows creators to push boundaries and expand our ability to comment on issues we see as timely. For example, with <i class="yiv8758588732">The Bearer of Bad News</i> hitting the stage in a time when Roe v. Wade is being threatened we, as people capable of pregnancy, are able to examine our relationship with pregnancy - and the archetype of “The Mother” that is put on us because of that capacity - from various points of view. </span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="yiv8758588732"><span style="font-size: large;">Sci-fi, in particular, can drive an important message home creatively. The genre allows us to imagine worlds we do and don’t want to see. It allows us to make the audience uncomfortable in a way that will make them think.<br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="yiv8758588732"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b class="yiv8758588732">How does The Bearer of Bad News fit into the mission statement of Unladylike Theatre?</b></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i class="yiv8758588732">The Bearer of Bad News</i> is quite literally set in the future - which helps the three of us achieve “Reimagining in the future through femme-forward theatre.” It presents critical examinations of what AFAB characters owe to their society simply as a point of biology. <i class="yiv8758588732">The Bearer of Bad News</i> is an alternate future which scares us, as creators, and we hope by inhabiting the world on stage, it inspires audiences.</span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b class="yiv8758588732">You formed this company this year but worked together before at the Wallis Annenberg. Do you feel that three queer femmes can change the face of Los Angeles theatre for the better? How?</b></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Queer femmes are creating some of the most exciting independent theatre in Los Angeles, in our opinion! We wanted to join the femmes stepping outside the status quo to bring big art to the small spaces across LA. Following <i class="yiv8758588732">Project Nongenue, Beating of Wings, </i>and <i class="yiv8758588732">BLKLST</i> we want to inspire the next generation of creatives to dive right in.<br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" />Los Angeles indie theatre doesn’t get its due compared to Chicago or New York and the queer femmes of the city are changing that.</span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><b class="yiv8758588732" style="color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </b></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><b class="yiv8758588732" style="color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">This is an extension of the previous question.</b></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b class="yiv8758588732"><span style="font-size: large;">Gay theatre by and large appeals to gay audiences. Do you feel we can change straight theatregoers to more heartily accept what you want to say? How do we make them more open and cooperative?</span></b></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">For us it’s not about making folx more cooperative it’s about not letting them forget we are here. As three queer women we’re often put in boxes by the status quo and, frankly, we’re not inspired to sit in those boxes. If straight-identifying audience members don’t want to attend it’s their loss, not ours.</span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b class="yiv8758588732">Now is the time in my mind to have more women take control in the theatre, especially minority women. I laud you. What other techniques besides sci-fi stories are you planning to utilize to make us all inclusive in a real community?</b></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732" clear="none" /></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">In addition to fostering new works (which our tastes happen to lean sci-fi), <i class="yiv8758588732">Unladylike Theatre</i> also has plans to bring classics to the stage as well. By playing in the world of tropes and stories audiences are more familiar with, we’re hoping to further our exploration of how femmes will shape the future. What’s nice about looking backward to move forward is it offers us, as founders, the opportunity to reflect on our work and encourages larger casts which encourages further collaboration. For us, collaboration over competition is key in order to build the Los Angeles Theatre Community we want to see.</span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">----------------------------------</span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Unladylike Theatre Presents<br />The Bearer of Bad News<br />A Femme Forward Imagining of the Future<br />At Hollywood Fringe Festival<br />The Other Space Theater (at The Actor’s Company)<br />Sat. June 4 (7pm) • Sun. June 12 (1pm) • Sat. June 25 (5:30pm)</span></i></b></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; color: #181817; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="yiv6293421696fusionResponsiveContent" style="color: black; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; table-layout: fixed; width: 570px;"><tbody class="yiv6293421696"><tr class="yiv6293421696"><th class="yiv6293421696fusionResponsiveColumn" style="background-color: transparent; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px none transparent; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px; text-align: left; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s; width: 540px;" valign="top"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="yiv6293421696" style="width: 540px;"><tbody class="yiv6293421696"><tr class="yiv6293421696"><td class="yiv6293421696" style="border-collapse: collapse; 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margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnQDggyWK497Y_TOzsmu2CWqHq2bCmtd0gaFVDQhzyFWaJndGi5ABOsx-giMhAXDYXFCicRXuHbcsztZ0MR6sdq3l5AvanjVpaHD2MBkf4AjyeUMCynzG8MdnLjEfZ4wNnL3gQb_uI774JiVvvlwmGOhM10ObVI-Q-vioxvLxuBrT8TU1EsIUv6S6Cg/s320/mail%20(16).jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br /><span class="yiv6293421696" style="color: #03cea4; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></th></tr></tbody></table></th></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div class="yiv8758588732" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="yiv8758588732"><div class="yiv8758588732"><div class="yiv8758588732"><div class="yiv8758588732"><div class="yiv8758588732"><div class="yiv8758588732"><div class="yiv8758588732" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><div class="yiv8758588732"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="yiv8758588732Apple-interchange-newline" clear="none" /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-56764198871281992022-06-01T15:09:00.004-07:002022-06-02T10:48:01.299-07:00Mother Grace<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Do you agree that God’s love can redeem us all? Is it a good thing, if so? <b><i>Mother Grace</i></b>, written by dynamic playwright <b>Aditya Putcha</b>, whose debut Inversion performed to sold-out audiences at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2017, and directed by Stephen Juhl, Edinburgh Fringe Festival veteran, asks the tough questions. <b><i>Mother Grace </i></b>opens June 4th at 1:30 pm at the Stephanie Feury Studio at 5636 Melrose Ave., Hollywood CA 90038.<br /><br />The protagonist, Linus Stephenson, has a heart of gold and has touched countless lives during his decades of ministry work. He proudly attributes his effect on people to the healing influence of God, who turned him from an abused little boy and tormented young man into a pillar of the community. Yet there is much we do not know. Even as Linus uses the Lord’s strength to aid a traumatized young congregant, he realizes he may have entered a battle in which even his spiritual mother cannot help him. Yet if she can, does he deserve it? This timely play builds on the strength of the #MeToo movement while asking timeless and universal questions.</span></li></ul></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Starring: Leslie Foumberg, Charlotte Frøyland, Sydney Grey, Julia Linger, Tristan Meyers, Linda Nile, Wade Oxford, Richard Page, and Christine Viviers</span></li></ul></blockquote><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9Ha2gJ8Kl6iFifUzEFBvYvsY5J5Kd6w-ACgcxEDqSf9By3wBbGYdN4BQFbbNLIy-arC3PtrY4uBjzyYiur3oAPlvu0yAceLUSRQf6mxlY722Fyp8tEbvVCRIOsmNhy_6qFbngrOJ5aiAjYzf-lP1SZuAnQTkEZ8qr9-_j_fevQlwsEScoC-QdyQvwg/s573/thumbnail%20(40).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9Ha2gJ8Kl6iFifUzEFBvYvsY5J5Kd6w-ACgcxEDqSf9By3wBbGYdN4BQFbbNLIy-arC3PtrY4uBjzyYiur3oAPlvu0yAceLUSRQf6mxlY722Fyp8tEbvVCRIOsmNhy_6qFbngrOJ5aiAjYzf-lP1SZuAnQTkEZ8qr9-_j_fevQlwsEScoC-QdyQvwg/s320/thumbnail%20(40).jpg" width="223" /></a>Playwright Aditya Putcha chats with us about <b><i>Mother Grace</i></b></div><br /><i>Explain the title,</i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">AP: It’s a pun. Grace is a concept central to Christianity, the centerpiece of the main character’s life, and plays a vital role in the events of the play.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, it is also a woman’s name. When I first got the idea for the play, my elevator pitch was, “It’s about a guy’s very, very VERY complicated relationships with women throughout his life.”</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of those women in his biological mother. One of them is his spiritual mother. One of them is the Divine Mother. There are more, and it gets twisted. Disturbing even.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">The title <span style="font-style: italic;">Mother Grace </span>thus perfectly captures the play’s themes cleverly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><br /><i>Is the play funny?</i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;">AP: </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial; font-style: italic;">Mother Grace </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;">is one of the most intense and disturbing stories you will ever find, featuring child abuse, domestic violence, self-harm, and rape.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">But yes, we get to laugh plenty at the hapless main character’s coping with this mommy issues!</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">We also get great zingers from characters who find that laughter really is sometimes the best medicine, even when dealing with trauma.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Talk about the challenges of your creative team.</i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">AP: I’m also the producer and have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off making sure we have everything we need for the play, all the pieces are flowing smoothly, and it’s getting the publicity it deserves.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have delegated directing to a friend who has a real gift for determining what plays well on stage, how to keep the audience intrigued, and how to get the best possible performances out of the actors.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of the actors, I gave the lead role to one of my best friends, knowing he’s perfect for the part. For the other eight roles, I used Actors Access to find a variety of talented performers, and ALL EIGHT have impressed me with their passion for the project.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><br /><i>Why should audiences choose to see this play as opposed to another in the Festival?</i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">AP:You will never see anything else like <span style="font-style: italic;">Mother Grace</span>. Why? Let me count the ways:</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">-It’s about the allure of both BDSM and Christianity.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">-It explores ALL those incredibly intense themes described earlier</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">-It features live poetry</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">-It uses time fluidly and non-linearly</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><br /><i>Do you like Mother Grace more than your other plays? Why?</i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">AP: It’s my masterpiece! I literally feel like Orson Welles, because not only does <span style="font-style: italic;">Mother Grace</span> resemble <span style="font-style: italic;">Citizen Kane </span>in terms of having incredibly bold subject matter and audacious storytelling techniques, but thematically the two stories are very similar. Each one is about a man who has reached the absolute pinnacle of his profession and gotten so highly lauded, but deep down is a complete mess, tracing back to the maternal love we see him denied as a child.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><br /><i>Do you foresee plans to continue with it after the Fringe?</i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: New; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">AP: Broadway, Tony Awards, Samuel French, you name it. There’s the quote often attributed to Ernest Hemingway about how the way to be a great writer is to sit down and bleed onto the typewriter. I bled gallons and gallons onto my MacBook Air and now will put in as much work as necessary to make this the next classic of theatre. Come to a Fringe performance and one day you can brag about having seen the world premiere run of <span style="font-style: italic;">Mother Grace</span>!</span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WHERE: </span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre - </span><span style="font-family: arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5636 Melrose Ave., Hollywood CA 90038</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PERFORMANCE DATES</span><span style="font-family: arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday June 4, 2022, 1:30 PM/ </span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday Jun, 10, 2022, 6:00 PM/ </span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday June 12, 2022, /2:00 PM/ </span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday June 23, 2022, 9:30 PM/ </span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday June 26, 2022, 12:00 </span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">PM</span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Running time: 90 minutes<br />Ticket Price: $15.00 (Discounts available for sex workers and religious professionals)<br />Ticket link: <a href="https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7085">https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/7085<br /></a>Admission 16+</span></blockquote>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-89982098426015177642022-05-14T09:44:00.001-07:002022-05-14T09:55:13.537-07:00<br /><br /><br /><i><u>https://www.facebook.com/scott.dreier.7/posts/10225942981537083?notif_id=1651350898933411&notif_t=mention&ref=noti<br /></u></i><br /><br /><br />6<br /><br />Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-23407603287553462332022-05-06T09:53:00.002-07:002022-05-06T10:00:23.215-07:00scott dreier<p> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.dreier.7/posts/10225942981537083?notif_id=1651350913738365&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic_tagged&ref=notif">https://www.facebook.com/scott.dreier.7/posts/10225942981537083?notif_id=1651350913738365&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic_tagged&ref=notif</a></p>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-64646000752054798452022-05-03T14:30:00.014-07:002022-05-04T09:13:13.685-07:00Coin & Ghost's STAN MAYER<p> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjByckxoOFebUsd6vPNK2dHCLSrWAXQCtjDNhF15rkpzwCbvmRSxCQaTPtUVYusyfUDV5oxWq9xb-yvdvhPxPpxRL3O4m_6Dg_YvpBflFfZvFDCsjAn99uf_iho_EGzb9oiBHqRVbMdgaLFEfrxdPZRkBjZofdIpJWfOEia9FV6pbbyhKZw2Tqu7ZWiNeTZddQ6nvsSMh9yJmks0JdywQ=w320-h400" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: auto; min-height: auto; width: 360px;" width="320" /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"></blockquote></blockquote><p><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Coin & Ghost Presents The World Premiere of<br />Mama Mama Can't You See<br />An Existential War Story<br />By Cecilia Fairchild and Marine Veteran<br /> Stan Mayer<br />Directed by Zach Davidson<br />May 13 – May 29, 2022<br /></span></i></b></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; width: 1023.61px;"><tbody></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; width: 1023.61px;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 1023.61px;" valign="top"><br /><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan Mayer is a former U.S. Marine Sergeant and <br />Intelligence Officer, He served five deployments in<br /> Iraq and Afghanistan.This play took shape as an <br />explorative memoir, with Mayer playing himself in a <br />story about his first tour. In particular, the events<br />of the play are centered on a moment in May 2005<br />when four members of his platoon were killed by a <br />suicide bomber and the ensuing firefight<br />These deaths have saturated every fiber of Mayer’s<br /> life and work He reflects, “Mama Mama Can’t You See<br />is a meditation on that moment. A moment that <br />resonates into eternity. A moment when my <br />post-Norman Rockwell America turned into a dirty <br />unnamed street alongside the Euphrates River where<br />the bodies of young men lay slain.”</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><i style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Stan, I know you are writing about a very painful part of your life. You cannot put closure on this, so what do you expect to achieve?</b></span></i><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;">SM: War is continuous, it echoes forever. I tend to lean on the knowns, which are that I was an infantryman in a war, my platoon was ambushed, and four of my friends were killed that night. What I expect to achieve by telling that story is more than a remembering, I want to bring light, and life, and love to what may only seem dark. I tried to write a war story, but what came out was a love story. This terrible thing happened, mothers lost sons, we saw it all, it was real and it happened, scars formed, but then here we are, seventeen years later, and what is happening in this theater is beautiful. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If the play works, and people come to understand this thing that is so terrible, and also so beautiful, then maybe I get one step closer to returning home.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><b>The pandemic forced you to close the show in March 2020. You have had to make some cast replacements. What else is different? Has there been any rewriting?</b></i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">SM:Theater in LA is difficult. In military terms, we would call this a non-permissive environment. Working actors are working, many different jobs on different sides of town, and there’s nowhere to park, anywhere in this city…we all know the general terrain. Keeping a cast for two months, let alone two years, is impossible, and so the work evolves, it transforms when these new personalities, new lives, come into the room. That adds layers to these characters. Cecilia and I wrote characters who are real people that really lived.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Tell our readers about your co-writer Cecilia Fairchild? How did you meet and in what way is she so perfect for this challenging topic of war and its devastating effects on all humanity?</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">SM: Cecilia Fairchild and I were partners for seven years. She knows my story, she knows the characters, and she’s responsible for helping me find my voice as a writer. This isn’t the kind of piece that could withstand collaboration in writing, so we made an art out of not doing that and coming together as one voice. She is the only person I’ve ever known that can drop into that cave with me and write about it in a way that is true, unprecious, and unpretentious. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">It takes a special writer to command their words with a reverence to the capital T truth and also be free to explore the absurdity and love that exists in these moments of despair, and Cissy is that person. We met in 2014 just days after I returned from my last tour in Afghanistan, and quickly realized that we shared an uncommon language in each other.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Talk about your director, Zach Davidson, and his challenges in putting the play on its feet?</b></i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">SM: Zach asked Cecilia and I to write this play about four years ago; he has been invested in the telling of this story since before it was written. In short, we got lucky to have him as our champion in taking on this narrative beast. He possesses a true understanding of the full spectrum of the human experience, so there was never any need to explain what was happening. He just gets it at the molecular level. I’ve learned more about my own war story through his interpretation and dramaturgy than I have in a decade of trauma therapy. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As far as the production hurdles are concerned, Zach gets to solve the same problems over and over, inventing newer movements, seeing new angles in the story every time we bring a new cast into the room. You could say that this is our third run of rehearsals, and that will either make for a very well developed play, or something that is unintelligible at this point. We're so far inside this thing that it’s hard for me to tell which, but that’s up to the audience. It’s a five year long production at this point, and I believe that will show up as the most exalted war play ever told, ever performed.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Your characters, I believe, include a member of each of the armed forces. How is your cast developing in rehearsals?</b> </i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">SM: Three of the actors are vets, Matt King (Army), Ronin Lee (Air Force), and myself (Marine Corps). Our sound designer and composer is Sloe Slawinski (Navy). It feels good to have that representation here, for they get the landscape, noise, and severity of war. The stakes are inherent to these veterans; they all know what it’s like to sign a blank check for up to and including their lives…but all of the performers have become intimate with these stakes, whether they’ve served or not. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The cast has evolved over the two years since covid first reared its head. We’ve lost actors who had brought crucial light and humanness to this play, and we’ve gained actors who have brought that back into the room in their own crucial way. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Every character in this story is me, and every character tends to get lost at times, finding themselves in someone else’s dialogue, melting the story in to one completely mixed narrative that cannot be unmixed, and this feels like war, or love, to me, because it’s often that way</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">From my point of view, there aren’t four female and four male leads; there are eight actors that represent everything they bring into the room, and everything that happened in the war. I feel so fortunate to have had all these wonderful artists that have come and gone, every one of them is present in the story.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Is there spirituality inherent in the play? When they leave the theatre is there enough hope for the audience to take with them?</b></i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">SM: Everything at once. When I found myself wounded, on fire, and in the midst of this intense firefight, I was the most hopeless I had ever been. There was no way to live through that, and the doom of it all was overwhelming. My instincts told me to lay down and wait to be killed, because the terror of the moment saturated every feeling. It was an existential murder, but at that very same moment, everything I had ever been, where I’m from, my childhood, the family dog, et cetera, overrode the hopelessness with hope. Pervasive hope. It is in moments like that where you fight, not just to survive, but to put one foot in front of the other and move. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Movement is survival, and movement is hope. There’s a sense of the universe at work here, God, whoever that may be to the audience, or to me, the irrelevance of time, and the common ties of the human experience make this a very spiritual story with hope in abundance.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><strong style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Coin & Ghost Presents The World Premiere of</span></strong></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><em><span>Mama Mama Can't You See</span></em></strong></div></strong><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span>An Existential War Story</span></strong></div></strong><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span>By Cecilia Fairchild and Marine Veteran Stan Mayer</span></strong></div></strong><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span>Directed by Zach Davidson </span></strong><strong><span>May 13 – May 29, 2022</span></strong><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">The show will run for three weekends at The Other Space Theater (at The Actor’s Company: </span><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/916+N.+Formosa+Ave,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90046?entry=gmail&source=g" style="color: #0000cc; font-size: x-large;">916 N. Formosa Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046</a><span style="font-size: x-large;">). For information and tickets please visit </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fclick.icptrack.com%252Ficp%252Frelay.php%253Fr%253D75935208%2526msgid%253D345710%2526act%253D0DDD%2526c%253D1774380%2526pid%253D22274124%2526destination%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fcoinandghost.org%25252Fmama%2526cf%253D6584%2526v%253D47e55765695fe67a203caa11f364e4428073c8c56c71cbd158539a29a4a05947%26sa%3DD%26sntz%3D1%26usg%3DAOvVaw2uOP7isrrpGD2B-Vvu_i-U&source=gmail&ust=1651701096749000&usg=AOvVaw3fe-y2TV-Lwf_Ujr5EdTCk" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.icptrack.com%2Ficp%2Frelay.php%3Fr%3D75935208%26msgid%3D345710%26act%3D0DDD%26c%3D1774380%26pid%3D22274124%26destination%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fcoinandghost.org%252Fmama%26cf%3D6584%26v%3D47e55765695fe67a203caa11f364e4428073c8c56c71cbd158539a29a4a05947&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2uOP7isrrpGD2B-Vvu_i-U" rel="noreferrer noopener noreferrer" style="color: #03cea4; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">coinandghost.org/mama</a></i></div></strong></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-25474620909151095862022-04-12T10:11:00.004-07:002022-04-12T11:43:13.855-07:00shelly g<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i>Actress, cabaret artist and writer Shelly Goldstein never stops working. How I admire her and her unique sense of humor!</i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIiniqNCH4vlvEHkTLr2uvVlU_J807JMQoF3e-N-kJpe9C3erIYDSSB0neaGqNCPjO76gj2wVbcvO4gdtjZj-qS_4D0QVfnjSVj0nSn5lpnccT4nUCJVCeOjB7myaA4bQCjeAUhqqv1-wjmckWR1eakfPkQM1x71AU2HkL0tcVt8ZmsR0Ef0LGyv3xA/s166/download%20(38).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="166" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIiniqNCH4vlvEHkTLr2uvVlU_J807JMQoF3e-N-kJpe9C3erIYDSSB0neaGqNCPjO76gj2wVbcvO4gdtjZj-qS_4D0QVfnjSVj0nSn5lpnccT4nUCJVCeOjB7myaA4bQCjeAUhqqv1-wjmckWR1eakfPkQM1x71AU2HkL0tcVt8ZmsR0Ef0LGyv3xA/w400-h400/download%20(38).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b style="color: #7030a0;">WHAT DID YOU DO DURING THE LOCKDOWN?</b></span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SG: <span>Like everyone else, I spent most of it inside in my most captivating Hazmat suit, bleaching my produce & learning how to use Purell as a condiment.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">But it also was a time to really focus on writing script, rehearsing new shows and serious voice lessons taught by the amazing Julie Garnyé.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Of course lots of plans had to be scrapped, notably a cabaret tour of the south and south-east in 2020. When the lockdown got serious, the woman who was producing asked if I’d be willing to perform some of the cancelled shows via Zoom. I said yes and then turned my tiny living room into a cabaret stage. (The ring lights arrived and the furniture had to go!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>I did “living room” Groovy shows for online audiences that ranged from 50 to 500. Singing into a vacuum was fine. Doing comedy into a webcam with the audience on mute felt like Wile E Coyote sawing himself off a limb. It proved the need for absolute commitment – that could prove devastating. Happily the feedback was wonderful.</span></span></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7030a0;">AND YOU DID SOME GROUP ZOOM SHOWS?</span></span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>SG: Yes, starting with a concert by The Fabulous Chickies, a group created by Ilene Graff, comprised of women of </span><span style="font-style: italic;">staggering</span><span> talent who have become musical sisters: Eileen Barnett, Michelle Brourman, Nancy Dussault, Julie Garnyé, Ilene Graff, Dana Meller, Karen Morrow, Val Perri, Joan Ryan, Lisa Vroman – and me. I pinch myself when I’m with these icons. Our concert was fun – we’re all such different performers -- and best of all we raised some bucks for the Actors Fund who helped so many people through the COVID Zombie Apocalypse.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>I also did Zoom shows for Harold Sanditen, who produces cabaret and runs London’s best open mic at Le Crazy Coqs in the West End. He features top talent from all over the world and it led to my getting to know Julez Hamilton, kick-ass performer and producer.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>In that minute of time between the Delta & Omicron Variants, when it looked like we might actually be post-COVID, Julez made a dream of mine come true through her 14G Productions. Last November we did a sold-out 50</span><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span><span> Anniversary concert of <i>Godspell!</i> The cast was tremendous and I’ve always wanted to do that show. By the finale, the entire room was on its feet, clapping and singing along – which isn’t unusual for an American audience but I’ve never seen a British crowd having so much raucous fun.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fDF__1IYB7crcdXKNxe0TnMqk6jtAAAmB0mZQ-SssogPa6Oj-yvCxNkjPqqNvmN5a5aSNAWgMsNfo46yJhp6k8Qm_9LkMIC1P5MnYIullt3qKTieEN5vk2M8UyEJs4DxKZjrkHOAjuU7luv6NlrLuF9GfATEWFrlvX88mREZOlZ3Rv3d_vWCrVx1qA/s221/download%20(37).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="221" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fDF__1IYB7crcdXKNxe0TnMqk6jtAAAmB0mZQ-SssogPa6Oj-yvCxNkjPqqNvmN5a5aSNAWgMsNfo46yJhp6k8Qm_9LkMIC1P5MnYIullt3qKTieEN5vk2M8UyEJs4DxKZjrkHOAjuU7luv6NlrLuF9GfATEWFrlvX88mREZOlZ3Rv3d_vWCrVx1qA/w640-h481/download%20(37).jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gULWBerfnJzz_Pp3Hyg3yXywgMTQOj-S7bX_ePJUrwJNu45RX7pUdmaJQq7fB5_xTt7oT4a9vqHHssWXTlrMhiGD2x457Ii04BXuDun5SIHvrp5fM4yWeQSGL63kQXPqp-NEhqNNoIGmMuclKceM715uhS23TrOWb3V4gpVPm0xdYKij5C32dPEttA/s221/download%20(37).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="text-align: left;">Best of all, I’m going to do some more shows with 14G this year.</span></a></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7030a0;"><b><i>TELL ME ABOUT THOSE CABARETS.</i></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SG: <span>The first one is June 25</span><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span><span> at Le Crazy Coqs. Julez and Jenna Ryder-Oliver are reprising their tribute to Kander & Ebb – and I get to be “Pop” in the Cell Block Tango. I will also sing “New York New York” in Yiddish. Because…of course!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>On November 27, back at Le Crazy Coqs, we’ll be doing a tribute to Jerry Herman, reuniting the Godspell cast – and I promise you, it will be spectacular.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>It’s been such a dark time – we need Jerry Herman’s optimism and glitz. I can’t wait to dive into his catalogue.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>And a new GroovyShelly solo show is in the works. Although I don’t want to do a totally solo show. After so much time alone, I want to include lots of duets!</span></span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">YOU</span><span style="color: #7030a0;">’RE KNOWN FOR COMEDY AND SONG, BUT RECENTLY YOU</span><span style="color: #7030a0;"> WERE CAST IN A</span><span style="color: #7030a0;"> NEW</span><span style="color: #7030a0;"> DRAMA</span><span style="color: #7030a0;">.</span><span style="color: #7030a0;"> TELL ME ABOUT THIS</span><span style="color: #7030a0;">.</span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SG<b style="font-style: italic;">: </b><span>I love making audiences laugh. I love singing. It’s pure joy. It was a surprise to get a call from playwright Stephanie Liss who asked me if I would workshop her new one-woman drama, “Daughter of My People.” The writing is beautiful, often heartbreaking – about Henrietta Szold, a strong, intelligent “woman in a time of men” who helped smuggle more than 30,000 children out of Hitler’s Germany.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>We did one performance and all I can say is, the feedback tells us there will be more. It’s very exciting.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">YOU</span><span style="color: #7030a0;">’</span><span style="color: #7030a0;">VE ALSO BEEN WRITING.</span></i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SG<b>: </b>I<span> still write awards shows and special material. But another upside of the lockdown era was that my husband Brendan Foley and I wrote scripts for 3 new international TV series. Our styles, from a distance, are different – but when we work together it forms a 3</span><span style="vertical-align: super;">rd</span><span> voice that I love. He’s so damned good. Writing with him is like shooting hoops with Michael Jordan. You have to be in top form.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>We’ve been doing a Zoom room for one of the projects with two great writers – showrunner extraordinaire, James Duff and screenwriter Micah War Dog Wright. I’d never done a writer’s room via Zoom before and have to confess I love it. Great energy and I think removing driving from the equation eliminates a lot of stress that gets in the way of creativity. Any room I’ve ever been in starts with 2 hours of complaining about LA traffic. This way, we get to work faster. And I’m fine trading the bagels and doughnuts for sweatpants & slippers.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i>YOU CONTRIBUTED TO A SOUNDTRACK CD?</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SG: Yes, a song lyric I wrote was used in a Scandi Noir series on AMC+, Cold Courage. The scene called for a deceptively dark song sung sweetly by an angelic little girl at a British campaign rally that gave the same vibe as CABARET’s “Tomorrow Belongs to Me. The song is called, “England’s White Rose.” Again, very different from my usual canvas, which made it exciting.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Another lyric of mine is sung by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Chicago in a wonderfully cynical documentary called LINCOLN IS CRYING: The Grifters, Grafters & Governors of Illinois, directed by John Davies. Their performance is wonderful and hilarious!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span>The bottom line on the past 2 years-and-change is we were all forced to figure out priorities. At the end of the day, all that matters is the people you love and doing all we can to celebrate the wisp of time we get to be on the planet.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span><b><i>What better time to march in a Jerry Herman parade!</i></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42wmti0YYLO_HTagZv8kTdkAYKAAyrPNd0V2-oM8GuDMkqJb-VCV8oShaWZElqt1xMqPLUHEQcKJB_fBVKjspZDiuvY_o-wBK8nezfAqYj0_NTnLymY5j158EcYeEjIB7vlhdL_JLC33dSHAUu5_Cibx6TbEHfE2MIchSgIyIrYM9oANxp6fe9MEADg/s166/download%20(39).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42wmti0YYLO_HTagZv8kTdkAYKAAyrPNd0V2-oM8GuDMkqJb-VCV8oShaWZElqt1xMqPLUHEQcKJB_fBVKjspZDiuvY_o-wBK8nezfAqYj0_NTnLymY5j158EcYeEjIB7vlhdL_JLC33dSHAUu5_Cibx6TbEHfE2MIchSgIyIrYM9oANxp6fe9MEADg/w551-h640/download%20(39).jpg" width="551" /></a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">SHELLY on YOUTUBE: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DnU3FMI7voYo&source=gmail&ust=1649872303878000&usg=AOvVaw0nXY-1Papt88tgyAm-dBuo" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU3FMI7voYo" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.<wbr></wbr>com/watch?v=nU3FMI7voYo</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: large; text-align: start;"></span><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">FACEBOOK: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.facebook.com%252Fshelly.goldstein%252F%26sa%3DD%26sntz%3D1%26usg%3DAOvVaw2dwO7Y8Ar2x7-p9bsfl-hl&source=gmail&ust=1649872303878000&usg=AOvVaw1QOtdpEQ09U8FtxUE5spLo" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshelly.goldstein%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2dwO7Y8Ar2x7-p9bsfl-hl" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer noreferrer" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">https://www.<wbr></wbr>facebook.com/shelly.goldstein/</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">TWITTER follow me @groovyshelly</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">INSTAGRAM - GroovyShelly</span></div></div><br />Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-31567731311116915522022-04-07T09:50:00.001-07:002022-04-07T09:52:07.417-07:00ktrowlles<div id="yiv7327874491" style="background-color: white;"><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i>Award winning actress, director and writer Kristin Towers-Rowles has long been a favorite of mine. Even during the pandemic and after recuperating from her own bout with Covid, she got out there and worked.</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByX3asGYyKB13VQvo2i-kd6ezD91A5KS4uahS3_GhLbJ63jg63IzQRGLm9xBxVu09_RSkG43Ss4XtAHqWaZiyMcpOz1cz57caC28w0hV9EH7cDCRhQV7ilUyxm8ilppt60TFQ78h7V3gZy7cwRMzzxgYaxKoSnzEFhyZY74z1BSj6kjpeLQwCvCiktA/s689/7B9D4883-B2ED-A795-4E0B5D3E7E965AC9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByX3asGYyKB13VQvo2i-kd6ezD91A5KS4uahS3_GhLbJ63jg63IzQRGLm9xBxVu09_RSkG43Ss4XtAHqWaZiyMcpOz1cz57caC28w0hV9EH7cDCRhQV7ilUyxm8ilppt60TFQ78h7V3gZy7cwRMzzxgYaxKoSnzEFhyZY74z1BSj6kjpeLQwCvCiktA/s320/7B9D4883-B2ED-A795-4E0B5D3E7E965AC9.jpg" width="279" /></a></div></i></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">"I just finished playing Elsa Lowenthal Einstein (the 2nd wife of Albert Einstein) in <i>E=MC2</i> an Equity Staged Reading at the Victory Theatre Center - April 3,4, 2022. The musical was written by Karen Soroca and Janet Marie and directed by Elaine Moe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">"Next, I am playing Ilona, the Prima Donna, in <i>The Play's the Thing </i>by P.G. Wodehouse, at Theatre 40, directed by Melanie MacQueen. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We run May 12-June 12th </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Thur, Fri, Sat Evenings @ 8pm and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Sun Matinees @ 2pm</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">"This is the second show I've done with Theatre 40, the first being <i>The Manor</i> at Greystone Mansion, which closed on March 1st, 2020, just before the world shut down. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">"I also participated in a series of readings of new and rarely done works on Zoom during the past two years. <a href="https://theatre40.org/product/the-plays-the-thing-may-12-june-12-2022/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://theatre40.org/product/the-plays-the-thing-may-12-june-12-2022/</a><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">" So excited! I am again directing <i>The Wild Party </i>at the Morgan Wixson Theatre which was all rehearsed and ready to open in March of 2020 and only did a single invited dress rehearsal. We open September16th-October 9th, 2022 .<a href="https://www.morgan-wixson.org/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://www.morgan-wixson.org</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">Kristin Towers-Rowles</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_vybNg08_bYxc0Rm6FyEn2rWo4wq1p2eJ4u_lKpth7jk4_jquAMQlqrsf8o6o10dJ90nNg9-mx9NLtuPUVOk1JFlAdb9OLUWqqG6m6YrlnYtNeOrGd-fzIUDjRkcwQdkkcz9WTmcQmyU56P-ksXWAGV5YSFbDxIhl8xad1BaYYCZkQcd37HHOBmNRw/s800/Towers-Rowles__Kristin_800_x_600px.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_vybNg08_bYxc0Rm6FyEn2rWo4wq1p2eJ4u_lKpth7jk4_jquAMQlqrsf8o6o10dJ90nNg9-mx9NLtuPUVOk1JFlAdb9OLUWqqG6m6YrlnYtNeOrGd-fzIUDjRkcwQdkkcz9WTmcQmyU56P-ksXWAGV5YSFbDxIhl8xad1BaYYCZkQcd37HHOBmNRw/s320/Towers-Rowles__Kristin_800_x_600px.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /></span></div></div><div class="yiv7327874491gmail_signature" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">SAG-AFTRA, AEA, AGVA<br clear="none" /><a href="http://www.kristintowers-rowles.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">http://www.kristintowers-rowles.com</a><br clear="none" /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/KristinTowersRowles" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/KristinTowersRowles</a><br clear="none" /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/ktrowles" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">http://www.twitter.com/ktrowles</a></span><br clear="none" /></div></div>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-35551730856444935352022-04-05T12:02:00.026-07:002022-04-06T08:10:59.547-07:00K Harris<p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;">Sixty-Six Theater Co. (Producing Director Trina Chan) announced the first show of its 2022 Mainstage Season—<b><i>The Effect</i></b>, written by Lucy Prebble. Kymberly Harris (below) will direct. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FcGVGYp6Hs0RGKQJWOD9ZkW78-6TzyOZTrdU18H9yPlxglHJp5LNGDp-MF_dvPxdh4ubv7V6Y3aI7hvtdob4V3E83-dENE1erDXvLTdj-QAy3br4Uval72FOzZUAdPmc7RdVZp7KurdxvS3yeW9bCF4IqBwd-MLnYOIYWzgaVUew3H7iP5SH_gyJng/s1000/Kymberly-Harris-pic%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1000" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FcGVGYp6Hs0RGKQJWOD9ZkW78-6TzyOZTrdU18H9yPlxglHJp5LNGDp-MF_dvPxdh4ubv7V6Y3aI7hvtdob4V3E83-dENE1erDXvLTdj-QAy3br4Uval72FOzZUAdPmc7RdVZp7KurdxvS3yeW9bCF4IqBwd-MLnYOIYWzgaVUew3H7iP5SH_gyJng/w320-h212/Kymberly-Harris-pic%20(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"></span></div><div class="yiv1408299452AOLWebSuite yiv1408299452AOLWebSuiteM3" style="background-color: white;"><div id="yiv1408299452"><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>The Effect</i></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> had its world premiere at the National Theatre in London in 2012 and was the winner of the UK Critics’ Circle Award. The play had its North American premiere at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York in 2016. Winner of the UK Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Play, this funny, provocative and deeply moving play offers a powerful theatrical exploration of the human brain through the heart. Questions of sanity, neurology and the limits of medicine are explored alongside ideas of fate, love and chemistry. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Kymberly Harris </b>is a director, writer, filmmaker, actor and acting coach. Her work tends to be deeply experiential and process-driven. She teaches acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in West Hollywood and to selective private clients who are working in TV and Film. In her early acting career, she played Maggie in a showcase at her MFA Program directed by Arthur Penn. Now as a director, writer, and filmmaker, she bridges the theatre and film worlds. Her play "Faith" is the only drama published in the new anthology, "Proofread or Die!," featuring works by colleagues and friends of the late David Foster Wallace. She has directed several new and contemporary plays at her resident companies in LA and in the Midwest. She recently wrote and directed an award-winning short, ROSE'S TURN, and her second film, FAITH, won Best Short at the 2018 New York International Film Festival. Her feature I HEARD SARAH received the Robert Rodriguez Best Indie Auteur of the Year Award, and will be distributed by Good Deeds Entertainment. Her upcoming feature is THE BOY IN THE PINK FLIP FLOPS.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">--------------------</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i>Tell our readers about the theme of The Effect.</i></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: large;">KH:The play is set in a drug trial for antidepressants. Each character has their own conscious reason for choosing to participate or facilitate this trial, and their unconscious reasons for needing to deal with depression and relationships reveal themselves. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>What do you find special about the play?</i></b></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;">KH: I can't think of a more timely play for this moment. We are all reeling from feelings of isolation after the pandemic, and we've all had moments, maybe for the first time, to truly self examine our lives, values, and relationships. The world is changing so much, we all have dealt with new feelings of hopelessness. From that state, it is more challenging to let others know you, or to let go of relationships that no longer serve you. What is beautiful about the play is these </i>characters<i style="font-family: arial;"> are also forced into introspection by circumstances beyond their control. And they are forced to decide if they will choose to love or self love, or continue to live in isolation. And there is a lot of humor and sexiness inherent in </i><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><i>their</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;"> process.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>As director, what are your greatest challenges?</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;"><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;">KH: My desire is to live solely in the world of a story when I'm directing. But life doesn't always allow that, so needing to split my focus is </i><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><i>challenging</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;"> for me. Also, with this play, you have two worlds, one that is very monitored and tech savvy, and the world within the clinic that is raw and emotional. So there's a way I'm directing two styles at once and finding where they connect. That part is a thrilling challenge, and I admire Prebble's writing more each day, as I discover this living emotional animal alive and breathing within this very sterile environment.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Talk about your cast and how they match their characters.</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;"> </i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;">KH: I knew I wouldn't be able to deliver this play unless I found just the right actors. Leah Verill as Dr. Lorna has the reserve and intelligence of a scientist and the emotional depth of a passionate woman with a troubled past. John Ruby as Dr. Toby is just the right combination of charm and mystery needed for us to believe in his motives, success, and to understand Lorna's emotional and psychological entanglement with him. Jakki Jandrell has a great understanding of the drive and fears of Connie as well as her need to be honest and grow. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;"><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;">Paul Rush is a complex and layered actor with the ability to transform and live his role, which is what we needed for Tristan because his range throughout the play is so great. And they're all wonderful, wickedly smart human beings with abundant </i><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><i>talent</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;">.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>How does the play fit into 66's mission statement?</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><i style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><i style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">KH:This is a significant story and I think anyone willing to participate in such a raw and current exploration is an ambitious storyteller. My experience of 66 is that it is a supportive incubator for risk taking and exploration, with a passion for excellent, contemporary, character driven writing. </span></i></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>What do you hope the audience will take away?</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;"><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-family: arial;">KH: The audience becomes part of the experiment in this play, </i><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><i>because</i></span><i style="font-family: arial;"> as observers we are peeking in at what is meant to be a private process. As "participants", we all become complicit in the decision to take medication for depression or not, and to contemplate how our minds inhibit or encourage our ability to love. Is it irresponsible to test these patients in this way? Who profits from the sale of prescription drugs, and how does that affect the decision making? How does the doctor's subjective experience affect the trial? Is love a decision or an inevitable fate? And finally, is it worth it to show your soul to another, even though you are damaged and may get damaged again? If we achieve the level of thought and empathy around these questions that the story has helped us experience, I think it will be an impactful night of theatre. </i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><b style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kymberly Harris</span></b></div></div><div class="yiv1408299452gmail_signature" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><div dir="ltr"><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Director @firsthand.films</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.kymberlyharris.me/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #f62323; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.kymberlyharris.me</a></b><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">@staytunedla: <i>an interactive blog for actors</i></span></div></div></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #006d21; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;"></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="yiv1408299452inlineCompose_bar" style="background-color: white; position: relative; width: 697px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The Effect</span></b></i><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> Opening: Friday April 29th at 8pm Performances: April 29th - May 21st, 2022 Fri, Sat & Mon 8pm, Sun 4pm inside The Strasberg Institute</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></span><span color="rgb(var(--color_15))" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>7936 Santa Monica Blvd</b></span></span></div><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: 2.2em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>West Hollywood, CA 90046</b></span></p><p class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_15)); line-height: 2.2em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="color: rgb(var(--color_15)); font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Tel: 213-926-3150</b></p>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-27601523493292282502022-01-13T09:52:00.002-08:002022-01-13T10:26:28.041-08:00<p> <b><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">Brilliant artist, singer and songwriter <span style="text-align: justify;">Susan Edwards Martin never rests on her laurels. She sang live throughout the holidays and recently wrote her </span> <span style="text-align: justify;">“Thank you Song!”<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><b><span style="text-align: justify;"><span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxD0Th6Bu8zEUcYU4-BS7eSlM8oMCu7yXcAdmxnj5KrVuvzQx6p24Jp2J3Bx3_VGUWDJutEwmQeAOHZTTrGtXxRmarwGDP-Yl1hmoywakNAumBJagEzZ-PAF-Jc3lxAALRG-zB68GPshWmDDJgxmr8rT3j5TMFa_vzyvsNHthEPlXnSNBZDa09bgiE=s850" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxD0Th6Bu8zEUcYU4-BS7eSlM8oMCu7yXcAdmxnj5KrVuvzQx6p24Jp2J3Bx3_VGUWDJutEwmQeAOHZTTrGtXxRmarwGDP-Yl1hmoywakNAumBJagEzZ-PAF-Jc3lxAALRG-zB68GPshWmDDJgxmr8rT3j5TMFa_vzyvsNHthEPlXnSNBZDa09bgiE=w400-h320" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></span></b><p></p><p><span style="text-align: justify;"><span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b>What motivated you to write this song?</b></span></span></p><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">These past two years have been most challenging for us all. Even though the world was slowing down, shutting down, shows being cancelled, and<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>teaching my students now online in Zoom, I felt I couldn’t sit idle and watch life pass me by.<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>For me, it is imperative and life-affirming, that I be creative…always.<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>I continually have ideas that inspire me. I refused to allow this oppressive and daunting pandemic to get me down!<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>I became very involved with my spiritual communities, which were all occurring on Zoom and found much comfort and peace going within, meditating, practicing my kundalini yoga, praying, continuing my studies to expand my consciousness and to remain faithful to the truth of who I am…who we are. I had to create! I had to write! And I found a safe place to create and record my music with music producer extraordinaire, Tony Campodonico.</span></i></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"> </span></i></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">Tell our readers more about him and how his association helped the song.</span></b></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">Tony has a swell, fully equipped recording studio in a detached garage/studio on his property and I found myself going there two times a week to record my songs.<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>Tony is a one man band and is an accomplished musician, with keyboards as his main instrument. He is proficient with all the possibilities that the digital realm has to offer and I knew I was in the best place possible.</span></i></div><div class="yiv2737753451p2" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><i></i><br /></span></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">With my “Thank You Song” I was feeling so much gratitude for my life and my family and with my open heart ready to receive all the good life has to offer. I had an idea of the spirit of the song…a bluegrass, country vibe and I knew I wanted it to be melodic and heartfelt, inspiring, catchy, fun, and danceable! I rejoiced that Tony got to show off his considerable talent on the keyboard in this song! “Thank You” are two very powerful words that will change your life! I felt that it could help heal the current divisiveness and sadness that have been prevalent in the world and our current situation. We need to remember to be grateful for every thing in our lives and give thanks in an uplifting and joyous way through this song!!</span></i></div><div class="yiv2737753451p2" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"><i></i><br /></span></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">Describe your process in songwriting.</span></span></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">The process is always so interesting to me. I had the melody and essence of the song in my head and “Thank You” just seemed to fit perfectly. Then once the “musical hook” was established, I was able to write more lyrics to fully express the sentiment of the song. We thought that it would enhance the song to have a “live” guitarist on the track so Tony contacted his amazingly talented friend Derol Caraco, to give us the pleasure of experiencing his superb guitar playing!<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>Staying Covid compliant, we sent him the basic track with vocals and piano, and he was able to record his part in his own studio and send it to Tony electronically through the internet cloud!!<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>Amazing!! The way it’s mixed together, it sounds like we’re all in the same room! I love that! Technology at its finest!<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>I am so pleased with the final recording and I feel I am a very lucky gal to have all this talent to make music with!!!<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span>Thank you!!! <span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="yiv2737753451p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">You can find the THANK YOU SONG! and many of Susan Edwards Martin’s music streaming on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music…just about everywhere!!<span class="yiv2737753451Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div><div class="yiv2737753451p3" style="color: #060606; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Get up and dance and ENJOY!!</span></div><div style="clear: both;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span class="yiv2737753451Apple-style-span" style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b>Susan Edwards Martin</b></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.unlimitedsusanedwardsmartin.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><b>www.UnlimitedSusanEdwardsMartin.com</b></a></span></i></div><div></div><div><i><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/Cz2enf7CHck" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/Cz2enf7CHck</a> (music video)</b></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><i><b>Music sold on Amazon Music & Spotify</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><i><b><a href="https://talent.castingfrontier.com/susan-edwards-martin" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://talent.castingfrontier.com/susan-edwards-martin</a><br /></b></i></span></div><div></div><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #0433ff; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/article/Susan-Edwards-MartinThe-Original-Lady-Blues-Of-Torch-Song-Trilogy-Is-Back-In-Town-At-Feinsteins54Below-20190227" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/article/Susan-Edwards-MartinThe-Original-Lady-Blues-Of-Torch-Song-Trilogy-Is-Back-In-Town-At-Feinsteins54Below-20190227</a></b></span></span></div></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZsoI_kAUoBRgCoMA6jKA5G2J4Drx4WSpeICUGOsvj9G7V9hbI-DWQPkUc6myLJiUjIDWMFVL9nG_17H61uGA37v8xQJrODIEz61v4SkFMWckgb39kRSjCmiyVBhohSXm40JmcDLh_7bxcTHOIhX0QZKYGxV4Sjn0047mbBGUdxBmxZ-rQLmvpHySc=s500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="500" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZsoI_kAUoBRgCoMA6jKA5G2J4Drx4WSpeICUGOsvj9G7V9hbI-DWQPkUc6myLJiUjIDWMFVL9nG_17H61uGA37v8xQJrODIEz61v4SkFMWckgb39kRSjCmiyVBhohSXm40JmcDLh_7bxcTHOIhX0QZKYGxV4Sjn0047mbBGUdxBmxZ-rQLmvpHySc=w640-h334" width="640" /></a></div><br style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;" /><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHPKibycVk0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHPKibycVk0</a></p></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-17402593195088222972021-12-23T14:55:00.003-08:002021-12-23T14:55:40.728-08:00Donaco Smyth and Animal Watch Going Strong in 2021<p> </p><h2 class="date-header" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; position: relative;"><span style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: inherit; padding: inherit;">Wednesday, November 20, 2019</span></h2><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry uncustomized-post-template" itemprop="blogPost" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/BlogPosting" style="margin: 0px 0px 25px; min-height: 0px; position: relative;"><a name="8721843736957463200"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://grigwaretalkstheatre.blogspot.com/2019/11/interview-with-donaco-smyth-re-animal.html" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">Interview with Donaco Smyth Re Animal Watch</a></h3><div class="post-header" style="font-size: 10.8px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8721843736957463200" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 570px;"><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut3LSN4eqFhve6h4mCOElDeVo-ZAts8Aj1xZxVK_kpUodpeO0u2ZKEveaht1gqHLvGxLaAcj6AtbnMpglQsve6APx1tiHWwCM5ieEKr_2IfsQ3xvGW1PEDcGCw3SGz3ePRxyU1jk53D4g/s1600/thumbnail+%252812%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #2288bb; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="982" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut3LSN4eqFhve6h4mCOElDeVo-ZAts8Aj1xZxVK_kpUodpeO0u2ZKEveaht1gqHLvGxLaAcj6AtbnMpglQsve6APx1tiHWwCM5ieEKr_2IfsQ3xvGW1PEDcGCw3SGz3ePRxyU1jk53D4g/s400/thumbnail+%252812%2529.jpg" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></div><div class="yiv6110597743"><b><i>Donaco Smyth is a Los Angeles based actor and writer. He is a founding member of Neo Ensemble Theatre and has acted in plays and musicals on both coasts. His play Capsized Flotsam has been produced in L.A., NYC and in Melbourne, Florida. Another full length play, Annoyed by Life is currently published by Heuer Publishing. In 2013, his short film, “Way of Seeing”, played in five film festivals around the country. </i></b></div><div class="yiv6110597743"><b><i><br class="yiv6110597743" clear="none" /></i></b></div><div class="yiv6110597743"><b><i>Professionally, Donaco’s performed the roles of King Henry II in Lion in Winter, Falstaff in “Merry Wives of Windsor, Daddy Warbucks in “Annie”, a sullen criminal on “Law & Order” and tons of original roles by various writers at Neo Ensemble Theatre in Los Angeles.</i></b></div><div class="yiv6110597743"><br class="yiv6110597743" clear="none" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /></div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">How did you get involved in creating Animal Watch?</span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I had it in my head for a number of years before I was finally able to hook up with an artist, Randall Jahn, who helped me make it all happen with his perfect animal artwork. I’d drawn up some prototype decks of cards and played the game with friends and worked out some kinks in the rules. But the game got sidetracked because I was writing plays and making some short films and trying to find an occasional acting job that paid something. Eventually in 2017, I got the Kickstarter project going because I’d broken my foot and had some down time. So I dove into it then.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Describe the game in some detail.</span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It takes a little bit of strategy to decide how many tricks you think you can win each round and you have to commit to that number. If you win more than you predicted, you lose points and if you win fewer than you predicted, you lose points. You have to keep in mind how many high cards you have and how many lower cards you have that probably won’t win you anything. But sometimes those “throw away cards” will come back to bite you because they can suddenly be the top card in play. So it can be wild! And in each round everyone plays with fewer and fewer cards in each hand. So you don’t know what’s been removed from the deck.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Are there several versions or is Endangered Species the only one out thus far?</span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So far there’s just this one edition but I’m leaving my options open for adding more animal sets or maybe even copyrighted characters from Disney or Warner Bros.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you feel that this is more for adults or children?</span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Some games like <i>Uno</i> and <i>Monopoly</i> and <i>Checkers</i> are great for all ages and that's where <i>Animal Watch</i> lies as well. In the comments I’ve read, people say they played it with their families with kids and they caught on quickly and enjoyed it. One lady told me her nine year old daughter became the best player of the family. I know other people who supported the Kickstarter campaign who are in their 20s and 30s and they are playing it with their peers. So it fits in with high school and college age folks as well. My friend Gerri took it to Florida to play with her retired mother and her neighbors. They gave me great feedback during the pre-printing stage about some of the colors that were difficult to their older eyes. So Randall and I made changes based on that which I’m so thankful for. And the ladies sent messages about how they enjoyed the game!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I never considered it to be an outright "kid’s game" but the animals do give it a warm and fuzzy personality. Maybe a future edition should be themed a little darker! In an earlier prototype of the cards, I had some different animals, Octopus, Preying Mantis, Bats…. But my friends didn’t really connect to those species. So I re-thought it and decided on the current menagerie. And that ties in well with the charitable aspect of this business where we donate a portion of the proceeds of this game to places like <b>World Wildlife Fund.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you think teachers can incorporate it into lesson plans or is it strictly for parties and events?</span></i></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It can absolutely be used in lessons because children can learn to strategize based on the numbers of the cards in their hand and remembering which animals have more power than others in each round. So it’s great from a mental development point of view. They’re not just slapping down cute animals on the table; they’re working toward a goal.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Actors love playing charades and password, etc. As an actor did you think about this when you created it?</span></i></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I kind of had my Las Vegas personality on when I was devising how the game could be played. There are ways you could turn it into a betting game but I’ll let other people sort that out. It’s meant to be a fun pastime like <i>Exploding Kittens</i> or <i>Uno</i>. Technically there are no rules against acting like a tiger or a sea turtle when you play the game so if it helps you to put that Theatre Arts degree to use while you play Animal Watch, don’t let me stop you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Where can people purchase Animal Watch?</span></i></b></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently just from the website:</span></div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.animalwatchgame.com%26sa%3DD%26sntz%3D1%26usg%3DAFQjCNETLhAfTzNFHmqjJ1lsAH33vnIDhw&source=gmail&ust=1574363498969000&usg=AFQjCNEjdB5Od9iVlcidrfC-yOkN7K4Egw" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.animalwatchgame.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNETLhAfTzNFHmqjJ1lsAH33vnIDhw" rel="noopener noreferrer noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">www.animalwatchgame.com</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully it will be available on Amazon in 2020.</span></div><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGWAJf7PFLvAM0RMJLFSJGNLkrCpTkLUp0EWJc3NgQx-yJPzS4CSLQ3Z3ZmZTMUBMQNIXqrwH2WebkqRcua39ciVoKvm06YQK04MNXPBYhbOiq2rQOFubnadL-21B7uTH9SqFqXKnD5jh/s1600/thumbnail+%252813%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1280" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGWAJf7PFLvAM0RMJLFSJGNLkrCpTkLUp0EWJc3NgQx-yJPzS4CSLQ3Z3ZmZTMUBMQNIXqrwH2WebkqRcua39ciVoKvm06YQK04MNXPBYhbOiq2rQOFubnadL-21B7uTH9SqFqXKnD5jh/s400/thumbnail+%252813%2529.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-38451240084844189972021-04-05T10:42:00.264-07:002021-04-06T16:57:33.857-07:00ALL New Virtual Legends and Bridge To Stream April 30 and May 1<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6arR_eStVwVJCzKJcm6ri365kAR_HDVohsdw0ZwxOZbOItsHfzoRrSKyJ8A1vEugC-ykeGDwVL0v3qLS1-YhMsgMCUMggl9KnaSn9bMaEoI8xTcpNBXR9v35SeYE_MpynL2pMb_bfiPqQ/s2048/LEGENDSJCBDJGNOTEXT+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6arR_eStVwVJCzKJcm6ri365kAR_HDVohsdw0ZwxOZbOItsHfzoRrSKyJ8A1vEugC-ykeGDwVL0v3qLS1-YhMsgMCUMggl9KnaSn9bMaEoI8xTcpNBXR9v35SeYE_MpynL2pMb_bfiPqQ/w640-h480/LEGENDSJCBDJGNOTEXT+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: arial;">C. Stephen Foster played Bette Davis in Legends and Bridge to tremendous public and critical acclaim in 2002 at The Group Rep Theatre in Burbank. Foster penned the play and now almost 20 years later we may look forward to a brand new production. </span></i></b></div></i></b></span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Dramatically Incorrect Theater Group & Dance Company</i></b></span></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">proudly presents the premiere streaming production of Legends and Bridge directed by Paul R. Gymziak. It streams April 30 and May 1st, 2021 at 7:30 pm (EST) Tickets cost $15. You may purchase tix at </span></i></b><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fditgdc.org%252F%26sa%3DD%26sntz%3D1%26usg%3DAFQjCNG4kOuVrDRE6Mhct8UP5Xn7tsn2mQ&source=gmail&ust=1617829286385000&usg=AFQjCNHlkYPyvXw4z8c7ha1rrR-vPErJUA" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fditgdc.org%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNG4kOuVrDRE6Mhct8UP5Xn7tsn2mQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="color: #954f72; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;" target="_blank">https://ditgdc.org</a></div><p align="center" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter", serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span></p><div><br style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The play features an all-star cast that includes Valerie Schillawski as Joan Crawford, Debbie Moylan as Judy Garland, Jen Knight as Bette Davis. Matthew DeBettencourt as Madison. Steven Cristofono as Tennessee Williams and Mic Godin as the Cab Driver<br /></span><div><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Foster, who is also well renowned for the off-Broadway musical The Green Room and his self-help book Awakening the Actor Within, sat down recently and discussed the play in depth and how it has evolved over the last 20 years. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtrV_k959qTcHOokHeVeVx1Dae-O42d4RWVHXcnU83U1eHDhblZ7gIoljaHioe4iDrDCLhcY4BuKkiBfc_bRWlvmyWpJIug_m7pTH6KhqDDm1AvqyCCfLJyiFbF26LZkxWOdRVRSyU13e/s1200/MV5BMjMwODIzMjc3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjgzMDU3OA%2540%2540._V1_UY1200_CR85%252C0%252C630%252C1200_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtrV_k959qTcHOokHeVeVx1Dae-O42d4RWVHXcnU83U1eHDhblZ7gIoljaHioe4iDrDCLhcY4BuKkiBfc_bRWlvmyWpJIug_m7pTH6KhqDDm1AvqyCCfLJyiFbF26LZkxWOdRVRSyU13e/s320/MV5BMjMwODIzMjc3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjgzMDU3OA%2540%2540._V1_UY1200_CR85%252C0%252C630%252C1200_AL_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We then chatted in detail with the new director Paul R. Gymziak and the three actresses playing BD, JC and Judy Garland<b>.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Don G: Stephen, tell our readers what inspired you to write <b>Legends and Bridge</b>?</span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />SF: Don, first off, it's a great pleasure to talk to you once more. Thaaaaaaank you. What I'm most excited about is the current production is being produced in Lowell, MA where Bette Davis was born! WOW!<br /><br />The genesis of the comedy was born shortly after I had co-written, directed and starred in "Divanalysis: the mechanics of camp" (with Scott Wilkerson) in which I played: Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Karen Carpenter and Judy Garland. My entire frame of work back then was campy divas from the past. One day the image of Judy Garland, Bette Davis and Judy Garland sitting around a card table playing bridge thundered into my brain along with the title "Legends and Bridge." Now, I had played Judy Garland in "Divanalysis" and assumed I would play her in this as well. I had done extensive research into her life, career and knew her inside and out. I knew nothing of Joan Crawford or Bette Davis so I went to the library to do research and found they were mortal enemies! Great Material! So, I began to write the play on a vintage 1930's Underwood typewriter. The first draft of the play took place in the 1940s when they were all still under contract at studios and playing a social game. It was very much in the vein of "If Men Played Cards as Women Do" by George S.Kaufman. Very snappy, witty and stylish. I always imagined the play to be a <i>drag</i> show!<br /><br />As my research evolved, I set the play in 1965 after Crawford and Davis worked together on "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and after Judy was fired from her CBS show. Tragic! They were all old, washed up and down and out, but still hopeful. Still wanting the limelight, wanting fame and attention.<br /><br />Around this time, through some fluke, I was in a play called "It Started With a Lie" where I played an old battle-axe and all the reviews compared me to Bette Davis and so I switched gears to play her! I learned how to BE Bette Davis!<br /><br />I had formed a theatre company Off Hollywood where we did 2 scenes from the show (which is all I had written) and the other 2 roles were played by women, and we had a smashing success. I ran off to complete the play and shopped it around the local theaters in Hollywood and it got selected by The Group Repertory Theatre (directed by the great Stan Mazin) as part of their season. We added Tennessee Williams and Madison (the love interest) and bing, bang, boom a play was born!<br /><br />The show was well-received, but has never been done fully by men in drag! I found out the play does just fine with women playing these legends. Many have said that the show is more than just camp, it's a show about survival. Women surviving Hollywood. I never thought of it as "deep" in anyway, but I guess it strikes a chord. The theme of the 3 legends being cooped up together might have significance with everything we've all been through with Covid. It might now resonate in a more profound way.<br /><br />Don G: Do you feel that you have earnestly kept the characters' personalities in tact? When I saw it in 2002 you played Bette to great comic achievement. What made you decide to let an actress play her this time around?<br /><br />SF: These characters have lives of their own. Their personalities leap out at the audience. I wrote the play after many years of research and writing. The main issue with comedy is to keep true to the subject you are writing about and not try to cram in jokes just to be "funny." Being an actor in the show helped me because I could tell when something worked or didn't work!<br /><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I gladly hand the torch over to those who want to play Bette Davis. Although, I mouth all the words along with them when they play her. It's fun to watch another actress step into those royal shoes. Jen Knight, who plays her in this production, packs a punch with her delivery of Ms. Davis. She's got her down! I think people will be pleased with how she smokes and delivers the one-liners.<br /><br />I'm extremely impressed with director Paul Gymziak and the entire gang at Dramatically Incorrect who are doing amazing hybrid theatre shows due to Covid. The cast delivers new elements and surprises to the text.<br /><br /><b><span>Paul Gymziak is the owner of DITGDC. He is an actor, singer, dancer and director. Past work includes: “Noises Off,” “Clue,” & "The Green Room.” He won the Olympic Mr. King award for dance<i>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcycIbDSUrQZM8MZFtDU_LrLAwBT98OpTVSpu_Ch1cilXCxoaWvCT96JO89NeiBByKlwErpf5tmufjL8QEHro2bnDAQEfYABbC-WA6lHQ4hlkkR6y7s6cPLz8ZFS8Qd60vBlDxNTofZ3fF/s1440/170429260_270956054510503_5168087320384060990_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcycIbDSUrQZM8MZFtDU_LrLAwBT98OpTVSpu_Ch1cilXCxoaWvCT96JO89NeiBByKlwErpf5tmufjL8QEHro2bnDAQEfYABbC-WA6lHQ4hlkkR6y7s6cPLz8ZFS8Qd60vBlDxNTofZ3fF/s320/170429260_270956054510503_5168087320384060990_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></i></span><br /></b><div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Don G: Paul, it is a huge undertaking to direct this play. What are your biggest obstacles?</div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br />PG: I think that the biggest obstacle for me was casting. DITGDC is an up and coming theater and dance company. We have gained a lot of amazing talent over the past 3 years. <i>Legends and Bridge </i>calls for something more than just talent, it calls for a strong team of players that have a bond that can't be broken. I honestly didn't have auditions for the roles. My fiance and I reached out to a selected few actors. We then sent them all sides from the script to read. We asked them to make sure that they take this character and turn it into the real thing. As I watched the videos, I tell you the talent was on point with everyone but there were three ladies that stood out; Val, Jen and Debbie. These ladies did their homework and have really put their full game face on throughout the entire process. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">When I talked to each lady, we got into a conversation about the roles. For Example, Val was doing research on Joan. Not just any "let me look her up", she was studying Joan's interviews and her movies to get a good feeling on her mannerisms and little nuances. I remember she had sent me a video that had me laughing so hard and right there I knew she was the right fit. Jen and Debbie also had amazing videos and you can see that they also really did their research. These 3 ladies not only landed the roles of these Legends but they are also very close friends in real life. Seeing them on stage together will bring tons of laughs. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Don G: Paul, this is a comedy, but the drama seeps through consistently. Tell us any secrets in trying to keep the actors on track.<br /><br />PG: Diving into characters immediately so we can really sit with them. We can play around as the characters to get the feeling. You build in time to the process to allow for so much fun. Doing this allows you to be able to really work on the drama and comedy to make sure they mesh and read well on stage. <i>Legends and Bridge</i> was written by a smart man. Stephen Foster really knows how to engage an audience with his amazing writing talents and is pure genius in knowing these legends so well.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaAkn8frGEpzFHYUwIkNk3MiNa2p4ur-RL6u3kqfI9DJa_nlxhvqqrwOevynaSwzL2SRJ50Jzv8wHEFHBL1rzzuxP8tWBCrs61_YSsHC3x8WmeAWAS3R_S2Dxc8tkk9JVJCxkfZxOU39l/s2048/LEGENDSJCBDJGNOTEXT+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaAkn8frGEpzFHYUwIkNk3MiNa2p4ur-RL6u3kqfI9DJa_nlxhvqqrwOevynaSwzL2SRJ50Jzv8wHEFHBL1rzzuxP8tWBCrs61_YSsHC3x8WmeAWAS3R_S2Dxc8tkk9JVJCxkfZxOU39l/w640-h480/LEGENDSJCBDJGNOTEXT+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><b>Jen Knight (Bette Davis) has been involved in north central Massachusetts theater for 30 years. Her favorite roles include “Hold Me, Touch Me” in “The Producers”, John Colton Sumner in “Men On Boats” and Marina Piskolovka-Parker in “Seven.”</b></span></p></span></div><div><div><br style="text-align: center;" /></div></div></div></div><div><span>Don G: What a role! Have you ever played BD before? What are your greatest challenges in bringing her to life?</span></div><div><br /><span>JK: It is a wonderful challenge. My exposure to Bette Davis previous was her legendary longevity, her acting record, the song from my young adulthood, and Johnny Carson visits late in her life. I preferred light-hearted comedies and musicals, so my heroines from her era were Rosemary Clooney and Judy Garland and the like. Taking on the role has opened my eyes to her actual personality and drive. And she was a Pip! I admire her strength and drive. She was an Actress first and Star as a result.</span><br /><br /><span>One of the biggest challenges is not copying the playwright's interpretation of her. Stephen did such a wonderful job bringing her to life. I have to remember I am doing my own interpretation of the character from Paul's point of view. Not an imitation of him imitating her....I hope I make them all -SF, Paul and Bette- proud.</span><br /><br /></div></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>Val Shillawski (JC) an award nominated regional actress and costume designer. She has 6 projects in the works, a movie in July, 3 costuming projects ... and a coming soon “hush hush " project.</b></span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">Don G<i>: </i>JC is an overpowering woman and...difficult. In many ways more irritating and controlling than BD. How are you preparing to play this role?</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div></div></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">VS: Joan Crawford worked constantly on her career and image, always putting them first. She was a perfectionist when it came to her image and her environment with a controlling personality. She was sent away to school, having to work her way through, She had that "up by your bootstraps'' attitude of hard work. Even so there were stories of abuse, alcoholism and narcissism.<br /><br />A line in Stephen's script says it perfectly: "I'd bottle myself and sell it door to door if it could help me get ahead."<br /><br />I first researched online for videos, candid interviews, Pepsi commercials, her official Pepsi duties like plant openings, or an insight into the person she really was. She didn't give interviews on the popular talk shows like Bette Davis, or have at tv show like Judy Garland did. When you look at those snippets, you realize she was very thoughtful and studied with her interviews. Occasionally a hard edge to her voice, a look for a question she didn't like. I wanted to find what might be under that facade: after all we all have our public face and our private lives . I tried to imagine the stress of maintaining that image all the time.. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Who do you turn to? How do you manage the perfect body, perfect life , all in the public eye? I tried to relate my own experiences on managing pressure and found parallels . If you know me, you know exactly when I'm overstressed: my apartment gets an overhaul, I rearrange my living space. It is something I can control, when nothing else is controllable. I've been nervous when entertaining the CEO of the company my ex-husband managed. Had a career change in midlife. I've taken my own experiences, used them, and amplified them. <br /><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The relationship between the 3 women is a game of give and take, Joan working toward her comeback while Bette and Judy hoping this will be theirs as well. Finding the nuances in the script has been fun! Especially since Jen {Bette} and Deb (Judy) and I have been friends and colleagues for years.<br /><br />This part has been such a challenge, since everyone has an image of who she was, to bring her essence, good, bad, and sometimes extreme . <br /><br /><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><b>Debbie Moylan (Judy Garland) is a long-time character actress, director of the critically acclaimed "Seven," and producer/director at City on a Hill Arts.</b><br /></span></p><div><br style="text-align: center;" /></div>Don G<i>: </i>Judy Garland in many ways is the most challenging of the 3 roles to play, probably because she is so endearing. What do you like best about her and what is your process in trying to recreate her? Renee Zellwegger could not sing like Judy, but cornered her sensitivity as a human being. Where do you fit, in your opinion, into Judy's personality? What do you feel are her strengths and weaknesses?<br /><br />DM: I’ve always loved Judy Garland - I watched just about everything she ever made even when I was a young girl. In order to prepare for this role, I began to watch and listen to a vast array of her work, from when she was young to when she was much older, and even some obscure recordings of her later years. I admire her passionate love of her children, even though she struggled in so many ways to be a mom. I also admire her ability to laugh through her struggles. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I guess I see myself in that aspect of her life: using humor to survive the darkest times. It might be why I love character acting so much: that ability to create something that might be the direct antithesis of what I am experiencing personally. She lived in the tension of being so beloved, yet never truly finding love herself. This play balances on the tension of the humor in the script that is based on so much pain in her life. Trying to stay true to both is certainly a challenge!<br /><br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white;"><p align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b style="text-align: start;"><i>Remember, Legends and Bridge streams April 30 and May 1st, 2021 at 7:30 pm (EST) Tickets cost $15. You may purchase tix at </i></b></span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fditgdc.org%252F%26sa%3DD%26sntz%3D1%26usg%3DAFQjCNG4kOuVrDRE6Mhct8UP5Xn7tsn2mQ&source=gmail&ust=1617829286385000&usg=AFQjCNHlkYPyvXw4z8c7ha1rrR-vPErJUA" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fditgdc.org%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNG4kOuVrDRE6Mhct8UP5Xn7tsn2mQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="color: #954f72; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">https://ditgdc.org</a></p><p align="center" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "American Typewriter", serif; font-size: 11pt;"></span></p><div><br style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /></div><p align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #1c1e21;">JOAN CRAWFORD, BETTE DAVIS & JUDY GARLAND <br />attempt a comeback in the <br />ONLINE screwball comedy</span></b><span style="color: #1c1e21;"> </span><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><br /></span><span><span style="background-color: inherit; color: #cb008e;">“Legends and Bridge”</span></span><b><span style="color: red;"></span></b></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://youtube.com/playlist?list%3DPLtum9IZqt6mMsNJXm6aKdx-UWRQh3EcVS&source=gmail&ust=1617729620173000&usg=AFQjCNFD9kH1Z6yEEOjNaEIqXOLveJwfTg" href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtum9IZqt6mMsNJXm6aKdx-UWRQh3EcVS" rel="nofollow noreferrer" style="color: #0000cc;" target="_blank">TEASER VIDEOS</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_e-RUPafZO11eQv3PIBxkj6CzySmoCP7tK0U2I32X18SU48jsHCYp6thmP9gs9Pus3Yzyt2PfEpH9JSmEf_scoanCvjkNR0yL90Kj3-uVCtJD_A8tt1cgwQbeLYNjKfuwTy3Xss0HrCRv/s2048/LEGENDSB%2526WPOSTER+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_e-RUPafZO11eQv3PIBxkj6CzySmoCP7tK0U2I32X18SU48jsHCYp6thmP9gs9Pus3Yzyt2PfEpH9JSmEf_scoanCvjkNR0yL90Kj3-uVCtJD_A8tt1cgwQbeLYNjKfuwTy3Xss0HrCRv/w640-h640/LEGENDSB%2526WPOSTER+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-23611630264485590162021-02-17T16:41:00.161-08:002021-03-10T07:46:29.010-08:00Interview 2021 - Ana Isabel O<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Brilliant scientist and writer/ illustrator of children's books Ana Isabel O has been my subject of many interviews over the years. She is so productive and prolific even in these hard times and recently released two new books. Instead of asking her a batch of questions, I suggested to her that she herself tell our readers about these curiosities and explain in detail her loving process of creating. What follows is the result.</i></b></span></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNlk57K7dWQLfPlJ6nRQmP1BLzovnnYIiXZyMzCyaAw0ERd_yANPLFMbxOMvkQIcbb8zG1tjk-N_7LtbFC39K9e6pY-M0nnHnsYYNE2RtjUjKrBaH8uAXGbt1Fi4AdVPJyfJdAkG6RHf7/s2048/1-+COVER+THE+GREAT+ESCAPE+-+copie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1629" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNlk57K7dWQLfPlJ6nRQmP1BLzovnnYIiXZyMzCyaAw0ERd_yANPLFMbxOMvkQIcbb8zG1tjk-N_7LtbFC39K9e6pY-M0nnHnsYYNE2RtjUjKrBaH8uAXGbt1Fi4AdVPJyfJdAkG6RHf7/w318-h400/1-+COVER+THE+GREAT+ESCAPE+-+copie.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Aye Aye, Fedor, Eurycoti and the Great Escape</i></b>, and <b><i>The Big Musical Forest</i></b> were just released last year. Doubtless the pandemic slowed a few projects but equally ignited ideas and musing that didn't make any sense. Thereafter all took shape in children’s books. In these last two stories I could paint a certain complexity and creepyness related with this time we all are enduring which somehow defined the form. I had a great time writing and illustrating these two last sequels. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In <b><i>Aye Aye, Fedor, Eurycoti and the Great Escape</i></b>, the animals all of a sudden realized why destiny put them in the Cinico Forest; there they had a difficult journey until their great escape when Aye Aye, Fedor y Eurycoti achieved the rescue of several tropical jungle animals in extinction. This bold action was very rewarding for all of them; facts affecting humans were connected specifically to their existence too. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Recently all animals in the Musical Forest have been working on a way to be absolutely independent of external factors which ironically converted their habitat in the Big Musical Forest. As Aye Aye and her friends saved tropical species from toxic environment and extinction, I envisioned the characters more real than the page. The result was actually interesting because I ended up oil painting, an activity I’ve been practicing on and off in my life. Several paintings illustrate my children's books. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoRYaujYkUVhy1ErCIl1bv6oAdU-w_XQsDupJgRFxWax46oluWFjEyemcJD6qHAOeXy1blL9Il-gtWF049_rfGIJ3ZmA7aViNamM9I33gTrJm-g6E5vQqVOVkBgAoqwWWozLTHi6yPLh2/s2048/eurycoti+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoRYaujYkUVhy1ErCIl1bv6oAdU-w_XQsDupJgRFxWax46oluWFjEyemcJD6qHAOeXy1blL9Il-gtWF049_rfGIJ3ZmA7aViNamM9I33gTrJm-g6E5vQqVOVkBgAoqwWWozLTHi6yPLh2/s320/eurycoti+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>All stuff going on on Earth is a matter of inspiration. </span><b><i>Aye Aye, Fedor, Eurycoti and the Great Escape</i></b><span> as well as </span><b><i>The Big Musical Forest </i></b><span> showcased new ways of illustrating. All support is good for painting. However, the force and means one uses to point to climatic issues doesn’t change the problem. The point, in my opinion, is how to recognize what you can do and what purpose it serves. Future extinctions are inexorable. The real consciousness about what’s happening with jungle and wild animals doesn’t affect descriptions of how life could be idyllic in a magic place even if it exists only on paper. On that, writing is a healing power because it might change how to perceive the stories. It is important to emphasize the force to which you want the story to be painted. </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Everyone has a voice and everyone has a story. If you dig into those experiences. whatever you write is based on what happened to you, but if you dig deeper in your mind the story reaches an imaginative level. Therefore part of that is just a narration of what occurred while other parts are merely a result of what happened. In regards to the form of my children's books there is a musical sort of insistence to get something in my head. I let manyfold sort of imagery come out of that forest to run as freely as possible: a course through the literal to the imaginative. Different kinds of illustrations allow me to play off of it, like musicians who take melodies, harmonies and use them to showcase sounds and sometimes other music. The animal extinction melodies are old, whatever is written and/or created must come up with a new pattern, but overall it must be relevant.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoH9QgGNl-AuW2oltCGEovGGBuOkTSYqQzljEwu8Xqt-z4okYGQIa3AkNGdgdlkWFmBibazXJolTpuNS3Z4Eisuf8cxQwwGYG2_QK2nJzDR_XcVUrLEBdGfrM6WxvoDb9TmbM8dJciELYC/s2048/bon+cacatua+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1636" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoH9QgGNl-AuW2oltCGEovGGBuOkTSYqQzljEwu8Xqt-z4okYGQIa3AkNGdgdlkWFmBibazXJolTpuNS3Z4Eisuf8cxQwwGYG2_QK2nJzDR_XcVUrLEBdGfrM6WxvoDb9TmbM8dJciELYC/s320/bon+cacatua+%25281%2529.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span><br /></span></div>One thing I enjoy very much is looking back at childhood. Then looking ahead became easy because I looked back. I also recently released in French a poetry, photography book -- I called it </span><b><i>Somnia Nova </i></b><span>-- I had pending as well as these two more sequels to my children's books. During several years I dealt with funny stuff which led me to the power of dealing with the next phase of my life. At the same time the animals' characters became heroes trying to turn things around in another forest. </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Doing things in another way led to new experiences, and it doesn't make any difference in terms of comprehension. The books are written in different periods. Actually so far my sequels cover four life's landscapes: there are experiences from Europe, from NYC, from South Africa, and from the UK. But it showcases the same approach: we must take care of our environment and respect wild life, perhaps now more than ever.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1woBqrTzOdb6bWdovhQdupY3utlNRH9LQ7D3S78kKy0vdbXE5vc38x9pwZaR8G9Mwa_HLAeORlg2uEeSiJfklNX0IbuqNg-L6ezax2jeivJpPhiRj0pzm88RC5xM2RngGq7Omo4INa4R4/s2048/castillo----+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1636" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1woBqrTzOdb6bWdovhQdupY3utlNRH9LQ7D3S78kKy0vdbXE5vc38x9pwZaR8G9Mwa_HLAeORlg2uEeSiJfklNX0IbuqNg-L6ezax2jeivJpPhiRj0pzm88RC5xM2RngGq7Omo4INa4R4/s320/castillo----+%25281%2529.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span><br /></span></div>I try to be as free as I can be within the written stories like when you’re releasing something out of yourself. It’s like you turn on a water source and the flow starts running fast, but you won't let it just run, because it’s an emotion coming out of you; your mind naturally directs that flow. If you just think as the kid you were, you will find no restrictions. At a very young age I knew what I wanted to do. I sensed that feeling. Later I could understand that emotion as an incommensurable detachment, but not in the way of being detached from something. It was more like an outsider's view. I believe that's a gift: being able to experience complexity in the journey without bending or feeling restricted by anyone or any mass at all. Each character of my children’s book is like a layer of myself and many people and animals I’ve known. A mirror gallery.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div dir="auto"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Below are the links on Amazon where you may buy the books:</span></i></b></div><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div dir="auto"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.amazon.com%252FBig-Musical-Forest-Isabel-Ordonez%252Fdp%252FB08RKF2Q87%252Fref%253Dmp_s_a_1_4%253Fdchild%253D1%2526keywords%253Ddr%252Bana%252Bisabel%252Bordonez%2526qid%253D1613521355%2526sr%253D8-4%26sa%3DD%26sntz%3D1%26usg%3DAFQjCNGVkHAzOaDMVm01ni1yEJg-9Z_izA&source=gmail&ust=1615420261158000&usg=AFQjCNE7OY9olVw4TeHPbcPli2bIikvAIg" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBig-Musical-Forest-Isabel-Ordonez%2Fdp%2FB08RKF2Q87%2Fref%3Dmp_s_a_1_4%3Fdchild%3D1%26keywords%3Ddr%2Bana%2Bisabel%2Bordonez%26qid%3D1613521355%26sr%3D8-4&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGVkHAzOaDMVm01ni1yEJg-9Z_izA" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.amazon.com/Big-<wbr></wbr>Musical-Forest-Isabel-Ordonez/<wbr></wbr>dp/B08RKF2Q87/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?<wbr></wbr>dchild=1&keywords=dr+ana+<wbr></wbr>isabel+ordonez&qid=1613521355&<wbr></wbr>sr=8-4</span></a><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.amazon.com%252FAye-Fedor-Eurycoti-Great-Escape%252Fdp%252FB08KSDPDB7%252Fref%253Dmp_s_a_1_20%253Fdchild%253D1%2526qid%253D1613521419%2526refinements%253Dp_27%25253AAna%252BIsabel%252BDr.%252BOrdonez%2526s%253Dbooks%2526sr%253D1-20%2526text%253DAna%252BIsabel%252BDr.%252BOrdonez%26sa%3DD%26sntz%3D1%26usg%3DAFQjCNFOKIOcY_ewMW-upJ1uYvsBqeO4dg&source=gmail&ust=1615420261159000&usg=AFQjCNEf_wGLQsILNs5v7uQbLK6WekzjMQ" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAye-Fedor-Eurycoti-Great-Escape%2Fdp%2FB08KSDPDB7%2Fref%3Dmp_s_a_1_20%3Fdchild%3D1%26qid%3D1613521419%26refinements%3Dp_27%253AAna%2BIsabel%2BDr.%2BOrdonez%26s%3Dbooks%26sr%3D1-20%26text%3DAna%2BIsabel%2BDr.%2BOrdonez&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFOKIOcY_ewMW-upJ1uYvsBqeO4dg" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #4285f4;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.amazon.com/Aye-<wbr></wbr>Fedor-Eurycoti-Great-Escape/<wbr></wbr>dp/B08KSDPDB7/ref=mp_s_a_1_20?<wbr></wbr>dchild=1&qid=1613521419&<wbr></wbr>refinements=p_27%3AAna+Isabel+<wbr></wbr>Dr.+Ordonez&s=books&sr=1-20&<wbr></wbr>text=Ana+Isabel+Dr.+Ordonez</span></a><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: sans-serif;" /></div></div></blockquote></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /></span><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></div>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-46280065931276888572020-06-22T15:56:00.005-07:002020-06-28T10:00:38.844-07:00pat taylor<div class="hide"><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 204); border-bottom: thin solid rgb(238, 238, 238); font-family: arial, sans-serif; padding: 4px 8px;"><a href="https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/burbank-ca/patricia-taylor-9228107?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=share_obit&utm_content=obituary&fbclid=IwAR2QNh5zgTnWUjGuXtQjPlICYQpyBR939Cfe8amLj-warLgnLLfskJ7XQfQ">https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/burbank-ca/patricia-taylor-9228107?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=share_obit&utm_content=obituary&fbclid=IwAR2QNh5zgTnWUjGuXtQjPlICYQpyBR939Cfe8amLj-warLgnLLfskJ7XQfQ</a></div></div>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-53256970960840673392020-05-17T12:24:00.001-07:002020-05-19T12:03:05.353-07:00Stephen Foster and Chuck Pelletier Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI34tOu_JlgYLFkWq_A2LUVt0oL6r1GD0ZUAIahuv_97MygHmeN_4C74tk0nmJNQXPRLiy7FtS4UQuHQmIQS3eG-bbondSbYpIwGhJQsJDe65Pv-2f76nhGtsRcG1o6L8oB0BSG9J7c29K/s1600/CPSFNOVAAWARD_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI34tOu_JlgYLFkWq_A2LUVt0oL6r1GD0ZUAIahuv_97MygHmeN_4C74tk0nmJNQXPRLiy7FtS4UQuHQmIQS3eG-bbondSbYpIwGhJQsJDe65Pv-2f76nhGtsRcG1o6L8oB0BSG9J7c29K/s400/CPSFNOVAAWARD_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>Actors/writing partners Chuck Pelletier and Stephen Foster created the popular musical The Green Room and released a CD of the show in 2006 to great acclaim. It has toured across country snd played off Broadway to excellent reviews in 2019. Now there is a new website devoted exclusively to The Green Room. Recently they composed a short film entitled "That's Opportunity Knocking" that has won a myriad of awards. Both men took time out of their busy schedules to discuss both projects, which push the limits on creativity during Covid-19.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>Tell us about your new website for The Green Room. Does it allow visitors to see the show from the ground up, from the very beginning on upward to the latest success in New York?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="background-color: white;">Stephen Foster: Due to our hectic and diverse creative schedules (acting, writing and directing) the information and materials for The Green Room musical has been helter-skelter on YouTube and Facebook so we decided, after the Off-Broadway run, to put it all together in one streamlined website. </span><a href="http://www.greenroomthemusical.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">www.greenroomthemusical.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It’s a way to describe how the show has grown and evolved through the years. It provides a platform where people can see clips of various productions, listen to the songs for free, obtain free scripts, and even purchase the sheet music. It’s the catch all for learning all about this 4-character musical that had humble roots in Hollywood theatre and finally had an Off-Broadway run. We are extremely proud of how far this “passion” project has come.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>This is the pride and joy for both of you. Chuck's music has been such a success and you have reworked the book to make it more adaptable to current time. What are the elements of the show that have appealed most to audiences everywhere? Be specific!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Chuck Pelletier: I love writing funny songs, and when I go to see musicals, my favorites are always the comedy songs. For the most part the songs in <i><b>The Green Room</b></i> are comedy songs, I think there’s only three or four exceptions. They still move plot and character forward, but they make you laugh. And I think audiences love that. That’s the way musicals were written in golden age, whether it’s <i>Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady, Oliver, The Music Man</i>. Most of those shows were fun and funny. They landed on the occasional love song or sad song when the plot warranted it, but for the most part, people went to Broadway to escape. To be entertained. Many people have mentioned to me that that’s how they feel after they see <b><i>The Green Room</i></b>, and that is what makes me the most proud as a lyricist. When you hear an audience laugh, really laugh, belly laugh, in the middle of a song, and then again, and then again, to the point they have to try to contain themselves just to keep up with what’s coming next. That gives me more joy than anything.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">There is also the sense of youth, four characters in their 20s having fun in college. People love the youthful energy of the story.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>Sum up your dreams for this show and advise our readers how they need to be creative and follow their heart at all cost.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Stephen: The musical has had a wonderful track record thus far with indie productions all over the US, Canada and Ireland. The songs have been performed in cabarets, concerts and singers love singing the 2 comedy songs “It’s All About Me” & “Nothing Can Stop My Boys” at auditions. The future of the show is endless with new theaters and now online venues opening up.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The song “In The End” contains my favorite line, “In the end you do what you have to do. Because it’s you, in the end, who has to live with it.” That’s been my philosophy for many years. To pursue a career in acting and writing, you miss a lot of “normal” living, but in the end you have art to show for it. The trade-off isn’t always fair, the labor of love is long, but sometimes you hit gold and that pay-off is what keeps us going against the odds. Follow your heart is what I coach actors and writers when I teach. If you follow your heart, you might not hit the moon, but you’ll land in the stars.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>Let's switch to your new film "That's Opportunity Knocking" What basically is it about? What inspired you to write it?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Chuck: “That’s Opportunity Knocking“ is a 22-minute comedy on Amazon Prime that tells the story of two college-educated guys in their 20s so down on their luck they decide to rob an empty apartment. The tenants come home while they are robbing it, so they have to hide, and wait, while the tenants make out on the couch. One of the interesting things about this comedy is that it’s based on a true story. Usually comedies aren’t based on a true story, unless they are historical, period films. So of course it was the true story that inspired it. What happened was that we were involved in a play at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. The director of that play, Thomas Anawalt, and most of the cast of the play, went out for drinks one night after the show. Thomas was telling a story about when he lived in New York with a couple roommates, and one night they came home and found some items out of place but didn’t think much of it. They woke up the next morning and found the place had been robbed. So they realized then that, the whole time they had been home that previous night, those burglars had been hiding somewhere. I think I told Thomas right then and there that I wanted to make that into a short film, and I wanted him to play himself. Most of the actors that were in that play ended up being in the movie.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>You have won many prizes so far. That is wonderful.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Chuck: Yes, the film has won 24 awards at film festivals, and after that was picked up by Amazon Prime, where it has been viewed hundreds of times since. Who knew there was a market for short films? We are very proud. Stephen himself won 5 awards as Best Supporting Actor.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Stephen: We are humbled and surprised by all the awards. We’ve been working in theater and film as actors and screenwriters for many years, and this one clicked. We are grateful to the indie film festivals that helped us achieve these awards.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>What do audiences learn from the movie?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Chuck: There are a few themes running through the movie, but the main theme, which recurs especially throughout the dialogue of the two burglars, is that it is far harder to be middle class right now then it was, say, 50 or 75 years ago. That’s the motivational engine of three of the characters, and the reason the burglars are there in the first place. I hope that is what people take away from the movie, as well as just a lot of laughs and having a good 22 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>Does it have your zany sense of humor?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Stephen: I don’t think we could produce a piece without it containing our off-beat view of the world. I always wanted my creative life to be “The Carol Burnett Show!” Humor is how Chuck and I survived growing up and we use it in our writing and acting. Chuck understands my sense of humor, and I understand his, so we mesh very well together.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>But, as well as being entertaining, does it have a substantial base? How does it inspire people to live?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Chuck: I loved the screwball comedies of old Hollywood, because they always worked as simple comedies, but there was always a class-against-class theme behind them. There were other elements, reversed sex roles, etc., but the class struggles are what I always relate to, and as I said, I wanted that to be integral to this movie. If someone told me my comedies inspired them to look at class in a different way, perhaps vote more with the middle class in mind, nothing would be a higher honor.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><i>If you had to sum up your professional life so far, how would you do that? Is there another project on the horizon that you yearn to work on?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Stephen: I would sum up my professional life as “trial and error” with perks thrown in along the way. I’m extremely LUCKY to work hand in hand with Chuck, as we click in all we do. There’s never a sense of competition or one-upmanship with us.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As for the future, we have started our own small company, Round Earth Entertainment, to nurture and develop our creative projects: songs, scripts, movies and plays. We have several projects that are in development.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Chuck: This virus has been the worst thing that has happened to the world in my lifetime, but you have to make lemonade out of lemons, and the time at home has given Stephen and I a lot of time to talk through potential projects and do some good writing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Stephen: Don, these are very odd and crazy times, humor helps us heal, connect and survive. I think that’s our primary statement to humanity.</span>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-61465717701472522762020-04-25T14:59:00.001-07:002020-05-03T10:30:20.622-07:00Shelly Goldstein Speaks Out Creatively<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Writer/actress/cabaret performer Shelly Goldstein is very popular worldwide and is in a constant state of motion with a unique sense of humor. In this special creativity interview she talks about just that. Especially wonderful is her advice to everyone to stretch your horizons and reach out to others.</i></b><br />
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DG<b style="font-style: italic;">: Overall, what are you doing during this horrible Covid-19 period to stay creative?</b><br />
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SG: First of all, Don, thanks for reaching out. One of the positive aspects of this wackadoodle time is the return to old-fashioned phone calls between friends, and emails/texts that are a bit more personal than a typical 6-word message. It’s been great to actually have conversations with people. I didn’t realize how rare such calls had become and I hope they don’t disappear.<br />
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Human interaction inspires creativity.<br />
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I’ve been doing a lot of writing. Like everyone, I’ve lost a ton of work. Any gig I had on the books since mid-February was either cancelled or put on indefinite hold. That meant a lot of performances and many gala/award show events went away. The biggest disappointment was a gig where I was going to work with Julie Andrews on a lifetime tribute she was going to receive! But such is life. And “life” is what matters now.<br />
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My husband and I had a few projects that were in the works before this happened and we’re still inching those forward. There’s a series coming out this year in Europe called COLD COURAGE that we worked on: he wrote & Story Edited. I was a Script Consultant and I actually had the joy of writing a song lyric that is part of a key scene. Can’t wait to hear the final mix as, obviously, we weren’t able to be there as it was finishing post. I think it will air in the US in 2021.<br />
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I try to do a vocal warmup for every one of the 4,372 times each day I wash my hands.<br />
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DG<b style="font-style: italic;">: Have you been helping create projects online for people to watch or listen to? </b><br />
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SG: Yes! It’s a lifesaver.<br />
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My favorite thus far is a song parody I wrote (re-wrote Lee Adams great lyric) and uploaded to YouTube called “How Lovely When News Was Stupid.” It’s a parody of BYE BYE BIRDIE’S song, “How Lovely to Be A Woman”, written by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse.<br />
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No production value! I’m just sitting in a chair in my living room. But it’s struck a nerve. It’s gotten thousands of views and shares and online posts. I’ve gotten some very kind emails from people telling me the song caused them to laugh for the first time in weeks. That’s a blessing.<br />
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This is the song. Please enjoy and share with anyone who could use a smile!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCEkfBCdabc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCEkfBCdabc</a><br />
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My friend Mark Evanier wrote a terrific parody about the mess we’re all in and he’s asked me to sing/record. As soon as I learn the lyric, it’s next up.<br />
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DG<b style="font-style: italic;">: What about interviews?</b><br />
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SG: I’ve done some online (ZOOM) theatre and interviews and just today was asked to write & perform a piece for a benefit for the Chicago Actor’s Fund.<br />
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When John Prine died, I was heartbroken. Loss of a giant. I adored his songs. A couple of years ago I wrote a concert special for the Lyric Opera called CHICAGO VOICES that later became a PBS special. Prine was in the cast and he won an Emmy for his performance.<br />
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The night he died I kept crying and singing his songs. I’d done, “Angel From Montgomery” in a recent show and took that clip and put it online. It’s a perfect song and I love singing it. Playing/arranging is the great Doug Peck, who I met when he conducted and was the Music Director on CHICAGO VOICES.<br />
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This is that video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFs4vq5SKhI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFs4vq5SKhI</a><br />
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I have so many friends writing songs, recording songs, writing commentary/jokes – I think it’s so vital to have that outlet. I love seeing how singers, actors and writers are reacting to what we’re collectively experiencing.<br />
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I was so impressed by the song written by dear friends, Michele Brourman & Hillary Rollins, “While There is Still Time,” sung by another woman I adore – Maude Maggart. (I always say Maude’s is the voice that angels wish they had.) It had a touching video made by Christine Lavin who I’ve never met, but whose work I so admire. A gorgeous effort.<br />
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Seeing how other people are speaking out inspires me and makes me stronger. I am unofficially mentoring a few people – We keep in touch and I follow what they are doing.<br />
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I probably post much too much online – but it’s impossible not to see the insanity swirling around us and ignore it. I try to do it in a way that makes people smile and think – and I delete any responses that call for violence or cruelty. There’s enough of that in a million other places.<br />
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I feel like people are moving to a different place this week. Now that we’re sheltered-in-place for over a month, we’re all looking for the next step. I’ve started to get calls and e-mails asking my availability for writing special material or full shows/acts. I love how many performances are happening online and I’ve always happy to help!<br />
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DG<b style="font-style: italic;">: Do you have any recommendations for people on how to extend their creativity? Should they stick to what they know best or venture into unchartered territory? </b><br />
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SG: If there ever was a time to venture into unchartered territory – it’s now! We are flooded with emotions right now – fear, uncertainty, impatience, vulnerability, anger, gratitude, love – if that doesn’t inspire a song or a script or a joke or a dance or a painting or an opera or a concert…WHAT WILL?<br />
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This is a rare moment of stillness, although it’s impossible to be still in this political climate. We’re all feeling a ton of stress and anxiety. It’s helpful – emotionally, psychologically and physically – to challenge yourself.<br />
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One practical thing I need to learn how to do is add more production value to my videos. The days of just singing to camera aren’t enough anymore. I don’t have a green screen and don’t know how to do it…YET. But I am going to learn.<br />
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I finally got pulled onto Instagram – I’m GroovyShelly (and at Twitter - @GroovyShelly) Follow me! I’ll follow back.<br />
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If I’m not creating, the only options left are worrying/crying/obsessing – or eating carbs. I spent 3 years carb-free and that has gone out the window. I can attempt many things of value during a pandemic. Giving up pasta and bagels is not one of them!<br />
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There is so much literally at our fingertips right now. Go online. People are giving classes, sharing shows, major theatres and cabarets are streaming past productions. Take a class – then teach a class. This is a great time for bartering. What can I learn from you? What can I teach you?<br />
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No one knows how or when we get out of this, but when we do – I hope it’s with more of a sense of compassion and community. If we don’t learn it now, we never will.<br />
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<i>DG: </i><b style="font-style: italic;">There are so many lies out there. It seems that we have to make our own truth and that is scary. Do you have any predictions on how and when this whole nightmare will be over? </b><br />
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SG: Wow. We must, must, must fight to keep the truth alive. We must dig for it and we must counter that dangerous lies that we face every hour of every day.<br />
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Right now, the single most important thing is to listen to the experts and leaders like Governors Cuomo, Newsom, Pritzker, Witmer, Inslee. We also need to STAY AT HOME! Yes, there are a million other places we’d like the freedom to go right now. Be patient. Tough it out. If you don’t want to do it for any other reason, do it to show respect for the medical personnel who are working superhuman hours to keep people alive. It’s literally the least we can do. We must “Stay the F Home!”<br />
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We all see how hard the medical first responders are working. The best way we can help them is to flatten the curve. Which means staying home. Another great way to help them is to send food to your nearest ER.<br />
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If a friend is alone or vulnerable, send them a GrubHub gift card or find out what you can send them.<br />
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I have no idea when this will be over – or even HOW it will be over. I know it will not absolutely end in one single day. But I can’t fathom what the stages will be that will put us on the road to “normal.”<br />
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I think it’s important to say, “I don’t know” when you don’t know. People don’t like those 3 little words and they also don’t like, “I was wrong.” The inability of some of our leaders to honestly say those 2 phrases when needed is one of the things that got us into this mess.<br />
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Spread facts. Spread science. Spread art. Spread love. Spread kindness & compassion – and a healthy heaping of dish. Keep washing your hands.<br />
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And to quote that great philosopher, Dolly Gallagher Levi (by way of Jerry Herman) – “Whatever you do, for God’s sake, KEEP BREATHING!”<br />
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SHELLY on YOUTUBE: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU3FMI7voYo" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU3FMI7voYo</a><br />
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FACEBOOK: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.phpid=1246326234&ref=profile" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/profile.phpid=1246326234&ref=profile</a><br />
TWITTER follow me @groovyshelly</div>
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INSTAGRAM - GroovyShelly</div>
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Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-29957231067856754632020-04-08T12:31:00.002-07:002020-04-25T10:19:53.420-07:00Joshua Finkel Creativity Interview<div class="header" data-dojo-attach-event="onclick: headerClick" data-dojo-attach-point="headerNode" style="line-height: 20px; overflow: hidden; padding: 15px 10px 5px 20px; position: relative;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b><span data-dojo-attach-point="shortHeaderNode"></span>Actor/director/producer/teacher Joshua Finkel does not let Covid-19 get in the way of his work. In our discussion he gives us examples of the projects he is most proud of and is totally insistent on marching forward in spite of the odds.</b></i></span><br />
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<b><i>Are you still working during Covid-19? If so, for whom?</i></b><br />
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Right now I'm just working for California Lutheran University. <span style="font-size: 11pt;">Everything else that would be extracurricular or master classes or whatever has shut down so that is my ongoing semester gig</span></div>
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After I get over some work pile with that, learning how to segue all that info online-- which is a definite trial-and-error learning curve, I might do some free online classes for clients just to keep people creative, because I know people are out of work and they can't afford to pay me for stuff like this most likely. So it's a really tricky catch-22 and I'm grateful for the University right now.<br />
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But that is the only place I work aside from <b>New Musicals Inc</b> where I am not doing master classes because we have to maintain social distance, </div>
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Plus there is no reason to need to audition for anything right now because everything is shut down.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">My directing projects at California Lutheran also got shut down.</span></div>
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It we can, we will remount those shows in the fall if some of those people are still there.</div>
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It's a weird bubble as you know.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>When yoiu work with a client, do you encourage a new interpretation of playing a role or adding something innovative?</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I am teaching my cabaret class or I am working with a client to build a one person show, i</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t's always about finding a fresh angle or finding a subject matter that is less explored, but that they have a very close and personal relationship with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my favorite results of that was with <b>Roslyn Cohn, </b>who let us know that she had been a member of the church of Scientology for 27 years and had gotten out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was a few years back, before the "Going Clear" film had come out and really no one had a clear understanding of the breakdown and blow-by-blow of the Scientology organization</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So we built a cabaret act that she had filmed at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I helped with everything from the poster design to the title to the choreography to the structure and the content.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLscwiyWcvFZ6latd7cAAIDPpaaJYLwfUB" rel="noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLscwiyWcvFZ6latd7cAAIDPpaaJYLwfUB</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her goal was to make it accessible via YouTube and inform folks who are considering going into the church that they should not, as well as inspiring and supporting those trying to get out of the church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After she posted it, she received so many international invitations to perform it at festivals and venues around the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because it is such a painful journey for her to go through emotionally, though of course it has a lot of comedy in it, she turned it down ...because she did not want to have to go through it again. But she was thrilled that it has gotten all of that attention and is helping folks around the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>That's a great story. Ros Cohn is a talented lady, and I am sure she made the right decision for herself at that point in her career. Any other cabaret clients with interesting happenings to relate?</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, another set of cabaret clients not only did their show in Los Angeles but also at 54 Below a New York, and that was an exciting journey. Two Broadway teens who knew each other during their year on Broadway working in separate shows <i>Matilda,</i> and <i>Annie, </i>came t</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ogether at last</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>What do you feel are your most effective strategies in coaching your students?</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I often try to help people give the best possible</span><span class="yiv2035337289gmail_default" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> audition: best vocals in the correct style, clear emotionally full acting choices that also stay within the genre. But if they are going 'outside the box' we practice choices that way too, so in case they are asked for an adjustment, they are ready as well and have explored options.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many times when we are building a part my client booked after coaching/callback coachings, we go through the role and I give them the system to look at it both as an actor, and also as a director to help come up with the smartest and most well rounded choices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did that with <b>Sandy Bainum</b> prior to playing <i>Mame</i> back east</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and just with <b>Talya Sindel </b>to build Esmeralda in <i>Hunchback, </i>which of course got postponed/cancelled due to Corona.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, right now, I'm weekly coaching my students at California Lutheran University on Cold Reading and Acting and Monologue Prep, plus teaching some voice lessons on line and also teaching Tap to my online dance students at CLU.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv2035337289gmail_default">I am doing live teaching with supplemental training videos I create so the students can drill from those as well between our sessions. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I record the sessions in the cloud and share those sessions with the students as well for further study.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Whether already accomplished or yet to come, the projects of Josh Finkel are never ending. For him and his students, creativity most definitely goes on....</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Josh is still hoping that all postponed work will return:</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #030303; font-family: , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;"><b><i>1. Next to Normal P3 Theatre Company opening August 13 in Long Beach</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #030303; font-family: , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;"><b><i><a href="http://www.p3theater.biz/nexttonormal" rel="noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">Www.p3theater.biz/nexttonormal</a> </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #030303; font-family: , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;"><b><i>2. Hollywood Revisited returns to the Greystone Mansion August 25</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #030303; font-family: , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;"><b><i>3. Czech Musicals at the Hollywood Fringe Festival October 2020</i></b></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #030303; font-family: , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;">4.</span></span><span style="color: #030303; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;">In the meantime folks can enjoy the cast album of one of the award winning shows which dropped in The Wedding Night on CD baby</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #030303; font-family: , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;"><b><i>All info at</i></b></span></span></div>
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<b style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px;"><i><a href="https://ccactingstudio.com/director/#upcoming_director" rel="noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">https://ccactingstudio.com/director/#upcoming_director</a></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Joshua Finkel, MFA</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Director, Actor,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Acting Coach</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.joshuafinkel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.joshuafinkel.com</span></a></div>
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Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-86487941995636367742020-04-01T10:37:00.001-07:002020-04-01T12:18:17.837-07:00Tiffany Bailey 3<div dir="ltr">
<b><i>Actress/singer Tiffany Bailey has many talents. She also happens to be a behavioral therapist for children with autism. I laud her for that. Last spring 2019 she released an album entitled "Jazz with Pop" and her cabaret show was very well received. In this interview she updates our readers as to the success of the CD and talks about her other projects for 2020.</i></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i>How has your CD been selling since your concert last spring?</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB: The Jazz with POP CD has been selling ok. People seem to like the disco </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">inspired groove of Twilight Tone and the soft haunting feel of True</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Colors the best. More people are hearing about Jazz with POP, so that </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is great! I have it listed on all music platforms: Itunes, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spotify, Amazon, CD Baby! I also have it available on my website:</span><br />
<a href="http://www.tiffanybaileymusic.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.tiffanybaileymusic.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When is your next concert appearance and where?*</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB: I’ve got a few private gigs coming up in January and February. Next </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">public gig is set for Thursday: April 9th at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is one of my favorite venues. I have some cool things planned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lots of exploration in 80s/90s pop, musical theater, epic songs that </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">have theatrics, a little Jazz, and comedy! Another gig I’m excited </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">about is:Thursday: June 26th at The Gardenia Lounge. with my friend,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Francesca Amari, who is a popular cabaret singer in Palm Springs. Two very </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">different shows. Both incorporating: comedy, cabaret, and some musical</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">theater, mixed with pop.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are you changing what you will sing for the next series of concerts?</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB: In some ways yes. I will always have my Jazz roots. But, I’ve really</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">been exploring the comedy of Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball. Also</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">finding some great musical theater I like; some pop influenced songs,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and a little Lawrence Welk, if you can believe it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tell our readers again about growing up with a musical father and<br />how it motivated you to want to sing professionally.</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB: Growing up with a father who plays music has been one of the greatest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">blessings in my life. When it came to learning about cool artists. My</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dad was steeped in the jazz world, so I learned about and listened to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chet Baker, Diane Schuur, Charlie Parker. But he also introduced me to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the Bee Gees, Captain & Tenille, Ray Charles, Hall & Oates, The</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Carpenters…the list goes on. Even now, dad is always sending me links</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to music I should listen to. We have a lot of fun chatting about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And he really understands my musical tastes, so I listen to a huge</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">variety of music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Are you embarking on essaying other styles of music, or do you feel<br />more comfortable staying with jazz and pop?</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB: I feel very safe with and love singing the jazz standards and pop</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">music, but I’m definitely exploring new music genres in the last few</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">years. I’m wanting to bring in a funk component to some of my</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">arrangements; I’m also exploring adding a theatrical element to my</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">shows, so I’m listening to a lot of show tunes, both from the Golden</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">era of Broadway and contemporary shows. I’m really attracted to songs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that tell a story, and I want to translate that to my shows:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">storytelling with music, words and lights. I want my audiences to feel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“full” when they leave my shows. I want the music to speak out,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">loudly. And I want them to really understand the stories behind the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">songs and feel the passion I do about the music itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What other projects are on the horizon or more specifically in the<br />near future?</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB: I’m exploring more acting and voiceover work. I’ve gotten my headshots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">done for commercial film and TV. I’m trying to put myself out there to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">get a feature film. I love using my voice in fun ways and exploring</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">what I can do as an actor. Recently, I’ve started to figure out how to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">perfect Carol Channing’s unique speaking style. It’s a tricky one; she</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">was such an incredible talent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m also looking to get more involved in directing cabaret shows and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">theatrical productions. I have a background in music and art therapy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I truly enjoy working on shows and being involved in the writing and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">development process. I think I bring something valuable to other</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">artists, including adding the component of fun, organization,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">creativity and collaboration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tell us again who your favorite singers are, old and new.</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB: My idol, Karen Carpenter is number one. Others include Lea Michelle,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sharon McNight, Esperanza Spalding, Casey Abrams and Melody Gardot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lately, I’ve been really intrigued and enamored with Billie Eilish –</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">both as a person and performer.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do you wish to add anything?</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB: I decided this past year to really follow my passions, so I have been</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">taking piano lessons, which has added so much joy to my life. My goal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">was to accompany myself at a show, and I’m happy to report that I will</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">be doing that! I just want to immerse myself in the entertainment</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">world, from music to directing to cabaret to voice work and acting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">* <b>This concert has been cancelled due to COVID-19. When things get back to normal, the concert will be rescheduled.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>When I asked Tiffany Bailey what she is doing to stay active creatively, she had the following to communicate with us:</i></b></span><br />
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TB: Haven’t rescheduled yet. So hard to know when to do it. Probably looking at early next year, or end of this year. Just continuing to work on projects and stay musically moving & grooving. </div>
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We were so excited to be doing our show :<b> <i>The Tiffany Zone</i></b> in April at Feinstein’s. But, safety is what’s most important. We are looking forward to rescheduling. The Tiffany Zone, directed by Keri Kelsey, is going to be a blast to the 80’s and 90’s, quirky stories, heartfelt ballads, and lots of music you can celebrate with. We are even bringing back actual high school show choir friends from my high school (Erin Rivlin & Crystal Keith)! Both ladies are exceptional musicians. We will have some great moves too. My special guest will be jazz musician: Jeffrey Gimble. Featuring Emile Hassan Dyer as well. Musical Director: Jamieson Trotter!</div>
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Info about upcoming dates can be found at: <a href="http://www.tiffanybaileymusic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">www.tiffanybaileymusic.com</a></div>
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During this time, I’ve been staying sane by: Playing piano 2 hrs a day, taking a sight singing class with Jazz singer/teacher Sandra Booker, working on shows with Karen Celeste Kruz, and Francesca Amari Sajtar. Dancing every day & learning new moves. Having creative conversations with friends and family. Acting silly, taking risks (videos, live streams, writing), virtually making crafts with my niece. Finding resourceful ways to connect with people. Taking time to appreciate the space during this scary time. Funny how suddenly doing the dishes, has become more enjoyable. Especially to music. Grateful to all who are helping to burn this pandemic out. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit Tiffany bailey at:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.tiffanybaileymusic.com/press">https://www.tiffanybaileymusic.com/press</a></span></div>
Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-52974594846438271222020-03-16T14:27:00.000-07:002020-03-21T14:05:45.844-07:00Interview with Susan Priver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Actress Susan Priver is a Los Angeles native and former ballerina. The story of how she started in ballet and finally crossed over to acting is the subject of her new mmoir entitled Dancer Interrupted. In our conversation she gives us great detail about the devastating ups and downs of her life. Her passion will make you want to rush out and buy the book, which is a great read.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>The style of your book is so affecting. It was like reading your personal diary. Your thoughts and emotions jumped out and hit me. I understood.</i></b><br />
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SP: OMG, that's what I wanted to do. Let me tell you, it took 8 years. You are a writer by profession, whereas I am an actor.<br />
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<b><i>I am an actor too.</i></b><br />
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SP: You are an actor too, but you have been writing longer than I. Not all actors can write, but I think actors learn the most important thing is the dialogue, what the person is feeling. I did have diaries from this growing up stage and I remember a lot, not everything, but everything that's in there I remember very distinctly because of my emotional place. I had a tough, tough time with people that I loved.<br />
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<b><i>I felt so sorry for you spending time on the couch and you didn't want to leave it. Your father was hard on you, but he was so funny in his approach.</i></b><br />
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SP: Let me tell you, I hear kids now. How do you raise a kid? My dad was... "You get your ass off that couch". He was raised a certsain way and he was what he was, but...he didn't understand exactly what I was going through. He didn't have the empathy, but maybe the empathy would have been bad for me.<br />
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<b><i>He did understand what your mother was doing to you and how that relationship was hurtful to you.</i></b><br />
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SP: She had empathy. My mom enjoyed being a nurse.<br />
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<b><i>She wanted to keep you dependant on her.</i></b><br />
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SP: That's exactly right. She got some kind of enjoyment out of enabling me to sit there and just fall apart. I've never been a parent, and will never be a parent obviously, but it must be such a hard thing...to be a parent.<br />
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<b><i>Henry (Olak) ...is he your husband?</i></b><br />
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SP: No, we've been together for 17 years ...do you know Henry?<br />
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<b><i>No, just from reading about him in the book. I thought he was the best of your boyfriends, so kind and understanding. Gregory, the Russian, I wanted to take him and twist his neck.</i></b><br />
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SP: I think what I wanted to do with Gregory was contextualize in the way that I was still a bunhead. Dancers...I don't know if you know that world at all...I think the acting world is a little broader, because you are fencing, you're dancing, you're learning great playwrights, you're learning how to present yourself in a way that isn't just the veil of ballet, which is extremely difficult. The amount of commitment is more than what actors put in, and it keeps you from many other things. Learning that people take advantage of people. Perhaps my family didn't prepare me for that. My dad would have known, he was a lawyer. He was used to bad things happening in the world. But, maybe I didn't listen. I just was hopeful, hopeful that everything would be ok in those early years. Then when I was out in the world, when it was time to meet someone, maybe I wasn't ready for...I enjoyed being put down. I was a masochist.<br />
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<b><i>Oh yeah, I felt bad for you as I read. I kept thinking, "She's got to break out of this."</i></b><br />
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SP: And I did...eventually. I did work in a workshop for a while about the craft of writing. I got better as I went along. In terms of the book, people want to feel like they are not going to die. It's not like a Hollywood movie, but I did survive certain things, and a lot of people don't survive.<br />
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<b><i>One thing I did not quite understand. Why were you fired from the Cleveland Ballet ? They said "We have to let you go." What was the reason?</i></b><br />
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SP: I don't know.<br />
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<b><i>Was it a weight thing?</i></b><br />
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SP: No. I was the skinniest I had ever been. I don't know exactly what it was, whether it had to do with funding...and they didn't need my services anymore. I didn't stay in line with people very well. I was in the corps de ballet. It might have been that. I was not a soloist. Maybe they didn't need any corps dancers...maybe they needed a soloist but they needed someone better than me. I don't know, but ballet never had a lot of money in these regional companies. They get grants and they bring people up through the schools. City ballet and American Ballet Theatre in New York have money.<br />
Because it was never explained to me, that made it hard. It makes you question yourself. You just go get another job.<br />
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<b><i>I loved your audition for Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse in New York, where they told you to find a better song. You did "Happy Birthday"! (we both laugh)</i></b><br />
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SP: I saw people bringing out the sheet music. I didn't sing and I went to the audition kind of on a dare. Fosse liked tall ballet dancers, but ballet dancers who could sort of sing.<br />
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Fosse had an addiction problem. I try to bring that out in the book. I think creatives tend to have that.element in them, if they're any good. We're addicts. It's sad but true. A behavioral psychologist who is a professor at USC read my book and said he wants to give it to his addict students. There is a thing... How do you find a self without your addiction? For me it was finding a voice without.dance.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">I wrote down that the message of your book is learning to love yourself and taking your place in the world via the arts, first as a dancer and lastly, an actor.</i> <b><i>In the Forward, you tie them in so well, when you say that ballet is poetry in motion. "I couldn't live without it." Later you add, "how will I ever get poetry back in my life?"</i></b><br />
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SP: I had that in my journal. Ballet is a hard icky sticky world but it does have poetry. Then when I took a job as a secretary, I couldn't do anything. My dad thought I was kind of an idiot. My dad was really more of an atheist than Jewish, but in Jewish families, education is everything. Being a baller dancer is really not what they do. But I was weird and we had a little bit of a weird family.<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><b style="font-style: italic;">Why did you write the book? For many an autobiography is a catharsis, but I think it's more than that for you.</b> <b><i>Sum up the various lessons you have learned that have brought you to this current state of bliss.</i></b><br />
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SP: <i>For me it was to find my particular sensitivity to what had happened to me, in another craft. </i>I always use that sensitivity in the characters that I like to play, particularly in Tennessee Williams...and Pinter. It was a way of creating one full thing that was my own. It was mine. It came directly from my experience. I like to filter that sensitivity into roles that I am capable of playing. I did do Lorraine Sheldon in <i>The Man Who Came to Dinner,</i> which is completely broad and bombastic, but I learned how to use my strength and my kind of witchiness and brought that to it.<br />
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So having the experience of doing Blanche in <i>Streetcar</i> and writing this book that has pure emotions in it, pure thoughts in it...I had to shape everything and make it into a craft. I did have an editor, and it's crafted.<br />
<br />
I'm also a yoga teacher, and I love teaching.<i>You're giving back.</i> As actors we take people into another world. All people are attracted to storytelling. I'm attracted to storytelling through playwrights. Everybody has a story. It's putting it together and contextualizing why does this relate to this and that. I had to work out my life, that I really didn't have to be a doormat and be used by men like Gregory, a dark passionate Russian who was also an alcoholic. I also had to work out that not everybody hated me and wanted to hurt me as he did. And...<i>to gain confidence</i>, because when I stopped dancing, I had zero confidence, and that's why I attracted certain kinds of men in my life.<br />
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Dancers do exactly what they're told to do. It's manipulation and unless somebody gives them a backbone...and my parents were not really bad people. I just didn't listen to that. And as far as drug addiction is concerned, I had to say loud. "You did this to yourself. You are going to have to dig yourself out of it." You cannot isolate yourself. I isolated myself because I was afraid. You learn from your failures. I became a strong human being. I am a survivor, and I hope that the book will help people to realize that you don't have to join a cult or take anidepressants. You have to dig down and embrace your darkness, embrace the things that make us human that will allow you to rise above that.<br />
The dance world taught perfection, Hollywood taught having your face lifted to be beautiful...no, <i>it's what comes out of you: that's what you look like.</i><br />
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<i><b><span style="color: red;">There will be signings of Dance Interrupted</span></b></i><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">on April 13th at Book Soup, Hollywood with John Fleck---Q and A</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">and on April 27th at Vroman's, Pasadena with Lian Dolan---Q and A</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">These events are subject to change depending on the state of the Corona Virus.</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Check </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> </span><a href="http://www.susanpriver.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="cursor: pointer; font-size: 13.3333px;" target="_blank">www.susanpriver.com</a> for updates.</i></b></span><br />
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<br />Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-20902271114451550512020-03-14T10:12:00.004-07:002020-03-15T06:43:47.990-07:00Message on the Corona Virus and Theatre Closings<b><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ALL SUBMISSION DATES ON THIS BLOG FOR MARCH AND BEYOND ARE CURRENTLY SUBJECT TO CHANGE. DUE TO THE CORONA VIRUS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY THEATRE CANCELLATIONS AND POSTPONEMENTS FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. UPDATES WILL BE POSTED AS WE RECEIVE THEM.</span></b>Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-49883088602131565222020-03-13T15:13:00.000-07:002020-03-14T10:27:17.522-07:00Interview with Social Worker Daniela Rojas Garnica<h1 class="title" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 4px 10px; padding-bottom: 5px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>The following article explains the atrocity in Colombia in 2010, presents an original story beautifully written about the children and introduces social worker Daniela Rojas Garnica with whom I had a short inerview.</i></span></h1>
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<i style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.12px;"><strong>Description:</strong> Last Thursday, October 14, three siblings, Jenny, age 14, Jimmy, age 9, and Jeferson, age 6, were found tortured, strangled and beheaded in a ditch near their home in Caño Temblador, near Tame, Arauca. A delegation made up of their teachers, social leaders of Tame, a member of Arauca’s state legislature and representatives of the Permanent Committee for Human Rights visited the ditch and took testimony from witnesses in the area that links the Colombian military with what happened. Apparently, military men raped the girl and killed the boys who witnessed their sister’s rape. The Commander of the 18th Brigade complained to local radio programs that the accusations were false and made up by the "guerrillas." More than 6,000 people from the region showed up at their funeral on October 19 in a demonstration of solidarity with the family, condemning the crime and demanding a prompt and clear investigation, given the fact that the presumed responsibility falls on members of the Colombian Army. </i></h1>
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<i> THE GAME THAT HID MY FRIENDS</i><br />
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This story is made in memory of the case of violence presented in the municipality of Tame, Arauca in 2010.<br />
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FEBRUARY 2020.<br />
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Ten years ago, on the "Flor Amarillo" sidewalk in the municipality of Tame (Arauca), I remember that it was more or less in the middle of October 2010 that all the children on the sidewalk were meeting, playing, since we like to play hide and seek in the forest because it is very big.<br />
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We agreed to get together to play after lunch, they chose me to count from ten to ten to a thousand, and then go out to look for my friends who had surely hidden among the trees, - well you know what it is about the game! well the case is that we were: Pedrito, Juanchito, Miguelito, Carlitos, Osquítar, Francy and me; first caught Miguelito unprepared ... - "1, 2.3 por Miguelito", then I surprised the Osquítar, hidden there on top of an orange tree. - "1, 2.3 for Osquítar", after neglecting my "base" I am surprised by Pedrito: - 1, 2.3 for me and "safe country" which implies saving the rest of the players, that is, Juanchito , Carlitos and Francy.<br />
<br />
- Francy, Juanchito, Carlitos? , already "saved homeland" for you.<br />
<br />
Ten minutes and nothing, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five and nothing.<br />
<br />
- We are all going to look for them, could it be that they hid far away?<br />
<br />
- Sure !, and maybe that's why Pedrito doesn't listen to us.<br />
<br />
We decided to distribute ourselves to look for them and this is where the mystery begins, Pedrito went to the houses to see if they were close, Miguelito walked in the direction of some banana crops, where it was said that the spirit of evil lived. Osquítar and I instead walked around the area where we were playing in the hope of reaching the "base".<br />
<br />
Around the houses nobody had seen them, the only thing they knew was that their father was working on the neighboring sidewalk and that they were not authorized to leave the sidewalk, therefore they would not be with him. Miguelito, on the other hand, moved to the banana crops with the fear of meeting the evil spirit, but what he was finding was nothing more than clothing from his friends, first he found a shoe by Francy, possibly the right, then he found the scarf he was wearing as part of his hairstyle, he also found a flip flop for his older brother, a shirt for his younger brother and something a little more strange, he found whole locks of long hair, some say that the spirit leaves remains of hair so that they know that it was he who took them and disappeared them.<br />
<br />
For our part, Osquítar and I, we were waiting a lot around our game, going round and round, waiting and waiting but nothing. Then we hoped to see them at school the next day, they did not go, we also expected them to visit us at home to do the homework all together as always, on Wednesdays and Fridays, but neither. In short, we have never seen them return.<br />
<br />
Ten years have passed, since the spirit disappeared, however we still meet his father on special dates to eat and play, he is very happy to see us. He says seeing us reminds him of the innocence and purity of children and of course we reflect his children. Although it is hard to accept that they are no longer physically with us, I know that they are still here, because I feel them close. Sometimes dreaming of them, they are always dressed in white and in reality they look very calm, I see them very happy playing "the wheel wheel" and then ... they reach out their hands and invite me to play with them and as I walk towards them , they tell me:<br />
<br />
-You are not to blame, friend, that this is so ugly, however, peace must be achieved, we must fight for our dreams, do not worry about us, here we are very well, we are happy and we are calm.<br />
<br />
-All right, Francy, Juancho and Carlitos, your words give me courage and strength to not stop dreaming and chasing my dreams, do not forget that we also continue from here and will continue to remember them every day and carry them with us in our thoughts and dreams. And especially remembering for you.<br />
<br />
- I know, friend, I know ... Let's play until you wake up.<br />
<br />
I invite you, and all the children, not to lose hope of finding paths that lead us to peace, to persist in the fight not to be forgotten.<br />
<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">What ending would you put to the story? (</i>children may write snd draw in a space below)<br />
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<br />
SUBJECT: Interview on the psychosocial area CORPORACIÓN CLARETIANA <br />
NORMÁN PEREZ BELLO.<br />
Wishing success in your daily work through this I will give an account of the<br />
psychosocial support process that we provide at the CORPORATION<br />
CLARETIANA NORMÁN PEREZ BELLO to victims of state crimes in the framework<br />
of the Colombian armed conflict, in relation to the questions sent by mail<br />
<br />
CORPORATE CONTEXT <br />
With the paramilitary presence throughout the country, a massive forced displacement began without<br />
precedents that led the Intercongregational Commission for Justice and Peace of the CRC to direct<br />
its actions in defense of the rights of communities in various regions of the country. The<br />
Claretians were part of the Intercongregational Justice and Peace and we carried out missions<br />
especially in Medellín del Ariari, Meta; also in communities of Chocó and<br />
Santanderes.<br />
<br />
For the year 1996, at the initiative of students in the training stage and trainers,<br />
we decided to form the Human Rights Committee "Norman Pérez Bello" in memory<br />
of this young man who worked with the Claretian Missionaries and was assassinated by the forces of the State in Bogotá (1992). Since then, we have welcomed leaders and defenders and<br />
human rights defenders, formalizing us as a Corporation in 2003 as<br />
non-governmental organization defending human rights and accompaniment to<br />
victims of state crimes in the framework of the Colombian armed conflict.<br />
<br />
<br />
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT <br />
The Corporation provides comprehensive and therapeutic psychosocial care, whose target population<br />
It is made up of human rights defenders and victims of State crimes in the framework of the armed conflict that remain in Bogotá, who present psychosocial affectations as a result of the victimizing acts, and they well request Attention or are sent by social organizations with which we work in partnership. Psychosocial support and care is carried out from the systemic and<br />
social constructionism, implementing the model of resilience and mutual aid in<br />
individual, family, group and community intervention, from careful listening and<br />
art therapy, which allows through music, painting, meditation, dance between<br />
other techniques that allow identifying needs, potentialities and aspects to be transformed<br />
for the reconstruction of life projects.<br />
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In the framework of psychosocial care, the following programs of Attention:<br />
<br />
1. Welcoming the lives of those who defend human rights: a shelter for Human rights defenders who are in a situation of risk, providing support through the temporary shelter modality, being<br />
initially the reception for one month, with an extension of up to three months, in that period of time humanitarian aid is provided, legal advice, psychosocial support, food, clothing, therapeutic care and training through the School - Workshop.<br />
<br />
2. Workshop School: Mending our history, weaving hope: Training space in human rights for boys, girls, youth, women and men who have been victims of State crimes in the framework of the armed conflict, being a space for recognition and enforceability of rights.<br />
<br />
3. MUTRAME: Focus group of women who have been victims of the loss of their brothers or sentimental partners in the framework of the armed conflict, working from art therapy<br />
the elaboration of the duel and from the memory component the reconstruction of their life projects and emotional as well as spiritual healing.<br />
<br />
4. Social Movement of Boys, Girls and Youth for PEACE: It was born from the perspective that children and young people manage to imagine new paths for the notion of the component political, social and cultural of the country from childhood, in order to promote knowledge and practices from their experiences that allow influencing as political subjects in all spaces in those that develop.<br />
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<br />
INTERVIEW with social worker Daniela Rojas Garnica, coordinator of attention and psychosocial accompaniment, Norman Perez Bello, Claretian Corporation<br />
<br />
<b><i>How sad! How awful! These horrible crimes have never been solved and the</i></b><br />
<b><i>military arrested. Has something been done?</i></b><br />
<br />
Faced with the case of Tame Arauca on the murder and rape of a 14-year-old girl and<br />
murder of her two brothers, aged 9 and 6, in 2010, a situation that is reflected<br />
through children's literature, it was not an unpunished case in Colombia, since the military<br />
committed this act was convicted of the crimes of aggravated violent carnal access and<br />
aggravated homicide. However, the father of the children at the present time presents<br />
permanent persecution and threats for reporting the fact.<br />
<br />
<b><i>The little tale is so beautiful in its simplicity of searching for the children and not</i></b><br />
<b><i>finding them. But their spirits live and peace is requested. Who wrote this story?</i></b><br />
<br />
The story is written by Karen Rubiano of the Republican University Corporation,<br />
who accompanies from her internship at the NORMAN CLARETIAN CORPORATION<br />
PEREZ BELLO to the SOCIAL MOVEMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH FOR THE<br />
PEACE, setting where the story is built: "The game that hid my friends."<br />
<br />
<b><i>What do you hope to achieve by getting people to read this? Do you think that the United States</i></b><br />
<b><i>will intervene and help defame the military responsible for these crimes</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><br />
<br />
From the construction of children's literature, it is sought with children and young people to make<br />
a critical analysis of the reality of the country, being aware of the need for<br />
social transformation in our territories and conceive ourselves as subjects of rights and<br />
hope. I think organizations like USAID and the UN are betting on the fight to defend<br />
human rights; however, it is necessary to have a complete analysis of the<br />
problems to be able to intervene effectively.<br />
<br />
<b><i>I hope that justice is done/. What else</i></b><br />
<b><i>can we do to help?</i></b><br />
<br />
We appreciate your solidarity and availability of help, we consider that a way<br />
It is wonderful to support us is to give an account of our process and work at the international level.<br />
<br />
I remain attentive,<br />
DANIELA ROJAS GARNICA<br />
SOCIAL WORKER<br />
COORDINATOR OF ATTENTION AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ACCOMPANIMENT<br />
NORMAN PEREZ BELLO CLARETIAN CORPORATION<br />
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Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-55261877642521919532020-03-10T14:48:00.002-07:002020-03-17T03:09:29.211-07:002020 Intrview with Director Thomas James O'Leary<i><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "arial"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "arial"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "arial";">Director Thomas James O'Leary is delighted to be back at Actors Co-op after receiving the 2018 Ovation Award for Direction of a Play for </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "arial";">33 Variations</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "arial";">. </span></span></span> </b></i><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b><i><b></b></i>
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<b style="font-family: arial, arial; font-size: 10pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "arial"; font-size: small;">As an actor, Thomas is best known for his three-year run as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway (over 1,000 performances) and Mason Marzac in Celebration Theatre’s Take Me Out. Thomas is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "arial"; font-size: small;"> </span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "arial"; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "arial"; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "arial"; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "times new roman" , "arial"; font-size: small;"><i>He is currently preparing to open Marvin's Room at Actors Co-op on March 20. In our conversation he talks about the play in depth.</i></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<b><i>Marvin's Room is a beautiful play because of playwright McPherson's (Scott) witty dialogue and outstanding characterizations. Bessie is nothing short of a minor miracle in the play. She brings such light and hope to everyone. How do you feel as the director about Bessie's fierce determination to keep everything on a positive note?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
T O'L: Bessie is the heart of this piece. At times she can seem almost saintly, but I love that Scott McPherson has written her in a very human way. We are left to wonder how much she chose to be in the situation she has been in for 20 years as primary caregiver to her father and aunt. Scott is so good at portraying real people in challenging situations, while keeping a quirky comic tone dancing throughout. She does have an uncanny ability to see the glass as half full, but she also struggles with her burden and fears as anyone might. The primary story is about how we can keep on keeping on, with as much positivity as possible, through trying circumstances.<br />
<br />
<b><i>What challenges do you have in directing the piece? Is the disparity between Bessie and Lee the only conflict to deal with?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
T O'L: We have focused a lot on honoring Scott’s unique comic voice, which is a bit counterintuitive at times to the subject matter, but I believe that the comic tone is what makes the play work. There are also a lot of moving parts in this production – and every designer brought her and his A game to make it all happen. And yes, Bessie and Lee, the two long-estranged sisters at the center of this piece, have the most conflict, but Lee has her own struggles with both of her sons, and Bessie is sometimes challenged by Aunt Ruth and Marvin, and even her doctor!<br />
<br />
<b><i>Love is at the center of the play and McPherson allows for such wonderful imaginative power within the audience. What do you see the message(s) of the play to be?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<br />
<div>
T O'L: Love is definitely at the center of the play, though as in real life, it doesn’t always come easy to these characters. The big concerns of living and dying and caring are deep themes throughout. While Bessie’s love is unable to stop her illness, it does impact everyone in the family, including her. Simple acts of caring transcend the darker fate that awaits her. It’s heartening to see how each character transforms.<br />
<br />
<b><i>My favorite character apart from Bessie is daffy Aunt Ruth. She is superb comic relief and so lovable. Talk about the comedy in the play that deals with such serious life and death matters.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>T O'L: When I first saw the play at the Minetta Lane Theatre in NYC in 1992, I was so moved by it, in part because I was living what I saw on that stage, as I was the primary caregiver for my partner who was very ill at that time. I totally related to Bessie’s journey. And I laughed throughout the whole play. And I think Scott’s writing is brilliant – he’s so skilled at comedic but genuine dialogue – tickling our funny bone in one breath and then touching our heart in the next. I marveled at how he did it! Scott achieves something so unique here – there’s a little John Guare and a little Christopher Durang in his writing – but Scott keeps it all grounded in a nuanced reality with beautifully touching moments throughout. So we laugh through the pain. It’s not really a black comedy like Joe Orton. I call it a funny-sad play, but more funny than you’d expect. It’s such a tragedy that we lost Scott McPherson at the age of 33, just six months after he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play for <i><b>Marvin’s Room</b></i>. Just think of how many other gems he would have written by now!<br />
<br />
<b><i>Tell our readers about your cast.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>T O'L: I am blessed with an extraordinary cast – and all are actors who were new to me. The Actor’s Co-op is rich with talent! Francesca Casale is simply sublime as Bessie. Tara Battani Bowles is pitch perfect as Lee, the vulgar white-trash sister and mother of the two boys. Kane Filbeck has a natural sensitivity beneath Hank’s hard-to-pierce armor. I went a little younger in casting Marek Meyers as Hank’s younger brother Charlie because he is so unaffected, and he and Kane are so convincing as brothers. Brian Habicht is hysterical as Dr. Wally in scenes that are written as sketch comedy, but he also keeps it grounded in enough reality to allow dramatic moments to hit us at unexpected times. And Crystal Yvonne Jackson is so real and funny as Aunt Ruth. Justin Bowles and Kimi Walker bring much needed versatility to dual roles. I couldn’t ask for a better cast!<br />
<br />
<b><i>How would you relate this play to others you have directed? With a small cast, the ambiance is intimate and relatable. Where else gives the piece its power?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
T O'L: Well, I just love this play! It’s the most I’ve been in love with something I’ve directed since 33 Variations, and yet the two plays could not be more different. I think my love affair with this one is because of Scott’s comic writing and because of my connection to the play when I first saw it. We are definitely leaning more toward what I saw in the original production than the more serious direction of the movie. And from what I’ve read, we’re taking it back to its origins more than the Broadway revival of 2012, which was hindered by being spread out on a large stage. The 99-seat Schall Theatre is perfect for this intimate play, and I adore all of the design elements of our production – we’re going for a hyper-realism, with a lot of detail work in Bessie’s home (I just hope no one tries to plug their phone charger into one of the outlets). One of my central images is the bouncing light in Marvin’s room, and that has inspired the lighting and sound design, plus original music by Dylan Price.<br />
<br />
<b><i>This is another perfect play for Actors Co-op. Tell our readers if you agree and why.</i></b></div>
<div>
<br />
T O'L: The Co-op’s acting company is brimming with great talent, so it’s a great fit for them. Plus the story does have a spiritual bent to it – though I see almost any play as spiritual. Scott even satirizes spiritual beliefs in one of Aunt Ruth’s monologues. But the real spirituality in the play is in the theme of discovering the joy of being able to love in an unconditional way, and in seeing everyone being transfigured by Bessie’s love. You can’t get more spiritual than that.</div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Add anything that you wish like other projects you have been involved in since directing The Christians.</i></b><br />
<br />
T O'L: I directed concert version of one of my favorite musicals, <i>Sunday in the Park with George</i>, for Musical Theatre Guild last spring, simultaneously with The Christians. And this past fall, I directed <i>Aida</i> at AMDA College of the Performing Arts where I also teach. Ironically, though my Broadway credits were all musicals and I direct only musicals at AMDA, I’ve directed only non-musicals at Actors Co-op. I’m not complaining – I really do love both! I’d rather not get locked into one thing anyways.<br />
<br />
<b><i><strike><span style="color: red;">MARVIN'S ROOM plays March 20 - May 3<br /> Fridays/Saturdays 8 pm<br /> Sunday Matinees 2:30 pm<br /> Saturday Matinees 3/28 & 4/4 at 2:30 pm<br /> *No Shows Easter Weekend April 10-12 </span></strike><br />Dates TBD</i></b><br />
<b><i>at Actors Co-op David Schall Theatre<br /> 1760 N. Gower Street<br /> Hollywood, CA 90028</i></b><b><i><br /></i></b>
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Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-70527051903661136982020-03-09T14:46:00.000-07:002020-03-16T18:43:35.335-07:00Interview with Luke Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actor/singer Luke Monday is performing as standby for Elder Price </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in The Book of Mormon at the Ahmanson. He is also preparing to </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">perform </span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his </span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">concert/cabaret at Rockwell Table and Stage on Monday</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">March 16 entitled Callback Queen. In our interview Monday talks </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">about both shows and how he really likes performing in Los Angeles.</span></i></b></div>
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<tr><td><i><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I understand you are standby for Elder Price in The Book of Mormon. </span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have you gotten the chance to go on? What other role(s) do you cover?</span></b></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b>LM: I have! I went on for Price on last Tuesday March 3rd, and I’ll be on again</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">March 17. I only cover Elder Price in the show. When it’s a role as demanding</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">as this, often times companies will hire a standby just to cover that part. I’m </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the only Price standby in this company.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b><i><b>This is without a doubt the funniest musical comedy, especially for gay</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>people. Are audiences still jumping out of their seats?</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b>LM: They really are! I wasn’t sure what to expect since the show has played </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">here a few times, but we’ve been selling really well and the crowds have been</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fantastic. I went on on a Tuesday night, and it honestly felt like a Friday night </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">crowd. Totally electric. I love it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b><i><b>What do you think is the message of the play, and why is that vitally </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>important </b></i></span><i><b>in today's mixed up world?</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b>LM: My takeaway from the show is that it’s ok to follow your own path, even</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">if it’s not what you expected. Particularly in Elder Price’s case, he’s had this </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">very specific idea of how everything in his life (and afterlife) will play out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Obviously once he gets paired with Cunningham and sent to Uganda, that all </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">gets derailed. But by the end of the show he learns to manage the change, and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in that finds a new strength. I think that’s something anyone watching can learn </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">from. Life always throws curve balls, but it’s all about how you handle the struggles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and find a way to move forward!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b><i><b>Is this the favorite role you have played? Why? If not, what is your choice </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>and why?</b></i></span><br />
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<tr><td><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">LM: It’s definitely up there! Maybe top 3? I love the music in this show. I remember</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">watching the Tonys that year, hearing “I Believe” for the very first time and thinking,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I can do that!” Almost 9 years and 3 auditions later and here I am! My other favorites</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">would have to be Gabe in <i>Next to Normal </i>and George in <i>She Loves Me.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b><i><b>What part did you perform in Mamma Mia? Was that enjoyable for you?</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b>LM: <i>Mamma Mia</i> was a blast! One of the best experiences I’ve ever had. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was my first time touring, and and those people became my family. I was</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in the ensemble and I covered Sky, the fiancée. I loved <i>Mamma Mia</i> because</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">no matter what negativity was going on in the world at the time, we could take</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the audience away for 2 hours and escape all of that to just have fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b><i><b>Your cabaret show Callback Queen premiered last summer in San Diego. </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>You tell anecdotes about your career thus far and sing Broadway show </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>tunes. Can you give us a little sneak peek without creating a spoiler alert?</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b>LM: That’s right! So, the show sort of opens with my very first rejection, not </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">getting the part I wanted in my 4th grade school play, and then we continue</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">all the way to the present. I noticed a trend with concerts and cabarets that a</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lot of them are just greatest hits of roles people played or originated i.e. their</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">success stories. And while that is perfectly great, I thought it would be interesting</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to flip that idea on its head and share stories of rejection. Every actor has them! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Without giving away too much, there are going to be appearances from my talented</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">friends from <i>The Book of Mormon</i>, awesome medleys and mashups, a costume </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">reveal, glow sticks, and a choose-your-own finale. It should be a blast!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>Do you have a favorite musical? Composer? Performer?</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Why these choices?</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />LM: I think it’s a tie between <i>West Side Story </i>and <i>Ragtime</i> for favorite musical. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two of the most glorious scores ever written, and sadly still so relevant now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don’t think I’ve got a favorite composer. I appreciate so many of them for </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">different reasons! I have a few favorite performers. I’m a huge Gavin Creel </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fan. His voice was and is one of the best in the business. I want to play </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">everything he’s ever played. I guess I’m on my way, seeing that he was an</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elder Price! Another fav is Laura Osnes. She’s a true triple threat and just </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">has a positive presence that I think is so important in a cut throat industry </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">like this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>Have you thought about auditioning for the King in Hamilton or did you? </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>It's a funny, funny role.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b>LM: I mean obviously I’d love to play that part! I think it’s pretty spectacular </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that a character can be onstage for such a short time and yet be so memorable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s one I definitely will go in for at some point. Thankfully <i>Hamilton </i>will be</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">around for MANY years, so there’s time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>Tell our readers anything that I did not mention, like the comaraderie </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>with your Mormon cast or how LA audiences are different from those</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>in other cities across the country.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b>LM: I love my cast. This is the longest I’ve been with any company and I can </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">honestly say I love each of them. We lift each other up, and I know they’ll be</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">there on the 16th cheering me on. I think the audiences in LA are used to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">seeing great theater, so they are really smart! They pic up on the details and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the nuances that often go unnoticed in other cities. Being here is a reminder </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of how truly funny and well written this show is. It feels new again in a way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can’t wait to go on again on the 17th and experience that rush again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><strike>Catch Luke Monday on March 16 at Rockwell Table & Stage at</strike></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><strike>1714 N. Vertmont Ave. in Hollywood. Call 323-669-1550 for table </strike></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><strike>reservations. And remember you can see him perform Elder Price </strike></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><strike>in The Book of Mormon downtown at the Ahmanson Tuesday March 17.</strike></i></b></span></td></tr>
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Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2343382265953742693.post-74678495854670118132020-02-29T12:58:00.001-08:002020-03-27T15:49:58.691-07:002020 Interview with Robert Bannon<i><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have updated news of this appearance at the bottom of the article. Feinstein's is closed until further notice because of the Corona Virus.*</span></b></i><br />
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<b><i>Actor/singer Robert Bannon has worked on Broadway and on TV's SNL. He was to present his cabaret show Unfinished Business at Feinstein's at Vitello's April 14. In our conversation he tells us about his background and how his love of the American Songbook came to be.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Tell our readers why you are recording an album in salute to the American Songbook. You graduated from Julliard Prep. What did you learn from the composers of these songs? Who are your favorites?</i></b><br />
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RB: Growing up in a good little Italian-Irish family in NJ, the music of Sinatra, Sammy, Dean, Johnny was reverent. The instrumentation, storytelling, and classic nature of these songs just spoke to me. I have always been a fan of the “story” and the build of a song. I love singing all music and listening to everything from hip hop to country (and sometimes that sneaks in the show) but all in all nothing beats the classics. They can be done and reimagined but the bones of them remain and will forever.<br />
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I did go to Julliard Prep, I was in the first music theatre class under Bertin Rowser and Diane Wilson. I am so grateful to them for seeing something in me, as a child, I didn’t see in myself. I learned that acting and musical theater are truly art forms. There is a difference between fame/celebrity and the art and the work it takes to serve it. That goes back to the classic element of the show. It is my story, but I serve the music and I hope that translates.<br />
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As far as composers, I learned it’s all in the melodies. Can you listen to a song and remember it? That is the magic of a good song. Also the saying that you don’t remember what you did or what you said but you will always remember how you FEEL! Does the music make you feel something? The universal themes of them all!<br />
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I have a bunch of favorites. I love Johnny Mercer. His vibe and style is just timeless. The poetry of his lyrics is second to none. Also I love Anthony Newley. He is often not thought of but I love the DRAMA of his music!! His arrangements and songs are full of it. It makes a moment in my shows and hopefully emotes something we all can relate to!<br />
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<b><i>You title your concert show Unfinished Business. You are so young. Usually artists use this term at the end of their careers. What is your intent?</i></b><br />
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RB: Thanks for this question and saying I’m young!<br />
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There is a story to the title. When I was in high school and at Juilliard, I ended up getting sick for 4 years. I had undiagnosed Lyme disease which turned into meningitis before Justin Bieber made it a newsworthy thing. . I literally never had a chance to go to high school as a “normal” student. When I recovered I only knew one thing - singing. I started putting myself out there. I got called in to replace Roger in <i>Rent </i>on Broadway. I walked in, botched the audition and freaked out. I changed my major to Political Science and became a history teacher done with performing. After two Masters Degrees in Education, I felt something was missing. I would literally tear up at a curtain call or a concert.<br />
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So after 10 years of not performing, fate intervened. I met up with amazing performers and writers Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews. They just did their show <i>Witness Uganda </i>at the Wallis in Beverly Hills. They helped me literally dust off the rust and get back out there. They told me I had something to say. The first day I sang again I said I had some <i><b>Unfinished Business</b></i> to do and it stuck. I called my show that in NY at 54 Below. It is the journey and the lesson that we all have something unfinished to do. Take a step and the path with FOLLOW and do it!<br />
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<b><i>Do you tell anecdotes in your show or just sing? As a principal in SNL, you must love comedy. Any comedic stories or skits we may look forward to?</i></b><br />
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RB: I think I talk as much as I sing! I have stories for days and have had such an interesting life thankfully! I love to talk about my journey, family, love, and some of the things that I’ve experienced. I love comedy! I grew up obsessed with SNL so being there is beyond anything I could ever imagine. I’m so grateful to just be in the halls of that American Institution!<br />
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I do have some fun stories. I talk about my childhood obsession with all things Manilow, being stuck on an elevator with singing legend Phoebe Snow, my personal life which is a show in of itself, etc! There are a lot of laughs. I am all Jersey all day so that totally comes across in the show.<br />
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<b><i>Talk more in depth about SNL. What has this added to your career as a performer? Has improv strengthened your delivery and stamina onstage?</i></b><br />
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RB: I was first asked to be on SNL in a sketch about the TSA. In the sketch they let me through security with a sketchy bag and book bag while others were not allowed to come through as they had a travel ban. I had to shave my head for the part and I asked the Casting Director, if I shave my head, can I be on a live show? Please! It actually worked. Ask and you shall receive.<br />
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Since then I have had big roles, small roles and everything in between. Check out Electric Shoes with Keenan Thompson and see my bass playing wig debut. Seeing the way that show works and how talented they all are is inspiring. I’ve seen some of the best in the biz work up close to make that show fly. It’s always an honor. When I was first on, a friend from elementary school wrote me and said “You used to stay up and watch this show every Saturday and now you are on that stage!” It is a pretty surreal moment!<br />
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Improv is simply the best! It is scary which makes the pay off so much better. I am a graduate of Willian Esper for acting under the amazing Barbara Marchant. That program is Meisner acting technique which is mostly improv. That skill is something that makes you so present in your work as an actor and has certainly helped my stage show and listening to the audience moment to moment. It keeps you on your toes and ready for anything! Who knows what will come out of my mouth!?<br />
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<b><i>What is your favorite Broadway show? It does not have to be one that you have done. Why this choice?</i></b><br />
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RB: That’s a tough question. I love <i>Rent.</i> I loved finally being able to be in <i>Rent</i> after my awful audition as a kid and being Roger. That show resonates with me so deeply about love and living each day to the fullest.<br />
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I would love more original musicals to be made on Broadway! <i>Witness Uganda</i> is BRILLIANT! That score is something that has stuck with me. It was genius at the Wallis in Beverly Hills. Matt Gould who co-wrote that show has a new show coming to La Jolla called <i>Lempicka!</i> Go SEE IT! I am hoping after California it takes over NYC!<br />
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<b><i>Any particular role that you are yearning to play onstage? Why this choice?</i></b><br />
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RB: I would love to play Bobby in <i>Company</i>. I just relate so much to his character and the score is brilliant. I also love comedy and have been singing “My Girlfriend Who Lives In Canada” for years. So I would love to be fitted with a puppet to have some fun in <i>Avenue Q!</i> I am always down for some campy puppet moments.<br />
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<b><i>Did you grow up with music in your family? What inspired you to be an actor and singer?</i></b><br />
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RB: My parents loved music. My dad loved placing big headphones on me and letting me rock out to Earth Wind and Fire. My mom loved Carly Simon. We would listen to her when she made us breakfast every weekend but don’t ask them to sing! Ha! They are not singers. My parents are kinda shy and I am literally shot out of a canon 24-7. I think I always wanted to make people smile and entertain. I would take the sheets from my bed, make curtains, and put on shows for my family since I could remember.<br />
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I tell a story about trying sports and being dreadful (soccer goalie is not on my special skills on my resume) and finally being like nope I quit! Take me to singing lessons instead. Sixth grade hit, I was the Prince in <i>Cinderella</i> at my school, I was hooked. I wanted to sing and act anywhere and everywhere.<br />
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My parents were hip and loved music. I was the old soul. I got a karaoke machine for Christmas with the Hits of Manilow and I was sold. Hook line and sinker. I would listen and study him nonstop.<br />
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<b><i>What was it like performing with giants like Patti LaBelle and Whoopi Goldberg? What did you learn from being in their presence?</i></b><br />
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RB: Wow! I had the pleasure at 12 years old to perform with Ms. LaBelle at a tribute concert for Laura Nyro (songwriter) at the Beacon Theatre. I have loved her since. She was so kind, humble, and a FORCE on stage. She brings 110% everytime and is so authentically herself. Her kindness and authenticity are what makes people love her. I have had the pleasure to see her numerous times after and sing with her again, she is as amazing now as ever! OBSESSED!<br />
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Whoopi is such a wonderful performer, kind, and generous. She was such a wonderful person to be around. I think I learned that being kind matters. Being a good listener and remember that you matter and your art matters but you can’t do it without the people who support it.<br />
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<b><i>Do you have a goal in LA? Are you looking toward more work in TV and roles in film? Will stage always remain a vital part of your performing life?</i></b><br />
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RB: It is so humbling to be booked at Feinstein’s in Studio City. No one is more surprised and honored than me. Three years ago, I had hung it all up and had not done a thing so I’m thrilled people are inspired and supportive. I am focusing on my new album which is on the way based on the one man show and journey. My first love will always be me, a stool, mic, and a piano player. It’s taken me decades to be comfortable sharing my story, and that will always be the one I want to tell first and foremost. I am just happy to meet some new friends in LA and spread my message and music! Therefore stage and the live show will always be the first love. We are always adding more dates so I’m so grateful for that. They are all on <a href="http://robertbannon.com/">RobertBannon.com</a>.<br />
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I love TV and film! I would love to do more straight up acting. That is such a fulfilling way to make a living to be the vessel for the text and project either comedy or drama-that is a blast. I would love to be open to whatever life has to surprise me. One thing I learned is it’s gonna surprise me so let’s see where it goes!<br />
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<b><i>Add anything you wish here that we did not already mention.</i></b><br />
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RB: Thank you so much for your time and platform! Come see me at the show and say hi! I am so excited to share this show with LA! Joining me is Michael Orland as Music Director! Michael was the MD on American Idol for 15 seasons. He’s worked with everyone and is as talented as he is kind. You don’t want to miss what surprises we both have in store. Also, LA has some of the best singers in the world and I happen to know them so expect a bunch of surprises and a lot of fun!<br />
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<b><i><strike>Unfinished Business plays at Feinstein's at Vitello's at 4349 Tujunga Ave in Studio City on April 14 at 8 pm. Doors open for dinner at 6: 30 pm Call 818-769-0905 for reservations.</strike></i></b><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">* <b><i>I asked Robert Bannon what he is doing creatively during this time. Are you working on the CD of the American Songbook? When your appearance is rescheduled, maybe it may be a CD release party?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RB: I am working on the album! It will be of the Great American Songbook. It is produced by Bob Magnuson and features arrangements by Tedd Firth and Rich DeRosa of songs you know with my own twist. Thanks to technology we will hopefully do it all digitally and get it ready to be out as soon as possible. I am trying to be as creative as possible with this time out. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The new goal is once we have a new date for Feinstein’s in LA this summer it will be an album release with a whole new show! So I am definitely looking forward to what comes in the future. For now, just sending light and love to everyone to stay safe! </span></div>
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Don Grigwarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891105796912621378noreply@blogger.com0