Women On Stage

CS4 and Snow Leopard

2012-01-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

I know this is a weird post for my blog, but this is for everyone out there troubleshooting their problems.

I was plagued by CS4's consistent crashing on my MacBook Pro, intel core. I had crash problems with the following actions: moving layers up or down by dragging; selection on a layer; trying to enter text. These were the solutions I attempted while searching the net:
1. bootup in 64 bit (holding down '6' and '4' keys while booting) - didn't work
2. booting up in safe mode (holding down shift key while booting), then reboot. Didn't work. I could use CS4 in safe mode, but who wants to switch back and forth all day?
3. Turn off file sharing. Delete anything listed in the Shared Folders section. Turn File Sharing back on. Log out, then Log back in - didn't work
4. In Photoshop, select Preferences->Performance, deselect 'Enable Open GL Drawing'. That did the trick.

I can now do all the above actions in 32 bit mode.

New Seeds Festival 2012

2011-08-18T05:41:00.001-07:00

Applications are online for the second annual New Seeds Festival!

New Seeds Festival

2011-03-07T20:03:00.001-08:00

Well, I have to say, I knew it was going to be a juggernaut to produce a festival, and I am definitely in the hurricane. My days off are 12 hour days between advertising, marketing, logistics, etc. We had a great show Saturday morning on Soul Talk. Thanks to Jeremy, Justin and Vickey Lynn for a wonderful time. This morning it was Sheila Kirsten-Hughes and the TSP on Studio 10. What an amazing performance there! Next week, it will be onto Grassroots Groove, and another segment on Studio 10 and setting up the live remote for v109fm. We've had amazing responses from both sponsors and table rentals. Can't thank all the people who have come out in support of the festival--it is really touching to me all the support I have had from all--Jeremy, Justin, Karen, Mandy, James and Dawn--don't kill me if I'm forgetting your name, I will realize it as soon as I post, but thanks to everyone--this bodes so well for our first and finest women's festival!

New Play New Way Pt 2

2011-02-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to say, I finished another draft and I seriously need feedback before I do another. Very dark matter, so I'm wondering if the appeal will be to the most depressed segment of the population. Looking at the bright side, maybe there's a lot of depressed people out there...

Screenplay Analysis

2011-01-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well...got an analysis back from Bluecat. Gotta say, I really liked the analyses. On a scale of 1-10, both judges gave me an 8 for dialogue--yeay! Now if I could only get an 8 on theme, subplot... :-) Although I disagreed with some of the critiques, overall I felt the criticisms were valid points that I need to work on. Thank you, Bluecat!

New Seeds Festival 2011

2011-01-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

We have an amazing lineup!

Sheila Kirsten Hughes and the TSP Orchestra
Tampa Bay Ballet
Artist Block
Leslie and Company
Front Street Dance
Robin Savage
Blue Scarf Collective
Rebecca Levy Dance
Sign of Da Times

Tickets: $25 advance/$30 door
Web: www.smarttix.com
Ticket Phone: 877.238.5596 ext 1, 212 868 4444
Fest web: www.newseedsfest.org

Come see smart, socially relevant theatre, dance, comedy, and spoken word!

New Play New Way

2011-01-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I have just completed my first draft of my most current play, and I have to say, it was quite an experience. I felt like I was jumping off a bridge. Twenty hours in two days. (After six months of development). I developed it with a different technique, basically you could call it an 'organic' technique. As I wrote the draft, one of the great things was that I knew the characters were moving seamlessly from one moment to the next, so I was extremely happy about that. I do feel, however, that you need to have some form to a script--otherwise you will have no rising action and the audience will not be on the edge of their seats. But I also felt that some subjects you treat will not lend themselves to a clean 'crisis-resolve' ending. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm not interested in writing something that goes nowhere unless that is a theme in the play. After all, none of us really knows if we're going anywhere, it's just what we choose to think. Thoughts?

Arts Funding in Florida

2010-11-24T13:52:00.000-08:00

If you're an artist in Florida, it's time to get active:

Cinematic vs. Stageplay Thinking - Technology

2010-11-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

I titled this post because I think these two issues overlap. Cinematic storytelling relies more on technology whereas dramatic storytelling does not.

I am furiously looking for an article I read within the last week about how theatre lags technically. I agree with that. I can't believe how reluctant people are to use technology. Often the protest is that it will take away from the performance. I can see that (and agree) if it's over used. But let's take something simple, like sound. Sound's ability to immediately put an audience in a time and space is incredibly effective. Why wouldn't you want to do that, especially with the impatience of today's audiences?

Cinematic vs Stageplay Thinking

2010-11-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

In this day and age of technical advancement and shortened attention spans, it seems to me that theatre will naturally move toward more cinematic story telling. Your thoughts?

Artists Speak to Your Representatives!

2010-07-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hill Staffers talking about the importance of artists making their representatives aware of their efforts in the community.

FYI: Women Musicians

2010-06-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

San Francisco's WomenROCK Collective Celebrates Four Years of Empowering Female Artists in the Music Industry
San Francisco, CA, June 16, 2010

On Wednesday, June 16th, 2010, San Franciscans will pack The Independent to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the WomenROCK Collective, a group that has contributed to making the city by the bay a great place for women musicians and their fans.

Founded in San Francisco in 2006, the collective strives to empower female artists in the music industry at the local, national, and international level while raising awareness and money for important causes.

Women make up less than ten percent of the music industry and less than six percent in executive, producer or engineer roles. Women who do achieve commercial success are often over-sexualized and objectified, leaving women who don’t fit the mold out in the cold. WomenROCK was created in response to this situation by a group of talented and motivated women musicians, producers, and promoters (including *bernadette*, Valerie Orth, Lisa Sniderman, Sylvia Roberts, Kristin Hathaway, Zarah Gamaldi, Jessie Woletz, Melissa Rapp, Nomi Adiv, Nkechi Live, Vanessa Verlee, Eva Jo Meyers, Marianne Barlow, Abigail Picache and others) who decided to work together to raise visibility and opportunity for themselves and the other women artists in their community.

“We are organizing ourselves to work together to showcase our creative endeavors, talents, intellect, business savvy and penchant for community-building and activism,” says the celebration’s organizer and WomenROCK visionary *bernadette*, who is also one of the artists being showcased at The Independent.

Since its inception, WomenROCK has presented monthly showcase performances and special one-off shows in San Francisco, and has raised money for Bay Area and national organizations, including IMPACT Bay Area, Breast Cancer Action, Blue Bear School of Music, Women’s Community Clinic, and more.

New Seeds Salon Survey

2010-06-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you've been to the Salon, please help us make it better by taking our survey.

Scriptwriting

2010-06-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been working hard at polishing my latest script. (Deadlines...deadlines.) Again, it's so important to have your characters drawn well (background, goal, need, flaw) to write them naturally into the script. I'm also making sure that their actions coincide with their character, and that I successfully draw the logical ramifications of my other characters to that action. If this doesn't make sense, I guess I'm just lost in writer's world. Anyway, I can see the script really taking shape and I am sooo stoked to workshop it next month. (Maybe I shouldn't be, I will be made painfully aware of all my mistakes...) But that's the editing process, isn't it!

New Seeds Salon - June - Camelot Foundation

2010-06-15T20:20:00.001-07:00

June's Topic: Camelot Foundation: A community-based think tank. Neil Cosentino will be presenting. Mr. Cosentino is a retired USAF Major and a founding member of the Camelot Foundation, a community-based, public interest think tank. He is also part of the LPFM Project in Tampa a local initiative of the Prometheus Project.

Playwriting

2010-05-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Spent 9 hours on my play (fourth or fifth draft). First two putzing around while I wrangled with a scene that wasn't working, then whammo! I can never wait for the surge to come, when you have a mind-meld with your script, and you know the characters so well that you know exactly what they need to be doing in each scene, and any change in a scene you instantly know where it has to be changed both forward and backward. I needed this--I haven't been able to work on the script for awhile, and it was a great shot in the arm.

Dramatist Guild

2010-05-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

Great news from the Guild: anyone who has had a play produced in the US or Canada can now become a guild member. I think it's great that the Guild is recognizing that there is a huge market outside of NY. In DG's words: "limiting Active Membership to writes who have had a Broadway, off-Broadway, or major regional production is outdated, over-exclusionary and no longer reflects the way contemporary theatre works and the more varied, national venues where playwrights' work is presented". Finally, for those of us outside of NY--here's a nod!

Seattle's Creative Vitality Index

2010-04-26T21:17:00.001-07:00

While reading through CVI again, I noticed that 60% of the index is Community Arts Participation Index. It is comprised of these factors:

-Non-profit arts organization income (10%)
- Non-profit “arts-active” organization income (10%)
- Per capita bookstore and record store sales (8%)
- Per capita music store sales of instruments and equipment (8%)
- Per capita photography store sales (8%)
- Motion picture theater attendance (8%)
- Museum and art gallery revenues (8%)

My question is this: do you think this is an accurate picture of arts participation? What does arts participation mean to you?

Arts Think Tank II

2010-04-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

As I have been conversing with various artists about this idea of an arts think tank, it occurs to me that the first order of business should be 1) looking at the Tampa Bay area in the context of what is and what is not working for the artists outside of the big houses; 2) define the economic impact using newer, sustainability measures; and 3) making arts councils aware of these new measures and request that they be considered criteria of the grant-making package.

Most likely we will need meetings to achieve these goals, in addition to a yearly conference.

Arts Think Tank

2010-04-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

After reading Scott Walters and Tom Loughlin for awhile now, it has occurred to me that perhaps an advocacy think tank for the arts is in order. Advocacy think tanks, unlike older (supposedly) non-partisan ones combine ideological bent with aggressive salesmanship in an effort to influence current policy debate. Then I'm reading Michael R. Gagliardo's post on ARTSblog, and walla! He's talking about Influencing policy at the local, state, and national levels Sounds a lot like think tank speak to me. It's great to read all these new ideas (localization, arts education etc.) in the blogosphere, but perhaps it's time for a definitive paper that delineates these ideas on paper and an effort be made toward making the media and public aware of them. After a quick check on the net, I see Collective Arts Think Tank which is encouraging because they have had meetings that include presenters, a critic, artists, service organizations and grant-makers. I know Paul Mullins had spoken of a discussion recently with the comment that talk is cheap, so perhaps creating a think tank in Seattle with various representatives of the artistic community would be more influential. Perhaps steps have been made out there that I am not aware of. I would be happy to hear about these initiatives.

New Seeds Salon - Apr - Guantanamo

2010-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this one!

Guantanamo and Terrorism from a Civil Liberties and National Security Perspective. Mike Pheneger will be presenting.

Mike Pheneger, Colonel, US Army (R), represents Florida on the ACLU's National Board and, until this month, served on the ACLU's National Executive Committee. He frequently serves as a public spokesperson for the ACLU of Florida on issues involving civil liberties and national security.

Salon starts at 9, presentation at 9:30!

New Seeds Salon - Mar 2010

2010-03-22T17:06:00.001-07:00

A great night Thursday night! The Corporate Personhood presentation was followed by an enlightening discussion with intelligent perspectives from everyone involved. QFraz and Naj performed excellent poetry on thestate of society today; and Shannon also read poetry. Thanks to everyone who came out! Next mic Apr 15th! Keep abreast of the salon here.

New Seeds Mic - Mar - Corporate Personhood

2010-02-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars! In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling on corporate funding, March's topic will be on the legal "personhood" status of corporations and its ramifications.

New Seeds Mic - Feb - Mass Media and the Sexual Exploitation of Women

2010-02-26T15:28:00.001-08:00

Another amazing night! Vanessa Brown gave a great presentation on Mass Media and the Sexual Exploitation of Women. In the ensuing discussion, she related a poignant personal story about a 14-year old caught up in a world of stripping and gangs. Issues brought up were: the pros and cons of stripping; and is the exploitation of women a consumer driven event? Venus Jones presented challenging pieces, including one on the female paradigm of beauty and another on getting attention through violence. Robin presented comedy ranging from motherhood issues to Iraq. Vanessa sang her wonderful "Ten Past Eight", and "Slipping Through". Suzanne presented pieces on women's images in the media and pay and the women's psyche.

Women Ski Jumpers Frozen Out of Olympics

2010-02-17T06:57:00.001-08:00

Check it out on MSNBC.

The world record for that Olympic hill is held by a woman,
Lindsay Van, yet she can't compete.

What's astounding is after going through the courts to change
this, Dick Pound's (from the IOC) arrogance.

He says, "Perhaps it's disappointing, even frustrating..." If it
were a man's athletic career he was talking about, would he
be so trite?

He goes on to say perhaps it will take longer to accept the
women if they embarass us.

Did you not embarass yourself first by excluding the women?

Astounding, absolutely astounding...

Seattle's Creative Vitality Index

2010-02-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

First of all, apologies for not posting sooner. I was coding a major project and that took up most of my time.

However, since my last post on measuring the economic impact of the arts or how well an art house 'serves' the community I went looking for any similar measurement. The Seattle Arts Commission has a measurement, called the Creative Vitality Index. While this index does not strictly measure the 'well-being' an art house imparts to its community (it bills itself as measure of the health of the creative economy), I think it deserves mention.

The Creative Vitality Index draws its data from 3 sources: the Dept of Labor; the 990 and 990 EZ forms filed by non-profits; Claritas, a database of consumer and b-2-b marketing. The index has 2 components: 60% is community participation and 40% occupation. In looking at the sub-index for community participation, music store sales and photography sales are included (are internet sales included in this figure?). Baseline score is 1, above is stronger than average and vice versa.

Although this index measures the arts in a community more generally, kudos to the commission for making inroads in quantifying the arts community.

I think, then that the Arts Development Index I proposed would still qualify as a measurement on the 'well-being' a community specifically receives from an arts house.

Arts Development Index

2010-01-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about Paul Mullin's article on local theatre. I agree that many other businesses are "localized" while the arts still has a long way to go. But the movement for localized economies is based on a re-evaluation of "economies of scale". That is, while corporations will be more efficient in the classical (monetary) economic sense, they may not be contributing to their well-being. Translating this to the arts, while big arts houses will be more efficient in the classical (monetary) economic sense, they may not be contributing to their well-being.

So, how does one measure how well an "arts house" contributes to the communities well-being?

Perhaps we can borrow from current indices. Relying in the UN's Human Development Index, and transposing this idea to the arts domain, we could get a concrete measurement of how well an arts house serves its community. We could calculate an Arts Development Index. Calculation of the the ADI would be as follows: 1/3 (arts life expectancy) + 1/3 (education index) + 1/3 (Arts GDP).

Arts life expectancy would be the achievement of an arts house in arts life expectancy at birth; education would be the adult literacy plus combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrollment; and Arts GDP would be the GDP per arts house. How well the arts house serves the community would be included under the investment parameter that makes up the GDP.

This is absolutely a quantifiable value and one, if taken up, would be invaluable in demonstrating the role that arts houses play in their community and in the lives of its patrons; and lastly, one that could figure in the awarding of grants based on these parameters.

Gainesville

2010-01-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know, smile now. Parking at UF sucks. But after going to campus police and getting my "do not go to jail" decal, I trucked up to the Library East and spent four more fascinating hours researching. You know you're researching the past when the boxes they bring up from the vault are cold...

Oh, and Friday evening traffic getting out of there also sucks...do I see another smile?

Tallhassee Part II

2010-01-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

I'm beat. Got to Gainesville and basically collapsed. But what a great day! Eight hours of research and the FSU librarian was really helpful. Felt like I took a trip to the mid-twentieth century. It's amazing to hold pieces of paper in a person's handwriting on some stationary where they worked or the hotel they stayed at, and it makes it all very real. Also listening to tapes of people's voice makes them come alive to you and it really helps you to draw a character that is closer to the reality of who that person was. Let's hope tomorrow/today in Gainesville is just as sweet!

Tallahassee

2010-01-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm finally at my hotel in Tallahasse, and I can honestly say, I can't wait to do research tomorrow for my play. I've got all my research points, I've set up an appointment with the librarian who specialized in my topic, so it's about as much as I can do. Then it's on to Gainesville tomorrow for more research on Friday. It'll be like a time warp for me. Wish me luck!

Locally Grown Art

2010-01-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

Paul Mullin's piece on local arts in Seattle has many parallels to the Tampa Bay arts scene. His point about art being local throughout history dovetails with my point that most artists in NY come from somewhere else. He also talks about collaboration between artists. As far as I've seen in the Tampa Bay area, in the past few years, I've seen a rise in the collaborative process and people making efforts to collaborate. His play that was "about Seattleites, for Seattleites, by a Seattleite" made me smile. Maria's Song is a play "about Floridians, for Floridians, by a Floridian". And I will say, they did embrace it. As for the "Big Houses" that pay "lip service" to the local artists, here again we have another strong parallel in this community. But that's not the only community I've seen pay "lip service" to the local artists. In the numerous festivals I performed in, many gave most of the advertising and TV spots to "big names" to the detriment of the smaller artists--this and yet the reason for the founding of the fringe was because uninvited theatre companies showed up to the Edingburgh International Festival. But I do disagree with Paul about the "big house" responding. If it does, great, if it doesn't, self-produce, and sell out. That way you begin to establish your reputation for your future works. Actors and directors want to work on challenging projects. Patrons will want to see your work again. "Word of mouth" is the top reason patrons attend an event--more than any other type of advertising. Good luck!

New Seeds Mic - Jan - Feminist Economics

2010-01-05T00:18:00.000-08:00

Next New Seeds Mic goes down Jan 20st--THIS IS A SCHEDULE CHANGE--and we will be presenting information on feminist economics, and differing perspectives on how aspects of nation's well-being is defined. Looks like it will be a great night again!

New Seeds Mic

2010-01-05T00:10:00.000-08:00

As part of my non-profit, I have started a mic from a feminine perspective. This goes once a month and there is a topic that will be presented and from that, I ask that the artists try and create some art based on that subject. Last month the topic was mass media--history, conglomeration, and influence on the public. Venus Jones wrote a great poem on the subject, Karyn Lomyn did a poem on the war, and Vanessa Brown sang about homelessness We had great discussions afterward ranging from the war to the prison industrial complex. Looking forward to next month!

Long Break

2010-01-05T00:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it was quite a ride doing Maria's Song. We had a great cast, great reviews, and sold out all our shows, so I have to say the process is more than I expected, and what a great way to start my non-profit! You can see more at: http://www.silverglassprods.org/migRevFrame.htm . I think the Tampa Bay community is more supportive of new challenging theatre than most people give it credit for.

Auditions for Maria's Song

2009-08-09T21:37:00.001-07:00

Auditions are going well, and I am excited to see so many women coming out! To see what you've written down on paper and having someone bring it to life is an amazing thing!

Workshopping the Script II

2009-04-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big day...and boy was I surprised! I have to say, much of the dialogue flowed well (which was the biggest issue for me) and I was so relieved. I just closed my eyes and listened to how it sounded. I wanted to hear the ease of the dialogue. The actors were great--really did a great job being the characters so it colored the script in. Got a lot of feedback from the group--mainly character issues, likeability, questioning motives, but all in all it is a sound piece! It was exhausting for me, though--3 hours of people looking at your work. But I have to say, it's a lot less traumatic than testing comedy material onstage!

Also, am nearing the end of obtaining a venue, so I am so relieved with that. I absolutely can't wait to see this show live. I believe it's relevant and poignant.

So, I still have a lot of work to do, but I think with my timeframe it's manageable. Keep ya posted!

Workshopping the Script

2009-04-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Been furiously working on last minute changes to the script. I really want to show the best dialogue that I can at this point. I've been poring over the dialogue, really trying to snap it up, really thinking about what each character is thinking (and therefore translating) with their body language as well as dialogue. It's as if you must be able to breathe with your character. If you don't know where his/her breath is, you can't time the dialogue. This may seem like a weird thing, but my experience has borne this out. Breath is also timing, and when you see the scene you see the timing which includes their breath.

I'll no after Sundayif I'm off in my tempo...

Theater's Future

2009-04-11T22:03:00.001-07:00

OK, another really great article from Theatre Ideas, discussing the future of theater in that it will become smaller and less consequential. Scott goes on to say, "theatre will rediscover the fact that its lifeblood is not drawn from the mass culture, but from the local culture." I agree with theater realizing its foundation is local, not mass culture, and I think it already does this as it has to respond in some way locally. Local audience attendance demands that.

Scott continues: "[future theater professionals] will have to be taught to see themselves as facilitators, community members". I actually think this is occurring right now. I think that if you ask presenters at this point in time if community outreach is a significant part of their season, there would be a resounding yes. I think it has to and will continue as people seek relevance as opposed to mass media.

AD's and American Theater Company

2009-04-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

This article from the Chicago Reader discusses the resignation fof 23 of the 28 ensemble members of ATC due to "adminstrative and artistic differences", then proceeds to go in depth about the divisions. The point I want to highlight is: should one person be the point 'man' to determine an artistic season? The equivalent in the comedy world is the club owner, who typically books the comics.

In other words, should that structure be reviewed? IMHO, it seems to me the best determination of what a season should look like would include a committee of, say, actor, director, producer, tech (set) person to start with. This way issues such as feasiblily (financially and physically realizing the play), artistic value and perhaps social relevant themes would be satisfied.

Scriptwriting

2009-04-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Been working on the script unceasingly. Even when I go to sleep, I'll get an 'Aha!' moment about another scene or character in the script. Most of it is like sewing, though: I think "oh, there's a hole here, I haven't adressed this back in scene xxx", and I have to put it in. This invariably means I have to 'sew' that piece of knowledge into later scenes. It is the worst when it is a concept you need to address (example: important real fact must be addressed) in one of the first few scenes: you need to add that knowledge AND how each character will react (if they are privy to that knowledge). It is to the point now that when my editor says, "did you back this concept up" I can now say, yes, look in scene xxx, page xxx. It's pretty sad from an overall life point of view, but fantastic from a screenwriter point of view.

I workshop the script in two weeks with actors and have a lot of angst...I'm just hoping that with all the problems they'll see the storyline holds up.

Automating a Rehearsal Schedule

2009-04-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

In my readings, I have looked at Marshall Mason's Creating Life on Stage. In the back, he lists a character/beat breakdown. From this he generates a rehearsal schedule. I did this by hand a week ago, and the geek in me knew it could be automated, so wallah! I trudged through Visual Basic and created a macro that will calculate 1) the number of scenes; and 2) the number of scenes shared between characters. Item 2 will give me the throughlines to concentrate on and from these statistics (applying an algorithm) I will create a rehearsal schedule. At least I accomplished the first part of the task. More later...

Songwriting

2009-04-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

Had to come up with a couple more songs for the play. Wrote one in two days, and it was solid. Have used Sheila Davis' Lyric Writing book--excellent. I incorporated a number of rules immediately, of which I was very proud. Concepts like the surprise ending, plot progression, making the chorus answer the verse, etc., so I am ecstatic that as least one aspect of this 'musical' is coming along well!

Shock Theater

2009-03-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Excellent article from Louise Kennedy of the Boston Globe about shock theater. Among the points she makes, she write about her "[frustration] with the culture for mistaking cheap thrills for real ones". Hallelujah, girl! In numerous festivals that I have participated in, I can tell you first hand that the show that features nudity and any kind of phallic display is always the one that sells out--doesn't matter how good it is.
As a comedian, who has worked clubs across the country, the above quote hits home--comedy today is all about shock. The finesse of a well-crafted, well-thought out joke is rare indeed. Why put forth the effort to craft a jewel of comedy if a dick joke or sexual reference will more easily get a laugh? To go even further, I think the line between shock and comedy has been blurred: comedy is shock and shock is comedy. One of the principles in creating a great punchline is to incorporate the element of surprise. I think this has been perverted into the element of shock, and I do not believe the average comedy-going audience really knows or cares to know the difference.
For all the parallels I see between theater and stand-up, I have to say it's disappointing that theater has taken this turn, but again, kudos to Louise!

Drama Department vs Show Biz Department

2009-03-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Again, another great post from Theatre Ideas: Tom Laughlin writes: To my knowledge, there are no Departments of Show Business at any universities — The Departments, Drama Departments, but no Show Business Departments. Maybe we need to encourage this label, so that potential students can make a distinction between commercially-oriented departments (Show Business), Big Regional Theatre -oriented departments (Theatre), liberal arts-oriented departments (Drama), and community-based departments (Community Arts), or Interdisciplinary Arts. At least there would be truth in advertising.

I think this is a great proposition. Again, I have seen in the past five years an incredible encroachment of big business in even regional performing arts booking conferences. Moneyed producers take presenters out to dinner and a (their) show. Result: the small artist showcasing has no presenters to present to. Prior to this, all showcasing for these conferences were confined to the hotel hosting the conference, which produced a level playing field. Not so anymore...

Alcohol and Rock of Ages

2009-03-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

I found this article from the Guardian about whether to have alcohol at a performance amusing, especially since I've come from the clubs where alcohol is a staple. I'm betting no one has ever shouted to an actor "Show me your *&^%!" while they've been performing...

WalMarting of Theatre--NY Myth

2009-03-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Read this post in the ArtsJournal from Theatre Ideas. Basically, it talks about the NY Myth. For me, it's manna from heaven. In fact, my tech and I were having a conversation (again) about the fallacy that all the creativity comes from NY. I think creative people move to NY, and therefore creativity is irrespective of a geographic region. While there, I saw a number of Off-Broadway plays, many which were of a caliber I would see in any hometown. It seems as if there is a one-upmanship occurring. Let's take shock value, for example. If one show contains on stage nudity, the next show contains on stage masturbation. Wow. Having worked comedy professionally, everyone knows sex is the easiest way to get an audience's attention (and in this game, the press's). As an aside, I've often laughed at how poets and theatre can be as graphic sexually as they want, yet when comedians are, it's vulgar.

I also saw this in LA when I did comedy. I did not see some stratospheric increase in the quality of comedy. I saw actors competing in comedy contests to beef up their resume. They did not care about the craft or their subject matter--was it something new? Something from their own experience? Unfortunately, no. They were simply good at acting funny. Some of the best comedy I've ever seen was in DC--smart and political savvy.

I will say, I disagree on this point of: " [having] local arts organizations run by and staffed by artists whose lives are made within a specific community and whose artistic vision is informed by that community". Having sat in numerous "how to book a season" seminars with arts presenters (many of whom are artists) at booking conferences, I do not think their vision is soley informed by the community. From many of the questions asked, their vision is tempered by money. None of them want a show that loses money--this could mean their job.

All in all, however, I thought the post was insightful and contained many truths. Let me know what you think!

Hamilton, NY

2009-03-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

I just finished another Feminazi show, and I have to say, the people in Hamilton were FANTASTIC. (You know it's rural when your hotel window is looking out on a cemetary :-) ). Got in late Thurs, tech'd Fri basically till showtime, then went out and slammed! They were a great crowd, not self-conscious (thank God), had a sense of humor and were looking for a good time. They were pretty animated when they left, and that's when I know I've done my job! The talkback after the show went nicely--there's always something you learn from talking back to people in different parts of the country. This time the topic of feminism as being accepting of all types led into a discussion of why diversity is not seen as a strength in society as a whole. Another interesting topic that came up was should women be fighting for a place in the system as it is, or should we be fighting for a new system? Again, it was a great time. I love the road!

Stage Managing, Part Deux

2009-03-11T22:17:00.001-07:00

Well, I made it through the run! And I have to say, it was amazing! We rehearsed for six weeks and for at least four we were short actors, so I was standing in reading lines...that got to be pretty tiring, especially when I needed to make sure the actors were moving where they were supposed to be. As rehearsals progressed, I saw my job change from feeding lines/movement to making sure costumes changes went smoothly and all props were in place (prop table). I also ran sound for the show, so all in all it kept me busy--not as busy as a solo show, that's for sure! I think the most amazing thing about the process was to see a group with no coherence suddenly gel and the show came alive--that was the wildest thing to see! Kudos to everyone in the show, too, because they had to learn those Shakespearean lines--not for me, that's for sure! I prefer colloquial dialog. But again, I really liked doing the stage managing and working with a great group of actors--it's something I will definitely do again!

Stage Managing Again

2009-02-09T23:47:00.000-08:00

After talking to a colleague, I learned that I needed to do more things stage managing. So I looked online for info and was surprised. I had a prop list, ordered by scene and which entrance the actor takes, and a scene diagram, cast list, and even had all the blocking notes in the script. However, in my reading I saw that it has to be more formalized: "A prompt book should be legible so that if the stage manager is unable to call the show"--ooooh. So...I went hunting around and found (I'll find my url later) a sample prompt book, and realized I needed to rework my script (translation, lots of hours). So, I am now furiously getting my prompt book up to speed and in the meantime buying The Stage Management Handbook to fill any other possible gaps in my stage management knowledge. Do I hear kudos to stage managers here? You betcha!

Stage Managing

2009-02-04T19:57:00.001-08:00

Well, I've been at it for about a month now, and I have to say, stage managing is a lot like the Army. You've got to get it all done. From setting up the rehearsal space to keeping track of the props, from filling in for characters to keeping up with feeding actors lines, I'm enjoying it. I have certainly learned a lot from the rehearsal process, how it's setup from blocking to running through off book. I'm finding it's a more formalized process than when developing solo shows. Same concepts, just formalized. Having a great time, all in all!

Songwriter's Block

2009-01-05T13:30:00.001-08:00

I'm working on a song (for the musical) that I've had initially arranged, and the chorus is not sounding good at all. Just doesn't seem to fit when I have it arranged, but in my head it's OK, although I'm still having trouble with the transition to the chorus. I've been toying with the chords and am having a difficult time finding a transition. I've also looked over the chorus, and stared at it trying to think of something different. But I've kept it simple and it follows the "and that's why I say" thought from the verse leading into the chorus as per Sheila Davis in her book Successful Lyric Writing. I'm just stumped.

Scriptwriting--Character Transition

2008-12-31T10:54:00.000-08:00

Working on this script furiously, and had a breakthrough in creating action that was truly character motivated. I have a character that is slowly becoming humanized, so the progression of that humanization has to be displayed slowly throughout the script (first resistance, then begruding listening, etc.) and I needed an action toward the end that would put her "over the edge" so to speak with her commitment to be humanized. I wrangled for weeks over it until I stumbled upon an action that held true to her 1) occupation; 2) personality; and 3) flowering humanism. I think the process of showing a character transition from one perspective to another is an extremely tricky process. You have to spread the change out through the script, perhaps only at the end increasing the rate of change (as action intensified).

Edinburgh Fringe Bailout

2008-12-18T22:11:00.001-08:00

There was an article this week about the Edinburgh Fringe getting bailed out:

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Bailout-for-the-Fringe-39may.4795441.jp

It would be interesting to see other fringe's viewpoints on this.

Aside from the bailout, I was also interested that Joan Rivers was being produced at Edinburgh. I know that the is not the only "big" name being produced in Edinburgh, but it begs the question: How applicable is that to the spirit of the fringe especially when you look at it's history: The Fringe started life when eight theatre companies turned up uninvited to the inaugural Edinburgh International Festival in 1947. They aimed to take advantage of the large theatre crowds and showcase their own, more alternative, theatre. Seems to me these companies were just the opposite of Joan Rivers--unknown, and that they got together to help each other get their work produced.

I can understand the viewpoint that Joan should be able to produce like any artist at a fringe, but is she really 'any artist'? I.e., could those other artists produce at, say, The Duplex in Manhattan without mortgaging their home?

Stage Managing

2008-12-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

In order to learn my craft, I have offered to stage manage a show. I thought I would be observing, but, alas, the stage manager cancelled out. I was hesitant at first, but now look forward to it. I got a list of my responsibilities, and it is definitely a job. The director doesn't waste time (such a plus for me) and gets down to business. As I have not done this process before, everything is new to me, so I am sure I will have loads to learn. This week we have gone through and audition and callback, and my understanding is the selected readings are to see how the actor's voices sounds; how their interaction looks; how they look in the parts. I will be posting on this experience as it goes along.

Theatre and Gender

2008-10-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Found an interesting article in the NY Times about the lack of representation in producing female playwrights Off Broadway. Had to smile when I was reading it, especially the quote from Andre Bishop (AD of Lincoln Center) that “most artistic directors are men, and they don’t relate to or connect with women as much as men.” This is basically the same statement I made in the Comedy and Gender post--comedy club owners are men and do not relate to women. I think the lesson to be learned (and the one I’m moving forward on) is that you must take the bull by the horns and just go out and do it. Even if that means you’re going to write and produce it. If you really want your statements/issues/point of view shown out in public, start doing it. It does no good to have your work sitting in a closet waiting for “approval” from the powers that be. At least, that is what I have taken (and will continue to take) away from this situation.

Fate

2008-10-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one night—I’ve got a life! Recently, though, I have had a lot of doors close. I’ve had this happen a number of times before, and I can’t help but think that fate is kinda pushing you in a direction. I’m talking about pursuing a direction in life and coming across dead end after dead end. And no matter what you do, it seems that every door is slammed in your face. Every time this has happened to me, I have made a major change in my life. Anybody else out there had a similar experience?

Directing for Better or Worse

2008-10-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

I have not posted recently because I am in a lot of turmoil. (Did my last post give me away?) Anyway, after much gnashing of teeth, I have decided to make the current show I’m working on multi-person. Yes, a cast. And so I have chosen to direct it. So…some of you knowing people are probably already smiling, and I can understand. I know I have no idea of what I am getting myself into. And with that knowledge, I have been reading up on the subject and picking my acting teacher’s brains. I have gotten some really good information from Creating Life On Stage (I’m talking about basics of directing), because, among the myriad of pointers MWM gives out, he outlines a rehearsal schedule, with the breakdown of who needs to attend. One of the top items my acting teacher had mentioned about directing was “respect the actor’s time”. Not a problem, I can’t stand it when my time is wasted. Anybody else out there have some tips for me directing?

AA

2008-10-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Artistry is like Alcoholism. You’re addicted. You lose your friends and family. They think what you’re doing is wrong. They want you to stop ruining your life. And it all makes you depressed.

Artistic Funk pt 3

2008-10-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

I’m hoping that these blogs about funk and its aspects will help other artists who are dealing with the same issues, but have not had many people to talk to about it. Another aspect of the funk is loss of goals/vision (I guess you could call it a real funk). In the past, the vision of making a project a concrete reality has always kept me buoyant, but with this last bout of funk, the loss of goals/vision has been very scary to me. I’m still pursuing goals I have set up, knowing that I do really care about my vision, but in the short term, the feeling has been more like “why bother?”. I realize the funk is a stage, but it is still unnerving. I am hugging my Artist’s Way very closely.

Artistic Funk, pt. 2

2008-10-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

I blogged recently about artistic funk. Although I made headway last week, there still have been residual, fleeting feelings like, “this work is relevant, how come no one gets it?”, and “if they don’t get this, they’re certainly not going to get what’s coming down the pike”, which leads to questioning/doubting yourself as an artist. (So painful can’t even put it in the first person :-)). So, I’ve been rolling around in this, thinking, “let time pass”, and well, basically, it wasn’t passing fast enough. But I was talking to a friend today, a dance choreographer, and she was like, “who cares what the critics say, is that going to stop you from creating your next work?”. I just smiled. I’ve known what she said is true all along, but it really helped me to hear this from a fellow artist. So, it was just wonderful to be reinforced by someone who really knows what it’s like, putting yourself out there and (trying to survive) the criticism. Thank you!

Script and Dialogue

2008-10-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

I’m finally at the point on this script that we are now getting down to the meat of the scenes, the subtext, what each character wants from the other. It’s the moment-to-moment orchestration of the script I guess you could say. And it’s really the most exciting for me, it’s the part I love the most, refining and tweaking scenes. I find in writing scripts that the daunting part is taking something from nothing and forming it (initial background on characters, flushing out the plot). That for me is the real gruntwork, you’re unsure of where you’re going, you don’t know what to do with the sketchy framework you already have, you’re almost immobilized by the number of decisions you have to make. So, other script writers, what is the part about script writing that you love? Dislike?

Comedy and Gender

2008-09-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

I had yet another conversation about comedy yesterday. Once people find out you’ve done comedy they ask you a lot of the same questions, who do you like, what kind of comedy do you do, it's hard for "female comics" etc, etc. So, here’s what I’ve gathered from my experiences in comedy. I think more than race, comedy is divided along gender lines. I think that men are allowed (by the audience, which, in essence, is a small cross-section of society) to be righteously angry onstage. I have personally seen it time and again. If a woman expresses her comedy in that same exact way, the audience will not allow it. The audience tightens up every time. A woman has to use bitter sarcasm to get the same point across. My understanding is that men have to listen to their wives and therefore don’t want to hear a woman “bitch”. (The man can “bitch”, and I think that’s allowed because the men see themselves in the male comic). I’m not saying it’s right, I personally disagree with it, but I think that’s the way it is. In addition, there is the “female comic” vs. “comic” distinction. Many times in my travels, I would hear, “Oh, she’s a female comic.” (always in a denigrating way). A woman earns the dreaded ‘female comic’ label when she does material on the following subjects: dating, weight, food. Never mind that a young male does these typical subjects: loser, smoke pot, loser. That does not label him a ‘male comic’. In an effort to avoid the “female comic” label, I never did comedy on those subjects. And so, what happens is, you deny your experience, which is totally at odds with what comedy is about—your experience. I understand this is just another example of androcentrism, but for those who may not be aware of it, i.e. think that comedy is such a free form of expression, it is not. A comedian who goes onstage enters into a relationship with the audience. That relationship is judged second by second, punchline by punchline. In order for an audience to be entertained by the comedian, they must first "buy in" to the comedian/material. In order to "buy in" to a a comedian, or to buy into a joke for that matter, the audience must inherently agree to the truth of that comedian/material. And therein lies the dilemma. Men and women have different truths. But truth in our society is a narrowly defined constant, and therefore excludes a wider breadth of experience.

Learning Piano

2008-09-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well, in an effort to improve my rhythm (just look at my picture if you’re wondering why it’s a challenge for me…) I went to YouTube searching for piano teachers. I'd like to mention two: shawncheekeasy and Tom Willett (no relation). Shawn's channel is strictly piano and is the more complete of the two, but Tom does a great job if you have rhythm issues (like me). So, even though I'm a von Frankenstein in many ways right now, these guys give me hope!

Artistic Funk

2008-09-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

I’m really struggling with some artistic funk now. I’ve had it before and I’ve been able to shake it, but I seem to be really plagued by the “I’m-going-to-get-slammed-for-this” feeling. I am really stretching myself writing a musical. To boot, it’s on a national issue. And it’s particularly stupid to be thinking this way because I have already been through the burn process on the mic. I have been developing it on the mic long enough know that the material has teeth (based on the feedback I’ve gotten from the audience). I also know I won’t put out something that hasn’t been tested and honed. In addition, I continue to keep working on piano and (fear of all fears) singing. But, man, I’ve been really plagued by this funk.

Artistic Leaps

2008-09-17T20:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I began teaching myself music about a year ago, and I thought my head was going to split open. And, yes, I apologize to the people who I put through my early songs. Thank you. But because I have been so busy with the business end of things, I had taken a couple of months (I feel I should have a possessive here) breather from working on music, and I just started getting back into it, and it’s really amazing how you can actively work on a skill, not seemingly get anywhere, and yet when you come back to it, you grow by leaps and bounds. It’s almost as if although your conscious is not working on it, your subconscious is. There are various chordings that suddenly my hands were able to do, and I had been desperate to get these skills for months. So, what I’d like to know is…who else has taken the ‘vacation’, then come back and was pleasantly surprised?

Choosing Your Subject Matter

2008-09-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

I had a conversation with a storyteller this weekend about what you choose to write about. My feeling is that your life is the best subject matter. And I think it is a very difficult step for a writer to take. I know it was for me: I had reservations as to whether my experience was valid enough; and how would the subject matter affect those closest to me. But I feel that having written material where the seeds are from your own life has been the most rewarding. My experience has been that audiences can sense when you are not coming from that place. And it’s such a surprise when so many connect with your individual experience. So, writers out there…what are your thoughts about writing ‘what you know’? Have you written from a place that is not your experience at all? How has that fared?

Booking Conferences

2008-09-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

Haven’t written in awhile because I was getting ready for a booking conference. Don’t think I’ll be going again next year. When I started doing the conferences everything was contained in the hotel, and the showcasing was packed. Now, however, the protocol seems to have shifted; the big players spring for dinner and a (their) show for the presenters….ergo, no people to view the showcasing at the hotel. Wondering if anyone else out there has done conferences and what’s their take on them, i.e., have you had success/failure; how do you view the atmosphere; is this a worthwhile expenditure of time for the solo artist? Love to hear your thoughts…

Marketing Your Art

2008-08-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am marketing…and marketing…and marketing. I had a conversation with a friend about the necessity of it, but we both admitted it that it was extremely difficult. And I think it’s the total antithesis of what we do that makes it so difficult. Here we are, creating (performance, writing, otherwise) and then we have to put on the business hat and tell complete strangers how good we are and why they should consider our art. So…my question is: what are your experiences conducting business (either cold-calling, prepping publicity, etc) to get the word out there on your art?

Breath in Performance

2008-08-24T21:37:00.001-07:00

Well, I have had an incredible breakthrough over the last few months, and that is with my breath. And I’ve read all the books, and my acting teachers have told me about breath, and I was like, yeah, yeah, I’m meditating, I’m relaxed, but it wasn’t until I was sitting there pre-show one night with my meditation music going and I rubbed the back of my neck (which felt like a rock) and I FINALLY got it. And I am sooo surprised—it is like the gift that keeps on giving back. I was on the mic again Friday, trying to relax through the performance, and I was just trying to be there, and WALLAH! I had the moment I had been waiting for! You know, I didn’t have to dig for the moment, mug for the moment or beg for the moment and it just came, and I still can’t tell you how amazed I am with how well it works. So…my question to my fellow performers out there is: what is your experience with breath and performance?

Accepting Yourself as an Artist

2008-08-21T22:40:00.001-07:00

Two things have occurred this week that to me indicate that so many of us still struggle accepting ourselves as artists. The first incident was an artist (let’s say Brian) who was ‘smarting’ over a fellow artist’s evaluation of his musical style (OK, his songs). When Brian talked about it you could see the pain on his face. My friend and I reminded him that his style may be different from other musician’s, but that does not mean that Brian is a crappy musician. We had to remind Brian that the audience responded to him; his quirkiness is what bonded them to him; that only he can do his style; and that he has to be true to it because if he tries to change and be something that he’s not, the audience will see through the ruse. He was so relieved to hear this, and for me, it was bothersome because he was in so much pain over what someone else said. So, in short BE TRUE TO YOURSELF!!

The second was another artist who I meet occasionally and has really talked up moving to NY. Lately, however, he has been telling me that he’s putting his dream off in an apologetic way. I looked at him and said, “You’re an artist no matter where you live.” It was like I had given him a stay of execution. He was so thankful, and I was glad I could do that for him, but for me, all I did was remind him of something he had forgotten.

These two incidents just remind me of how fragile we are as artists, and how easy it is to put ourselves (and let others put us) down. Remember, there is a uniqueness that is uniquely yours and only yours. (Yes, I am redundant for a reason!) No two people see the world in exactly the same way, and that is what gives it its dynamics, its color, its vibrance. Start painting!