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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-278897992014-08-16T20:31:54.551-07:00Mad TheatricsAdventures in Live EntertainmentAndrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-43865243822129452592014-07-02T13:33:00.002-07:002014-07-02T13:34:36.712-07:00Carla Rhodes, Cecil Sinclaire, and Defying Expectations in Art"I think no matter what happens
with me in my life ...

Carla Rhodes with Cecil Sinclaire, photo by Hanna Toresson (www.hannatoresson.com)

... I will always be doing
something artistic."

My comedy partner and I were once paid a tremendous compliment. One night, after hosting a burlesque show in Hollywood, an audience member approached us and said, "I can't believe you guys are real." I took it to mean we were filling a niche, bringing to the stage a fresh take on the (sometimes hackneyed) comedy tropes we exploit.

There is a constant tension between reality and our idealized hopes and dreams. We feel this tension on Christmas Eve, before walking into a new job for the first time, and in the darkened theater. The best variety acts thrive by traversing that tension, manifesting the impossible; by both satisfying the expectations the audience doesn't know it has and defying expectations of what is actually possible.

I can't believe Carla Rhodes is real.

I was hosting the Monday Night Tease the first time I saw Carla and Cecil. I love vent acts, but they are fairly rare. I was anticipating the act, but completely unprepared for it. Carla plays into vent tropes and subverts them. Ventriloquism is a musty, old art form? Well here's a musty, old vent figure named Cecil who exploits and explodes the audience's expectations. Carla bills as the "Rock 'n' Roll Ventriloquist," and it's apt: conceptually, her act is cranked up to 11. And she kills.

Emily Sheskin and Veena Rao have put together a Narratively video about Carla, entitled Secrets of a Die-Hard Ventriloquist. The video is short and sweet, and well worth your time. Click here to go watch it or check it out in the embedded video below.

Carla is based in New York, but she does get out to Los Angeles from time to time. Be sure to like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter to find out when you can catch her act live.

Secrets of a Die-Hard Ventriloquist from Narratively on Vimeo.
Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-90862704845040664462014-05-28T10:04:00.000-07:002014-05-28T10:06:51.993-07:00Life's What HappensI assure you, the rest of the Juana series is coming. I've been a little busy over the past few weeks.

For starters, our 8 year-old dog, The Doodlebug, was diagnosed with anemia some weeks back. She's doing much better now, but the vet bills are stacking up (blood tests, vet visits, prescriptions, etc.) To help cover the expenses, we're making Doodle pillows (pictured above, with The Doodlebug.) The response has been overwhelming, and I've spent a pretty fair chunk of my time slaving over a hot sewing machine.

This experience has inspired some thoughts regarding fundraising and social media, and I will share those in due course.

We paid visit to Hot Springs, Arkansas over the weekend. It was time to see the families and share the stage with the lovely ladies and gallant gents of Foul Play Cabaret. I also spent a chunk of Saturday with my nephew-in-law (pictured above, on the left) putting together a set and busking at Adair Park on beautiful Bathhouse Row. The kid's a natural.

I love performing in Hot Springs. It's where I graduated high school, where I met my wife (performing in The Crucible with a local community theater company), where we wed, and where we crashed for a little bit after college. The arts scene in Hot Springs is incredible, and its the thing I miss most about not living there.

Arkansans have a distinct DIY ethos that I haven't encountered anywhere else; a combination of imagination, determination, and defiance that is yet grounded in modesty and community spirit. It is inspiring to be around artists who possess that DIY ethos. It makes me want to be a better person.

Peppered in around pillow-making and travel to Arkansas is a veritable cornucopia of projects, props, writing, performances, and Gorn-knows-what-else I've committed myself to. Oh yeah. Like that burlesque parody of The Goonies that will be playing Hollywood Fringe Fest. I'm in that.

In short, the rest of the Juana series is coming.

Oh yeah, while I'm thinking about it ...
I've never had any takers, but what the hell? I might as well run it up the flagpole again. If anyone out there is interested in reviewing some shows at HFF for Mad Theatrics, shoot me a line (madtheatricsATgmail.com) and we'll talk. We have a specific approach to how we write reviews around here, and we prefer our reviews to be written by folks who have actually been involved with producing theater.

Someone once called Mad Theatrics "a refreshing, unrehearsed and intelligent alternative voice in the LA scene." It's certainly something I aspire to, and I'm always interested in bringing on more unrehearsed voices.Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-38024299430867712302014-05-05T12:59:00.003-07:002014-05-05T13:43:54.741-07:00Killing Juana (Part 2)
Puppets and Mortality

[NOTE: I've redacted the names of the players, including the theater company that produced Juana. You could easily figure out who's who with a little bit of poking around, but I ask that you don't. In all likelihood, these folks would rather you forget they were involved in this travesty, and who can blame them?]

Part one may be found here. To sum up: in 2007 I helmed a disastrous production of an epic piece of theater. I lived to tell the tale, which is exactly what I'm doing.

The Theater Company's dedication to developing new works enticed me to join as a playwright. A week or two after they welcomed me into the fold, the Artistic Director took me aside. He had heard through the grapevine that I was a puppeteer.

The Artistic Director wanted to bring Juana to the stage. It would be a huge undertaking: The action takes place across Europe, over a span of 30 years, with a massive cast (north of 70 characters), battles, and supernatural elements. The AD had a bold idea make this work: use puppets. Granted, at first blush, that's not much of an idea.

I've worked professionally as a puppeteer, and I've designed and built puppets. Back in college, I designed and oversaw the build of a large cast of puppets for a production of Allen Partridge's Rumpelstiltskin Revised. Hell, our production budget for that show was miniscule -- the costume designer, set designer, and I actually pulled most of our raw materials from the massive stock of costume pieces the theater department had in storage.

One of the Rumpelstiltskin Revised puppets. Basically thrown together from bits and pieces of foam and fabric reclaimed from long-unused costume pieces.

A full-body, gorilla-looking puppet standing in front of a coral-inspired set design by Garrick Pass. The fabric covering the set pieces is also reclaimed fabric from costume storage.

At first, the offer was simply to design and execute the puppets needed for the show. A little later (weeks) the offer was to direct the show AND do the puppets. Implicit in the offer was the promise that a play I was working on (a play set backstage at a burlesque theater in WWII-era San Francisco) would be produced the following season.

I jumped on the offer. It seemed a tall order, but with the full support of Theater Company behind me, I couldn't possibly fail!

I was given "the play." In fact, I was given a screenplay and a treatment for Juana as a television series. I emailed The AD, who in turn emailed the playwright, and before long I had a PDF of the play in front of me. It had issues -- it seemed little more than a loose adaptation of the screenplay to the stage -- but I also had assurances that the Playwright was more than willing to play ball, and make any needed revisions.

Working out the mechanics of how to make the puppets talk.

The Fortune Teller narrated the story. My idea was for a puppet fixed on a rotating set piece, operated from behind.

A rendering of what one of the finished puppets should look like. (Phillip was Juana's husband.)

And so I set to work, studying the play, doing my research, writing up my director's analysis, and doing some preliminary design work on the puppets. A month after receiving the play, I met with the Playwright. He was a very warm man, emotionally connected to Juana in a way that was moving to me. He was very supportive of our plans to populate Juana's world with puppets, and showed an interest in my work as a playwright.

We planned on doing a read-through of the play in April, when his health was a little better. He was down for doing rewrites, another draft -- anything that would help get his play in front of an audience.

A few weeks later, he passed away.

Excerpts from Director's Pre-Production Statement for Juana

An epic play, a pageant that reveals the hidden truth behind history's most maligned and misunderstood monarch -- this is the story of Juana. Labeled "Juana the Mad" by her captors, this propaganda line has dogged her true story through the ages: That the death of her young husband drove her insane; that she inherited this madness from her grandmother.

[Playwright]'s play reveals quite a different reality: A strong-willed, intelligent woman who was seen as a threat to the established patriarchal structure of post-Medieval Europe; an opponent of the Inquisition; and a champion of the common people. Juana embodied the spirit of the Renaissance in a country that was desperately clinging to the last vestiges of the Dark Ages.

This November, we will tell Juana's story. Sixty-plus puppets, brought to the stage by twenty talented performers shall take the audience on an epic voyage through three kingdoms, over turbulent oceans, through the darkest of nights, and ultimately to the truth.

The Puppets
The puppet count is at 67, not including any toy theater or shadow puppets. We will be using a variety of rod-based puppets (pageant puppets, westernized bunraku-style puppets, etc.) performed out in the open (i.e. after the fashion of Julie Taymor/Avenue Q.)

[Playwright]'s play is very cinematic. We cross continents in the blink of a scene change, cross vast amounts of time in mere moments. To help handle these transitions, I'm utilizing toy theater. (As it so happens, a few of these transitions involve large crowd scenes. Yet another reason to utilize toy theater.)

A successful application of toy theater in contemporary theater has been to capture the performance with a video camera and project it on a screen for the audience to view. (See image from Redmoon Theater's production of Once Upon a Time [Or the Secret Language of Birds].)

[Playwright] has postulated that Juana was able to keep up with what was going on outside her prison walls by way of extended or remote viewing. At the same time she was in Burgos, a group of Christian mystics were studying this phenomenon. In our play, Juana experiences two visions. We will play out these visions with shadow puppets, a form of puppetry uniquely suited to depicting dreams and visions.

Juana was was a threat to the establishment, and was removed from power. She was placed in the room without light "for her own good," and every attempt was made by her captor (the devious Marquis of Denia) to drive her insane. It was a nightmare scenario, and one that Juana briefly emerged from in 1520 when she presided over the legislative assembly in Spain, demonstrating a soundness of mind and intelligence as she attempted to transform Spain into a democracy.

"The use of puppets in this production will enable an expressionistic take on her story. The audience will experience the madhouse in which Juana found herself: surrounded by monsters who meant to do her in."

The use of puppets in this production will enable an expressionistic take on her story. The audience will experience the madhouse in which Juana found herself: surrounded by monsters who meant to do her in. In the case of Fernando, he will be a nine-foot-tall pageant style puppet. (This particular point, how Juana perceived those around her and how this works with the puppets is a point I discussed with [Playwright]. He was rather excited about the idea, and took a copy of my initial sketches to show around.)

Furthermore, we will be designing the puppets and creating an environment informed by the sort of things that would have served as nightmare fuel for a much younger Juana, growing up in the castles and cathedrals of the Catholic Monarchs. Specifically, Late Medieval and Early Renaissance religious art.
Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-79877371869565607782014-04-28T10:56:00.001-07:002014-05-05T13:02:07.329-07:00Killing Juana (Part 1)
- or -

Follow-through, Sunk Costs, and Producing the Best High School Theater in Los Angeles: A Cautionary Tale

Prologue
On September 30th, 2007, eight months after committing to direct Juana and two months before opening, I sent an email to the assistant artistic directors of [theater company name redacted] and my stage manager:

I feel a bit like Aeschylus. Only, instead of an eagle dropping a turtle on my bald head and killing me, it's the Fates dropping Cleveland steamers on my beautiful and full head of hair.

I find myself in the position of saying "Juana can still come off, so long as ..." and then listing off a dozen or so things -- a list that grows longer each day. The more problems I work on solving, the more problems pop up in their place. It's been a lot like beheading a hydra. Or to paraphrase Samuel L. Jackson's character in "Jurassic Park," we have all the problems of a major theme park and a major zoo.

Okay. To recap: I just this night lost the costume designer. There's a lighting designer in the works, but I have no set designer or sound designer.

I still don't have the cast I need (six actors short) after losing [Actress] in a Melrose-Place-like display of drama. Of the company members who haven't quit or gone on LOA, at least half of them are taking a break -- from [Theater Company], if not from acting. Our Now Casting responders were mostly females interested in the Toy Theater. Of the three guys I saw, I was able to cast one. Planet Juana needs men.

The budget's still up in the air and we really need to start the build, if we hope to build an ass-load of puppets in eight weeks. This means some of the puppets wouldn't get into the hands of the actors until opening (eight weeks). 67 puppets is a lot. I've simplified the design down to something doable, and I'm thinking up ways to eliminate extraneous characters, but it's still a shitload of work (see point above about remaining company members who are taking a break).

The breakdown of the characters/puppets."Emphasis on the 'breakdown.'"

[Artistic Director] doesn't like the idea of going dark over Thanksgiving, which means either opening after (and running for three weeks) or somehow casting nineteen people who don't have plans that weekend. I don't know what the hell this even means. If we start after Thanksgiving, we run for three weeks. (Christmas is on a Tuesday this year. Something tells me a "five day weekend" is going to be a popular choice amongst the cast members I have, let alone the audience.)

Three nights a week are completely shot as far as rehearsals go. (Even if I was not in Midsummer, most of my cast is.)

[Deceased Playwright]'s not here to make any needed changes to the script to make it more producible. There are certain staging problems that I was willing to fix, but given the mounting issues around this production ... well let's just say my optimism is fading (i.e., projectors, for a start) and time is running out.

Ladies and gentleman, I'm finally to the point where I can say with a clear conscience, "This play is fucked." Another way to say it is, "This project is officially out of my pay range." Another would be "Hold! Or cut bow strings!" Still another would be "NO MAS!" (This is me just being funny and softening the blow. I honestly don't see how we can do the production with the given circumstances, and I'm supposed to be the captain of this ship.)

Let's just do it next year. Give ourselves some time and space. Let everyone's batteries recharge so I have a fresh, full company to play with. Let's give half the Juana dates to the long-suffering Playwright's Labbers. With some of the press stating that they won't review the same small theatre twice in a row, this will get the new playwrights an opportunity to be reviewed. With the other half, let's pick back up on something we were working on earlier this year, and push it over the f-ing finish line -- and make some damn money. I'll happily take the reins of it and see it through. I even have a new name and face for it. [Asst. A.D #1] and [Stage Manager] heard the first draft of the title today in the company meeting:

"Uncle [Company Member]'s Dirty Music Hall Review" -- [Company Member]'s dirtiest songs, a couple of crude puppet shows, and a couple of burlesque acts. I'll direct and write whatever is needed to fill out the show. Midsummer has proven that we have some great dancers on our hands. We have the poles to do [Company Member]'s "Pole Dancer" number. Let's have some fun, raise some money, and start the planning for next season. (I'll even pay to reprint the outside of our Midsummer programs to reflect the change.) $20 to $25 admission for a bawdy evening of fun would be within the budget of our audiences. [Ed. Note: We were actually in production on a "gala" show that had these elements in play. It was cancelled by the artistic director.]

I hate this. Believe me, I was roaring about "doing Juana by myself with finger puppets if need be" a couple of weeks ago. I don't have the energy left at this point to do a one-man Juana production, much less the flailing project I have in my hands right now. This sucks. But Midsummer is a high point in our season that could extend if we focus our efforts. The New Playwrights Series should be easy to tackle with our available talent and will be great for the company. Making money with dirty songs and half-naked women would be a great, simple and delightful way to cap off the year.

I don't know how to present this to [Artistic Director]. You guys are the experts on that. I don't want to half-ass a dead man's work. With Midsummer, I feel the company is rounding a corner. I'd rather keep going onward and upward.

-- Andrew

And So We Begin
Let's go on a journey, dear reader. A journey into the room without light. A journey into attempting the impossible and failing miserably:

"But director Andrew Moore has made so many unfortunate choices and has been saddled with so many unhelpful circumstances, the story of the betrayal of Juana ... over 30 years by her father, husband, and son feels exhausting."

- from the Backstage West review of Juana

I'm going to take you on a journey through those many unhelpful circumstances and unfortunate choices.

In 2007, I undertook to direct a play about Juana the Mad, a fascinating historical figure, for a local theater company. I approached the process full of enthusiasm, the best of intentions, and a real desire to share Juana's tragic story. The final product was, indeed, a tragedy. A tragedy, it turns out, that could have been quite easily avoided (but you'll have to wait for the punchline, folks.)

The best of intentions: Pre-production art of what one of the puppets would look like.

The final product.

The day after I sent my plea to postpone the production of Juana, after receiving emailed pep-talks from the assistant artistic directors and my stage manager, I sent another email. This one began as follows:

Guys -

Okay, so I got a bit steamed up yesterday.

I took a fresh look at the script today and ... uh, started rewriting it.

In the end, I have no one to blame but myself. I realized what I had gotten myself into, yet I fooled myself into believing I could somehow muscle Juana to completion. I hope that over the course of this series you will learn from my mistakes.

Workshopping a dead man's script during production. Item one fifty-one on the Juana glitch list.

A Few Notes
Before I dive into the gnarly details, a few notes:
First, I'm redacting all the names involved. This production of Juana is a matter of public record, and a simple Google search could easily turn up the details I'm omitting. I ask that you don't. I am certain the other people involved in this project are happy to have it well in their rearview mirror, and would rather have it forgotten.

I have nothing but lasting respect for my cast and crew. From the lighting designer who most likely wanted to flay me alive as the demands of the production maxed out the capabilities of the light board, to the actors who remained dedicated to the farce despite every reason to run for the hills, to the assistant artistic directors who were basically handed a live grenade as the artistic director ran off to New York -- everyone actively involved in this production came to it with the sort of esprit de corps that draws me to the theater.

Finally, if you were there, too, and wish to take me to task, correct my misconceptions, or contribute to the public dissection of a long-dead production, drop me a line. As always, I'm fascinated to know what other people were thinking.Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-7528656672760815632014-04-12T10:47:00.001-07:002014-04-12T23:04:18.892-07:00Tales of Longing and Belonging

UPDATE, 11:00 pm: I would like to acknowledge the artists involved by name. Their spirited performances really made the evening:

Rona Par (narrator); Deborah Dauda (dancer); Raul Cordona, Shamika Franklin, Beth Peterson, Ezra Behnen, Alexis, Aida, Vince and Luis (puppeteers); and Severin Behnen, Julio Montero and Najite Agindotan (musicians).

Likewise, I neglected to mention how well organized and run this event was. The festival volunteers in particular were quite attentive, friendly, and on top of things. Kudos!

* * *

Child-like wonder conveyed through a loving expression of art and puppetry filled the Elephant Stage's Lillian Theatre last night, as the colorful creations and talented performers of Beth Peterson's One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater took the audience on a journey of longing and belonging.

The audience entered the theater to live music, courtesy of a trio of musicians: a percussionist playing what looked like clay bongo drums, an accordionist, and a guitarist. This magical musical overture, played in an improvisational style on folk instruments, was the perfect mood setter for what was to come.

The show began with "Traveling Colors: A Suitcase Show," a simply narrated toy theater tale of a grey boy in a grey world, and his journey through all the colors of nature. This dream-like first act was a captivating stream of consciousness, which drew us further into the magic of the evening.

A brief musical interlude followed, featuring well crafted, large-scale coyote and moon puppets. Accompanied by the vocal talents of Julio Cesar Montero, Jr. (the guitarist in the trio), this segment served as a breather between the major acts of the evening.

"The Mysterious Case of the Missing Star Episode 3: The Nomad" began with a prologue of three children looking for a star in Los Angeles. A series of humorous events brought them to Watts, where we were told the story of Sobato Rodia, the artist who created the Watts Towers.

This transitioned to the story of Dominique Moody, the titular nomad, an artist who overcame juvenile macular degeneration to create intricately crafted assemblage art. (Her first solo exhibition was at the Watts Towers Arts Center, thus connecting her story to that of Sobato Rodia.) Episodic, told through toy theater, mask work, shadow and large-scale puppetry, we were taken on an impressionistic survey of her life-story.

At times, the evening's presentation seemed to lake a certain showmanship polish. Little adjustments would make for a more enjoyable audience experience: cleaning up entrances and exits, cleaner movement of pieces on and off stage, consistent attire among the puppeteers. (If you're wearing blacks, wear blacks. Not black tennis shows with white soles or colored t-shirts.) But what these artists lacked in polish they more than made up for in heart.

At the end of the evening, the real life Dominique Moody was brought up on stage. It was an emotional, fourth-wall breaking moment: the recognition of the real, flesh-and-blood artist whose life story just played out before us. Beth Peterson then invited the audience to join the cast onstage and dance. In the end, Tales of Longing and Belonging was a celebration of life; an acknowledgement of our individual longing and universal belonging.

This show is well suited for children, and I encourage parents to seek out One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater.

LA Puppet Fest is going full tilt boogie through this tomorrow afternoon. There's still time to catch a show, panel discussion, or class. It all culminates in a veritable explosion of the puppetry arts at Skirball Cultural Center tomorrow. Visit the LA Puppet Fest website for details.Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-40769336784369650092014-04-08T20:55:00.003-07:002014-04-08T21:02:54.260-07:00LA Puppet Fest: Fringier than Fringe... and not just because some of the performers actually have fringe.

As mainstream as puppetry can be -- from The Muppets: Most Wanted to Avenue Q to the puppety presence is ads for LendingTree, Jack in the Box, and who knows what else -- as a theatrical artform it remains very much outside the mainstream. Sure, puppetry is used to great effect by companies such as Rogue Artist Ensemble and The Visceral Company, but that rather proves the point. The companies that consistently avail themselves of this uniquely theatrical artform are the iconoclastic companies on the outermost limits of mainstream theatrical production. The outré ones. The fringiest of Los Angeles theater.

For the second year, LA Puppet Fest is celebrating this artform with workshops and performances across the Greater Los Angeles area. The fest began on April 1st, and continues through this weekend, affording the opportunity to take in masterful theatrical puppetry, and learn a thing or two about how to bring the magic of puppetry to your stage.

Here's the press release, so you know what's going on:

LA Puppet Fest 2014 continues with Puppet Theater, Workshops & Skirball Family Puppet Festival

Friday: Evening of Puppetry and Song

Saturday: Intro to Puppet Sketch; Wonder of Shadow Puppetry; Future of Puppetry; Minimalism Times Three Plus One Show

Sunday: Skirball Puppet Festival, a family celebration LA Puppet Fest 2014: City-Wide Celebration of the Art and Creativity of all things Related to Puppetry with Events for Children and Adults through April 13
LA Puppet Fest 2014, back for its second year, is a city-wide celebration dedicated to sharing and promoting the art of puppetry through performances and workshops. Taking place from April 1 – 13, spanning from Santa Monica, West Los Angeles to West Hollywood and Hollywood, LA Puppet Fest promises to offer entertainment and educational activities with something for everyone. Over 25 events are scheduled, many appropriate for children and families, as well as adult only programs. www.LAPuppetFest.com

Friday, April 11, 8 p.m.: Tales of Longing and Belonging: The Losing, Finding and Making of Place, an Evening of Puppetry and Song – $15 or $20 VIP; All ages Elephant Stage's Lillian Theatre, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles 90038 - "Tales of Longing and Belonging" is an evening of giant and tiny puppetry and live music for all ages. "Hue - the suitcase show" is a young boy's colorful search to find a place where he belongs; songs of Cuñao explore the journey of history, loss and search for new place, and "The Nomad" features episodes from the life of Dominique Moody who creates beautiful assemblage from the shards of the past. Shadow puppets, Toy Theater, a giant puppet or two, and storytelling combined with live music to bring these tales to life. A One Grain of Sand Puppet Production.

Grain of Sand Puppet Theater, Tales of Longing and Belonging

Cast Includes: Gina Fields, Beth Peterson, Jamie Kim, Jonathan Alvarez, and Ezra, Vince, Luis, Aida and friends

Music: Cuñao - Julio Cesar Montero, Jr.; Severin Behnen

Beth Peterson created puppet shows, pageants and parades for over a decade and a half at In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre in Minneapolis, MN and for the last ten years with One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater in Los Angeles in venues ranging from the lobby of Walt Disney Concert Hall and opening of Grand Park, to South Coast Repertory Theater, Inner City Arts, Skirball Center and LA neighborhoods including Highland Park, Koreatown and Leimert Park.

Saturday, April 12: Workshops, Roundtable & Show

Asylum Lab, 1078 Lillian Way, Hollywood 90038
12:00 p.m.: Introduction to Puppet Sketch with Erik Kuska - $25; All Ages
Love puppets but having a hard time coming up with new ideas? Love sketch comedy but not really sure how its done? Need help finding the 'funny' in your work, or just need some motivation to get some writing done? Well this is the workshop for YOU.

Erik Kuska and friend, "Introduction to Puppet Sketch"

These sketch writing techniques apply to ALL writing, whether its a feature length script or writing a monologue to start your show. The idea is, better writing gives you better puppetry. So bring a pen, paper, and get ready take the next step toward being a better writer. We'll examine sketch formats, discuss how to play to your puppetry strengths, and learn how to develop ideas more efficiently.

Elephant Stage's Lillian Theatre, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles 90038
2:30 p.m.: Exploring the Wonder of Shadow Puppetry with Leslie K.Gray - $25; Ages 10+
Shadow puppets are an integral part of rituals and arts all over the world, but not so prevalent in Western culture. Come join theater artist Leslie K. Gray for a hands on workshop that explores the techniques of shadow puppetry, ancient and modern. Create your own shadow puppet presentations using light to create images from reflected darkness! This two hour workshop is designed to be an intensive for ages 10 and up. If you are able to bring a pair of scissors, a pencil, ordinary sheets of paper (office recycled is fine), and any items you think might cast interesting shadows, you will be onestep ahead in creating your own shadow puppet show!

5 p.m.: Future of Puppetry Round Table; guests to be announced. Moderator: Eric Lynxwiler - $15 or $20 VIP; All Ages
Young puppetry professionals share their perspective about where the art form is going and what they are doing to help it advance their way.

8 p.m.: Minimalism Times Three Plus One - $15 or $20 VIP; Ages 12+
The show opens with a preview of "206 - The Church of Bones" written and created by Sean T. Cawelti and Morgan Rebane. An original multidisciplinary puppet and media performance exploring the relationship between death and consumerism based on true events spanning a 700 year history at a single church in the Czech Republic.

Minimalism Times Three Plus One

Following that are three pieces in the Minimalist style. Each one tells a different story with a single object. The goal of this limitation is to foster a high degree of creative thinking while at the same time unearthing the emotional potential of the most common of objects. The thoughts and imagination of the audience are directed towards the formation of new associations for everyday objects and materials. It is these associations that give birth to the fun and entirely original puppetry images typical of a Minimalist Puppetry show. A MUST see. VIP tickets include priority seating and meet and greet with the cast.

Sunday, April 13, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.: Skirball Puppet Festival: A Family Celebration of the Wonders of Puppet Theater

Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 North Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles 90049 $10 general; $7 Seniors/Students; $5 Children 2-12; Free to Skirball Members; all ages Limited advance tickets: Available on site at the Skirball, online at www.skirball.org, or by phone at (877) SCC-4TIX or (877) 722-4849. Walk up tickets subject to availability. Advance tickets recommended. Free passes and discount coupons are not valid on festival day.

Join the Skirball for its third annual celebration of the art of puppetry, featuring interactive puppet performances, shadow puppetry, live music, art making, spectacular strolling puppets, an interactive display from the Los Angles Guild of Puppetry, and more. This campus-wide, daylong festival brings together some of Southern California's most talented puppeteers and artists, working in a range of cultural and artistic styles. A day of imaginative storytelling and innovation sure to amaze visitors ages 2 to 102!
Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-42280110991849084532014-03-15T10:30:00.000-07:002014-03-15T10:30:05.575-07:00Fuck It

Writer Phil Jourdan's impassioned Fuck It Manifesto is spot-fucking-on:

I would like to encourage you to say: Fuck it. Because the likely thing is that everyone is telling you not to give up, without even asking what "giving up" means. I'm not telling you to stop writing (and if you stopped writing just because I told you to, you may be in particular need of learning to say "fuck it"). I'm telling you, at the risk of you calling me an asshole, to stop behaving like a frustrated, insecure, socially oversensitive author, which is what you become when you buy into the image of the author that we have created as a collective.
Go read the whole fucking thing, and reflect on the fact that this advice is applicable to any artist, not just writers. Jourdan says, "Fuck the constant agonizing over everything except the writing."

Or the acting. Or the directing. Or the production design.Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-49816935435117678012014-02-14T10:04:00.001-08:002014-02-14T10:04:19.169-08:00Dissecting Discouragement

There's nothing like the sudden crash of discouragement that follows a period of solid, positive action. You've been doing all the right things, making great progress, and then suddenly find yourself in a blue funk, utterly depressed by the seeming futility of your actions. It's an emotional sinkhole.

I find that increasing my understanding often gives me a feeling of control over situations that otherwise leave me feeling helpless. I'm going to start by defining the word, "discouragement":

dis·cour·age·ment
noun \-mənt\

 : the act of making something less likely to happen or of making people less likely to do something
: a feeling of having lost hope or confidence

: something (such as a failure or difficulty) that discourages someone

- Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.

The derivation is fascinating. It literally means "to lose heart." Kind of an ironic thing to be writing about on Valentines Day.

This is ridiculous, of course. You can't lose your heart. You still have it. It's still there.

We forget sometimes just how alive we are. Setbacks, failures, reality adjustments -- these remind us that we are not superhumans. They are a kick to the ego-crotch. Of course we feel less alive and less vital. Of course we "lose heart."

The solution to discouragement, as near as I can tell, is to increase a personal feeling of vitality. Learn something new. Listen to exciting music. Get out and do something physical. Hell, just washing the dishes, accomplishing something as mundane as that can make you feel that much more vital.

The important thing is to remain active. To keep pushing, keep moving, keep on keeping on. And just like popping the clutch* on a car with a dead battery, you'll be fired up and racing off in no time.

*I realize this metaphor will be lost on most people. You know what? Google it sometime when you're feeling discouraged. Learn something new!

Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-31315374983749298142013-12-11T09:23:00.003-08:002013-12-11T09:23:44.292-08:00Determining the Cause of DeathThe show's over, we're all rested up, and we're eager to compare notes and find out how to improve on our efforts. We schedule a meeting.

Must we call it a "postmortem?"

Postmortems are conducted to determine a cause of death. Is the project/company/group dead? These meetings should be more like a doctor's physical than an ME's autopsy.

There has to be a more positive way to put this, that doesn't infer dredging up all the negatives and ignoring the positives.

What do you call these meetings? Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-13182910038879246172013-12-04T14:10:00.002-08:002013-12-04T14:10:18.056-08:00No Permanent Ink This Year*

  Some rights reserved by AnxiousNut

The Permanent Ink List, our list of the best original plays to debut in Los Angeles over the past year will not be published this year. Your mad genius is a bit busy and won't be able to put it together.

If anyone cares to take up the mantle, have at it!

* the irony is not lost on me.Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-46899424738387792552013-12-04T12:33:00.000-08:002013-12-04T12:38:26.139-08:00Hollywood Burlesque Festival

This weekend, Hollywood has a Burlesque Festival!

From the website:

Hollywood Burlesque Festival is established to ensure the ongoing tradition of burlesque in the arts; to raise awareness and appreciation of an art form that both empowers and admires the human figure.

Our festival celebrates the glamorous yesterday and exciting today of burlesque over four nights of showcases, competitions, and film screenings. The action takes place at the Hayworth Theater, 2511 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 and the 3Clubs, 1123 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90038

I will be performing as one half of Mr. Snapper & Mr. Buddy on Saturday night, and I'll be teaching a prop-building class on Saturday afternoon. My lovely wife, Red Snapper takes the stage on Friday evening.

Tickets are on sale now! Come one, come all!Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-40096759509712699922013-09-27T13:33:00.002-07:002013-09-27T13:35:51.854-07:00AverageDon't be average:

The safest thing you can do, it seems, is to fit in. Total deniability. Hey, I'm just doing what the masses do.

The masses are average. And by definition, we have a surplus of average.

Don't be different just to be different. Be different to be better.
Read the whole thing here.

So the goal is to be different, eh? To "Take the road less traveled by." Uh huh. Sure.

Aw shit, we about to get educated and shit:

"So the point of the poem is that everyone wants to look back and think that their choices matter. But in reality, shit just happens the way that it happens, and it doesn't matter."

Shit will just happen, regardless of the path you choose. So just pick a path, already. Don't worry about which is the better path, the safer path, or the surer path to success. Just pick a damn path.

Or rather, start walking down the path you've already picked. Yeah, that's right. I'm in your head now, and I know you already know what you want to do. You're waiting for some sign or for someone to give you permission to do it. Divine Providence. Well, that ain't gonna come. It's entirely up to you.

FOLLOW. YOUR. BLISS.

If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are—if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time.
So says Joseph Campbell, the guy who coined the phrase.

In our art (and in our lives) we have to make the choices that perhaps only make sense to us. Choices that make intuitive sense. Fritz Lang once spoke of a "somnambulant certainty" that guided his art. We all have that. Religious folk speak of the "still, small voice." Poets speak of their muse. I'm convinced there is a preconscious consciousness that has already calculated the odds and helps us determine our next step.

Often -- especially for artists and others who live and create on the edge of traditional norms -- that somnambulant certainty comes into direct conflict with our fight or flight mechanism. When that happens, we have to cowboy up and push through millions of years of evolution to make things happen for ourselves. It's painful. It's worth it.

The alternative is "average" and a life of quiet desperation.

What fork are you standing at? What decision are you putting off?

You already know the answer.

Tighten your bootlaces and get to walking.Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-20721696964649392572013-09-20T16:51:00.002-07:002013-09-20T16:51:22.054-07:00Red Snapper on Video Auditions and Festival Applications[NOTE: I am reposting this from Red Snapper's blog, Snippets from Snapper:]

What I Learned Being a Festival Application Judge

My very first festival submission video was shot in my living room over five years ago, and it was terrible. I was told by a teacher to submit, so I whipped together an act that was well-costumed but the storyline was very incomplete. I shot it in my living room and was shot down by two festivals with that submission.

Of course I was looking at my submission subjectively. I worked hard to make the costume and I busted ass at the eleventh hour to get music edited and put together some choreography. With my resume of instructors and my lifetime as a performer, how could they not see how much potential I had and put me in the festival already?

I'm older, wiser, and more experienced now. I've suffered through seeing bad shows (largely plays) where I was not entertained but I'm sure everyone involved in the show was trying really hard. I've also been part of productions that I thought would've been better off closing early, going on hiatus to spend the time becoming something better, or needing an honest opinion from someone who wasn't so close to the show and trying so hard. I've also been part of an amazing play didn't get bumped up to the next level of festival competition because of the discussions that went down in the selection room.

The entire screening committee for the Hollywood Burlesque Festival watched every video submission. Even if we'd seen the act before, we watched the entire video that was submitted and worked with that performance for scoring. We had a number system to make things as fair as possible. There were no write-ins, no comments sections for us to say, "Yeah, this video doesn't really showcase the performer's best act but we really, really, really like them and think they should compete with a better number." We didn't compare one performer to another but scored each individual video we were watching against itself.

I'm sharing the "inside baseball" from this experience because it was so wonderfully educational. Here are some of the most valuable things I learned as a performer from being a judge:

Lighting is important. We want to see you looking great, to take in all the colors of your costume, to see what you're actually doing. If your costume is black, the backdrop is black, and you have the red and green lights of a dive bar, it's going to be hard to see your act on video.

Framing is important. We want to see what you're doing. If you have to set up your own camera to shoot footage of your act, talk with show producers to make it happen. We can't tell what you're doing when you drop out of frame, and we may be missing the most amazing floor work ever. And we don't have to see the entire venue in your video, just what's happening on stage.

Focus is important. It's so hard to see what someone is doing when the picture is blurry. Your makeup may be amazing and the title of the book you're reading may be key to the act, but we can't see it if it's out of focus.

Do something worth watching. This probably sounds mean, but this is how I feel about theatre as well. If you're not an incredible dancer, fill the act with personality. Make the best of the assets you do have and let them fill in for the things you're lacking. Boldly be you. Embrace and demonstrate what you bring to the table.

If you have to shoot your video in your living room, your performance needs to be bigger than your living room. Treat it like it's a stage and like you have a real audience. Even though you watch sitcom reruns on that television, you need to regard it as a paying customer in your submission video. The dog and the cat become VIPs who deserve to be truly entertained when you shoot at home.

Video your rehearsals and watch the video. It's therapeutic. You can become your own judge to determine what works and what doesn't, where you need to add or subtract from the number. It's so nice to cut things that don't work and replace them with things that do, especially before you show that act to other people.

Tell a story/make sure your act flows logically. If your act is all about falling in love for the first time, don't grab your crotch in the first five seconds because it gives you nowhere to go with the story. In a burlesque act, you have to have a final reveal. The final reveal tends to be pasties, but could be a skimpier garment or a prop or a special ability. To be blunt, don't orgasm until the act is over or you'll be that person who act-gasms prematurely. ;)

Sometimes it comes down to numbers. You might be the next person on the list after the tallies, but there are only so many slots that can be filled. Your act may have been incredible, but the performance slots were filled by the people who tallied more points.

Watch your video before you submit it. Check for these elements. Try to watch it objectively. Enlist a trusted friend. (My husband and I review acts for one another because we can't always see what the audience sees. We trust each other so it's really easy to say "that doesn't read for the audience" or "you need to wiggle your ass more there.") Think about what you want to submit to festivals and hone those acts. (I know we only gave you thirty days to submit for our festival. "Surprise! We're having a festival!")

As a friend, I wanted all of my friends to get into the festival because I love spending time with them and I love it when they succeed. As a Californian, I wanted all the folks I haven't met in the face to spend some time in Hollywood so they might get a little idea of why I get misty-eyed every time my flight home lowers through the smog and I see my city. As a judge, I watched the videos and submitted my numbers.

I hope this gives my fellow performers insight for their future festival submissions. I know that being a screener has changed my standard for what I will submit for other festivals.Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-31155057563769113172013-08-27T10:29:00.002-07:002013-08-27T10:29:29.745-07:00Cultural Identity Theft
"You can't steal a gift. Bird [Charlie Parker] gave the world his music, and if you can hear it you can have it." -- Dizzy Gillespie

Regarding Miley Cyrus and twerking ...

MISappropriation. That's the problem: misappropriation. Appropriation is a good and necessary thing for the creation of art and the furtherance of ALL culture. Flamenco dance has its roots in Jewish folk dance. Traditional Mexican music has Germanic roots. The French borrowed the necktie from the Croatians. The Beatles covered the Isley Brothers and George Clinton covers the Beatles. You can't steal ideas and you can't steal culture. The worst you can do is disrespect and exploit a people.

 Mockery is disrespect and misappropriation. Ignorantly lifting culture without attempting to understand it is misappropriation.

Learning dance moves, singing a certain kind of song, dressing like a different group; admiring the "other" so much you want to be like them in some small way -- this isn't disrespect. It's the sincerest form of respect. It says, "Your culture enriches my life." It expresses love and admiration, like a child who loves an adult so much she mimics the adult's speech patterns and gestures.

We are all learning how to be human, and NO ONE gets to tell you where you can take your lessons. Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-87298064363473991912013-08-16T12:47:00.000-07:002013-08-16T12:47:00.965-07:00The Right Kind of Synergy
syn·er·gy
n. pl. syn·er·gies
1. The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
2. Cooperative interaction among groups, especially among the acquired subsidiaries or merged parts of a corporation, that creates an enhanced combined effect.

John Mayer drops a new album in a few days, Paradise Valley. Mayer (and I have no doubt he's behind this) has made a Spotify playlist available of "Paradise Valley influencers." In other words, this is a curated playlist of songs that informed his songwriting on this album. Here's a link to the playlist.

This is the right kind of synergy, and a wonderful use of Spotify as a tool to both promote an upcoming release and connect with the audience in a personal way. This is something theater companies and producers could and should use!

For example: in my review of The Baby, I made note of the incredible preshow music they play, music that sets the scene better than any preshow program in recent memory. There's no reason why that playlist couldn't be put onto Spotify.

Or perhaps the composers behind the original music in a show like Songs of Bilitis or Watson and the Dark Art of Harry Houdini could post playlists of their "influencers."

To reiterate my advice for using Pinterest, this tool should not be used for self-aggrandizement. Use it to share with your audience, to initiate and facilitate your conversation with them. Use it to get them excited!

(BTW, I've listened to Paradise Valley, and it is a delightfully informal and warm album. If you're a fan, it's a must-have. If you're not a fan, you may be surprised by its range and listenability. Regardless, check it out.)Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-82113501328921407142013-08-06T17:12:00.000-07:002013-08-06T17:12:06.502-07:00Hollywood Burlesque FestivalFasten your seatbelts ...

... it's going to be a bumpy (and grindy) ride!

The Entertainment Capitol of the World is hosting the first festival of its kind in our city, the first annual Hollywood Burlesque Festival! The vibrant tapestry of burlesque, it's glamorous history and effervescent present will be represented over nights of showcases, competitions, and film screenings. Talent from around the globe will descend upon the Hayworth Theater December 6th - 9th for this unprecedented event.

Yours truly will be helping out in every way I can, including joining the incredible folks blogging about the festival, and all things burlesque both past and present.

Applications are being accepted from burlesque performers, and advertising opportunites are available. Tickets go on sale starting August 15th, so don't miss that. And don't forget to follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter for updates!

There will be a fundraiser for the Hollywood Burlesque Festival on Tuesday, August 27th at Three Clubs in Hollywood. That's a venue well known to burlesque fans and Hollywood Fringe Festival-goers alike. The line-up so far is nothing short of amazing. Find out more about the fundraiser here.

Burlesque has been my artistic outlet over the past many years, and I couldn't be more excited about this festival. I hope to see you there!Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-90593708229044540882013-07-28T13:06:00.000-07:002013-07-28T13:07:22.731-07:00ReweddingMonday, August 12th, My wife and I will be renewing our vows before a paying public.

It's going to be one helluva show.

Comics will make funny, crooners will croon, and strippers will strip. But lest you think this is merely a burlesque on weddings (which I suppose it is, in a way) Red and I are sincerely renewing our vows.

Heartwarming and strippers? Friends, that's how we roll. Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-36868049362850516432013-07-23T18:08:00.000-07:002013-07-23T18:08:09.141-07:00Done, For Now ...I've learned to never say never, but as of this moment I believe I've written my last theater review. For now, at least. My schedule prevents me from getting out to see much of anything, and I'm beginning to question the need for one more Los Angeles theater blogger passing his easy judgement on the hard work of undeniably talented artists.

Before I hang it up, I thought I might share something. Some time back, Ken Davenport published his "5 Ways to Revive Reviewing." I started this draft back then, but only recently finished it:

Five Things I've Tried To Keep In Mind When Writing Reviews

1. Know my audience. After a review is published, I drop the company's publicist an email. Quite rapidly, that review will be visited a dozen or more times. It doesn't take a genius to see what's happening here. People intimately connected to the show are reading the review. My first, most immediate audience are the very people I'm writing about.

This realization led to a couple of policies around here. First, we try to keep the snark in our reviews to a minimum. Perhaps that keeps us from being a more popular review site, but I give zero fucks about that sort of popularity. Second, we try to treat the reviews like we're giving notes. Arrogant? Perhaps. To be honest, the vast majority of who I review may not care about my notes so much as my pull quotes, but for those who are interested, we strive for a certain level of honesty and constructive criticism.

2. My review may be the only experience some people have of the show. What lasts? After the set is struck and the cast and crew moves on, what record exists of their production? There's the script, of course, but the text is potential energy, not necessarily a record of what happened. And good luck finding a copy of the vast majority of original plays that debut each year. There are the company's own archives, but these are rarely made available to the public at large, and more than likely sit moldering in a hard drive or banker's box.

And then there's the review.

Reviews are unique in that they (often) describe the experience of seeing the show. The script is mere literature. The company's available archive is mere publicity. A well-written review suggests the actual flavor of the show. Part of my job, whether I've liked it or not, has been to serve as an unofficial archivist. A highly subjective, perhaps unreliable witness to a tiny sliver of theatrical history, but a witness nonetheless.

3. Some people want to know if a live performance is worth their time and money. Is it an experience they will love or loathe? How splashy is the splash zone, how challenging is the audience participation, can I bring my mother to the play about the child molester, etc. The trick is to give people an idea of what lies in store for them without spoiling anything. It's tricky.

4. Theater is a unique art form. It's not film and it's not television. It is the rare art form that (with the possible exception of some heavily automated Broadway shows) is never in its final, fixed form. No two performances are exactly the same, discoveries are constantly being made, moments are continually explored. Each performance can be made or undone by the audience itself -- a matinee crowd may love it, and the evening performance could bomb.

Nitpicking a hiccup is stupid. It's a waste of the reviewer's words. That light cue may never be late again. That one dark spot upstage may be a blown lamp that was immediately replaced after the audience went home. I believe that you should posses and employ a working understanding of how theater is made in order to write a worthwhile review, and trust that the folks running the show saw (and will correct) the same hiccup you saw.

5. There are no 'bad' plays. I can't remember exactly where I heard it -- it may have been Craig Mazin who said it, on the entertaining and education podcast he co-hosts with John August, Scriptnotes -- but I've heard it said, "there are no 'bad' movies. There are movies that work, and movies that don't work."

The same is true of theater. No one sets out to produce a bad play. I try to focus on where a play works, and where it doesn't work. It helps me focus my writing, and helps me achieve the other aims listed above.

* * *

Mad Theatrics isn't going to pack it in completely, but what we do next is anyone's guess, self included. Will I publish another Permanent Ink list? I don't know. (Anyone want to take up the chore? I'll help tabulate the results. Email me.)
Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-5646316555815484832013-07-06T20:06:00.002-07:002013-07-06T20:08:03.362-07:00The Babypresented by The Visceral Company

review by Andrew Moore

Germaine (Natasha Charles Parker) feeds her brother Baby (Torrey Halverson), who wears a diaper and sleeps in a crib; looking on are (from left) sister Alba (Cloie Wyatt Taylor), Mama Wadsworth (Frank Blocker), and social worker Ann Gentry (Jana Wimer) in a scene from The Visceral Company's production of THE BABY, now playing at the Lex Theatre.

Fully committed to the tropes and excesses of exploitation cinema, the cast and crew of The Baby revel in this sick and demented little domestic melodrama. There is a sincerity is buried beneath every insincere choice and moment of over-the-top emoting. This is a loving farce of an obscure and obscene film, and is the most fun I've had at a play in a long time.

Baby is a grown man whose development has been frozen in infancy. When a new social worker comes a calling, her attempts to bring Baby out of his shell and into manhood open up a twisted game of cat an mouse with Baby's sisters and mother. The fun and games culminate in a twist -- a twisted twist -- that has to be seen to be believed. The story is fiendishly clever. Most grindhouse fare would stop at the basic premise and fill an hour and a half with just that.

Director Dan Spurgeon (who also adapted the play from the screenplay by Abe Polsky) keeps a stilted script from playing stilted, taking every advantage of the hammy possibilities the material presents. It's always hard to guess how much an actor brings and how much a director elicits, but it is plain to see that Spurgeon created a safe space for his cast to blossom in absurdity. He keeps up the pace as well, and transitions are seamless.

The cast is fantastic, but three actors in particular stand out. Firstly, Torrey Halverson as the titular Baby never lets the mask slip. Never. Even in blackouts, one can see his silhouette crawling towards the wings. The unfocused eyes, the gaping mouth, the lax muscle control -- this is a characterization born of careful observation and diligent practice. And yet, even when Baby does creepy things (and a hat tip to Jonica Patella as the Babysitter for being party to the creepiest thing I've seen on stage since ... ever) even when Baby does unspeakable things, he seems completely innocent and without blame.

Jana Wimer flirts with insanity as the straitlaced, dedicated social worker, Ann Gentry. What is her interest in Baby? Genuine altruism? Sexual kink? Perhaps there's some unknown yet jaw-droppingly warped selfish purpose? Wimer plays the cipher well, never tipping her hand (until things get thoroughly tipped). Her moments of wide-eyed crazy are hilarious and haunting.

Finally, Frank Blocker as Mama Wadsworth. Look, here's the deal. The novelty of casting a man in drag as the matron of the Wadsworth clan is deserving enough of praise. It's a clever choice that adds a certain John Waters-esque vigor to this adaptation. The fact is, Frank Blocker owns every inch of this role, is in charge of every moment. He is an actor, as they say, fully in command of his instrument. It is such a thoughtfully charted persona, it's almost Shakespearean in magnitude. (Considering the King's Men did drag as well, that's not such a crazy comparison to make.)

I need to make mention of the sound design. They don't credit it as such, instead listing Neel Boyett as the Music Advisor. However it went down, whoever decided to program a preshow playlist with the creepiest cover tunes of 1970s soft rock hits ever recorded, kudos and thank you. You set the tone so well, I was chuckling before the house lights dimmed. Throughout the play itself, there were moments underlined by perfect music cues. It added so much to the evening, to the exploitation cinema feel, I can't imagine the show without them.

The Visceral Company is extending their run of The Baby to the end of August. Don't miss this funny and perverse excursion into 1970s cinema excess.

The Baby has playtime on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm through August 31st at The Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., in Hollywood (just east of Highland.) Street parking is available, but you will have to hunt for it. Get there early and be sure to read the street signs. Tickets are available online. Be advised that there is some nudity and (disturbing) adult situations.Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-772902684792228662013-07-06T18:52:00.000-07:002013-07-06T18:52:34.428-07:00Watson and the Dark Art of Harry HoudiniSacred Fools present the new play by Jaime Robledo

review by Andrew Moore

Scott Leggett as Watson. Photo by Jessica Sherman Photography

Perhaps I should have seen Watson: The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes. I get the impression that had I seen the first play, the sequel would have been easier to digest. Despite the best efforts of a cast and crew who really endeavor to put on a great show, Watson and the Dark Art of Harry Houdini was ultimately an empty experience for me.

It's difficult to delve into exactly why this didn't work for me without spoiling the end of the play, so consider yourself warned. Watson and Holmes, who have had a falling out after the events of the first play, are drawn together to solve a series of ritualistic murders that seem to involve the Ectoplasmic Man himself, Harry Houdini. As the plot thickens, reality itself begins to dissolve, and the final case of Watson's career shuffles off with his mortal coil. We are left with an incomplete and unsatisfying narrative, an unfortunate end for an otherwise enticing, magical evening of theatre.

Michael James Schneider provides an evocative unit set framed by latticework and incandescent bulbs. Matthew Richter paints this set with his lights, digging into his bag of tricks to add a pleasing aesthetic to the cast's pantomimes. The combination of sound and lighting design with low-tech theatrical solutions is a large part of this show's charm: a reenactment of a murder performed as though a silent film, complete with flickering lights; a foot pursuit through Coney Island's carnival barkers and a carousel; the mental hall of mirrors Watson finds himself in -- all very well executed and exciting to take in.

Murder most foul. Photo by Jessica Sherman Photography

These clever solutions are the work of writer/director Jaime Robledo. Robledo has a keen mind for crafting theatrical solutions to staging problems. His stage is a funhouse of movement, and this is reason enough to take in Watson and the Dark Art of Harry Houdini. Recalling how he staged the shuffleboard game between Houdini and Holmes brings a smile to my face. Delightful, inventive work.

The cast is simply wonderful. Scott Leggett's Watson is stately and endearing; a man conflicted, resolute in his fidelity to his lost wife, trying to come to terms with the loss but not quite ready to move on. Joe Fria brings a spritely, good-natured narcissism to his turn as Sherlock. He's brilliant yet obtuse, cunning yet clumsy. Donal Thomas-Cappello shines as Harry Houdini. Introduced as an affable American with a subtle air of menace, the character may fizzle in the second act, but Thomas-Cappello's commitment to the role never does. Graham Skipper is memorable in dual roles, as the buoyant sensationalist Pike and the wise-cracking bullscheisser, Freud.

Where Watson falls down for me is in the writing. It's a muddled script that doesn't know what it wants to be. An original yet relatively loyal take on Doyle's universe, an anachronistic romp, or perhaps some hybrid of the two? It seems this last approach is Robledo's target but the script lacks the focus to achieve this aim. When the plot twists -- or perhaps is abandoned in favor of an expedient close -- we are left with an unsatisfying and dreary end. The crimes our heroes are investigating and Houdini's ambiguity is all for naught. All the great stuff Robledo sets up doesn't pay off. Even as Watson realizes what has happened to him, it's not a mystery that he solves, piecing together what the events of the play add up to, but rather an understanding that feels handed to him.

It is frustrating, because I really wanted to like this show. It has everything going for it, save the most important thing. The quality stagecraft, earnest performances, and clever direction can't make up for where the show breaks down: the script.

Watson and the Dark Art of Harry Houdini is exhibited Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm through July 27th, at the Sacred Fools Theater, 600 N. Heliotrope Dr. (Just south of Melrose and just west of Vermont.) Street parking is ample, but there is a pay lot at the theater. Tickets are available online.Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-42992187185158662572013-05-19T15:26:00.000-07:002013-05-19T15:27:39.944-07:00How Do You Feel?I attended a screening of Star Trek: Into Darkness last night that was followed by a Q&A with composer Michael Giacchino and producer Bryan Burk. During the Q&A, Giacchino spoke of his process, saying that what he does is translate his emotional responses to whatever movie or TV show he's composing for into the music. This got me to thinking.

Do we serve as emotional ambassadors to our audiences? Is it our job to have an emotional response to a story, and translate that response into a physical form: as music, performance, direction, design, even the writing of the story? Are we in fact being paid, not just to tell a story, but to have an emotional response to the story we tell? Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-36582706319455919082013-05-18T12:05:00.001-07:002013-05-19T01:10:04.108-07:00Kill MeThe Visceral Company presents the Los Angeles premiere of a play by Scott T. Barsotti.

review by Andrew Moore

Cam (Natasha Charles Parker), center, surrounded by (clockwise from left), her sister Wendy (Angela Stern); the four Miseries: Paranoia (Yanna Fabian), Despair (Alexander Price), Dread (Karen Nicole), and Angst (Lamont Webb); and her lover Grace (Jonica Patella), in a scene from Kill Me, now playing at the Lex Theatre through June 2.

Some works of art disturb you, dominate your thoughts, haunt you. Kill Me has the potential to dig its hooks into an audience's psyche, and The Visceral Company's production of this difficult piece very nearly achieves this end. The flaws in the production are significant but not fatal. Kill Me is an intense, suspenseful evening of theater that fans of psychological horror should seek out.

The play opens with a great bit of John McCormick's sound design over blackout, followed by the lyrical pyrotechnics of overlapping dialogue. The audience is injected into the world of the play with immediacy and intensity. Cam (an earnest and committed Natasha Charles Parker) emerges from a life--and sanity--altering experience. Her estranged sister Wendy (Angela Stern) and lover Grace (Jonica Patella) struggle to understand her and help her heal. Cam is haunted by the Miseries, four actors who embody Paranoia, Dread, Despair, and Angst.

Kill Me is a gripping glimpse into schizophrenia; into the horror of living with someone who is so convinced by the reality of her delusions, her loved ones begin to believe as well. It is about the potential contagion of mental illness, and the frightening possibility that the ravings of a lunatic may be prophetic and true. Playwright Scott T. Barsotti has painted a compelling picture. There are moments so ... well, moments so visceral, they are almost impossible to process on a logical level.

The problem is there is no build to these moments. Patella in particular is cranked up pretty high on the intensity scale from the beginning, with nowhere really to go. Even at Grace's weakest, most vulnerable moments she continues with full intensity. Ultimately, it cheats the depth her final moment onstage should have. That's unfortunate, because her journey is the most interesting of the three main characters. Director Dan Spurgeon needs to find the peaks and valleys and exploit them with his actors. Otherwise, it's just an onslaught.

There are other opportunities here that remain unexploited. Given the nature of the dialogue, the fluidity of the scenes, and the dreamlike quality of the show overall it is dismaying that Spurgeon opted for rather static blocking throughout. The choices Spurgeon made lead to awkward transitions at times. For instance, the Miseries are forced to retreat in full view of the audience after particularly feverish interaction with an actor. Slinking backwards to the wings. There is no proper ebb to the flow.

Regarding the Miseries, designers Erica D. Schwartz (costumes) and Jana Wimer (makeup) made very bold and specific choices in their depiction of the Miseries, which is a good thing. However the Miseries feel out of sync with this piece, as if they were characters from another play who happened in to this one. They are just distracting enough at times to work against the mood that is being created.

Despite the problems I found with the production, I greatly enjoyed it. The commitment of the cast, the quality of the production values, and the script itself are all wonderful, and perhaps you will leave it as I did, pondering the themes at play and wondering just how crazy Cam actually was. This company is fully committed to its mission statement by bringing suspenseful and frightening works to the Los Angeles theatre scene, and they definitely succeed with that aim.

Kill Me is at The Lex Theatre Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm through June 2nd. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased through www.thevisceralcompany.com. The Lex Theatre is located at 6760 Lexington Ave. in Hollywood California, just off Highland. Parking can be a challenge, so get there a little early and pay attention to the signs.

This play contains intense and frightening imagery, including graphic makeup effects. Leave the kids at home.Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-44768640651103021772013-05-09T11:46:00.001-07:002013-05-09T11:49:02.345-07:00Hemophelia's House of HorrorsPresented by The Visceral Company

review by Andrew Moore

Lara Fisher is Hemophelia, the ghoul of cool and hostess of Hemophelia's House of Horrors, an all-new horror-themed comedy/variety show now playing at the Lex Theatre through June 8.

The Visceral Company presents a frightfully fun excursion into laugh-out-loud funny horror; an eclectic collection of sketches that range from macabre jokes to horror movie satire, with occasional artistic and technical flourishes that elevate this from being a mere sketch comedy show to something truly worth seeing.

Lara Fisher is Hemophelia, our host, our sexy Crypt Keeper-ette. She fills the space between the sketches with songs (Matt DeNoto has composed some truly funny stuff here) and goriously bad puns, but most importantly keeps the show moving along. Her name is in the title, but Hemophelia (like all good emcees) knows the show isn't just about her. We get just enough of her dark wackiness that we want more.

Hemophelia's House of Horrors, an all-new horror-themed comedy/variety show now playing at the Lex Theatre through June 8, features (top center) Lara Fisher as Hemophelia, the ghoul of cool, and a comedy troupe of (clockwise from bottom) Brian Prisco, Cloie Wyatt Taylor, Cynthia Zitter, Torrey Halverson, Matt DeNoto, Samm Hill, and Casey Christensen.

Three sketches in particular stand out. In "Organ Grinder," Samm Hill and Matt DeNoto play out the kind of high-concept terror I associate with Tales from the Crypt, Shock SuspenStories, and other EC horror comics. It has its funny moments, but the sketch is a statement about addiction and loss served up with the heavy-handed, gorily metaphoric moralizing EC Comics is known for. Hill and DeNoto give the right amount of fully-committed scenery chewing, and the piece serves as a nice break from more conventional sketch comedy fare, such as the parody of the Friday the 13th movies that precedes it.

"Habeus Corpus," created and directed by Jana Wimer, is a trippy piece of puppetry magic. A disembodied head and hands dig through a trash can, pulling out bits and pieces of garbage to assemble a body. Spooky and fun with a startling ending. Like "Organ Grinder," it's not the sort of fare you would expect in a sketch show, but the otherworldly eeriness contributes to the overall vibe of the night.

"Karmic Retribution" exemplifies what this troupe is capable of with straight up sketch comedy. A genre-twisting take on the "axe-wielding maniac" trope, three survivors lock themselves in a cabin and let their true feelings be known about a fourth friend who was slaughtered offstage. Casey Christensen, Cloie Wyatt Taylor, and Cynthia Zitter play up the imperiled campers, giving a more dimensional portrayal of the victim archetypes from conventional horror. The piece builds tension through its staging, releasing bits of that tension through humor until the grim and hilarious end. It is delightful.

This show is a lot of fun, and I recommend braving the horrible parking to take it in. (Parking is a nightmare. Get there a little early, expect to do laps, and pay attention to the signs before committing to a spot. You may have to park a few blocks away from the venue.)

Hemophelia's House of Horrors opens its doors Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30 pm through June 8th (there are no performances on May 17th or 18th) and may also be visited during Hollywood Fringe Festival on Tuesday, June 11th at 8pm and Thursday, June 13th at 10:30pm. The Visceral Company is in residence at The Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Avenue in Hollywood. Nearest cross street is Highland.

Tickets are $15 via Brown Paper Tickets, but you may use the code "HEMO" at check-out for a $5 discount. More information may be found on The Visceral Company website.Andrew Moorehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-12344039027537601132013-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:002013-05-02T08:49:31.449-07:00Autopsy of a Deceased TheaterAs Scott Walters (formerly blogging at Theatre Ideas, now blogging at Creative Insubordination) once opined:

What if we thought of theatre not as a product, but as an alliance (a "connection based on kinship, marriage, or common interest; a bond or tie"), a fellowship (a "close association of friends or equals sharing similar interests"), a guild (an "association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards"). Instead of buying a product (a ticket to a show), you became a member of this alliance/fellowship/guild and could participate in all of the activities associated with that organization. A church can serve as an interesting model.
Indeed, a church is a fantastic model, which is why I sat up in my chair a bit when my dad -- a Methodist minister -- posted a link to this article on Facebook:

Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 11 Things I Learned

The 11 lessons outlined may be of particular interest to folks who find themselves concerned for the health of their theater company. It should be read by all, regardless, as the items listed sketch out a road map for failure that may be avoided. Let's take a look at just three of these items.

2. The church had no community-focused ministries. This part of the autopsy may seem to be stating the obvious, but I wanted to be certain. My friend affirmed my suspicions. There was no attempt to reach the community.
Can you imagine a theater company becoming calcified and insular? Acting -- banish the thought -- cliquish? (Note: you have to focus on the community you actually belong to, not the community you wish you belonged to. This is often a key distinction for companies in Los Angeles.)

7. With few exceptions, pastoral tenure grew shorter and shorter. The church had seven pastors in its final ten years. The last three pastors were bi-vocational. All of the seven pastors left discouraged.

For me the analogy is creative leadership turnover. When a company begins chewing up and spitting out its creative talent, you might want to start warming up the defibrillator.

 9. The church had no clarity as to why it existed. There was no vision, no mission, and no purpose.
And herein lies a clue to the cure. A dying company lacks purpose. Say, I haven't quoted Peter Brook in a while, have I? This seems like a good time to do so. From The Empty Space:

There is always a new season in hand and we are too busy to ask the only vital question which measures the whole structure. Why theatre at all? What for? Is it an anachronism, a superannuated oddity, surviving like an old monument or a quaint custom? Why do we applaud, and what? Has the stage a real place in our lives? What function can it have? What could it serve? What could it explore? What are its special properties?
Granted, the cure involves asking tough questions and coming up with challenging answers.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that precisely what theater is good at?Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-27889799.post-86060388345552393862013-04-29T17:00:00.000-07:002013-04-29T17:00:01.842-07:00How to Tell When it's Time to Cut BaitBarring any last minute inspiration, this will be the last post in our "Won't Get Fooled Again" series of posts this month. To celebrate the spirit of April Fools Day, we've taken a look at Meeting Trolls, the importance of knowing your rights, creating sustainable fun, and how to work with a partner or collaborator. Today we look at the flip side of this last topic:

How to Tell When it's Time to Cut Bait

When a collaboration or partnership clicks, the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Some amazing art can be created. Sometimes, things go horribly awry. It is incredibly hard to tell how bad things really are when you are in the middle of things. Before settling down, you should spend some time "dating" to see if a partnership or collaboration is a love connection. Work on a limited project with your potential collaborators, and evaluate the experience from a safe distance before committing further.

Hopefully, this list will help you recognize the signs of a bad creative relationship so that you can move on and find your perfect match. Or, if you have settled down, perhaps it will help you resist doubling down on a partnership that's driving you nuts.

1. SANDBAGGING. Important information is being withheld. One of your collaborators knows something you don't, and in order to gain some advantage over you, he keeps you in the dark. If you are being sandbagged, you are not in a healthy relationship; you are connected to someone who is actively working against you in a passive-aggressive, underhanded way.

This is reason enough to pack it in and hit the road. This is a basic trust issue. If your partner or collaborators are doing this to you, run.

2. STATED MISSION VS. THE ACTUAL ACTIVITIES. This is not the same as making an honest attempt and failing. No, this is saying one thing and doing another. For instance the stated goal is to develop new material, but the group only seems interested in producing published plays that will showcase the actors.

We all have our wild hares to chase, but when things get wildly out of phase and most of the time, something more serious is at hand.

3. YOUR GOALS VS. THE GOALS OF YOUR COLLABORATORS. This is a big one, yet it's strangely easy to miss. It's really a "no harm, no foul" situation -- you're just not all on the same page. You want to create spontaneous happenings in public, someone else wants to produce Shakespeare in the park, and a third person wants to produce her one-woman show in a North Hollywood storefront theater.

This can lead to "No, but ..." brainstorming, as opposed to "Yes, and ...." Every idea thrown out is immediately shot down by someone who's just not on the same page with you. You're planning a garden salad, he's planning to change the oil in his Buick Skylark. "Carrots!" "No, Pennzoil 10W30!" "No, celery!" "No, Fram HM3887A oil filter!" If it feels like you're speaking a different language than your collaborator, you probably are.

4. ALL STICK, NO CARROT. Sometimes we need enforcement to get things done. The enforcement of a deadline, for instance. If you are in a creative relationship that is all enforcement and no positive reinforcement (e.g. rewards, opportunities, a simple "thank you"), you are most likely dealing with someone who gets off on pushing other people around. The world is too vast, and creative opportunities too ample to remain attached to a bruiser who'd rather smack you than pat you on the back.

5. FOCUSING ON BLAME RATHER THAN PRODUCTION. Ever have one of those meetings where you deviate wildly off of the agenda and into finger-pointing territory? Any hope for productivity flies out the window and you spend the next hour rehashing things that went astray -- rehashing without any attempt to actually learn from those mistakes. Nope, it's much more fun to tell a person, "You're wrong!"

This gets really sick when it becomes a proactive attempt to catch you out on something. To actually manipulate you into an unintentional lie or misstep; a game of "GOTCHA!"

6. FREQUENT CLASHES, ESPECIALLY OF A PERSONAL NATURE. This is an extension of the above, and it deserves its own bullet. There's blaming others for things that have gone wrong, and then there's taking personal potshots at them. If it's happening, again, the person you're dealing with is actively working against you. Nothing good can come of that relationship. Run.

7. DRUDGERY. Finally, if you're just plain miserable, cut bait and move on.

It can be tough. There's this thing called "The Sunk Cost Bias." There's a great article about it here. The short version is, it's damned hard to step away from something you've invested in. For some reason it feels "better" to keep doubling down on a bad hand than to simply fold. This is what Buddha meant when he said "The origin of suffering is attachment."

To paraphrase Walt Whitman, you are large; you contain multitudes. Don't let anyone sell you on the idea that leaving a messed-up relationship will in anyway hinder your ability to create. Instead, remember the sage words of Bobcat Goldthwait:

Work with your friends. Avoid chasing fame or money. Just do what you want to do, when and how you want to do it. And if it's not making you happy, quit. Quit hard, and quit often. Eventually you'll end up somewhere that you never want to leave.
Andrew Moorehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
GC might be getting too into his leadership role, as he's now commandeering the rice pot from Randy to make lunch. But there's some confusion, as Randy wants GC to use water from the lake while GC would rather use the "clean" water they've already boiled back at camp. Randy tries to explain that using the lake water is best since it will boil and become clean in the process of cooking the rice, whereas the clean water they have at camp is their drinking water, so it would be a waste. GC doesn't understand what Randy's talking about, though, since Randy doesn't explain it very well. In fact, the first few times I saw this scene I thought Randy was afraid that GC would burn the water by boiling it twice. Either way, GC doesn't seem to like being "challenged" and walks off. So, of course, Randy is now annoyed with GC. He says GC is too young, doesn't know anything, and won't be a good leader, but he's perfectly happy to let his tribe members crash and burn because it means he'll stay in the background and no one will notice that he's old and out of shape.
Back at camp, Crystal doesn't seem to understand the word "leader" or "fruit," as she tells a confused Susie they're going to get leaves to sleep on instead of look for fruit to eat. GC points out that they aren't doing anything right now. Randy concludes that he's ready to watch his tribe "self-destruct." That's a stupid plan, Randy, since you're ON THAT TRIBE. If it self-destructs, then that means you're out of the game, too. Remember a little tribe called Ulong on a little season called Palau, Randy? Actually, you probably don't since I don't think anyone who gets cast actually watches this show anymore. Except for Gillian.
Back at Kota, Marcus gets Corinne alone. Somehow, Corinne has developed a friendship with Jacquie behind the scenes where she trusts her "whole-heartedly," which is quite a change from the Corinne we saw in the beginning who was ready to stab any and everyone in the back. Which Corinne is real? I don't know! Marcus starts going into his onion layer alliance strategy again, and Corinne cuts him off and says she's hoping for a "tight and strong" alliance of her, Marcus, and Jacquie. She adds Charlie as an afterthought. I think he likes her more than she likes him, which seems to be a bit of a recurring theme with Charlie. Corinne says they'll need a fifth wheel in their alliance to get the majority vote who will then be the person they get rid of first. Because that plan always works. Just ask Ozzy. Corinne wants Bob to be their fifth person. Jacquie, Charlie, Marcus, and Corinne meet in the woods to discuss this. Corinne thinks she can "full on" bring Bob into their alliance. Meanwhile, if the cutaway shots are to be believed, all kinds of apes and monkeys are listening in. Eventually, one of the women figures out that all four of them disappearing like that might clue the other five in that they're plotting something, so they head back to camp. Charlie tells us that his new alliance is "like magic" and "one brain working as one." Think you mean "four brains working as one there, chief. Then again, these people possess a quarter of a brain each. Is Charlie really 29 years old? He is so naïve. Talk about playing stupid Survivor.
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text:
Definition of as easy or simple as ABC in English:
(as) easy (or simple) as ABC
Extremely easy: economics can be as simple as ABC
More example sentences
- To them, preventing HIV infection is as simple as ABC - A for Abstinence, B for Being faithful and C for Condoms.
- The dazzler was John, for whom kindness and consideration towards his customers in the restaurant is as easy as ABC.
- 'If life was as simple as ABC or 123, there wouldn't be that frown on your face,' an unfamiliar voice sounded behind her.
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text:
currently working on my super-short fairy tale storybook for english class~ this look waaay too much like frozen but its not haha
So rina-gunvor shared me this link to the Big Hero 6 official manga, titled "Baymax", about the backstory/background of young boy genius Hiro Hamada and his older brother Tadashi, an inventor who built Baymax, his best work, as a gift for Hiro.
Has this been announced here already? Or not? Either way, it's hella awesome and cute and touching. I would consider this to be canon, since it's official and it's part of the movie storyline of BH6. First chapter just released yesterday, so give it a read eh? :3c
Lineart next wooo
PS If you guys dont know, I'm working on a new set of keychains for next year's entrep day! I'll also sell these online c:
done with the girls, now i got 3 more to go! gotta sleep early tho, my exam's tomorrow morning :o
Spending my "rest" day working on a new project~ haha you call this rest? well they say the day before UPCAT, you gotta relax and all… or else you'll end up fumbling all the things you've reviewed for *~*
Hi everyone im back from my grave lol jk its been a very very long time since i last posted here on tumbles. Hope youre having a great day/night wherever you are!! :D
So basically since summer me and my batchmates have been reviewing for tomorrow's UPCAT test. For some, theyre having it today. Basically its a college entrance exam for the top university here in the Phils. So to spend my last hours reviewing, i did a group study with shlompy806 and bennett, another friend of mine :)
But eventually after UPCAT, we still have another exam the week after, and another the next month, so on, so forth. I hope you guys would understand how busy we are and how busy we have been for the past months. See y'all very, very soon.
Wish us luck!
kinikxluna said: WHY DID I NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS AND WHAT SERIOUSLY?? dear lord stay safe ok?
No I'm perfectly fine now :) im back to being productive. as for typhoon Henry, Im not really sure if it's coming cos' after Glenda it has been relatively sunny now, so yea ! I'm good.
So our teacher asked us to do this project where we choose a greek god/goddess( i chose artemis incase yalls are wondering) and put a picture of them on a piece of paper
She also said we could draw them.
DAMMIT! I never pictured mine T_T sayang huhuhu but I've never seen this too so *o*
Patty makes great art once again :) how come I never saw this on my dash ??
For adventuretitan who requested Finn in his dapper Food Chain suit! :)
PS: This is very irrelevant but 'Tee Shirt' by Birdy (from TFIOS soundtrack) is a great song for Bubbline haha go listen to it guys
sorry for the self-reblog, but adventuretitan's now here and I wanna make sure she sees this! :D
5. What's your favorite thing to draw?
It pretty much depends to what I currently like or obsess to. In general I like to draw boys (mostly faces) but that doesn't mean I obsess over boys haha. I just find myself drawing lots of boys because it's easier! I do draw girls but not so much actually.
18. What are you currently trying to improve on?
Face, eyes, nose, body parts, and most especially, my style. It's hard to find your own style, to be honest… but there's this saying, "You don't find your style… you build it". :)
20. What is the easiest thing for you to draw?
Does AT style count? I mean, anyone can do AT style so yeah. It's nice to branch out sometimes.
26. For digital artists: what program(s) do you use?
When I started doing digi-art, the first program I used was Paint Tool Sai. I've now switched to Photoshop CS5.1, but I find myself switching back and forth to both programs. I have also tried OpenCanvas, Corel Painter, Manga Studio, FireAlpaca but only for a very short while.
25. Do you like to draw in silence, or with music?
Drawing without music is kinda like being unable to breath properly. Music is like, my oxygen hahaha yes I need music so much when I draw!
- Do you prefer traditional drawing, or digital?
- How long have you been drawing?
- How many classes have you taken?
- Do you have a DeviantArt, personal website, or art blog?
- What's your favorite thing to draw?
- What's your least favorite thing to draw?
- How often do you use references?
- Do you draw professionally, or just for fun?
- How much time do you spend drawing on an average day?
- Are you confident about your art?
- How many art-related blogs do you follow?
- Is it okay for people to ask you about your process?
- Do you prefer to keep your art personal, or do you like drawing things for other people?
- Do you ever collaborate with others?
- How long does an average piece take you to complete?
- Do you draw more today than you did in the past, or do you draw less?
- Do you think you're justified in giving other people art advice?
- What are you currently trying to improve on?
- What is the most difficult thing for you to draw?
- What is the easiest thing for you to draw?
- Do you like to challenge yourself?
- Are you confident that you're improving steadily?
- Do you draw more fanart, or more original art?
- Do you feel jealous when you see other people's art, or inspired? (Be honest!)
- Do you like to draw in silence, or with music?
- For digital artists: what program(s) do you use?
- For digital artists: how many layers does a typical piece require?
- For traditional artists: what medium do you like most? (Pencil, charcoals, etc)
- For traditional artists: How do you usually start on a big piece? (Light sketch, colored lead, sketchpaper, etc)
- What inspires you to not just make art, but to be a better artist?
For adventuretitan who requested Finn in his dapper Food Chain suit! :)
PS: This is very irrelevant but 'Tee Shirt' by Birdy (from TFIOS soundtrack) is a great song for Bubbline haha go listen to it guys
by ok you mean having enough followers? i dunno haha, just be happy with what you have right now :) here's my follower count btw (i havent showed anyone yet sooo)
so close wowwwww although it hasn't moved much… its pretty stagnant. so yes. it would be awesome if I do reach 1k :)
ahh, dont worry na about the statement… may point ka na rin jan :) lol sorry tayo ng sorry hahaha its all good pat
aicirtapselbor said: actually….. it's not the government that stole them… just some government workers. not all the goods were "stolen"…. the goods that were probably sent to small government organizations were probably the ones that were "stolen"
yes yes I forgot to clarify that part: yun nga, I did say not all of the imported goods were stolen, some were given away/distributed but they did so under 'their name', and yes I will admit the whole gov. didn't steal it all, although I said it there but ahh sorry sorry its not the entire gov. naman… just some gov. workers but not everybody there….
sorry sorry ahhhh peaceeee!!! sorry omg…. well, that was what I know… aghhhhh sorry talaga ; ________ ; im not so good in this kind of topic so please forgive me i just explained what i know so yes adventuretitan please take note of what my friend said… :) just to clarify… PS i'll do your doodle tom.


text:
Oh thanks for posting this, it's exactly what I came here looking for. Though I can't find a photographer who will let me submit my own photos..
I've also wondered about this as well. Will be good to find out from other Mua on how to gain copyright for these images
Well you can place a casting or help organize a shoot that from the beginning is understood to geared toward submission.
As for the other photos you should understand by now that unless you actually took the photos, they are not your "own photos" but rather photos you worked on. Not many magazines, at least the respectable ones, will except submissions from anyone other than the copyright owner.
Six months is fairly typical. Many magazines are working on their issues dated six months from now - so that's the earliest those magazines could publish. Sometimes it's shorter. Sometimes it's longer.
With this lag time in mind, often the easiest thing to handle first would be some sort of beauty story - let it be a particular application or color or style. It is tougher when clothes are showing as unless you have a stylist who can pull upcoming seasons from showrooms and the like as those are the fashions that would only be current when it goes to press.
Some magazines will ask that the photos be submitted by the photographer. Others will ask for a usage license (for the specific use intended) signed by the photographer. While many photographers have their own forms and write their own usage licenses (for whatever use is being permitted, not necessarily publication), most magazines have their own usage license forms that they will want to have signed. The larger the magazine the more likely it will want to use its own form.
thanks! this is great info!
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