Sunday Post #amwriting #amjoy

 

Today's post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelve, Reader Book Buzz  for weekly updates.

           LOOKING FORWARD TO NOVEMBER

  

On Thanksgiving I worked, it was kinda of fun.  There's comaraderie in the workplace on these days.  I took part in a discussion with the Northrop about their Kinetic Light show.  I also started some holiday

Kinetic Light (Northrop) http://www.northrop.umn.edu/

shopping. The weather has lightened up a bit and I was able to walk outside with just a sweater, thrilled to death!  Lastly, I did improv with some friends online.

Shows I'm Looking forward to

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 8 PM CST – 9 PM CST

 REM5 Virtual Reality Laboratory

Online Event

https://dojour.us/e/14309-rem5s-truly-virtual-comedy-show

The Snow Queen, a Dance Film, presented by Ballet Co.Laboratory

Saturday, December 19 at 7:00 pm

Sunday, December 20 at 2:00 pm 

For more information on Ballet Co.Laboratory and their programs, visit balletcolaboratory.org. 

Here Comes Santa Claus

Renowned Minnesotan playwright Greta Grosch (Church Basement Ladies) and Star Tribune critic Graydon Royce bring us an original radio play, inspired by the history of White Bear Lake! In a collaboration with the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, this story will bring nostalgia, delight and entertainment to your holiday season!

Streaming passes at Lakeshore site

CURRENTLY 

Reading:

Crossover:A New Pop Musical

Ali Walker (pictured above)

 

If you're searching for something new in December, Crossover: A New Pop Musical is premiering a fictional musical that is also a singing competition with a streaming-era twist.   Crossover is written by Danielle E. Moore, directed by Amanda Pasquini and produced by Chelsea Cylinder and Danielle E. Moore of Green Light Group Productions.  In this show competing artists will prove that they're adept at both writing songs and performing across different genres in order to claim the title.

The producers may have been tempted to have take a few hints from American Idol and in the process created a parody of musical competitions. In the beginning, viewers are introduced to west coast singers: Taylor J Mitchell as Regina ("Reggie") Carlyle, Boris Dansberry as Maxine "Max" Green, Chelsea Cylinder as KC Parker, and Ali Walker as Hallie Harper. 

Each of the participants are streamed into the setting from a platform akin to ZOOM, this helped with social distancing during the pandemic. In one of the scores, a dancer is in her bathrobe singing into an imaginary mic, three others are warming up and choosing attire in their respective bedrooms. We learn about the artists and the challenges they have had to overcome, for example there's KC Parker whose character is a wannabe rock goddess and the daughter of a famous guitarist.  Then there's Reggie who is a soul-singing Stanford dropout.  Crossover's scores feature influences from dance-pop, country, R&B, and rap.

Viewers decide who will win. American Idol focuses on the discovery of unsigned-artists and I think there’s something to be said about seeing hundreds of Americans showing up to the audition in droves, waiting for their chance to shine. It creates this energy and momentum that continues throughout the show.  Perhaps improvisation may have been preferable to bring out the natural anxiety amongst the performers, but the scripted dialogue still seemed to work.

 The host concludes that there is a tie among the four in the first round.  One of the performers expresses her outrage: “The tie was rigged and orchestrated by the producers to contrive some kind of girl power momentum... It's The Bachelor but for singing.”  Feminism is a recurring theme throughout the show such as when a singer comments that the country genre caters to male artists and that radio DJs are told never to play more than two back-to-back female artists.

Reluctantly, the singers opt to compete on the national broadcast as a group: Four-Way Tie. There are moments of power and affection as the group strives to make the most of this unexpected situation.

Crossover has several catchy tunes and the production team does an amazing job exposing the stereotypes rife throughout the music industry.  If more teams took risks like Green Light Group Productions, labels would lose their power.

The show is scheduled for 8:00 pm on Saturday, December 12th, 2020. Crossover will be presented virtually as a live stream. Tickets are $12.00 and are available through the Rogue Theater Festival's ShowTix4U Page.

Sunday Post

 

Today's post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelve, Reader Book Buzz  for weekly updates.

           LOOKING FORWARD TO NOVEMBER

  

I had a writer tell me about The Tip, a book by Seth Godin, and how every artists begins with a purpose and optimism then they go through something called The Tip which are every day obstacles. Now the experienced and successful artists, according is Godin is one who knows that to get over the obstacles is the successful artists.

I found myself looking into a lot of podcasts this week, including This American Life and 80,000 Hours Podcast.  The second one is a British organisation studying which careers can achieve the most positive impact on the world.

 I know I do a lot of stuff and dive into one task after another. That's why this week I gave some thought to my week and how I can break into chunks like: (9am-11am) (11am-1pm) etc.  This way I can put more effort and focus into my projects instead of spending my time erratically and distracting myself. I appreciate you readers making sense of my week. Some of you have been commenting on my posts for years and that makes me feel great😀😀 There's a lot of vulnerability in showing your work and its so important.

Virtual Shows I'm Excited about 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL, adapted by Orson Welles. Presented by

The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

December 11-13.

Tickets available now at https://bit.ly/3fBUDUk

Get Thee Behind Me, Santa:A Fundraiser for Strike Theater

Sat, Dec 19th 

 This show was recognized as the bestselling show in its venue at the 2018 Kansas City Fringe Festival and selected for a coveted Encore slot.

Streaming live at: www.twitch.tv/maximumverbosityonline

$5-10 recommended donation, though nobody is turned away from watching!

The Snow Queen, a Dance Film, presented by Ballet Co.Laboratory

Saturday, December 19 at 7:00 pm

Sunday, December 20 at 2:00 pm 

For more information on Ballet Co.Laboratory and their programs, visit balletcolaboratory.org. 

AND

From Disability Landscape 

(Here's a fun talk from the channel the writer of this blog is featured on).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWbcXP_vMxs&ab_channel=DisabilityChannelMinnesota

CURRENTLY 

Reading:

I've been reading a lot of books that deal with growing older

Fantastic book, this is not one of V.E. Schwab's everyday books there is a romance story line.  It's just as good everyone says. Can't recommend it enough.

Listening

I took a gander at Jeannette winter's Novel and I think the author and I have a lot in common.  Both of us are writers. And I have had a traumatic childhood, having been torn out of my own  family at the age of two and put in foster care.  I think I'll have to tackle this autobiography on a day where I have my wits about me.

GALLIM:A NEW DANCE FILM

 GALLIM premiered a new dance film for Northrop based on Miller’s piece, BOAT on November 19, 2020. This film is directed by Andrea Miller and co-directed by Ben Stamper, co-founder of Helix Films.  It explores what it looks like, feels like, and means to be searching for home.

In the beginning, three dancers are wrapped around individual television sets while another dancer rushes the camera and kisses the film lens. Then, in the next scene dancers are intertwined as they circle a living room. The rhythm of the feet touching the floor matches the pace of the instrumental. The music is composed by Arvo Pärt and sung by the Twin Cities PopUp Choir, in collaboration with university organist, Dean Billmeyer.

There is a dark theme to the film that wrestles with both celebration and destruction.  It increasingly becomes more blurred as the dancers run from one another, often grasping at each other as they move about the space exploring every inch of it until a dancer lands on the ground. Now whether that dancer is on stage, or outdoors in the water is deeply telling. Miller explains how different it is to have a dancer laying on ground at the shoreline of a lifeless beach versus on stage and how the varied mediums affect the viewer.

In the second half of the film, viewers see three television sets on stage once again and then hear the sound of a radio as fans cheer, creating this new emotion. If technology and television existed around Beowulf’s time I'd like to think the TVs represent a method of communication used by Hrothgar (Beowulf) and his warriors to send a message to the village people that said, ‘We defeated the enemy- it’s time for celebration.’ But anyone who knows Beowulf’s tale understands that the celebration is premature. I won’t derail you with plot details but the film does an excellent job of showing the transition even if the film relies heavily on abstraction.

Co-Director Stamper said in a talkback, “In film, we’re used to a horizontal plot line that is cause and effect and it’s what we’re used to when we sit to watch a film in a dark room. One of my biggest fears in life is to wake people up, it’s my least favorite thing to do for whatever reason, and when I was young, my father used to wake me up by slowly pulling the sheet off and he devised all sorts of techniques to wake me up. But that is my job as an artist to turn the lights on.”

In the film, a veil or sheet is raised and lowered above the artists and the rippling effect is similar to when the dancers are outside thrashing in the water. The chanting of the choir’s voices and the wave-like undulation brings momentum and strength to the film. At one point, a dancer in the water is raised by other dancers so that she is standing on their hands. The contrast of the indoor staged setting to the outdoors with the sun’s illumination creates an amazing quality. Stamper credits cinematographer, Andrew Ellis, for the imagery. The bravery and trust involved by the dancers and everyone involved in this film is unfathomable.

Trust is a big component in bringing this film to fruition.  Andrea Miller was grateful and had these parting words to say about how involved the dancers were in this project, “How inspiring they (the dancers) were from day one; from taking a home kit COVID test, to our ZOOM rehearsals, to rehearsing in masks, to walking in muddy water. Everything they took on with generosity and with tremendous depth, diving into the work- it reads very clearly in the film, how beautiful these people are."  This is Northrop's first dance production since March and Kinetic Light will premiere online Thursday, December 3rd.  Tickets at northrup.umn.edu

Sunday Post #amwriting #amjoy

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO NoVember

The Mind can be trained to relive itself on paper--Billy Collins

This week I talked to writers about MasterClass on YouTube. Malcolm Gladwell's class was recommended. Every year on Good Friday, you get a buy one get one free MasterClass. 

And if you have a subscription listen to as many as you want.

  I joined some writers on ZOOM for SHUT UP and WRITE!  

A member told me about the weather in New York and how treacherous it was.  One of the improvisers said "I had hailstones and thought, is this Manhattan?"  Texts messages were sent to New Yorkers that said: ‘Head down to the lower levels.' And then it listed all the boroughs getting hit by the storm. There’s nothing like looking at an all capped text that says 'HEAD to SHELTER'.

I also broke down and bought a Keurig.  I have had this ongoing habit of buying coffee from the shops and I've tried everything but I think this time I'll give it the good 90 day try.  So far I'm on my second cup and it still doesn't have the strength of espresso even though they its made with espresso beans.  Darn! And I can't go out and buy an espresso machine-that would cost me a fortune!  

I had the most fabulous week full of camera work and more camera work.  I was videoing for my team's YouTube channel.  I was also online for improvathon for like 15 minutes for HUGE Theater's annual show.  This was thirty-six hours of improv from ZOOM streaming to YouTube and it was like Christmas day seeing a lot of familiar faces from the safety of my home.   My favorite was Jill Bernard doing improv in a mask from her car.   

Shows I'm Excited about 

And

online event https://youtu.be/htv3E9dRZvU

A (Virtual) Christmas Vacation with The Griswolds: An Evening with Chevy Chase & Beverly D’Angelo on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. (CT).  Tickets at HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

CURRENTLY 

I Feel Bad About my Neck by Nora Ephron

I had a reader suggest to me that I comment about some of the books I'm reading so I'll talk about this one because I adored it.  It doesn't read like a traditional memoir.  Its composed of several short chapters where Nora expounds on little things in her life.  Like there is a chapter called 'Me and JFK:Now it Can be Told.'  In this chapter she goes on about her work as an intern in the White House. She tells it all about how JFK was caught checking her out,but he made no moves on her.  She thinks that this has to do with the fact that he might have known she wasn't someone who wouldn't kiss and NOT tell. 

 It seems like there isn't a place where she hasn't worked. I liked this a lot because I'm a firm believer that one should keep plowing the work force until they find work that suits them.  The work is hilarious! And if you ever thought to dabble in journalism or editing-this book is for you! Nora also seems like a die hard feminist, and I had the confidence to comment on an article in the Medium that dealt with gender roles because of Nora Ephron's book. 

Here is one of our latest promos for our YouTUBE channel.  Unfortunately I''m not in this one but You can get a great idea of the behind the scenes of what it's like to work in our studio.  I say 'our' studio lightly because we don't own it but it feels like home.

Sunday Post #amwriting #amjoy

Today's post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves for weekly updates.

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO NOVEMber

This week I worked on cleaning the house, getting rid of a few extra things and giving them to donation.  This included juice, laundry detergent, and a fish tank.  Its funny all the things you find around your house. People love to give me things it seems and I have to learn to say No Thank You.  But it does put a smile on my face to see so many generous people.

I also played some fun comedy games with comedians on jackbox.tv.  This involved finishing some fun one liners like this one:

  If only Darth Vader ⚔would have said this instead: "Luke I am your ____________ "

In this example I said, "Your mother's husband."

I also listened to 'Fall Line'  which is a is a true-crime podcast that digs deep into cold cases that have received little — if any — public attention. 

And 'By the Book' by Kristen and Jolenta. 

Lastly I enjoyed some Graphic novels by women writers and found them so enjoyable.

                       Pictures from my week

                        Shows I'm excited about

Stoopidity

Written and performed by Guthrie B.F.A. alums Domino D’Lorion, Michael McKitt and Ian McCarthy

Click below to view a showing on November 16 at 7:30 p.m.  

www.youtube.com

                        The Empathy Project

By Stephanie Lein Walseth.  Make a reservation at https://www.fullcircletheatermn.org/   to watch both acts of the staged reading November 20–22, and consider a donation to Full Circle Theater when you register for free.

That was my week, please tell me about yours in the comments below.

CURRENTLY 

Reading:

Out of My Mind By Sharon Draper 

Sunday Post #amwriting #amjoy

via GIPHY

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO November

I was in a writers group this week and someone talked about how there are in existence 44 Scooby-Doo movies, with the first one having been made in the 60's.  That is a lot of Scooby-Doo!!  A guy also pointed out how there are fewer with Scrappy as he was a character who solved a lot of the crimes quite quickly. I enjoyed a lot of the ones that had to do with solving crimes that had to do with ghosts.  

This week I also did some comedy with a group of people.  We did a scenes from a hat exercise where we had to come up with some lines for what we thought images meant, like the one below a response could be: I'm having a bad hair day, don't ask.

This group can be found on Meetup.com (Silicon Valley) 5pm pst Comedy Diet Club (CDC): Comedy discussion & writing meetup

It's been pretty windy this week in Minnesota.  The cover to my AC had flown off. I picked up a lot of people excited about the election.  As ride share drivers we're encouraged to not talk politics with our clients, but I had taken one or two people who had were volunteers at voting stations.

                                            Shows I'm excited about

DRACULA: PRINCIPIUM ET FINIS
NOV 16, 2020. 7:30 PM

Presented by The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

Pictures from my week

That was my week, please tell me about yours in the comments below.

CURRENTLY 

Reading: