Sunday Post #amwriting

via GIPHY

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO NOVEMBER

I had a great Thanksgiving filled with pumpkin cheesecake and turkey legs (I only eat dark meat). My sister held the gathering at her house and invited her ex -boyfriend's family. So that was fun getting to know them (wink).

I found myself in a corner of the house (with my son) reading a bit. I also helped my brother drive DoorDash.  He didn't realize you can pick and choose how far you want to travel before you "accept" an order.  We came across a situation where we had two extra pizzas and we made two families quite happy with the donation.

This week I found myself reading and meeting new people through scriptcamp.net This is a place where you can talk to writers about your screenplay and get feedback from professional producers.  Simply download the discord app and/ or go to https://discord.me/scriptcamp and you'll be texting and talking on mic to other screenwriters. I learned about the blacklist which is an annual survey of the "most-liked" motion picture screenplays not yet produced. I read "Apex" and "The Saturday Night Ghost Club" screenplays.  

So that was my week.  How was yours?

                                Photos

My son helping out with clean-up

Friday Delight (improv) Theater (Me bottom left)

A fun Pic from last week's Improvathon (HUGE Theater)

Upcoming shows

THE SANTA CLAUSE: A Drinking Game-Minnesota

Come see some of the Twin Cities finest actors and improvisers perform a LIVE stage reading of this new holiday classic with props, costumes, puppets, music, fight and dance choreography, and, of course, DRINKING!

Produced by Shadow Horse Theater, LLC in association with Embassy Jack

Where? Phoenix Theater

When?Dec 4, 10:30pm

ON THE BLOG

I liked "Fool Me Twice" which has to do with a fake engagement over the holidays. But there was something about this book that reminded me of one I read in the past that has the same premise (just not on the holidays).  If I find out which book it is I may just write a review because Wow!! I don't know how the books could be so similar.

Synopsis: Noel who suddenly finds it harder and harder to keep her attraction for her longtime friend in check, and the sexy, hesitant Nick who may not be as heartbroken about his recent breakup as he thought

I thought I would like this one a little more than I did, but the main character gets back from the war and finds his gf has cheated on him and then his new love interest gets in a cat fight with the girl and I  didn't like that as much.

Synopsis A story about a used table that Lauren Mabrey buys from a furniture store. There's a history that comes with the table. It's a time split novel 

There's a lot of hype about this one but I think its supposed to be like a classic like "The Night Before Christmas." It was hard for me to get into.

Sunday Post

via GIPHY

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO NOVEMBER

Fun week. I helped read the Superman script with a group of actors on ZOOM. (I was the narrator). The script is like 120 pages long.  Some of the most memorable were lines like "Its not a bird, not a plane, its Superman " and  "Up, Up and away."  If you'd like to watch a little bit of it, it was posted on YOUTUBE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Wgw6E2ruI&fbclid=IwAR0hfGfzV9IN_Xa5MHPBS_IhtJaDRgPn40ET0QtVnwsHjtuftcAtAMsgBCE&ab_channel=DonovanTPS

A pic with the Doc Cooper (improv) class(Me bottom left)

Superman Script reading

This week I searched for a new car and found myself going back and forth between my makes like: Hyundai, and other makes like Toyota and Nissans. I guess a few dealerships have not been making new cars because China has put a halt on making the chips necessary so a few cars are overpriced currently.

 

This week has flown by due to the fact that I've picked up more hours at my job and I've been planning to see more holiday shows in the coming weeks. 

Upcoming shows

The romantic and adventure-filled new musical Anastasia  is at home in Minneapolis at last! From the Tony Award-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, this dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.

When? December 7 - 19 where? Hennepin Trust

ON THE BLOG

I picked up this book because it's supposed to echo some of Alfred Adler's views on psychology

Fun story.. I picked up "The Family" because I was at the gym and an afternoon talk show was doing an interview with Naomi Krupitsky and I decided to get the book at that exact same moment. So far the book kind of echos "My Brilliant Friend" (which I adored)

Synopsis The novel is about two best friends Sofia Colicchio and Antonia Russo. As neighbors in Brooklyn, New York, both of the girls' fathers are members of the Italian mafia. Their yin-and-yang friendship seems like it will last a lifetime as they grow into young women with families of their own

I liked this "Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe." There's gender reversals and its a modern story with the Main characters living in New York during the holiday season.  The main character Darcy (female) plays a snob who is a millionaire.  My one gripe would be that the Darcy doesn't interact with her love interests for very long, so there's a lack of believability in my opinion.

I was beginning to like "A Convenient Christmas" because the main character is someone who decorates rich people's homes for a living and I love that Idea and I might have had a job like that in a previous light and it reminded me of one of the most beautiful town homes I had been to as a kid, when my sister was house sitting and it over looked a frozen lake. 

A magical holiday love story set at the glamorous Plaza Hotel in New York City. ... A struggling journalist, Sabrina can't believe her luck: a paycheck and six nights in her own suite at the Plaza. She feels like Eloise, the heroine from her favorite children's books.

Even though the synopsis describes mostly the heroine, what I remembered the most was the male protagonist who is supposed to be the assistant to a LORD from some country in Europe and he fakes as being the Lord to impress Eloise.  I went back and forth between liking this novel and not.  Mostly I'll read any book with NY city setting and I loved the little dates that these two went on and it went into depth about a very expensive restaurant in NY which I think was called the "Red Roof" and I wondered if it really existed because it was like on the 12th floor of building and sounded very ritzy. 

'Medea by Seneca' at Theatre Elision in Crystal

This is event posted in 2020
Nearly every person who has ever taken an English class has had to read Greek Tragedy. Some would say this early introduction helped them understand Greek mythology. Medea by Seneca is produced by Shadow Horse theatre by Matthew Kelly, Max Besner and Matt Saxe, and directed by Matthew Kelly at Theatre Elision in Crystal through February 29th.

Sunday Post

via GIPHY

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO November

Little Women will be showing at Artistry

This week I worked on my screenwriting.  I have a script in progress but it needs a lot of formatting. Luckily, there's a group

 on discord, that helps you understand how this is done; including spacing the margins, and dialog, and things like cut-to's and narration.  I read a few people's film scripts and gave some feedback. 

I also drove a few people to the airport. I had a somewhat freaky thing happen where a stranger got in my car while I wasn't on duty.  I was able to get him out though. I also picked up an author who wrote a book based on Amelia Earhart, and did his research by going on a dig for her body with archaeologists in Fiji.

Photos from my week

My son Zulfi and his drawing

Last night I went to see "Top Girls" at Crane Theatre

upcoming shows

Artistry Theater in Minnesota presents the musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved book, Little Women The Broadway Musical. This captivating and timeless coming-of-age story about family, friendship, heartache, hope and everlasting love is further enhanced by songs you’ll not soon forget. The March sisters take us on their journey, each forging their own path during an ever-changing time in American history. We invite you and yours to join us as we start the holiday season at Artistry.Dates Nov 11-28th

ON THE BLOG

I loved Stanley Tucci in "The Devil Wears Prada" and it makes sense that he's talking about food in this memoir( after his debut in "Julia, Julia" with Meryl Streep).

Sunday Post

via GIPHY

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO july

This week I finally went sailing, and that was a blast.  I zoomed across Lake Harriet and waved to other sailors and took some fun pics.  There's moments where you feel like your boat is going to capsize because your tipped to one side but these boats have 300 pound weights at the bottom to stabilize you.

I also went to a few shows.  One was with a fortune teller who helps people learn their fortune through poems.  The poem I received was "Imagine." (very fitting) Another was an  immersive show. And here's what I love about immersive shows on ZOOM. The theater will send you an email or text to your phone with top secret details that you supposed to remember.  And then you open the ZOOM link, half knowing what to expect -and it turns out to be something completely different, like an escape room, or a show where your personal details are made into a joke. So its fun!

This week, I also drove a few people to the airport.  One was a power couple: a clergy therapist and a teaching coach-so that conversation got interesting.  I also drove a teacher and a guy who thinks to become a youth pastor.

Then I sat in on a discussion on ZOOM about anxiety and coping.  I got to throw in a few ideas of my own, and include links to YouTube videos that help on these topics like Leo from actualization.org

(Me) sailing

Upcoming Shows 

Theater 29 Denver, Colorado will be opening their VIRTUAL show Communication Solutions:A story of Extravagant Love,  July 26

Learn more https://www.facebook.com/DenverTheater29

Immersive (Audience engagement show)

Experience an immersive story of upper-management intrigue, authoritarian coercion and corporate S&M that unravels via social media, email, and in virtual and visceral reality at Theater 29.

After receiving an official email from the Communications Solutions CEO, the real story will unfold as an anonymous entity releases a cavalcade of damning documents, clandestine voicemails, and alarming images, on Instagram, Facebook, and email, culminating with a top-secret image appearing in a subversive storefront window-reveal at Theater 29.

ON THE BLOG

Reading:

The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan

"Reasons to Breath" by Rebecca Donovan-This is the first in the series and I'm liking it a lot. At first I thought it would be some kind of guilty pleasure and then I was blown away but some of the physical aggression by the parents in this book.  There were moments I wanted to scream at the main character "Run" and I couldn't believe what was going on.  I will definitely come back for more.

Sunday Post #amwriting #amjoy

via GIPHY

  

           LOOKING FORWARD TO NOVEMBER

This week I attended HUGE Theater's improvathon: 24 hours of non-stop improv. I was there for four hours in two days.

It was great to see people I haven't seen in a while. I mistook a few for someone else because of the their mask.  I also kept busy house cleaning and getting rid of stuff in closets.  I've tried the KonMarie method in the past:

• Commit yourself to tidying up.
• Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
• Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.
• Tidy by category, not location.
• Follow the right order.
• Ask yourself it it sparks joy.

1. (Usually I get to about three of these stages. Imagining my ideal lifestyle is a challenge)
2. Either way, it's been a good week and I got a ton of reading done this week.

ON THE BLOG

Sunday Post

via GIPHY

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO November

I got further along in "Taste."  Stanley Tucci's memoir talks about how his mother used to watch Julia Child religiously and how she would make comments like "Oh, that’s how you do it." 

He talked about attending the Deauville film fest in France.  And and later attending photo shoots in Paris and how this can be a very tedious part of his job.

And Stanley shared how he had to go to the actors union  in New York to get help on his rent because he was unemployed and they offered him shoes, because according Union Members actors do a ton of walking due to all the auditions they take. Tucci also has a show on HBO max called Searching for Italy. Unfortunately I don't get Hulu or HBO or any of these other streaming shows like Peacock, Amazon, Apple TV (The list goes on and on..)

Photos 

view from my Home.

Upcoming Shows

Huge Theater is having its annual show Family Dinner

An improvised show while actors eat dinner

Guthrie is showing Christmas Carol. Tickets at guthrietheater.org ( This show was recently in the news because there was a disruption that ended the show this week by a crazed woman in the audience who was shouting.

ON THE BLOG

The Holiday Switch by Tio Marcelo.  I thought this one would be similar to "The Holiday" but its more like The Twelve Days of Dash and Lilly.  Synopisis Two Rival with two very big secrets. work together during the holidays+_098788ik,

I finished this book in one week and I loved it! The main character is a highs school blog writer (score!) and she reviews holiday books.  She debates whether med school or a career in writing is worth her time and energy. Her love interest is adoring but not at first! I just love love love this, and can't recommend it enough.

Review: Theatre Pro Rata's ‘Top Girls’ spotlights ladies of the ’80s (and the 9th century)

  

Pictured: Maggie Cramer
Credit: Charles Gorrill

What happens to those who don't make it to the top?

Caryl Churchill 's Top Girls attempts to answer this question. This play is directed by Carin Bratlie Wethern, produced by Theatre Pro Rata and showing at the Crane Theatre through November 21st.

Sunday Post #amwriting #amjoy

via GIPHY

 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO OCTOBER

This week was in search for the Halloween costume for my son. Earlier this month, I posted him in a few costumes. He pretty much collects them throughout the year or whenever we go to the thrift store he'll decide he wants to be Hulk, Batman, or Spiderman, but this year I think he finally decided on Spiderman.  

Friday Delight (Improv) theatre (Me with my son on the right)

I was also on my way to get coffee and I came across some runners for a marathon in St. Paul. Most of them were in costume and a lot of them were Waldo this year.  

Readers, what will you dress as?

In other news, I've been hitting the gym and staying motivated. I drove for rideshare this week and talked to a client about his change from taxi driving to semi truck driving and he said he can make a whole lot of cashola (as my mother would say.)

Upcoming Shows

Top Girls at Crane Theatre, Nov 6-21 Mpls: Synopsis: If you could invite anyone from history to a dinner party, who would be at your table?

Marlene has just taken over the Top Girls Employment Agency and she is celebrating.
Set within Margaret Thatcher’s Britain of the early ‘80s, Top Girls manifests the evolving complexities of modern feminism and tackles the question of what it takes for women to succeed. 

$16-$61, Sliding Scale
Tickets must be purchased online in advance

Tickets

ON THE BLOG

Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can't escape. Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life,This book came to my attention by a youtuber who talked about it glamourously. Its a brother's best friend romance. I never had this problem of falling  for my brother's friends but I certainly had a lot of brother's growing up who dated a lot, lol

Bryce Iwaschuk talks about Star of Therapy, a short Film

Ana Pacheco (pictured above)

Bryce Iwaschuk is with me today to talk about the film Star of Therapy which showcased at the Twin Cities Film Festival in October. Bryce is a devoted editor, writer and producer hailing from Vancouver British Columbia

Sunday Post @hauntedbasement #amjoy

This posted  in 2019

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things  received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

LOOKING FORWARD TO OCTOBER

I had a lot of fun at this place called the Thehauntedbasement . Although it does take place in a basement; it’s really what leads down to it that is so scary. In the center is a glass art studio where there are kilns and students holding torches to make glassblowing art. And as you're walking around, students are hanging onto these torches and all you can think of is I hope this is not part of the haunted house experience.

Funniest thing about the whole ordeal was a man holding a spectator's head between a cash register and a bakery glass window and acting as though he was going to cut the guy's head off. One of the paying guest was going around and letting people out of their cells. Unfortunately, she never got to me and I was locked in there for five minutes.

Nightmare Before Christmas Drinking Game-Minnesota

Vimeo (virtual show) Nightmare Before Christmas Drinking Game-Minnesota (above)

October left me indoors unable to trick-o-treat or join others in haunted fun. Luckily, Shadow Horse Theatre LLC brought me The Nightmare Before Christmas Drinking Game-Minnesota, executive produced by Matt Saxe.

I enjoyed the script reading by seven actors from the safety of my home on Friday, November 13th. It played on Vimeo, a video sharing website that has a smaller user base and is similar to YouTube. Themes center around Jack Skellington and his attempt to become the Spirit of Christmas in a town known for its Halloween. Jack is the pumpkin king who is Halloweentown's who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world" and has come upon a door that leads the way to a town that practices Christmas. When he returns from this happy town, he strives to bring this holiday with him.  Try as he might, Jack Skellington failed to become the proper Santa, but I think we can all learn about failure through trial and error through the viewing of this production.

Throughout the show, the narrator rings a bell and whenever certain words or phrases are said by actors the audience takes a drink. To hear the theme song 'This is Halloween' and watch as actors balance drinks and attempt to synchronize is more than entertaining. With Sally Shock (Kelly Nelson) in the center of this tic-tac-toe box, her role couldn’t be more important as the sweet voice behind a film that blankets its charm by taking an opposite approach to the holidays. Everyone is in dark clothing, and many incorporate black backgrounds. Characters: Lock, Shock, and Barrel hold up masks periodically that may haunt you for days. One in particular looked strikingly similar to the horror mask from 80’s hit film Jason.

Actor Christian Jacobs was a standout. He played numerous characters, including Lock and the vampires, the clown with the Tearaway Face, a saxophone player-musicians, Spider Boy, and the Little Human Boy. In the beginning his hands are up like that of a conductor waving to keep the introductory tune. His all-black ZOOM window gets the desired effect with a dim spotlight cast down on him as he moves closer to the camera showering his audience with ghoulish grins and out-this-world facial expressions.

At the time I viewed Nightmare Before Christmas in 1993, I felt charmed by Jack Skellington and his long gangly legs and skeleton face. The fantastical setting had been something I never seen before in childhood movies. I might add that I felt more charmed by this Jack Skellington (Peyton Dixon) and his painted smile and non-stop energetic gestures. But I wonder, as an adult, if I would have enjoyed the 90’s film with the same elation. Hundreds of YouTubers have been able to create this film, each one more dynamic than the rest. But none of them have had to negotiate the task of pulling together a cast from several different settings on ZOOM. If anything one can admire the creativity behind Shadow Horse theatre, LLC. Actors did their best to give cues to one another but the varied backgrounds and actors' proximity to the camera were obstacles. This is going to be an ongoing challenge for many entertainers as they show their creativity online during a pandemic.

I often worry if Generation X will even remember a time when they sat down next to one another in a theater, nudging each other and hooting and hollering while sharing nonverbal cues. Surely drinking while watching anything entertaining is never going to cease but there is something to be said about the theatre and arriving there together on time. As it was, the only way I knew anyone else was engaged in this performance is by indicators on social media like invitations to the performance, that said check the box ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Maybe’ if you are attending. At least 20 checked ‘yes’ and a large quantity checked ‘maybe.’ How easy is it to check ‘maybe’ and not be held accountable for the arts in this day and age?

As performers and audience members, we can all learn about the art of showing up and taking accountability even if we feel like we’re failing. The Drinking Game-Minnesota has shows monthly, and the December show will be Muppet Christmas Carol. Tickets are online and go online two weeks before the show. More info https://www.phoenixtheatermpls.org/project/the-minnesota-drinking-game/

A Drinking Game-Minnesota at Phoenix Theater

OK, I can admit that I’ve seen Home Alone one or two many times. So when I got a notification on Facebook of the upcoming Drinking Game-Minnesota with Macaulay Culkin’s face smiling back at me, how could I resist? This show is produced by Shadow Horse Theatre LLC, and executive produced by Matt Saxe.  It played at Phoenix Theater on Saturday Dec. 7th.

Sunday Post #amreading #amjoy @kimbacaffeinate @BillyCrystal

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things  received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Review

           LOOKING FORWARD TO march

This week I listened to Billy Crystal's audiobook. He talked about his idea for the 'pepper/popper' scene in 'When Harry Met Sally'