Thursday, November 13, 2008
Knitty dorkitude.
I'm making a tote bag with this cool picture of a guy smoking on it. I thought it was just some random hipster-looking dude. Apparently it's David Bowie. And now I feel kind of dumb. In my defense, it's just black pixel-y lines.
and me without my kaffeya
I got tickets to see Bon Iver yesterday. They're playing the Music Hall of Williamsburg, which is a third NYC show they just added. Apparently the tickets are sold out already.
Much excitement.
Much excitement.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Article on William Brown's African Theater
Originally published in Seawanhaka, September 2008
Last spring, LIU students put on a production of “The African Company Presents Richard III,” the story of William Brown’s African Theater, which is believed by historians to be the first black-owned theater company in the country.
Along with the play, those involved sought to bring Brown’s story into public knowledge. Students and faculty that participated in the production have been working to convince the city to erect a memorial plaque near the location of the African Theater at the corner of Mercer and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village. The students had been working to raise money for the plaque with the Performers’ Access Studio, however, they were able to garner enough support to convince the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to not only place the sign but to fund it as well.
The students managed to influence the Parks Department’s decision through their own correspondence as well as spreading the word to the public to inspire a greater number of people to ask for the sign. Reporter Cheryl Wills interviewed the LIU student actors involved in the production, Flip Washington, Mark Hackett, Whitney McIntosh and Adrian Coleman, for a segment that ran on New York 1.
Quiche Stone, who directed last year’s play, will also be giving a lecture on September 23 about William Brown’s theater. According to Stone, the play, accurate as it was, was still in essence a theatrical work and her lecture will be a historical recount of Brown’s theater and “how it managed to come to be in the time that it did.”
Stone hopes to reveal the date of the plaque’s dedication during her lecture, but at this time the Parks Department has not yet set one. If the date has not yet been determined at the time of the lecture, Stone will ask the audience to “politely light a fire under the Parks Department.” She intends to give out a web address where people can e-mail the Parks Department Commissioner, Adrian Benepe, to thank him for recognizing William Brown and ask him when the sign will be done.
Jonathon Kuhn, Director of Arts and Antiquities for the Parks Department, undertook the task of creating this plaque along with his assistant Scott Sendrow, who wrote the text that will appear on the sign. The wording, which appears as part of a larger sign on the history of the area near Mercer Playground, reads,
“Historians believe that the corner of Mercer and Bleecker Streets, just across the street from Mercer Playground, served as one of the sites of what could be the earliest African-American theatre company, the African Theater, also known as the African Grove. Headed by the West Indian William Henry Brown, the African Grove launched the career of Ira Aldridge, who went on to play the role of Othello at the Royal Theater in London, and gave James Hewlett the opportunity to play Shakespeare’s Richard III for a mixed audience of blacks and whites.”
To contact Parks Department Commissioner Adrian Benepe, visit www.nycgovparks.org and click the “Contact the Commissioner” link at the bottom of the page. Quiche Stone’s lecture will take place at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, September 23 at Judson Memorial Assembly Hall at 239 Thompson St. It is being presented by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. The lecture is free and open to the public. For reservations call 212-475-9585. For more information visit http://www.gvshp.org/events.htm
Last spring, LIU students put on a production of “The African Company Presents Richard III,” the story of William Brown’s African Theater, which is believed by historians to be the first black-owned theater company in the country.
Along with the play, those involved sought to bring Brown’s story into public knowledge. Students and faculty that participated in the production have been working to convince the city to erect a memorial plaque near the location of the African Theater at the corner of Mercer and Bleecker Streets in Greenwich Village. The students had been working to raise money for the plaque with the Performers’ Access Studio, however, they were able to garner enough support to convince the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to not only place the sign but to fund it as well.
The students managed to influence the Parks Department’s decision through their own correspondence as well as spreading the word to the public to inspire a greater number of people to ask for the sign. Reporter Cheryl Wills interviewed the LIU student actors involved in the production, Flip Washington, Mark Hackett, Whitney McIntosh and Adrian Coleman, for a segment that ran on New York 1.
Quiche Stone, who directed last year’s play, will also be giving a lecture on September 23 about William Brown’s theater. According to Stone, the play, accurate as it was, was still in essence a theatrical work and her lecture will be a historical recount of Brown’s theater and “how it managed to come to be in the time that it did.”
Stone hopes to reveal the date of the plaque’s dedication during her lecture, but at this time the Parks Department has not yet set one. If the date has not yet been determined at the time of the lecture, Stone will ask the audience to “politely light a fire under the Parks Department.” She intends to give out a web address where people can e-mail the Parks Department Commissioner, Adrian Benepe, to thank him for recognizing William Brown and ask him when the sign will be done.
Jonathon Kuhn, Director of Arts and Antiquities for the Parks Department, undertook the task of creating this plaque along with his assistant Scott Sendrow, who wrote the text that will appear on the sign. The wording, which appears as part of a larger sign on the history of the area near Mercer Playground, reads,
“Historians believe that the corner of Mercer and Bleecker Streets, just across the street from Mercer Playground, served as one of the sites of what could be the earliest African-American theatre company, the African Theater, also known as the African Grove. Headed by the West Indian William Henry Brown, the African Grove launched the career of Ira Aldridge, who went on to play the role of Othello at the Royal Theater in London, and gave James Hewlett the opportunity to play Shakespeare’s Richard III for a mixed audience of blacks and whites.”
To contact Parks Department Commissioner Adrian Benepe, visit www.nycgovparks.org and click the “Contact the Commissioner” link at the bottom of the page. Quiche Stone’s lecture will take place at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, September 23 at Judson Memorial Assembly Hall at 239 Thompson St. It is being presented by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. The lecture is free and open to the public. For reservations call 212-475-9585. For more information visit http://www.gvshp.org/events.htm
Review of Obi Best's "Capades"
Originally published in Seawanhaka, September 2008
Alex Lilly, former back-up singer for indie pop group The Bird and the Bee, performs solo under the name Obi Best for her debut album, Capades. Her sweet-sounding, feminine voice is accompanied by piano melodies, pop synth, rock guitar and drum machines.
Obi Best’s catchy pop sound hooks you in from the first song, “Nothing Can Come Between Us,” opening with a catchy piano riff that leads into an upbeat, poppy number about breaking up. The next track, “Who Loves You Now,” is softer and more melodic than the former and heavy on the synthesizer. Lilly’s voice lends itself nicely to her indie pop sound. Other slower songs like “Green and White Stripes” and “Blooms Like Flowers” share the melodic electronic style, sometimes sounding almost ethereal. Up-tempo numbers like “Swedish Boy” and “Origami” are catchy and unique, relying on drum machines and fun pop melodies.
The album is an eclectic mix of genres and styles. Obi Best borrows across pop, rock and electronica to make this unique and engaging sound. Capades is a fun and catchy album from beginning to end. Fans of the Postal Service, Stereolab, Le Tigre and the Bird and the Bee will enjoy this album.
Alex Lilly, former back-up singer for indie pop group The Bird and the Bee, performs solo under the name Obi Best for her debut album, Capades. Her sweet-sounding, feminine voice is accompanied by piano melodies, pop synth, rock guitar and drum machines.
Obi Best’s catchy pop sound hooks you in from the first song, “Nothing Can Come Between Us,” opening with a catchy piano riff that leads into an upbeat, poppy number about breaking up. The next track, “Who Loves You Now,” is softer and more melodic than the former and heavy on the synthesizer. Lilly’s voice lends itself nicely to her indie pop sound. Other slower songs like “Green and White Stripes” and “Blooms Like Flowers” share the melodic electronic style, sometimes sounding almost ethereal. Up-tempo numbers like “Swedish Boy” and “Origami” are catchy and unique, relying on drum machines and fun pop melodies.
The album is an eclectic mix of genres and styles. Obi Best borrows across pop, rock and electronica to make this unique and engaging sound. Capades is a fun and catchy album from beginning to end. Fans of the Postal Service, Stereolab, Le Tigre and the Bird and the Bee will enjoy this album.
Review of Hamlet 2
Originally published in Seawanhaka, September 2008.
Hamlet 2 tells the story of a failed actor turned drama teacher that has to put on a great production to save his school’s theater program.
Dana Marschz (played by Steve Coogan) tried to make it as an actor, having appeared in a few commercials, including one for herpes medication. But he never caught the attention of any talent agents and he never really “made it,” so he turned to teaching high school drama in Tucson, AZ. His classes generally consisted of two students, Epiphany Sellars and Rand Posin (played by Phoebe Strole and Skylar Astin of Spring Awakening), performing stage versions of popular movies to incredibly negative reviews.
When funding is cut for several electives, Marschz gets a larger class of students who would rather be anywhere else. While he tries to make them care about the topic, he is informed that his funding has been cut as well, and that he will lose his job at the end of the term.
This information inspires the teacher to write his own play in order to save the drama program. What he writes is a sequel to Hamlet, where he has the title character travel back in time to save the doomed Shakespeare characters. He also includes a time-traveling Jesus and some widely offensive musical numbers.
The play is met with criticism from the school and the parents of the students. They must find a new venue in which to perform when they are banned from school property. Marschz’s dedication to the play costs him his marriage and sobriety. Ultimately, though, their sold-out opening performance is heavily protested but a huge success, propelling the play to Broadway.
Overall, this film was incredibly enjoyable. The brand of comedy used is different than others being used in recent releases. They don’t rely on tired gags and gross-out humor and instead turn to satire, political and religious jokes, and sarcasm. Being a comedy, there is, of course, still a level of silliness to the film. Physical gags are rampant, but are pulled off in a way that doesn’t cheapen the movie or appear desperate for laughs. Hamlet 2 takes a topic that is potentially highly offensive and alienating and turns it into something hilarious without dampening the controversial subject.
There are some small weaknesses to the plot, however. It isn’t very well explained why the students suddenly became serious about the play after having given Marschz a hard time. The subplot surrounding Marschz’s home life seems to be lacking something. It appears that it only exists as a catalyst to introduce Marschz to Elisabeth Shue, and ought to be developed better or eliminated so their meeting can be written in differently. These little issues can be overlooked, though, and don’t detract enough from the film to overshadow the humor.
This film had the potential to deliver or to completely fail, and fortunately it successfully delivered. It was intended to be a comedy about controversial, even blasphemous material, and it strikes a balance between laughs and commentary. The content is offensive enough to not only push the envelope but to make the film stand out from others that can’t tackle this kind of topic as well.
Hamlet 2 is currently in theaters. It is playing in Brooklyn at Cobble Hill Cinema, Pavilion Park Slope, and Bam Rose Cinemas, as well as various Manhattan locations.
Hamlet 2 tells the story of a failed actor turned drama teacher that has to put on a great production to save his school’s theater program.
Dana Marschz (played by Steve Coogan) tried to make it as an actor, having appeared in a few commercials, including one for herpes medication. But he never caught the attention of any talent agents and he never really “made it,” so he turned to teaching high school drama in Tucson, AZ. His classes generally consisted of two students, Epiphany Sellars and Rand Posin (played by Phoebe Strole and Skylar Astin of Spring Awakening), performing stage versions of popular movies to incredibly negative reviews.
When funding is cut for several electives, Marschz gets a larger class of students who would rather be anywhere else. While he tries to make them care about the topic, he is informed that his funding has been cut as well, and that he will lose his job at the end of the term.
This information inspires the teacher to write his own play in order to save the drama program. What he writes is a sequel to Hamlet, where he has the title character travel back in time to save the doomed Shakespeare characters. He also includes a time-traveling Jesus and some widely offensive musical numbers.
The play is met with criticism from the school and the parents of the students. They must find a new venue in which to perform when they are banned from school property. Marschz’s dedication to the play costs him his marriage and sobriety. Ultimately, though, their sold-out opening performance is heavily protested but a huge success, propelling the play to Broadway.
Overall, this film was incredibly enjoyable. The brand of comedy used is different than others being used in recent releases. They don’t rely on tired gags and gross-out humor and instead turn to satire, political and religious jokes, and sarcasm. Being a comedy, there is, of course, still a level of silliness to the film. Physical gags are rampant, but are pulled off in a way that doesn’t cheapen the movie or appear desperate for laughs. Hamlet 2 takes a topic that is potentially highly offensive and alienating and turns it into something hilarious without dampening the controversial subject.
There are some small weaknesses to the plot, however. It isn’t very well explained why the students suddenly became serious about the play after having given Marschz a hard time. The subplot surrounding Marschz’s home life seems to be lacking something. It appears that it only exists as a catalyst to introduce Marschz to Elisabeth Shue, and ought to be developed better or eliminated so their meeting can be written in differently. These little issues can be overlooked, though, and don’t detract enough from the film to overshadow the humor.
This film had the potential to deliver or to completely fail, and fortunately it successfully delivered. It was intended to be a comedy about controversial, even blasphemous material, and it strikes a balance between laughs and commentary. The content is offensive enough to not only push the envelope but to make the film stand out from others that can’t tackle this kind of topic as well.
Hamlet 2 is currently in theaters. It is playing in Brooklyn at Cobble Hill Cinema, Pavilion Park Slope, and Bam Rose Cinemas, as well as various Manhattan locations.
Review of Disfigured
Originally published in Seawanhaka, September 2008
The independent release Disfigured is marketed as “a film about women and weight.” This is certainly true – weight and body image issues are at the center of the plot – but it is also a story of friendship and the bond that forms between two women who seem incredibly different.
Darcy is an anorexic real estate agent who views her thin body as obese. Lydia is a plus-sized store clerk filled with insecurities and self-hatred. When Darcy tries to join a fat activism group she is abruptly and unceremoniously rejected. Lydia, a member of the group, is the only person to support her, saying their group shouldn’t have a weight limit and that they should be accepting of anyone who would like to join. The group also rejected an idea Lydia had to start a “fat acceptance walking group.”
At the first meeting of Lydia’s walking group, she finds herself face-to-face with Darcy, who offers to help her promote the club. The two begin talking and strike up an unlikely and eventful friendship, eventually revealing how much they actually have in common.
The only other person to show up to that first walking group session is Bob, an overweight man with whom Lydia develops a “friends with benefits” relationship. When he reveals that he is having gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, this unleashes Lydia’s own insecurities about her body. She approaches Darcy and asks for “anorexia lessons,” an idea at which Darcy initially balks but eventually agrees to. Darcy begins teaching Lydia to starve herself and excessively monitor both her diet and exercise. During this process they realize that their respective issues are more alike than they seem. Both have problems surrounding food that connect to emotional issues. Both deal with outside pressure to change. Both struggle with relationships and social activities.
As the women become close, their differences do cause issues between them. While observing and critiquing people walking by, Lydia asks Darcy what she honestly thinks when she looks at her body, to which Darcy replies “I think it’s disgusting.” Late in the film, Lydia tries to convince Darcy to go on an eating binge, which causes a rift that culminates in their fighting about the mental state of Darcy’s eating disorder. Finally, once they resolve their argument, Darcy is shown contacting a therapist for help with her disorder and Lydia starts a body image group that includes women of different sizes.
The film offers a unique take on women and body image. It relies somewhat on stereotypes but overall it gives insight into how weight can impact the minds and lives of women. It takes an interesting stance by showing that two women who seems so different on the surface can actually be going through similar struggles. It also took a fresh stance with Lydia by portraying an overweight woman as something other than a punchline. It also portrayed Darcy as simply a person who happens to struggle internally with her eating disorder, as opposed to the usual image of the anorexic woman who is completely broken down and incapable of functioning normally.
Disfigured is not perfect, however. By showing the fat activist group at the beginning as exclusive and cliquey as well as portraying Lydia as a binge eater, it played into many pre-conceived notions. It seemed that the goal of displaying the friendship and the similar issues these women face could have been achieved with a less contrived plot. Lydia’s request for “anorexia lessons” was an unlikely and unrealistic occurrence, mainly due to how grossly insensitive it was on the part of her character. The relationship between Bob and Lydia ended with a fight, which felt it needed another resolution. Whether or not they wound up together, the argument didn’t feel final, like they needed another scene to complete their story.
The overall concept of this film was interesting. The dynamic between Lydia and Darcy was a unique take on female friendship, and brought forth an angle on the topic of body image that is rarely discussed. There are areas that could be improved, but the movie is worth watching.
Disfigured is written and directed by Glenn Gers and stars Deidra Edwards as Lydia, Staci Lawrence as Darcy and Ryan C Benson as Bob. It is available on DVD at major retailers as well as www.disfiguredmovie.com.
The independent release Disfigured is marketed as “a film about women and weight.” This is certainly true – weight and body image issues are at the center of the plot – but it is also a story of friendship and the bond that forms between two women who seem incredibly different.
Darcy is an anorexic real estate agent who views her thin body as obese. Lydia is a plus-sized store clerk filled with insecurities and self-hatred. When Darcy tries to join a fat activism group she is abruptly and unceremoniously rejected. Lydia, a member of the group, is the only person to support her, saying their group shouldn’t have a weight limit and that they should be accepting of anyone who would like to join. The group also rejected an idea Lydia had to start a “fat acceptance walking group.”
At the first meeting of Lydia’s walking group, she finds herself face-to-face with Darcy, who offers to help her promote the club. The two begin talking and strike up an unlikely and eventful friendship, eventually revealing how much they actually have in common.
The only other person to show up to that first walking group session is Bob, an overweight man with whom Lydia develops a “friends with benefits” relationship. When he reveals that he is having gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, this unleashes Lydia’s own insecurities about her body. She approaches Darcy and asks for “anorexia lessons,” an idea at which Darcy initially balks but eventually agrees to. Darcy begins teaching Lydia to starve herself and excessively monitor both her diet and exercise. During this process they realize that their respective issues are more alike than they seem. Both have problems surrounding food that connect to emotional issues. Both deal with outside pressure to change. Both struggle with relationships and social activities.
As the women become close, their differences do cause issues between them. While observing and critiquing people walking by, Lydia asks Darcy what she honestly thinks when she looks at her body, to which Darcy replies “I think it’s disgusting.” Late in the film, Lydia tries to convince Darcy to go on an eating binge, which causes a rift that culminates in their fighting about the mental state of Darcy’s eating disorder. Finally, once they resolve their argument, Darcy is shown contacting a therapist for help with her disorder and Lydia starts a body image group that includes women of different sizes.
The film offers a unique take on women and body image. It relies somewhat on stereotypes but overall it gives insight into how weight can impact the minds and lives of women. It takes an interesting stance by showing that two women who seems so different on the surface can actually be going through similar struggles. It also took a fresh stance with Lydia by portraying an overweight woman as something other than a punchline. It also portrayed Darcy as simply a person who happens to struggle internally with her eating disorder, as opposed to the usual image of the anorexic woman who is completely broken down and incapable of functioning normally.
Disfigured is not perfect, however. By showing the fat activist group at the beginning as exclusive and cliquey as well as portraying Lydia as a binge eater, it played into many pre-conceived notions. It seemed that the goal of displaying the friendship and the similar issues these women face could have been achieved with a less contrived plot. Lydia’s request for “anorexia lessons” was an unlikely and unrealistic occurrence, mainly due to how grossly insensitive it was on the part of her character. The relationship between Bob and Lydia ended with a fight, which felt it needed another resolution. Whether or not they wound up together, the argument didn’t feel final, like they needed another scene to complete their story.
The overall concept of this film was interesting. The dynamic between Lydia and Darcy was a unique take on female friendship, and brought forth an angle on the topic of body image that is rarely discussed. There are areas that could be improved, but the movie is worth watching.
Disfigured is written and directed by Glenn Gers and stars Deidra Edwards as Lydia, Staci Lawrence as Darcy and Ryan C Benson as Bob. It is available on DVD at major retailers as well as www.disfiguredmovie.com.
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Mostly a place for me to put things I've written, though I may also occasionally interject shorter entries and upload goodies and all of that.
Enjoy.
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