Wednesday, May 21, 2008
child found
The child I put out a missing persons post for yesterday has been found at a women's shelter and is on her way home.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Keep a lookout
I got this email from my friend Cynthia (Producer of Chinese Angle and set genius for Sweetie Tanya) last night.
"My family is suffering a crisis and I need your help!
My niece Lisa Gregory( you may have heard my stories about her) has gone missing from the Antioch CA area on May 14, 2008 with her 2 year old little girl Katie.
My sister has legal custody of Katie as well as Lisa's older daughter. Lisa is drinking heavily and endangering Katie. The police have the missing persons' case. There are existing warrants for Lisa's arrest for other drinking related issues.
The report is also in the state-wide data base.
We need your help. Please forward the attached to people in Northern California where Lisa was last seen and claims to be going into a live-in rehab with her daughter.(We think that is unlikely as most rehab won't take children.) She may have traveled into Nevada or even Oregon, we really have in way to know. Her funds are limited and she may be staying in a cheap motel.
If you see her call the police immediately. Please don't confront her as she will likely flee in a risky manner that could cause greater harm to Katie.
THANK YOU for your support. If any of you have ideas on other ways to find her please let me know."
I don't know a lot of people in the area mentioned, but I'm putting this out there in case someone knows something or sees something.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tabs
Things are looking up.
I loved this article about Senator Joe Biden calling Bush on his bullshit.
article here
Bush used the anniversary of the foundation of Israel to slam anyone who wants to try to negotiate with Iran.
Bush's comments
Biden's response?
"This is bullshit."
and it really, really is.
----------------------------------------
A girl who was raped went on YouTube to out her attacker and find some support.
article here
I read this and just hurt. It hurt because so many of "Tanya"'s lines in the show mirror the comments of victims about there not being any justice in the system for rape victims. We state in the show that one in three women are assaulted in the course of their lives, and the article lists one in four women under 25. A small difference, and when you got 25 and up I have no doubt that the 33% figure still holds true. It makes me want to vomit...
----------------------------------------
I loved this article about Senator Joe Biden calling Bush on his bullshit.
article here
Bush used the anniversary of the foundation of Israel to slam anyone who wants to try to negotiate with Iran.
Bush's comments
Biden's response?
"This is bullshit."
and it really, really is.
----------------------------------------
A girl who was raped went on YouTube to out her attacker and find some support.
article here
I read this and just hurt. It hurt because so many of "Tanya"'s lines in the show mirror the comments of victims about there not being any justice in the system for rape victims. We state in the show that one in three women are assaulted in the course of their lives, and the article lists one in four women under 25. A small difference, and when you got 25 and up I have no doubt that the 33% figure still holds true. It makes me want to vomit...
----------------------------------------
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Invisible Forest updates
It appears that The Invisible Forest was reviewed by a Swiss Jungian Analyst. Given that the movie is essentially a tour through a dreamscape, that seems extremely appropriate.
An excerpt:
In filmmaking, Antero Alli, playwright, poet, actor and director, is a Pied Piper of the imagistic, imaginal world, enchanting, enticing, with the mercurial, quicksilver flute of his instinctive, intuitive style. Perhaps this is especially true in The Invisible Forest.
The review is here.
Antero was also interviewed up in Oregon, where he's been showing the film.
Here's the June schedule for showings:
Thursday June 5, 9pm: DIVA Center, Eugene OR. $5.
Friday June 6, 9:30pm: Hollywood Theatre, Portland OR. $6.
Sunday June 15, 2pm: NW Film Forum, Seattle WA. $8
Wed. June 18, 8:30pm: Pickford Cinema, Bellingham WA $7.50
Friday June 27, 7pm: Shiny Object, West Sacramento. $5.
Filmmaker in person at all screenings.
An excerpt:
In filmmaking, Antero Alli, playwright, poet, actor and director, is a Pied Piper of the imagistic, imaginal world, enchanting, enticing, with the mercurial, quicksilver flute of his instinctive, intuitive style. Perhaps this is especially true in The Invisible Forest.
The review is here.
Antero was also interviewed up in Oregon, where he's been showing the film.
Here's the June schedule for showings:
Thursday June 5, 9pm: DIVA Center, Eugene OR. $5.
Friday June 6, 9:30pm: Hollywood Theatre, Portland OR. $6.
Sunday June 15, 2pm: NW Film Forum, Seattle WA. $8
Wed. June 18, 8:30pm: Pickford Cinema, Bellingham WA $7.50
Friday June 27, 7pm: Shiny Object, West Sacramento. $5.
Filmmaker in person at all screenings.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Four for Four!
The SF Bay Guardian came out today and had this to say:
The return of "Sweetie" Tanya (after its debut run at the Darkroom in January) feels like an off-Broadway-bound show that's generously consented to remain off–Union Square for now. Dan Wilson's inspired take on Sweeney Todd — re-imagined as a tale of sexual and class exploitation at the economic fringes of the white yuppie-hipster makeover of the Mission, narrated by a schizophrenic homeless man (sharply played by Bryce Byerley) — is more than mere spoof. Just as the original Sweeney had a real beef that made his monstrous deeds explicable if not necessarily forgivable, "Sweetie" Tanya (a terrific Kate Austin-Gröen) derives her campaign of vengeance from a situation as much personal as political, aggravated by the harassment she receives behind and over the counter at a Mission coffee house. Beneath its delightful foam of frothy comedy, "Sweetie" Tanya hides a depth charge of caffeinated cruelty and outrage. Among the show's many qualities are some very good songs (from various contributors), sung especially well by Austin-Gröen and costar Alexis Wong, and backed by composer and musical director Steve Kahn's fine five-piece band. There could be more in way of plot development, the staging is occasionally too static, and the supporting performances are uneven. But none of these weaknesses much impinge on Sweetie's remarkable success. (Avila)
That's four reviews, all of them positive. All acknowledge that the show is flawed, but so much fun that the flaws are easily (and happily) overlooked. I'm giddy as a schoolgirl.
Are schoolgirls really giddy? I honestly don't know, but if they are, I'm as giddy as one.
The return of "Sweetie" Tanya (after its debut run at the Darkroom in January) feels like an off-Broadway-bound show that's generously consented to remain off–Union Square for now. Dan Wilson's inspired take on Sweeney Todd — re-imagined as a tale of sexual and class exploitation at the economic fringes of the white yuppie-hipster makeover of the Mission, narrated by a schizophrenic homeless man (sharply played by Bryce Byerley) — is more than mere spoof. Just as the original Sweeney had a real beef that made his monstrous deeds explicable if not necessarily forgivable, "Sweetie" Tanya (a terrific Kate Austin-Gröen) derives her campaign of vengeance from a situation as much personal as political, aggravated by the harassment she receives behind and over the counter at a Mission coffee house. Beneath its delightful foam of frothy comedy, "Sweetie" Tanya hides a depth charge of caffeinated cruelty and outrage. Among the show's many qualities are some very good songs (from various contributors), sung especially well by Austin-Gröen and costar Alexis Wong, and backed by composer and musical director Steve Kahn's fine five-piece band. There could be more in way of plot development, the staging is occasionally too static, and the supporting performances are uneven. But none of these weaknesses much impinge on Sweetie's remarkable success. (Avila)
That's four reviews, all of them positive. All acknowledge that the show is flawed, but so much fun that the flaws are easily (and happily) overlooked. I'm giddy as a schoolgirl.
Are schoolgirls really giddy? I honestly don't know, but if they are, I'm as giddy as one.
Press
Opening night for Tanya was tough. Six people, two of which were critics. One of them, the critic for the San Jose Mercury News, left like a shot after the show (which hadn't forced a single audible laugh out of the crowd). I was convinced that we were going to get reamed.
I was wrong.
Let's hope it gets some butts in seats this Thursday.
I was wrong.
Let's hope it gets some butts in seats this Thursday.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
images
Since my job focus has switched to developing multimedia pieces, I've become disconcertingly aware of people's appearances. I don't mean in person, but as I shuffle through the hundreds of photos I have, trying to find one that fits the content I need to express.
I find myself asking myself questions like, "why aren't there more kids of color in this classroom? I can't show the same kid three times. Oh, this teacher is kind of wall-eyed, can I use this shot? What the hell is that device on that kid's head?" (I still don't know the answer to the last one)
It kind of makes me uncomfortable, because I like to see the beauty in every face, but some people are photogenic and some aren't. I don't like feeling like I need to exclude representing someone because they have funny eyes, or bad teeth, or any other feature that marks them as being "different". At the same time, if I want people to look at the project that is being described, I don't want them wondering what that thing is on that kid's head.
Like with film and theatre, it's about drawing the eye to what you want to communicate. I deal with this all the time, but for some reason, it's bothering me more in this context.
I find myself asking myself questions like, "why aren't there more kids of color in this classroom? I can't show the same kid three times. Oh, this teacher is kind of wall-eyed, can I use this shot? What the hell is that device on that kid's head?" (I still don't know the answer to the last one)
It kind of makes me uncomfortable, because I like to see the beauty in every face, but some people are photogenic and some aren't. I don't like feeling like I need to exclude representing someone because they have funny eyes, or bad teeth, or any other feature that marks them as being "different". At the same time, if I want people to look at the project that is being described, I don't want them wondering what that thing is on that kid's head.
Like with film and theatre, it's about drawing the eye to what you want to communicate. I deal with this all the time, but for some reason, it's bothering me more in this context.
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