My wonderful friend, mentor and former director Midge is starting a new family today on Mother’s Day. It’s a family investing in its roots by travelling to Italy.
I love this idea. What an inspiration! Check it out. Consider subscribing! I’ve already done that (jealously of course – lol).
and..
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
ZK Lowenfels is a 20 year-old female, and this summer when her play stages at the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival, she will be the youngest female playwright in America.
Making her playwriting debut with Sewer Rats at Sea – a daring genre-bending production that is a playfully crooked cross between clever bar banter and a JD Salinger novel, Lowenfels will be showcasing an even more important issue in American theatre:
Female playwrights represent less than 17% of all staged plays and staged productions in this country.
This will make her premiere a whopping triumph for herself and young women everywhere, along with The Hollywood Fringe’s decision to “break from the ordinary” and present her play.
“The Fringe Festival is a great opportunity to showcase ZK’s brilliance,” commented Aaron Lyons, a veteran director of the festival, to be held this June, who initially surprised by the age of the playwright, also commented “It’s a fantastic script with such a strong base. It hits you on so many levels.”
The drama plays out at sea as characters trapped on a yacht find their secrets slipping out. The tension mounts as one final, all-important secret looms ahead like an enormous iceberg in the fog, a truth that will shipwreck the status quo and cast preconceptions into freezing water.
Writing has always had a place of high importance in Lowenfels life at a very young age. And it could also be said that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Ms. Lowenfels had great influences starting with her great-grandfather, avant-garde poet Walter Lowenfels, fueled by the works of some of his friends and fellow troublemakers (Beckett and Henry Miller, among others). She’s been writing since age 5 and published since age 7.
Z was also encouraged by the rave reviews of her readers, and the help of her closest friend, young producer Gia Vangieri. Assisted by the muscle of Mr. Lyons (Pulp Shakespeare, Rise) this summer her words will come to life in Los Angeles.
http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1287?tab=details
Show dates are:
playing at:
“Botanicum Seedlings,” Theatricum Botanicum’s development series for playwrights, announced yesterday, the recipient of its 4th Annual “Izzy” Award. The winning play is Recipe by Michael Gene Sullivan.
First presented as part of last year’s spring playreadings, Sullivan’s comedy is about members of a vigilantly progressive baking circle who raise funds for revolutionary causes.
After its June playreading (directed by Jen Bloom and featuring company actors including Ellen Geer), Recipe was performed at Theatricum as a celebrity benefit. The August, 2012 staged reading was directed by Geer and starred Cloris Leachman, Amy Madigan, Wendie Malick, Jean Smart and Lisa Bonet.
The Izzy is named for Theatricum’s late dramaturg, Israel Baran, who passed away in 2007. To honor Israel’s keen mind, sharp tongue, and ear for language (despite the fact that he was frustratingly deaf), the Izzy was established to recognize the Seedlings play that “speaks to us the loudest.”
“This is quite an honor!” says Sullivan, a critically acclaimed playwright based in San Francisco. “First it was super-cool to have the script read and directed by such a talented group of women at a socially aware theater, but now winning this award is unexpected, and wonderful icing on the cake. Which is appropriate for a show called Recipe!”
Since its inception in 2002, Botanicum Seedlings has established itself as a vital resource for writers across the country. The series has been instrumental in the development of over 100 new plays, at least 25 of which have gone on to be published, win awards and receive major productions.
In addition to its public playreadings (scheduled later in the summer), now produced by John Maidman, Seedlings recently added new programs for playwrights: writing workshops and dramaturgy led by Theatricum playwright-in-residence Jennie Webb: The Seedlings Playwrights Workshop (the next session begins June 8; deadline is May 1 for playwrights to submit materials), Private Dramaturgy and Family Story Workshop.
Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a year full of events. For more information on Botanicum Seedlings and new programs for playwrights call (310) 455-2322 or visit www.theatricum.com. Visit them on facebook:www.facebook.com/theatricum. Follow them on twitter: @theatricum.
Posted in Dance, Literature, Media, Shakespeare, Theatre, Writing
Tagged #LAThtr, @theatricum, Comedy, Izzy Award, Michael Gene Sullivan, playreading series, Recipe, Theatre, Theatricum Botanicum
EAT WRITE and Muddy Leek Restaurant
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A treat for your belly and soul. Something delicious served up by master chef Whitney Flood complimented by some tasty words and music. Produced by Conrad Romo and featuring: Melinda Hill, Ron Darian, Jeremy Radin “Slow Dancing with Sasquatch”, Billy Burgos “Eulogy to an Unknown Tree” and music from Malik ‘the FreQ’ Moore.
Enjoy a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich and a glass of seasonal wine while being entertained by some talented writers and music.
Tickets $20
For more info call: (323) 937-0136 or visit the Tongue and Groove website..
At Muddy Leek Restaurant
Wednesday March 20th
8:00pm
8631 Washington Blvd
Culver City, 90232
Gia On the Move missed the last one — oh darn-nit cause my favorite storyteller to date was in attendance. However, I am going to do my best to get to this one.
What we LOVE about EAT WRITE: Do we really have to spell it out? What’s not to like about dinner and a bit of entertainment. And not just entertainment, but music, poetry and storytelling that you can really chew on! And how much do we appreciate one of LA’s best chefs for hosting this fest? If you haven’t been to a Tongue and Groove normally put on by Conrad Romo, this would be the ideal “step up” art & culture mix and a great introduction to what’s REALLY happening in LA.
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Melinda Hill comes to LA by way of Kansas. She is a comedian, actor and writer who regularly performs in clubs all over the country. She also produces, “What’s Up, Tiger Lily?”. She’s best known for co-hosting “Eat My Podcast” with as well as writing, producing and starring in “Romantic Encounters with Melinda Hill. Her critically acclaimed comedy album “The Accidental Bisexual” is available through Stand Up! Records & iTunes.
Ron Darian has written and produced television shows such as 7th Heaven, Frasier, The Gregory Hines Show, Mad About You, and The Master of Horror and Suspense. His short fiction work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in Fiction International, Inkwell Journal, Grey Sparrow Press, Limestone, Dos Passos Review, Argestes, and The MacGuffin. His work has recently been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Jeremy Radin is an actor and poet based out of Los Angeles, California, where he spends most of his time eating expensive cheeseburgers and makin’ sexy eyes at all the pretty girls. His first book of poetry is published by Write Bloody.
Billy Burgos is an Illustrator/Designer/Poet from Los Angeles. He is a Curator on staff at Gotpoetry.com. His poetry has been featured in both Anthologies and Literary Journals and Zines. In 2007 Billy was chosen as an up and coming poet by the L.A. Poetry Festival. He has served as workshop facilitator of the Beyond Baroque Wednesday night workshop and hosts the First Sunday Open Reading at Beyond Baroque. Billy is the host of Word Ballast, an blogtalk poetry show where he has interviewed such poets as Nikki Giovanni, Nikky Finney, Thomas Sayers Ellis and Nick Flynn. His vivid paintings of some of L.A’s most interesting poets called The Faces of Poetry is a traveling gallery/poetry exhibit which has been featured in both art journals as well as KCET. His first full length collection of poetry called Eulogy to an Unknown Tree is out now on Writ Large Press
Posted in Art, Food, Music, Theatre, Writing
Tagged Chef Whitney Flood, Comedy, Conrad Romo, Entertainment, grilled cheese sandwich, Muddy Leek Restaurant, Poetry, Storytelling
“Men look at themselves in mirrors while women look for themselves.”From Sleeping Beauty’s looking glass, to the middle school bathroom, to the department store dressing room, we are surrounded by mirrors, images and reflections. The Mirror Monologues seeks submissions from women of all ages about the role mirrors play in their lives. The best and most representative stories will be woven into a 90-minute script that will be presented in New York City in the spring of 2014.
The Mirror Monologues competition is open to women ages 16 years and older. Submissions will be accepted between February 1 and March 31, 2013. Playwrights may submit only one monologue. Monologues must be unpublished, unproduced, and between one and three pages in length.
For more information on submission guidelines and mailing instructions, visit TheMirrorMonologues.com .
“We want both serious and humorous pieces about a time when you looked in a mirror and felt a strong emotion. Examples include: your first eyeglasses, braces, graduation, wedding day, pregnancy, important job interview and your changing self-image on milestone birthdays,” says Donna Guthrie, co-creator of The Mirror Monologues.
The final script will include both painful as well as celebratory stories; intending that the overall message to be positive, life-affirming, and inspiring. The founders hope this project will lead to collaborations with theatrical communities across the country.
The Mirror Monologues was created by four women — Judith Estrine, Nancy Gall-Clayton, Donna Guthrie and Linda Rathkopf.
The women met when Gall-Clayton and Guthrie put together a short play festival called “6 Women Turning 60″ in 2006 after they met at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.
The “6 Women” festival traveled to six venues across the country. Four of the six playwrights stayed in touch, vaguely thinking they would create a festival around their 70th birthdays, but they didn’t want to wait that long. They also realized they wanted to tell the stories of many women. After communicating for a period of time by email and telephone, they practically locked themselves (and their laptops) in a house for a three-day weekend in fall 2012. The result is The Mirror Monologues.
Please visit:http://www.themirrormonologues.com/about-us/ for each woman’s respective bio.
30 days of literary abandon to write your novel!
1) Go to the website and sign up for the event by clicking the “Start Here” button at NaNoWriMo.org.
2) Follow the instructions on the following screen to create an account.
2.5) Check your email for the account validation email and click on the link included.
3) Log into your account, where you’ll be prompted to finish the sign-up process.
4) Start filling out information about yourself and your novel in My NaNoWriMo.
5) Begin procrastinating by reading through all the great advice and funny stories in the forums. Post some stories and questions of your own. Get excited. Get nervous. Try to rope someone else into doing this with you. Eat lots of chocolate and stockpile noveling rewards.
6) On November 1, begin writing your novel. Your goal is to write a 50,000-word novel by midnight, local time, on November 30th. You write on your own computer, using whatever software you prefer.
7) This is not as scary as it sounds.
8) Starting November 1, you can update your word count in that box at the top of the site, and post excerpts of your work for others to read. Watch your word-count accumulate and story take shape. Feel a little giddy.
9) Write with other NaNoWriMo participants in your area. Write by yourself. Write. Write. Write.
9.25) If you write 50,000 words of fiction by midnight, local time, November 30th, you can upload your novel for official verification, and be added to our hallowed Winner’s Page and receive a handsome winner’s certificate and web badge. We’ll post step-by-step instructions on how to scramble and upload your novel starting in mid-November.
9.3333) Reward yourself copiously for embarking on this outrageously creative adventure.
10) Win or lose, you rock for even trying.
That’s all there is to it! Occasionally, participants write in to ask about the rules of the event. We don’t have many! But because we’ve found that creativity is often heightened by constraints (and communities bolstered by shared goals) we have evolved a handful of rules over the years. The rules state that, to be an official NaNoWriMo winner, you must…
Watch the video hosted by Hollywood Fringe Festival Director, Ben Hill, by clicking here. This link will also take you directly to the Kickstarter page.
Posted in Dance, Literature, Media, Money, Movement, Movies, Music, Non-Profit, Poetry, Reviews, Shakespeare, Theatre, Writing
Tagged Ben Hill, Entertainment, Hollywood Fringe Festival, live events in LA
A monthly offering of short fiction, personal essays, poetry, spoken word + music. Produced by Conrad Romo and featuring: Chiwan ChoiAbductions, Ed Lin One Red Bastard, Traci Kato Kiriyama, Suzanne Whang and musical guest Meiko
Sunday May 20th
6-7:30 pm
The Hotel Cafe
1623 1/2 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, Ca 90028
$6.00
Chiwan Choi is a writer, editor, teacher, and publisher.
Abductions is his second book of poetry.
Ed Lin is the author of Waylaid, This Is a Bust and Snakes Can’t Run. Lin, who is of Taiwanese and Chinese descent, is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards. The native New Yorker’s latest book is One Red Bastard, by Minotaur.
Traci Akemi Kato-Kiriyamais the creator/ producer of Tuesday Night Café in Little Tokyo. She is a writer, performing artist, educator and grassroots organizer. She tours throughout the country with shows, workshops, & her book of poetry, signaling, and is currently working with stage partner and aerial artist Kennedy Kabasares as they expand their piece, PULL: tales of obsession, supported by the Center for Cultural Innovation/Durfee Foundation.
Suzanne Whang is an actor, television host, stand-up comedian, author, keynote speaker, radio host, writer, Universal Life minister, and political activist. Suzanne has made many television appearances.
Meiko is an American indie singer/songwriter, born and raised in Roberta, Georgia. She independently released a self-titled album on September 1, 2007 — without the help of a record label, her album reached #35 on the iTunes Top 100 Albums chart. It was also iTunes’ #1 Folk album for over a month and in under nine months, over 200,000 singles had been downloaded from iTunes. Several tracks have been featured in primetime TV shows.
Come one, come all and come early! Seating is limited and we start on time.
www.tongueandgroovela.com
Posted in Art, Literature, Music, Poetry, Writing
Tagged live events in LA, Music, Poetry
“To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling…” ~ Ray Bradbury
via Words of Inspirations for Writers.
From the very inspiring blog of Sara Toole Miller who daily moves other writers to do great things one little step at a time. Give her a visit and a shout.
by Tracey Paleo
Sometimes you just have to ask yourself, “what is all of this about?”
This entire month I have been doing nothing but organizing and “Spring Cleaning” if you will. It’s a funny thing looking through ones papers, files, old photographs and notebooks. It can really put your life into frame.
As I have been attempting to clear a path from my front door to my kitchen through the mountainous piles, I suddenly am getting much more perspective than I’ve had in a long time. Yet all I’ve been able to establish is, “how boring.” My close friends keep assuring me that I am much too hard on myself. That I have been an inspiration, accomplished feats no other human (they know) have even attempted and I have been the driving force behind their own respective “get into gear” modes. However, it occurred to me that, a few years ago, I asked the universe for a great big adventure. I got one. But along the way, I haven’t been very adventurous. I haven’t taken a lot of risk.
A good friend read a chapter out of a branding book to me this evening which said that most people live as if they are working in a balloon factory and that their biggest fear is that a unicorn will suddenly walk in. That made me laugh. But seriously, it does feel like that.
Surrounded by all of this information on my bookshelves and three-ring binders, on my hard drive and everywhere on the net, I’m considering, ‘what is it that I am really trying to do?’ ‘what is the statement I am trying to make?’ ‘am I really saying anything at all that’s important?’ ‘and just what is it I want to say?’ –the profound feeling of going in circles and arriving at the starting line for a race without an exact destination. Hmmmm…didn’t someone tell me that it was all about the journey? yeah…
What is the information age all about? Are we more informed or simply lost in the shuffle? I certainly feel a little water-logged these days wading through the messages. Most of which have hardly any weight or meaning.
A while back I posted a few lines from Lewis Carroll’s, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Right now I’m feeling a little bit like Gia’s Adventures in Los Angeles.
‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
‘—so long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’
Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question. ‘What sort of people live about here?’
‘In that direction,’ the Cat said, waving its right paw round, ‘lives a Hatter: and in that direction,’ waving the other paw, ‘lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.’
‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked.
‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’
‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice.
‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’
—
Sounds like a normal day in Los Angeles.
Who am I talking to anyway? Is anyone listening?
Posted in Blogging, Literature, Writing
Tagged Alice in Wonderland, by Tracey Paleo Gia On The Move, GiaMedia3, Lewis Carroll, Life, Literature, los angeles, Random
Gia On The Move
