sunset starlet takes flight

It's truly a "GO!"
After successfully landing Sally Kirkland (an Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe winner for Best Actress for 1987's "Anna"), as the absentee mom, "The Curse of the Sunset Starlet" took wing today! Woohoo!

Lori Precious, the director and co-writer of the script, wrote this update for me (as well as her other 73 kickstarter backers) yesterday:
We'll be on set!

Lots of last minute details to tend to-- but we will be ready by our call time Monday at 7am!

Production designer Tana is working with her team to transform our house into a set. (My kids and Steve have been totally displaced which has made the kids grouchy); Miles is drawing zombies for the character of Ryder; Sally changed her wardrobe; I'm altering the scene breakdown after rehearsals; Will, my neighbor, let us use him super clean garage for hair and make up because my house is too small; my mother-in-law Jo Erickson has not only allowed me to use her glamorous headshots from her days as a bona fide starlet (Hurrell-like photographs by Steve's dad) to be the mummified starlet but she has taken on the epic task of catering the whole shoot. No small feat feeding 30 people 2x times per day for 4 days. She has a battalion of her buddies (thank you Adrienne!) helping her and since they are all terrific cooks, the crew will be well fed.

Say a prayer to the Film Gods that all goes smoothly. You are all on this adventure with me! I'll try to update each night if I can (I wish Kickstarter didn't make it so hard to post photos---I'll post them on my website for sure after the shoot)

With gratitude,

Lori

As I do my best to keep up with her and lend support, I responded:
Wow!!! I am SOOO excited for you and everyone involved!! What a marvelous adventure you are on together, making memories AND a movie!

Faustina "Fliss" Smith

I am so excited! I really wish I could be there - though I would probably be star-stuck and in the way!

the shadow out of providence: a lovecraftical metatext

One thing leads to another, as The Fixx tells us.
That is certainly true in the case of this kickstarter project.
Literally.
I had discovered Erik Bauer's wrapping paper at the crowd-sourcing site and, as I was reading his updates, I was referred to Ezra Claverie's book in the making.
Nice, right?
So, I added my $37 to obtain a hardcover copy for myself.
Is the book about Cthulhu?
No.
Oh... then what is the draw for me?
This one book will be comprised of a play and two short stories, all inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, the man, warts and all. In particular, Ezra promises to explore Lovecraft's belief in the use of print media to portray the unknown as a source of fear and to utilize ignorance as a defense against that fear.
That should be an interesting collection, though perhaps not one for late-night reading, as it promises to include slime, the living dead, tentacles, and such.
You better believe I'll leave the light on for it!

cthulhu's house of z

How did I find myself involved in this project?
The same way I became a supporter of this one: as I have discovered, I have several friends who are fans of that mythology.
You know, the mythology of Cthulhu.
For me, my interest was kindled by a fundraiser last year. Two dear friends had opened a new venue for artists of all types to display their creative talents. After that two-night event, Cthulhu was definitely on my radar.
Or should that be "on my sonar"?
(smile)
In either case, whenever I see the name, I read on.
This kickstarter project sounds like something that would be right at home at Muse Arts Warehouse. If it were, I would certainly be there to see it!
As it is not local, I will do the next best thing. I will support it financially, along with a few other folks. BOOM BAT GESTURE is so close to their goal!
My thirty-three bucks will help push them toward that goal... and gain me a DVD of their show! Sah-weet! It'll be as close as I will be able to get to a performance art show in New York City.
Break a leg, y'all!

12:15 sunday safely landed

Woohoo!
I had received the above still back in March,
along with these others.
Filming had wrapped and
the creator of this kickstarter project wanted to share the good news.
Lookin' good, Taylor!

And here's the link to the trailer.
Then I was fortunate enough to actually watch the film on the silver screen. The Savannah College of Art And Design held the "16 x 9 Revealed" student showcase at the Trustees Theatre, on the two final days in May. Woohoo! Happy birthday to me!!!

The film was done beautifully. The transitions between the elderly veteran's narrative and the dramatic reenactments of the events on Sunday, January 20, 1945, were executed very well - bravo!
Apparently, I was not the only one impressed. When the 2012 SCADemy Awards were given, "12:15 Sunday" walked away with two of them! Best Documentary Film Undergraduate! Best Sound Design For An Undergraduate Film! Taylor, himself, was awarded as Best Director For An Undergraduate Film - making history at the school for being the first documentary director to win. Congratulations!
I am so very proud of the work done here. I am so grateful to have been able to contribute to something I believed in, a project which I could back in memory of my stepdad, Francis Ignacius Barry.
Thank you, Taylor Jenkins.

Speaking of such, here is the thank-you email I received from him:

June 3, 2012
Taylor Jenkins says:

Hello all!

This is the official Thank You email to all 12:15 Sunday Kickstarter supporters! We've finally seen this documentary through to the end! It's been a long journey with numerous challenges along the way, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else!

The film was completed just this last week, and screened at our local Senior Showcase as well as the SCAD Film and Television award ceremony. We were nominated for Best Sound Design, Best Documentary, and Best Director,...and 12:15 Sunday ended up winning each nomination! I'm humbled by how positively people are reacting to the film, so I can't wait to share it with everyone!

But it is only because of the support and contributions of everyone here that brought this film to life. So I now extend my thanks, and wish I could fully express how deeply grateful I truly am. I've loved people checking in with the project to see its progress and anticipating the film's completion. Well the wait is now over.

I will be uploading the film to a private online viewing website very soon! I'll notify everyone once the film is uploaded online for viewing!

The next step in the film's journey is sending it around to festivals for potential screenings! I feel confident for its future!

Again, thank you everyone so very much for making this film possible! And thank you for bringing John's story to life.

Sincerely,

Taylor Jenkins

Nice!
Tonight, he sent the link for the full-length film to me!
Sadly, I cannot share it here.
It's only for me and twelve other supporters of the project!
But, if you ask, I will gladly let you watch it with me. Gladly!

PINK is my guardian partridge

As one of the many rewards for backing her kickstarter project, Connie Noyes,
soon to be world-famous artist,
said she would send an autographed 4"x4" art print,
of my choice.
"Guardian Partridge"
was the one I selected,
with the colorful bird
perched on the feet of two different people.
Perhaps my selection process was colored by my taste for the grilled quail featured at a local all-hours diner. Quail, like partridges, are pretty little game fowl, n'est-ce pas?

I also have her autograph
on the catalogue for her PINK SPACE exhibit in Chicago.
I don't know
if I mentioned it or not,
but that exhibit features work
that is dear to my heart.
"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"
has long been my mantra,
and she follows that call
with flying colors
- in shades of pink!
By "elevating the prestige of mundane materials," she literally turns trash into art, granting it a new life. She also sent me a snazzy placard for the new website. I just may turn that into a magnet for my fridge. I do like the hot pink fading to black above and below!

This is my favorite piece
from the PINK SPACE installation.
So many different textures!
Apparently,
for this art,
touching was encouraged!
With my predisposition
to running my fingers
along surfaces,
I would have had
a blast there!
My mother's admonition
to me
as a child to
"keep your hands in your pockets"
wouldn't have needed to be uttered.
Ah, to be in that Windy City for the show!
Meanwhile, let me close my eyes and see if I can feel the textures through the printed pages...

birth

Today, I received an update on this kickstarter project. Art takes a bit longer than artists tend to estimate for its completion. Especially when you are composing a film using 6000+ individual paintings. Definitely.
Erica Farrel has quite a dream baby with "Samsara"! So her original estimate of a nine-month "due date" may well be off. Then again, first human babies are usually not on time, either.
Here is her message to me and the other 36 backers:

Update #6 - For backers only
Jun 1, 2012
Update on Samsara

Hi guys,

Its been a while since i have updated the project. I have been working long and hard on Samsara for the last 5 months, and it's looking beautiful. In fact i have been a little obsessive and have redone the entire beginning half of the animation and it has set me back quite a bit. Due to other travel reasons as well i will be postponing the project deadline and prizes (since they all include the DVD) until Dec 2013. Your donations have helped me so much and have encouraged me to intensify the project, by length and quality. I hope everyone understands and again thanks for all your help!

Best, Erica Farrel

Still, I will keep in mind that art takes time. That said, I will still hope to have a Christmas gift in 2013 of the completed work. That will be quite nice!
Actually, it would be two presents: one to watch on video and one to grace my wall.
I'll keep you posted!

the dreamer and the devil meet on stage

Photo 1: "We're Gonna Show 'Em"; full cast; the citizens of Chicago are eager to have their city be chosen as the site of the new World's Fair.
(Please note: photo by Rich Seidelman)

I was not one of the fortunate few who were physically present at this reading of the new musical, "The Dreamer And The Devil" - but I was certainly there in spirit! Here's the report from the website of Jenny Seidelman:
May 23, 2012
Reading of The Dreamer and the Devil a Success

An enthusiastic audience of supporters and theater-industry professionals attended a reading of the new, full-length musical The Dreamer and the Devil on May 21, 2012 at Stage 773 in Chicago. The show features book and additional lyrics by Jenny Seidelman and music, lyrics and additional book by Jonathan Wagner. Richard Shavzin served as director and Claire Shavzin was stage manager/assistant director.

The cast featured an outstanding array of talent including: Larry Adams (Daniel Burnham); Michael Mahler (H.H. Holmes); George Keating (John Root); Doug Pawlik (Sol Bloom); Kevin Gudahl (Carter Harrison); Marc Pera (Patrick Prendergast); Charissa Armon (Julia Conner); Karl Hamilton (Detective Geyer); Erin Myover-Piotrowski (Annie Howard); Andrew Roy Ritter (Ned Conner); Dave Nadolski (Ben Pietzel); Sharriese Hamilton (ensemble); Mandy Modic (ensemble); Jeny Wasilewski (ensemble); Chris Gorton (ensemble); Dave Carmona (ensemble); Ed Rutherford (ensemble).

The reading of The Dreamer and the Devil was supported through a major fundraising campaign on Kickstarter, which also helped to pay for a forthcoming cast recording.

The Dreamer and the Devil's artistic team are currently determining the next steps for the show.

Wow!!!
And here's the news from that artistic team:
Update #6
May 23 2012
"The Dreamer and the Devil" Reading is a Smashing Success!

We’re so excited to tell you that we finally had the official reading of The Dreamer and the Devil this past Monday and it was quite a success!

Approximately 100 supporters and theater industry professionals joined us at Stage 773 (1225 W. Belmont Ave.) in Chicago for this amazing event. The audience response was incredibly positive and we’re very excited for what the future holds for The Dreamer and the Devil.

Thanks to the support of our Kickstarter donors, we were able to have the show professionally recorded so that we can send c.d.s. to investors/producers/artistic directors in the Chicago area who were unable to attend the reading. (Donors of $25 and above will also receive a c.d. in a month or two.)

We were also able to hire a top-notch stage manager/assistant director, Claire Shavzin, and a truly outstanding cast of both Equity and non-Equity professionals, including: Larry Adams (Daniel Burnham); Michael Mahler (H.H. Holmes); George Keating (John Root); Doug Pawlik (Sol Bloom); Kevin Gudahl (Carter Harrison); Marc Pera (Patrick Prendergast); Charissa Armon (Julia Conner); Karl Hamilton (Detective Geyer); Erin Myover-Piotrowski (Annie Howard); Andrew Roy Ritter (Ned Conner); Dave Nadolski (Ben Pietzel); Sharriese Hamilton (Miss Halifax); Mandy Modic (Myrta Holmes); Jeny Wasilewski (Minnie Williams); Chris Gorton (O'Hara); Dave Carmona (Lyman Gage); Ed Rutherford (Angry Republican).

And, of course, the Kickstarter campaign helped us pay for the all-important copies of scripts and music, programs for the event, water and coffee for the cast, and rental of Stage 773 for rehearsals and the performance.

Now that the big event is over, we are taking a much-needed “breather” for a week or two – but we look forward to reconvening to discuss audience feedback, responses from potential producers/investors, and figuring out the next steps to take in pursuit of a full production.

As a generous Kickstarter donor, we will keep you apprised of major developments with the show – future readings, productions, etc.

Thank you again for your truly generous support. We couldn’t have done it without you!

~ Jenny Seidelman, Jonathan Wagner and Richard Shavzin ~

Wowzie wow WOW!!! I am so excited about this - just in time for my birthday, too.
Thanks, y'all!