Category: Reviews

Gray Scott: The Future of Work and Death

photo-smallThere are many types of people in my life. Actors, Writers, Musicians, Attorneys, Accountants, Futurists. I met Gray during Michael Roderick’s ConnectorCon. A passionate discourse was had about quantum physics over paninis and salads. Little did we know that Gray was the keynote speaker of the event. A friendship struck up and wonderful conversations continued on our future. So when shared his news about being a co-executive producer for his documentary: The Future of Work and Death,  I wanted to learn more so I can share with you.  I asked him to tell me more and he did:

What is the meaning of life? Why are we hear? What is the purpose of life? These fundamental questions have yet to be answered. Until now, it seems humanity has been to busy surviving to answer these questions. That is about to change. Advancements in AI and robotics may allow us to automate everything. How will we live in a future without jobs? Can humanity cope with such a massive paradigm shift?

Will near future medical advancements free us from the chains of natural death? Several recent scientific studies have produced startling, some might say, magical results. Scientists have been able to reverse age in mice. Sounds like science fiction but age reversal has arrived. Human trials may start as soon as next year. So what will human life be like in a world free of work and death?

These are the questions that we hope to answer in THE FUTURE OF WORK AND DEATH.

Directed by Sean Blacknell and Wayne Walsh
Co-Executive Producer and futurist advisor – Gray Scott

BIO:

Gray Scott is a futurist, techno-philosopher, writer and artist. He is the founder and editorial director of SeriousWonder.com, and a professional member of The World Future Society. His work has been featured in and interviewed by the The Futurist Magazine, New York Post, Psychology Today, The Star, FOX5 News NY, San Francisco Magazine, H+ Magazine, IEET, Brighter Brains, Media Disruptus, London Futurists, OracleTalk and The One Way Ticket show. Gray lives in NY and is currently also working as the futurist advisor for EMBERS, a forthcoming sci-fi film.

Be a part of this wonderful project. The perks include producer and IMDB credits. I pledged and so should you.

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Guest Blogger: Isaac Klein’s The School of Doing

UntitledIsaac and I met during his production of See Jane Give Up Dick at last year’s Fringe Festival. We bonded over our mutual passion for theatre and directing. Plus, he makes me laugh and loves puns. When Isaac told me that he was writing a book on his mentor, the well-respected Broadway director and teacher, Gerald Freedman, I felt very connected to that idea. I identified with his feelings about his mentor and funneling that history into a book. Like Isaac, I am still close to my two theatre mentors from undergrad. I still turn to them when I need guidance. I still use the tools that they gave me almost 20 years ago not only in the theatre but in life.

     The greatest teacher I’ve ever had is Gerald Freedman. He revealed to me my true calling, then provided me with the tools I needed to pursue it. There are thousands of others who share this sentiment, in schools, theaters, and communities around the world. Gerald’s singular teachings resound in so many hearts and minds, but they’ve never been written down in full. It is my mission to do so.

     Gerald Freedman was instrumental in some of the most important theater in the last century. As a young man, he went back and forth between directing for the screen in Hollywood, and working in New York with Jerome Robbins, for whom he assistant-directed the original West Side Story. He banded together with Joe Papp, and directed numerous star-studded productions to critical acclaim in the early days of the New York Shakespeare Festival, commonly known as Shakespeare in the Park. Gerald directed the world premiere of the now-legendary musical, Hair, which was also the inaugural production at the newly founded Public Theater. He served as Artistic Director at Stratford’s American Shakespeare Theater and the Great Lakes Theater. He directed celebrated productions on and off-Broadway, won an Obie Award, and was the first American to direct at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London.

     Despite these extraordinary achievements, Gerald’s most meaningful work happened in the classroom. He has taught acting and directing at Northwestern, Yale, Juilliard, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he became Dean of the School of Drama in 1991, and proceeded to turn the program into one of the most highly ranked and well-respected drama conservatories in the United States.

     In February 2011, at the age of 84, Gerald suffered a series of strokes. His life has changed drastically since then. Gerald remains in good health and high spirits, but his strokes have left him hindered by aphasia.

     Gerald and I had often discussed the prospect of writing a book together, but soon after his strokes, we agreed it was time to begin the work. We were reminded of life’s fleeting preciousness, and, now that Gerald was retired, he needed a new project to focus on and keep him busy.

    Thus far, I have conducted in-depth interviews with over 90 of Gerald’s colleagues. This list includes Christine Baranski, Olympia Dukakis, Sheldon Harnick, Rosemary Harris, Hal Holbrook, Stacey Keach, Kevin Kline, Shirley Knight, Carol Lawrence, Ming Cho Lee, Patti LuPone, Larry Moss, Jack O’Brien, Hal Prince, Mandy Patinkin, Austin Pendleton, Missi Pyle, Chita Rivera, Alfred Uhry, Robert Waldman, and Sam Waterston.

     I have spent weeks interviewing Gerald in his North Carolina home, and months poring through old notebooks, articles, speeches, videos, and audio recordings of Gerald in action in the classroom.

     Gerald’s philosophy goes far beyond the technical application of craft; it provides fundamental tools for life. “How do I really listen?” “How do I communicate truthfully?” “How do I stay in the moment?” “How do I solve interpersonal problems?” “How do I teach and learn effectively?” “Why do actions speak so much louder than words?” “How do I discover what’s really happening between people?” “Who am I?” The journey to profound personal discovery begins with the key questions of Gerald Freedman’s curriculum.

     I began my work on this book with the earnest intention of creating a record of Gerald’s teaching, of giving back in some small way to the man who gave me my life. I have gained traction and momentum via the profound enthusiasm of everyone I talk to about the book. Over and over I hear: “I am so glad you are doing this.” Gerald has championed so many of us. The time has come for us to turn and champion him, and share his great wisdom with the world.

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Guest Blogger: Linda Gnat-Mullin Shares How Kisses Started

kisses-out-of-the-blueAbout a month ago, I met and interviewed Linda for International Women Artist’s Salon Radio. She was our guest solo artist there to discuss her book Kisses Out of the Blue. We bonded right away because I am a hugger. Those who know me know that I say hi by hugging. It does throw people off but that’s who I am. I asked Linda what was the impetus to transition to the area of wellness. Then she told me the following:

Plastic bags. The F-22. Cigarettes. Nuclear energy. Porcelain collectibles. For nearly thirty years as an advertising copywriter, I wrote glorious junk about serious junk.

In 1999, after a day of meeting with a big banking client, my brain departed for thirty-six hours. Transient Global Amnesia. When consciousness returned, the message was clear: we all come here with a mission and I was screwing mine up.

There were earlier, gentler communications I had ignored. You see, I had always loved intuition and powers of mind. Even as a kid, I was fascinated by hypnotists on television. Starting in the 1970’s, I had learned several systems of healing, including Reiki. But I didn’t see a real place in this world for a healer/helper me. The amnesia finally taught me that it was time to get going.

I opened my Reiki practice in 2001. At the start, some clients had a conventional response to a session: receive energy, bliss out, float home. Neat and simple.

But life isn’t simple, life is messy, life throws you curves. Other clients came to me with strange constellations of symptoms. Clearly, I had to see the body as considerably more than a briefcase for brains. I had to learn its wisdom. I studied several shamanistic traditions and energy systems, Jungian archetypal work, soul retrieval, past life regression, mediumship, parts therapy, and spirit healing. Over twelve years, I learned to assist people in releasing deeply held effects of the past without re- traumatizing, so they could live their truth.

Ultimately, I believe that earth is the planet of distraction. We come here to clean up serious karma and do soul-stuff, but we can get off-course from all that earth demands. So we can also create lots of new karma in quick order. It’s like being at the high-stakes table.

I wanted to offer a gentle reminder, a little perspective, some help in the form of a book. It took me seven years to understand how to write my book. Piles of scribbled, chai-stained pages attest to it. Finally, it came to me: write the book I would like to read. Kisses Out of the Blue offers twenty-two strange and true stories, with lots of room for you as the reader to decide what to take away. At the end, some questions. In this book, I am telling you true and sometimes funny stories about life, work, healing. Showing you what lies beyond the obvious.

Giving you an opportunity to see your own life in a new and different way.

People have told me that these stories move their energy. They love that I don’t tell them what to do. They like how the book widens their perspective. They read it more than once. Readers keep it near their beds, even under their pillows. This is good. Perhaps with Kisses Out of the Blue, any wake-up call you may require will be as gentle and inviting as…well, you know!

Linda Gnat-Mullin

lindagnatmullin@gmail.com

NOTE: Kisses is available on Amazon, B&N, and other online retailers.

Reading and Book Signing

Sunday, June 1
The 440 Gallery
440 6th Avenue (Bet. 9th and 10th) in Park Slope.
4:40 pm
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Guest Blogger: Valerie Keane says 50% of Becoming a Better Artist Has Nothing To Do With Your Work

Valerie & I visit the Tenement Museum and eat meatballs
Valerie & I visit the Tenement Museum and eat meatballs

Valerie and I spend lots of time, creating art, supporting art, talking about art. We are both in agreement that the best part of being in this community is just being present. I tweet/update statuses about going to an event and feeling inspired and moved. It feels like fireworks.  About a month ago, Valerie and I attended an event. We were invited by our friend, Audrey Dimola. Truth be told, we actually had no idea what the event was about and what it was for – we just knew Audrey’s in it and we never been to the Latimer House in Flushing.  We got there and experienced the spoken word, poetry, food, company in awe and appreciation. Then I wrote a poem about it the next day. So when Valerie posted a status update about showing up, I told her to elaborate:

I’m being reminded a lot lately of the importance of showing up and listening to and/or seeing others’ art. And not the “showing up as an obligation to a friend” kind of showing up. But showing up and being fully present and grateful to be part of the community. When you show up like that, you ARE a part of the art community. Instantly. You don’t need to be the one up there reading or performing your work or the one whose painting is on the wall in order to be *part of it all*. As a matter of fact, if your prime objective is to put yourself on display, you’re really missing out on the juicy stuff that will make you a better artist. It will be evident in your work that you have not, from time to time, just gone to an event to LISTEN and to SEE and to EXPERIENCE. Not to mention, the subtle and insidious isolation that ensues when you only chose to show up when it can be about *you*. Take that suggestion from one who knows that all too well. If your work is meant to be out there, believe me, people will ask you to put it out there if you show up without expectation, without attachment, and without a furious insistence to be heard in an effort to validate yourself. The Universe has already validated your parking voucher, kids. If you have something to say, by all means say it. But remember that that is only HALF of your art. Don’t miss out on the other absolutely glorious 50%. Don’t half-ass your gift by letting your life choices be led by the siren’s call of the spotlight. Yin/Yang, yes? Action/Receptivity, yes? Show up just to listen sometimes. Have the courage to be an absolute nobody. You are already SOMEbody. And so, my dear, is everyone else. Go. Listen to them. They want to love you for just being you. Imagine that.

 

Valerie G. Keane is very honored to be part of the current Queens literary scene, regardless of how late to the party she actually was.  She owes her love and understanding of poetry completely to Dick Allen, Connecticut Poet Laureate.  Two of her poems will appear in the Spring/Summer 2014 issue of the Newtown Literary Journal.  She curates a Poetry & Coffee discussion group for writers and readers that meets in Queens to read great poems and speak wildly and passionately about why they contain all the secrets to life.  Valerie is very excited that it is the only literary group in Queens where you cannot read your own work.  When asked if she is a poet, Valerie says, “I still don’t know how you qualify as one.”  She is, however, currently unemployed – which probably means she is on her way to legitimacy.  You may reach her at valeriegkeane at gmail dot com.  Twitter: @valeriegkeane 

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Josh & I Talk Gospel, Dreams, & Being the Messenger

the_gospel_josh.joshua_rivedal-400x257This week, Josh Rivedal, answered some of my tough and hard-hitting questions about his one-man show and it’s transition into a book. The Gospel According to Josh: A 28-Year Gentile Bar Mitzvah will be released on September 24th. During this exclusive pre-release through the 23rd, 15% of the sales goes to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Centre for Suicide Prevention in Canada.

And without further ado:

Malini: Josh, you know I love your book. I devoured it one night the way I devour a bowl of pasta. My readers know that I respect those who share their truth. It is difficult to do that. Who really wants to admit their shame or expose their vulnerability? And you’ve shared your truth and vulnerability in two forms: performance and the written word. What was the catalyst in writing the book version of the show?

Josh: Great question. I really wanted to make this story more accessible. In three years I’ve reached about ten thousand people with the show version. But I can only do so many performances in a week or month. With the book it’s low cost and able to be consumed at a pace that suits the audience member. It’s much more easily shared as well. You can hand someone a book but I can’t live in someone’s pocket and put on a performance at a minute’s notice.

The book is also loosely structured as a three act play. It has one more act than the one-man show version. During the final act, the book shows my own spiral into clinical depression and suicidal thoughts a few years after losing my father to suicide. Additionally it shows my recovery from depression and bouncing back from rock bottom. In society we are constantly presented with pictures of people who are struggling but rarely are we shown someone in recovery. I wanted people to see someone who is in recovery and living a well-adjusted and productive emotional and professional life.

Malini: One of my favorite parts in the book, without giving anything away, is the use of voices and dreams. I found that they really enhance the story. How did you come up with that concept?

Josh: Thank you and… damn, that’s a tough question!

First on the conceit to use of dreams. I was having dreams on a consistent basis about my father for over a year after he died. I could understand things he was saying and these dreams drove me, in part, to write my one-man play The Gospel According to Josh. However these dreams were freaking me the hell out and it contributed to my deteriorating mental state. I thought I was going crazy (not true) and didn’t talk about it for a few years. The dreams were also a way for me to say goodbye to my father, something I never got a chance to do.

The voices. I think it came to me one day early in the writing process. I was taking a shower and was trying to think of a way to break up the exposition and give insight to my inner thoughts. We all talk to ourselves throughout the day, sometimes aloud, and often when we think no one else is listening. It’s more normal than you think. My thoughts often sound a little ghetto fabulous. I also quote Bible verses at myself because of my Evangelical youth. And I swear a lot in Spanish in my head. In the context of the book, these three voices (religious, ghetto, Spanish) are my friends and enemies. They’re vulgar, compassionate, needling; and they break up and lighten what can be some serious subject matter. They’re probably the most risky part of the book (as a writer) but they’re my favorite part too.

Malini: You discuss your first performance in the book and you are still touring the show, which I think is great. What has shifted for you, if anything, as you continue to carry your message?

Josh: I think the thing that’s shifted is that this message, carried out with compassion and humor, is snowballing. People are embracing it all over the U.S. and Canada. It’s taken a few years but it’s happening. And I’m somewhat known as “the suicide prevention guy” which is interesting. Not something I ever thought I’d be known as when I got into show business ten years ago. But here we are and I’m totally cool with it.

And there you have it! You can get all the info here as well as on Facebook. Or just click on any of the links above. Buy the book. It’s really a fantastic and inspiring read.

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Guest Blogger: Josh Rivedal’s Stripping Down to the Bare Truth (Naked in Alaska)

valeriehagerThis week I saw a one-woman show Naked in Alaska, written and performed by Valerie Hager, and came away a changed man.

How? Like any good piece of the theatre, I uncovered a life lesson by watching Ms. Hager’s performance.

Being naked is an important part of life.

Naked in the metaphorical sense (sorry to disappoint all of your voyeuristic junkies).

To bare one’s soul, to open up about one’s sordid past, to disclose one’s private personal foibles—this is much braver than making a living dancing nude.

Ms. Hager performs her autobiographical piece with an earnestness and makes her work look effortless—two factors that belie the risk involved in this theatrical undertaking.

Putting your life story on stage for all to witness is no easy task—trust me, I know; I have my own Gospel to tell. What if audiences don’t like it, what if they say that your work, your theatricalization of your life is no good? That would be the worst thing in the world—like, worse than being told you’re not funny or you have an ugly baby.

Ms. Hager takes a huge gamble in creating and performing her life story—and it pays off. She lived in her truth and told her story and the audience connected with her honesty and candor. I imagine if she continues to play her deck wisely and doubles down with Naked in Alaska her future payoff can be huge.

Back to being naked (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Baring one’s soul on a stage—not everyone has that gift. But that doesn’t mean the lesson doesn’t apply all of us.

Whether you’re asking for a promotion, creating some sort of art, or mustering up the courage to ask your crush out for a night at the Cracker Barrel; we have the opportunity to take a (somewhat calculated) risk and share our souls with the person sitting across from us. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Temporary embarrassment? Egg on your face? A dinner alone at the Cracker Barrel? What’s the best thing that can happen? Oh, I don’t know, you get what you wanted!

Speak from the heart. Speak openly and generously, and for the benefit of the other person. Be brave. Show a little metaphorical ankle… or some metaphorical cleavage—oh, la, la. Be vulneOKrable in your dealings. Ms. Hager does it in her show and it’s taking her on a wild and fulfilling journey.

Get Naked. Go see Naked in Alaska. In no particular order.

Joshua Rivedal is an actor, playwright, and international public speaker. He wrote and developed the play, The Gospel According to Josh, which has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada. His book The Gospel According to Josh: A 28-Year Gentile Bar Mitzvah, published by Skookum Hill, is available for pre-order in August, 26th 2013. He wrote the libretto to a Spanish language Christmas musical Rescatando la Navidad. www.gospeljosh.com www.joshuarivedal.com

3 SHOWS LEFT

Tues., Aug 20 @ 2pm
Wed., Aug 21 @ 7pm
Sat., Aug 24 @ 1:30pm

ALL DAYS: http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/Search.action?query=naked+in+alaska?

SUNDAY:http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3703294

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Guest Blogger: Nick Radu Reviews See Jane Give Up Dick

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Sharing your truth is never easy. So I always have deep respect for anyone willing to make a drastic change in order to improve their life. Then tell us what they did to get through it. And See Jane is so much more than just celibacy for 365 days. It’s self-cleansing. Definitely check out one of next five performances! Nick Radu is my guest blogger this week and my, now, co-writer of Imaginary. Here’s his thoughts:
What’s it like to give up sex for an entire year?  And could you do it?  Writer Devin Preston went on that very journey and she has shared the answer with us in one of the NYCFringe 2013’s best one-woman shows.
As soon as Jane (Meghan O’Neill) hits the stage she greets the audience, makes them laugh and sets them at ease as they travel back with her to that year of chastity.  O’Neill breaks the fourth wall with precision and excellence, allowing us into the living room of her life.  It was so wonderful to watch Jane chip away at the block of life, creating the sculpture of the woman she didn’t even know.   The comical writing, O’Neill’s wonderful timing and use of Jane’s very own power point presentation was all wrapped up in the perfect bow known as Isaac Klein, the director of this charming piece.
The sarcasm and wittiness of this show hold your attention as you laugh with Jane, and at her, but the beauty and tenderness come through as we see a woman grow and change and find something she never even was looking for: herself.  Anyone looking to find those shows in the Fringe that have just the right amount of everything will need to be sure to make a stop at the Steve & Marie Sgouros Theatre at 115 McDougal and check out “See Jane Give Up Dick.”  You will not be disappointed!
Nick Radu is an actor/writer/director currently living in New York. His recent play, Imaginary, went to it’s second staged reading at a backers’ audition and is currently in transition to a screenplay for interested parties. He is writing numerous plays and a novel, at present, and will be directing a staged reading of a fellow writer’s original work for Black Henna Productions.
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Guest Blogger: Cas Marino Absorbs Naked In Alaska!

NIA_Photo_Request_FotorOh boy! It’s getting  hot in here. I met Valerie Hager after a performance of her one-woman show, Big Man, at Stage Left Studio. I was instantly blown away by her performance and felt totally bummed that I missed Naked in Alaska in the EstroGenius Festival last year (yes, she was in the 5 % that I didn’t get to see!).  Since it’s the same 7 people in theatre, it wasn’t too much of a surprise that we shared a mutual friend in my best guy pal, Cas Marino. I eventually did see Naked in Alaska at Dixon Place and knew I had to be a part of it in some way. And I am. As Marketing Director, I have the best opportunity to get people to see this piece of art. However, when it comes to really capturing the spirit of the show in words, I turn to Cas. Here’s his two cents:
Never, in my experience has Alaska been so damned hot.
Nor has being naked been so damned meaningful.
That being said, in discussing Valerie Hager’s one-woman lightening bolt, “Naked in Alaska”,  we’re not talking about the actual climate of the Last Frontier, or the actual state of undress this artist just barely denies us with a few lacy and fringed bits of propriety; we’re talking about an audience’s mounting passion for a story and a cast of characters that hits in waves of empathy and curiosity and delight as a brutally honest young woman lays bare her true story of life as an exotic dancer, with an equally brutal courage that allows us to journey with her from the Deep South to the Way North and back, instead of merely sitting in the dark watching a staged version of some well-organized postcards.
You don’t see “Naked in Alaska”.
You absorb it.
So much so that to call it what it is in theatrical terms — a One-Woman Show — is to do the piece an absolute disservice, and to completely undervalue the One Woman whose show and story and naked truth we meet here.
The dozen or so characters embodied by Hager as she invites us into the gritty details and relationships and decisions that manifest in her sweeping story so instantly become as real in our temporary life with her as they were in her own.
The diminutive Hager needs only to affect a change in stature, a flip of her flowing hair, or a curl of her lip, and a whole other person has joined or replaced her entirely on the stage. She is simply that adept at pulling us into her private universe — so much so that we have no choice but to feel the presence of each of the characters that had, quite obviously, such a profound effect on her experience in this period of her life that they now impact us similarly as we share in it momentarily.
It is beyond rare to find an artist who is at once this gifted a storyteller with this level of craft and acting chops, who also has the power to write with such a visceral glow as to not simply deliver a monologue to an audience, but to virtually bring her audience inside her own head to experience that internal monologue right along with her.
The fact that the gorgeous Ms. Hager is also worth every dollar bill in your pocket when it comes to her mastery of the brass pole, which she works onstage to punctuate her story the way a seasoned novelist painstakingly employs ellipses and exclamation marks, is more than just a bonus for the visual aesthetes in the house.
Expertly directed by Scott Slavin, who knows the artist with an intimacy that shows in every aspect of the work, this microburst of theatrical brilliance will have you so engaged and leave you so enamored of the life that is Valerie Hager’s autobiography-in-progress, that if they’re anything like “Naked in Alaska”, such possible sequels as “Wearing Jeans in Starbucks” or “Throwing on a Robe because the Chinese Takeout Delivery Rang the Bell” couldn’t possibly be anything less that completely satisfying.
Cas Marino is an actor, singer, and director in New York City. His work as a spoken word artist and monologist has been seen by a wide variety of audiences, as well as his national television and radio appearances. As a freelance writer, he’s covered topics in print and online media ranging from pop culture and sexuality to food, fitness, nutrition, and theater.
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Guest Blogger: Adam Kern Reviews Gym Shorts

556523_414399671974283_1756644137_nIf you haven’t gotten the memo yet, I am doing the PR for Gym Shorts. It is five vignettes based on what I love to blog about…life. Except it’s based in the gym. Now this girl does not love going to the gym so being a part of this amazing creative team is the closest I am getting to a workout. And since Adam is my guest blogger this week, I will  admit that I do about 4 minutes of yoga every day. That’s 4 more minutes than I did two months ago. What? I walk a lot.

Anyway, Gym Shorts is currently running at the 777 Theatre here in NYC.  Tuesday, May 14th is Pay Your Age Night – just stop by the door, use the keyword ERIC, prove your age, pay in cash.  Also, follow me on Twitter (@malinism) as I will be live tweeting on Thursday night.

And without further ado:

Right off Broadway are a motley, manly crew of actors performing their collective hearts out…well, maybe not that manly.  “Gym Shorts” is a 90-minute play in five parts all set in a, (surprise!) a gym.  The rugged, sweaty, testosterone-fumed gym.  Yet soon the audience sees there is something very strangely askew…like the ever- unsaid relationship dynamics of this modern haven of muscle-mass are suddenly spoken.  Loudly.

The nearly all male cast (with one woman, played by Cara Maltz) take us into the lives of “those that dwell at the gym.”  One is jealous of another’s new spotter, while the shameful truth falls unceremoniously out of the bag of another man…spurring an oft-uncomfortable dialogue.  Discussions heat up.  Arguments.  Threats.  Neurosis.  Anger.  One trainer is fired, to the petulant dismay of his former student.  Another dares to stray from the “typical” gym regimen, causing more ire.

Written and directed by Eric. S. Robertson, the characters’ cattiness becomes apparent throughout the stories.  Deep seeded insecurities are brought to the fluorescent lights of the gym, with some genuinely funny results.  Both the gym rats and detractors will have something to smile about in this farce.  If you’re looking for an evening of highly energetic actors, good ole’ off-Broadway hijinks, and a surprisingly all-age friendly show (though kids will not get a lot of the humor), then check out “Gym Shorts.”  The “Shorts” are gonna be pulled down real soon though, so best catch it while they’re still up!

Adam Kern, Creator and host of over 200 episodes of “Obsess This!”; a weekly talk radio program on arts, science, politics, and sports broadcast on Long Island’s oldest radio station, WGBB 1240 AM. Also host and engineer at Sportsradio NY (sportsradiony.com).  Commercial/ Voiceover, television/ film actor. Yoga practitioner at Bamboomoves Forest Hills. Adam lives in Fresh Meadows, Queens. 

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Guest Blogger: Nick Radu Makes It Happen – Imaginary Becomes Real

Imaginary-FB-Cover-Photo

Last night, Nick and I had dinner with our director, Adrienne Willams, of our upcoming reading of Imaginary. As we ate and talked shop, we went off on a tangent about why we are still doing theater and why does it drive us.  Imaginary was a play that Nick talked to me about 5 years ago and then mentioned to me a year and a half ago.  I know a good play when I read it. I know when I want to be fully involved in a potentially amazing piece of art. And with that, we decided to make it happen. So without further ado, I give you my guest blogger, Nick Radu:

When does one “make it” in this crazy business we call entertainment? Is it when we publish one of our favorite poems? Is it when we get cast as a singer/dancer in the ensemble in a Broadway musical? Is it when we sign for a $20 million contract to star in the next superhero movie? Or is it when our words, our direction or our performance make just one person in the community theater audience feel something that they didn’t know they were going to feel before they stepped into that church basement?

I know I moved to New York to “make it” as an actor. I ended up falling in love with all aspects of the business, specifically rekindling my love for writing.

Imaginary came to me one day and I was blessed to watch it come alive in front of me like watching one’s favorite movie or TV show. Soon I was sharing it with professors, friends, colleagues, and family members. I was even more blessed to lay it in the hands of a like-minded, highly-motivated and inspiring friend: Malini Singh McDonald.

Together we have already put up a reading and spread the word on this piece that is so very dear to my heart. We are currently pushing it to the next level, which I know excites us both, while scaring us like crazy at the same time.

I knew this play was going somewhere after what I learned at that reading. I’m not talking about those who praised it afterwards or those who patted me on the back and told me, “I didn’t know you could write, too!” No, I’m talking about those who roared with laughter at the jokes, listened so intently you could hear a pin drop at the dramatic moments, and those who allowed the tears to flow when they were moved to do so. That’s when I knew I had something special. That’s when I knew Imaginary was on it’s way. That’s when I knew I had “made it.”

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