Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Art Absorbed in March 2009: The Sights, Sounds, and Ideas.
READ
NOVELS
The Adventures of Pinocchio
SHORT FICTION
The Dragon Master (Alex Thompson)
The Horse Dealer’s Daughter
The Garden Party
CHILDREN’S
Barbie’s Busy Day
DRAMA
The Handsomest Man in the World (David Brendan Hopes)
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Watchmen
NON-FICTION
The Art of War
POETRY
Dover Beach
Crossing the Bar
Andrea del Sarto
My Last Duchess
God’s Grandeur
The Windhover
Pied Beauty
Felix Randal
(Various Blogs)
HEARD
POP/ROCK
Greatest Hits: We Will Rock You
A Hard Day’s Night
A Night At The Opera
Zooropa
Get Behind Me Satan
The Essential Bob Dylan
MUSICALS
Whisper House
Evening Primrose
(Various Podcasts)
WATCHED
MOVIES
Watchmen
Titus
Harvey
Trade
MUSIC VIDEOS
Killer Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody
Dope Show
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Somebody To Love
Don’t Stop Me Now
The Show Must Go On
Radio Ga Ga
I Want To Break Free
Earthbound Starlight
Womanizer
SPEECHES
One of the Boys - Sy Rodgers
WITNESSED
THEATRE
Offending the Audience - Corpus Theatre Collective
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - NC Stage
Student Recital - Montreat College
Stones in His Pockets - NC Stage
No Shame Theatre Asheville March 2009
What’s LYLAS Got To Do With It? - NC Stage Catalyst
The Spitfire Grill - Asheville Christian Academy
William P. Young, Author of “The Shack”
Paul Owens, A Theological Analysis of “The Shack” by William P. Young
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Audience Participation
SAW
ART SHOWS
Synthesis: The Art of Joanna King
The Spitfire Grill
On Saturday, I went back to my old High School, Asheville Christian Academy to see there Spring musical, "The Spitfire Grill." "The Spitfire Grill" is a musical based off the movie off the same name. I had heard of the show, and knew vaguely what it was about, but other than that I had no exposure to the musical. The musical was wonderfully written, and it was a wonderful first introduction to the material.
The show was wonderful, much better than last year's show, "Annie." It was a much smaller, more ensemble show, and that really worked to the show's advantage. I am really pleased to see a theatre department growing at ACA, as there are obviously theatre classes going on.
Just about everything in this show was fantastic. The music was great, the leads were fantastic, the set and technical aspects were wonderful. I can't wait to see ACA's musical next year. Things there are great, and I hope they keep improving.
Yours ending March,
Nathan H. A.
The show was wonderful, much better than last year's show, "Annie." It was a much smaller, more ensemble show, and that really worked to the show's advantage. I am really pleased to see a theatre department growing at ACA, as there are obviously theatre classes going on.
Just about everything in this show was fantastic. The music was great, the leads were fantastic, the set and technical aspects were wonderful. I can't wait to see ACA's musical next year. Things there are great, and I hope they keep improving.
Yours ending March,
Nathan H. A.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
What's LYLAS Got To Do With It?
On Thursday I saw the new show from the LYLAS ("Love Ya Like A Sister") show, "What's LYLAS Got To Do With It?" as a part of the Catalyst Series. LYLAS is a local all-female comedy group. The show was one of the best examples of well made theatre I have ever seen. The production was beautiful. Everyone in the cast was good, and the show was very funny. Some of my favorite sketches were "Martini Mom," the Asheville tourists sketch, and the "Soapbox Derby." The show was very good, and I look forward to the next LYLAS show.
http://www.lylas.org/
Love you like a reader,
Nathan H.
http://www.lylas.org/
Love you like a reader,
Nathan H.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
No Shame Theatre March
To put an end to my week of Spring Break, I went to No Shame Theatre. The most interesting pat of last night's No Shame was that there was no one there. I mean, there where some people, enough to have a really good time, but there were definitely less people there than usual.
I had a piece about a local news show reviewing the movie "Watchmen." I won't spoil the joke, I plan to post the link once the show is on Google Video. It was called, "Asheville at the Movies," and my actors did a great job.
This month, I also acted in Casey Morris' piece "Burning Brothers." It was a serious piece, which was an interesting change of pace. It was fun to do, it was nice working with the other actor, Todd. Because it was a serious piece, and because we had to do some cutting to it to make it fit in five minutes, it felt more collaborative then usual, more of a creative effort, which was very nice.
There were some very unconventional pieces last night. One was done by a woman named Claire. She took a few minutes to set the stage, and then proceeded to break all the rules of No Shame Theatre. recited unoriginal work (Little Miss Muffet), broke things (boxes), and refused to leave the stage (Darren eventually carried her off).
Another piece could possibly be best described as "Non-Fiction Theatre." It was called, "Steve Shell's Response to 'Twilight,' the pop culture phenomenon." And Steve basically ranted about "Twilight" for five minutes, and it was very entertaining. I think it was something that Steve signed up to do because they didn't have enough pieces. It was then followed by "Jamie Shell's Response to 'Steve Shell's Response to "Twilight," the pop culture phenominon.'" While brief, it also had bite.
Another unexpected piece was Greg R-Gassler's "Misplaced Vagina Monologue." He was not planning to do it, but was coerced into doing it when he was told there were not enough pieces. It basically functions as a regular Vagina Monologue, except that it is about transsexual in Iran. In Iran, there are no homosexuals, because they are all forced to undergo sex changes. It was a brilliant piece, and it I have never seen the audience at No Shame so entranced by a serious piece.
It was a wonderful No Shame Theatre, despite, perhaps because of, the small crowd. I look forward to next month.
Yours without guilt or shame,
Nathan H. A.
I had a piece about a local news show reviewing the movie "Watchmen." I won't spoil the joke, I plan to post the link once the show is on Google Video. It was called, "Asheville at the Movies," and my actors did a great job.
This month, I also acted in Casey Morris' piece "Burning Brothers." It was a serious piece, which was an interesting change of pace. It was fun to do, it was nice working with the other actor, Todd. Because it was a serious piece, and because we had to do some cutting to it to make it fit in five minutes, it felt more collaborative then usual, more of a creative effort, which was very nice.
There were some very unconventional pieces last night. One was done by a woman named Claire. She took a few minutes to set the stage, and then proceeded to break all the rules of No Shame Theatre. recited unoriginal work (Little Miss Muffet), broke things (boxes), and refused to leave the stage (Darren eventually carried her off).
Another piece could possibly be best described as "Non-Fiction Theatre." It was called, "Steve Shell's Response to 'Twilight,' the pop culture phenomenon." And Steve basically ranted about "Twilight" for five minutes, and it was very entertaining. I think it was something that Steve signed up to do because they didn't have enough pieces. It was then followed by "Jamie Shell's Response to 'Steve Shell's Response to "Twilight," the pop culture phenominon.'" While brief, it also had bite.
Another unexpected piece was Greg R-Gassler's "Misplaced Vagina Monologue." He was not planning to do it, but was coerced into doing it when he was told there were not enough pieces. It basically functions as a regular Vagina Monologue, except that it is about transsexual in Iran. In Iran, there are no homosexuals, because they are all forced to undergo sex changes. It was a brilliant piece, and it I have never seen the audience at No Shame so entranced by a serious piece.
It was a wonderful No Shame Theatre, despite, perhaps because of, the small crowd. I look forward to next month.
Yours without guilt or shame,
Nathan H. A.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
No Shame February / The Rocky Horror Picture Show March Madness
As predicted, I had much more fun at No Shame February. Since I was so busy trying to get into the swing of things at school, I was not as prepared as I usually am for No Shame. Thus my pieces were much smaller in scope than usual. First I read my "Hamster Sonnet," while acting out the part of the hamster. The sonnet is based on the true story of a friend of mine taking a hamster to school in her cleavage. I was so pleased to get the chance to finally perform it, even though my voice was about to give out from screaming my head off in "Titus Andronicus." Later in the night, I did a structured improv piece I put together with Joseph Barcia and a bunch of other people. It was called "Walking On Beggshells." It was about this guy who got approached by all these bums, who somehow had every single problem the bums were using as excuses for needing money. It was a lot of fun, the other pieces were great, and I walked away very pleased with life.
Also, in March, I popped my Rocky cherry. I finally went to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" that the Montford Park Players have been putting up with Carolina Cinemas. It was loads of fun. I was a little out of the loop with the callbacks, but that will be remedied over time. The best part was how much there was to look at. If the movie was boring, I looked at the shadow cast, if the shadow cast had nothing to do I listened to the audience. Next time I hope to participate, maybe I could pull off Dr. Scott . . .
Also, in March, I popped my Rocky cherry. I finally went to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" that the Montford Park Players have been putting up with Carolina Cinemas. It was loads of fun. I was a little out of the loop with the callbacks, but that will be remedied over time. The best part was how much there was to look at. If the movie was boring, I looked at the shadow cast, if the shadow cast had nothing to do I listened to the audience. Next time I hope to participate, maybe I could pull off Dr. Scott . . .
Stones In His Pockets
Continuing my trend of blogging about shows after they have closed, I will now tell you about "Stones In His Pockets" by Marie Jones. This play is about two Irish guys who are extras on a movie set in Ireland. Charles McIver and Scott Treadway portrayed these two, along with everyone else on the Emerald Isle. Directed by Christopher Burns (seen on Broadway in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"), these two did a marvelous job of switching back and forth between the characters and I was never confused about who they were. Every character was filled with life, intention, and a physical style all their own. The play was touching and hilarious, and I'm so glad I got a chance to see it.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Neil Gaiman vs. Stephen Colbert
I don't know how many of you know this, but Neil Gaiman recently won the Newberry Medal for his book "The Graveyard Book." Following this, Gaiman appeared on "The Colbert Report." I have never seen two men go so brilliantly toe to toe. "Lord of the Rings" fans will get a special treat about halfway through.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
I had the great fortune of catching the final performance of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" at North Carolina Stage Company. This play is a classic of modern western theatre, and very popular when performed. This rang true in Asheville, as a ring of excitement seemed to buzz around this production. This is one of the few NC Stage produced shows these season, and I am glad I did not miss it.
The play concerns the actions of the rather minor characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from the rather major epic of "Hamlet." Most of the main characters from Hamlet make appearances in the play, with the largest role going to Player King, who serves as a sort of narrator/guide for the bumbling duo.
Hans Meyer (director of "Doubt" and a member of the Immediate Theatre Project) and Willie Repoley played the titular dead characters. The two of them worked together brilliantly. They perfectly embodied two blundering brilliant idiot swept away by the waves of change and probability. Also amazing was Michael MacCauley as the Player King. His portrayal had the perfect combination of presence, necessary for us to believe that this character could pass for an actor, and sleaze, necessary for us to believe that he is not an actor. Also of note was the young actor who played Alfred, the boy player, played by Colin Stone. He had amazing presence for what is essentially a mute role.
This show is LONG. Three acts and two intermissions. Yet, time flies when you're having fun, and everyone in the audience was having lots of fun. Really, my only complaint was that I wished certain things had been made smoother. Nothing specific, but you could tell where certain rough spots were. And the only reason you could tell was because they were performing a play that asks the audience to think so very hard that you really notice when things get even stranger.
It was a marvelous production, and I am so glad I dragged myself away from school to go see it.
Yours, in all probability,
Nathan H. A.
The play concerns the actions of the rather minor characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from the rather major epic of "Hamlet." Most of the main characters from Hamlet make appearances in the play, with the largest role going to Player King, who serves as a sort of narrator/guide for the bumbling duo.
Hans Meyer (director of "Doubt" and a member of the Immediate Theatre Project) and Willie Repoley played the titular dead characters. The two of them worked together brilliantly. They perfectly embodied two blundering brilliant idiot swept away by the waves of change and probability. Also amazing was Michael MacCauley as the Player King. His portrayal had the perfect combination of presence, necessary for us to believe that this character could pass for an actor, and sleaze, necessary for us to believe that he is not an actor. Also of note was the young actor who played Alfred, the boy player, played by Colin Stone. He had amazing presence for what is essentially a mute role.
This show is LONG. Three acts and two intermissions. Yet, time flies when you're having fun, and everyone in the audience was having lots of fun. Really, my only complaint was that I wished certain things had been made smoother. Nothing specific, but you could tell where certain rough spots were. And the only reason you could tell was because they were performing a play that asks the audience to think so very hard that you really notice when things get even stranger.
It was a marvelous production, and I am so glad I dragged myself away from school to go see it.
Yours, in all probability,
Nathan H. A.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Offending the Audience
This weekend, I had the extreme please to go see two excellent plays (well, sort of). Today, I will tell you about the "sort of."
On Thursday, I saw the Corpus Theatre Collective's production of "Offending the Audience." This is best described as an anti-play. There is no plot and no characters. It is simply people talking to (and offending) you, the audience. This is a very good production, as the ensemble is a well chosen group of people who are excellent public speakers (which is really all this "play" needs). The "set" is only a series of stools and barricades to hook some lamps on. The show is the ultimate in meta-theatre. It is so meta, I'm sure some would even argue that it isn't even theatre.
I had some issues with it though. My biggest issue was that the production did not seem to present the spirit of the piece as effectively as it could have. The whole point of the piece (or it least, the presented point of the piece) is to present no artifice, no symbolism, nothing but the text. Now whether or not that is possible is another matter entirely. But there were certain things present in the production that certainly symbolised something. Now, the text also states that the text will contradict itself, but I feel that it would have been more interesting to show even less and present the audience with an even more conflicting question about whether it is possible to present artifice, without tipping the scales in either direction. (Of course, given how confusing this whole play/show/idea is, I freely admit I might be missing something.)
The best part of this play (and the fact that Corpus is presenting it) is just how mind spinning it is. While it is from the 60's and does have a little dust on it, it FORCES you to think about the basic concepts of the threatre, and your view on them. Articfice, shows vs plays, actors, the fourth wall, etc. This play gets you thinking.
As a theatre person, I loved this show. I have heard that many non theatre folk also loved the show. Go see it. It's high quality, cheap, and the best theatre mind f*ck I have ever seen.
Here's the info on the show.
On Thursday, I saw the Corpus Theatre Collective's production of "Offending the Audience." This is best described as an anti-play. There is no plot and no characters. It is simply people talking to (and offending) you, the audience. This is a very good production, as the ensemble is a well chosen group of people who are excellent public speakers (which is really all this "play" needs). The "set" is only a series of stools and barricades to hook some lamps on. The show is the ultimate in meta-theatre. It is so meta, I'm sure some would even argue that it isn't even theatre.
I had some issues with it though. My biggest issue was that the production did not seem to present the spirit of the piece as effectively as it could have. The whole point of the piece (or it least, the presented point of the piece) is to present no artifice, no symbolism, nothing but the text. Now whether or not that is possible is another matter entirely. But there were certain things present in the production that certainly symbolised something. Now, the text also states that the text will contradict itself, but I feel that it would have been more interesting to show even less and present the audience with an even more conflicting question about whether it is possible to present artifice, without tipping the scales in either direction. (Of course, given how confusing this whole play/show/idea is, I freely admit I might be missing something.)
The best part of this play (and the fact that Corpus is presenting it) is just how mind spinning it is. While it is from the 60's and does have a little dust on it, it FORCES you to think about the basic concepts of the threatre, and your view on them. Articfice, shows vs plays, actors, the fourth wall, etc. This play gets you thinking.
As a theatre person, I loved this show. I have heard that many non theatre folk also loved the show. Go see it. It's high quality, cheap, and the best theatre mind f*ck I have ever seen.
Here's the info on the show.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Art Absorbed in February 2009: The Liturature, the Music, the Movies, and the Theatre.
Here's what I read, heard, watch, and witnessed this month . . .
READ
FICTION
CHILDREN’S
The Deliverers of Their Nation
NON FICTION
ESSAYS
What The Bible Does and Doesn’t Say About Homosexuality
BIBLE
Jude
Philemon
Song of Songs
JOURNALISM
The Whetstone February 2009
POETRY
Lines - Tintern Abbey
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Hymn to Intellectual Beauty
Ozymandias
Ode to the West Wind
On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer
Ode to a Nightingale
Ode on a Grecian Urn
Ode on Melancholy
Crossing the Bar
Dover Beach
My Last Duchess
DRAMA
MODERN
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten
Playthings (Rob Taylor)
The House of Bernada Alba
The Busy World Is Hushed
Picasso at the Lapine Angile
A Life in the Theatre
Our Lady of 121st Street
SHORT PLAYS
Riders to the Sea
Workout (Seven One-Act Plays)
The Man in the Case (Seven One-Act Plays)
Tender Offer (Seven One-Act Plays)
Medea (Seven One-Act Plays)
Boy Meets Girl (Seven One-Act Plays)
The Zig-Zag Woman
Patter for the Floating Lady
WASP
(Various Blogs)
HEARD
MUSIC
POP/ROCK
American Idiot
Abbey Road
The Beatles [The White Album]
THEATRE
The Phantom of the Opera OLCR
(Various Podcasts)
WATCHED
FILMS
The Matrix Revolutions
The Phantom of the Opera
Peter Pan
High Tension
Twilight
Amazing Grace
SHORT FILMS
Frankenweenie
Vincent
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Original Poem
MUSIC VIDEOS
Heart Shaped Glasses
Mobscene
Get On Your Boots
TELEVISION
The 81st Annual Academy Awards’
THEATRE
RENT: Filmed Live on Broadway
WITNESSED
THEATRE
King of Hearts - Montreat College
No Shame Theatre Asheville February 2009 -NC Stage
Yours reflective,
Nathan.
READ
FICTION
CHILDREN’S
The Deliverers of Their Nation
NON FICTION
ESSAYS
What The Bible Does and Doesn’t Say About Homosexuality
BIBLE
Jude
Philemon
Song of Songs
JOURNALISM
The Whetstone February 2009
POETRY
Lines - Tintern Abbey
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Hymn to Intellectual Beauty
Ozymandias
Ode to the West Wind
On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer
Ode to a Nightingale
Ode on a Grecian Urn
Ode on Melancholy
Crossing the Bar
Dover Beach
My Last Duchess
DRAMA
MODERN
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten
Playthings (Rob Taylor)
The House of Bernada Alba
The Busy World Is Hushed
Picasso at the Lapine Angile
A Life in the Theatre
Our Lady of 121st Street
SHORT PLAYS
Riders to the Sea
Workout (Seven One-Act Plays)
The Man in the Case (Seven One-Act Plays)
Tender Offer (Seven One-Act Plays)
Medea (Seven One-Act Plays)
Boy Meets Girl (Seven One-Act Plays)
The Zig-Zag Woman
Patter for the Floating Lady
WASP
(Various Blogs)
HEARD
MUSIC
POP/ROCK
American Idiot
Abbey Road
The Beatles [The White Album]
THEATRE
The Phantom of the Opera OLCR
(Various Podcasts)
WATCHED
FILMS
The Matrix Revolutions
The Phantom of the Opera
Peter Pan
High Tension
Twilight
Amazing Grace
SHORT FILMS
Frankenweenie
Vincent
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Original Poem
MUSIC VIDEOS
Heart Shaped Glasses
Mobscene
Get On Your Boots
TELEVISION
The 81st Annual Academy Awards’
THEATRE
RENT: Filmed Live on Broadway
WITNESSED
THEATRE
King of Hearts - Montreat College
No Shame Theatre Asheville February 2009 -NC Stage
Yours reflective,
Nathan.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Titus Andronicus
Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, I have been rehearsing "Titus Andronicus" with the Montford Park Players for the past couple of months. Last night we finally opened, and things went very well. I do hope that all of you can come and see our deliciously debauched "dissertation on violence"* by the master, William Shakespeare. In the play, I portray Alarbus, the Nurse, and Aemillius. Here are the details . . .
*Julie Taymor
Tragically yours,
Nathan.
Tickets are now on sale for Titus Andronicus,
directed by Jason Williams
at the Asheville Arts Center, 308 Merrimon Avenue.
Across the street from the Musician's Workshop
Performance Dates are:
Friday through Sunday, Feb. 27 through March 1
Wednesday, March 4
Friday through Sunday, March 6 through 8
All performances at 8:00 pm.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students with ID.
This play is rated PG-13 due to depictions of violence.
directed by Jason Williams
at the Asheville Arts Center, 308 Merrimon Avenue.
Across the street from the Musician's Workshop
Performance Dates are:
Friday through Sunday, Feb. 27 through March 1
Wednesday, March 4
Friday through Sunday, March 6 through 8
All performances at 8:00 pm.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students with ID.
This play is rated PG-13 due to depictions of violence.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a
*Julie Taymor
Tragically yours,
Nathan.
Friday, February 20, 2009
I'm Alone In The Belk Center
Greetings all (three of you)!
This post will be a little random since I normally report on the different plays I've seen, but maybe this post will the better for it.
I'm not sure if anyone knows this, but I am a mild fan of U2. This is mostly due to the fact that I have a friend who is a huge fan and this has rubbed off on me. U2 just released their first single off their new album "No Line on the Horizon." The single is titled "Get on Your Boots." The song is a return to the kind of style they explored in the early 90's. Quicker and catchier. I really like it. But perhaps what amzed me the most about the single was the music video. It doesn't suck. I've always felt that in the visuals department, U2 is fantastic on stage but a little lacking on film. This music video was excellent, as was the song. I am really looking foward to hearing the whole album.
Here's the video so you can check it out for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqHAreIrMXA&feature=channel
In other news, I am sitting typing this in the Belk Student Center at Montreat College, which is currently completely deserted. It has led me to compose and sing this song, aloud;
I'm alone in the Belk Center and
There's nobody else around
I'm alone in the Belk Center and
There's nobody else around
And I'm singing this song so that
If anyone else is around
They'll pop their heads and
Say say stop singing!
If you want the melody, I'd be more than happy to oblige you. Just find me. I'm rather charmed by it, but of course, I'm the author.
Yours bored,
Nathan.
This post will be a little random since I normally report on the different plays I've seen, but maybe this post will the better for it.
I'm not sure if anyone knows this, but I am a mild fan of U2. This is mostly due to the fact that I have a friend who is a huge fan and this has rubbed off on me. U2 just released their first single off their new album "No Line on the Horizon." The single is titled "Get on Your Boots." The song is a return to the kind of style they explored in the early 90's. Quicker and catchier. I really like it. But perhaps what amzed me the most about the single was the music video. It doesn't suck. I've always felt that in the visuals department, U2 is fantastic on stage but a little lacking on film. This music video was excellent, as was the song. I am really looking foward to hearing the whole album.
Here's the video so you can check it out for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqHAreIrMXA&feature=channel
In other news, I am sitting typing this in the Belk Student Center at Montreat College, which is currently completely deserted. It has led me to compose and sing this song, aloud;
I'm alone in the Belk Center and
There's nobody else around
I'm alone in the Belk Center and
There's nobody else around
And I'm singing this song so that
If anyone else is around
They'll pop their heads and
Say say stop singing!
If you want the melody, I'd be more than happy to oblige you. Just find me. I'm rather charmed by it, but of course, I'm the author.
Yours bored,
Nathan.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Art Absorbed in January 2009: The Literature, the Music, the Movies, and the Theatre.
Ok, this is a monthly version of the list I did for all of 2008 because I figured it would generate more discussion if it was shorter. Please leave comments and discuss, even if I don't know you. The whole point of this is list is to motivate discussion.
READ
PROSE
NOVELS
Pride and Prejudice
POETRY
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
For the Inauguration of Barack Obama (David Brendan Hopes)
DRAMA
CLASSICAL
The Taming of the Shrew
The Merchant of Venice
MODERN
The Living
HEARD
MUSIC
THEATRE
Passing Strange OBCR
POPULAR
I Am . . . Sasha Fierce
OTHER
John Lennon Rolling Stone Interview
(Various Podcasts)
SAW
MOVIES
FILMS
Infamous
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Tommy Boy
The Prestige
American Psycho
Slumdog Millionaire
The Matrix Reloaded
SHORTS
What's Opera, Doc?
WITNESSED
THEATRE
LIVE
Oedipus for Kids! - Zealot
No Shame Theatre Asheville January 2009
Opening Convocation - Montreat College
Rock Saber - Asheville Fringe Festival
READ
PROSE
NOVELS
Pride and Prejudice
POETRY
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
For the Inauguration of Barack Obama (David Brendan Hopes)
DRAMA
CLASSICAL
The Taming of the Shrew
The Merchant of Venice
MODERN
The Living
HEARD
MUSIC
THEATRE
Passing Strange OBCR
POPULAR
I Am . . . Sasha Fierce
OTHER
John Lennon Rolling Stone Interview
(Various Podcasts)
SAW
MOVIES
FILMS
Infamous
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Tommy Boy
The Prestige
American Psycho
Slumdog Millionaire
The Matrix Reloaded
SHORTS
What's Opera, Doc?
WITNESSED
THEATRE
LIVE
Oedipus for Kids! - Zealot
No Shame Theatre Asheville January 2009
Opening Convocation - Montreat College
Rock Saber - Asheville Fringe Festival
Monday, January 26, 2009
Rock Saber / No Shame January
The Asheville Fringe Festival "La Zoomed" by this week and while I would have liked to have seen everything, my limited college life budget necessitated that I only pick one of the three tickets. The ticket I chose was the featured one act, "Rock Saber," written by my friend Julian Vorus. I met him through No Shame Theatre where he frequently performed his own special brand of poetry, much to the delight of the No Shame crowds. A few months ago he started a series of short plays at No Shame which eventually become the play "Rock Saber." Put simply, I have never seen such a brilliant evening of pure and tightly focused energy. The play didn't seem to be about anything in particular, but there were many things you could take away from it. The script was excellent and funny, and the cast knew how to sell it. Of particualr interest was Darren Marshall as Big Paul, who doesn't say much, but when he does, look out. I think I shall forever wish to keep that theatrical moment in my memory. I think, most of all, this play happily reminded me the electricity of the downtown art's scene. I am so excited to see, espcially the theatre community, building it's artistic vocablary and community of writers and artists. As I said before, this play originated at No Shame, which might give you a good hint of where a good place to see this sort artistic growth in action might be.
Speaking of No Shame, the January No Shame came and went. As I have previously reported, I did the song. Let us just say that things did not go quite according to plan. I think I made it work though. To endeavor to descripe what happened would be a futile effort on my part, so you shall have to wait for the video to come out on Google. As for the rest of No Shame, this I spent in a daze, thus I shall not endeavor to report upon it. Febuary will be better, I am sure.
Yours dazed,
Nathan H. Adams
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Oedipus for Kids!
I recently saw the opening night of Zealot's production of "Oedipus for Kids!," which was a part of the Catalyst Series. The Catalyst series is an outreach made by North Carolina Stage Company where smaller theatre production companies get a chance to perform in their space. "Oedipus for Kids!" is a musical in which a fictional children's theatre company attempts to stage a musical version of "Oedipus Rex" for kids! (Pretty straight forward). Conventional (non-professional) theatre wisdom dictates that going to see a show's opening night is a bad idea. Community theatre does not have the benefits that allows professional theatre more immediate polish (such as a preview period, extended rehearsal time, etcetera). I had to go against this convention for the simple reason of my insane pace of getting ready for college made it necessary to go see the show early if I was going to see it all. Fortunatly, I needn't have worried. The show was wonderful. My friends (and cast mates in "Titus Andronicus") were excellent. Rae Cauthen, Greg R-Gassler, and Joseph Barcia really knew how to sell the story of "Oedipus" to us "children" in the audience. I felt that in some ways the comedy and vocal work could have used some fine tuning, but it did not detract from enjoyment of the show. I look foward to the next show produced by Zealot, and I really appriciate their thoughtful selection of material for the Asheville audience. It is very nice to see such a quirky New York musical straight from New York here in Asheville stimulating our artistic vocabulary. Ladies and gentlemen, the musical is not dead, you have just stopped visiting. Thank you Zealot.
Monday, January 5, 2009
MontRunyon
Sometimes, walking the streets of downtown Asheville, I create a fantastic sense of location. I transport my self to a place that exists in my fantasia and lay it over my rather 2+2=4 sense of the world. I feel myself come alive with an idea, something from deep in my personal ball of light. The ball of light that we all know is there, and that which we see by, but we cannot look at, because it blinds us with its brilliance. The world I want, intersects with the world I have, and the feeling created is bliss. In the musical "Guys & Dolls," the overture is actually a choreographed piece called "Runyonland." The musical takes the wonderful world of New York presented in the stories of Damon Runyon, and turns it into an exciting whirl of the type of people who are a part of the everyday, and in doing so, makes them not everyday. But today they were a part of my day. As I was driving to the library, I saw a man pushing a hand truck full of paper. He nodded to a passing stranger and smiled as he pushed his hand truck over the sidewalk. It was at this moment that I was apart of Runyonland, or, in this town, MontRunyon. The world of those happy people using the light to the rhythm of that fantastic music suddenly filled me, and I was a part of it.
This fantastic sensation only lasted for a moment, for I was soon brought down by the realization that the man might actually have been grimacing at the weight of pushing his hand truck, and opposed to smiling at the beauty of the world.
But maybe, he was.
This fantastic sensation only lasted for a moment, for I was soon brought down by the realization that the man might actually have been grimacing at the weight of pushing his hand truck, and opposed to smiling at the beauty of the world.
But maybe, he was.
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