tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66683396335989748052024-03-13T15:02:46.135-04:00Living it Up in the 6th BoroughInGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.comBlogger241125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-58481790417059068892009-11-24T08:51:00.002-05:002009-11-24T08:53:48.338-05:00New Mammography GuidelinesSo. I figured this one was important enough to dust off the old blog.<br /><br />I don't have tons to say here, except that I am in favor of the new guidelines.<br /><br /><a href="http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=does-mammography-screening-save-lives-let-s-talk-about-it">This article (I hope) explains why.</a><br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving!InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-20971214886964745562009-09-28T08:43:00.003-04:002009-09-28T08:47:57.332-04:00What's Going On?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.estrogenius.org/estro/index.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 145px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_399v1PXDdIM/SsCwA4ZOZZI/AAAAAAAAADA/p5-liH0w324/s200/PostcardFront-v1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386498683519788434" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.estrogenius.org/estro/index.html">EstroGenius</a> is what's going on. We open on Wednesday. Come see it!InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-33838092738271424592009-09-23T09:05:00.002-04:002009-09-23T09:15:13.529-04:00I'm B-a-a-a-c-k!Not sure for how long. Not sure if anyone ever even checks my blog anymore since it's been so long since I've posted. But the blog has been calling to me.<br /><br />As usual, I have lots going on and lots I'd like to write about. I'll start with here...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">God of Carnage & the Writers' Forum</span><br />So. I saw "<a href="http://www.godofcarnage.com/?gclid=CKbtqbLmh50CFado5QodfgOTbA">God of Carnage</a>" last night. It was good. It was fun. It was a little "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"-ish. But was it <span style="font-style: italic;">Best Play</span> material? Well, I guess since there are <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/theater/17steps.html">about 3 straight plays on Broadway a year</a>, the competition is not too tough, but, um, no.<br /><br />It was flawed. Seriously, seriously flawed.<br /><br />But here's where the Writers' Forum comes in. For almost 2 years, I've been a member of the Source Writers' Forum, a fantastic group of fantastic writers. Each week, someone brings in a play they've written or are writing and the group provides feedback. The feedback is consistently respectful, honest and insightful--quite a neat trick. I've learned alot. Some of what I learned is what enabled me to see the flaws in "God of Carnage" so clearly.<br /><br />But.<br /><br />"God of Carnage" is playing on Broadway. And winning Tonys.<br /><br />So.<br /><br />I guess what I'm learning (over and over again, but we'll get to that in another post) is that it's better to get your stuff <span style="font-style: italic;">out there</span> than it is to get it perfect. Because it'll never be perfect. <br /><br />The perfectionist in me does not like this. But I'm working on it.InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-10239832175587766472009-05-14T09:37:00.002-04:002009-05-14T10:05:22.597-04:00Is YOUR Genius at Work?I am constantly worried about not living up to my potential and so am constantly searching for ways to figure out, ahem, what my potential actually IS.<br /><br />While I still don't know, one of the things that has helped me become a lot more comfortable with the journey was this book:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Genius-Work-Questions-Before/dp/0891061940"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ASG0HVFTL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ASG0HVFTL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dick Richards' premise is that everyone has a unique "genius" to give to the world. So unique, in fact, that you have to figure it out and name it yourself. And this book provides a number of exercises and tips on how to do that.<br /><br />There are several things that I loved about this book.<br /><br />First of all, who doesn't want to have a unique genius? That just sounds cool.<br /><br />Secondly, unlike some other personality/aptitude tests I've read about/taken, the goal here is not to say, for example, "ok, my genius is caring for others, so I should be a nurse." The goal here is figure out how to put whatever your genius is at work in whatever you do--professionally and privately.<br /><br />Richards has done a lot of coaching and the book includes lots of case studies, so there were a couple of folks who did end up changing jobs once they figured out what they're genius was, since it was patently incompatible with their current job or employer. But for alot of people, it was more a matter of helping them understand why they liked particular parts of their jobs more than others and how to maximize those.<br /><br />I haven't entirely settled on what my genius is yet, but it's something like "Solving Puzzles." And, what I love about this, is that it's helped me understand myself better.<br /><br />For example, a couple of years back, I really got into knitting. I learned how to do it and then spent the next several months knitting:<br />- a series of scarves--each using a different pattern and yarn,<br />- a stuffed lamb for my cousin's new baby,<br />- some baby booties & hats,<br />- a bunch of christmas ornaments, and<br />- a fingerless glove.<br />In the course of all this, I stocked up on yarn and needles and various knitting books. And then I lost interest. Where, previously, I might have beat myself up about that and put it down to lack of commitment or discipline or whatever, once I read Richards' book, I understood it. For me, the fun part about knitting was LEARNING HOW--solving the puzzle of it. Once I learned how, the actual KNITTING part was way less interesting. And even the end product wasn't that interesting to me. (In fact, with the exception of the fingerless glove, I didn't even keep any of the things I knitted. I gave them all away.) This really crystalized for me with the gloves--knitting the first glove was FUN, but the prospect of knitting the second? Deadly boring.<br /><br />Since then, I've noticed this tendency in myself in quite a lot of areas.* And it IS fun to try to figure out how to feed this need/potential.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*It's also why I am loving Blake Snyder's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Save-Last-Book-Screenwriting-Youll/dp/1932907009">Save the Cat</a>, which I am currently reading. He turns the whole process of writing a screenplay into one giant puzzle.</span>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-24343269374969299822009-05-08T10:45:00.003-04:002009-05-08T10:56:05.933-04:00I Have to Take a Moment...I know I haven't been posting for awhile. LIFE has swept in and stolen all my time, for which I'm thankful.<br /><br />But it's been hanging heavy on my heart that I haven't taken a moment here to express my sorrow at the passing of Jen Hoffman, aka "ShawnieMac," one of my YSC friends. <br /><br />You may recognize the name. I mentioned her here last year, <a href="http://jayananda.blogspot.com/2008/08/good-new-from-cancerland.html">when she was declared NED</a> (No Evidence of Disease). Tragically, NED was not a lengthy visitor.<br /><br />Jen and I had emailed each other a few times and followed each other's blogs. I didn't know her well, but knew her enough to know she was a truly amazing person. But don't take it from me. See for yourself:<br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/Ad2PcJHVQQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="720" height="510" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-56270606265232171802009-02-11T12:09:00.001-05:002009-02-11T12:12:52.980-05:00The Nature of GeniusOk, so I haven't been blogging lately. What can I say? I suck.<br /><br />But Elizabeth Gilbert doesn't:<br /><object width="446" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/ElizabethGilbert_2009-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/ElizabethGilbert_2009.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=453" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="446" height="326" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/ElizabethGilbert_2009-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/ElizabethGilbert_2009.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=453"></embed></object>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-34415299675802756062009-01-28T11:47:00.001-05:002009-01-28T11:47:36.647-05:00ValidationThis actually got me all choked up at the end...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cbk980jV7Ao&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cbk980jV7Ao&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-72348102375465644542009-01-14T17:57:00.001-05:002009-01-14T17:59:56.281-05:00For Rob: Scott McCloud on Comics<object width="334" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/ScottMcCloud_2005-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/ScottMcCloud-2005.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=320&vh=240&ap=0&ti=432" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="334" height="326" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/embed/ScottMcCloud_2005-embed_high.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/ScottMcCloud-2005.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=320&vh=240&ap=0&ti=432"></embed></object>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-89586044436706608162009-01-12T09:38:00.001-05:002009-01-12T09:39:56.361-05:00New Breast Cancer Vaccine Being TestedUAMS to begin testing breast cancer vaccine<br />BY CAROLYNE PARK<br />Posted on Sunday, January 4, 2009<br />URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/248462/<br /><br />UAMS scientists expect to start clinical trials as early as this spring on a new vaccine they hope will help prevent the recurrence of breast cancer.<br /><br />The immunotherapy is designed to trick the body into doing something it wouldn't naturally do - produce antibodies that fight breast cancer cells.<br /><br />The vaccine was developed through a decade of studying how the immune system responds to disease, said Thomas Kieber-Emmons, director of basic breast cancer research at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.<br /><br />The key to developing a therapy to fight breast cancer is understanding the interplay of different molecules in combating disease, he said.<br /><br />"I look at it structurally," said Kieber-Emmons, professor of pathology, microbiology<br />and immunology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. "How two molecules interact is everything."<br /><br />Breast cancer cells are covered with carbohydrate antigens. An antigen is a molecule capable of triggering the production of antibodies that fight disease. But the carbohydrate antigens on cancer cells don't stimulate a strong immune system response.<br /><br />So Kieber-Emmons and his team found an alternative approach.<br /><br />With a six-year $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer<br />Research Program, they used computer generation to help them develop peptide antigens that mimic the carbohydrates. A peptide is a compound consisting of two or<br />more amino acids.<br /><br />The peptide-based vaccine is designed to make the body think it's dealing with a<br />carbohydrate.<br /><br />The immune system then responds by producing antibodies that target both the<br />peptides in the vaccine and the carbohydrates they resemble on the breast cancer cells.<br /><br />After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women,<br />according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.<br /><br />It is the leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic women and the second mostcommon<br />cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian and American Indian women.<br /><br />A total of 186,772 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,954 women died of<br />it in 2004, according to the CDC's latest data.<br /><br />That same year, 1,815 men were diagnosed with breast cancer and 362 men died of the<br />disease.<br /><br />The National Cancer Institute estimates one in eight women will be diagnosed with<br />breast cancer.<br /><br />Dr. Laura Hutchins, a UAMS professor of internal medicine and director of the division of hematology and oncology, is principal investigator for the clinical trial. She's in charge of interacting with patients.<br /><br />Women participating in the study will receive five doses of the vaccine at the cancer<br />institute's medical oncology clinic. They will be immunized once a week for the first<br />three weeks and again during the seventh and 19th weeks.<br /><br />The first phase of the clinical trial will last four to six months. It will involve women with metastatic cancer, or cancer that is actively spreading, and women who have relapsed after going into remission.<br /><br />UAMS scientists will use the first phase to monitor any side effects of the vaccine,<br />Hutchins said.<br /><br />The scientists hope to begin the second phase of the clinical trial about four months<br />later. It will last about a year and include women who have had breast cancer but are<br />in remission and considered at high risk of having it again.<br /><br />The women will have to have been off chemotherapy for at least six months.<br /><br />The number of patients participating in the study hasn't been determined.<br /><br />The first two phases will involve Arkansas patients, but future clinical trials may<br />expand to include patients from other cancer centers around the country, Hutchins<br />said.<br /><br />The vaccine won't replace traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and<br />radiation, but depending on how the clinical trials go it may become an additional<br />treatment option for patients, Hutchins said.<br /><br />Copyright © 2001-2009 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved.<br />Contact: webmaster@nwanews.comInGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-67311150232556328882009-01-05T09:15:00.000-05:002009-01-05T09:16:48.946-05:00Happy New Year!Ok, I'm a little late, but I didn't have much internet access in Brussels & Paris...<br /><br />Anyway, wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Wonderful 2009. <br />(Hope yours got off to as good a start as mine did!)InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-10785219426810935132009-01-05T09:14:00.004-05:002009-01-05T09:17:12.822-05:00Estrogenius 2009 Guidelines - Deadlines Are Soon!Visual art pieces must be received by February 1st!<br /><br />Short plays and/or solo pieces must be received by March 2nd!<br /><br />More details here: http://www.theatresource.org/estro/guidelines.htmlInGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-29707267159177122062008-12-18T16:27:00.002-05:002008-12-18T16:29:30.491-05:00Sir Ian McKellan on Acting<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/43sbtkQM6zc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/43sbtkQM6zc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />(Many thanks to Angela Funk for finding this and to <a href="http://empiricalpleasures.blogspot.com">Drew</a> for posting it so I could pilfer it.)InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-41347381020245596932008-12-17T12:06:00.004-05:002008-12-17T12:10:11.597-05:00My new favorite phrase is..."Hanny Van Arkle's Voorwerp."<br /><br />This is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanny%27s_Voorwerp">real thing</a>. Really. I'm not making this up. (I feel like Dave Barry.)<br /><br />I was at a symposium last week and one of the presentations mentioned this. It was one of the highlights of the week. (Make what judgments you will from that.)<br /><br />I challenge you to use the phrase in casual conversation at least once over the holiday season. It could be helpful in getting you through one of those awkward, awful holiday office party conversation lulls. Or it could be a great topic-changer when the family starts to ask those questions you'd just rather not answer.<br /><br />You're welcome.InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-90303513526066979112008-12-17T12:04:00.003-05:002008-12-17T12:05:57.187-05:00Just ShamelessI'm referring to my dearth of posts lately. Sorry.<br /><br />The holiday swirl is upon us and who really wants to hear about my Christmas shopping?<br /><br />But, seriously, I hope to be blogging again regularly in the new year. (I wouldn't hold out much hope for this year, since we are off to Brussels and Paris a week from Friday!)<br /><br />Happy Holidays All!InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-72699942080227860392008-11-19T09:23:00.003-05:002008-11-19T09:30:44.697-05:00Shameless Self-Promotion: What are you doing this weekend?As I told you back in <a href="http://jayananda.blogspot.com/2008/09/pot-pourri-of-bloggery.html">September</a>, the writers group I'm a member of is putting on a month-long festival of new works in Jan-Feb 2009 (we're calling it the InGenius Festival--Voices from the Writers' Forum). All Forum writers were invited to submit scripts for consideration and the Source's artistic director made the final selections of what to produce. I am proud to say that a one-act of mine, "What We Planned For," was chosen. It will be part of "PlayGround Series C," performing Feb 2-4 (Mon-Wed) at 8pm. Tickets ($15) and other info can be found here: http://www.theatresource.org/<br /><br />But wait, didn't I say something about this weekend? I did indeed.<br /><br />Because we are serving as the producers of the Festival, that means we have to come up with the $$--not just for the theatre space, but for rehearsal space (for 16 shows!), props, costumes, etc. So, as a fundraising event, this weekend we are doing a very special "Spontaneous Combustion"--We Write, Rehearse, Tech & Perform an evening of 4-8 minute plays in just 48 Hours! Performances are Sun-Tue Nov 23-25 @ $8pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased <a href="https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/632685">here</a>.<br /><br />Here's how Spontaneous works:<br /><ul><li>Teams of writers and actors receive a first line and a cultural reference. </li><li>Writers write a short play Friday night. </li><li>Actors rehearse Saturday Day, and </li><li>The show goes up Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. </li></ul>Wine & beer will be available pre-show and we plan to have musical entertainment starting each evening at 7pm.<br /><br />Finally, to pad the coffers a bit more, we are also doing a 50/50 raffle. Tickets are $1 each and the drawing will take place on November 30 (you do not need to be present to win). You can see me for tickets or buy them at the theatre.<br /><br />So, if you're planning to be in the city this Sun, Mon or Tue (or need an excuse to come to the city), here it is.<br /><br />Hope to see you there!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Summary of the Important Info:</span><br />What: Spontaneous Combustion<br />When: Sun-Tue, Nov 23-25 @ 8pm (pre-show entertainment starts at 7pm)<br />Where: Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 MacDougal (<a href="http://www.theatresource.org">http://www.theatresource.org</a>)<br />How much: $15 (can purchase tickets at: <a href="https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/632685">https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/632685</a>)<br /><br />What: InGenius Festival<br />When: Jan 6-Feb 4, 2009 (my piece is part of "Series C" performing Feb 2-4)<br />Where: Manhattan Theatre Source, 177 MacDougal (<a href="http://www.theatresource.org">http://www.theatresource.org</a>)<br />How much: Full-length productions $18, Evenings of one-acts $15 (can purchase tickets at: <a href="https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/931/1230858000000">https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/931/1230858000000</a>)<br /><br />What: 50/50 Raffle<br />When: Now until November 30th<br />Where: See me or come to the theatre<br />How much: $1 per ticketInGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-27186394302528352862008-11-13T09:32:00.000-05:002008-11-13T09:33:28.951-05:00This is Just Frickin' Cool!<a href="http://blog.ted.com/2008/11/google_flu_tren.php">Google Flu Trends uses search data to track real flu</a>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-20463060403706672132008-11-11T10:51:00.002-05:002008-11-11T10:55:21.453-05:00Words of the DayIrony = having your biggest WW setback after going out to a microbrewery with one of the people who inspired me to join the cult in the first place<br /><br />Coincidence = getting the e-mail notice to renew my NY Times Crossword Puzzle subscription while watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492506/">Wordplay.</a>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-61499967718953408652008-11-03T09:30:00.002-05:002008-11-03T09:38:36.681-05:00AUDITION NOTICE - INGENIUS FESTIVAL<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> INgenius - works from the Writers' Forum at Manhattan Theatre Source</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Auditions: November 8th 10:00am-2:00pm & November 9th 10:00am-2:00pm</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Callbacks: November 14th 10:00am-6:00pm & November 15th 10:00am-2:00pm & November 16th 10:00am-1:00pm (1 hour per play)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Sign up for an audition slot available immediately at Manhattan</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Theatre Source (177 MacDougal St.). One-minute monologue required.</span><br /><br />CHARACTER BREAKDOWN<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> PROGRAM A: Tech: January 10th-12th Run: January 12th–14th @ 8pm</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Program A Producers: Dana Monagan & Kathleen O'Neill</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> EPIC STORY OF LOVE & SEX by Richard Vetere, directed by Laura Braza</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Male lead: same actor plays a young boy, a teenager and an adult. Fast-talking, funny from Queens.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Ralph, Teenager, Young Man with Guitar and Gino: tough Queens/Brooklyn guy.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Young girl June, Carol, Young Wife, Sara Viola, Teenager Girl #1, Lurcia Narducci: Female any age.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Perfect Female, Girl #2, Girl #3, , Sister and Lunetta Narducci: Female any age.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> DAR AND MATEY by Larry Pontius, directed by Megan Demarest</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Dar: male, pirate, any age any race</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Matey: pirate, male, any age any race</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Terrible Titian of the Moon Tim: any age, any race, any sex (will also play a king, Princess or Guard)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Deadly Destructive Robot of Doom Dave: any age, any race, any sex (will also play a king, Princess or Guard)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> DOWNTOWN by Vanda, directed by Jo Catell</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> Kate: In her 30s, one of those anonymous women we often see on rush hour subways. She wears sneakers and keeps her shoes in her purse.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 204);"> John: Male, In his late 20s, wants to do his job and get home, until he meets Kate. Every attempt should be made to speak the language he uses as written.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> PROGRAM B: Tech: January 24th-26th Run: January 26th-28th @8pm</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Program B Producer: Mariana Santos</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> THE DEGAS INCIDENT by Vinnie Marano, directed by Dev Bondarin</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Edgar Degas: White male, 20's, a dandy, a little self-important</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Magistrate: Older, rougher, lower class. Delights in puncturing the pretensions of the rich.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> I KNOW THE TRUTH by John Watts, directed by Nicole Franklin</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Young Jody: Female, 19-22, African-American. Late sixties college clothes – afro hair style</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Young Alan: Male, 19-22, White-American. Late sixties college clothes – conservative (not hippy)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Older Jody: Female, 52, African-American. Sophisticated present-day casual clothing</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Older Alan: Male, 52, White-American. Sophisticated present-day casual clothing</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> MASS INDIVIDUALITY by Laura Schlachtmeyer, directed by Corey Atkins</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Woman: any age and nationality</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Man: any age and nationality</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Nameless: male, any age and nationality</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Ensemble: 3 male, 2 female, any age and nationality</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> AMERICAN JATAKA TALES by Ed Malin, directed Mark Duncan</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Actor One: Male or female, ethnic, playing many roles.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Actor Two: Male or female, ethnic, playing many roles.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> Actor Three: Male or female, white or ethnic, playing many roles.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> PROGRAM C: Tech: January 31st – February 2nd Run: February 2nd-4th @ 8pm</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Program C Producer:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> DECEMBER by Pamela Yaco, directed by Carly Hirschberg</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Emmie: Caucasian, middle aged visiting nurse. A little burnt out, she is cool in a crisis. She can identify and control the situation. She is compassionate has a sense of humor.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Mr. Campbell: An old man who wants to die; he is in terrible pain. He is tired, poor, any race, cantankerous, crusty, scruffy, some beard.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> PRESUMPTUOUS by Paul Jordan, Gabriella Willenz</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Tom Downey: Male, 50's, full of life, awkward and halting in his speech, but sincere and very open. Tom knows what he's living for.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Margaret Maloney: Female, 45-50, fast-talking, lovable, but very protective, street-wise New Yorker. Sarcastic, short with people and funny. Her shortness hides her sensitive nature.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> WHAT WE PLANNED FOR by Jen Thatcher, Angela Astle</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Dan: Male, mid-to-late 30's, fairly mild-mannered, eager to be a father</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Julie: Female, mid-to-late 30's, very career-oriented and no-nonsense, a little ambiguous about motherhood</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">UNPRIMED by John McKinney, directed by Jessica McVea</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Sarah: Female, 30's, attractive, intelligent, sophisticated, sharp-witted with a deep emotional undercurrent that she has learned to protect at all times. Makes a good living in business yet she comes from a strong liberal arts background.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Russell: Male, 50-ish, attractive, intelligent, sophisticated, sharp-witted with a businesslike politeness that borders on aggravating. Stoic; his facial expressions are inscrutable and poker-like: you never quite know what he's thinking. And covers a deep emotional side.</span><br /><br />FULL LENGTH PLAYS<br />Any Day Now Producer: Sarah Ali<br /><br />ANY DAY NOW written & directed by Nat Cassidy<br /><br />Tech: January 3rd – 5th & 16th Run: January 6-8, 17, 19, 29-30 @ 8pm, 18th @ 7pm<br /><br />Penelope "Pen" Colby: Female, late 60's. Matriarch, strong-willed and independent, recently lost her husband, becoming more and more senile.<br /><br />Adam Colby: Male, late 60's, Pen's husband. Recently died and has returned as a rather conscious-less void, a harmless zombie. Occasionally mutters and tries to wander, but otherwise vacant and sad. **Brief backside nudity.**<br /><br />Beverly Colby-Parker: Female, late 40's-early 50's, Pen's older daughter. An alpha female; totally controlling and manipulative, lonely and desperate. She works her way up to a spokesperson and minor celebrity, a comfortable public speaker. (Sarah Palin meets Annette Benning in American Beauty)<br /><br />David Parker: Male, early 50's, Beverly's husband. Henpecked, career-oriented, likes to talk trivia all the time. Not so much weak as just accustomed to the noise around him.<br /><br />Jaqueline Colby Parker: Female, 21, Beverly's daughter, spunky, youthful. Just got kicked out of college for selling pot, very bright and clever.<br /><br />April Colby: Female, 40's, Pen's younger daughter, Beverly's sister. Opposite of Beverly, laid back, funny, caring, good listener, but callous when it comes to Josh. (Mary Louise Parker in Weeds)<br /><br />Josh Powell: Male, 40's, April's husband. Going through a divorce, just fired from his job as a teacher (for fooling around with one of his students). Drinking far too much. Suicidal darkness and desperation mixed with a continuous wise-cracker, tends to use humor more than anyone else.<br /><br /><br />LIKENESS by David Caudle, directed & produced by Jessica Ammirati<br /><br />Tech: January 4th, 5th, 8th, 22nd Run: January 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 23rd, 24th @ 8pm 11th & 25th @ 7pm<br /><br />Edmund Earraday: Male, 24. An idealistic young portrait painter. High-strung, passionate, nerdy, a prude who thinks he's a rebel.<br /><br />Marcus: Male, 17. A farm hand assigned to assist Farraday. Eager, innocent, sincere.<br /><br />Mr. Westerley: Male, 50's. A wealthy landowner and avowed Loyalist. A man sure of his power. Easy manners can quickly give way to a lion's roar.<br /><br />Miss Westerley: Female, 16. Mr. Westerley's haughty daughter. Quiet. Controlled. Willful.<br /><br />Miss Preston: Female, 40's Miss Westerley's governess. Cold and correct on the surface.<br /><br />Mrs. Mapes: Female, late 50's. Mr. Westerley's "niece." Her bawdy humor undermines her pretensions to gentility.<br /><span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><br /></span>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-38744184005320438452008-10-30T21:25:00.002-04:002008-10-30T21:30:17.940-04:00Passing the BuckOk, I know I've been really bad about blogging lately, but there have been a variety of factors including that I've been:<br />- producing a week of Estro (tomorrow night is your last chance to see Estro Encores!)<br />- completing the writing of Act One of my first full-length play (wow, is that awkwardly worded. but you get the idea...)<br />- traveling for work<br />- facilitating a two-day retreat<br />- working on the January InGenius festival<br />etc., etc., etc.<br /><br />The other factor is that THE MOST IMPORTANT issue right now for everyone to be focusing on is next Tuesday. And, for various job-related reasons, that's not something I can blog about during the day. So, instead, I am passing the buck to <a href="http://robstaeger.blogspot.com/">Laughing at the Pieces</a>. Rob has done an amazing job of talking about ALL the reasons why Obama is the better choice and it's all compounded by the fact that he is now personally experiencing the effects of the Bush economy (i.e., he just got laid off). So go. Read. Learn. I'll be here when you get back.InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-41900949685961529632008-10-23T19:08:00.003-04:002008-10-23T19:13:10.705-04:00Giving Credit Where Credit is DueAwhile back, I wrote about something I'd read that talked about <a href="http://jayananda.blogspot.com/2008/04/whos-its-and-french.html">how we can treat people as people or as things</a>, but I couldn't remember who had written the essay.<br /><br />Now, thanks to <a href="http://www.boxofcrayons.biz/">Michael Bungay Steiner</a>, I've found out it was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_and_Thou">Martin Buber</a>.InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-1763465730615611562008-10-17T12:50:00.002-04:002008-10-17T13:31:28.434-04:00Whales 1, Palin 0<h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20081017_belugawhale.html">NOAA Lists Cook Inlet Beluga Whales as Endangered</a></span></h2><br />I particularly love <a href="http://www.eenews.net/gw/">Greenwire's </a>headline, which reads, "Against Palin's Wishes, NOAA Will Protect Alaska's Whales."InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-49761979510208261562008-10-17T10:45:00.003-04:002008-10-17T10:51:20.434-04:00Hey, How'd It Go?"My" week of Estro went great, thanks!<br /><br />Well-attended, well-received...an all-around positively positive experience!<br /><br />And the best part, is it's not over yet.<br /><br />This year, we've added a 5th week to the Festival, which we're calling "Estro Encores," which will be comprised of the producer's selection from each of the previous 4 weeks. So, you can still see one of my shows, <span style="font-style: italic;">Waffles</span> by Martha Garvey, October 28-31 at 8pm.<br /><br />Tickets will be available soon at: <a href="http://www.theatresource.org">http://www.theatresource.org</a>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-91515907682616955842008-10-08T13:51:00.001-04:002008-10-08T13:54:41.956-04:00In Lieu of All Things Pink...If you're female, join the <a href="http://www.armyofwomen.org/">Army of Women.</a><br /><br />If you're of the male persuasion, just spread the word.InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-64707592906329764852008-10-01T10:19:00.005-04:002008-10-01T12:01:57.379-04:00Think Before You PinkWell, it's here. The "pink season" is upon us. Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The month when you can buy everything from <a href="http://www.beautydeals.net/shop/images/23168.jpg">pink "tweezers for life</a>," to <a href="http://www.kitchenaid.com/assets/images/promo/heroImgProducts.jpg">pink Kitchen Aid mixers</a>, to <a href="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/apr_campbells_071030_ssv.jpg">pink soup</a> to a <a href="http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/P10776556.jpg">pink "foldable rollator."</a><br /><br />It makes me a little bit crazy. Partially it's the whole cute-ification of breast cancer, like it's something fun and kitschy.<br /><br />Partially, it's the fact that some of these companies marketing breast cancer awareness conveniently overlook the fact that their products contain carcinogens. (For the record, these are called "<a href="http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/Pages/FocusOnPinkwashers.html">pinkwashers</a>.")<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In fact:<br />"Breast Cancer Awareness Month, for example, is sponsored by AstraZeneca (the manufacturer of tamoxifen), which, until a corporate reorganization in 2000, was a leading producer of pesticides, including acetochlor, classified by the EPA as a "probable human carcinogen." This particularly nasty conjuncture of interests led the environmentally oriented Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC) to condemn Breast Cancer Awareness Month as "a public relations invention by a major polluter which puts women in the position of being unwitting allies of the very people who make them sick."<br />(From Barbara Ehrenreich's seminal article "Welcome to Cancerland", which you can read in it's entirety <a href="http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=welcome-to-cancerland-2">here</a>.) </span><br /><br />Partially, it's the fact that others of these companies have incredibly vague claims on their products such as "a portion of the proceeds will go to support breast cancer awareness." What portion? Where will they go? How will they support it?<br /><br />Which leads me to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Critical Questions to Ask</span> (from <a href="http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/Pages/CriticalQuestions.html">ThinkBeforeYouPink.org</a>):<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. How much money from your purchase actually goes toward breast cancer? Is the amount clearly stated on the package?<br />2. What is the maximum amount that will be donated?<br />3. How are the funds being raised?<br />4. To what breast cancer organization does the money go, and what types of programs does it support?<br />5. What is the company doing to assure that its products are not actually contributing to the breast cancer epidemic?</span><br /><br />Partially, it's that I just don't want to be surrounded with cheerful, brightly colored reminders of a disease that has killed alot of people I care about.<br /><br />Finally, it's because I really don't know what all this "awareness" is getting us. Especially when that awareness is pink-coated and sanitized.<br /><br />And, just in case you think I'm crazy, I am by far not the only breast cancer "survivor" who feels this way: The Assertive Cancer Patient has collected quite a few anecdotes in her <a href="http://www.assertivepatient.com/boycott_october/">Boycott October</a> thread. But I think the lovely and amazing Janet puts it best, "<a href="http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/%7Ejyanosko/2008/09/get-shirts-for-breast-cancer-awareness.html">Fuck Awareness, Find a Cure</a>."<br /><br />Happy Halloween.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Addendum: I just found this <a href="http://caraellison.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/pink-rage/">anti-pink, anti-Komen rant</a> from someone who's never even had breast cancer! Very cathartic.</span>InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668339633598974805.post-5274355383970231452008-09-30T16:57:00.004-04:002008-09-30T17:23:43.967-04:00A Pot Pourri of Bloggery...Ack. I have so much to blog about and apparently no time to do it. So, I figure I do a mish-mash of an entry that gives at least the major updates.<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.estrogenius.org/estro.html">Estrogenious 2008</a> opens tomorrow! "My" week is October 8-11, but the whole festival is awesome. Come check it out!<br /><br />2. Also check out <a href="http://www.titleofshow.com/">[title of show]</a>. It's fun, it's clever, it's original, it's on Broadway, AND it had its very first workshop production at Manhattan Theatre Source. So these folks have trod the boards in the very same place the work of yours truly has been staged. Heady stuff. I've seen it twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times and I just read that it's CLOSING OCTOBER 12TH, so hurry up and see it before it's gone!<br /><br />3. Since January 2008, I have been a member of Manhattan Theatre Source's Writers' Forum. What started out as a handful of Source "regulars," has grown into a group of 30 writers, ranging from those just starting out as playwrights to award-winning and nominated writers such as Joan Tewkesbury (screenwriter of the Oscar-nominated film Nashville) and Joe Pintauro (Snow Orchid, The Dead Boy).<br /><br />This past year, we were able to get the Forum on its feet via regularly weekly meetings and to launch our accompanying Saturday Reading Series.<br /><br />Now we're ready to take things to the next level. The Forum members have chipped in to "buy" a month's production time at the Source to mount several PlayGround Development Series and full Mainstage Productions. What's especially exciting about this is that we've decided to do this as a collective, with the Forum serving not just as the writers, but as the producers, supporting each other as we get our works on their feet.<br /><br />It's an exciting opportunity. But we need help. Although we raised the $8,000 deposit in under a week (while the economy was crashing, no less--yay us!), we still need to raise the additional rental and production costs. So, if you're feeling philanthropic...ANY amount is appreciated. And don't forget that the Source is a 501(c)3 organization, so your donation will be tax-deductible. You can make your check payable to "Manhattan Theatre Source" and send it to 177 MacDougal Street, NY, NY 10011, Attn: Jim Lawson (just include a note that it's for the January festival). Or, if you prefer, you can donate via credit card at https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/store/931. (If you donate via cc, I'd love it if you could shoot me a note.)<br /><br />4. Mini Cult Update - Lost 3 lbs this week. LOVING the Core Plan. <br /><br />Ok, that's all I can think of right now.InGenius Festival - Voices from the Writers' Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17733606412122690814noreply@blogger.com0