"The Mystery of Irma Vep" Mini-Review

Review of ATC’s Production of The Mystery of Irma Vep

by Marc Hansen

ATC’s production of The Mystery of Irma Vep is funny, random, and a total crowd pleaser. It’s not very high brow - a lot of the jokes are sexual, crude and/or over the top, yet it’s still more sophisticated than the raunchy, potty jokes of our modern Hangover type comedies. Yet surprisingly, the typically older, more mature theatre crowd responded really well to the humor. That’s probably due to the dedication of the actors, Bob Sorenson and Oliver Wadsworth, who were hilarious and became so enveloped into their many characters that they made the ridiculousness somehow work.

Grade: B

And that's all for this season, folks! See you next year!

Two More Poems

The Future America (Couplet)

All these young people, filled with hope

Will turn into burnouts, addicts of dope

Never Let You Go (Ballad)

The smile you wear lightens my mood

Your luscious lips I taste

A day with you's a dream come true

Let's not leave it to waste

A Not So Offensive Poem I Also Wrote

Okay here is the last poem I wrote on Friday, but I had to put it in its own post, because this one's not offensive at all :P It is a haiku though, a haiku about Tucson.

Haiku for Tucson

The trees have no leaves

Cacti populate the land

Sand is nature too

Some Mildly Offensive Poems I Wrote

So in Creative Writing, we're in our poetry unit at the moment. I've never been a big fan of poetry and I'm a terrible poet, but we wrote these poems in class the other day and I'm actually pretty proud of them (well not that proud, but I think they're enjoyable, or at least enjoyable enough to put on this blog). They're also all comedic, mildly offensive poems. I was actually trying to write genuine poems at first, but then these came out. I wonder what that says about me. Anyways here they are (and I really don't have anything against Haiti or Japan; I just thought they were funny).

Adolescence (this one is a Limerick)

You life starts out as a baby

You were born in the country of Haiti

An earthquake struck

You're shit out of luck

Now reaching age five is a maybe

Japan (this is a List Poem)

Japan

Toyko

Lights

Swords

Dragons

Emperors

Kurosawa

Samurais

Ancient Legends

Asian People

Tourists

Sushi

Atomic Bombs

Nature

Trees

Lakes

Haikus

Tsunamis

This is what I love about Japan

Okay, this is my favorite one. It's a diamonte poem, and it's actually well written, not just offensive.

Men and Women

Men

Emotional, Complicated

Doing, Making, Achieving

Courteous, Elegant, Success, Beauty

Burping, Farting, Eating

Apathetic, Simple

Women

Thanks for reading! :D

"Lost in Yonkers" Review

Review of ATC’s Production of Lost in Yonkers

by Marc Hansen

ATC’s marvelous production of the classic play Lost in Yonkers is possibly the best play they’ve produced in the last two years. Written by playwright genius Neil Simon (The Odd Couple), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize, Lost in Yonkers is Simon’s magnum opus, containing his wittiest, most hysterical dialogue combined with the surprising emotional impact the play unleashes on you. It may be the least flashy ATC play this year in terms of lighting or set design, but it excels in theatre’s two most important aspects: acting and writing.

Lost in Yonkers starts out in Grandma Kurnitz’s living room, where two young brothers, Arty (Maxx Carlisle-King) and Jay (Ryan DeLuca), recount horror stories they’ve heard about their strict, paternal grandmother (Judy Kaye) that they hardly know. This is the living room that the rest of the play will be set in and that we’ll come to know so well. And though the play begins with an almost sitcom-y premise where the two mischevious youngsters are forced to live with their overbearing grandma for nearly a year, while their father (Spencer Rowe) travels around the country, the play takes a rather unexpected turn. Being a comedy, and a Neil Simon comedy, I naturally expected the children to eventually come to terms with their demanding immigrant grandmother and realize how much they love and appreciate her in the end, in a very predictable fashion. And though this ultimately does happen in a way (albeit much slower and more realistic than typical ‘90s comedies), the play slowly becomes more about the dysfunctional relationships Grandma’s Kurnitz and her own children have. As the mentally challenged aunt (Kate Goehring) and smooth criminal uncle (Preston Maybank) of the boys start to play a larger role, we realize that Lost in Yonkers isn’t about the boys. The boys, in fact, represent the audience, watching all the drama unfold upon them.

Obviously, the biggest reason Lost in Yonkers is so successful is because of Neil Simon’s book. It’s not only full of his very clever, very funny writing, that I was well aware of after reading The Odd Couple, but includes a really profound, emotional center at the heart of the story that wasn’t as present in the cheeky Odd Couple. Yonkers is really phenomenal writing on all fronts, with extremely deep, well rounded characters pushing the engaging story forward. At first, I thought Grandma Kurnitz was just your typical stereotypical strict authority figure, but as the play went on, I realized what an incredibly complex character she was and Bella, the retarded aunt, is the best written handicapped character I’ve ever seen. She may have disabilities, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have intense, conflicting feelings and desires that emerge pass the surface of her illness.

The characters obviously wouldn’t work without the proper cast though, which is why it’s so amazing that Lost in Yonkers literally perfectly casted every character. Goehring as Bella is obviously the stand out, in the best portrayal of a mentally handicapped character I’ve ever seen. But to say that Bella is just a ‘mentally handicapped’ character isn’t doing the character justice, as she is so much more than that, which is what I love about the performance. Goehring lets that come through very naturally, but she plays Bella as a deeply confused, hurt, and sheltered little child in a grown woman’s body, with a grown woman’s desires, yet the naivety to think that that life is possible for her. It’s very hard to pick a favorite among such a great cast though. Maybank as Louie is so cool and suave and badass that you completely see why the young boys would admire and look up to him, yet he’s also intimidating and scary enough that you’re simultaneously scared of his next move or the trouble he might bring. In his small role as the father, Rowe completely convinces you in the play’s first pitch, understanding how conflicted this caring father is about leaving his children behind, that the set up doesn’t seem at all like a gimmick. Kerry McCue, in another small role as Aunt Gert, is incredibly funny with her vocal timing and even DeLuca and Carlisle-King as the boys had great comedic chops. But I can’t forget Kaye as Grandma Kurnitz who feels like your lovable, grouchy, old grandma and propels her into more than just than an one-note character. Such great acting and execution can only happen at the tips of great direction though, which is why the stupendous work of ATC’s very own Samantha Wyer can’t be forgotten.

Yes, perhaps the production isn’t perfect. Some extensive dialogue scenes start to feel a little long and maybe a score would’ve helped, but I prefer not to nitpick when everything else is so wonderful. Lost in Yonkers isn’t a theatre, or art, experience that you get to experience often, so why not appreciate it while you can?

Grade: A

"Ten Chimneys" Review

Sorry this is so late.

Review of ATC’s Production of Ten Chimneys

by Marc Hansen

The world premiere of Ten Chimneys, the newest production playing at the ATC, is a delightful, amusing little comedy about actors’ drama behind the stage.

The play follows the renowned husband and wife team of real Broadway stars Alfred Lunt (Steve Hendrickson) and Lynn Fontanne (Suzanne Bouchard) in 1938, as they decide to perform Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece, The Seagull, for their next production. They retreat to their legendary and gigantic Wisconsin mansion to rehearse, bringing their fellow actors and extended family. Quirky family hijinks ensue, as well as a blossoming love triangle between Lunt, Fontanne, and their young, new lead actress Uta Hagen. On top of all this, the behind-the-scenes drama in Ten Chimneys directly correlates with the drama in the play they’re rehearsing (which is also about actors). Gee, how coincidental.

A lot of praise should be heaped upon writer Jeffrey Hatcher for not only writing an intelligent and complicated script, but for making it play out so simply (as well as props to director David Ira Goldstein for providing that seamless flow). Ten Chimneys has a rather complex written premise (with all the play-within-a-play nonsense), which though an attraction to me, may drive a lot of people away. However, though playfully clever (sometimes even coming across as too impressed with its own cleverness), the play never seems overly complicated. It’s smart, but still incredibly entertaining and interesting. In fact, the play-within-the-play plot point isn’t even necessary, though it does reinforce that age old theatre theme that life is a stage.

The cast is all fantastic. Hendrickson stands out as nailing the flamboyant character of Alfred Lunt, but then I think about how perfectly Bouchard played Fontanne’s materialistic Broadway diva star or the unexpected emotion Michael Winters brought to the character of Sydney Greenstreet, and it becomes much harder to pick a favorite. Sure, the characters are stereotypes of traditional family and actor roles (Lunt’s extravagance, Fontanne’s prima donna, or Linda Stephens as the lovably bitchy mother), but it all works in the play’s favor. Instead of feeling cliché, it simply feels familiar. Immediately you know these characters and it starts to feel like your own family.

The production values are all excellent and greatly enhance the play. The rotating set is captivating and the lush, green “trees” really made me feel like I was in Wisconsin. In fact, the prop and scenery pieces were replicated from photos of actual items found at Ten Chimneys and the cast actually got to rehearse for a week in the legendary estate. It’s this attention to detail, though not obvious, that adds such an authentic feel to the production.

However, the play does have its flaws. For one, the play is a little too play-centric for its own good. Of course, it’s no surprise that a plot like this would elicit a favorable response among the thespians that put on this show, but sometimes it felt like there were a few too many “inside jokes.” I had no idea until I researched the production afterwards that Lunt and Fontanne were real Broadway stars, and though that only made the play cooler, there were times within the play that I felt a little lost when they were extensively dealing with The Seagull production. Some would argue that that’s fine and that a prerequisite knowledge of The Seagull is simply necessary, but I think there are more people who know nothing of The Seagull than people who do, even among the theatre buffs that frequently attend the ATC’s productions.

It’s also a little lightweight. It’s fun and entertaining, but after the show’s over it doesn’t feel all that memorable, unlike the productions Lunt and Fontanne put on themselves. It’s about what actors are like behind the scenes, but this doesn’t feel like a very meaningful theme. However that doesn’t seem to be what Ten Chimneys is concerned with. No, Ten Chimneys is just a play about people who love theatre and its main purpose is putting on a great show.

Grade: B+

New Year's Resolutions

While I think the idea of New Year Resolutions is stupid in that most people just do it because it's a cultural tradition, and not because they actually want to or plan on changing, and those resolutions almost never last the full year, I can see the appeal in wanting to improve yourself and be a better person. And what better time to do that then at the beginning of the year, a "new start," after you've just reflected on the entire past year. Although I stand by my stance that doing New Year Resolutions just to do them is stupid, I do have some things that I would like to change, for the reasons I stated earlier.

One of those things is to start working out regularly, which is a typical one, but is one I've already started with Abdul. We're now members of LA Fitness and it's going great and I feel much healthier and stronger and like a better person.

Another one of them is to start reading more. It sounds weird because I love books so much, but during this first semester of my sophomore year I really stopped reading as much as I used to. And in general, I've read way less in high school than middle school, when I had much more time, but reading was really one of my favorite things to do and unlike any other pleasure. It's beneficial and I feel I need it. I have two huge stacks of books on my desk of books I need to read and it's only gotten larger, but I'd like to clear that desk by the time I leave for college. Now I'd say that I stopped reading as much because of AP Euro reading and I'm spending more time with my friends (and often working on movies), but yet I still find time to go on the computer. :P Over winter break, now that I have had more time (and yet still so many things to do!) I've been able to read a lot more (finished two books in two weeks and started another!) and still go on the computer (and hang out every night.... when I really need to finish that wedding video, my NYU application and my AP Euro reading), but once school starts again that won't be possible, because I won't have that much time. So why sacrifice books? Which leads me to my third resolution.....

Spend less time on the computer. I really like going on the computer and it's addictive, but it's pretty much a waste of my time, when I could be doing so many other things. Yet I always find enough time to check slashfilm.com or something. But now that I'll be working out at the gym 3 times a week, have an extra class this semester (and really 2, because we never had any homework in weights) I'll have tons more homework, as well as trying to write everyday (see below) and read more. So I really don't need to read every article that captures my attention on slashfilm. I can live without it and wait on hearing every detail involved with every movie currently in production until the movies come out. I'll admit it'll be tough, but it's for the better. Facebook doesn't worry me as much, because that's pretty much just for socializing and contacting people. I really don't feel I waste much time looking at any of the stuff on there. So my goal is only 30 min. a day, though 45 min. a day seems more likely at first.

And finally, my last resolution is to start a journal, in which what you are currently reading is the first entry. I've never had a journal just for myself, though I've heard many times that I should, that many people like me have and I always liked the idea of having one (and really enjoyed journalling in my English classes), but it always seemed like too much time and trouble to do on my own. But now I feel like A) I want/need/feel I have to be writing at least every day, just to get it out of my system and because I have so much I want to say and whenever I do write, I say a lot. But B) as I look back on my life and there are so many different experiences I've had over the years, I find I hardly remember anything. Only a certain event, if something special happened that day, and sometimes just general memories of doing things, although sometimes it'll be things I never think of, but when someone mentions it I remember them. But even just ordinary things like what I used to do on a typical day in 7th grade. I have no idea! Obviously it's not very important, on a purely interesting level, but I think it's important that I remember what it was like to be me and who I was, if I was the same person or if I've changed. I've always wished that there was some way to record my thoughts, and it seems like writing's the closest thing I'll get to doing that. So, B) as a record of my life, that I can look back on, and always remember (almost) everything I did, thought, felt at this time in my life.

2010: A Year in Review

Man, what a year. I can't even describe how great it has been, how fast it has gone, and how much better it was than last year :P

....but I'll try. But first, as you know me, before I start reminiscing about the good times I've had over the course of the year, I have to define the year in movies and music, with my top ten lists (I had to get it out of my system right away!).

Top Ten Movies of the Year (UPDATED):

1. Inception

2. The Social Network

3. Blue Valentine

4. Black Swan

5. Kick Ass

6. Winter's Bone

7. Toy Story 3

8. 127 Hours

9. The Ghost Writer

10. Never Let Me Go

HM: The Fighter, Due Date

(Btw all of these films are now on DVD, except for Black Swan, Blue Valentine, 127 Hours - all in theaters)

When just thinking back over the best films of 2010 and 2009, 2010 clearly seems like a better year for movies, although I had more trouble coming up with a top ten for 2010. I could come up with nine easily, but ultimately had to include A Prophet - which I technically count as a 2009 film since it came out in France in 2009 and was submitted for the 2009 Oscars for Best Foreign Film, but didn't come out in the U.S. until early 2010. This will likely be solved once I see a dozen or so more films - some that I just missed and will have to catch on DVD, but the better of those films that would probably fill up my top ten and allow me to have honorable mentions/take A Prophet off are the ones that are in limited release now (i.e. Somewhere, Blue Valentine) that won't come to Tucson until some time next year. Once I see those, I'll update my list.

Overall I think 2009 had more films that I liked in general, but a lot of them were often unmemorable - very good films, but not great ones. 2010, on the other hand, while lacking in quantity vastly made up in quality. Don't get me wrong, there were some films from last year that are favorites of mine ((500) Days of Summer, Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man), but this year I really loved almost my entire top ten, which had more masterpieces, while 2009 had simply more enjoyable films in general, but also more flawed.

Now:

Top Ten Albums of the Year (UPDATED):

1. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

2. This is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

3. Teen Dream - Beach House

4. Treats - Sleigh Bells

5. Shame, Shame - Dr. Dog

6. Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons

7. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

8. Write about Love - Belle & Sebastian

9. Plastic Beach - Gorillaz

10. Contra - Vampire Weekend

HM: Volume Two - She & Him; Crystal Castles (2010) - Crystal Castles

However, it was an undeniably great year in music, though not as good as 2009, which was one of the best years in music ever, with such a vast collection of music and so many great, new, rising artists coming out with their first CDs.

Book of the Year: Freedom by Jonathan Frazen

Now, the year in my life. It's amazing to think of everything that took place over the last year (and what could take place over 2011!). One year ago, Abdul, Ricardo, Nathan and I weren't good friends. We were friendly and acquaintances, but not the best of friends that we are now (awhhhh). In fact it was at the very beginning of the year that we first started spending time together. The first media project we made during 2nd semester (Intense Breast Cancer - the first of our collaborations) was the true beginning of our friendship. We spent time together working on that and as soon as you knew it, the four of us were hanging out often, and by sophomore year, practically every weekend. I got to know these four gentlemen very well, and I'm glad I did. I couldn't imagine my life without them. It would be a lot less interesting. And fun. And -- Ah, fuck it, I love those guys. There's nothing more to say.

Speaking of media projects though, I can't help but be astonished by all my work that took place over one year (and this past one!). Now this may not mean anything to you, but as I go through every project I've worked on it really illustrates how much time has passed over only 365 days. It doesn't seem like a long time in theory, and I remember it like it was yesterday, but it just seems like so much has changed since a year ago, and yet I don't feel that I've changed that much. Anyways, here's every film I made in 2010:

-(Jon Vogel's Bar Mitzvah - technically I started this in Dec. of 09 but I worked on it during '10 too)

-Intense Breast Cancer

-Crying Lightning

-Laura Video

-Life of Pi English project

(worked on "I'm in AQ" - not a work of my own (Douglas's), didn't edit it, but helped in filming and acting of it)

-Adopt a Pet PSA

-Imaginary Me

-The Intense Cabin

-Intense JTED Courses

-Highlights from Europe 1-3 (just edited; footage from 09)

-The Three Films I Made at Camp (Long Gone, A Super Story, Daydreams)

-The Intense Loft Cinema

-The Intense Cabin 2

-Salcido & Tamimi: Intensely At the Movies

-The Wojcik/Pence Wedding (which I'm still not finished with)

Even though most of those movies are less than 5 minutes, that still seems like a lot (20) for one year.

This summer was also amazing; One of those summers you always remember; The summers people write books about; The summer where you truly grew up. I can't even describe it. One half was Bonnaroo, which was such an amazing, incredible experience that was just so much fun. But also there was this moment after the weekend was over and we had seen all the shows and it was the last night and we were staying in the RV and everyone was just about to fall asleep and I sat there, just thinking. I can't even describe it, but it was like nothing else I had ever felt. I think it was because we were so busy that whole weekend that we never really got any time to reflect on how amazing or how much fun it all was, until that moment. It was just this grand feeling that literally swept over me and I just couldn't believe how happy I was and I wished that I could be this happy all the time.

And then there was camp. Of course there was the fact that the camp itself was great and gave me experiences and opportunities that I'd never had before, and the fact that I was able to live pretty much on my own for a month, letting me know that by the time college comes I will be ready (and I can't deny it certainly had an effect on me - I've been way more independent ever since), but let's face it. The best part of the camp, like the best part of life, was seeing Inception for the first time. But the second best part was the people there, and it's the people in your life that you meet and love that make life worth living and the people I met there were like no other people I've met - they were just like me. They lived, thought, and breathed film, and it was just nice to meet people like that, but the truth is they were also just a lot of fun and I got along with them really well and they were really great people that I'll never forget. I had so much fun at camp. The last night was the peak (after a long steady rise), but then the next morning I was so heartbroken to let it all go. For the next couple weeks, I couldn't stop talking about how great it was and everyone I knew thought I was really annoying. I loved camp more than I loved my life back home and I didn't know how my social life would live up to it. Yet somehow it did, and as I think about it, maybe it was just me all along. Maybe I had just learned to let go and be truly happy. Nahh, maybe somewhat, but I think I also just lucked out on my friends.

Other things I did this year:

-got my permit

-got straight A's both semesters (not that that's special)

-got my first paycheck

-travelled all by myself! (to NY! - got to visit my camp friends)

......um I guess that's it for measurable accomplishments. Wow.

But that's not to say it hasn't been a great year, full of growth, fantastic experiences, amazing friendships, and very memorable memories. In fact, I think this has to be one of my favorite years just in terms of growing up and living and experiencing and enjoying life, and what could be better than that. There is no greater accomplishment.

I mean a year ago I didn't even know who Ramtin or Haitham were. And now look at how close Ramtin and I are now. And I just got off the phone with Haitham at the Houston airport, who told me how much I meant to him as a friend and I told him how glad I am that he was a part of my life.

And Alison, assuming you're reading this (you'd be the only one ;) ), if you remember it was really a year ago when I posted a blog entry like this one, except reminiscing about the decade, instead of the year, that we started to become friends again. We were friends in 8th grade and from Mr. B.'s class and I had even known who you were since my brief time at Manzanita Elementary, but then once we got to high school and we didn't have any classes together, I didn't see you at all. But that was just the first semester. Sometime during the beginning of second semester I remember walking to Global Issues one day with Lucas, and hence you (and probably Douglas too though I don't remember exactly), and you had said to me that you had read my blog entry (about the end of the decade). I was astonished. I didn't write it expecting anyone to read it, especially considering I thought no one checked these blogs anymore anyways (except really just you and I, now). I had wrote it for myself, because I needed it, although one of my "New Year's Resolutions" was to write on my blog more - because I wanted to write more and I needed it. And really knowing one person out there was reading it probably helped me do so, as I might've stopped if I thought no one was reading what I wrote and then what was the point? But you kept me going, and though recently I've stopped a little (mostly because now I just talk to you in other ways and have facebook) I don't feel like I need it as much. I needed to write, but I didn't need this blog. Although through this blog, and thanks to Mr. B. who set these up with us in the first place! (thanks Mr. B. ;) ), I got to know you a lot better and we started to talk and our friendship blossomed. Looking at how close we are now, it doesn't seem like we were that close at all, but at the time I remember really looking forward to your posts and comments and discussing life with you. I found that you were someone else who saw the world as I did.

And that was just the first half of the year. After summer, when school started again, we became much, much closer and got to know each other extremely well, becoming the best of friends. Now, we practically talk to each other every day. Of course, I don't need to tell you this. But isn't it amazing to think that it all happened within one year, this past one. I remember exactly one year ago, on New Year's Eve, right at the end of the decade, my mom, sister, and I went to the Downtown Tucson thing they were doing to keep people safe and saw Ryanhood play and watched a couple of short movies at the Screening Room. We got home early (before midnight) and of course I stayed up till midnight, consciously awaiting the turn of the decade (the first one that I'd be aware of), and feeling very alone. I mean, it was New Year's Eve and not only that but we were entering a new decade and I had spent the night with my mom and my sister, and was now in my room all alone. That's where I was in my life. All alone. And now I can't believe how much that has changed. I feel so blessed at the number of great people I've gotten so close to and gotten to know and meet and love. I'm just happy to be here and lived through it all. Maybe it was fitting that I spent the last night of the '00s, bookending the time from when I was 5 to 14, with my family, and that by the last night of the '10s I'll probably be spending it with friends, bookending the time from when I was 15 to 24. The two different groups of people who were most important to me during those periods. I remember when the clock struck 12 and it felt like it should be such a momentous, grand, epic moment. It was a new decade, a new start. And yet the change didn't feel immediate. It was just another minute. But looking back on it now I can see the change and that night seems too good to be true, as if it belongs in a novel of my life. It means so much to me. I remember right before the year began I listened to Ryanhood's "The World Awaits You," which I'm listening to again now, and all I can say is "Man, I couldn't even imagine how much that's true."

Alison, I've figured you out...

:O

"Woody Guthrie's American Song" Review

Review of ATC’s Production of Woody Guthrie’s American Song

by Marc Hansen

If you’re the kind of person who loves traditional folk/country music, then I’m sure you would LOVE ATC’s production of Woody Guthrie’s American Song, as most of the production consists of pretty much just that. As someone who loves modern folk music, but isn’t particularly a fan of this style, I admire the play for its strengths, but overall it just isn’t the play for me.

Woody Guthrie’s American Song brings to mind last season’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, which coincidentally had the time slot as Woody Guthrie’s American Song this year. Like Ain’t Misbehavin’, Woody Guthrie takes a famous, defining musical artist in a given genre (Woody Guthrie of Depression-era folk, like Fats Waller of 1920s jazz) and performs a wide collection of their songs over the course of the play. The productions consists of mostly just that, though you also get a great atmosphere for the time period they’re trying to project.

The main difference with Woody Guthrie however, is that Ain’t Misbehavin’ was just Fats Waller songs, while Woody Guthrie actually tries to provide a plot within the play. That’s not exactly a bad thing, in theory; I was expecting the production to be a story about Woody Guthrie’s life, but as the play goes on, you become increasingly aware that it’s more about the music, with an underdeveloped story thrown in occasionally between songs. In addition, the story that’s there, maybe because it is so underdeveloped, isn’t captivating in the slightest. It’s dull and just plain confusing. I think you could certainly make at least a semi-interesting story about Woody Guthrie’s life, but this isn’t it. It’s especially brought down by the fact that the five actors in the cast constantly switch characters, which isn’t unusual for secondary characters, but even the main character of Woody Guthrie was juggled between the three male stars, all at various points in the play. This convoluted approach, I’m assuming trying to be unique or creative, just made me bewildered as to who was who and what was happening.

On the positive side, as I said earlier, the play really is more concerned with the music than the plot, and the music is great. Even for someone like me, whose particular taste doesn’t lean towards this style of music (I actually prefer the 1920s jazz of Ain’t Misbehavin’), I can’t deny that the music is great and is the production’s greatest strength. There is a reason Woody Guthrie was a defining artist of this genre, and by the time his magnum opus “This Land Is Your Land” closed the show, everyone in the audience was singing along. The three band members (Mark Baczynski, David P. Jackson, and David Miles Keenan) are all excellent multi-instrumentalists and I loved the opening number “Hard Travelin’” in which every cast member overlaps a monologue about their characters’ backstory.

The set was also fantastic, extravagantly large and vast, just like the Old West, (heightened by our balcony seating) and perfectly setting the tone and mood for the music that accompanies it. You truly have a sense of the time and place of Depression-era America. When it comes down to it, even with its pros and cons, how much you like Woody Guthrie’s American Song will be directly related to how much you like his music. If you despise it, you may not be able to appreciate the set’s beauty or the instrumentalists’ skill. And if you’re head over heels in love with old time country/folk music, you may be able to look past that horrendous attempt at a story. As for me, I found myself somewhere in the middle.

Overall Grade: B-

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" Review

Once again, super behind on posting this but heregoes:

Review of ATC’s Production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

by Marc Hansen

In his career, prestigious playwright and legend August Wilson wrote, in addition to others, a series of ten plays, each detailing the African-American experience of one of the decades in the 20th century. These were called his “Century Cycle” or his “Pittsburgh Cycle,” as all ten of these plays were set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, with the exception of one: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which takes place in Chicago and has now come to Tucson, Arizona at the ATC. This time the ATC keeps it light on the elaborate sets (though the one set they do have is still well done), and mostly relies on Wilson’s fabulous script and a superb cast to make for another enjoyable experience.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom takes place over the course of one day in 1927, in a recording studio in Chicago, Illinois. The four struggling band members, the stubborn old record producer (Michael Tezla), and Ma Rainey’s peace keeping manager (Phil Kilbourne) are waiting for legendary singer Ma Rainey to arrive and record her new jazz record. After coming an hour late, major pop diva Ma Rainey (Jevetta Steele) refuses to sing until she has her Coca Cola and demands that her stuttering nephew (Ahanti Young) speak a line in the title song (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”). Meanwhile, back in the rehearsal room, feuds between the cocky, young trumpet player Levee (James T. Alfred) and the other three goofball musicians arise, ultimately leading to dire consequences and expressing the hardships of black Americans in the 1920s.

The best thing about the play was Wilson’s extraordinary and well-thought out dialogue, which had a poetic rhythm to it and reveled in the possibilities of the English language. It’s one of those screenplays that I would love to read on its own and get the full nuances of the arrangements of the words. I loved the banter back and forth between the back up band members, which is only heightened by all four actor’s extremely natural, yet completely convincing, performances (Abdul Salaam Razzac as Toledo is the most lovable of the three misfits, though all three are equally hilarious). Although, at some points, Ma Rainey does get a little too talky for its own good. Consisting of almost all dialogue, it’s easy to get lost and lose focus, and overall the play could use some more action to balance out the important themes the actors do express in their lines.

The play definitely picks up in the second half, after Ma Rainey has entered the picture and we get to watch a performance or two of some of the songs. (Warning to some members of the audience: Though this is a play very much about music and musicians, it’s not a musical; Don’t go in expecting Dreamgirls or lots of bluesy songs, as many members seemed to be disappointed by a lack of this - it is instead an intense and powerful portrait of African-Americans in the ‘20s). Jevetta Steele, in particular, is stellar and has a very commanding stage presence. She nails the arrogant, pop diva act and when she’s on stage, you can’t take your eyes off her. The MVP of the cast though is by far James T. Alfred as Levee, which is truly saying something as I actually admired every performance. However Alfred won me over when at the end of the first act, after having his character play the role of the arrogant and ambitious up-and-comer, Alfred reveals Levee’s true self when erupting into a towering monologue, truly showing how troubled, damaged and hot-tempered Levee really is.

Once again, the production isn’t perfect, as it does get a little slow and too long at various points, but all in all through Wilson’s mostly tight script, and the even better realized performances from this production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, ATC certainly creates an emotional experience in which you empathize and understand the actions of these fascinating characters.

Overall Grade: B+

"Backwards in High Heels" Review - Way Late, Sorry

Review of ATC’s Production of Backwards in High Heels

by Marc Hansen

Just like the career of the famous 30’s Hollywood starlet Ginger Rogers, ATC’s production of season opener Backwards In High Heels, detailing the life of said actress/tap dancer, has its ups and downs. Certain aspects, such as the dancing and tap dancing, are beyond excellent, though the musical lacks purpose as a whole. Still, Backwards In High Heels should appeal to the older crowd, who were alive to experience the trajectory of Ginger Roger’s fifteen minutes of fame.

As previously stated, Backwards in High Heels is the life story of famous actress and tap dancer Ginger Rogers (Anna Aimee White), from a hopeful teenager in suburban Texas to a serious, accomplished professional on the Oscar-winning stage. The play hits all the major events in her life, including her famous legacy and union with fellow master tap dancer/actor Fred Astaire (Matthew LaBanca) and her five failed marriages (hilariously sped through in the song “Fine Romance”).

As always, the production values were excellent and I loved the set of the film set (but I’m a sucker for those kinds of things, being a film aficionado myself). There were also some really neat tricks being done with only two spotlights for lighting during “Baby Face“. And while there were no standouts in the cast, White’s voice was surprisingly powerful in “But... When?” after not having shown as much potential earlier. The music was hit-or-miss, like the play; sometimes it was standard and mundane, but there were some really catchy, standout numbers and productions, including the ridiculously fun “We’re in the Money.”

The main problem with Backwards in High Heels though is that it’s more just a series of events than a story. There seems to be no purpose or theme to the writing; at least I have no idea what it could possibly be trying to say, and suspect that its creation was purely on the basis of making a biopic (in stage format) of Ginger Rogers. And on that front, it’s the same old stuff you’ve seen before - typical ambitious young adult with big dreams in the 1920’s making it in the business, beyond all the odds and doubt. We already know the story, so when Jack Culpepper (James Patterson) tells Ginger Rogers she needs a plan B in case she doesn’t make it, we know she doesn’t, because we already know she does. And when Ginger’s mother (Heather Lee) tells her she’s making a huge mistake marrying Jack and that she’ll be back, we know she will. You could make this argument about any true story/biopic, but the problem in Backwards in High Heels is we don’t get inside Roger’s head or understand her better. We simply watch her life play out, making the play less interesting when we already know all the beats.

The play is mostly lightweight, as it has to be, because there’s no central dramatic theme, except for an overplayed subplot between Ginger and her mother, apparently thrown in to make up for a lack of conflict. In fact, the musical (which is also about half an hour too long) is at its best when it’s just lightweight and reveling in fun. Thank goodness, though, that Backwards In High Heels is on stage (and not film). If it weren’t, we would miss the musical’s ultimate high point in person - the opening number and tap filled “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.” In this fabulous opener, White and fellow cast members LaBanca, Patterson, and Benjie Randall indulge in an amazing array of tap dance shoe harmonies, truly proving where their talents lie and how underrated this art form can be, as I’m sure Rogers would agree.

Overall Grade: C+

Here they are:

So, here are my finished projects from camp (Happy?):

Not doing a write up on camp (it was soooooooooooo awesome though), but here's the three movies I wrote/directed/edited there:

Ya, well that's it for now. Not sure if I'm still gonna do that huge Bonnaroo post now. A lot of time has passed. I'll see how I feel. I did write the beginnings of it, but not enough. If I decide not to post that then I'll at least post the 25 videos I filmed there, here. Anyways, see ya'll soon!

No Hay Un Banda....

Alright, well, I'm back. I probably should be packing (as I haven't done that yet... and we leave early tomorrow morning) and Morgan (my friend who's coming with us) should be here any minute (he's sleeping over), but I just felt like I needed to describe Mulholland Drive.

Haha, I wrote that late the night before we left for Bonnaroo and then Morgan arrived, right after I wrote that. But I feel like writing now, the night before I leave for camp, and don't feel in the mood to write about Bonnaroo (or the time - that's gonna be much longer). So, I thought I'd talk about the film Mulholland Drive.....

Two nights before we left for Bonnaroo, at about 11:00 p.m. I decided to watch Mulholland Drive, as I wasn't tired yet and I figured I'd finish it in the morning. Plus, I had been anticipating it and wanting to see it for quite some time now, so I was eager to watch it. I put it in and from that point on, I was put in a trance. It was one of the weirdest, if not the weirdest, experience I've ever had watching a movie, but to call Mulholland Drive just a movie would be to undermine it's affect: Mulholland Drive is an experience, and it transcends movies. Now, I'm not saying that Mulholland Drive is the best movie ever made, or my favorite, but it is like no other movie I've ever seen. It was my first David Lynch film (and from what I've read afterwards, supposedly Lost Highway and Inland Empire are even weirder), so that may play into it. I knew about David Lynch; namely that he was just another director, but that his films were really, really weird - but that doesn't even begin to describe it. We all have our own connotations for the word 'weird' and you have to set those aside when you're calling a David Lynch film 'weird' because though there's no other word to describe it, and it certainly is weird, it's not weird like anything else is weird.

Okay, I know I'm talking in really broad terms here, and making pretty grand statements, but I don't want to spoil the experience, because going into Mulholland Drive, you have to know nothing about it. I had seen the trailer for it, but it didn't seem to make any sense to me (even though watching it now, it seems like it has way more of a straight forward plot than it actually does), and all I really knew was that it was highly praised. So I put it in, having no idea what I was getting myself into, and suddenly two and a half hours passed. I hadn't moved an inch the entire time, stuck in position, entranced by this movie - I wasn't able to stop watching, take my eyes off, or go to bed. Now it was 1:30 in the morning and I sat there staring at the TV screen and whispered to myself: "What the fuck did I just watch?"

See, Mulholland Drive, well, made no fucking sense. In the film, random things just happen and are never explained. Characters pop up in beginning scenes and then never appear again, and many scenes play out, later seeming to have no relevance to anything whatsoever. The film is a mystery. Okay, well, that's the beginning of the film, but for some reason you can't stop watching - it's not bad, as in 'This doesn't even make sense! This is so stupid! I'm turning this off!' - and it's not laughable how it doesn't make sense, it just is. In reality, it's actually quite good, and the way David Lynch directs it you're drawn in, even though you don't understand it. And the direction is really, really good - that's something you can certainly admire. As the film goes on, though, it seems to start making more sense; there's more of a central plot that you're following and think you understand - weird stuff still happens, but you get the feeling that by the end, it'll all start making sense and trying itself up again. However, the opposite ends up being true, and if anything, David Lynch starts to put the ribbon on the box before letting it loose again causing the box to fall, open, and spill all over the place. In the last half hour, things get really weird and really don't start making sense and you don't get what's going on, but you're still left with the feeling that this wasn't poorly made; in fact, it was amazing and revolutionary. I know what you're thinking, it's revolutionary only because it doesn't follow the rules of storytelling, when in actuality anyone could make a film that doesn't make any sense and things happen for no reason. And although anyone could make that story, only David Lynch can make it work. Even though it didn't make the traditional sort of 'sense,' I actually did feel as if I understood it in a way, my own way I guess. It made a strange sort of sense, without giving all, or any, of the answers. And it's almost as if David Lynch is saying "Why do films have to have a plot?" This seemed to be all about tone and mood, and even though you weren't sure what it all meant, you certainly got a feeling, and that feeling is what it means. You can't deny, even if you like your films to be more cohesive, that it gave a strange feeling like nothing else. And as I imagine David Lynch would say "Why do films have to be cohesive? Can't films be left up to the viewer's interpretation of things and events?" He merely provides the outline; we determine how the story unfolds. And after reading other's interpretations of the film, as well as trying to develop my own, I have a pretty good idea of what I think happened, or what it means to me. I found it baffling when I read one post on IMDb, acting as if two widely agreed interpretations were set-in-stone fact, when those are just two interpretations like any others, though they may be shared by more people. And there are parts of some theories that I agree with and others that I don't, and I still haven't made sense of what it all means and every detail/scene in the film, but I don't think I'm meant to know. David Lynch has kept all the answers to himself.

To me, Mulholland Drive is kind of like Taoism. Once you've made sense of all of Mulholland Drive, like finding the Tao, you keep it to yourself and don't share it with others, because what it means, or finding the Tao, is all relative and depends on the person and.... oh my God, I think I just discovered the Tao myself. I guess that means I have to delete my post, because I'm not supposed to share it with others. Oh, fuck it, I'm not a Taoist. But I've read people who claim they finally understand what it all means, but don't post it, because it's about the journey finding the answers, not what the answers are themselves. One guy watched it like 300 times in a row consecutively, without any outside help from the internet or other people, and developed his own theory (which happens to not agree with the widely believed theory) about what it means.

The movie's also pretty creepy. Really creepy tone and some scary moments and I was watching it at 11 - 1:30 at night, all alone, with all the lights off, and suffice to say, I got kinda freaked/creeped out. I showed about the first hour to Morgan (who analyzes everything) and he didn't think it made sense, though he got tired and fell asleep. When we got back from Bonnaroo, I showed it to Nathan, who really enjoyed it, but didn't understand it either, but just loved how weird and random it was. Oh and there's a really hot lesbian sex scene. I mean, I always understood why guys like lesbian sex scenes (I mean, it's two girls), but I never really understood it until I saw this. Anyways, you should watch it. Seriously.

'Bad Line Readings' 2: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

I also just wanted to say that I've been back from Bonnaroo for a couple days now and have been planning on doing a huge blog post on it, but it's taking me a little while which is why I haven't posted anything immediately. Hopefully I can get it up by tomorrow.

'Highlights from Europe Trip 2 + 3'

Well, I've got the next two videos in my 'Highlights from Europe Trip' series. In this case we have one video (#2) that's focused on an entire place, and edited and stuff, and then another video (#3, in this case), which isn't really edited, but just one clip of something funny, unusual, or just something... that happened on the trip. And that's how most of the videos will be presented on my blog from now on. I don't like the England one, as much as I like the Italy one (which I thought was pretty good), but there are some parts I did well there and some parts that just drag. So, here's that:

And here's the third one, a trailer for 'Cold Blooded,' a fake horror/sci-fi/creature movie that we made as part of this game at the Movieum in London (you had to perform an act, the camera filmed you doing this, and then it incorporated it into this trailer). Yepp..... fun stuff.

Finally, I had a memorable experience late last night, when I was watching Mulholland Drive for the first time. I think I want to blog about it, but I may do it later today, because I don't feel like doing it right now and I'm gonna go swim. I'm also leaving for Bonnaroo tomorrow, so I won't be blogging again until next week, but when I come back, I'll blog about my experiences and the concerts at Bonnaroo, continue with posts/videos in my three new series (I'll have new ones for each) and then after 12 days I'm off again! But I'll try and post as much as I can within that time period. (Though you haven't been commenting lately, Alison - where've you been?! We need to plan that Dark Knight party when I get back (but before I leave again). And you need to tell me when to go see Fame. Also, I hung out with Lucas yesterday and I have a funny story, next time I see you.) Also, Toy Story 3 comes out when I get back! Anyways, I'm gonna go swim.

'Highlights from Europe Trip 1: Italy'

Well, I got the YouTube thing working, and alas, we have come to our final series in the trio of new series (so, this is really just the beginning). First of all, do you remember this?

That trailer for the movie on our Europe trip that I never made. And remember how I talked about doing some individual videos on just the highlights from that trip, since there was so much footage to look through. And you're probably thinking now that you should've seen this coming (actually you're probably thinking 'No I wasn't thinking that at all - why would you think I think about what you're next blog series is going to be, Marc, you narcissistic twit).

Well my new series, titled 'Highlights from Europe Trip,' is kind of a combination of those first two things: It's a video series including memorable moments from our trip, but I've also edited a lot of the footage that I didn't think I could edit into an entertaining snapshot of our travels. So, there you have it, and here's the first video in the series, corresponding with the first country we went to on our trip (the first European country we set foot in): Italy. Hope you enjoy it.

The next video(s) in the series will be posted fairly soon and the rest randomly posted throughout the summer (with about a total of 10 videos in all, as I've planned thus far). I mean, when I'm not here I'm obviously not gonna be writing on this blog, but when I am here (as in Tucson), I'll probably be doing more so.

'Bad Line Readings' 1: Tough Guys Don't Dance

So, this is my other new series/segment: 'Bad Line Readings.' It's pretty self-explanatory. This is one of my three new series (the 'Remember This!' one being one of them too). I was actually planning on posting the last series today, but YouTube's being weird and is having problems uploading.... :( (and yes, it's video-related). So, hopefully I'll get that worked out in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, here's the first video for our new series 'Bad Line Readings' spoken by Ryan O'Neal in Tough Guys Don't Dance:

Oh man, oh God! Some top notch performances right there; I can't believe that guy was in Barry Lyndon. Anyways, this is actually the easiest of my three series because all I have to do is watch some bad acting and post it to my blog, but it's also fun, so :D.

'Remember This!' 1: Isaac McKillin'

So, for the past two days I've been cleaning my room. It's usually what I do in the summer, since I have nothing else to do and my room's a mess, even though by the next summer it usually ends up looking pretty identical to the way it was before I cleaned it, but hey, just imagine how bad it would be if I didn't clean it every summer. Yeah, so I call it 'Summer Cleaning' (as opposed to 'Spring Cleaning;' I know, it took me a really long time to come up with that).

Anyways, so I've been looking through old stuff (I don't remember all of us looking so young when we were 5th graders!), including my old English binder from Mr. B.'s class and I actually liked most of what I wrote in that class. So, I thought it would be fun to start posting some of my old pieces (as long as I'm not writing anything new anyways and I need something to keep this blog going, besides part of the point of my blog is to post my writing) in my new series cleverly titled, 'Remember This!' So, I'll be taking old pieces I've written, posting them on here, writing what Mr. B. had to say about the piece (if I wrote it for his class), and then what I have to say about it, one year later (because some of them have parts that just don't work at all, and I'll be the first to admit it, but have something I like in there - that's usually the case with my writing, as opposed to my movies, because even if there's something I didn't do quite well, there's also something that I can find I liked, or why else would I have wrote it, and captures some idea I'm interested in, which you'll find is what most of these pieces are. God dammit it, I hate how discursive these blogs are. I don't mind talking like this, but I hate writing like it). Also, most of these pieces will be within the last two years (because yeah, I'm not posting the stuff I used to write in 4th grade - wow).

Phew - got that all out of the way. Anyways, posted below is the first piece I'll be starting the series with. I thought I'd start the series off on a high note and this is one of my more acclaimed pieces from last year and it spawned one of my trademark characters, so yeah. You may remember it as the story we had to write which took place within 6 seconds. I actually just realized that I don't have a title for this one. Should I call it my 6 second piece, or I guess 'Isaac McKillin'' would be a more appropriate title, so I'll use that. And here it is:

'Isaac McKillin''

by

Marc Hansen

Only five more seconds, I think to myself.

Only five more seconds until he takes off my blindfold and I can see where he has taken me. Him. Isaac McKillin’.

“One...” He whispers.

I wonder where he’s taken me. I can’t see anything with this blindfold on. For some reason I have a feeling I’m in an alley. I don’t know why he would take me to an alley, if he’s planning on torturing me, but it just feels like something I would see in the movies. I don’t know. Maybe he’s not going to torture me. Oh, come on! Of course he’s going to torture me. He kidnapped me, blindfolded me, drove me in his car somewhere, probably in the middle of nowhere, and now I’m down on my knees. Besides, it’s Isaac McKillin’. No one messes with Isaac McKillin’. Could it get any worse?

“Two...” He counts down.

How did this happen to me? How in earth did I get into this god awful trouble? I think about how I had gotten here. So that’s how. I guess it’s reasonable. I deserve whatever’s coming to me, which I would feel a lot better about if I wasn’t me right now. This is gonna be bad. It is Isaac McKillin’. The infamous Isaac McKillin’.

“Three...”

I wish I was a baby. I wish I could start all over. Try it again. Redo. I wish I was just a baby again. I wish that my father and my mother could create me all over again, on some other afternoon, one where they hadn’t been so angry at each other. Maybe then I wouldn’t have been such a screw-up. I wish that I could once again be growing from a fetus into an actual human being, inside my mother’s womb, with eight more months to go. Maybe I wouldn’t have been such a screw-up if she hadn’t been drinking. I wish, that for one more time, my mother could have her water break, take the bus to the hospital, push, scream, cry, have contractions, tell my father to stop watching the game in the waiting room, get overemotional, and finally push my tiny, slimy, wonderful baby body out of her body. I think that’s the way it went. Too bad I don’t remember what actually happened that day. I was so young, naive, innocent, childish. I didn’t know what I had coming in for me. Maybe if I was born differently I wouldn’t be here now. But I am here.

“Four...” One more second. Almost there. Why does it feel like these five seconds are taking forever? How much can really even happen in five seconds? A lifetime. Maybe our whole lives just take place in five seconds? Over before you know it. How do we not know that our complete lives just go by like that in a flash? Five seconds. Time is only relative, you know. It doesn’t even mean a thing. Just a way of keeping track. Just numbers. One, two, three, four, five. Five seconds could be forever. Seconds, hours, lifetimes just depend on your scale. Time is relative. Maybe I wouldn’t be such a screw-up if my life was longer.

“Five...” The words come out as I suddenly feel the cold, black, hard, metal end of a gun touch the tiny shaved hairs on the back of my head.

“Oh god,” I cry, like a baby. I guess he’s not going to torture me after all. Now I know why they call him Isaac McKillin’.

In the sixth second he takes off my blindfold and before I know it, it’s all over too soon. Like that. In a flash. 1 second. I never even get to see where he’s taken me. He just takes off the blindfold and pulls the trigger. Isaac McKillin’. The bullet enters my brain. I wish I could just give it another go-around. I promise I wouldn’t make the same mistakes. Really, I do. But it’s too late. It’s over. It’s all over. I see a flash and blue butterflies fill any last sight I have. I don’t even live long enough to write about a seventh second. All thanks to Isaac McKillin’. As if one more second was all I needed. One second could last a lifetime, you know. I’m repeating myself. That’s what dying people do. Repeat themselves. That’s me. If it wasn’t for Isaac McKillin’ I could have had one more second. One more lifetime. But I don’t. The bullet enters my brain. All noise stops. All smell dies. All sight is gone. No more feeling. Where did the taste go? Wait, how am I still narrating? I’m dead!

Play dead, Brian, play dead.

What Mr. B. said: 'Nicely done - weird + dark, but also it somehow makes a lot of sense + works well.' He also said 'great ending' and really liked the blue butterflies imagery, as well as the entire baby paragraph.

What I have to say: Well, I actually don't really have anything bad to say about this piece. I really like it and am pretty proud of it. Reading it again is kind of a 'Wow, I can't believe I did that. That was good.' experience and I don't have any regrets. Every detail works towards the benefit of the story. I like how I exclude how he actually gets there, the fact that I did a play on Isaac's name (that was pretty creative - and another reason why some of these pieces only make sense for our class, I mean this does regardless, but it's a nice, added touch), the style in which I wrote the piece, the narrator's thoughts, and the ending as well. I also really like the last three 'big' paragraphs a lot. I can't believe I wrote that, because I like it more than I should. It's weird, because I don't think I really knew what I was doing the entire time, but it ended up working out for the best. Anyways, next time, I'll choose a piece where I can be more critical and I haven't decided if this is gonna be like a weekly segment or if I'll just post them whenever I feel like it.

Your thoughts?