Jan
27

Furious and Racist: upcoming blogs

I had the pleasure to see two new plays in Los Angeles theaters this week:

Furious Theatre Company’s premiere of Matt Pelfrey’s: NOgoodDEED

” A gritty and savagely humorous action adventure that is part theater and part graphic novel”

It was the description that grabbed me, and my write-up will be published on Corey Blake‘s brand new Comics Observer blog next week. How do you combine the two art forms, both in writing and direction? That’s what I’ll investigate.

~

I was also selected to participate in a pilot program through Center Theater Group: live-tweeting Clybourne Park on the same night others tweeted during A Raisin in the Sun, attempting to create a conversation between these two sister plays. I went last night and had a very interesting and eventful time. I will recount my experience on this blog over the weekend. You can continue to follow the tweets via #WhereWeLive online.

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Jan
27

Atwater Village events

I received notice of these events today and find them interesting. Let me know if you’re going!


We wanted to share with you the Common Grains upcoming events at Atwater Crossing on February 3-5, 2012.  Please see the event details below and let us know if you have any questions. We would love to have the neighborhood council help us promote these events.

Common Grains Film Screenings and Soba Bar at Atwater Crossing

  • ·         WHAT: Guests will enjoy screenings of films featuring an unsung player in Japanese cinema—rice. The award-winning films by Japanese filmmakers, Branded to Kill, an entertaining 1960’s gangster movie and A Japanese Village- Furuyashikimura, a classic 1982 in-depth rice documentary, will be accompanied by an informal lecture by Anne McKnight, member of the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at UCLA.  A soba bar featuring artisanal soba and grilled onigiri, and a variety of sake will be offered at the indoor and outdoor screenings.
  • ·         WHERE: Atwater Crossing located at 3245 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039
  • ·         WHEN: Friday, February 3, 2012 and Saturday, February 4, 2012, soba bar opens at 5 p.m. and the screening and lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. on February 3 and 6 p.m. on February 4
  • ·         COST: No cost to attend the screenings, food and drinks will be available for purchase
  • ·         RSVP: Please RSVP to commongrains@wagstaffworldwide.com

 

Common Grains Charity Panel Discussion and Lunch

  • ·         WHAT: Common Grains will host a panel discussion featuring expert grain miller and farmer, Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills in South Carolina and Monica Spiller from The Whole Grain Connection, a non-profit organization aiming to enhance the desirability of organic and sustainable grains. Other grain experts will also speak on the panel and a rice exhibition highlighting ancient varieties of grain will be on display.  A special three-course prix fixe soba lunch, a collaboration between Sonoko Sakai and Mutsuko Soma of Common Grains, Roxana Jullapat of Cooks County and Naoko Moore of Toiro Kitchen, will be available following the lecture highlighting Anson Mills and Japanese grains.  Proceeds from the event will benefit The Whole Grain Connection.
  • ·         WHERE: Atwater Crossing located at 3245 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039
  • ·         WHEN: Sunday, February 5, 2012 from 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  • ·         COST: Panel discussion is free and open to the public; $45 per person for priority seating to the panel discussion,  prix fixe lunch and a donation to The Whole Grain Connection; payment is accepted prior to the event via PayPal or at the event with cash or check
  • ·         RSVP: Please RSVP to commongrains@wagstaffworldwide.com

 

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Jan
24

Girl Scouts teach Sex Ed! Buy more cookies.

I had to share this flyer. On Facebook it got a lot of attention and just goes to show you should buy as many Girl Scout cookies as possible.

If you believe that young girls shouldn’t receive sex education on principle, you shouldn’t be in charge of them. In any way. Ignorance does not magically create the safe world in which you want our children to live. Didn’t you watch Finding Nemo?

Or better question: didn’t you have to grow up once, yourself?

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Jan
07

Echo Park Walk

I unexpectedly saw more of Echo Park today than I intended, while doing some outreach. I met some great people and enjoyed having the excuse to walk into storefronts I’d only read about or seen.

Check out my twitter feed for all the fun updates, but here are the only pictures worthy of posting:

I have a special affinity for this area.

Pouting Lion, Hidden Pit Bull.

I ran into a rooster. I mean, really, how cool is that? I call her Lana.

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Jan
03

Leaping into the Leap Year

2012 will be phenomenal. This is my resolution:

my first & only 2012 resolution

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Dec
31

Top 8 Web-Spirations

This post originated on the Social | Impact Consulting blog on October 16, 2011

In the nonprofit world, time is rarely on anyone’s side. There are always more things you can do to benefit your organization and aid its growth. Many see the benefit in performing online outreach but the time commitment blocks them from trying.

Social media, to be effective, takes time, standards and experiment. Half the struggle is just getting out there, getting beyond your typical stream of friends and followers, to reach the amazing and sometimes unattainable demographic: your potential audience.

To help bridge this gap of time, listed below are my personal Top 8 Web-Spirations, compiled for a presentation at the Broad Humor Film Festival September 30th. I chose them for both their ability to spread your network as well as inspire your creative work.

Please add your own Web-Spirations below, or let me know when you try these!

1. Need Stimulating & Short?

Ted Talks

innovation & inspiration in under 20 min.

 

2. Random Artistic Jolt?

Artsournal
Learn from other disciplines
 


3. Twitterplays Every Tuesday

ny neo futuristsThey post a challenge, you have >140 characters to solve it 


4. Travel with

PRI’s The World

PRI the world
12-1pm weekdays or Listen to podcast. It’s ridiculously good.

 

 

5. National Storytelling Network Blog

 

We Grow Storytellers

Always a good read & useful when telling your nonprofit’s story online

 

6. edutopia

 

edutopia
Want to know the future? Talk to teachers.
 

7. PBS Videos & Blog

PBS
Watch or read in short spurts or full episodes

 

8. This Day In History

History Channel
Rather than a list, a few paragraphs on significant events each day.

 

 

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Dec
30

On the Record, or Why Redistricting Matters to Artists

Lately I’ve heard a lot of artists ask:

What can we do to prove the value of art and arts education in people’s lives? How can you prove such an ethereal effect? Where do you start to find people who will listen? There is an ongoing intrinsic study in process, as I covered last year, but beyond that?

How about a public forum where community leaders, media, and stakeholders in your theater’s community encourage you to speak? The rest of the time they are there to listen. How about making a Public Comment that goes into the official records to shape the map of your community? Tell them what’s great about the community, and where you see your art form fitting into the larger picture. Tell them if you have ideas for re-drawing the map lines to include more of a community for the arts. Ask them questions – anything, just:

speak about art on the record

Don’t feel weird if you don’t know a lot about Redistricting, either. Here’s the gist:

  • Every ten years the city of LA forms a Redistricting Committee after seeing the Census results.
  • This Committee performs an investigation of sorts to see if the city council district lines should be re-drawn.
  • They hold a series of Public Hearings where they sit there and listen to people talk about their neighborhood for two minutes apiece (“Public Comment”).
  • Anything said during the Public Hearings is archived, transcribed, and available for view. This is the official Public Record on why map lines were re-drawn or not, as the Committee & City Council decides.
  • The Commission has made Outreach a major priority (see Full Disclosure) and want to hear from anyone with an interesting point-of-view on their neighborhood, or what they imagine could make it better.
  • Round 1 is early January, Round 2 in February, but the earlier they hear from you, the better.

The Comment Form is here along with ideas of what insight they seek. The true gold in this scenario is for you to meet a couple hundred of your neighbors at once, who may not even know your theater or arts org exists.

As I mentioned in my last post, no matter how visible your sign or advertising, people usually need an invitation before they’ll enter your theater. Attending small theater can be a huge risk, and meeting those who live closest to you can be an incredible boon to your audience. In addition, the entire room hears how valuable you feel your work can be to your community, and your next big donor or supporter could be in the room.

So do yourself and art in general a favor:

show up and speak on the record about the power of art.

*************************

Get a beginner’s look into the City and ask your questions on Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+

FULL DISCLOSURE: [updated 1/12/2012] At the time I wrote this entry, I was part of the outreach team for the LA City Council Redistricting Commission.


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Dec
28

Hassle Factor | What Would I Say?

Say you have an opportunity for people to really connect with their community

- not just its leaders, but also more neighbors – and have your thoughts about your neighborhood go on the public record, in the hopes it will make a difference?

There are about five hassle factors in those two run-on sentences. So let’s take care of the question that would arise if you understood the above (which is basically asking your opinion on your neighborhood for the record)

what would I say?

Full Disclosure: [updated 1/12/2012] At the time of this blog entry, I was part of the outreach team for Redistricting LA.

COMMENT FORM ON COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST
Input from the public is critical  to help inform the Commission about your Community of Interest. The Commission put together these questions to spark ideas on input that really helps them decide where to draw the lines.
…All personal information listed on this form is voluntary and will become a part of the Commission’s and City of Los Angeles’ public record. The public is not required to fill out all of the questions below, but the more information the Commission gathers, the better informed the process of redrawing Council District boundaries will be.
Date:
Name:
Email or phone number:
What is the neighborhood/zipcode where you reside:
Name your community (neighborhood, neighborhood council):
How do you describe your community to someone who hasn’t visited?
What streets/boundaries define your community?
Do you have concerns about the current boundaries of your Council District?
What are the major cultural/recreational/educational/religious institutions in your community?
Does your community have major geographical boundaries/features (freeways, parks, lakes, mountains)?
What languages are spoken in your community?
What are the major race/ethnic groups in your community?
Are there public services (e.g. bus/rail lines, libraries, public schools, police, fire) that help identify your
community?
Landscape (coastal, inland, urban/suburban,/rural):
Types of homes (houses, apartments):
What issues matter to your community?
Other Comments:

good links
Which City District is Yours?
Full Schedule of Public Hearings
LACCRC Tweets
LACCRC Facebook (Info & Events to Share)

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Dec
28

Hassle Factor | the PDF

While at a large outreach meeting in City Hall last week, a colleague of mine asked about placing a Public Comment form

Hassle Factors are anything that get in the way of your outreach, either conscious or unconscious. More Outreach vocaubulary.

into a Google form. This simple request was to give people the chance to relate to anything City-related outside of a PDF or print-out. Perhaps bring City protocols into 2000.

The looks of concern on their faces almost made me drop the whole idea, but my colleague Elson tried again in a smaller group. A day later we were told we can use it as long as it doesn’t cost any money. I know it seems like a small victory, but I’m thrilled!

This is simply one of those examples of how our government knowingly and unknowingly creates Hassle Factors. I’m also currently in the process of downloading and saving flyers in pdf form (all with lovely names like “clacdrc319874560_12012011″). You can find all the flyers here in one convenient spot, assuming you care enough to download and print them yourself.

Good anya on the posting of pdfs so people can find them. In order for the information to be easily distributed, though, you rely on a very old method: paper. It works, certainly, and in many cases paper works better than online resources.

But not if you want to reach a new segment of the population that is currently being neglected.

Not if you want to give voice to those who normally don’t know where to start.

Social media can position government offices and departments to stop thinking reflexively and start innovating. I have never found it easier to get people jazzed and interested in a topic so boring as running a City than on Twitter and by example on Facebook.

It isn’t relegated strictly to pdfs on their website either. Here is an example of the type of email I receive daily:

(Let’s remind everyone that in order to even get this email, I had to 1. Know the information I was seeking 2. Know how to find it on the City’s website 3. Understand enough City of LA jargon to even want to open it-italics mine):

 

Here is the first of two emails regarding two new ordinances that will be heard at City Planning Commission on January 12, 2012. 

This first email is the RIO Staff Report and its two associated Appendices.

Should you have any questions/comments/concerns, please contact Claire Bowin by email at claire.bowin@lacity.org or at 213.978.1213

Happy Holidays,

Claudia

-
Claudia Rodriguez | Neighborhood Liaison
CITY OF LOS ANGELES | DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING
200 N. Spring Street, Suite 525 | Los Angeles, CA 90012
T: (213) 978-1283 | F: (213) 978-0595 |  claudia.rodriguez@lacity.orgwww.planning.lacity.org

3 attachments — Download all attachments
RIO_StaffReport_1.12.12.pdf RIO_StaffReport_1.12.12.pdf
805K   ViewDownload
AppendixA_RIO Enabling Ordinance_1.12.2012.pdf AppendixA_RIO Enabling Ordinance_1.12.2012.pdf
124K   ViewDownload
AppendixB_RIO_CE.pdf AppendixB_RIO_CE.pdf
87K   ViewDownload

What are the chances you would open that? There is very little information in the body of the email, and time is just too precious to the general public. Unless you’ve been waiting by your Inbox for the City Planning Office to schedule a meeting (bring your lunch), then you have absolutely no motivation to open those pdfs. Even just a summary of what on earth may be lurking inside those pdfs is enough the curious person to open.

We are ripe. There are segments of the population begging to be given more responsibility, more input into the world around them. They just need some help.

It starts with the City ridding themselves of their “love affair with PDFs” as Elson described the situation.

You give a little, and we will give a lot.

 

 

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Dec
26

Outreach | Vocabulary

Some terms I frequently use when talking about Outreach

hassle factors | avoid these at all cost.

mind the gap | learning about the disconnect between your mission and your target audience.

gateway drug | experience of something unfamiliar in a comfortable setting with directly relevant themes and practice.

ripple projects | help your work by preparing your audience for its message

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Dec
24

Why Use Tumblr to Learn About LA?

My husband and I could not use social media more differently. He has winnowed his way down to a Google+ account

Yes, I use balloons as the profile picture for this project. Civics can be fun! Hey, they make me happy.

but only checks a stream when someone tags him. I literally live off social media but only if I find a real use to it (Sorry, Pinterest. I hardly knew ye.).

Along these lines, I try to decipher a unique use for each platform, and have for a long time tried to figure out Tumblr.

I like Tumblr, but I haven’t gotten a chance to really dig into it, even though I tend to start here when I hash out an online project. If it doesn’t work on Tumblr, then I usually need to go rethink it. Is it too complicated or does it just need to be presented another way? It isn’t my go-to platform, but I’m starting to understand it better. I built a couple of sites when I saw a clear use for a client, and am currently using it in my own private outreach project, Learn About LA. The specific reasons why I decided to focus my energy on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook for this project?

Tumblr

  • A place where many interests meet
  • Nicely uploads directly to Twitter. I typically will never automatically post, but Tumblr cross-posts never seem to bother me and are exactly as advertised for this specific project: bite-sized pieces of information to chip away at your understanding of how the City of LA works  (or doesn’t).
  • Nearly the same experience uploading posts at a computer vs. mobile device
  • It’s like the blogs you read and your favorite Facebook Pages have a mixer.
  • Re-blogging has all the advantages of RT-ing and is even easier
  • The psychological reasons behind how the design makes it more accessible than WordPress, my steady, would be fascinating, I’m sure (I have never enjoyed Blogger, even just reading, and not even the new Google integrations make me happy about it.)
  • This project is meant to be a plethora of different kinds of information, almost like visually presenting the tags first to let people know there would be something on this page they want to know, and should take a deeper look
  • For once, this project is not about me, in the way that other writing projects are. I am taking on the task of learning how to break the cherry of those people who feel a disconnect with their local community, and give them the gateway drug they need. I barely even mention my name. These kind of ripple side-projects go a long way towards essentially putting your swing target audience in the right mind-set for your message. They can take it or leave it at that point, but you’ll have swung them one way or the other, if only you can reach them.

I chose this picture for the Twitter background & Facebook profile because he was looking down at a public celebration but not engaging directly. I took this photo during the Silver Lake Jubilee 2011.

Twitter

  • This choice was the first one, but I want an easier way for people to find information no matter if outdated.
  • GATEWAY DRUG: Quite frankly, I am hired to run some civics-related Twitter accounts and feel that some people need a primer of sorts for how their City is run. I am by no means an expert, but can typically find information if I care to look. Even then, to understand how the City works, I would need a lot more time. Since I research these things for clients anyway, and they do interest me, I want to find a way to package this research for others to read who are in similar spots but don’t get that luxury of research time.
  • Just an amazingly easy way to meet people looking for exactly what I offer and direct them to it.
  • I know people on Twitter share useful information. That’s essentially the point. So the information has a better chance of being disseminated to people who want it.
  • I already have a fairly large community on Twitter to target.

Facebook

  • Find those exact people detailed above who are not on Twitter or not likely to look on Tumblr.
  • Garner some conversation & make it easier to ask questions (more immediate viewing of conversation than Twitter and more characters available).

One reason Tumblr is good for off-beat projects like Ryan Gosling Arts Administrator is because it’s bite-sized. From the Writer/Publisher POV it has less pressure to be a blog and from a Reader POV, it’s easy to keep your place in a stream when browsing for interesting posts. Sharing is easier and more compelling to visually-minded people because you can see a RE-blog very clearly, and don’t have to take someone’s word for a link or move to another page, as you do on Twitter.

So when your swing target audience are “People in The Arts and Nonprofits With an Interest in Civics But Don’t Know Where to Start or Don’t Have the Time to Do Enough Research Ages 10-50,” I think Tumblr is a pretty easy way to find them.

Now that I think about it, I bet Google + would also be a good platform. I just have to find the unique use of Google + before publishing it.

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Dec
20

Outreach | The Invitation

I see gaps everywhere. By gaps, I mean holes between your outreach and the audience you want to reach.

One such example reared its head while I walked around the NoHo Arts Festival last November.

New company Santa Monica Rep held public readings in the local library. They invited patrons who just happened to be in the library, and later some attended full productions and fund-raisers.

Let’s start with NoHo Arts District in general: they do a great job with nurturing this neighborhood, and it’s hard to have a street festival without closing down the street. Closing down the street costs more than most arts organizations’ annual budget, not including the aspirin needed to counter dealing with city permits and red tape.

So, good anya for having a walk-able arts festival at all. I thoroughly enjoyed the live art on the streets, the beer garden, the effort. I was invited into many small galleries who I now will visit again, which brings me to my point.

Now, a criticism directly related to the theater companies in NoHo. The multiple theater companies in NoHo. There are tons of them: new plays, experimental, ensemble-based, classical, Irish, good, bad, ugly, what have you. NoHo has a pretty fascinating assortment of exactly what makes LA theatre at all appealing: diversity in voice and budget.

NoHo Arts Festival street art. Photo by Craig Clough

Put yourself in the position of someone just walking through the arts festival. If I were one of them, how would I know where these theaters exist, besides the mostly lackluster signs, or looking at the Theater section of an arts program, or even just letting your eye fall on a theater program. Why would you do that if you didn’t know that you might be interested?

That ideal potential audience member, who may walk into a theater where they’ve never been, and may return because they enjoyed the experience inside of the building? Perhaps they even have some money they can donate?

That potential would never find you. It was hard enough for me to find you, dear theater companies, and I know where to look.

You offered no invitation inside your building.

Signage isn’t enough. Being listed in the NoHo program or website isn’t enough. Why?

Because all those people who we say have no culture, or understanding of the amazing experience they could have inside of our theater?

Last year's Hollywood Fringe Festival invited performances during the Silver Lake Jubilee. It may not have directly translated to seats, but people stopped to watch and at the very least, took postcards and were reminded of the existence of LA theatre.

They may never have been inside a theater.

And they need an invitation.

Where were your outreach tables? Where were your artists or volunteers outside of your building to entice people inside to fill the seats with more than just people who already know that you exist?

A huge missed opportunity, in my opinion. I know that theaters usually have barely enough time to scrap together a performance, never mind participate in a community event. I believe that working to introduce your community into your work is a full-time job; trust me, it’s what I do for a living as an Outreach Consultant.

But when there is a street arts festival literally on your doorsteps, and no one representing your organization on the street to invite potential patrons inside – well, don’t complain when you struggle to fill seats or obtain donations. You lost a good amount of your potentials by simply not extending a physical invitation.

Word-of-mouth is still the most effective way to ask people to take chances on our work. Give them a reason to talk and invite them to do so.

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Dec
17

Project-Clearing for the New Year

Some wonderful memories and projects must leave my consciousness to prepare for the new. This includes clutter-clearing paper, materials and files to give new ideas and ventures the room they need.

Gmail inbox | I insist on clearing/archiving this weekly and treating my inbox as a to-do list. It takes a long time at first, but trust me, the feeling of clarity when you open your mail and only see exactly what needs to be done cannot be measured. Productivity greatly increased and feelings of anxiousness plummeted since starting this practice.

The space underneath my desk | I despise clutter on the floor; I’ll just admit my prejudice right away. To me it feels like dust, dirt, cobwebs in the brain. I purposely put the next item on this list on the floor underneath my table so I would be sure to clear it before 2012. And as you can see….

Voices From Chornobyl | This project has been my passion since 2005. Last summer I completely let it go after the 25th anniversary. Well, let it go from the option of self-producing it. Others have been interested since, which was the point in the first place. Today I tossed any paperwork not needed for taxes and am seriously considering throwing out the hard copies of all the documentary footage taken over the years. We have it on file, I’m pretty sure, just not quite ready yet. A decision on that will be made before January 1st. After all, there is not use in just shoving it into another closet for another clutter-clearing day, right?

Titus Andronicus | I finally recycled all the notes I took before unsuccessfully pitching to direct Titus in 2008 or 2009, I can’t remember. One day something of that sort may happen, but I trust myself to have new ideas when it does.

Old unfinished stories | I took all of the notes, drawings, notebooks, stories drafted and never finished even though I know the ending: I took them all and placed them into a box with no cover. Ideally this box will never empty but only regenerate, as I finish and start more stories.

That is just a selection of how I cleared projects in both physical space and my mind. All of a sudden I’m on the fast track to finishing my first installment in a long series of novels.

 

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Dec
04

Sneaking 5 pages/night of reading

The Children's BookThe Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt

View all my reviews

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Nov
21

Is There Power in Art?

A few days ago I pondered the power of art, and threw out a question to many artists I know. Here are some of their responses, in order of receipt.

To outline and clarify what ails and cheers us, and to motivate us to grapple with it honestly (whether we want to or not)

Griffith Observatory

At its best, art can educate the uninformed, sway the undecided, inspire the cynical, and empower the victim.

The criticism I see most is that when art addresses larger issues, it becomes too preachy. And that it’s usually preaching to the choir. This then turns into the argument that art should stick to simple entertainment and nothing more because being reminded of real world problems is a bummer. My response is that the art that felt too preachy or didactic didn’t do it right. Because when all the pieces come together, art has an intrinsic power to express and reflect our own humanity, which consists of relationships and communities we’ve built. For some probably primal reason, seeing our own humanity reflected back at us through a creative prism can be a compelling and even transformative experience for most humans. That’s pretty powerful. - Corey Blake (@CoreyBlake)

Have you ever sent a mix tape to a friend, to express your shared friendship, or sympathize about a recent breakup? Perhaps you’ve sung along to your favorite song, or posted the lyrics on Facebook, thinking, “This totally describes my life right now!” Songs can give a voice to those things that you just couldn’t find the right words for your own, or provide a rallying point for a whole social movement. This is the undeniable power of art. – @ellenjuhlin

My thoughts sort of go to technology and how Art (especially theatre) is the one place where we can all gather and be together and experience something at the same time. We spend so much time on our computers, or texting on our phones, that we have lost that sense of community. Theatre is one of the few things that can give us that feeling again. Che’Rae Adams

“The power in art” is a huge statement. I feel that what is lost in today’s maelstrom of hatred and distrust is the connection of one person to the next to the next.  A powerful piece of art does that: the artist takes what is intimate, personal, unique and true, in the moment and shares it. If one person experiences it, then a connection is made and if that is multiplied, we are able to see each other as individuals and not as adversaries.  Perhaps we can then expand on that connection and have a conversation which can lead to something truly great. - Nancy Dobbs Owen

 

Here’s the reason I’m pondering this question in the first place: The Global Theatre Project

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Nov
18

Nikolas from Italy

My work with The Global Theatre Project has been mind boggling to say the least. Not the least of which is how much I think about my time traveling. I found this interesting part of my 1999 diaries that happened right before I left for Eastern Europe. I was staying with my friend Julia at her NYU dorm the night before my flight:

Almost, almost! Yesterday was fun. Julia and I just sat out in the courtyard for hours, talking to her friends, just

This is what I looked like in 1998. Will scan pics of this trip soon.

hanging out. It was all very relaxing. I met this guy Nikolai from Italy. He and I talked for a while about cultural differences. He said that in Italy, everybody has their job and they’ll be damned if they’ll deviate from their routines. Ex: if you ask for brekafast at 4pm, you’ll be flat-out denied. They just cannot conceive of it. yet if you then say, “Okay, then may I have coffee, two eggs, bacon and ok,” they will give it to you no problem.

He also said that yes, there is hypocrisy in values in Italy, but unlike America, Italians acknowledge their shortcomings. If you have friend in Italy, they are your friend for life. No backstabbing.

It was all very interesting. He said that since I am involved in the arts, I probably have more of an open mind than most Americans.

This part of my diary especially interests me because of The GTP too, as they work in Florence most of the time they work abroad. I’m interested to know who agrees or disagrees with any statements above, and why?

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Nov
18

What is the power of art?

This is an amended email I sent earlier to some friends and artists I know. Please comment below with your input!
The last few weeks gave me quite a lot to consider, including the role or importance of art within a much larger world picture.
Most of this thought stems from the Occupy movement and my work on The Global Theatre Project’s next event: Especially Now: Create the World Together. Then I interviewed Jessica Farley, a partner on this event, and she suggests that happenings like this exemplify “the power of art.”
Now I ask for your help. The GTP is an international community-building effort, and I want to know what our community believes about this power.
All I ask is a sentence or two answering the following question:

What do you believe is the power in art, especially given the issues we face in our country and world today?

You can be Anonymous or cited. This will be on The GTP blog as well as my own, and we may repeat some quotes on social networks, so please also add your Twitter handle if you have one. If you want to associate the quote with a nonprofit, feel free to send that info along as well.(I should also add that you can feel free to disagree with the entire premise, and that outlook is certainly welcome!)
The Flyer is below so you can see more about the event itself, or view their website here.
I truly thank you for you time and consideration. May many delicious turkeys be in your future!

Please connect with The GTP: WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | LINKEDIN

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Nov
17

Occupy LA March on Nov 17th

I went downtown to do some guerrilla outreach for a client, and hopped off the bus and onto a wall at the Pershing Square Metro Station. The Occupy LA March approached, and although I didn’t get them going right past me, I did get some nice shots of people’s reactions as well as the march itself.

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Nov
16

The Curse of Imagination

from Joseph Petrick‘s Facebook page
In Gateshead, Northern Britain.
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Nov
15

But What Can I DO?

Anyone following me on Twitter knows that I am extremely upset by the actions of Mayor Bloomberg last night. Legitimize it however you like, but a police raid in riot gear at 1:30am where almost 200 people are arrested and media not allowed inside to cover the events is not okay.

I got angry. I got upset. Hurt. I thought of all of these other events in history that feel so long ago – and how this is happening in my lifetime. How it has happened in my lifetime.

I thought how I’m not at Occupy LA nor have I ever visited City Hall since it began.

I thought about how I live in a nearly constant state of confusion ever since I began looking behind news stories to consider who is writing them. Ever since I began really honestly trying to see life from other people’s perspective, especially if I do not agree with them.

I thought – long and hard – about how the NYPD might feel. Are they just following orders? Do they believe in one side or another? How does that affect how they react? How does that affect them inside? I have never been someone who could just follow orders but I also am not directly in harm’s way every single day.

I stared and waited for the outrage to stream from those I follow on Facebook and Twitter. Twitter? Half and half. Facebook? Hardly any.

I suppressed my anger at that simple fact, reminding myself that not everyone gets news sent to their phone every single day; not everyone logs onto Facebook over morning coffee. Not everyone’s actual job is to be instantly connected online and disseminate information around the proper channels.

I thought about journalists, The Global Theatre Project, and how I can’t believe I once tried to talk Bari out of using the title Especially Now. I thought about how overwhelmed I feel the further I travel down the rabbit hole of human rights.

I thought of journalists murdered for their reporting and media imprisoned or in the hospital from last night’s events.

I thought, I thought, I thought.

I thought about little else all morning.

But what can I do?

My husband reminds me I’m a writer. That appears to be what I can do at the moment. So I will share as much as I can: undigested, raw and still questioning.

I’m interested to know how you all feel. Please share  below.

 

 

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Nov
02

Best Writing Class in LA

I took the regular writing class, but highly recommend Che’Rae Adams to find support, clarity of purpose and just enough push to get those ideas out of your head and onto the page. Seriously, I had multiple breakthroughs while working on my first draft. -CMJ

presents a Solo Show Bootcamp

Everything you ever wanted to know about creating a one person show, from thought to page!

Study with director/dramaturge Che’Rae Adams who specializes in helping performers develop solo shows

Everyone has a story! What is yours? How do you go about telling your story?

This eight week class will explore your ideas and help you bring them into fruition. The class includes a lesson in the history of solo performers, writing exercises, sharing of material, and a chance for you to workshop and try out some of your material.  Critically acclaimed director Che’Rae Adams workshops your show with you so that on the last day of class, you can even invite your friends and family to catch a glance at your work!

Che’Rae has worked with solo performers Sherri Shepherd,  Carlos Alazraqui, Karen Anzoategui, John DiFusco, Kim Fields, Julianne Grossman, Adria Dawn, Alexandra McHale, and Richard Rique Patire,  among others.


Sundays, November 13th-December 18th

2:00-5:00pm

@Moving Arts in Silverlake

$300 per person

 

Che’Rae has also taught at:

UCLA Extension

Catholic University

The University of Cincinnati, (CCM)

The Kennedy School of Government, (Harvard University)

The Writers Institute @ Miami Dade

The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival

California State University, Fullerton

Pasadena Playhouse (teaching artist)

Susan McIntyre Playwrights Festival

The Learning Annex

 

To register, call us at (323) 455-6364 for an initial interview with the instructor.

You can make a credit card payment by clicking here

or you can make payment arrangements with the instructor.

cheraeadams@sbcglobal.net

www.lawriterscenter.org

(323) 455-6364

 

 

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Nov
01

Meet the Actors in “Especially Now”

One of the best parts of my work is undoubtedly the people I meet. I’ve already described why working with The Global Theatre Project inspires me, and tonight I get to meet some of the actors and volunteers so graciously giving their time to Create the World Together. There will be updates along the way – actors fluent in Italian who live in LA can feel free to give me a call – but here’s the onstage team for the Bilingual Performance on Dec. 11th. Full details of the event at bottom. -CMJ

Carolina Gamini

CAROLINA GAMINI is a British trained actress who has been working in film and theatre since 2001. She studied Duo-Acting for six years with the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later moved to Florence, where she now lives, and continued to study both at film school and with individual Italian and American acting coaches until 2006. Her Italian-Argentine background and British schooling allow her to act in Spanish as well as English.
Among other lead roles Carolina played an Italian Juliet in Romeo e Giulietta in 2005, she was Agnes in 2007 in an English production of Agnes of God, in 2009 she combined “Commedia dell’Arte” with Stanislavski and her three languages to play all the female roles in a bilingual production of The Comedy of Errors. Recently she played Gus in a female production of The Dumb Waiter and last year debuted on her own on stage as Leslie in Her Big Chance, Talking Heads.
Her performance in the short film “Carlos y Anna” won her Best Lead Actress in the Cinema Libero Film Festival in Rome in 2009. In 2005 together with five other actors, she co-founded La Compagnia Del Giallo, a successful, interactive and improvisation-based theatre company, with which she continues to perform regularly all over Italy.

 

Henri Lubatti

HENRI LUBATTI is a member of the Antaeus theater company in Los Angeles.His theater credits include work at the Mark Taper Forum, SouthCoast Repertory Theater, The Old Globe in San Diego, the Seattle Repertory Theater, and the Intiman Theater in Seattle. Henri starred in the Showtime drama series “Sleeper Cell.” He was last seen guest starring on the shows: “Grimm” and “Supernatural.”

 

 

 

 

 

JUDITH SCARPONE: Credits include THEATRE (BROADWAY): The Twilight of the Golds (BOOTH THEATRE). Over 100 productions OFF-B’WAY and REGIONALLY: The Kennedy Center, The Hartman, Pasadena Playhouse, The Paramount, Walnut Street, Marines Memorial Theatre, Syracuse Stage, GeVa, Whole Theatre Co., Bergenstage etc., LOS ANGELES: Theatre @ Boston Court, The Odyssey, The Hayworth, The Court, The Coronet, The Canon, The Hudson, The Open Fist, The Road etc.

INTERNATIONALLY: Florence International Theatre Co.,The Global Theatre Project in Florence,Italy. TELEVISION: Co-Starred in several Movies for Television including “Rosanne:Portrait of a Domestic Goddess,” “A Case for Murder,” “A Match Made in Heaven,” “The Twilight of The Golds.” Guest Starred on Episodics such as “Hung,” “Law & Order,” “Lincoln Heights,” “ER,” “Dragnet,” “The Education of Max Bickford,” “Drew Carey,” “Ellen,” “One Life to Live” (recurring), “All My Children” (recurring). Series Regular on Showtime’s critically acclaimed “Bedtime”. RECENT FILMS: “Everybody Wants To Be Italian,” “Jesus,Mary,& Joey,” “Welcome Back Miss Mary,” “The Manual & Divorced White Male”. Member of The Open Fist Theatre Co., The Road Theatre Co. and Board Member of The Global Theatre Project.

CHORUS

 

Lisa Cirincione

LISA CIRINCIONE is thrilled to be working with The Global Theatre Project again after having been part of several inaugural productions back in Florence, Italy. Theatre credits include: The Jersey Shore House, A Dog in Space and Juliet in Doublets and Hose (a loose adaptation of Romeo and Juliet) directed by April Webster, all at The Blank Theatre. Also seen in the world premiere of Loyalties at Pacific Resident Theatre (108 performances including 2 sold-out extensions). With the Grand Guignolers in A Grand Guignol Kabarett and A Grand Guignol Children’s Show* not for children. FOR PACIFIC STAGES: Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero and Lee Blessing’s Great Falls with Alan Blumenfeld. EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL: Johnny Guitar and the award winning Star Wars Trilogy in Thirty Minutes. Neil Simon’s I Ought to be in Pictures at the Long Beach Playhouse, Douglas Carter Beane’s The Country Club, Lorca’s Blood Wedding, Anita in West Side Story and Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. Lisa is a graduate of the B.F.A acting program at U.S.C. and a proud member of Actors Equity. She currently studies with Diana Castle at The Imagined Life. Lisa is also the founder and president of English Language Universal, a L.A. based language institute, which teaches English to artists and diplomats from around the globe. www.englishlanguageuniversal.com. Tanti Grazie a Bari e inboca a lupo.

 

Alexandra Goodman

ALEXANDRA GOODMAN: Celebration, Cousin Bette, Arcadia, The After Dinner Joke, Camino Real (Antaeus); Arcadia (Sierra Madre Playhouse); Uncle Vanya, Rhinoceros, Freud Scenario (Wright Theatre), Antigone, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Steel Magnolias (City Theatre).  Films include “The Selling,” “Stik Men,” “Brain Dead” and “Fear Ever After,” and the hilarious webseries “Lien On Me.”  She is a proud member of the A2 Ensemble, Antaeus’ young company.

 

 

 

STEVE MAZUREK Currently can be seen in Hollywood in Show At Barre’s concert series For The Record: Tarantino, Baz LuhrmannCoen Brothersand John Hughes, Also with Show At Barre: Rocky Horror (Brad), Hip Hipsteret,and Stoned Soul Picnic (The Music of Laura Nyro). Steve has travelled around North America as a featured solo artist with the Cincinnati Pops, Vancouver Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra.  LA THEATER: Les Miserables (Hollywood Bowl), Great Expectations (Odyssey Theater), REGIONAL: Yeast Nation (PCLO), The Irish Crossing (Pittsburgh City Theater) and As You Like It (Unseam’d Shakespeare). TV debut this summer in HawthoRNe on TNT. Steve is a graduate of The Interlochen Arts Academy and received his BFA in Acting from Carnegie Mellon University.

 

 

 

Jason Thomas

JASON THOMAS is a graduate of the Acting Program at the University of Northern Colorado.  Jason is an A2 Ensemble member at Antaeus.  Theater credits include Cato in Julius Caesar at Theatricum Botanicum, Henry Furley in Easy Virtue at Antaeus, Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Hermosa Beach Playhouse, Brad in A Devil Inside, Renfield in Dracula, Agamemnon in Apollo and Cassandra, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, Grumio in Taming of the Shrew, Boulot in Paradise Hotel, among others.  Television credits include “Cold Case,” “12 Corozones,” and “Fed Up.”  Jason can spin flat items extremely well and make balloon animals.  Thank you for supporting the theater.

 

 

 

Randolph Thompson

RANDOLPH THOMPSON: Favorite productions include Shortlived 2.0 (PianoFight L.A.), Monkey Madness (L.A. Theatre Ensemble), Dancing vs. The Rat Experiment (LaMama, E.T.C.), Schriebstück (U.S. & Canadian Premieres), Roberto Zucco (The Ohio Theater), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Baryshnikov Arts Center), and Twelfth Night (The Wild Project). Graduate of Tisch School of the Arts, NYU.

 

 

 

__________________

 

The Global Theatre Project

in association with Amnesty International

in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute

presents

ESPECIALLY NOW

Create the World Together

December 11, 2011

at the Los Angeles Theatre  Center in historical downtown LA

Ticket information here

7.00pm Bilingual Performance | Act One includes the US premiere of ‘A Stubborn Woman, a theatrical memorandum on Anna Politkovskaya’ by Florentine playwright Stefano Massini.  Presented bilingually in English and Italian with corresponding supertitles. Directed by Bari Hochwald.

8:45pm Panel: Journalists’ Civil Rights | Act Two is a panel discussion which explores the impact on civil rights and democracies when journalists suffer violent reprisal for reporting truth in conflict zones, and why we in the states should care about this issue. Panel announced in November.

9:30pm Reception & Action | Act Three offers the choice of a cocktail with the event participants in the theatre or engaging in an human rights action in the lobby with members of Amnesty International.

Click here for more information or to buy tickets to the event | Save the Date Press Release

 

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Oct
30

Follow up on past Outreach Client

I received this email while on vacation and am just thrilled at the amazing work Santa Monica Rep’s done in just a year. Of course, the trio of terrific-ness Jen Bloom, Eric Bloom & Sarah Gurfield have worked much longer than one year to clarify their intent and goals. It worked, as you can see in my first nonprofit newsletter (scroll down to “great outreach”)

I am donating an Outreach Consultation to their Silent Auction as well as going behind the mic for their storytelling part of the evening. Please consider attending and helping more companies like this give non-theatre-goers the gateway drug they need to make theatre vital once again.

On the occasion of our first anniversary,     
Santa Monica Rep

cordially invites you to join us for a very special evening of theater
past & present…
2011 GALA & fundraiser!


DATE:
Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011

LOCATION: 1063 26th Street
PARKING:
street parking only
THEME:
1940′s / German / Noir
*themed costumes are encouraged

TIME:
4pm – 5pm mix & mingle
5pm entertainment
7pm silent auction closes
PRICE:

$35 until November 13
$45 after November 13
night party bulb

 

From 1941 – 1947, German ex-patriot and theater luminary 
Bertolt Brecht
rented a two-story home in Santa Monica.
Over the last 63 years the property was privately owned
and public access was extremely limited
until now… 

Santa Monica Rep has been granted exclusive outdoor access to 

celebrate our 2011 GALA & fundraiser at this newly designated
Historic Landmark residence!
(Also the first historic designation in Santa Monica
recognizing the home of a major cultural figure
)
Entertainment for the evening will feature:
Two short performances of Bertolt Brecht plays
*The Life of Galileo (excerpt), written at this house in 1947 and
*The Informer, a rarely produced anti-authoritarian ‘playlet’,
live music, stand-up storytelling, and other surprise performances. 

Additionally, we will offer great silent auction items,
an extraordinary raffle prize, scrumptious hors d’oeuvres,
German beer and uncompromising wine provided by

reservations are limited. 

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

 

I am delighted to attend the 2011 GALA & fundraiser
by purchasing tickets with a credit card via PayPal at the price of:

$35 per person until 11/13,  $45 per person after 11/13

Buy Now

(please print your receipt, this will serve as your ticket for the event)

I prefer to make my check payable to:

Santa Monica Repertory Theater
2212 Ocean Park Blvd., Unit F
Santa Monica, CA 90405

I send my regrets but would like to support  Santa Monica Rep
with a contribution to your fiscal sponsor
Fractured Atlas, a 501(c)3 organization
Donate now!

Thank you for supporting Santa Monica Rep.
We hope to see you at our 2011 GALA & fundraiser!

Santa Monica Rep 

substance. style. story.

 

“Mixing one’s wines may be a mistake, but old and new wisdom mix admirably. “

Bertolt Brecht

Read The Working Director: Jen Bloom | Listen to my rant on their great outreach (podcast)

Subscribe to the Nonprofit News & Novelties email here

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Oct
24

Do Something For a Change

I bought a bumper sticker back in 2004 and loved it:

Do Something For a Change

Unfortunately the car that hosted it is gone, but the phrase still sticks with me.

I began obsessing over outreach and consulting for nonprofits when I saw an incredible, invisible gap: the disconnect between nonprofits or civics leaders and the people they serve. This gap is not always a result of lack of trying, but very often due to a lack of time, objectivity, funding….choose one.

More on that gap later, but the connection between it and the bumper sticker is a simple one. While you are busy changing the world, I help you reach as many people as possible. This is what attracts me to nonprofits like The Global Theatre Project. How Bari Hochwald does what she does is not simple, but her mission can boil down to:

creative engagement and collaboration that will unite American theatre artists and students with their international counterparts positively affecting the communities where they work

I know from some time overseas – and across the country – that travel and true creative collaboration is the key to an open and receptive mind. I feel it greatly affects my ability to adjust to new situations, embrace new tools, and understand the world a little more.

When the opportunity to work with Bari on a fund-raiser for The Global Theatre Project arose, I couldn’t believe my luck. Honestly, I still can’t. I learned many lessons through past campaigns similar to this, and relish the chance to improve and aid in their fund-raising outreach efforts. Amanda Aitken wrote this great article on framing and tuning yourself to attract the right collaborators to your work. I truly feel that my work with The Global Theatre Project is exactly why I started consulting in the first place.

Read our Save the Date press release 10.26.2011

——————-

This story originally written for  Social | Impact Consulting blog, where I am Director of Online Outreach. I specialize  in education, civics and the arts.

Read about their 2010 event for Free Belarus Theatre

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Oct
20

Think Globally, Act Locally

Everyone at LA FPI kept telling me I should meet Bari Hochwald. They were right. 

Bari Hochwald, president & artistic director of The Global Theatre Project

Her work and outlook on art for social good fits perfectly into my own views. Add a desire to enrich my online outreach work, and we have a collaboration!  It’s a fun challenge to reach both students and artists who want to take action towards a better world, and the oft-proclaimed 1% who have a desire to leverage their money towards social good.

It turns out many colleagues and friends are also on the team, and I look forward to working with Deidre Murphy, Rebekah Tripp, Jeff Gardner and Jessica Farley, to name a few. Actors I adore are also in the reading, but I can’t publish that information just yet!

Save the Date Press Release 10.26.2011

Please connect with us:

| |

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Oct
18

Petition | Incentives for Charitable Donations

Holly Ross (from NTEN website)

Coincidentally after my last post exploring giving, Holly Ross from NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network, sent me this appeal. Clearly I signed it, and implore you to do so as well!

As Ms Ross states: “Making it harder to donate to charities would impact thousands of nonprofits and the people who rely on them. Given that even President Obama’s recent budget proposal includes cutting the charitable giving tax break, it’s more important than ever that we act now.”

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Oct
18

Why People Give

I think a lot lately about why people give. If I combine all the friends’ Kickstarter campaigns last year with straight forward donations, that adds up to a lot of people. My husband and I don’t give all the time, and certainly want to give more, but—

Why doesn’t everyone just keep the money we give away, and put it towards our own projects’?

I don’t actually want this to happen, but what does compel people to give?

Certainly this assumes you have a degree of disposable income. I certainly can’t always give because of financial reasons, but I have spent money on a cab for my play’s costume designer out of rent money.

It seems there is an inherent joy in supporting a passion project on Kickstarter. or in my most recent experience, supporting a friend doing something cool like watch the next Mars Rover Launch.

So how can nonprofits and social causes capture this lightning in a bottle feeling of helping, making a difference, and actually doing something for a change?

All I know at this moment is that you need a clear, exciting idea, and an even clearer call to action.

Other thoughts?

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Oct
14

NASA or Bust

I love Twitter.

My husband loves NASA.

Whatever shall we do?

Attend the NASA Curiosity Launch Tweet Up! I was accepted to the Tweet Up and it looks like I can get there myself, but the only reason I even care is because I caught the NASA bug from my husband, Dan.

It wouldn’t be the same without him, and I know we would bravely face the Thanksgiving travel crowds to see a launch as close as possible.
Please help! Anyone who donates subject to:
*much love
*adoration
*homemade fish and chips
*framed photo of your choice from my documentation of the Launch!

We have to confirm on Monday. Thank you!

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Oct
14

A Great Problem to Have

I am not complaining, but between last year’s June Madness and the jump-start to my Autumn recently, I have piles of

1 part to the June madness: premiere of DRAGON COMPACT

business cards.

Piles.

I need to arrange them. I need to connect with these folks over several networks. I need to remember everyone.

I decided to do the only thing that makes sense to me in these situations: break it down.

I hereby declare that I will arrange, re-connect and input 5 business cards per day. That’s it.

I may do more, but I will not do less. That should complete the *huge* task before I leave on vacation.

And won’t it be nice to know that project is finished?

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Oct
06

Free Arts Tune-up For Visual Artists in Eagle Rock

I’ve done these before and they are really great. Speed-learning and networking creates a fun environment while you absorb all the information. – CMJ
FREE ARTS TUNE-UP
FOR VISUAL ARTISTS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2011
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Artists can benefit from free expert advice and information on various aspects of visual art with an emphasis in public art on Wednesday, October 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at an “Arts Tune-Up” at the Center for the Arts in Eagle Rock. Even though the event is free, it is recommended that participants register via SurveyMonkey:

Go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ATU-EagleRock

The fast-paced “arts tune-up” format works like this: There will be several tables set up with an arts expert/consultant addressing a specific subject located at each table. Participants choose a topic they want to learn more about. After 25 minutes, participants rotate to another table with a topic of interest as the sessions repeat. There will be a total of 5 round-robin sessions of 25 minutes each. Participants are welcome to come by for an hour or stay for the entire morning.

Topics for individual artists include:

  • 10 Things to Know Before Submitting Your Proposal for Fabrication
  • Arts Education In-School Resources & Working in Arts Education (K-12)
  • Becoming a Facebook Ninja for Beginners
  • Best Foot Forward: Creating Compelling Presentations
  • Every Artist Insured: Understanding Health Insurance and Healthcare Reform
  • Fundraising for Individual Artists
  • Getting Your Sh*t Together
  • Green Art Initiatives
  • Individual Artist Resources
  • Licensing for Visual Artists
  • Marketing for Visual Artists
  • Mediation & Dispute Resolution Services
  • On Your ‘A’ Game: Things to Know When Interviewing for a Public Art Commission
  • Public Art 101

 

 

WHAT

ARTS TUNE-UP for Visual Artists

WHEN

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

WHERE

Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock

2225 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90041

HOW MUCH

FREE, but registration is recommended.

HOW TO REGISTER

REGISTER through SurveyMonkey.

Go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ATU-EagleRock

PARKING

Free parking is available on surrounding streets.

 

MORE INFORMATION

Anji Gaspar-Milanovic

Technical Assistance Programs Manager

Los Angeles County Arts Commission, 213 202-3981

 

Jen H. Gorman

Civic Art Coordinator

Los Angeles County Arts Commission, 213-202.3987

 

The Arts Tune-Up is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and theCenter for the Arts, Eagle Rock, and in collaboration with the LA Stage Alliance and the Center for Cultural Innovation.

 

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Laura Zucker, Executive Director, provides leadership in cultural services of all disciplines for the largest county in the United States, encompassing 88 municipalities. The Arts Commission, in addition to programming the John Anson Ford Theatres, administers a grants program that funds more than 300 nonprofit arts organizations annually; provides leadership and staffing to support the regional blueprint for arts education, Arts for All; oversees the County’s Civic Art Program for capital projects; and supports the Los Angeles County Cultural Calendar on ExperienceLA.com. The Commission also produces free community programs, including the L.A. Holiday Celebration broadcast nationally, and a year-round music program that funds more than 70 free concerts each year in public sites. The 2011-12 President of the Arts Commission is Ollie Blanning.

 

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Oct
02

ALAP Director | Dramatist Exchange on Oct. 15

I can’t attend this one but they’re always very fun. The panels look great, too.-CMJ

Dear Director:

As someone who has either participated, or indicated interest in taking part, in an ALAP Director/ Dramatist Exchange, we wanted you to know about the next Exchange, to be held on Saturday, October 15, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon at the Plummer Park Community Center, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, in West Hollywood. The deadline to apply is next Friday, October 7, and we will let everyone know their status on Saturday, a week before the event.

This Exchange, which is the opening program of ALAP’s big fall event Drama Lama Ding Dong!, will be different from previous Exchanges, in that participants will include not only directors and playwrights, but also producers and theatre reps.

In a nutshell, how it will work:

Up to 40 people will be selected to participate. Playwrights wishing to take part must be current members of ALAP. Interested playwrights, directors, theatre reps (Artistic Directors or Literary Managers), and independent producers should send in their names and a 50-word (maximum!) bio. If more than 40 people apply, we will draw the participants’ names at random in a lottery.

If you are applying as a theatre rep, please specify which theatre you represent. If you are an independent producer, please list your credits, as we are restricting participation to producers who have produced at least three new plays in the past two years.

At the Exchange, after a few introductory remarks by the hosts, each participant gets to make a 2-minute presentation – and we do enforce the time limit! – to the assembled playwrights, directors, and producers. What you say in that two minutes is entirely up to you: you can list your credits and awards… you can talk about your current project(s)… if you’re a director, you might discuss how you develop a working relationship with a playwright… if you’re a playwright, you might reveal the qualities you look for in someone you wish to shepherd your work… if you’re a theatre rep or a producer, you might let the crowd know what kind of work you’re currently looking for… or you can just chat about life in general, your view of the world, and why you hate chocolate.

The point is to let all the participants get a glimpse of who you are, and decide whether you’re someone with whom they might like to collaborate.

After the presentations, we will spend time networking on an informal basis, with participants talking, exchanging contact info, perhaps discussing specific projects, or setting up future meetings. Several fruitful collaborations have emerged from previous Director/ Dramatist Exchanges – you never know when you might meet your perfect “partner”!

If you’d like to be part of the Exchange on October 15, please send your name and 50-word bio to danb@laplaywrights.org no later than Friday, October 7. Please specify in your email that you are applying for the Exchange, and whether you are applying as a director, producer, or theatre rep. We will get back to everyone the next day so participants will have a week’s notice.

We hope to see you on October 15!

Dan Berkowitz

Co-Chair, ALAP

FYI, the complete schedule for the day is as follows:

OPENING EVENT

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Director/ Producer/ Playwright Exchange

Open to Artistic Directors; Literary Managers; Independent Producers who have produced at least three new plays in the past two years; Directors; and ALAP member playwrights.

Limited to 40 participants, each of whom gets to make a 2-minute presentation to the group, followed by networking. Sort of a “mini-Expo” when ya think about it.

Observers are welcome for the presentations, but only registered participants may take part in the networking portion.

(This program requires advance sign-up.)

<><><><><>

AFTERNOON TRACK 1

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Bridging the Generation Gap

Young playwrights and seasoned elders comparing notes on where playwriting’s been,

and where it’s going in the future.

Moderated by ALAP Co-Chair Jonathan Dorf

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Is Sexism Alive and Well in L.A. Theatre?

Male and female playwrights discussing whether there’s a Gender Gap in playwriting –

and, if so, how to get across it.

Moderated by ALAP Co-Chair Dan Berkowitz

<><><><><>

AFTERNOON TRACK 2

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

The Playwright’s Playpen

Four ALAP playwrights will each be offered a 40-minute slot in which they may bring in their work to “play” with four actors from the ALAP Actor Database.

Need to hear a new monologue you’ve just written read aloud?

Want to experiment with various ways of playing a scene? Here’s your chance!

(This program requires advance sign-up.)

<><><><><>

CONCLUDING EVENTS

3:15 PM

13th Annual Play Reading Festival

Rehearsed readings of seven short works:

The Plot Thickens by Roy Battocchio; Silver Linings by Dan Berkowitz;

Three Characters in Search of a Martini by Stanley Brown;

A Sunday Morning Kind of Gal by Christina Cottles; A Few Good PB&J’s by Jeremy Kehoe; Independence Day by Rhea McCallum; and The Other Man by Thomas J. Misuraca.

5:30 PM

Cocktail Party for Lifetime Members

The day ends with an invitation-only Cocktail Party honoring ALAP’s Lifetime Members.

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Sep
27

Atwater Village Events This Week

I’m forwarding on, in case you are not on the Atwater Village mailing lists or a Friend on Facebook. These are very cool community events this week for the entire family from any neighborhood!

Our little Village is bustling with activity and opportunities to help this week. We hope you’ll join us.

Tuesday, September 27th 7PM – Special Budget/Finance meeting, followed by Board of Governors’ meeting to discuss Neighborhood Purposes grant to fund Atwater Elementary Library. Christ’s Church of Griffith Park, 3852 Edenhurst Ave.

- If you would like to help the Friends of Atwater Elementary to re-open their library, please visit http://indiegogo.com/Atwater. Every dollar counts!

From Atwater Village Farm

Thursday, September 29th, 7PM – Autumn Nights on the Boulevard, all along Glendale Boulevard.

- After a wonderful summer, help us welcome fall by strolling the Boulevard, meeting your neighbors, enjoying some music at the Kaldi bumpout, trying the food trucks at 55 Degree Wine, grabbing a bite at one of our world-class restaurants, and shopping at all our marvelous shops.

- NILA: Nature Inspired Learning through Art is once again hosting Family Funtime from 5-6:30PM, at 3010 Glendale Blvd. Let the kids run off some steam at this amazing space while you enjoy a grown-up conversation with your neighbors. Annette has requested that we all please skedaddle at 6:30 so she can get to her Rosh Hoshanna dinner – she was gracious enough to postpone plans with family to open her doors to us!

-Atwater Village Farm presents Savory Nights on the Boulevard 7-10pm with vendors of delicious savory products: Coldwater Canyon  Provisions, Cristina’s of Spain, Frog Dog Herbs, JamIam, Darren the Chef and Chef Vince Votan.

Saturday, October 1st, 8AM – Neighborhood-wide Cleanup and Glendale Boulevard Landscaping

- This empowering day is brought to us thanks to two separate Clean and Connected Communities grants from Council District 13/Council President Eric Garcetti. One was awarded to the Friends of Atwater Village and the Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce for a neighborhood-wide cleanup, and one was awarded to your Atwater Village Neighborhood Council to landscape the median on Glendale Boulevard. We have decided to combine our efforts and have one, great, big, fantastic day making Atwater Village sparkle.

- To join the cleanup, go to either Luis Lopez Automotive (2751 Fletcher Dr.) or Starbucks (3111 Glendale Blvd) to check in and get supplies. Please bring your own gloves. Alternately, you can pick your own spot in Atwater Village and just get sweeping and de-littering.

- To join the landscaping, please check-in at Kaldi Coffee and bring your own gloves (and a shovel if you have it). Thanks to the gang at the Northland Village Church, we’ve got a great group ready to go!

- All volunteers will be given 20% off at Hugo’s Tacos (and can use their bathroom) – use the password “landscaping.” We thank Hugo’s for their ongoing generosity and energy.

Fairy Yardmother

- The Glendale Median landscaping project would not have been possible without the hard work of Kathy Oberg (http://fairyyardmother.blogspot.com), who generously donated her landscape design talents to this project. Thanks to matching funds from the Pitts family, amazing work from Eric Garcetti’s deputy, Angela Motta, and Kathy’s ingenuity, we were surprised to find we will be able to complete the entire median by spring! If anyone else would like to donate funds to this project, please email leonora@atwatervillage.org.

Saturday, October 1st, 8AM-2PM – Friends of Glenfeliz Elementary Annual Yard Sale, 3717 Glenfeliz Blvd.

- This benefits Glenfeliz Elementary’s thriving after-school enrichment program. If you’d like to donate any goods (no TVs or electronics, please), drop them off at 3717 Glenfeliz Blvd. before Saturday. FOG is a 501(C)3, so your donation is tax-deductible. Thank you!

Also, please remember to save the date for the upcoming Fall Festival: Trick or Treat on the BOOlevard, Friday, October 28th!

As always, visit us at http://atwatervillage.org, and thank you for being the best neighbors in Los Angeles!

 

 

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Sep
27

Reading Through My Library

During a recent re-arrangement of our working & living space, once again I’m struck by how many books I own and want to read versus how many I’ve actually read. I’m streamlining and trying to place each book into a spot of more inspiration for me. It’s an ongoing process but here are some of the finished areas (for now).

Above my desk:

on shelves near relaxing living area:

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Sep
20

Speaking on Web-Spiration at Broad Humor Film Festival

Speaker | Web-Spiration

6th Broad Humor Film Festival Opens September 29
More speaking engagement and press here

The 6th Annual Broad Humor Film Festival takes place Sept. 29-Oct. 2 at the Electric Lodge in Venice, CA. Broad Humor is the only film festival dedicated to woman-created humor.

“When we started the festival, there wasn’t a lot of recognition for women who wrote and directed comedic films,” says founder and festival director Susan diRende.  “We wanted to turn the spotlight on them.  Now the entertainment industry is starting to catch up and see that women are indeed capable of making audiences laugh.”

The four-day Broad Humor Film Festival has something for everyone.  Detailed
information on each day’s offerings is available at www.broadhumor.com.

LIVE COMEDY – This yearʼs festival kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 29, with a night of fabulous female comics live on stage. The lineup features Laurie Kilmartin (a top ten finalist on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”), Erin Foley, Lisa Landry, Jessi Campbell, and Aparna Nancherla. Tickets $12 advance/ $15 at the door.

DIY/WEB PRODUCTION DAY – Friday, Sept. 30.  For aspiring and experienced
filmmakers who want to develop their career on the web. Learn how to make it work and make it pay. Participants include the Producers Guild, Funny Or Die, Greenhouse Studios, and Media Services. The full day of workshops is offered at only $50. Individual workshops are $15.

FILM SCREENINGS – Screenings begin Friday night, run all day Saturday and include three feature films and three shorts programs, with films from around the world. Individual screenings are $10.  A $35 festival pass is good Friday evening through Sunday’s award celebration.

SCREENPLAY READINGS AND WORKSHOPS – Finalists screenplay readings and workshops aimed at the craft of writing round out the festival on Sunday. The Writers Guild will lead a discussion, as will Laura Shapiro, editor of “The First Time I Got Paid For It: Writersʼ Tales From The Hollywood Trenches.” All Sunday readings and workshops are $10.

Prizes for this yearʼs festival include over $30,000 in goods and services from
Greenhouse Studios, the Write Brothers Screenwriting Software, Gorilla Software, the Footage Firm and Video Blocks.

Contact: Susan diRende 310-403-2882
email: info@broadhumor.com
tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/org/1469754766
All events take place at the Electric Lodge Performing Arts Center, 1416 Electric
Avenue, Venice, CA. There is parking on the premises.

More speaking engagement and press here

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Sep
16

Capture the Car Talk: Audience Feedback 2.0

by Cindy Marie Jenkins |  This article originally appeared on LAStageTimes on November 2, 2010

<p>Alan Brown</p> “If you can describe something, you can measure it.” 

On October 28, LA Stage Alliance hosted a workshop on measuring the intrinsic impact of various theatre programs using audience feedback. As the main speaker Alan Brown of research firm WolfBrown explained it, an audience member’s honest experience is usually found in the conversations most people have in their cars on the way home. By capturing these car talks, Brown said, we can give artistic directors “something to report on besides ticket sales–mission-related, emotional outcomes.”

Brown’s comments sprang from a national, yearlong research study WolfBrown is conducting into the intellectual, emotional and social impact of theatre. As he illuminates in their online report overview: “The true impact of performing arts experiences is what happens to individual audience members when the lights go down and the artist takes the stage – and the cumulative benefits to individuals, families and communities of having those experiences available night after night, year after year. If this is true, it would seem efforts to assess the impact of arts programs would aim to better understand and measure how audience members are transformed – what happens to them in their seats.”

Our workshop began with an overview and quickly moved into a demonstration of a post-show interview with Brown asking questions of local director/choreographer Eugene Hutchins regarding a recent viewing experience. Normally these interviews take place right after performances, either pre-arranged or requested on the spot, with a cookie or glass of wine offered. They can last anywhere from 10-45 minutes.

Questions include:

Did you make a conscious decision to attend this event, or did you come out for a different reason?

What is your overall assessment of the program you just experienced?

How absorbed were you in the overall program/exhibition?

Did the art, or the interpretation of the art, challenge you or stretch you in any way? Were you exposed to anything new or different from things you’ve seen in the past?

Sometimes these interviews, often with a third person recording the entire conversation, happened over the course of a run and sometimes they occurred on specific performance dates chosen by the company. Brown elaborated: “What you’re hearing is data and you [the reporter] are the filter” and urged us to “stop trying to sell the headline and let people talk about [the performance] – that’s uptake.”

When in-depth personal interviews are not a valid option, an extensive use of surveys can complete the task. WolfBrown has conducted these interviews/surveys in various organizations across the country.

Brown shared his vision of measuring the following five value clusters: Economic and Social Benefit (vocabulary mainly used when we talk to our legislators), Communal Meaning, Human Interaction, Imprint of the Arts Experience and Personal Development.

One workshop attendee raised questions about the amount of time organizations need to invest in these personal interviews. Brown delved into this topic later in the morning, “We can’t just throw our hands in the air and say we can’t ever measure this. We need to work harder!” Studies like his invest in a long-term relationship with your audience, engaging them to invest in the quality of their experience. Sending people home with a greater appreciation of their art form equals a permanent investment. When challenged to think of our own transformative arts experience, all agreed most of our examples were in the distant past, yet we can describe them with great detail. They had a lasting impact.

Theater artists may generally be keyed into evaluating their experience and development after seeing a piece of art but many in the audience are not. Brown even suggested theaters involve their board of directors in the interview process and possibly as the interviewers (reporters) themselves, giving each board member a more tactile, more direct interaction and investment with their audience. Since many in any given audience are there because they were asked and were not “involved in a purchase decision process,” involving them could encourage a more direct relationship including a second viewing at that organization.

The workshop ranged from hard data to discussions on the validity of the data while analyzing it, to philosophical and very real discussions on how, why and when this kind of research is useful. Brown stressed the importance of separating anecdote from feedback. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to,” he warned then posed the question, “What is the role of feedback in an artistically driven organization?”

He asked the three participating LA theaters about their experience in the program: South Coast Repertory, Music Theatre West and The Theatre@Boston Court. As Bil Schroeder, Director of Marketing and Communications at SCR put it, “This impact you have on your audience is really all you have. Otherwise it’s art for art’s sake and you might as well be doing puppet shows in your bedroom.”

Michael Betts, Marketing Coordinator at Musical Theatre West, told everyone that his executive director Paul Garman makes himself available in the lobby after almost every show and typically gets “bum-rushed” by patrons with questions, comments and feedback. Extending the conversation beyond that evening of viewing helps MTW and other organizations that only produce a few months out of the year.

Brian Polak, Marketing/Development Associate at The Theatre@Boston Court, anticipates the benefits when they begin implementing surveys in February of 2011: “First, it will offer us an insight we would never be able to acquire any other way, which is–what is a patron feeling after a performance?  Not what are they thinking because we can hear that through discussions.  Potentially learning what they are feeling inside is a really intriguing proposition. Considering whether the impact being achieved is what we initially intended is a much more complicated aspect but equally intriguing.  Secondly, it gives our patrons an opportunity to speak back to us about how they feel about our work.”

Brown described the goal in another way–to use data and learn “How do your programs make people better human beings? Flow is the theory of the optimal experience.” Being fully absorbed in whatever you’re doing is the root of all happiness. Achieving that state of consciousness is why most people go out, sometimes to the theater.

From the discussions in the workshop, it certainly seems like many Los Angeles theaters may strive to find the answer, either with the worksheets provided or in their own unique way. The public value of art in an ever-more-pragmatic world is at stake.

Editor’s note:

This workshops was presented in collaboration with Theatre Bay Area who is leading this national initiative on Intrinsic Impact with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

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Sep
13

What is The Indy Convergence?

Both times that I’ve experienced The Indy Convergence , my boundaries were stretched and stories enhanced. Artists collide and create. They even let me work-shop this crazy project called MYTHistories. Take a look at this short video to get an idea of the possibility.

What is the Indy Convergence from Ian Garrett on Vimeo.

What is the indy convergence? How did it come to be? What makes it special? Let us tell you in this short video and then invite you to join us in Indianapolis!

 

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Sep
06

The Little Logo That Could

I recently watched a special feature for Monsters Inc. called The Pixar Story. In it, I saw the short film that introduced their logo.  Luxo the Lamp  hops across the screen and pounds the poor capital “I” until there is a place for him. You know the one.

That’s the point: even before I described the short branding video, you probably knew it. If not, a short prompt of “the lamp” may have brought at least an image of their logo to your heads.

That’s excellent branding through storytelling, for the following reasons:

  • You know something about Luxo, even if you don’t know the brand name of the Lamp
  • You have feelings towards him: spunky, resilient, tough but cute….
  • The image comes to mind with very little prompting if you’ve ever seen a Pixar film
  • It tells their story and introduces you to a piece of their world, a piece of equipment as vital to their work as the computer itself

Does your Nonprofit have a logo? A mission statement? Have you created a real story behind your branding and posted it on your website? This requires much much more than talking heads.

Another great example is a very strategically timed video released by the Hollywood Fringe Festival last year. Filmed the year before with post happening in-between festivals, they released it on May 25th. That was close enough that people were really paying attention, and right when participants may have needed a morale boost.

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Sep
05

Retro Post | Santosha Space

Recently I started a sort of Complementary Currency bargain with Cat of Santosha Space. That means I want yoga classes and she wants social media help, so we swap. I thought it would be way more interesting to write about my experience at her yoga studio than simply run a twitter account, so I began Atwater Beginner’s Mind.

We’re already getting some attention and I think the sharing through story vs. promotion is working. Atwater Village Now soon will cross-post, and I’ll be investigating the history and culture of yoga as well as kicking my ass to actually go to class.

I thought I’d re-post an interview with Cat that Jane Whitty did when Cat loaned us her space and massage services for a fund-raiser. I think it tells you a lot about her spirit.

—————————————————-

From MARCH 2011: This next supporter has really gone above and beyond by donating their space for this weekend’s fundraiser. Catherine Macary at Santosha Space graciously offered her studio to this event and we literally could not be doing this without her.

We spoke with Cat below about what motivated her to get involved:

We at Santosha Space are supportive of events and workshops that help people in need of healing and abundance. We support the fundraiser Voice from Chernobyl to remind the community that the World still must heal and to remind everyone that we must remain conscious of our planet which in turn means to remain vigilante to the constant nuclear threat that affects humankind. We want to be a sanctuary for healing, wellness and peace. This is why we hare thrilled to offer our space for the Voices From Chornobyl fundraiser.

Namaste!

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Sep
01

Notes on Social Media For Nonprofits Conference

On Monday, August 22nd, I attended the LA Social Media For Nonprofits Conference. Not only was this a wonderful way to connect with others I hadn’t seen in a while (Robert & Caitlin Negron of The Indy Covergence, SM Consultant and Professional Distraction Gedaly Guberek, Marlon Deleon of Long Beach Theatre Arts Collaborative), but also meet some people in person for the first time (Hilary White of Hilary White Consulting).

Filiberto Gonzalez was featured on an  interactive panel and it was wonderful to begin my work as Director of Online Outreach with Social | Impact Consulting, his firm helping nonprofits & social good.

Here are my very random notes, resources, etc. They are by no means complete, nor meant to replace attendance at this great conference. I link where I can! You can also continue to follow the conference around the US through the hashtag #SM4NP.

All of the presentations at the conference are archived at slideshare/sm4nonprofits as well!

>TRUST. People trust peer recommendations vs. advertisements.

>MICROSOFT is one of the SM4NP sponsors. They help over 40,000 nonprofits with free software. Find out more here.

>@JDLasica of SocialBrite was next & suggests the following examples & tools:

Storytelling as Nonprofit Narrative

SocialBrite.org/sharingcenter

YouTube.com/nonprofitvideoawards

>Evan Bailyn inspired us with his stories of viral content & building a brand through the internet tools available.

What determines if you created viral content?

  1. Goes viral within 48 hours
  2. Makes it onto the homepage of YouTube in Top Videos
  3. Needs 45,000 views in twelve hours (this may have been a number he achieved rather than a marker. My note was fuzzy.)

Along with viral content, he suggests your website contain:

  1. Strong keywords in your site’s meta-page titles
  2. Top 10 lists | Everybody loves top 10 lists
  3. Contests
  4. Widgets

Tastemakers = Trendsetters

>@BGBreck from Linkedin wowed everyone with how helpful Linkedin can be for Nonprofits. I’ve been exploring this through The Help Group Company Profile and for other nonprofits, and was glad he could illuminate some of the great features available.

>@CharlesPorch from Facebook for Nonprofits took the stage with these tips for effectively using Facebook Pages to tell your organization’s story:

  1. Create a voice
  2. Program your Page
  3. use themes to plan content | keep timely for holidays, news
  4. Create exclusive content and programs just for your Facebook Fans
  5. Photos always more compelling than text
  6. Push and Pull | Always recognize contributions as well as ask for them
  7. Engage other Groups and Orgs | Tap into other communities
  8. Use new features and functionality
  9. Know your Supporters
  10. Market your Facebook presence
  11. Tell Facebook.com/Nonprofits about your successes

> Causes with @matthewmahan

  1. Individual Empowerment
  2. Culture of giving
  3. Level playing field for nonprofits
  4. Cultivate your Community through:

Communication | Content | Collaboration

Be Donor-Centric:

  1. tangible impact
  2. storytelling
  3. rich media
  4. peer-to-peer engagement

My favorite quote!

“Insert yourself into where the conversation happens.”

>There was much more in the afternoon regarding fund-raising and nonprofits, but here’s a good place to start!


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Aug
25

The Working Director follow-up | Che’Rae Adams

I recently started an interview series The Working Director , very much modeled after Adam Szymkowicz’s I Interview Playwrights blog. Since the idea is to start conversation around what it means to be a working director, I followed up with the original interviews. We’d love your comments!

Today is Che’Rae Adams part 2 ~ Read original Working Director here.

CMJ: How did that biggest challenge (for SER at the Hollywood Fringe Festival) work out for you?

CA: The biggest challenge was to get Karen to think like the actor in rehearsal and not like the writer. I can always tell when she makes the transition-when something isn’t working for her in the script, all of a sudden her eyes glaze over and I’ve lost her. Getting her to trust that I will let her know if something dramaturgically isn’t working so she doesn’t have to worry about it has been a struggle. She can instinctively tell where the script isn’t working and when that happens I lose her as the actor for a while which can be frustrating. The way I deal with it is to stop and fix the script so she can move forward and let it go. Even though I hate to stop my rehearsal process with Karen the actor, Karen the writer must be satisfied in order for me to get Karen the actor back.

The challenge ended up working out well in the end. We worked through the

Los Angeles Writers Center

moments where she would stop and glaze over because she didn’t feel the material was working. Stopping the rehearsal process and rewriting was the only way to work it out. My dramaturgy skills come in handy here, as my director side took a coffee break. Making the script stronger is always the priority because without a strong script, we have nothing. Karen and I can both feel it in our gut when something doesn’t work, and that feeling is uncomfortable to say the least. I find it is always best to fix the problem and move forward, no matter how long it takes. The famous set designer, Ming Cho Lee once told me that the best way to give an actor a note is to work through the note is to stop them with and work thru the problem on their feet right then and there and he is right. No matter what the note or problem is, the best way to fix it is to stop and work it out before you move on to the next one. Never put something off until next time. It will push your process back and stifle everyone involved.

CMJ: How do you think audiences connected with the piece? 

CA: Solo shows are hard in that family and friends of the artist always respond strongly, but audiences who don’t know them, don’t always get it. There was a night during the run of the show where the audience was mostly my friends and family, instead of Karen’s. They were quiet, and pensive, and they did not seem to like the show as much as Karen’s people have in the past. I think it is a common thing with solo shows which is why it is important to do a public reading at some point in the development process. If complete strangers like your show, your story, your journey, then you have something special there.

The audiences that did connect with the play, connected hard. They really related to her struggle, and bonded with her in a big way. Those people are always great to meet because it reminds me why I do this kind of work. I want to move and inspire people, and Karen’s show really does that.

CMJ: Anything you would do differently?
 

CA: Yes, we received some feedback on the new beginning of the play, that is was hard to get into the piece at first and then eventually the audience was able to be on the same page as the performer. In the original beginning of the show was Karen talks to the audience about the origins of her last name, Anzoategui. It was a great start of the show because it really conveyed the conflicts that she comes across based on her ethnicity. Somewhere along the line, Karen had a new idea for the opening that involved a cartoon of herself flying through space, chasing a soccer ball which is symbolic of her journey thru her life, love, and soccer. So, we hired an animator to create it, and I blocked a new opening for the show based on the cartoon. It did not seem to work as well because it was so abstract, that the audience had “no way in” to the play. I have since learned that I need to give them that. I need to give them a way in so that they can go on the journey with us from the beginning.

CMJ: What’s your next project & how did you find it/ it find you?

CA: I just directed a new solo show called “Genius From a Blue Collar Neighborhood” which just opened at the Santa Monica Playhouse last week. The playwright found me through a mutual friend who recommended me to direct the show. The playwright did not write the play in my class which presented challenges for me. I felt the play needed to be worked on, but the writer insisted on putting up the version that she gave me with no changes. By the opening weekend, she realized that she needed to cut 10 pages, which was good and that alone really helped the show. I am hoping that she will revisit the script in one of my writing workshops so that she can go deeper with the work when she is ready. That is what I have learned about writers-they can’t do it until they are ready. I can encourage them, but pushing them before they are ready is futile. Patience is a virtue when playing the role of dramaturge.

Che'Rae Adams

Che’Rae Adams

Producing Artistic Director

The LA Writers Center www.lawriterscenter.org

Che’Rae Adams has been the Producing Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Writers Center since 2005 where she
develops new scripts with local writers. She has also been a Development Executive for Playhouse Pictures studios, Co-Artistic Director of the Road Theatre Company, Resident Director for the Syzygy Theatre Company, and has worked in theatre, film and television in Los Angeles for over 15 years.

Focusing primarily on developing and directing new work, Che’Rae was in the development department at Showtime Networks, and the Canadian based Alliance/Atlantis Film & TV. Before she worked in film and TV, she assisted the Staff Producer at The Mark Taper Forum where she worked on the writing workshop of the Pulitzer Prize winning Angels in America, Part II: Perestroika, and coordinated the 1991 Taper Lab Series and Mentor Playwright’s series. Che’Rae has directed the West Coast premiere productions of over 30 new plays.

Che’Rae has taught acting and writing workshops at various institutions such as The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Catholic University, Miami Dade University, California State University, Fullerton, UCLA Extension,and The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival. She is on the Steering Committee for the Director’s Lab, West an annual event at the Pasadena Playhouse. She has an MFA in directing from The University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music and a BA from California State University, Northridge.

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Aug
24

Submit to The Working Director

I  appreciate people who take their careers and goals into their own hands.Working on the Steering Committee of Directors Lab West hands me a unique perspective on the various career paths of The Working Director, and I hope to share that perspective through your stories.

The Working Director Interviews | Follow-up Interviews

Submit your

Working Director Interviews

Email the answers to the following questions (adjusted for your genre if necessary) to cindymariejenkins@gmail.com

Also please send director’s picture/bio, production photos and/or logo, etc. Behind the scenes photos are fantastic if you have them. I will post within a week of receipt.

1. Please give a short description of [your show] from a Director’s Perspective. What were the images or themes that drove your process?

2. How did you prepare for this show versus others (i.e. new play vs. classical, adaptation, translation, Fringe or rep show vs. higher budget?

3.  What was the biggest challenge in directing this piece and how will you overcome it (if you think you will)?

4. What is the biggest challenge to directors in your location? How have you found your way here and where do you hope to go?

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Aug
17

I Rant & Banter – what a surprise

Last Sunday, I braved Skype (with limited success) and guest ranted at Rant &

Angry Patrons is the brainchild of Monet Hurst-Mendoza & James Daniel Haro. They are very cool artists with interesting ideas on collaboration and some very good points about the theatrical experience overall. About 4/5 of the way into this podcast (exact time forthcoming) I describe MYTHistories.

We talked about the recent French Stewart article that local theater artists seemed to spread like wildfire, proclaiming to the world that they don’t care if no one but their friends sees their show. Not that people thought too much about it; there just seemed this neat little quote that justifies their art, and it spread through the (intimate) LA Theatre channels without a thought as to how un-inviting it sounds out of context:

Tempest Photos by Judy Raffel

Tempest Photos by Judy Raffel

“It’s a small group of people making something for another small group of people.” I suppose it doesn’t matter too much, though, since few people outside of theatre artists will actually read it. To those who do, it sounds as if we are happy to keep our audiences the same “small group of people.”

We also get into how we need more gateway drugs into theatre like Santa Monica Rep’s Tempest at the Annenberg Beach House.

WWF (World Wrestling Federation)

and again, I try to describe MYTHistories. Time in forthcoming; I haven’t had time to listen to it yet!

If you want to Contribute a MYTHistory or two, here are the guidelines.

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Aug
17

The Working Director Follow-up | Richard Tatum

I recently started an interview series The Working Director, very much Richard Tatum directsmodeled after Adam Szymkowicz’s I Interview Playwrights blog. Since the idea is to start conversation around what it means to be a working director, I followed up with the original interviews. We’d love your comments!

First up is Richard Tatum, who had two shows this past summer: a remount of the new musical Group & premiere of The Insidious Impact of Anton by David Hilder.

Read his original Working Director interview here.

Read the InterTweet I conducted between Richard, the writer and an actress.

produced The Insidious Impact of Anton

CMJ: How did that biggest challenge work out for you?

RT: Well, with GROUP the big challenge was remounting a small musical for a Festival setting while trying to re-create the lighting-in-a-bottle we found in the original go-round.  Tough, especially considering a lot of time constraints we didn’t have the first time.  In fact it was a bit bumpy and when it (re) opened for its brief Fringe run…well, interestingly there were really mixed feeling about it.  From my perspective, anyway, the spark had escaped…at first!  There was a show there but it had lost something.  But then on the second night something very odd happened: I arrived to the theater to discover that our drummer was on his way out, as his wife was giving birth!  So we had to do the show without a drummer.  But that took us all back to where the show had started way back when, before having a drummer was even in the conversation.  And something really delightful happened – in finding its roots both cast and show found its legs again!  The result was a terrific performance that was followed up the next night (our wonderful drummer returned – it had been false labor!) by what I feel was the very best show the cast and band had ever, ever performed.  Powerful, funny, deeply provoking.  A great way to end that experience.

Now, with THE INSIDIOUS IMPACT OF ANTON, I thought for sure that the tech was going to be our biggest challenge.  And I was right.  I don’t want to go into too much detail for a number of reasons, but suffice it to say it was one of the roughest tech weeks I had experienced in many, many years.  That said, I “kept the eye on the prize,” as they say, and pushed, kicked and shoved the show over the hill with tremendous help (and patience) from my excellent , VERY dedicated crew, design team and cast; and by God we had an opening with all the very necessary  bells and whistles when we got there!  The result of all that struggle and focus on the tech, though, was that some other things just had to be put on the back-burner until we opened, as I just didn’t have the time or brain-space for them.  But in the two days following opening I made sure those items got cooked and to complete the metaphor, we ended up with a really tasty meal of which I’m very, very proud!

CMJ: How do you think audiences connected with the piece?

Group by Adam Emperor Southard

RT: Re: ANTON – The problem we’re having, I think, is that we can’t talk too much about the things that set up what makes this play so special, as that would result in giving away the MAJOR plot hook/Act I closer!  So I really believe that people have been coming in expecting one kind of show (I’ve had people say to me they were expecting some variation on “The Foreigner”) and have been leaving surprised in a really positive way (and I say this without any slight towards Larry Shue)!

With GROUP: it still shocks me how there were audience members who walked away from it angry – actually *angry!* — about it, while others left feeling profoundly moved and uplifted.  Just that kind of show, and I think it shows I did my job.  Made bold choices.  Although to be fair, the three nights we played at the Fringe ended up SO radically different in tone, it was almost like three different pieces entirely.

CMJ: Anything you would do differently?
 

RT: Re: GROUP?  No.  The Fringe remount was what it needed to be and it for all its strengths or faults it remains one of my favorite experiences.  Re: ANTON, SO many things ended up exactly (or better) than I had expected!  Those things I’d do the same.  But there are a few questions I would have liked to have asked myself earlier in the process.  They got answered as we went, but I feel I could have serviced the play and cast a bit better if I had those answers sooner.  If I had thought to ask them more specifically.  A small number in particular I kicked myself so hard for missing I now have them on an e-sticky-note on my computer’s desktop for me to see whenever I’m working.  Drill them into my head.  I’m very hard on myself when I direct, and so I consol myself this time around with knowing I can really take these things with me into the future.  But you know, I feel every directing experience should be a chance to stretch, grow and learn, so I guess I did it right.

CMJ: What’s your next project & how did you find it/ it find you?
 

RT: Well, this Fall I have a few things on my agenda and a few that are still pending.  For sure, I want to get my VO demos back to where I’m happy with them.  And I want to FINALLY finish post-production on my last short, as well as shoot another one.  I want more time behind the camera.  But I’m in discussions with a performance artists about directing her next one-person show.  And I’m talking to a company about directing part of their ’12 season.  And as always, Tracy and I area looking to pick our next Absolute Theatre piece.  There’s two we’re serious about already!  Details to come!

_____________________________________________

Richard Tatum began directing twenty years ago at the Eugene O’Neill Center, but once in Los Angeles, he found his way to venerable Theatre West, where he directed experimental projects such as Rock Song, The Unusual Prospects, and most recently one of the Four Pilots for the Price of None (“Pop. 7“). He was a founding member and Associate Artistic Director of the award-winning Ark Theatre Company; there he directed critically acclaimed productions of The Country Wife (nominated LA WEEKLY Awards, Best Adaptation), The London Cuckolds, On the Verge, Good, and Hazard County, and hit world premieres of The Big Ever After, Sounds of Silence and Gaining Ground. As the Artistic Director of Absolute Theatre he was nominated for Best Comedy Direction (LA WEEKLY Awards) for The Girl Who Would Be King. Around other LA Theater, he’s directed the smash musical Group with the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble, The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Lyric Theater, and staged readings at the prestigious Slamdance on Stage and Blank Theatre Company.  In other media, he directed the short The N.U.T. System, the episode “Toilet Troubles” of the webseries “The Stalker Chronicles”, the comedy CD Bushwa!, as well as several radio commercials and plays for radio.  He teaches voiceover under the banner Absolute VoiceOver and is a faculty member of the Theatre of Arts conservatory.  Richard is also a multi-award nominated actor, whose 25-year career spans stage, film, TV, commercials and even cartoons.  He is a proud graduate of Oberlin College, a member of the SDC, as well as SAG, AFTRA, Actors Equity and Directors Lab West ’10.



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Aug
03

Making Better Human Beings

Sunday when I attended Heavier Than…. at The Theatre @ Boston Court*, all the seats had a survey stuck into them. I was happy to hear from Michael Seel that I was attending one of the five performances during a run with an Intrinsic Value Audience Survey through Wolf Brown. One of my first LA Stage Times articles was on this survey and I loved actually participating.

I remember there were theatre-makers at the presentation I attended who were iffy on trying it because…..wait for it…..what if they say something we don’t like? Should we actually consider choosing our work based on what the audience thinks?

If you don’t care what the audience thinks about your programming, then why bother moving your dress-up story-making from your backyard (or “puppet shows in your bedroom,” as Brown stated)?

Here is a paragraph from the original article written that I think is the best way to look at these surveys, emphasis mine:

Brown described the goal in another way–to use data and learn “How do your programs make people better human beings? Flow is the theory of the optimal experience.” Being fully absorbed in whatever you’re doing is the root of all happiness. Achieving that state of consciousness is why most people go out, sometimes to the theater.

What do you think? Have you received critical feedback that was incredibly helpful in the long run? Have you every re-arranged programming thanks to surveys or feedback and been happy/unhappy with it? As an audience member, are you more or less likely to complete a survey? Do you like being asked your opinion? Tell me below:

* I drafted this post before the phenomenal discussion on T@BC’s blog regarding live-tweeting began today. Read it all here.

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Aug
02

Re-Writing Jesus

Jesus Christ
Jesus_M_Christ Jesus Christ 8/2/2011
Sure I helped the poorest unconditionally, but that’s okay America just keep screwing them over and pretending like it’s what I would do.

_____________________________

“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we’ve got to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that he commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition — and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.”

-Steven Colbert

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
“Poor” in America
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive
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Aug
01

Survey | Live-Tweeting Experiments

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Jul
26

Live-tweeting Twelfth Night | What You Will

 

After reading the ClassicsFest Tuesday Night Tweeting for The Doctor’s

Dilemma, I got very excited to try it the following week at Twelfth Night and a new play, The Insidious Impact of Anton.

I detailed a bit of the experience last week, but want to follow up in more detail on a question I asked during the live-tweeting of Twelfth Night:

Why do Twelfth Night? Why right now?

It is a question I ask of every play, quite frankly. I usually don’t discuss it in public except with close friends, but somehow because of the live-tweeting discourse, I felt comfortable broaching the topic directly after watching the workshop presentation.

S0me background on my Twelfth Night experiences:

  • I’ve never seen a production that convinced me Viola’s life is in danger if she stays a woman. Kind of vital. Stakes and all. Contemporary audiences need more context. Just saying this is a hard place to live doesn’t cut it. My mind is still getting used to the language in those first five minutes, remember, no matter how much classical theater I’ve done.
  • I usually jump to a conclusion, the same offered as an answer to my question Why? It is a crowd-pleaser, like Midsummers. Fair enough. Then I remember that MacBeth was the crowd-pleaser of Shakespeare’s time, and that is how the superstition that saying MacBeth in a theater is bad luck. It meant the theater is in trouble and needs a smaller cast to give a bloodier story to the audience. (MacBeth is next week’s Tuesday Tweet Night, by the way.)
  • Even though if you’re going to see Shakespeare, you should see it at Antaeus, I still need a purpose to a production besides good acting. Not that others don’t do him well, but there’s no other place to see such amazing actors all in one place. Besides the sexiest Orsino and Olivia, well, ever – you also have Gregory Itzin, Harry Groener, JD Cullum, and Tessa Thompson as, quite simply, the best Viola I’ve seen. This need for purpose may be a personal mantra, but the Why? still feels relevant to this discussion.

So we return to the question: Why do Twelfth Night? Why right now?

It may be a bit unfair to ask that of company members Francia DiMase and Jeffrey Nordling who initiated the production, because of the nature of how Antaeus and ClassicsFest works. It may take months and sometimes years for an initiated project to move forward. Regardless, they decided to produce the workshop and so enough ensemble members were excited to try it.

I may have found an answer in the footnotes. More accurately, in the 3-page document of reminders and “tweet tips” compiled by Kendra Chell and Jen Hoguet of Antaeus.  I knew most of the tips, but really appreciated two specific discoveries, quoted below.

“Twelfth Night was the inspiration for a really horrible Amanda Bynes movie about boarding school and soccer entitled She’s the Man. You can tweet Amanda Bynes about #12thNite at @MissAmandaBynes_ – I’m sure she’d appreciate your take on this version of her hit film.”

I love this tweet tip because it gives the live-tweeters something really fun to put out there, and perhaps engage those outside of our own followers. I had forgotten about this movie as soon as I heard about it*, and didn’t actually use this information, but someone more inspired had the idea at their fingertips, courtesy of the organization.

The second tweet tip that didn’t hit me until later was this (emphasis mine):

“What you Will is the foretitle of Twelfth Night and Shakespeare’s intended title for the play, but it’s believed that he changed it after John Marston premiered a play with that title. It implies a jovial feel and an involvement of the audience.”

I found this on Wikipedia: The title Twelfth Night, or What You Will, prepares the audience for its jovial feel of festivities consisting of drink, dance, and giving in to general self-indulgence. The subtitle What You Will implies that the audience is also involved in the merry spirit found in the play.

Maybe that is what Twelfth Night is missing: the audience. Maybe that is why I like live-tweeting: having an active role when a ton of phenomenal actors are up onstage having a good time? Then I have a good time. I had a limited good time last Tuesday because of how involved I could get online. The whole theory behind live-tweeting (in my case) is that it is a fun way to involve your audience.

So why aren’t more people breaking at least the fourth, if not the fifth wall (to borrow Patron Technology’s term) when the title actually demands it? What are we scared of?

I hope to address that and more as we continue these experiments.

——-

Photos | Kariaane Flaathen

Photo 1 | Harry Groener as Feste | Tessa Thompson as Viola | Jeffrey Nordling as Orsino

Photo 2 | Tessa Thompson as Viola | Ramon deOcampo as Sebastian

——-

*For the record, I’m not a complete snob towards such adaptations. I think I’m the only person who enjoyed Cruel Intentions. I’m also a Sarah Michelle Gellar fan since Swan’s Crossing, the soap opera for junior high. Don’t judge.

 

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Jul
26

Summer Nights on the Boulevard

Businesses stay open late. The taco stand holds an ice cream social. Parents try a new daycare that just opened. Live bands and yoga samples all within shouting distance of each other.

Neighbors meeting each other. Business owners talking to everyone. People driving through who stop and walk around Atwater Village for the first time.

That’s Summer Nights on the Boulevard. These community gatherings are much of the reason why I love Atwater Village.

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Jul
25

Closing a Chapter | VFC

Many many thanks for your continuing support!

We thank Theatre Asylum, Art|Works Theatre & Studios & Coeurage Theatre Company at Actors Circle Theater for their Best of the Hollywood Fringe Festival offer. With an awareness & charity project, finances and schedules are always an important factor to continue increasing the audience, and I did not feel there was adequate time or funds to properly remount. Last week I regretfully turned down their offer.

We absolutely could not have had any semblance of success without the community and our supporters who gave as much as they could. $10 donations add up, and your generosity will always be greatly appreciated.

In the months leading up to the 26th anniversary in April 2012, I plan to turn the website into an online learning center and resource for awareness. There are no plans for our ensemble to continue presenting Awareness Events, but anyone who wishes to present a reading to benefit a children’s Chernobyl charity is welcome to contact me. I’ll happily offer resources, guidance (if asked) and a no-fee agreement according to the guidelines. The script will be available and published soon, but if you are interested in presenting to ages 8+ or 13+, please email cindy[at]cindymariejenkins.com for a pdf and guidelines.

If interested in helping with the website learning center, please also contact me! You can view the website here.

Many many thanks to all of your supporters. Please spread the goodwill by checking out our major supporters here.

Stay aware! –Cindy Marie Jenkins, Playwright

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Jul
23

Live-tweeting General Guidelines

I’m taking some time thinking through my responses to the experience of live-tweeting two shows last week, mostly because I’m receiving such interesting reactions from people.

I quickly compiled a short list of general guidelines for live-tweeting, to remember for next time! Add your ideas in the comments. I will revise the Guidelines with suggestions and as we continue this experiment.

Guidelines for live-tweeting a preview | dress | work-in-progress for Audience Development purposes

  1. Be uber-prepared by charging your phone until the very last minute. This seems completely elementary, but always good to remember. Context and follow-up are vital to these experiences, and you don’t want to hold back on the potential for great conversation post-show because your battery flopped in the middle of the second act (as I did here). Shame.
  2. Remember and remind your Followers this is not a Review. It isn’t. You can and should express opinions, but it is important to both the artists involved and the potential audience to understand it’s more of a conversation. This may only apply to these two specific live-tweeting examples, but we won’t know until we try more often. Of course, if you do intend to live-tweet a review, make that clear as well.
  3. Encourage discussion among those reading. Otherwise ask yourself “If a tweet falls in the woods…”. This guideline also goes to the theaters. Some further suggestions include: small info packet like Antaeus gave us, Twitter handles for those in or involved with the show, posting the hashtag in the lobby and in the program to encourage discussion with other audience members on Twitter, etc.
  4. Use general community hashtags sparingly. We had 1 primary hashtag for each show (#cf11 & #InsidiousAnton, respectively). #cf11 stands for ClassicsFest 2011 at the Antaeus Company, and we were encouraged to use #12thNite when appropriate. However, using #LAthtr after every tweet would have clogged the works and probably just annoyed the rest of the community.
  5. Give context and your relationship to the production. For example: ClassicsFest is a series of open rehearsals, essentially, and the Live-Tweeters were invited to the Company | Academy Nights of the Festival: Tuesday Tweet Nights! Absolute Theatre invited us to their Final Dress. We wanted to make that clear because as with many final dress rehearsals, there were delays, etc.; it was still a rehearsal. We as audience members couldn’t forget that people in the audience were still working. It was also important to express that to our audiences of Followers:

8:10p Cindy

So nice b4 his final dress! @ShelleyDelayne Just met @hilderthtrguy, the writer of #InsidiousAnton. Theater buzzing w prep activity. So fun.

without ignoring how much less pressure we were under than the production team sharing the house with us:

8:20p Cindy

Love final dress touches. Inc @midfi giving us a preshow. Much easier when you are audience member. #InsidiousAnton

Myself, Gedaly and Shelley are all friends, and so felt comfortable joining in on antics and conversations. We reminded ourselves that we are not there to distract – and that includes intermission. During any sort of preview, open rehearsal, or final dress, it’s important to understand your relationship to the goings-on. If you don’t have a role besides audience member, let them do their jobs. Also, the natural conversation high of live-tweeting when you actually get replies from people can be contagious, and I found that I was nearly bursting to continue the chatter at intermission and after the show. Although not appropriate during a final dress, it did make for easier segue-ways post-show. I was already thinking about it, and in effect, already talking about it with people who were there. I thus felt much more open to express my real opinion, especially about Twelfth Night, which you can read here soon. Anton was trickier because it is a new play, but we navigated plot points smoothly, I think.

6. Know how to get inside. It may seem silly, but especially if you are seeing a rehearsal or dress, be sure you know which entrance to use. Everyone makes sure the Production Team is present before starting a run, but Live-tweeters are still so new that it may take a while before stage managers remember to let us inside!

7. Follow-up. Especially with experiments such as these, we must continue conversation and fine-tune. This week I will follow-up with at least one more blog post on what I learned about Twelfth Night. In the meantime, you can read:

Gedaly Guberek | Experiences in Live-Tweeting Theatre, Volume 1

Jen Hoguet | Tweeting in the Theater: Yay or Nay?

Absolute Theater | Tweet Log

More Me | Live-Tweeting From an Audience Perspective

If you follow me on Twitter, please take two minutes to complete this survey on your experience while I live-tweeted.

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