Ten Questions. Ten Answers. And one Big Surprise in the audience …

Punk Grandpa

produced by Glitter Candy

Punk Grandpa is about one magical weekend 5 3/4 year old misfit Laura spent with her grandpa, portrayed through storytelling, dance, music and vintage family movies and photos. Grandpa was the most free, most inappropriate person Laura ever knew and this show portrays how he set Laura free to be herself through his humor and unpredictable, wild ways. It’ll put hair on your chest.

Show  Info:

• Fri Feb 19, 2016 | 5:30PM
• Sun Feb 21, 2016 | 3:30PM
• Mon Feb 22, 2016 | 8:50PM
• Tue Feb 23, 2016 | 7:10PM
• Sun Feb 28, 2016 | 6:50PM
• Sat Mar 05, 2016 | 3:50PM

UNDER St. Marks New York, NY $10/$12

Answers by Laura Force Scruggs
(playwright, producer)

1. Forget the PR version. When you’re talking to your friends, how do you explain this show to them?
Laura: It’s about being different and how my grandpa helped me to find myself (by showing how he really didn’t care what anyone thought) and to be okay with who I am: a freak and a fairy (for example: Tinkerbell). My brother told me, “You aren’t just a freak in the freakshow, you are the entire freakshow.”

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink.  What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
Laura: I hope they’re discussing anything funny grandpa did, like pretending to communicate with spies through his hearing aids, playing in the high school band (since senior citizens could audit any class for free and he didn’t feel ready to play in a band with people his own age yet), or going to a Lost and Found and asking, “Did anyone turn in a black umbrella?” One of my top hopes for the show is for my grandpa’s legacy to be carried on, of how he found humor and spontaneity in the every day and had no fear. I aspire every day to possess the kind of freedom that he had, as my Uncle Jon says, the kind of freedom for which people would spend thousands of dollars for in therapy.

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Laura: I feel like the characters of grandpa and Laura drive the show, Laura feeling like she doesn’t fit in anywhere and grandpa helping her find herself by modeling that it’s okay to be herself by being his full-out unfiltered, spontaneous self and loving her unconditionally, while others around her don’t “get her.” The character of grandpa is always doing the unexpected, like telling other people at church who are bragging about their kids’ prestigious careers, “My kids are doing great, too. My son John, he lives in New York. He drives a big car, runs his own business. He’s a pimp. And, my daughter, Amy, she’s doing real well, too. She works for him!”

4. In rehearsals, read-thrus, or prior incarnations, what’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you (or the team) the most proud?
Laura: “It is simply put, perfect beauty.

Intersections of identity and vulnerability and honesty and history and family, executed by a very talented and special performer, coming together in a way that touched everyone’s hearts.

If you’ve ever felt different and admired the freedom that comes with just being true to that difference, no matter what other people think or say, go see it! Really.”

~Audience member at Chicago Fringe

5. If money and resources (and even reality) were no object what is the most lavish, luxurious, pointless prop, costume, effect – anything – that you would spend money on for this show?
Laura: A full big band orchestra, super over-sized objects in the dream sequence (like a donut bigger than me), lots of puppets, elves playing ice hockey in the freezer and more fairiness: a chorus of real fairies, an over-the-top fairy costume for the character of Laura with genuine fairy dust and a wand that could make wishes come true!

6. What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to regarding the FRIGID Festival itself?
Laura: I am really excited to see what a cast and director (who have never met my family) do with a show that I wrote based on my family (and originally as a one woman show), who are collaborating along with my production manager/stage manager/dramaturg, who is my cousin and shared the same punk grandpa with me. This is a New York premiere of the multiple character cast version of “Punk Grandpa” (it was first performed with multiple characters at Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan); I’ve been performing it as a one woman show on and off for the past two years at various festivals throughout Chicago, Orlando, Indiana, Elgin and at the 2015 New York Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

7. Is there a scene, a moment, a gesture … anything at all in the show that you anticipate may get a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
Laura: Grandpa yelling out of his car window at every lady we saw on the street, as he drove us around at exhilarating rates of speed, “Hey, pick you up in an hour!”

and/or

When grandpa was asked to take a fertility test at the doctor and was handed the cup, he said, “Oh, I thought someone was going to help me.”

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
Laura: That’ll put hair on your chest.

and

If someone told grandpa no (including grandma), he just thought they needed more information.

9. What’s the last thing you usually do before the beginning of a show?
Laura: Pray and hug my husband really hard.

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Laura: If Weird Al showed up, it would be astounding and magical, as he is someone who, like my grandpa, is unafraid to be himself.

I love Weird Al!  Wouldn’t it be great if he saw your show and was so inspired that he contributed a song to it?  Based on what you’ve told us, he’d have no shortage of material for a whole series of Grandpa songs!

The rest of you – don’t forget to check out Punk Grandpa.

 -*-*-

Horse Trade Theater Group will present the 10th Annual FRIGID New York Festival at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4^th Street between 2^nd Avenue and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1^st Avenue and Avenue A) February 16-March 6. All shows run 60 minutes, or less. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at http://www.horsetrade.info/  

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In two weeks MTWorks will be producing the world premiere of David Stallings’ DARK WATER, directed by one of my favorite directors, Heather Cohn.  DARK WATER is about the ramifications of the Gulf oil spill, which began on April 20, 2010 and caused extensive damage to wildlife and marine habitats.  Although the accidental marine oil spill was eventually capped by mid September of that same year, detrimental ramifications continue to exist along the shoreline of Louisiana and as far as the Florida panhandle.

Stallings’ DARK WATER uses poetry, allegory, music, puppetry and movement to create this magical world as the animals of Louisiana face the ultimate threat to their lives. Diánna Martin plays Barnacle, an old sea turtle, who is fighting against man’s destruction, nature’s wrath, and her enemies of the wild to save her children trapped in the spill.  We were thrilled to be able to chat with her about DARK WATER.  Read on as she tells us about the challenges of transforming into a turtle, the ways this play takes her out of her comfort zone, and the ways in which preparing to play Barnacle affected her.

Diánna Martin, you’re currently preparing for your lead role in David Stallings’ DARK WATER, a contemporary fable about the Louisiana oil spill. Tell me a little about the play.

DM: Dark Water is a beautiful tale about a mother trying to save her children during one of the darkest times in our history on an environmental scale (and basically, in my opinion, on any scale). In the play, the oil has spilled, it’s headed toward all the marine life in the area as well as the land, and I am trying to get my children to safety. Barnacle encounters all different types of people (animals) as she tries to make her way to her kids, some of whom are not very nice. It brings together a myriad of characters that we may recognize for whom they represent but their story is unique.

We discover things about the spill as well as these characters, while showing the day in the life of what it must have been to try to live through this. Empathy is one of the greatest gifts we have been given as a species, if we care to use it, in my opinion, and it is my belief that this production engages the audience in a way that will provoke discussion and indeed empathy for creatures whose desires in life may not be so different from our own as a species.

All of the characters are animals. As an actress, how do you work to find that sweet spot which blends animal characteristics with human expression? How do you find that truth in order to bring BARNACLE to life in the purest way?

DM: Well, regarding general physicality, it’s been a group effort in finding what are some mannerisms that are human, but that seem appropriate for the particular animal, at least in way of greetings and whatnot.

However I find the majority of it is in focusing on my journey, which is very human: to save my children. Add in that I’m a loving mother who has lived a long, long time and seen a lot in this world; and keeping in mind what my creature is (a lumbering, much older turtle who can go slow on land, fast in the water, and who is also very grounded and powerful). Also bringing in location and the lovely dialogue that has been provided gives me a way to go forward.

My boyfriend teased me that I was going to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for his first time seeing me on stage, and I laughed because that is so NOT what one will see in this production. We are seeing characters who are animals in a set of given circumstances within a parameter that we as humans can understand. And as we work on characters we realize more and more their lives and live their plights and their joys. I think people will be surprised and delighted at what they see.

This play is very multi-dynamic filled with music, dance, puppetry, projections and song. Do you find this taking you out of your comfort zone? 

DM: Indeed! I am very much out of my comfort zone, but that’s a good thing…it’s the only way one grows. I am singing in the play, which is new to me. Although I have sung once before in a play, it’s not something I am used to at all. I used to do choir in college, used to do back-up vocals playing out in NYC for a singer/songwriter, and I can do a mean karaoke when among friends. It’s actually very scary for me. People don’t realize this but I’m really shy about a lot. That’s one of those things.

Even though my uber dream is to rock out in a chick rock band.

Has this role brought up any discussions – either with other cast members or with friends and family – about the oil spill that were deeper, richer, or more heartfelt than what was sparked by the original incident? 

DM: Well, I won’t go into conversations, since they sometimes ended up with me yelling at someone using language not appropriate for this interview. ;) However, I can tell you that I have learned so much from doing this play.

As you know, I am an animal person and have always considered myself a champion for the environment. However, I have to be honest that originally the reality of all the marine and avian life that were affected by this crisis for a long while was more of a concept or idea. A concept that I saw but didn’t feel as deeply

I mean, do folks know that they set the oil on the water on fire to try to burn it up to “get rid of it” and hide their tracks? Think about that for a minute…any animals caught up in the water that might have actually survived suddenly just set on fire. If we put ourselves in their shoes…well, that must have been even more terrifying.

When doing research for the play, I started looking up the different animals with whom Barnacle comes into contact in the show. Of course I grew up with channel 13 animal specials and have seen these creatures, but as I began to really look into them, I felt for them more and more.

Then one day I was looking up the Sheepshead fish, of course kind of blown away by the teeth on the critter. But as I searched YouTube desperately trying to find imagery of the fish in its natural habitat, all I could find was one video after another of: how to cook it, how to catch it, how to kill it; lengthy videos of a fisherman holding the poor thing out of water to show to the camera the teeth and laughing, while the animal is suffering. Drowning on air, basically.

I was aghast at the casual cruelty and inability for me to even see what this animal looks like living it’s life because all that was available were vids of people killing it. That kind of hit home. I eat fish, but I eat them, I don’t torture them.

On top of it, in this production we are all actors who are animals – but they appear as humans in this play. They have the same needs and desires as we do – to live, to eat, to love, to endure. Being able to play it on that level also really made their plight all the more real for me.

What are some moments of the play that are your favorites to perform?

DM:  Well, I would tell you, but that would give it away…

Suffice to say that for the most part it is anything having to do with either being a devoted mother…or taking to task those who get in my way.

There’s an extraordinary team being brought together for this production. It’s clear that a lot of thought is going into the set design, the costumes, etc. Share with us some of your impressions of what we’ll see, and what kind of world this team has created for DARK WATER.

DM: I am truly amazed at the level of ingenuity and talent that has lent itself to this production. Some of the artists I have worked with before, some I have not, but I am thrilled to be a part of what is happening here. We have seen renderings, and I can’t wait to see what they bring for us to work with. The fact that we are being transported under the ocean as well as on land is just amazing. It’s going to be like a playground for the actors.

My costume is going to be great, too. I’m really just so excited, I can’t wait until we can get into tech and play.

Finally, Diánna - anyone who knows you knows you’re a big animal lover. For other animal lovers who may want to know, will this play leave them broken hearted, galvanized or uplifted?

DM:  Oh, man – I hope it’s a combination of all three. That’s what the play does for me.

I hope it’s a wake-up call to those who are desensitized to what the reality of this oil spill meant and means to the thousands of creatures who died slow and painful deaths, the animals that continue to be born with defects, and to the pollutants that effected the ecosystem, the plants, ocean, and humans as well.

It is an uplifting play that will break your heart while calling you to action. ;)

–

Thanks so much for hanging out with us, Diánna, and for giving us so much to think about!  For the rest of you, don’t forget to check out DARK WATER – info below.

~~~

DARK WATER plays the following schedule through Saturday, March 29: 

Week 1:
Friday, March 14th at 8pm
Saturday, March 15th at 8pm
Sunday, March 16th at 2pm

Week 2:
OPENING NIGHT :: Monday, March 17th at 7pm
Thursday, March 20th at 8pm (followed by panel discussion)
Friday, March 21st at 8pm
Saturday, March 22nd at 8pm
Sunday, March 23rd at 2pm

Week 3:
Thursday, March 27th at 8pm
Friday, March 28th at 8pm
Saturday, March 29th at 8pm

Opening Night performance followed by short reception.

Advance tickets are $18 ($15 Students/$12 Seniors) and are available online or by calling 866-811-4111. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater ½ hour prior to performance.

Running Time: 90 min. One intermission.

The Theater at the 14th Street Y is located on 344 East 14th Street (at 1st Avenue)

By Subway: L to 1st Avenue
By Bus: M14 or M15 to 14th and 1st

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Anaïs Koivisto’s Something Wicked, produced by the Everyday Inferno Theatre Company as part of this year’s Frigid New York Festival, consists almost entirely of original lines from Shakespeare‘s Macbeth, cropped and re-arranged in deconstructed collage form to explore, in a very modern way, the character and motivations of its notorious anti-heroine, Lady Macbeth. Academically of course, rivers of ink and storms of hot air have already been unleashed in this cause, so Koivisto’s contribution, for all its formal expressiveness and vibrancy, can only hope to stand some ground in an already crowded field. The alignment of character with fate is at the core of classical conceptions of tragedy but, however undeniably effective it is in art, it rankles with contemporary notions of personality development and redemption. Every generation has to find something of worth in the cultural inheritance of the previous in order to sustain an interest. Perhaps this is why the great villains of literature and history continue to demand our attention; we need to understand in a contemporary light what precisely made them tick.

Something Wicked commences at the instance of Lady Macbeth’s death. In the original play this momentous act occurs off stage and is merely a matter of report passed along to an already besieged and desperate Macbeth. Whatever the unsettling impact this unseen demise works on the imagination, for Koivisto it is an unsatisfactory way of finishing with the Lady. And so the action commences from this point and revolves entirely around the character, as she wakes to find herself in some otherworld, visited by the three Weird Sisters, who encircle her like tormenting Furies, recounting her deeds and conjuring scenes from her past. A weakened, bewildered soul, she observes her former steely self, black-eyed with murderous ambition, bloodthirsty in her speech, relentless in her provocation of her husband, and seems appalled. The original character’s abrupt shift from extreme ruthlessness to guilt-laden mental collapse is one of those undying academic topics of debate, but here Koivisto is unabashedly attempting to recast her in a more sympathetic light.

For the purpose the author has devised an ingenious re-ordering of the original lines, recited in over-lapping, echoing delivery by actors representing both the primary figures in the action, and the Lady herself  (there are up to three separate Lady Macbeths on stage at any given time). Dark as it is, Macbeth is arguably one the Bard’s most linguistically rich poetic concoctions and Koivisto’s ear is sensitive to the meter and the music as she arranges one speech followed or over-taken by another. Music and movement seem close to the heart of this production. There is a sense that Koivisto, directing as well as adapting, is getting her actors’ movements to echo the rhythm of the line delivery, as if they are engaged in a formal dance of some complexity. This could be worked on to tighten up composition and co-ordination, but on a blank stage, with just rudimentary flat backdrops, it is a wonderful thing to watch when it flows.

A rich sense of theatricality is at play and Koivisto employs a bold pallet of effects. At one instant of heated drama the scene suddenly shifts from the Macbeth story to present four seated academic types all intoning opposing notions of just why Lady Macbeth behaves the way she does. It is a welcome eruption of  comedy in an otherwise charged account, and the actors don’t miss a beat in the transition. Musical performances too are used to temper proceedings, but whilst they have a lyrical appeal, and one serves to present us with the strange sight of the thane and his wife engaged in a tango, they could be enfolded more smoothly into the action to prevent a drop in pace. The musicianship feels rather basic. In contrast to the production’s formal boldness, the visual style is minimal, but might have benefitted from a fresher approach. The preponderant insistence on black and red feels well worn, if not traditional. The actors are all on point and sound conversant with the Shakespearean language, but there are some moments of under projection, even in such a small auditorium.

“What’s done cannot be undone” is one of the lines frequently repeated here. It seems peculiarly relevant for Koivisto, as to whether she can successfully reveal a new part of her doomed, age old subject. She certainly succeeds in enhancing the tragic aura surrounding the Lady, and if tragedy, finally, is that which can ennoble humanity, then that’s saying much in regard to a figure most usually condemned to being one of theatre’s most notorious villainesses. Villainesses of course have always proven fascinating, and this original experiment in theatre proves no less so.

~~~
Something Wicked
Company: Anais Koivisto & Everyday Inferno Theatre Co.
Directed by: Anais Koivisto

Remaining Performance:
Feb 25, 8:40PM
Mar 01, 2:05PM
Mar 08, 8:25PM

Click HERE for tickets

Running time: 1 h 0 min
Price: $14.00 – $16.00
Seating: General Admission

The Kraine Theater
85 E. 4th Street
New York , New York 10003
2nd and 3rd Ave

Horse Trade Theater Group will present the 8th Annual FRIGID New York Festival at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4^th Street between 2^nd Avenue and Bowery) and UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1^st Avenue and Avenue A) February 19-March 9. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at www.FRIGIDnewyork.info or by calling 212-868-4444212-868-4444. 

Related Posts:

• Something Wicked: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2014 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
• Macbeth, Aquila Theatre; Macbeth, Epic Theatre Ensemble
• Romeo And Juliet, Empirical Rogue Productions
• The Bardy Bunch: The War Of The Families Partridge And Brady (Fringe Festival 2011)
• Punk Grandpa: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)

 The Mini-Fridge Elevenses*

11 Questions, 11 Answers … ZERO calories, and 100% YUMMY!

 *Elevenses is a snack that is similar to afternoon tea, but eaten in the morning and might consist of some cake or biscuits with a cup of coffee or tea. The name refers to the time of day that it is taken: around 11 am. 

Kill The Band – Mock Bottom Mockumental CD Release Experience

Produced  by: Killer KIlly Productions
Directed by: Killy Dwyer + Bill Chambers

KILL THE BAND presents a surreal, multi-media theatrical experience to celebrate the release of their triumphant second comedy rock album, MOCK BOTTOM. Part CD release party, part psychodramedy, MOCK BOTTOM mockuments the farcical cycle of the band’s breakdowns and break throughs. *A 13-song CD with a 12-page art/lyrics booklet is INCLUDED in the price of each ticket*

Show Times:

• Thursday June 27th and Saturday June 30th at 10pm

Answers by: Killy Dwyer and Bill Chambers
(The Wonder Twats)

 1. Your tag line is featured above, so we know the PR version of what this play is about. But when you talk to your family and friends, how do you explain the show to them?
I barely know how to explain it to the cast and crew – it’s pretty off the wall as my productions tend to be. It’s comedy. It’s a surreal, multimedia play. It’s performance art. It’s a mockumentary! It’s a CD release! It’s a party! At the heart, It’s a story about a band. It’s an accessible avant grade, expressionist, mostly live mocumentary of the journey towards making our new album, Mock Bottom.

2. Here’s a scenario: After the show some audience members go have a drink. What’s the part of the show you hope they’re discussing?
If it had to be one thing, hopefully it would be the music.  When they leave the show, they will have a copy of our new album in their hands. The whole show revolves around Kill The Band’s new CD, which is something we put a lot of time and passion into over the last 2 years. The show is ultimately about that: the process and the people, and above all, the musical result.  It’s the show you can take home!

3. What drives your show – character, theme or plot?
Character. I have lots of character. Too much, probably. Wait. No. It’s theme. The play is conceptual in theme and is told (comically) through the 7 stages of grief. Yes. I said 7 stages. You may think there are 5 but KILL THE BAND needs 7. Trust me. Although, when I think about it, the plot is how the album developed over the last 2 years. Simply put: the thing that drives this show is the music from the album. And Jameson. Obviously.

4. What’s the one thing someone said about the show so far that made you the most proud?
Holly Hunter wandered into the theater one afternoon during rehearsals, and said “Oh sorry, are you guys rehearsing something?” Then she left. But she totally said that. *beams with pride*

 5. Let’s fantasize for a moment. Let’s take the “off-off” off. Imagine this show is on Broadway. What would that change about the production itself?
Not much, except that my part would be played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman in a blonde wig and a tutu.

6. Taking that one step further – after paying everyone what they’re worth of course, what is the most lavish, luxurious, frivolous thing you would spend money on if there was no constraints? (Think of the helicopter in Miss Saigon).
There would be a scene in the middle of the show where we all go see Miss Saigon, and watch the meticulously recreated “helicopter scene.” Then suddenly out of nowhere, a guy dressed like Spider-Man falls from the rafters and seriously injures himself. And Holly Hunter would randomly walk in and say “Oh sorry, are you guys rehearsing something?”

7. Is there a scene, a moment, anything that gets a completely different reaction depending on the audience that night?
 This is the first time this show will be seen, but at one point, I will bring an audience member onto the stage and force them to be the band therapist in that particular scene. Audience participation can be a huge pay off or a huge disaster and I love the unpredictability of it. Risk is my favorite. Honestly? The whole show is a risk. Who releases an album like this? KILL THE BAND does. BOOM!

8. What’s your favorite line from the show?
“Most of them are little animals made out of glass, the tiniest little animals in the world. Mother calls them a glass menagerie!” 
Oh wait, did you mean MY show?
“Don’t attack me with your happiness, I want you all to suffer for my art”. Which is the lyric of one of our songs.

9. Is the world of this play sustainable outside a theatre? In other words … do you think people live the way the characters do? Would you want a world where they do?
Absolutely, this IS my world.  It’s a wild, weird, weird world. The characters are real people that I know and love, playing themselves… it’s all essentially true. The narrative is definitely up for interpretation in many ways, an attempt to illustrate what’s going on in my own head… but the story is something that everyone can understand.  Breakdowns vs. break throughs.  Tragedy + time.  Issues with my mother.  I mean sure, one of the characters is a house plant, but that’s what my world is all about.  Join me.  Let’s let go of reality for a bit, eh?

10. You scan the audience and you see a face that stops you dead in your tracks – who is it? And why are you shocked?
Oh my God, it’s ME! Is this all some sort of weird dream? Why am I the only one in the audience? OH NO!! IT’S A NIGHTMARE!!!

11. Time for Elevenses! Go to the mini-fridge of your fantasy hotel. What’s your dream 11:00am snack?
Sherried figs, on an extra-plain bagel. The rest is filled with mini-bar bottles of Jameson and a tiny Holly Hunter dressed as a leprechaun.

Thanks, Killy and Bill, for having your Elevenses with us here at THM!  We can’t wait to see Kill The Band – Mock Bottom Mockumental CD Release Experience!

If you’d like to catch Kill The Band – Mock Bottom Mockumental CD Release Experience at The Mini-Fridge Festival find out more by clicking this link.

~~~

HORSE TRADE THEATER GROUP IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRIGID NEW YORK PRESENT THE 2012 MINI-FRIDGE

JUNE 28 – JULY 4 @ UNDER ST. MARKS The mini-festival will play at UNDER St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place between 1st Avenue and Avenue A) June 28-July 4. Tickets ($15/$12 students & seniors) are available online  or by calling 212-868-4444. 

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• 2nd Season Mini Fridge – Tasty, Filling And Leaving Audience Wanting More! (Jun 28, 2012 – Jul 04, 2012 )
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Actress and Comedian Livia Scott hosts this monthly variety show, where dead celebrities are brought back to life and stellar guest performances contribute to the experience of Livia’s Castle of Enchantment at the UCB Theater East.

I attended Livia’s Castle of Enchantment on Tuesday, April 24, and was pleasantly taken on a whirlwind as Livia morphed into the dead celebrity of the evening: Mike Wallace. Livia’s portrayal as Mike Wallace was as respectful as it was funny and had the crowd laughing throughout the show, highlighting her skills in stand-up, improv, and impersonation.

Livia (ahem … Mike Wallace) was joined by three special guests: Mike Milazzo, Bamboo Silva, and Seaton Smith. These acts were woven throughout the show, giving each performer a space in which to shine, while being incorporated into the total experience of the evening’s enchantment.

Seaton Smith did a riotous comedy set, enthralling the audience with his edgy humor, thoughts, and observations.  Mike Milazzo and Bamboo Silva rocked the theater with solo acts, and then collaborated in an improvisational jam that had the audience shouting with excitement and electric applause. As Livia said, “the ferociously heartbreaking guitarist + Bronx beatboxer beyond Thunderdome = together they’re unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”

Overall, Livia’s Castle of Enchantment is a fun, organic variety show. Each month brings a new dead celebrity host via Livia and amazing guest acts to round out the experience. The show starts by 7:30 and lasts about an hour. At only $5, you won’t want to miss this kind of enchantment.

More about Livia Scott:

Livia is an actress, comedian and character powerhouse who’s appeared on Law & Order, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, the Comedy Central series Honesty, the upcoming feature film Snatched as Andrew McCarthy’s nurse and she pulls a Peter Sellers by playing about 7 different roles in National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie directed by Christopher Meloni.

She’s an ensemble player in The Shushan Channel by writers from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart with guest appearances by Will Forte, Scott Adsit, Rachel Dratch, John Oliver and Joel McHale, and MEAT, the critically acclaimed all-female sketch phenomenon hailed as “One of the nation’s best groups” by THE ONION.

Livia also writes for MIRTH Magazine, hosts the celebrated variety experience Livia’s Castle Of Enchantment at UCB and is a double ECNY Award nominee for Best Emerging Comic of the Year and Best Solo Show for Goodnight, OJ, her adaptation of real letters written to OJ Simpson which ran for a year at UCB and was directed by Baron Vaughn.

She’s been featured in The New York Times, Backstage, The New York Post, The NY Daily News and The Apiary.

Livia won the 2011 Channy Award for Best Villain in a Web Series & the 2010 Channy Award for Best Actress.  She was recently named “One Of Our Favorite 53 Female Comedians” along with Tina Fey, Amy Poehler & Sarah Silverman by THE HUFFINGTON POST.

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The other day I was walking by myself, minding my own business down Riverside Park, trying to have some me time with . . . well . . . me, and I noticed these pianos just lying there unattended. So I snapped a shot and did some snooping around, and found out about a fantastic non-profit  called Sing for Hope, and their Play Me I’m Yours arts project.

Play that thang! ©Antonio Minino

Play Me, I’m Yours, has a total of 60 pianos at different parks and public spaces all around New York City.  From June 21 to July 5, the pianos are placed throughout the city’s five boroughs to be played by all who pass by — students, tourists, children, nannies, doctors, merchants, artists — in a festival of music open to all New Yorkers.

I’m definitely heading on down there to see if I catch someone actually playing the damn thang.

Maybe it’ll be you?

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I am fascinated with driven entertainers who do more with their beautiful mug and talent than the average human. In saying this, no one fits this mold better than German sensation Soraya Garcia.  Born in Hannover to Spanish parents, Soraya has risen out of an array of fashion models and musicians to stand alone. She labels herself a “rebellious, liberal democrat” and as her career is about to explode, I figured I would sit down with her and grab a few quick thoughts from her creative mind, before I am having to wait in line like the rest of the Universe …

Would love to get a breakdown of your background, it’s so interesting? Where are you from? Your heritage? How has that shaped who you are today?

Thank you very much! My family is actually from Valladolid, a city close to Madrid in Spain. I was born and raised in Hannover, Germany though…which is quite interesting since I feel that both countries are so different from each other. In Spain, we are pretty passionate and we know how to enjoy life whilst Germans tend to be very driven by hard work and discipline… So…I often feel this cultural mix keeps me balanced and makes me more tolerant and understanding of other cultures.

How did you break into Fashion? Where do you see yourself going next? Acting wise, especially?

I got into this industry when I was around 19. Paul Mitchell was casting models for a hair show, I happened to more or less “run into” the casting agents and hair stylists from L.A., and got to do the whole runway thing with eight-inch heels and their latest hair-style creation on my head – which included about ten tons of hair-spray and more hair gel I ever thought existed. All in all a funny experience, that led to more and more shoots, including fashion,beauty and commercial print. Another big focus of mine is music though, my electronica band Excess-bition is just about to release our first cd “Intellectual Property”, I am more then exited to start dj-ing very soon too. I love creativity so much, and i just think all arts kind of flow together; that is why I would love to expand all my possibilities, and since modeling is a little bit of acting too, I would love to try that on a small scale as well. I just love to have the best of all ALL worlds, haha.

I know you are multi lingual. What languages do you speak and or study?

Well… I speak German, English and Spanish fluently, plus some basic French and Italian. I also studied Latin for six years, since my dad wanted me to become a lawyer or a doctor…well..not quite, haha.

I also know you are very well known for your constant voice in animal activism. What is your daily lifestyle/outlook like? Also, I know you support the German organization BUND-can you tell me more about this organization?

Sure! I have been a vegetarian since I was twelve years old, and a vegan since I turned nineteen, meaning I do not use any animal product at all. Animals are just so important to me; having two cats myself, I feel that an animal is more than a potential steak or sausage. I know people classify animals into categories, meaning e.g you can eat a cow but not a cat in our society, but I choose to not make this distinction. They say that a society is also characterized by the way it treats their animals…if so, we still have a lot to learn, I guess. I know that not everybody will stop eating meat or wearing fur just for the sake of it, but I wish people would realize that animals actually DO have feelings, they do feel pain, and that it is completely unnecessary to kill or exploit them in my opinion. Apart from other charities dedicated to animals, I support the German “BUND”, which helps to protect the environment and animals alike. Their latest campaigns are intended to save the whales, and to protect endangered animals. Please feel free to find out more at: www.bund.net.

***

There she is!  I’m delighted to introduce New York City to her. To listen to Soraya’s music on Reverb Nation, Go here.

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Photo by: Jane Srisarakorn

The lovely Kat Asharya from my favorite fashion (music, pop culture, et al) blog NGFM.com talks about her film making, what’s in store for NGFM and where she goes for a BLT.

Name: Kat Asharya
Occupation: Filmmaker/writer/blogger
Borough/Neighborhood: Harlem/Morningside Heights

Tell us a little about nogoodforme and how you got started and how it evolved into a troika: I started nogoodforme.com solo in 2003, when blogs were kind of a new thing in general. There were a handful of blogs that dealt with fashion, most of them from an insider/professional perspective, but I wanted to write about style from a sort of normal, “girl on the street” point-of-view. I kept it going till I went to film school, where it went on a bit of a hiatus as I got incredibly, crazily busy with my MFA work. After a lot of “Where did you go?” emails, I brought on my old zine friend Liz to fill in the gaps between my entries and opened up the content a bit beyond fashion so that we were a little more free to write about what inspired us in pop culture in general. About a year later we got Laura Jane (who we also knew from zines) on board. Something about three is a magic number — we’re able to inspire one another and keep something going on the blog, no matter how busy someone gets. (And we all go through periods where things get a little insane for any of us.) I’m pretty psyched about the direction it’s taken and where it’s going, and it still feels pretty fresh and fun for us, even after six years on my part.

Phoebe 2:13AM, actress Stephanie Ellis

You are also a filmmaker? What are you currently working on? Any upcoming screenings we should look out for? (I know a few just passed…) I’ve been making films since forever (okay, really since undergrad) and worked in the film industry for awhile right after graduating from college. I’ve been getting my MFA in film making at Columbia for the past few years and have been doing most of my film making within that framework, although my producer Tobey List and I are starting up a production company and will be making work under that umbrella soon. A film maker’s always juggling a million different projects due to the unpredictability of making movies, but lately I’ve been concentrating on developing a lot of feature script ideas, ranging from a female werewolf story to an interracial romance set in contemporary Bangkok to a sort of 1990s zine girl/grunge era epic. I’ve also been working on a few short ideas for my thesis film and trying to get the financing together for that. I have a short film, “Phoebe, 2:13AM,” that I’ve just started submitting to festivals. It’s already screened a few times so far in NYC, but hopefully there will be additional screenings in other cities in the upcoming year. Film is such a protracted, drawn-out endeavor… even I have a hard time keeping all my film projects straight.

Phoebe 2:13AM; Doug A. Roland, Stephanie Ellis

How does fashion and music translate into your film making? I definitely think all the arts feed into one another when it comes to film making, including fashion and especially music. Sometimes I joke that I only want to make films so I can put together soundtracks for them; sound and music are definitely a hugely important part of the film making process for me. Sound and music function like a film’s subconscious, and really great uses of music do it in ways that don’t just “illustrate” a film but add or complicate it. In terms of fashion, I actually do costume design and wardrobe supervising on films a good amount, so I’m pretty attuned to how actors and characters use clothing to define themselves and visually communicate who they are. Interestingly enough, I find in my own films that I have to rein in my fashion eye a bit — you generally don’t want to “date” your film with too much fashion. You want to be true to the world and to the characters, and sometimes that’s not too fashion-centric.

Any other projects you’re working on that you’d like us to keep an eye out for? We’re always up to a lot when it comes to nogoodforme.com… we’ve done a benefit and curated a show in the past through the blog. There’s been talk of a zine project or a film screening, but since we all do the blog while balancing about a million other things, it’s a little unpredictable.

Favorite music to listen to when writing: What I listen to when writing depends on the type of writing I’m doing. If it’s for nogoodforme, I like to listen whatever I’ve just bought or downloaded recently (lately, Moderat, the Phenomenal Handclap Band, Crystal Antlers, the Horrors and old Neil Young), or I like to listen to WFMU, which plays a fantastic mix of really out-there stuff. If anyone wants to know why my writing sometimes gets a little loopy on nogoodforme, it’s probably because I caught the tail end of the black metal show or something on WFMU! But if I’m working on a script, I pretty much stick to the particular soundtrack I’ve made up for that project, and that depends on the story and the scenes I’m working on that day. For my 1990s Chicago zinester epic, for instance, there’s lots of old, kind of bad industrial music that reminds me of that time and place!

Favorite place to eat in the neighborhood: Harlem itself has a lot of great little restaurants; there’s a genuine sense of community up here. Lately I like to go to Little Senegal and try out the restaurants there. There’s really nothing like it in the rest of Manhattan. I like Africa Kine a lot; the service is kind of terrible sometimes, but the lunch is delicious. But in my neighborhood proper, I’m ashamed to say that I eat out a lot at Deluxe, the local neighborhood slightly-up-the-scale diner. It’s really good, though — it’s got a great BLT sandwich, great fries, just a great selection of solid, hearty fare, and the milkshakes are delicious. The staff are super-sweet and friendly. Community is a new-ish restaurant that I like a lot — generally it takes a seasonal, fresh, local approach to food. It had a fire recently, though, but it should re-open soon. (I hope!) Kitchenette is always great for brunch, and I also like to stop by Sip for breakfast or a snack as well. Everything’s half-price on Mondays, too!

Little known fact about your neighborhood: I forget that Grant’s Tomb is up here sometimes — and I had no idea it was the largest mausoleum in North America.

Favorite watering hole: I actually don’t drink a lot in my neighborhood — I tend to go out to other areas to meet friends for drinks. Most bars are kind of overrun with Columbia undergrads in Morningside Heights, so I do what I can to escape. The old classic is 1020 at 110th and Amsterdam, but I like going to the Abbey Pub instead when I’m in the neighborhood dive mood. The Village Pourhouse works when you’re in the mood for beer, and they have a pretty vast, rather overwhelming selection to choose from, including a nice little variety of Belgian lambics, which are my favorite.

Favorite place(s) to shop (clothing, shoes, food, etc.): My neighborhood’s not so great for shopping, which can be both bad (boring!) but good (not spending money!). What’s great up here is books, which is not surprising in a neighborhood dominated by a university. There’s Book Culture, which used to be Labyrinth Books, which is a great independent bookseller just down my street. Bank Street Bookstore is a children’s bookstore, and I actually really love to go in there because it’s so charming. There are a lot of random street sellers with tons of books, and you can get great bargains from them. In terms of fashion, I’m actually around the corner from Liberty House, which is kind of a boutique stalwart that sells hippieish clothing, toiletries, and stuff like that. (By “hippieish” I mean old-school hippieish, not faux-hippies from Brooklyn.) But I discovered it carries Orla Kiely bags, which are so tempting, and if you dig a bit there is more contemporary clothing as well. But really, my favorite place in my neighborhood is Riverside Park, and I love going to the Studio Museum in Harlem on 125th Street as well. For food, there’s a little farmer’s market up here on Thursdays and Sundays, and Westside Market, which is open 24 hours and is responsible for me doing my grocery shopping at 1am!

Best pizza in your hood: I always end up at Coronet Pizza on Broadway and 110th for one of their mega-gigantic cheese slices. You get a slice as big as your head for slightly less than $3; I always end up sharing with someone because it’s so big! I’m not sure if it’s the best, but it definitely hits the spot at 2am after a night out drinking, which is about the only time I eat pizza.

Best coffee in your neighborhood: Morningside Heights is not really a great coffee neighborhood, and I’m not a huge coffee drinker myself to be motivated enough to seek out the great neighborhood caffeine fix. There’s an Oren’s, and I like to grab a cup at Artopolis on Amsterdam every now and then. But you can’t really beat Hungarian Pastry Shop in terms of neighborhood feel. It’s always crowded, good people-watching, a real hub, and great hot cider and strawberry shortcake.

If there was a movie of your life, what neighborhood would grace the opening scene? As a filmmaker, the opening scene would be my final home and the rest of the film would be a flashback, so hopefully I’ve ended up in my favorite neighborhood to live — which is the Marais in Paris. What can I say? Aim high!

What is your all time favorite monster and/or horror movie? Oooh, I love horror movies! Not the super-gory ones, but the ones that are really suspenseful and gripping. I have to say that my all-time favorites are the untraditional ones, though, like Let the Right One In and Trouble Every Day. Both of those films are visually ravishing, and the “horror”/monster aspect takes a backseat to other emotional and intellectual concerns. (Although Trouble Every Day has one of the most horrific scenes I’ve ever watched in a movie, hands down… shudders!) But I love the old classics, like the first Halloween, the first Poltergeist, and some Japanese horror as well.

“Fashion” movie? It’s a toss-up between Smithereens and Henry & June for me. Smithereens has amazing New Wave and punk costumes from the early 80s, but Henry & June is really beautiful, vintage-y and elegant, and I love the whole idea of Paris in the 20s and 30s. Those aren’t the usual “fashion-y” movies, but they both represent my sense of style in different ways. Oh! And I love Three Women, the Robert Altman movie starring Shelley Duvall. It’s one of his more experimental, left-field movies, but it’s very “1970s in the desert” in terms of fashion, very visually striking. It’s a great movie, really dreamlike and enigmatic, but with a real sense of Altman’s humanism throughout.

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