Monday, May 24, 2010

The deadlines, deadlines, deadlines... of April 2010

 [Section of "Bifurcation, Hysteresis, Catastrophe" by Jebney Lewis and K.R. Wood, an installation piece utilizing found plastic bags and pallet wood. I had the opportunity to write about these artists in April for City Paper.]


APRIL 30: Preliminary workshop draft of "William Weathersby" - Theatre Exile
We sat at Dirty Franks with Millers and shots of... something -- a $2.50 special. Sitting across from a reader of your play is like sitting with a demon or god of some kind. They have access to parts of you that even you yourself are not privy to. They also have the power to bring definition to your limitations, just by opening their mouths. I sometimes wonder if success -- more readers -- would mean a house of horrors.


APRIL 24: Act one revision of "William Weathersby" -- Theatre Exile
Some days I see it like this: journalism is a best friend. But plays are lovers that make and break your heart on a whim.



APRIL 22: Jorge Cousineau and the experimental play, "Only Sleeping" -- Philadelphia Metro
Cousineau felt compelled to apologize for wading too far into the underlying ideas of this collaboration. 
"I know it's just a little article," he kept saying. 
"I'm not going anywhere. Take your time," I said. It's a simple little phrase, but I never thought to utter it during an interview. A breakthrough.


APRIL 19: The legendary low-fi of Strapping Fieldhands -- Philadelphia Metro
Bob Malloy moved from Ohio to Philadelphia intent on plugging into the literary scene, but found he couldn't live with his typewriter alone. When he discovered a four-track recorder in the early 90s, Strapping Fieldhands was born. Soon there was a five-piece band formed around his music and lyrics. A growing following took root, and today the Fieldhands are revered by many as one of Philly's unsung indie heroes. While Malloy may still be a touch disappointed that some members resisted taking the band national way back when, his enthusiasm for the ensemble has been reborn. Some old school fans in high places are trying to give them a bit of a push. Malloy was a fun interview. Didn't hold back, and was even willing to discuss Anton Chekhov. I'm a fan for life.
PRE-EDIT DRAFT
[Archive photo provided by Weathervane Music.]


APRIL 19: Massive student loan debt in U.S., education section -- Metro Newspapers
Robert Applebaum founded a group called Forgive Student Loan Debt To Stimulate the Economy. It's a beautiful thing.


APRIL 15: The ritz-y Phoenix condos go to auction, real estate section -- Metro Newspapers
Shouldn't have taken this one, and I sort of knew it when I accepted. Isn't that always the way?


APRIL 14: Career centers on campus, education section assignment -- Metro Newspapers
1. Studies show that students who don't use career centers don't get jobs when they graduate. 2. Studies show that students that do use career centers generally don't get jobs either -- put ever-so-slightly more often. 3. New article: studies show there are no jobs.


APRIL 13: Act one revision, "William Weathersby" -- Theatre Exile
This meeting was at Nick's in Old City. Director Brenna Geffers is a gifted reader, and for that reason I couldn't help but run up a tab.


 APRIL 9: The retro swing-sass of Delco Nightingale -- Philadelphia Metro
Erin Berry and I enjoyed spray-gun cola while she worked the slow-and-early shift at Atlantis in Kensington. (Deadline before drinking.) Berry is fascinated by history of music and fashion. As a costume designer in New York, she constantly worked on period clothing. And Delco is all about the swing and sass of mid twentieth century Americana. For some reason Metro decided that readers would enjoy a delicious honey ham with this article. [Click on image to see larger]


APRIL 7: Grant money stays the same, cost of college goes bonkers, education section -- Metro Newspapers
Perhaps nowhere can you find more concise evidence of a deepening class system in the U.S. than in glancing at the many charts and graphs depicting student grants and loans. The lines for grants (quotient of free education) are almost uniformly flat over the last two decades, while cost lines look like mountain climbing diagrams.


 APRIL 6: Actress Leah Walton and the comedy of "Nerve" -- Philadelphia Metro
Walton spoke to me at 10 p.m. from a rehearsal hall where she was marking through a few of the dance steps in "Nerve." Her dedication to precision is remarkable, but she was still generous with her time -- enough to listen to my venting about critics. She was recently in a rare Tennessee Williams play, "Gnadigies Fraulein." It's a searching allegory of cruelty, art, love and class. "Poo, I want Stella, or I'll make a little pouty face in print," said our local paper of record. [Click on image to see larger]


APRIL 1: Brent Zeller's vision for physical education, "Evolutionary Education" -- Metro Newspapers
Why world class gymnasts biff it at the Olympics. Fun interview.


 APRIL 1: Another Jebney Lewis experiment at Nexus Gallery - City Paper
Jebney and K.R. were nice enough to give me a ride back to Kensington after the interview, with K.R. having to straddle the transmission. Jebney is constantly in a panic over getting himself too deep into a project. Overcommiting. We had beautiful discussions on the sheer madness of deadlines, none of which made it into the piece. LINK TO ARTICLE
[Photo by me with K.R. Wood's camera (thanks)]