Art Deco Weekend Classic Car Show

Posted on by Thor

Art Deco Weekend is the longest running free community cultural festival in South Beach Miami. Orlando Urban Sketchers, Tampa Urban Sketchers and Miami Urban Sketchers teamed up to offer free demos and sketch walks during the festival. The Breakwater Hotel was one of the buildings that was on the sketch walk I hosted. Walking up and down Ocean Avenue I became infatuated with this car parked in front of the Breakwater.

The owner sat in a lawn chair behind his car and other car owners chatted with him for the longest time. A guy and his girlfriend sat on the grass in front of me while I sketched. When they got back up, the guy asked what I was doing. I think he suspected I might be drawing his girl. When he saw the sketch of the car he offered a compliment. He turned to his girlfriend and brushed her butt with his hand saying, “Your dirty.” He did this three more times, laughing as they walked away. At the outdoor patio across the street, guests were enjoying drinks and “The Best Cuban Food” at Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine South Beach which is also known as the “Cathedral of Cuban Mojitos.” Now I kind of wish I had ordered a drink to sip while I sketched.

Premise Entertainment Drawing Night

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About every month Premise Entertainment hosts a drawing night at Creative Cay, (5959 Anno Avenue Pine Castle Fl). The cost for a two hour sketch session is $10. The poses were fairly short which offered me a chance to do a whole series of sketches instead of the one  sketch I usually do each night at events. The model was Megan Crawford who is a talented local dancer, aerialist, acrobat, body paint model and artist model. I see her at events all over town and have drawn her multiple times.

She was running a bit late because of traffic. When she got to the studio, she was rushing to get on her ballet outfit. On the side lines she started the delicate process of lacing on her ballet slippers. This is the kind of moment I always hope to sketch when drawing on location. Dominic Carola the President and Creative Director of Premise runs the sketch sessions and I shouted out to him, “Do you think we could sketch while she laces up?” He agreed and we were all off an running. I stood so as not to relax and settle into old habits while drawing.

It was a fun night of sketching. My goal was to loosen up working digitally. Instead of creating multiple layers, I simply painted right on top of line work on the sketch. When sketching on location there really isn’t time to switch back and forth between layers. At some point I usually end up painting or sketching on the wrong layer. This meant that some line work was destroyed. Destruction as it turns out is very much a part of creation.

 Dom plays music during the sketch session which adds to the story of the scene. The song I most remember from this session was “Don’t You Want Me” by the Human League which was about a female performer who was lifted from obscurity by some guy who is shocked that she is moving on to a better life without him.

Artist Kyle Gentry brought in a “Making Of Klaus” book and Dom was flipping through while sitting on the model stand during a break. Apparently there are very few of these books and they are sold out. Klaus was produced for Netflix and there was speculation that might be the only reason that this film did not win an Academy Award. The film uses traditional hand drawn animation combined with some simple but very effective ways to paint the characters so that they look volumetric and solid. The backgrounds resemble the work of Disney artist Eyvind Earle. I recently heart that a film is in the works inspired by the drawing style of Ronald Searle, who is my favorite cartoonist and illustrator. My hope is that this is a sign that traditional hand drawn animation may be experiencing a resurgence.

Terry DiCarlo

Posted on by Thor

 This post discusses the shooting that took place at the Pulse
Nightclub on June 12, 2016. It contains difficult content, so please do
not read on if you feel you may be effected. 

This article and sketch have been posted with the express written
permission of the interviewees. Analog Artist Digital World takes the
privacy and wishes of individuals very seriously. 

Terry DiCarlo had been in the HIV diagnosis business for over 30 years. He was the director at The Center at the time of the Pulse shooting. The Center is the largest tester for HIV in Florida. They do 500 to 600 tests a month for HIV.  Orlando is fifth in the nation for the most newly diagnosed cases. Just before the shooting Terry had been offered a Director’s position at AIDs Health Foundation (AHF) which is a Los Angeles based global nonprofit provider of HIV prevention services, testing, and
healthcare for HIV patients. AHF currently claims to provide medical
care and services to more than 1 million individuals in 43 countries
worldwide. He was offered twice the salary that he was making at the Center. His start date was to be August 1, 2016 and July 16th was going to be his last day at the center. All the paperwork was done. He was packing up his office and then June 12 happened, the day of the Pulse massacre. AHF pushed off his start date to September but by mid August he realized in his heart would not let him leave Orlando.

There were between 300 and 600 people working in the tiny space
inside the Center. It got hot in there in with the smoldering June heat.
Someone donated several large mobile air conditioners to help. With the back
doors always open taking in donations, the heat kept flowing in. On the third day after the shooting that took 49 lives, Terry decided he had to close the Center at 6pm. Had he kept the Center open 24 yours, the volunteers would have stayed for 24 hours. They had been working 12 to 14 your days for three days straight. They were ordered to go home and rest. Terry started turning off lights to shut the Center down.

At 5:45pm he got a call, letting him know that Florida Governor Rick Scott was planning to visit and wanted to enter by the back door so as not to draw attention. All the lights went back on. The governor banned all press and anyone in the Center would have to turn off their cell phones. Terry grew angry. His Orlando community had just been hurt, and this as their house. He called every news station and let them know that they had 5-10 minutes to get to the Center. The news trucks were all close by.

Three black SUVs pulled up behind the Center. The governor and his entourage entered via the back door and the press poured in the front door. The governor was shocked, but put on a plastic smile. Then Terry invited everyone in the Center to take out their cell phones of a photo op. This was supposed to be a private photo op for the governor since he had his personal photographer in tow. It was a chance for him to brag that he had been to the Center and the photo would imply that he cared. It was all self serving PR.

He never said the word LGBT. He never said “I’m sorry for what you are going through.” He looked at Bill, Terry’s husband, who had a tattoo and asked, “Did that hurt?” Bill responded, “Is that really all you have to say?” The governor shook Bills hand who wiped his hand off on his pants as the governor walked away. He seemed to have no idea what the Center was or why there were 600 people there. He asked nothing about all the donations or where they were going.

Down at Pulse, Marco Rubio showed up and started talking to the media about The danger of Islam, terrorists and hate. He was spewing false information. Terry shouted out that this wasn’t about hate and division. All the cameras turned towards him. He always spoke from the heart. He tended to stand on the side lines while Patty Sheehan, Mayor Buddy Dyer and Police Chief Mina walked to and from the Command Center for updates. Then while they stood talking to media Chief Mina signaled to Terry that he should join them to help relay information to the world. This would become his role in the months and years to follow. One New York Times reporter had Terry’s name on file with the initials GTG beside his name. That meant “go to gay.” Terry would always offer honest opinions when asked.

The Angel Action Wings were created at the Shakespeare Theater with the help of Jim Helsinger. They were donated to the Center after Terry explained that they would be respected and used at proper events to honor the 49 lives lost. No one ever sees the angels getting ready. When they appear at Pulse, the fire station down the street lets them get set up in the parking lot behind the station. When they appear at Lake Eola, a condo association across the street allows them to get ready in the ballroom. Bill created an 8 foot high PVC pole that held several white flags. This helps in letting people know that the angels are coming and it helps part the crowd. The angels were originally intended to protect against hate and now they have become a signal of hope and of love. People just come up to the angels and hug them.

In time, Terry had to step down from being the director at the Center, taking a communications director position instead. In the months after Pulse he was pulled in so many directions, that something had to give. He has talked to survivors who are going through a lot. For the first year, survivors were being flown around the world to Pride events and fundraisers. After one year that attention disappeared. They felt lost. One survivor, a nurse said she can not get a job. At interviews she holds back not wanting anyone to know she was at Pulse that night. She suspects she might be sabotaging herself.

The current administration is promoting hate and division and that trickles down. The love and unity we experienced is being torn apart. People seem unable to see through the smoke screen. We can not let people forget. Orlando stood as one, united in not letting hate win. Orlando reacted with love and the world saw that and stood beside us. For a few days, hate stood still.

On January 27, 2020, Terry DiCarlo died of Cancer at the age of 57.

Terry DiCarlo

Posted on by Thor

 This post discusses the shooting that took place at the Pulse
Nightclub on June 12, 2016. It contains difficult content, so please do
not read on if you feel you may be effected. 

This article and sketch have been posted with the express written
permission of the interviewees. Analog Artist Digital World takes the
privacy and wishes of individuals very seriously. 

Terry DiCarlo was the Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Central Florida at the time of the Pulse Massacre. Before June 12, 2016, the Center had 3 employees, Terry, a clinical director and a bookkeeper. The Center acts as the hub of the Central Florida LBGTQ community. They offer free aids and STD tests to anyone who walks in.

On the evening before the shooting, Terry watched a movie at home with his husband and they went to bed. Usually Terry turns the ring tone off on his phone as he charges it overnight, but for some reason on this night he forgot. Around 2:15am the phones started to ring. Bill, his husband was the first to get up. Terry’s first thought was that somethings might be wrong with his 76 year old mother. Bill tossed his phone on the bed saying, “Something is up.” Terry’s phone had a text from someone inside the club. The Center Board President called to let him know that things looked bad. They got dressed and immediately drove down to Pulse. Just south of the Orlando Regional Hospital the street was completely blocked off, with police car and fire truck light flashing everywhere. His first thought was, “How is this just a shooting?”

He saw a police officer he knew and was instructed to drive down a side street and turn around to park in a small lot with some TV News Trucks. They got out and started walking fast towards the club. The same officer ran towards them shouting “Get back, there is going to be an explosion!” Terry pleaded for information, and the officer confided that there were 20 dead inside the club. Terry’s legs gave out and Bill and the officer held him. They fell back to stay out of the way. Within an hour Patty Sheehan arrived. For five or ten minutes Terry lost it and he then realized that people would want information from people that they know. Things were unfolding as they stood there.

A mother ran towards Pulse yelling her son’s name, trying to get past the police line. Press began to follow her with microphones and cameras.To shield her, Terry and a board member took her into an insurance agency building and locked the front doors to keep the media out. They held her on a brown couch in the lobby. So much happened that it was a blur. Some things were completely blocked, for instance Terry did an interview with “Good Morning America” didn’t remember it until he saw the video a year later.

Even before the Center opened at about 5:15am there was a crowd outside. Flowers had been place at the front window and people stood vigil holding candles. The press was also there with cameras ready. Once open, close to 100 people pressed inside in the first hour. It took three hours before they realized the Center was not secure. There could be another fanatic or copycat shooter. Armed guards were called in. Counselors were needed and within hours 600 counselors were ready to respond. Information was sent out via social media. The Facebook page numbers swelled astronomically. Facebook asked if they should activate the “I am OK” message. This was the first time this was used in America. Everything happened organically.

The Center became a hub. People at home were glued to the TV hoping for news but they could also go to the Center to be around others. Donations of every kind began to pour in. They would be brought in the back door and then pick ups up front would deliver the goods where they needed to go. In the first three days there were 35,000 cases of water. The water was needed since it was June and insanely hot outside. People were lined up in the sun at blood drives.

Two full trucks pulled up at the Center full of office supplies. They didn’t have any place to put it all. Luckily down the street Track Shack had a storage site and they let the Center use it. That site eventually became the distribution center. Over $80,000 worth of Gift Cards of every kind were dropped off as well. They were all logged in but the Center wasn’t great about getting every donor’s name.

That first week Terry probably got seven hours of sleep. He was Ex-Military, but nothing can prepare you for this kind of situation. Terry was on the news constantly. Bill began scheduling all the press calls and at one point he took Terry’s phone because it never stopped ringing. It was amazing how far reaching the support was after the shooting. The Eiffel tower was lit up in rainbow colors, cities from around the world showed their support in similar ways with vigils. The Orlando Community came together and we all held on to that.

Nude Nite Orlando

Posted on by Thor

Celebrating its 15th year, Nude Nite is a body-themed immersive
pop-up art experience. This talked-about art party, is held in a
20,000 warehouse with over 200 of the best nude artworks for sale
from artists around the country. The event features burlesque stage shows, world
class body painting, interactive installations, performance artists,
acrobats, stilt walkers, aerialists and a cast of painted characters
creating a stunning canvas for Insta-worthy photos. Nude Nite is a
multi-sensory art encounter that leaves you feeling hot with what
you’ve got.

Nude Nite has 3 full cocktail bars, gourmet food for
purchase and DJ music to ignite the vibe. Nude Nite is created with
conscious intention. It is female owned and operated, maintains a gender
equal model ratio meaning for every female there is a male. Nude Nite
models are all sizes, colors and genders. The event utilizes sustainable
products wherever possible.

For me the evening is always an inspiring and awesome sketching opportunity. Immediately when I entered I was attracted to this  antique tub with a woman in it. The tableau was set up by body painter Nix Herrera. He said he had essentially used everything from his outdoor patio to set up the scene. The woman sat submerged in water at first in which floated ferns and flowers. When she stood, she would entice people to come closer like a siren. On her belly and legs were written phrases. I didn’t lean in to read them all and the only ones I put in the sketch was the surprising phrase, “You slut.” On her head was a miniature model of the greenhouse enclosure they were in. Behind her stood a stoic and still couple in masks. On the woman’s head was a crown which looked like a model of a cathedral spire wrapped in fabric. When people were not around I heard her giggle occasionally and touch her hand to her lips which never moved. Later when she looked over my shoulder at the sketch, she spoke and I finally realized that her lips were part of the mask. When posing she tended to curl her toes, which made me wonder if she was uncomfortable or cold. There was a space heater beside her. I also wondered about the temperature of the water in the tub. It is strange what you think about while you sketch.

While sketching, I was joined by local artist Erin Colleen who also had a sketchbook. I am very familiar with Erin’s work because of Facebook and was happy to meet her in person. Strange but because of social media I already thought I knew her, or at least her art. I am an antisocial machine when sketching but I did ask her a few questions. She used to work at Madam Tossauds wax museum painting the skin tones for the figures. She hopes to work with animatronics next which would be a pretty sweet gig. I bumped into her a second time while I was considering sketching Mandi Ilene Schiff who was body painting a golden man with a buddha on his chest.

In the center of the room was a peace and tranquility zone with a woman posed in a cross legged pose with a radiating golden crown. From a distance Erin noticed a photo in the exhibit of a woman covered in honey. She said that the photo was of the woman in the golden crown. I looked back and forth and the resemblance was amazing. I am a doubting Thomas however, so I had to walk up to the model and ask if it was indeed her. It was. Of course an artist who could paint wax figures of celebrities, making them come alive, could pick out a portrait from a distance. Erin is also a portrait painter. I was amazed and tickled. The photo as it turns out was by Mandi who had shot her model from a past body painting session. Photos are the only way to immortalize the art she creates.

I never did do a second sketch, I was satisfied with this one. Of all the art on display, I was most impressed by a painted drawing done by artist Broni Likomanov from Studio City California. Titled Nude 4 it had bold charcoal strokes and acrylic paint that created a vibrant Egon Schiele inspired pose. Everything about the piece was inspiring. If I had $500 in my pocket I would have walked out with it. This was a fun night full of surprises.

Tonight February 15, 2020 is the last evening for Nude Nite.

Admission is $35 and tickets can be purchased at the door. The event will not sell out.

There are cash machines on property if needed.

The industrial warehouse is on the site at the Central Florida Fairgrounds

4603 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32808

Open to the public. Because of nudity, the show is 21+ ID required.

Self Parking is abundant and complimentary.

Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Cell phone cameras are encouraged. DSLR cameras and video is not allowed.

Stage Shows begin at 9pm, 10pm and 11pm. Entertainment on the floor is ongoing throughout event.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for February 15 and 16, 2020

Posted on by Thor

Saturday February 15, 2020

Noon to 8pm. $20 Orlando Wine Festival.  ICON Park 8375 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Let’s Make Pour Decisions Together. The 3rd Annual ORLANDO
WINE FESTIVAL benefiting the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando.  35+ vineyards, wineries, 100+ wines to try, Pet Adoption Puppy Park, A ride on The Wheel included with every paid ticket, Themed photo booths, Rosé Garden, Wine Classes.

1:30pm to 3:30pm Free. Playwrights’ Round Table February Play Writing Workshop.  Art’s Sake Studio 680 Clay St, Winter Park, Florida 32789. Open to the public, play writing workshop for present and future playwrights.

6pm to Midnight. $35. Nude Nite Orlando. Warehouse on the site of the Central Florida Fairgrounds 4603 West Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32808. Celebrating its 15th year, Nude Nite is a body-themed immersive
pop-up art experience. Join this talked-about art party, held in a
20,000 warehouse with over 200 of the best nude artworks for sale
from artists around the country. Experience burlesque stage shows, world
class body painting, interactive installations, performance artists,
acrobats, stilt walkers, aerialists and a cast of painted characters
creating a stunning canvas for your Instagram-worthy photos. Nude Nite is a
multi-sensory art encounter that leaves you feeling hot with what
you’ve got!

Nude Nite has 3 full cocktail bars, gourmet food for
purchase and DJ music to bring the vibe. Nude Nite is created with
conscious intention. It is female owned and operated, maintains a gender
equal model ratio meaning for every female there is a male. Nude Nite
models are all sizes, colors and genders. The event utilizes sustainable
products wherever possible.

Sunday February 16, 2020

10am to Noon Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources. 

10am to 4pm Free. Lake Eola Farmers Market. Lake Eola Park, 512 E Washington St, Orlando, FL 32801. Local produce and goods.

Noon to 3pm. Donation based. Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum, 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Members
of the public are invited to visit our historic home museum on a Sunday
afternoon to listen to live music and take a tour of our historic home
museum and the James Gamble Rogers II Studio by trained docents.

ICEBAR

Posted on by Thor

Pam Schwartz and I went to a media taste testing at ICEBAR (8967 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819). ICEBAR is a below-freezing room with a bar built from ice and an adjacent Fire lounge with dancing for warming up. The girl responsible for putting on the security bracelets had such long glittery nails that she struggled to pop the clasp in place.

They have rolled out a new menu and were curious for some feedback. I ordered a Toasted Coconut Martini which consisted of Ciroc Coconut Vodka, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico, Dark Creme de Cocoa, with a Chocolate Sugar Rim, which was fabulous. I was offered the option to try other drinks, but kept sucking down the martinis. I  loved rotating the glass with each sip to get the flavor bursts.

Much of the menu items consisted of flat breads. The first had goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes. This menu item was a bit too dry for my taste but had the advantage of making me want to sip my drink more often. My favorite of the flat breads was the Caprese, with roasted roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, garlic puree, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The Caprese is even better when re-toasted the next day at home.

Beside us was a news caster and his wife. Pam had a wonderful conversation with them as I worked. All four of us put on Faux fur coats and went into the ICEBAR itself which had an ice throne a central bar and walls of ice. The manager let us know that the ice bar would be getting a complete overhaul in about a month. Drinks were served in ice cups. We didn’t linger too long in there. If I wanted the cold I would move north.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Roses and Rosé At ICEBAR Orlando and Fire Lounge all weekend long February 14-16, 2020. The Love Potion Package for the VIP Section includes 1 bottle of Moet Rosé in the Fire Lounge, 2 ICEBAR Entries, 2 ICEBAR Drinks, 2 Faux Fur Coats, 2 Appetizers and deserts for $250 plus Tax and Gratuity. The Dose of Romance includes 2 glasses of Moet Rosé in the Fire Lounge, 2 ICEBAR entries, 2 ICEBAR drinks, 2 Faux Fur Coats, 2 Appetizers and deserts for $120 plus Tax and Gratuity.

Art Deco Weekend

Posted on by Thor

On the last day of the Art Deco Weekend I was slated to give a demo before the drive back to Orlando. I believed that there was to be an Art Deco Doggie Costume Contest to the held at the Barbara Baer Capitman Memorial at 13th Street and Lummus Park in South Beach so that is where I planned to sketch. It sounded quirky and fun. All of the demos assembled at the Urban Sketching tent on 10th Street and Ocean Drive. We held up poster boards with our names on it so people could go to the demo of their choice.

I had two attendees join my group and Pam Schwartz decided to join us. We made our way up to where the doggie costume contest was to be held and just before we arrived, a parade of dags in costume and their owners walked down the street in the opposite direction. Well this was an impossible sketching situation. Even if I followed the puppies I would just be drawing butts. There were some mighty fine puppies in costume but they were on the move.

We made a quick change of plans and walked over to the outdoor stage where the FIU Studio Jazz Big Band was performing live.
The 15-piece big band, directed by Jim Hacker, performed new and well-known jazz classics by
Stan Kenton, Thad Jones, Thelonius Monk, and more. The members of the
FIU Big Band are full-time graduate and undergraduate students.

One of my attendees only spoke Brazilian, so anything I said was lost in translation although Pam related some info using Google translate.  I discussed how I block in a scene, perspective and the challenge of capturing the energy of a scene. What I left out of the sketch is as important as what I included. When the band conductor made it sound like they would be taking a 15 minute break, I worked frantically to catch the band in pen and ink. I know from experience that a 15 minute break can stretch out to an eternity if you are needing to sketch in the moment.

The guy in the lawn chair to the right was on the phone for most of the performance. It is strange how people can go to a live performance and then be distracted the whole time. Lisanne Lyons Vocal Studio students also sang live on this afternoon of great jazz. Strangely when the band took it’s break, that is when people began to get up and dance to the piped in music. Catching a couple on the dance floor became my last order of business. It is hard to know when to stop when people are watching every move you make as you sketch, but I asked for any questions and then folded up my sketchbook.

Enakai Mpire

Posted on by Thor

This post discusses the shooting that took place at the Pulse
Nightclub on June 12, 2016. It contains difficult content, so please do
not read on if you feel you may be effected. 

This article and sketch have been posted with the express written
permission of the interviewees. Analog Artist Digital World takes the
privacy and wishes of individuals very seriously.  

His stage name is Enakai Mpire and he worked at Pulse Nightclub. He grew up an army brat in Fairfax County Virginia near Washington DC. In fifth grade, school recess was canceled because of the DC Sniper who was terrorizing the region. His aunt taught him to walk in a zig-zag pattern to avoid being shot. He was taught to avoid being outside altogether. He had to get from the school to the bus and from the bus to home.

His father worked for the Pentagon and on September 11, 2001 his father stepped out of his office in the army department around lunch time, and that is when the plane hit. Having survived 9-11 his father decided to retire from the military and move to Florida to leave all that behind.

Enakai was 14 when the family moved to Orlando. He loved theater. In 2015 he started working for Southern Nights and then began working for Pulse. He was a shot boy or cocktail server at Pulse. Unlike bartenders, he was able to walk around and serve drinks to guests. He got to know everyone  . There were regulars and tourists, he loved working there. He grew connected to the other shot boys, they were like family. There as also a VIP shot girl. Dancers had their dance dressing room, bartenders seemed connected, and the shot boys had the kitchen. He loved the staff at Pulse.

He worked Wednesdays and Saturdays at Pulse. Wednesdays were college nights and Saturday were Latin Nights. Saturdays were problematic. It got so packed, and everyone was dancing Sensa and Meringue. Imagine trying to navigate that crowd with a tray of shots. He ended up covered in his own shots. It was so hard to walk through that sea of dancing people.

Gay days had motivated Enakai to want to work more nights at Pulse. He had talked to his manager about coming in on a more regular schedule. On that Saturday he had gotten dressed to head out to Pulse. For the first time, his mother stopped him in the kitchen. She said, “You worked a lot this week, you worked outside and are getting sick.” This was true he had worked through Gay Days getting body painted at a pool party and was getting a cold. She wanted to go to Downtown Disney with his father and dance, so she asked if he could stay home with his brother. She never made such requests, so he didn’t go out.

About 2am he started getting phone calls from friends. One was from David who had walked out of the doors at Pulse just about 2 minutes before the shooting started. He left in a Uber and got home and didn’t know what to do. He had heard about the shooting as he was heading home. He didn’t know who the shooter was.

Enakai had just broken up with a possessive boyfriend. Several days before the shooting that X went to Pulse and assaulted an employee. With that in mind Enakai feared that the shooter might be his X. He decided he had to go to Pulse to hopefully calm the situation. David picked him up and together they drove to Pulse. They arrived after the shooting. Everyone was already in the hospital. From the hospital he was directed to the Hampton Inn across the street where concerned family members were assembling. No one had any information.

He turned on Facebook Live and began recording. A form was being handed out, on it there was a spot where you could put a picture of the person you were looking for. He asked people to share photos with him and he sent the picture out into the world via FB Live to see if anyone knew where that person was. He had never seen so many followers before on FB Live. Media began contacting him.

The shot girl had last been seen entering the kitchen at Pulse. He tried so hard to find her. Since he hadn’t been there when the shooting happened, he thought wherever she was is where he would be. It ate at him not knowing where she was. She didn’t answer her phone. He asked about her on FB Live. There were a lot of people looking for her. Someone said she had dropped her phone. He remained hopeful. No one knew how many had died at this point. It was so chaotic. Finally someone wrote back, “She is with me, she is fine.” That news brought him so much joy. He could relate to others who could then tell her family that she was fine.

He continued making connections online. “Your son is OK, he is at this place, go get him.” Then came a point where he wasn’t getting any news back. All that remained were missing people. He had done what he could. About 10:30am a friend showed up with phone chargers for everybody. A lot of phones were dying that night. At this point there was nothing to do but wait.

A sheriff came out with the chief operating officer from the hospital and they read a list of names of the people they had sent home or who were in stable or critical condition. Fifty two people had entered Orlando Regional Hospital from the club. Nine had died on the operating tables. Forty three were alive. There were also eleven people alive at Florida Hospital as well. Enakai turned on his FB Live to record the names as they were read. If a loved one’s name was read then one or two family members could go to the hospital to visit them. By the end of the list, it got real quiet in the room.

One woman finally stood up and said, ” Those names you didn’t read, are you telling me those are the ones that are still in the club? Are you telling me they are dead?” There was no response. A heavy weight settled on everyone. It was like a war zone all of a sudden. People started screaming and punching walls. The people right next to Enakai were looking for their daughter and they fainted. He tried to help the father up. Looking into his eyes he realized he was not there. He had never seen someone go into shock before. He froze not knowing what to do. People were falling all around him. Something clicked on inside of him. He started yelling, “I need an EMT here!” He began commanding people to help. “This person needs water, put that person in a wheel chair.” At that moment her grew up. His entire life changed.

Everyone was asked to leave and return the next morning. But how could they go home, not knowing? He stayed around as long as he could. There was a vigil that night at Parliament House. He went, but was concerned. Here he was again in a club the night after the shooting. During a moment of silence, he could not close his eyes. He looked around for possible treats. He had to go.

The next day family and friends were told to go to the Beardall Senior Center. Once again he went live on Facebook. His Pulse manager said he had to barricade himself into his house because media were trying to get answers from him. So he tuned into Enakai’s feed as well. Media could not get close to the Center. Enakai felt a sense of responsibility to record. When family left the Beardall, every media camera would turn on them hoping to see them cry. The community stepped up. A leader from a church brought volunteers over to protect them from the media cameras. They surrounded the family so they could walk to their cars without being filmed.

For the first year or so after the shooting a lot of staff member were getting tickets for events. Norman who had been held hostage in the Pulse bathroom that night had survived. Enakai wanted to make sure survivors were also invited to events. He started a Survivors Facebook group and invited people he knew who had survived, they invited more survivors and family members. Over time it developed into a large support group. He was able to get Sia tickets to survivors who wanted them. He continued creating events for survivors for healing. He got a tattoo that says, “It could have been me. It could have been you. Don’t forget that.”  He started a group called First Responders Survival Unit. He has worked non-stop trying to help everyone recover. By helping others, he is also helping himself.

10 Minute Tuesdays

Posted on by Thor

I drove to the Turpin Garage Theater for 10 Minute Tuesdays presented by Phoenix Tears Productions. I love this idea. Spot lights were strung up all around a suburban garage, illuminating a mini set inside the garage. The theater opened at 7:30pm. Tickets are just $2 at the garage door. Meg
had created some adorable buttons and other merchandise from past
scripts. There were four rows of Dick’s lawn chairs set up in front of the garage for the audience. 10 Minute Tuesdays happens on the first Tuesday of every month featuring plays in a set theme. This month’s plays celebrated all things pink and red with a plethora of love and murder. I decided to sit in the back row to get an overall view of the garage theater set up. In most theaters the seats are set up on a ramp that rises towards the back of the theater. A driveway on the other hand slops down towards the street.

My favorite play of the night was the first in the line up of three. Called, Misfortune by Mark Harvey Levine and directed by Madison Payne, the show featured two women who sat in a Chinese restaurant having just finished dinner. The waitress with chop sticks in her hair served them fortune cookies. One woman (Melissa Riggins) read her fortune which was bland, sweet and reassuring. Then her friend (Kira Silverman) read her fortune which said something like, “You will be murdered tonight.” In a furor she called over the waitress, read her the fortune, and insisting on getting another cookie. Each time the one woman got a soothing and uplifting fortune while the other got a menacing premonition of certain death. The waitress was just as surprised as the couple and she stayed at the table curious to hear each reading of the fortunes.

If your fortune is so set in stone then it must be true, and perhaps there would be now way to escape your fate. The woman who had been getting the reassuring fortunes began to believe that there might just be a reason her friend might need to be murdered. She picked a sharp knife off the table and questioned her friend about possible affairs as she paced around the table. A mistake by the waitress changed the fortunes of this distressed couple.

A guest performer, (Mathew Stephens) followed with a monologue and then a reenactment of a planned murder of Batman (Vex Batchelder). Outlandish humor was added by Harlequin (Michelle Papaycik) playing a weird tune on a kazoo. Her amazing costume and acting stole the scene.

The final play was, Played for A Sap by Rex McGregor directed by Jade Roberts. In it, a couple having an affair tried to extort money from the woman’s husband. The show featured murder, money and mayhem with affections that turned on a dime. A guy sat in front of me wearing a cowboy hat, so I really didn’t see anything house left for the entire final show, but I was busy painting anyway. With only 10 minutes remaining, I had to rush. By the end of the night, every seat in the driveway was full.

This 10 Minute Tuesday at Turpin Garage Theater is such a fun concept. I was laughing out loud at very twist and turn. When you have a theater full of actors and supporters, you are in for some fun and enthusiastic audience reactions.

Here is a full listing of upcoming productions of 10 Minute Tuesdays.

March 3, 2020        Ladies Night

April 7, 2020          Shakespeare

May 5, 2020           Shows about Show Biz

June 2, 2020           TMT with Pride

July 7, 2020            Christmas in July

August 4, 2020       Come Away with TMT

September 1, 2020  Get Back to Hogwarts

October 6, 2020      Spooky Sendoff