The Repertory Theater’s Backstage Dance Studio

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Shooting continued for Britt Daley’s music video, “One and Only.” A door at the back of the actors dressing rooms opened into a backstage dance studio. I never would have guessed that this room existed. Andy Matchett lounged in front of me along with Megan Hinkle and Kyle Raker. For much of the day, Britt had been worried that her break dancer hadn’t shown up. Scott Wilkins the writer for the music video shoot said that the one thing he needed more than anything else was a break dancer. The dream sequence was saved for last since everyone in the cast had to change into their flashiest 80’s outfits.

Will “MainSwitch” Campbell and Darci Ricciardi began working on their dance moves. “MainSwitch” brought Darci up to speed until they were a well oiled break dancing machine. Jessica Mariko had her own dance moves worked out. She wore a sleek red dress and her sensual moves could make any James Bond actress blush. Nicholas Corcoran was a bit nervous since he isn’t a dancer and he was being asked to light up the dance floor like John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever.” The biggest surprise came when Katie Peters rolled onto the dance floor in a classic roller skating disco queen outfit. She had performed as a singer during the audition scenes of the video shoot. The actress who was going to skate didn’t show so Katie stepped in. Nicholas didn’t have to work on many dance moves, he just had to help guide skating Katie as she glided around him. Tape on the rehearsal floor was a bit of a stumbling block at first but soon Skating Katie and Nick had a smooth routine worked out. Everything was worked out for a stellar dream scene.

Tisse’s Birthday Bash

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I had to leave after Tod Caviness did his spoken word performance at Urban ReThink. I went to the Mennello Museum to transfer several sketches on to the mural. The work went quickly so I decided to rush back to Tisse’s birthday party. When I re-entered Urban ReThink, I saw a dancer stretching.

There was home made birthday cake so I grabbed a slice. I grabbed a seat at a table with authors Karen Price and John Connelly to see what was next on the Urban ReThink stage. Chaz Yorick came in after having seen all the downtown gallery openings as part of Third Thursdays.

Tisse first met Elise Frost through various mutual friends in the Orlando dance circle and they finally had their first full conversation at Michael Sloan’s going away party.Elise took to the stage wearing a dogs mask and holding an umbrella. Elise moved and spoke in a childlike manner. She reminded me of Totoro. Her monologue had a child’s sincerity with dark undertones. The lantern implied a character lost in the woods. She spoke of her grandmother dying, yet she didn’t like her grandmother. Was this an infants Kabuki? A sinister bedtime story? I remained mystified and bewildered.

Tisse got on stage and started talking about how she gradually discovered Orlando’s arts scene. She moved from Chicago with her parents to Celebration Florida. She hated Celebration’s theme park facade and the clutter and chintz of 192. She missed the big city. She eventually moved downtown where she began to discover the true Orlando scene. The importance of any city is in the people you surround yourself with. Orlando is a small enough city where individuals can really make a difference. The theater scene is small enough where the performers truly appreciate the audience members. The people that stand out in her life are the people who have a passion for what they do and love to help out.

Suddenly she was talking to me, calling me the “Where’s Waldo” of the Orlando arts scene. She praised my work and persistence. I stopped my sketch to listen. It felt like all eyes were turned towards me. My right eye welled up, I’m not used to so much direct praise and adulation. I don’t know how to process it. Chaz was busily taking notes. Later as Tisse praised Jessica Earley she became overwhelmed and choked up, feeling thankful for the people in her life. Chaz took that emotional pause to start singing happy birthday to Tisse. Everyone joined in as she wiped away her tears. When the song was finished and the clapping died down, Tisse said, “Thanks I needed that moment to recover.” The room was filled with love.

Demographics

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Tisse Mallon knows how to celebrate her 30th birthday. She had an amazing all night party at Urban ReThink where she brought together friends from all aspects of Orlando’s arts and culture scene. She invited myself and six other artists to decorate a used U.S. Census Bureau bag. Tisse worked going door to door during the last census. Each field worker was given one of these Census Bags. When the census was over the bags were thrown out. These re-purposed bags are all now works of art. I was one of the first artists to arrive to drop off the bag. I re-purposed the mural I am working on by painting the people standing in line on the bag. Jessica Earley totally ripped apart her bag and created a charming door knob hanger of an owl. It was absolutely charming.

Inside each bag there were orange inter office envelopes. Genevieve Bernard used those envelopes to create cut out Census Monsters and Jessica used them to create a charming pine tree. She also used the envelopes to create the owl’s beak, feet and eyes. It was fun to see, “Name” and “Department” scrawled across the owl’s eyes. Scooter Cleveland sat on a table beside a bag that said, “Why Count?” in bold red letters. The bag was filled with food for the homeless. Scooter had been homeless on the streets of downtown Orlando for 18 months. He was in a car accident and a doctor told him he had to stay off his feet for four months. He was fired from his job. He stayed with family and friends but ultimately ended up on the streets. Now that he is off the streets, he is trying to establish a food share program for those who were left behind. A glass jar sat on the table beside him for donations.

Throughout the evening Tisse acknowledged and praised the artistic people that have touched her life. She pointed to Todd Caviness who helps kept spoken word alive in Orlando. He is a writer who is always willing to lend a hand to keep the arts scene vibrant in Orlando. No one expresses what it is like to be a Floridian better than him. Karen Price also read several of her short stories. One, about a mermaid with two tails was a charming morality tale (pun intended). The other was about a high school bully who later in life was served up a bitter justice of hard knocks in her violent deprived life. She didn’t recognize the female lawyer on her case as the victim of her childhood bullying. Such is fate.

Ivanhoe Village Art Stroll

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Angela Abrusci the executive director of Ivanhoe Village, has helped turn the neighborhood into a vibrant artists hub. On the first Friday of every month artists gather as the sun sets and they set up display tents to showcase their art. The September gathering took place on Orange Avenue between New Hampshire and Princeton. I arrived after spending the day working on the Mennello Museum mural. I was sweaty and tired but the air cooled as the sun sank to the horizon. This was the first sketch I did outside in a long time. I realized I had left my artist stool at the museum, so I leaned against a real estate sign and stood to do the sketch.

The Washburn Imports antique shop had old furniture on the sidewalk. Artist’s tents quickly sprang up and artists relaxed in lawn chairs waiting for people to stroll by. A girl waited on the corner for a friend. The girlfriend arrived with two hula hoops. A small folk group set up speakers and began to sing. The hula hoopers shook their hips to the music. This Art Stroll is a great relaxed place to go on a date night.

Angela stopped over to say hello. A mechanical voice announced how much time pedestrians had to cross the street. It counted down, five, four, three, two, one. She beat the mechanical countdown by one second. She told me all about Ivanhoe village. I’ve been to events that Angela attended and helped organize but I haven’t had much time to talk to her since I am always sketching and she was working. It was nice having the time to talk. My sketch was complete.

Angela volunteered to help with the painting of the Mennello Museum mural over the weekend. She had posed for the mural, adding some Hollywood glamor. She brought along music and it was great to paint to disco beat. Several children showed up to paint that day as well, and Angela helped me keep them on track. She is a gifted artist as well and once I explained my working methods, she applied them with confidence. Over the course of the day I got to learn so much about her. She is a true advocate of the arts and active in charitable work. Orlando and Ivanhoe Village are lucky to have her.

Tonight there is a Mayhem Street Party on Virginia 2 Blocks west of Mills Avenue starting around 6pm to 10pm this event happens every 5th Friday. Be the first to catch a sneak peak of Orlando’s most talented performing artists and their upcoming shows. Be inspired, awed and amazed by a myriad of local performers: dancers, singers, musicians, actors, and other talented wonders. Enjoy the carnival atmosphere while exploring Virginia Drive’s array of shopping and dining. It’s a ballet, a play, a concert, a party, and it’s all on Virginia! Food, activities and amusement for all ages. Admission is FREE.

Andy Matchett

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A long line of actors stood in a hallway of the Orlando Repertory Theater. They were waiting to audition. Britt Daley with her boom box strutted down the hall. The cameraman used a steady cam to go down the hallway and then he backed out the stage doorway and crouched framing Andy Matchett who was strumming his guitar. Andy did a double take when Britt walked past and he involuntarily strummed a twangy wolfs call on the guitar. His T-shirt read, “Popular” and he wore a Dog Powered Robot button on the guitar strap. 0ne of the lyrics in Britt’s “One and Only” song pointed out,”You’re wearing that T again.” Andy’s hair swelled to an Elvis styled wave in front. He wore a neat little hip amplifier.

The shot was executed again and again until it felt right. One of the stage hands tested the hallway’s light levels, fortunately it was already perfectly lit. I couldn’t sketch in the hallway without getting in the shot so this doorway was my only option to sketch the scene. My back was up against some stage curtains and ropes and wires snaked all around me. Andy of course is the lead singer in Andy Matchett and the Minx. This local band puts on a show that will rock your socks off.

The Mennello Museum Mural

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It was brought to my attention that some readers haven’t seen any sketches relating to the Mennello Museum Mural. The mural is 48 feet wide by 7 feet high on a wall outside the museum. I have been sweating away for weeks getting this mural painted. High school and middle school students were invited to help. There was a show in the museum of paintings done during the “New Deal.” During the depression, artists were commissioned by the government to create murals and paintings for government buildings. The idea behind this mural came about when Genevieve Bernard and I traveled to a high school out in Narcoossee Florida. There were cows just beyond the parking lot fence. In the art classroom an animated discussion happened when Genevieve and I asked, “What defines Orlando to you?” One girl said, “I’m always standing in lines when I go to clubs downtown, theme parks or even the bathroom.” The discussion then changed to, “Who stands in lines and why?”

I created an event page on Facebook inviting people to come to the museum and be drawn in line. At first groups of people showed up and I sketched them all at once. Since each sketch took at least an hour however, I usually sketched people one at a time. The watercolor sketches were then assembled and blown up on the wall. At least 60 people ended up posing in line. People from all walks of life were bought together.

It was a challenge keeping the rough spontaneous look of the sketches when the wall was painted. I used acrylics and exterior house latex paint. I found a wonderful gel medium that thinned the acrylics down making it transparent and thin like watercolors. It is a shame I couldn’t step outside myself to sketch the mural in progress. People who stopped out to help shot plenty of photos of the work in progress.

The mural will be unveiled October 14th between 6 and 8pm. All of the sketches will be on display clothes line style outside. I can see the end of the tunnel but right now I need to head out and work on the mural for the rest of the day.

Scherenschitten

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Lesley Gondeck Silvia offered a free after hours course at Full Sail explaining the art of Scherenschitten. She pointed out that in America very few people carry on traditions and crafts from their home country. She began exploring the art of paper cutting as a way to re-find her roots. Recently Lesley did a cover for the Orlando Weekly using Scherenschitten. She showed preliminary sketches and explained her process. I always learn something when another artist explains how they work.

As Lesley wrote, “Scherenschnitte means ‘scissor cuts’ in German, and it is the art of paper cutting design. Founded in Switzerland and Germany in the 1500’s, it was brought to Colonial America in the 1700s by immigrants who settled primarily in Pennsylvania. I am enjoying working with paper. It’s cheap, hands on, less commonly seen, and makes me feel like I’m learning a bit about my German/Swiss heritage. Cindy Ferguson’s style is a big influence as is the works of Rob Ryan.”

The art studio was a room I had never been in before. I felt immediately at home among all the drafting tables and the wide assortment of art on the walls. Tom Buzbee, Grace Kurth, and Hugo Giraud were also in the studio as instructors and backup. Tom said hello and explained that the art lab is made available for students who want a place to be creative. It is a place they can escape to if they are tired of writing code and taping keyboard commands. He said that the Dada artist ideals are promoted.

After Lesley’s talk, all the students were given xacto blades and black construction paper. I cut out paper in the shapes of the black metal struts to the art desks. I flipped the black paper defining the shapes already established in the sketch. I glued the bold black shapes to the sketch. It was fun playing with a new medium. I think it is time for me to add black to my palette.

Jubal’s Kin

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Jubal’s Kin consists of the home grown talents of Eric Jaskowiak, Roger Amundsen and his sister Gailanne Amundsen. Roger and Gailanne harmonize beautifully. They were on tour in Alabama but returned to Orlando to perform after a reading by Deborah Reed at Urban ReThink. Deborah wrote a book about a Central Florida musician who floundered after her husband cheated on her. She lost her will to sing and sequestered herself away. Julie Norris’s baby girl, named Maya, danced to the sweet Appalachian folk music.

My favorite song was called “Everything is Free.”

Everything is free now,

That’s what they say.

Everything I ever done,

Gotta give it away.

Someone hit the big score.

They figured it out,

That were gonna do it anyway,

Even if it doesn’t pay.

Gailanne’s voice is absolutely beautiful and the harmony with her brothers voice reminded me of the simple sounds of early Simon and Garfunkel. Their sweet melancholy songs seeped straight into my soul. I had to buy their CD and it has been playing every time I drive to a new sketch location this week. They are a rare, young and talented group, and we are lucky they call Orlando home. After the book signing performance, Jubal’s Kin headed right back to Nashville Tennessee to continue their concert tour.

One and Only

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I sketched all day in the Orlando Rep at the video shoot for Britt Daley’s One and Only. In this scene Britt is on stage performing her audition. You can just see her leg and the loose shirt slipping down her shoulder. I was fascinated by the dolly and boom which allowed the camera to be moved smoothly all around. Britt and Andy Matchett, who was also auditioning, enter a dream sequence together. They dance together to Britt’s song. They spun around, their outstretched arms extended. Extra fluorescent tubes and fill lights were set up to illuminate the couple. Britt told me the camera man was whispering to himself enthusiastically during this shot. “Yes, that’s it, good.” Luckily the audio is being replaced in the final video edit. Everyone enthusiastically volunteered their talent and time to bring this gorilla style video shoot to life. The One and Only music video will premiere on October second. I’ll keep you posted.

Town Hall Meeting

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Urban ReThink hosted a town hall meeting. I assumed based on the invite that the meeting would be about discussing ways to make Orlando more culturally vibrant. There was a good turn out. People do want to see a positive change. Patrick Green introduced new comers to the venue. Tisse Mellon ran the meeting. She wanted everyone to brainstorm on ways to help make events at Urban ReThink more successful. People were split up into groups where they would brainstorm ways to make Urban ReThink an important cultural hub.

There was a marketing group, promotions, archiving and pre-show entertainment. I have been sketching many events at Urban ReThink lately. I go right after work lets off at 5pm so I end up going somewhere else to grab dinner and to sketch. ReThink has a small cafe, but the place is frighteningly empty before an event begins. Since I was still working on my sketch when everyone broke up into groups, I found myself seated closest to the archiving committee. I listened in. They need a central place to store all the photos, videos and audio recorded at events. I chimed in and said I would administer an Urban ReThink blog if needed. There was discussion of creating a book for sale but I doubt ReThink has a budget to create self published books that would have a limited number of readers.

Urban ReThink has had some amazing programs that were poorly attended and mediocre programs that pulled in a huge crowd. It seems the word isn’t always getting out. Some of the points covered at this meeting should help the word spread that Urban ReThink is bringing a vibrant alternative cultural experience downtown.