The Gallery at Avalon Island hosted an opening reception for No Strings Attached. This show which kicks off the 2009 Orlando Puppet Festival, features work from puppetry artists from around the nation. I particularly like the work of Tamara Marke – Lares. Her work used found objects which were elegantly incorporated into puppets. For instance a crab claw suddenly became a puppets head. Bones, wood, wire and a wide assortment of materials became a character walking across dead leaves. Expect the whimsical and unexpected when you go to see this show. Many of the works have a European maturity about them. These are not the generic puppets I grew up watching.
As I stood in the corner of the gallery sketching, a group of school children gathered at the store front window I was standing near. They were hopping up and down trying to see what I was working on. They started tapping on the glass and I decided to show then the unfinished sketch. Jeff Wirth walked up to me and before I recognized him he said, “I am sorry sir, we are going to have to ask you to leave, there is no sketching in this gallery.” My stomach tightened before I realized it was Jeff and then I started to laugh. Later as I was finishing the sketch I bumped into costume designer Kelly – Ann Salazar who told me I had to check out the puppet show going on upstairs. I am glad she did because the shadow puppet show was delightful to watch and I got to sit right next to the puppeteers as they worked. I had to run off to another event so unfortunately I didn’t get a sketch, but I might return.
With my sketchbooks tucked away, I finally decided to get some cheese and crackers which was to be my dinner for the night. Here I ran into Heather Henson who had just returned from months of wandering the country going from one puppet festival to another. She told me about the Burning Man event held in the Black Rock Desert 120 miles north of Reno Nevada. It is hard to describe burning man but it is the ultimate in large scale creative expression. Going to this event is one of the things on my list of places I must go to before I die.
The Avalon Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday 11AM to 4PM. There are also some very cool shows coming up like Macabre Vignettes and “The Bride of Wildenstein” the musical on October 29th-31st ,10:30pm at the Cameo Theater, 1013 East Colonial Drive. Tickets are $10.
Interactive Performance Jam
The Interactive Performance Jam coordinated by Jeff Wirth and directed by Curt del Principe was a fun acting workshop held at the UCF Center for the Emerging Media across from the Bob Carr. I asked the guard in the lobby where I could find the Jam and he sent me up to the third floor. When I exited the elevator I heard Dean Martin singing in a room down the hall and I headed towards the music.
When I entered the room I noticed it was divided into 4 areas with different tasks for each area. I sat down and immediately started sketching Jeff who was in the tech talk area demonstrating the Union Wrap. The Union Wrap is a way to coil electrical cords which keeps the cords from kinking. If the cord is coiled the way I usually do it by wrapping in around in one direction, it develops a memory and this is what causes the kinks. The Union Wrap reverses the direction every other wrap. When Jeff finished his demonstration he threw the cord allowing it to fully unwind and then had a fellow actor give it a shot.
Other stations included, a character interview where one actor would interview another developing an improvised scene. There was a coaching station where actors would coach each other. Then there was the fundamentals station where actors would build and maintain the basics of an improvised scene. There were card stacks which provided actors with a scenario, character or location as a starting point for a scene.
I watched Jeff and Curt work together in the fundamentals booth. Jeff walked into the scene just as Curt was about to hang himself. The distraught character was angry and acted much like the Rain Man. Later in the ongoing scenario, Jeff tried to convince the man to give him an imaginary knife he was holding. Jeff ended up being stabbed in the chest and yet he continued to try and sooth the angry man. This scene seems to hint at the kind of man Jeff is and why he is inspiring to be around.
Half way through the jam I was asked to talk a little about my work and I was honored to do so. Jeff interviewed me so I didn’t just have to start pontificating, and he asked the most probing questions which forced me to truly get at the heart of why I do what I do each day. His first question though innocent enough caused me to look hard at what caused me to start making art to begin with. Memories flashed of me as a child driving with my dad to visit my mother in Sloan Kettering Cancer research hospital in NYC. I was a suburban kid shocked by the grit of the city, a rush of activity on the streets seen out a car window, kids riding on the back bumper of a bus. I wasn’t allowed up to the hospital room to visit, instead I drew pictures which were never seen. Enough of my scenario, back to the Jam.
When the Jam had ended, all the actors gathered and sat on the floor in a circle. This was an open discussion on how to make future Jams even better. Some actors tended to want to focus on dramatic scenes while others preferred light comedy. One actor felt this dichotomy resulted in a gradual lack of focus among the group. Dana Mott liked being pushed to be physically connected with her acting partners, which forced her outside her comfort zone. All ideas were encouraged. The Jam will continue to explore new ideas and theories, uncertain how they will work until they are tried out next time around. It is this playful spirit of experimentation that keeps the Jams exciting and vibrant places to learn and grow. Getting close to the unfolding dramas also makes it an exciting place to sketch!
Trees Rehearsal – Ring Those Bells!
Here Suzanne the choreographer leads the core drama and dance group in a high tempo sort of jazzy rendition of “Ring Those Bells“. This is an over the top Broadway dance number with lots of jazz hands and fancy footwork. There was plenty of excited energy as everyone learned the steps. Suzanne said that everyone should try and keep moving through the routine even if they miss some of the steps. There would be plenty of rehearsals to come where the details could be refined and worked out but for now she wanted to block in all the moves and keep moving forward. The group started as a large triangle and then split into two halves before rejoining and ending with everyone striking a dramatic pose then stretching that pose further reaching for the sky.
Suzanne had to work with the core dancers in another studio and at that point Aradhana had Rebeca come to the front and take over the rehearsal. Rebeca did a great job of getting the group to really stretch and expand their capacities in one that one part of the routine. Later when Suzanne returned and asked everyone to go through the number one more time she was shocked and grateful for the improvement. When the rehearsal ended everyone joined hands and Suzanne prayed for relief for any aching muscles resulting from all the stretching and dancing that day. She asked that everything learned would stay fresh in everyone’s memory and that they all gain confidence as they continue to practice at home. She then asked that everyone be guided home safely. She stressed that her heart was overwhelmed with gratitude for all the hard work and joy expressed in the days work.
All Hallows – Full House
The Friday night performance of the 6th annual All Hallows hosted by Beth Marshal was completely sold out. All Hallows is a fund raiser and benefit that offers 10 plays from Fringe acts each taking about 10 minutes. The event cost just $10 and helps raise funds for next years Fringe Festival. People were encouraged to wear costumes and the top prize for best costume was a 2010 Super pass for the Orlando Fringe Festival. At 7Pm there was a reception in the patrons room with food and drink as well as a silent auction with such items as tickets to theaters museums, art work by local artists, the list goes on. In attendance at this nights performance were representatives form various cities who are members of the United States Association of Fringe Festivals.
This event offered an amazing variety of fabulous entertainment. One of my favorites was a scene in which a wolf man and a cross dresser sit on a park bench and they both discover that their partner has certain secrets. Chantry Banks played the wolf man and he didn’t utter a single line of dialogue which is very refreshing. Christopher McIntyre as the cross dressing fiance was also over the top funny.I was laughing out loud the whole time. Lindsey Cohen presented a short film about an old couple who are using youtube to try and raise funds for Halloween candy for their diabetic child. It was fun watching them bicker and fight revealing the worst in each other.
Since the place was packed, I sat on the sidelines and looked away from the stage at the audience. There is one more performance Saturday October 16th at 7PM at the Shakespeare Theater. I believe there are a few tickets left. For advance reservations call the Fringe office at (407) 648-0077 (MC/Visa). Cash Only on the day of event. Box office opens at 6pm. Trust me these are the hottest tickets in town. This show is a blast.
Fiddler on the Roof – Farewell Tour
Barnes and Noble at the Colonial Plaza Market Center had a meet and greet with the cast of Fiddler on the Roof. I have seen this show before and loved it, so I was curious to see what the cast had to say about this “Farewell Tour.” I had also read an article that said that Chaim Topol did an amazing part of playing the lead part of Tevye the Jewish Russian milkman. Topol was in the 1971 film version of the play and had performed his part more than 2,500 times over the years. Topol’s understudy was at the meet and greet. The shows theme of Tradition, rings true today more than ever. Times are hard but people with strong traditions know how to ride out the waves.
I was surprised that the seats were half full. The last time I came to one of these meet and greets, the place was packed to see the cast of Legally Blonde. I was also interesting that one actors chair remained empty much like the place setting that remains empty for the profit Elijah at Passover. The actors related the types of routines they go through in order to prepare each night for a performance. One actor stressed that “Every actor has something they do to get out of the way of the material”. He said “You have to let go and surrender to the play.” They all had hard knock stories about trying to get into and stay in the business of acting. When asked about any embarrassing moments, a story was immediately thrown out from last nights performance. The set pieces are on wheels and some have pneumatic pistons for helping move parts. That night a piston let out a long winded hiss of air which sounded very much like a person passing gas. Rather than ignore the loud unexpected distraction, the performer paused for a moment and then sniffed the air and waved his hand as if to clear the air. The audience loved it.
This event was over much sooner than I expected so I had to dash this sketch off quickly. I didn’t stick around for the autograph signing since I had to rush off to another location to get another sketch.
DRIP Rehearsal
When I entered the Center of Contemporary Dance where the DRIP dance group was rehearsing, I saw a huge screen printing press in the middle of the dance studio. The idea behind the dance routine they were working on, was to use the screen printing press to print images of dancers on the cakes which were to be served for desert at a private event held in a gallery downtown.
After saying hi to Dave and Samantha, the two dancers I had met at a photo shoot the week before, I sat down to start sketching. The press had to be moved back away from the mirrored wall. Four dancers grabbed the press and moved it together as a unit. David said, “We are like an ant colony, yall!” When rehearsing the dance, Sam is in charge of pouring the inks onto the screens and the other dancers use squeegees to force the ink through the screens onto the cake. Afterward she asked, “So, do I have time to disperse the juices?” The response was, “Yes, you never want to disperse the juices to fast.”
Prior to another dance run through, Marika shouted out “Did you all hear what Christie was just saying? There are five different art forms going on in the room right now.” I started to wonder what those 5 art forms were. Obviously dance would have to be one. I was sketching, so that was two. Twanda had entered the studio and she was sitting in the far corner of the dance studio making adjustments to costumes, so that is three. Evan and Christie were painting signs among other things and Linda was making sure her choreography was on the mark. When the dancers worked “All out” Linda would shout at the top of her lungs thanking the dancer that was pushing the envelope.
During a break, David said “I am going to be dreaming about this unit.” Sam said “It’s so big.” David followed with “That’s what she said.” The group the dance troupe was to perform for is apparently rather conservative. For this reason none of the dancers could just wear skirts. Black tights had to be put on to cover their bare legs. While restoring , David shouted out “We have a vision here, You are not fulfilling it! Lets go people.” He is never serious and everyone always laughs. Maybe you had to be there to get his humor.
Mariko asked that the dancers go through the routine one more time this time using the inks. Drip rags were placed over the dancers heads and trimmed. Everything was going great up until the dancers got ink on their hands. Suddenly paint was flying everywhere and the dancers had to be stopped. The drips had flown well beyond the confines of the drop cloth placed under the press. Soon everyone was on hands and knees cleaning the dance floor. Mariko said “Well, at least we found this out now, rather than during the actual performance.” It was decided that this one performance would not need to have inks on the dancers themselves. The point was to make the printing of the cakes entertaining. They didn’t want paint flying onto peoples dinner tables silverware and plates.
The dance performance combined stretches of choreography with stretches of pure improvisation. The improvised segments were different each time and inspiring to watch. DRIP has its first performances at Blank Space TONIGHT October 15th at 8 and 10PM! Blank Space is at the corner of Roslind and Central right across from the Public Library. You can actually see the performers through the store front windows. DRIP will perform in Blank Space every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 and 10PM.
Global Peace Street Fair & Pet Parade
I went down to Baldwin Park to see the Global Peace Street Fair and Pet Parade. The event was sponsored by the Global Peace Film Festival which ran from September 22 to September 27th. There were a large number of tents set up down Broad Street featuring art, wholistic foods, animal rescue and semianrs on how to be a catalyst for change. I walked up and down past the booths twice before I decided I had to sketch the Greyhounds who wore bright yellow vests that said: Donation Dog. A clear pocket on the vest held dollar bills that guests had donated to the cause. It was hot and the dogs tongue was constantly panting to try and cool down.
A fellow named Rick introduced himself to me and he has been reading this blog for some time. I am always surprised when people recognize me. I am so pleased to meet people who are actually following these random thoughts and sketch outings.
The pet parade strutted up and down this small stretch of Broad Street first up the far side of the sidewalk and than up and around behind me back to the starting point. Women dressed like belly dancers paraded along with the dogs and owners. The people of Baldwin park certainly love their pets. If only people could openly love one another as much as they love their pets. Peace and love, I am out.
Annual Meeting – History Center
The Annual Meeting was held in Courtroom B on the third floor of the historic Orlando Regional History Center. This meeting was short and to the point. As a matter of fact the meeting was over before I had a chance to finish the sketch so I had to rush. Johanna Clark called the meeting to order and introduced the gusts who were the family of James K. Rush.
The 2008 minutes were approved and then old business was discussed. The treasurers report probably took the most time and the bottom line is that the History Center is operating in the green with assets of just over a million dollars. Several motions were put to the floor and the members all sheepishly approved each item. All board members, the executive committee and the treasurer were all approved back into position. There was no items that required discussion and no dissent. One small tidbit of trivia intrigued me when the Executive Director pointed out that the first film ever shot in Orlando was called “Moon over Orlando”. She hasn’t been able to find a print of that film and I wonder if it will ever pop up.
I was still splashing watercolors on the sketch when the meeting adjourned and people made their way out. Sara asked if I would be much longer and I said I would be finished in 5 minutes. She said I could always come back to finish up.
Brian Feldman – Under the Covers
At the first Thursday of this month Brian Feldman held a cabaret by request called “Under the Covers” at the Orlando Museum of Art. Back on the first Thursday in May, Jeremy Seghers performed, an act by the same name, singing cover songs requested by the audience for a Fringe Festival Preview. Brian used Jeremy’s performance as inspiration to literally go under the covers.
Accompanying Brian was Isaac Schankler on a Kurzweil SP-76. The performance was developed and first presented in July of 2009 at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach Florida. When the audience entered the theater, they could faintly make out the form of Brian lying under the covers on a mattress on stage. Isaac introduced the act and sat at the piano. Brian explained that he didn’t actually sleep on a mattress himself, but instead slept on the floor of a friend’s house. He 
was recently separated from his girlfriend, Jessica, and many of the songs in his first set seemed directed to her. An unexpected development towards the end of the first set was that Jeremy Seghers got on stage and joined Brian to sing a duet. At first, Jeremy just sat on the bed next to Brian’s form hidden by the covers. Then, Jeremy lifted the covers and joined Brian underneath, singing “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues”. This song was a show stopper.
I returned to see his second performance which featured a Queen song requested by Katie Windish from Frames Forever titled “Fat Bottomed Girls”. Don’t ask why she needed to hear that song at this time in her life. After the last song, Brian had to explain that the performance was over since he was still on stage, though under the covers. I am sure some people like myself lingered to see the performance artist in person. But Brian consulted with stage hands and shouted out, “No really, the show is over! Get out of here, people!” When everyone had left, he sprinted into the wings.
The Trees – Viewpoints
The second rehearsal I attended was with the core drama group. Aradhana, the director, got things started by having the actors walk on a grid inside the taped off area that outlined the dimensions of the stage. She said “Stop thinking, let things happen naturally in the moment.” I find myself looking to stop thinking and analyzing as I try and loose myself in a sketch. She then asked the actors to “explore gesture, and think of the space you are moving through.” “What are the spaces you explore?” My sketches of this show are suddenly exploring larger and more grand vistas. She then asked them to adjust their tempo. She didn’t want anyone moving at a medium tempo she wanted to see the extremes. Some actors moved imperceptibly while others were close to a run, actually Rachael was running.
The director said “find something about someone else to copy and make your own.” Then she asked the actors to gradually over time to discover one movement where everyone moved as one organism. This is the aspect of the exercise that always amazes me. after a while the whole group was holding hands and moving side to side. Hands went up and down in a wavelike undulating pattern around the circle. The actors were then given the cure to break away from the group when they felt like it. Music was added into the mix and soon actors were snapping fingers and moving with the grace of dancers. As the music built in tempo the actors were jumping and swaying to the beat.
The director had everyone sit down in a circle. She pointed out that everything in theater is created to build tension between characters. She said that the largest motivating factors are always about love, war or spiritual concerns.
The actors were separated into 8 groups. Each group was given a scenario to act out. The actors were given free reign to act the scenes out as they saw fit. The room bustled with creative energy. They were given some time to discuss how they might build their scenes. Then one by one the scenes were staged with the remaining actors seated around the director to enjoy the show. There was loud applause and often laughter after the director ended each scene. She then offered suggestions on how to pace the scenes faster with more motivation. On the second run through the scenes were almost always clearer and more entertaining. This was a pure joyous game of inspiration and motivation. The director pointed out that notes are not a bad thing. She asked that once a note was given that the actor say thank you and repeat the note so she knew they had heard it.
The scenes were, City People, Airport scene, a loving couple, fighting family, diva desert, decorators and carolers. Once all the scenes had been rehearsed individually, the director asked that they overlap the actions on the stage just as they had in viewpoints. She would cue the next scene when she wanted them on the stage. This was tried a number of times and then the song “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” was added. Suddenly the scenes flowed with the music choreographed by pure instinct.
The director shouted out “Alright everybody one more time, Restore!” The actors all shouted back “Thank you Restore!”