12 Angry Jurors

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Having sketched a dress rehearsal for 12 Angry Jurors based on 12 Angry Men written by Reginald Rose I decided to also sketch on opening night. The jury box was reserved for audience members who wanted these front row seats. I decided I wanted to sketch the jury box and the cast, so I sat where media once sat during trials of the past. Behind the jury box, a small stage was set up for photographers and presumably court artists.

For this performance I knew when members of the jury would change seats so it gave me an advantage to catch each member of the cast in my sketch. Again the jury had to deliberate about the fate of a youth who was being tried for the murder of his father. When the jurors first entered they immediately took a vote with 11 votes of guilty and 1 vote not guilty. Elaitheia Quinn gave a strong performance as juror 8 who had doubts about the prosecutions case. She was seen as a bleeding heart liberal by Juror 3 (Rich Somsky) he got so angry at her reasoning and doubts that he could have punched her had others not stopped him.

Director Robin Olson did an amazing job casting this show. The show was set in the 1970s and the costuming reflected that time period. These were no longer just 12 angry men but an evenly split 6 men and 6 women. Each jurors age and cultural background brought a fresh perspective to the facts as presented in the trial. For instance when discussing how a switch blade is used juror 5 (Scott Browning) came from a disadvantaged neighborhood and had witnessed a knife fight in his back yard.

An added layer of drama came because I was seated next to the History Museum’s chief curator, Pam Schwartz who is in charge of preserving this courtroom which is considered an delicate artifact from Orlando’s past. The courtroom had been lovingly restored after a fire in the past. Some fire damage could still be seen on the floor. When a cup of water spilled on the table during jury deliberations she cringed. Elaitheia quickly mopped it up with tissues incorporating that into the natural flow of the show. When juror 3 punched the wall Pam cringed again. These jurors were so angry, they just might start throwing chairs, but it never went that far. After the show she inspected the table to be sure there was no damage.

Every juror was on edge. Anger bubbled over and they fought bitterly with the youths life in the balance. Racism and bigotry surfaced in Juror 10 (Rose Lamarre) and the rest of the jurors drew away from her as she spit out her monologue of hatred. Our president is embracing hatred and racism as the foundation of his campaign in 2020 making this show incredibly resonant. Thunder rumbled and ran pelted the courthouse. Outside the pavement was wet.

This is a great show in a great space with an important message. Don’t miss it.

12 Angry Jurors

The Orange County Regional History Center 65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801.

Remaining show dates:

Saturday,  August 3 – 7:30pm 

Sunday,    August 4 – 3:00pm 

Thursday, August 8 – 7:30pm 

Friday,     August 9 – 7:30pm 

Saturday, August 10 – 7:30pm 

Sunday,   August 11 – 3:00pm

Tickets are $20 General Admission and $40 for Jury Box Seats. 

Weekend Top 6 Picks for August 3 and 4, 2019

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Saturday August 3, 2019

8am to 1pm Free. Parramore Farmers Market. John H Jackson Community Center, 3107, 1002 W Carter St, Orlando, FL 32805. Purchase
quality, fresh and healthy food grown in your own neighborhood by local
farmers, including Fleet Farming, Growing Orlando, and other community
growers.

10am to 4pm Free. Orlando Elks Vintage Faire. Elk Lodge 1079 12 N Primrose Drive Orlando FL.  

8pm to 10pm Free. Shuffleboard. Orlando’s Beardall Courts 800 Delaney Ave Orlando FL.

1st Saturday of each month. Free fun! 

Sunday August 4, 2019

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


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

10pm to Midnight Free but get a coffee. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out and laugh, or give it a try yourself.

12 Angry Jurors

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The Central Florida Community Arts production of 12 Angry Jurors is a modern day take on 12 Angry Men which is a courtroom drama written by Reginald Rose which was originally broadcast on Television, was then produced as a play and then made into a movie starring Henry Fonda in 1957. I sat in on a dress rehearsal for the play which is being staged in the historic courtroom inside the Orange County Regional History Center. The play is about 12 jurors deliberating about a homicide case.

This jury rather than just being men, was a fair mix of men and woman with an ethnic blend. It seemed to be an open and shut case; an 18-year old boy on trial for the stabbing and murder of his own father. Twelve Jurors were shoved in a hot, bleak, room in mid-summer New York, and all assumed to be in agreement until the votes rolled in: 11 – guilty, 1 – not guilty. Tempers grew short as the clock ticks and the temperature rises. Can they all agree on one person’s fate?

Seated center stage like Christ in the last supper was Elaitheia Quinn the female dissenting juror who saw holes in the prosecutions case. Her shadow of doubt made some angry and yet her arguments gradually swayed others. The underlying theme was that race played a role in many people assuming the youth on trial was guilty. Terry Olson did a good job as a level headed business man who wanted civility during the deliberations. Chelsey Panisch was a polished ad exec who was primarily concerned about getting back to her job. Rose Ryan Lamarre and Rich Somsky both shone as racists whose views bubbled to the surface as the defendant’s guilt slipped away.

The historic Orange County courtroom had the saying Equal and Exact Justice for ALL Men emblazoned in the upper moldings. The setting was perfect and the drama intense. The sound of rain heightening the tense scenes was so natural, since it rains just about every day her in Orlando in the summer and the juror’s complaints about the heat also seemed well justified.

With a president daily spewing racist rants on twitter, this play
is just as relevant today that as it was back in the 1950s when it was
written.  The country is boiling and a viscous anger underlies every exchange on the capitol. People seem to be in a manic and angry rush at all times.  Orlando seems to exist in a bubble but are we really removed from all the hatred that surrounds us? Shouldn’t the frog jump out of the pot before the water boils?

Brandishing a switchblade in the jury room seemed even more upsetting after the horror Orlando has gone through in 2016 when a maniac brought an assault riffle into an Orlando nightclub killing 49 people. This is going to be an intense show that you really shouldn’t miss. In an ideal world level heads and compassion can perhaps overshadow bigotry and hate.

Tickets for 12 Angry Jurors  are $20 for general admission and $40 for jury box seats.

Orange County Regional History Center (65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, Florida 32801).

Thursday, August 1 – 7:30pm 

Friday, August 2 – 7:30pm 

Saturday, August 3 – 7:30pm 

Sunday, August 4 – 3:00pm 

Thursday, August 8 – 7:30pm 

Friday, August 9 – 7:30pm 

Saturday, August 10 – 7:30pm 

Sunday, August 11 – 3:00pm

Women Warriors for Democracy

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 The League of Women Voters gave a presentation at the Orange County Regional History Center  (65 E. Central Blvd. Orlando, Florida 32801) as part of the 2019 Brechner Speaker Series about the role of women as “Warriors for Democracy” which is the League’s theme for a
celebration of historic events that begins in 2019 and culminates with
the centennial of the women’s right to vote in 2020.

This program featured a multimedia presentation with five League speakers. These five speakers each dresses in outfits that reflected women’s fashion in the decade that they addresses in turn. The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution became law on August 26th, 1920, granting women the right to vote. Florida was not one of the states ratifying the amendment, and in fact it did not do so until 1969. Despite Florida not ratifying the amendment, women began to run for office in Central Florida. Edna Giles Fuller of Orange County, was the first woman elected to the Florida Legislature  in 1929.

 “May of 2019 marked the 80th birthday of the League of Women Voters of Orange County, and August 2020 will be the centennial of women’s right to vote,” noted Gloria Pickar, the local League’s co-president for 2018-2019. “Partnering with the History Center helps us to capture and share the story of the determined women and men who have fought for many years to empower voters and defend democracy in Central Florida and beyond.” The Warriors for Democracy History Book written by Anne Patton was also available at the end of the event.

Kaleidoscope All Things Music Art Show

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Kaleidoscope Venue for the Arts (1991 Corporate Square #181, Longwood, Florida 32750) is in a warehouse in Longwood. Monthly they host themed shows.  The theme in April was All Things Music. I like the idea of submitting art created with the theme in mind but have never submitted work to this space since they charge a $10 submission fee per artist. Regardless I figured it might be nice to head out and see all the art created with music in mind.

There is a second floor walkway in the venue and that is where I decided to hang out and sketch. There were paintings of flowers, abstracts and polished photograph but I couldn’t pick out any piece that really tied in with the theme of music. An artist joined me upstairs and he explained that he would be at the steampunk show up in Mount Dora. This is an event I have sketched before so we had some common ground. He was picking up his work and a painting by his daughter from the last show. He offered me an area fan which he plugged in. The air conditioner wasn’t keeping up with the heat.

Downstairs, beer, wine, sodas, and water was available for donation at the bar. Co-Owner Jack Beals was serving the drinks. Contributing artist’s drinks were complimentary. Pam ordered me a Coke that I sipped when I was sketching. The one advantage of the space as explained by one of the artists was that you can exhibit really large paintings. Since my work is sketchbook sized, that isn’t an appealing reason to consider submitting work to the space. In April the space was already insanely hot, I cant imagine how hot it must get in the deep summer months. I still see the Facebook invites to submit art to this venue but have learned to scroll by them on my feed. Right now there is a call for artists for a “Fan Art” show opening August 24, 2019. I am a fan of everyday life, but I don’t think that is what they are looking for.

Arab Cultural Heritage Festival

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The Arab Cultural Heritage Festival was a celebration of Arabic art, food and traditions. It was held at Lake Eola near the Disney Amphitheater. A huge crane was parked on the street holding an American flag. The truck served a secondary purpose of blocking any vehicles from driving down Washington avenue straight into the park. Every outdoor event in Orlando these days had large trucks or buses blocking possible vehicular homicide.

Pam Schwartz and I ordered some Arab food from vendors and then sat on the grassy knoll next to the Amphitheater. I focused my attention on the American flag and the Orlando skyline. The fellow next to us on the grass was having a cigarette break. He was probably one off the vendors. The star of the festival though was a lady holding an ice cream sign over her head and shouting out to everyone who passes that they were hot and could cool down with an ice cold ice cream. She seriously shouted louder and longer that any other vendor at the festival. We ate shwarma and chicken kabobs with veggies, but the dishes weren’t memorable. In the end we ultimately didn’t get an ice cream from the screaming and animated vendor.

In among the food vendors was an mechanical rodeo bull surrounded by inflatable mats. Was this an Arab festival or the Silver Spurs Rodeo? It was very confusing. The mechanical bull would have been another great sketch opportunity but there was no shade by the bull. The grassy knoll was a peaceful place slightly above the crowd to have a picnic and a quick sketch.

The New Spiral Circle

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The Spiral Circle  in its Mills/50 Location

(750 N Thornton Ave
Orlando, Florida) was founded on May 16th, 1975 by Beverly and William Ford. It is Orlando’s oldest running spiritual book store. I got a call from Julie Norris Wilder letting me know that the store was going to change hands. Julie was one of the founders of Dandelion Communitea Cafe only a block away from Spiral Circle . She explained that on the day she was looking for a location for Dandelion, she entered Spiral Circle and she was told that her destiny was not far away. When she left Spiral she drove down the street and saw that the Building Dandelion now occupies was for sale.When she had her daughter Maya there was a court case that ultimately lead to Julie leaving Dandelion and Orlando. I partnered with Julie on a calendar a few years ago and I got to see first hand her tenacious creative spirit. In this new business venture at Spiral Circle  she has partnered with Summer Rodman.

Summer is the CEO of Amazon Hose and Rubber which has been in business in Orlando for over 100 years. Summer’s Grandmother ran the business, then her mother and now Summer is at it’s reins. When Julie contacted me I hoped to sketch the new owners signing the paperwork for the building. Unfortunately work  kept me from sketching that signing at about noon. After work, I drove right over to Spiral Circle  to sketch the building. A sign in the window announced that the business was closed. I figured everyone must have gone home after the business changed hands. As I worked on the sketch of the building someone drove up beside me and rolled down her window. She asked me if the Spiral Circle  was open. I said that the sign on the window said it was closed and left it at that. She decided to park anyway and walked up to the entry since this was the time of day she usually stopped by to get her incense. Maya opened the door and soon Julie greeted me and offered me some water while I sketched. William Ford, the original owner of the spiritual bookstore exited the front door and Julie introduced me to him. He seemed a bit misty eyed as he left this spiritual home behind.

A new sketch opportunity presented itself since Summer was going to stop by and they were going to sign the business agreements. May was tasked with shooting photos of the occasion while I sketched. She stood on a chair to get an aerial shot and must have taken 50 shots of the historic signing. The phone kept ringing and Maya answered, making it clear that the circle was unbroken and business was already in full swing. The documents being signed needed the signature of a witness so I ended up adding my signature to the documents that cemented the start of this auspicious new venture. I felt a thrill that I was documenting a truly historic moment with my sketch.

I am excited by what can be found on their calendar, there are Angel Communication Sessions, Numerologist and Wellness Coaching, Bio-Field Integrative Arcing Light Chakra Balancing, Attunements and Intuitive Energy Healing and a Tibetan Meditation Group. The opportunities for spiritual self growth fascinate me.

Julie’s enthusiasm for this new venture is so contagious… “My heart is full. My new business partner is, like, the BEST ever. The
people I work with daily are incredible humans. My kid impresses me
always. My sweet romance gets sweeter by the day. I’ve been reconnecting
with so many people just by being at Spiral. I get to source and shift
dollars into ethical and fair companies, mostly woman-owned, often
independent. I’m so passionate about doing right by the land, one
another and respecting cultures around the world and now I get to bring
sacred offerings to our community with the same discerning eye that I
had at Dandelion for ingredient sourcing.  I am so grateful and thrilled this is my new reality.” Clearly this place will be a home base for a growing community here in Orlando. I find Spiral Circle  inspiring as an artist who hopes there is still magic and mystery in the world.

Lights for Liberty

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Lights for Liberty held a vigil at Lake Eola Park to protest the inhumane incarceration of immigrants at the border. The rain died down as the chants and protests subsided around the little red gazebo. One candle lit two, which ignited four which then ignited exponentially more candles. People struggled to keep the light ablaze by protecting the flame with their hands. The storm still persisted. Protesters marched around the lake once and then concluded with a vigil and moment of silence.

As court cases tighten the noose around the POTUS, he is lashing out at others on the hill with racist rants.  The deplorable conditions in the southern detention centers are further evidence of a platform of dehumanizing rhetoric. A family seeking asylum begged for their daughters sake since she had a congenital heart disease. A detention center doctor found that she did indeed have a heart condition. This toddler was told she must choose between her parents since one would be sent back across the border. She chose her mother but once her father was being escorted away she broke down and cried. How could a child be asked to choose between their parents? The doctor insisted the family be kept together for the child’s sake and he stayed with them overnight off the clock. The next day he found a different detention officer who agreed to keep the family together. Their future remains uncertain.

In Charlottesville, Neo Nazis chanted “Jews shall not replace us!” as they marched at night with tiki torches. A Unite the Right Rally white supremacist drove his car into peace loving counter protesters killing one woman, Heather Heyer, on that day in 2017. He was just sentenced life in prison plus over 400 years. The POTUS claimed there were “Very good people on both sides.” This is why Neo Nazis and his base love him so much. History always repeats itself. During the start of WWII the United States also closed it’s borders to Jews seeking asylum from Nazi Germany. Then as now, the US turned a blind eye. Southern detention centers are as dehumanizing as the American citizen Japanese interment camps of WWII. Orlando seems like a bubble of compassion in a country where the rhetoric of hate is always what makes the news. Brave people still stand as a light in the dark against hate. They give hate no safe harbor. Lets hope the storm will pass. 

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”

— Heather Heyer, her last post published on Facebook.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for July 27 and 28, 2019

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Saturday July 27, 2019

8am to 1pm Free. Parramore Farmers Market. John H Jackson Community Center, 3107, 1002 W Carter St, Orlando, FL 32805. Purchase
quality, fresh and healthy food grown in your own neighborhood by local
farmers, including Fleet Farming, Growing Orlando, and other community
growers.

7pm to 11pm Free. Ybor City Art Walk. 7th Ave Ybor Tampa, Florida 33605. Featuring a number of arts organizations and artsy businesses, be sure to R.S.V.P. here to get the official map for the walk!
This event will begin at 7pm and end at 11pm (or maybe there will be an after party!)
Here are the participating locations:
The Bricks of Ybor
Bloodline Tattoo
Ybor Arts Colony
Hot Wax
Wandering Eye Art Gallery
Dysfunctional Grace
Moon Over Havana Arts Gallery
Live Arts Labs

10pm to Midnight Free. No cover. The Negative Ion Movement Presents: Femmelectric. Lil Indie’s 1036 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803. The Negative Ion Movement Presents:
femmelectric with:
Kurt Rambus
FoxForce005
Michelle Jones
Dani Orieta
and jream

Sunday July 28, 2019

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. 

Noon to 2pm Free but get food and drink. Florida Gospel Jam. Fish on Fire 7937 Daetwyler Drive Belle Isle FL. Every 2nd and 4th Sunday.

10pm to Midnight Free but get a coffee. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out and laugh, or give it a try yourself.

Lights for Liberty

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At hundreds of locations around the country there will be vigils to protest the inhumane incarceration of immigrants at the border. The event is being called Lights for Liberty. The aim was to bring people together in peaceful protest of the inhumane conditions of the camps holding incarcerated immigrants and in remembrance of those whom have suffered and even died in those very places. These vigils occurred across the nation, with candles lit and a moment of silence at 9pm. Organizers and protesters want the world to know that this is not the America they believe in and that there are still citizens who care about the rest of the world and the rights of refugees seeking asylum in our country.

It was raining lightly when I arrived at the grassy peninsula to the right of the red gondola in Lake Eola Park.  Sheri Smyth, an event organizer with bright green hair gave a brief interview to a TV news crew. I asked where speakers might set up to talk to the protesters and was told a podium would be set up on the grass. I paused waiting to see where the podium might go. Someone walked out with a podium and walked half way out towards the lake and stopped dead in his tracks. I stopped as well as I followed him. His face looked ashen and he turned on his heals taking the podium back under a tent. I glanced out across the lake and the far shore disappeared under the silver sheen of a wall of rain that made its way across the lake towards us.

It started to pour. People crowded under the blue tent for cover and the rest opened their umbrellas. I sat on my artist stool which unfortunately ripped. I decided to start sketching the gondola and tent since the rain showed no signs of letting up. Two young women danced in the rain embracing the moment instead of running for cover. As it grew darker the park lights flicked on. The event organizer made an executive decision and decided to set up the podium inside the red gazebo. I decided to stay where I was since the sketch was started. I noticed several rainbow colored umbrellas and decided that the protesters bright umbrellas would be my center of interest. Gale force winds kicked up and I leaned back with my umbrella into the wind while keeping my tables as safe from the water as I could. On this gray rainy day, the bright colors of the protestors and their bright umbrellas were a vibrant contrast. Occasionally I wiped the water off on my shirt. Once this sketch was done I moved in closer to sketch the candles being lit.

It has become amazingly clear that Trump is a raging racist and a liar. With images coming out of the detention center on our southern border every American can see the inhuman conditions inflicted on asylum seekers first hand. This week The government is conduction raids in cities across the country to detain and relocate people.

There are 10 stages of Genocide. We are at stage 7.

1. Classification: People are divided into “us and them.”

2. Symbolization: People are forced to identify themselves.

3. Discrimination: People begin to face systematic discrimination.

4. Dehumanization: People are equated with animals, vermin or diseases.

5. Organization: The government creates specific groups (Police, Military, ICE) to enforce policies.

6. Polarization: The government broadcasts propaganda to turn the populace against the group.

7. Preparation: Official action to remove/relocate people.

8. Persecution: Beginning of murders, theft of property, trial massacres.

9. Extermination: Wholesale elimination of the group. It is “extermination” and not murder because the people aren’t considered human.

10. Denial: The government denies that it had committed any crime.